Thankful Thursday - 15

Since beginning my own list of One Thousand Gifts I have noticed a few things about myself.  After three months I still have less than 100 things written down.  I realize that my life is actually pretty repetitious so I find myself thanking God for the same things over and over.  I also have to take the time to be purposeful in noticing the little as well as the big blessings. Otherwise, I miss them.  Here are a few things I noticed this week.

1.  I hosted my book club this week.  Our book for the month was Soul Print by Mark Batterson.  What a wonderful discussion we had as we shared our insights into the unique experiences God has given to each of us so that we may become all he has designed us to be.  How blessed I am to be a part of this group of women who have become my friends.

2.  The summer fruit season is just beginning and one of the wonderful treats I served to my friends this week was this lovely bowl of fresh red strawberries.  They were so perfectly ripe and lusciously sweet that I had to thank God for the gift of taste.

3.  One of the things I love about living in my home is all the wildlife we see in the area.  It's not unusual to see a couple of deer eating apples from the trees in the fall, or a pair of eagles sitting in a tree nearby.  This week I stepped outside to the sound of quacking in my front yard.  As I went out to investigate I noticed a female mallard duck sitting on the roof of my neighbor's shed.  She soon stopped over to check out our front courtyard. 

It wasn't long before her beau showed on the roof of our garage.  

No doubt they were courting and probably looking for a place to nest. They hung around for about twenty minutes before flying back down to the lake.  Once again I am thankful for God's creation.

4.  Over the winter months my husband was busy redoing our dining room which was sadly in need of a fresh look.  We changed it from the 90's look of red and gold walls to a nice neutral brown.  Then we tore up the old carpet and laid a new wood floor.  Isn't it beautiful?  I am constantly thanking God for my husband's talent and hard work.

5. We moved this bookcase from the living room into the dining room.  As you can see, I keep forgetting that I forgot to put these Christmas bulbs away!

  We are often given the advice to surround ourselves only with those things which are useful or we find beautiful.   All beauty is a gift from the Lord.  This lovely hand painted chocolate set is not really very useful in today's day and age but it is certainly very pretty and I treasure it because it was a gift from my mother.

And of course there are few things that bring more joy to my heart than pictures of my family.  Both my older son and my daughter have been married for three years and I am thankful not only for each of them but for their wonderful spouses as well.  We are indeed very blessed.
 

It's always so good to take the time to remember the blessings of each day.  I hope that you too have seen and felt the Lord's hand of blessing upon your life this week.

Happy Saint Patricks Day

My dad's father was Irish and his mother was German which made him half Irish and me a wee bit Irish. 

  I'm not sure who enjoys celebrating St. Patrick's Day more, the Irish or the Irish Americans.  Did you know that the first St. Patrick's Day Parade was held in New York City in 1792?  And that the original soda bread was made by the Native Americans right here in North America hundreds of years before it made it to Ireland?  Wherever it came from the Irish have made it their own.  It's just not Saint Patrick's Day without leprechauns, shamrocks and Irish soda bread.

I used to have a wonderful recipe for Soda Bread which I used to make and bring to school each year in celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, but then several years went by when Saint Patrick's day didn't fall on a school day and over time I lost my recipe.  This year, I decided to revive the tradition but I needed to find a new recipe.  Last night I put it to the test.

 

This is my loaf all ready to go into the oven.  There are several traditional reasons given for why the cross is cut across the top.  Some believed it was to allow the devil to escape the bread while it baked and thus bring good luck.  Others say it's just so the bread can be easily broken into four pieces.  Still others believe it to be the Christian cross.

Here it is all crusty and warm from the oven...

and finally all sliced and ready to share with friends.  I hope you enjoy the day.  Don't forget to wear green and put an O' in front of your name.  After all everyone is a wee bit Irish on Saint Patrick's Day.

May the road rise to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

The rain fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

 

 

Tea Parties and Daffodils

Winter returned with a vengeance today with cold, blustery winds, rain, dropping temperatures and fresh snow on the mountaintops.  But I never would have expected it just two days before when we welcomed a possible candidate to fill our pulpit over the weekend.  Our church has been without a permanent pastor since last summer and we were excited to welcome this new young pastor and his family as they came to visit our congregation. 

One of the activities planned during their stay was a lovely tea party on Saturday morning given to honor the pastor's wife.  About 40 ladies from the church came to enjoy fellowship together.


Each table was set with hand embroidered white linens, charming little teapots and lovely china dishes. On each plate lay a pink tulip tied with a ribbon to each napkin.

Then, there were all the lovely treats that make a tea party so special, scones with raspberry jam, quiche, dainty sandwiches and fresh fruit followed by fruit tarts and cookies.

 The gorgeous quilts hanging on the walls were handmade by the mother of our hostess.  Everything was so lovely, it made me wish we were all dressed in summery floral dresses with big floppy hats.  But alas, this is 21st century American casualness at its best, or worst depending on how you look at it.   Ah well, everyone had a wonderful time and that's all that really matters in the end.

That's my mother sitting in front wearing her pretty blue scarf.

 After leaving the church later in the morning I came upon this parkway filled with golden daffodils in a neighborhood just a few blocks away.  I just had to stop to enjoy the flowers as well as this beautiful spring like day.

Of all the flowers to choose from, daffodils are one my favorites.  They are such perky flowers and yellow is one of my favorite colors.

I first fell in love with daffodils when I was 16.  My mother had severely injured her back and had to spend several weeks in the hospital. Even after she came home she was on complete bed rest for many more weeks.  I suddenly became the "lady of the house" responsible for getting meals on the table (that's when I really learned to cook), and keeping the house running for my dad and brothers.  Everyone helped out, but with my dad at work all day the major responsibility was mine when I got home from school each day.

 

Whenever my dad went to the hospital he would send me out into

the garden to pick some daffodils for him to take to my mom.  That's when I first noticed how happy they made me feel whenever, I saw them.  Indeed, A.A. Milne says "A house with daffodils in it is a house lit up, whether or no the sun be shining outside."

 Still today, whenever I see their bright, sunny petals, my spirit immediately rises up a little higher than before.  I hope they brighten your day as they brightened mine.

Hot Bean Dip

My husband had a "Guys Night Out" this past weekend.  It was just a night of snacks and cards, but he needed to make a contribution to the party.  So I whipped up some Hot Bean Dip with tortilla chips to take along.  It's one of those great snacks that's quick to make and is usually a favorite on the table.  I used to make it every year for my youngest son's annual birthday sleepover.  Now he makes it himself to share with friends.

I simply cook some ground beef.

 Next, I mix it with a can of refried beans and some taco seasoning and spread it into a baking dish.

Then I take sour cream and green taco sauce and mix it together,

 And spread it over the top of the meat mixture.

Finally, I top it with grated cheddar cheese.

Then, bake in the oven and in a few minutes it's ready to go.  Serve with tortilla chips.  It's a bit messy when you spoon it out but everyone agrees, it's delicious!

PS:  I have to laugh when I see what the camera picks up.  I can see, I spilled a little bit of cheese.  That shadow of the pan was my son cooking up some chicken to make his Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas.  It was a busy night in the kitchen.

Hot Bean Dip

1 lb. xtra lean ground beef

1 can (16 oz) refried beans

2 TBSP Taco Seasoning

1 cup sour cream

1/2 bottle green taco sauce 

1 1/2  cups grated cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef in a skillet.  Add the refried beans and taco seasoning.  Mix well and spread into a greased baking dish.  Mix together the sour cream and taco seasoning and spread over the meat mixture.  Top with grated cheese.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

~~~

While I was making the dip I noticed some overripe bananas on the counter.  So after everyone left for the evening I decided to bake a loaf of banana nut bread. 

I love any kind of nut bread, especially when I can enjoy it with the egg and sausage casserole I made for breakfast this weekend.  

 Now that's a tasty breakfast!  Bless this food and thank you, Lord.

Amen!  

A Change in the Air

  This is the time of year when the weather can be unpredictable.  Some years the entire month will find us frozen over with temperatures below freezing. There is little snow but the ground is cold and hard, the wind harsh and the days spent inside with a blazing fire in the fireplace.  Other years, we experience an early taste of spring. The weather is balmy and it feels more like April or May than February.  This year has been somewhere in-between.  A few days ago, after weeks of chilly wind and rain we woke up to a morning of bright sunshine and cloudless skies.  We also woke up to first frost we had seen in some time.

 Fortunately, as the week progressed each day got a little warmer giving me a chance to get outside to work in the garden a little.  And boy, does my garden need some TLC.  As you can see, I haven't been out here much in the past few months and it sure shows.  There is much to be done. 

It's hard to get to everything during the school year.  However, with this lovely weather I have managed to spend a few hours getting flower beds cleaned out.  The snowdrops and crocus are making their appearance.

 And buds are popping out on the trees.

This is my neighbor's pussy  willow.  Don't you think the catkins look like little fuzzy caterpillars?

I saw my first robin of the season at my mom's house yesterday and snapped this picture from my car across the street.  This fellow and his mate were searching for worms in the grass.

Today the rain clouds began rolling back in.  Thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow.  I know that Winter is not quite through with us yet but the wind is a little more gentle and Spring is definitely on it's way.