Happy Mothers Day

"How thankful I am, how thankful we all must be, for the women in our lives.
      God bless them.
May His great love distill upon them and crown them with luster and beauty, grace and faith."
                    —President Gordon B. Hinckley

 

  Happy Mothers Day to one and all!

Love,
Elizabeth

And Then It's Winter...

Hello, Friends and Visitors!

One of my dear friends sent me this lovely thought which I have copied for you below.  I don't know the author, but the sentiments are true....

                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And Then It's Winter...

It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on  my new life with my mate.  And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went.  I know that I lived them all... and  I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.  But, here it is... the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise.

How did I get here so fast?  Where did the years go and where did my babies go?  And where did my youth go? I remember well.... seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so  far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

But, here it is... my age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be.  Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day!  And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things.  But, at least I know, that though the winter has come and I'm not sure how long it will last, this I know, that when it's over... its over!

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done and  things I should have done.  But indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done.  Its all in a lifetime...

So, if you're not in your winter yet ... let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, please do it quickly!

Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!  You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life... so, live for God today, and say all the things that you want your loved  ones to remember.

Life is God's gift to you. The way you live your life determines where you will spend eternity.

So Live It Well. !!!!!

Grapefruit Bird Feeder

Okay, so I saw this cute grapefruit bird feeder online and have decided to give it a try, especially because Costco has HUGE grapefruits for sale.  We have been going through those like crazy because they are delicious!  So, I have saved 4 halves...

..scraped them out, poke equi-distant holes, strung them up and filled with sunflower seeds and birdseeds.

How is that for a nifty, thrifty new feeder?

Have you used any unique or interesting objects for bird feeders?  If so, please share!

Love,
Elizabeth

Relief and Apprehension

 Last night, my husband and I were watching a little TV and as I flipped through the channels to get to PBS I noticed that one station was showing pictures of Osama Bin Laden.  Oh well, I thought.  I gave up hope of his capture long ago.  As we settled on our program, my son came running up the stairs to tell us that one of his friends had just called to tell him that Osama Bin Laden is dead.

WHAT?!?!?

With haste, we switched to a network station.  They were all carrying the story at this point and watched for hours the replay of this incredible turn of events.  How was it possible after all these years?

I admit to mixed feelings.  I am thankful this man and a few of his associates are no longer able to hatch plans to hurt our country.  But I am also a little apprehensive about the possibility of reprisals.  I can only pray that the good Lord will bless and protect this country.  I am aware that our society has to some degree gone astray in sin, but I am just as equally aware that many good men and women live lives of service to others and try to the best of their abilities to honor Him.

For those who have sacrificed their lives to protect our nation, beginning with those who fought back on Flight 93 to the present day, all I can say is I am deeply humbled by their willingness to give their lives so that we might have an opportunity to make a better future for our children.

Please pray for our safety, but also we must try our best to live our lives in such a way that we are worthy of the Lord's protection.  We must be vigilant - watchful of our enemies, but also careful in how we live.  In this way, we honor the fallen.  By this, their sacrifice is not in vain.

Happy May Day

Photo from skiptomylou.wordpress.com

"The world's favorite season is the spring.
All things seem possible in May."
-  Edwin Way Teale

Happy May Day, One and All!

Yesterday, we awoke to 8 inches of snow on the ground, a disheartening sight for one who desperately craves warm weather and some hope for Springtime.  This morning, we awoke to a bright sky and green grass everywhere and absolutely no sign of SNOW.  What a wonderful treat for May Day.

As many of you probably know, a fun May Day tradition is to leave posies by the doors of friends and neighbors.  However, there are no flowers growing around here yet ((sigh)), so our posies will have to wait until another day.  But, oh what a beautiful Sabbath day.

Rejoice and be thankful!
Elizabeth

The Royal Wedding

Okay, alright...I admit it.  I woke up at 2 a.m. Friday morning to watch the royal wedding.  I was exhausted, but I had to see Kate's (now Catherine) beautiful wedding dress.  So, I got up and nothing was happening.  Guests were just beginning to arrive at Westminster Abbey and, frankly, I wasn't much interested.  So, set the alarm and went back to sleep until 3:30, at which time I was able to see the wedding party begin to arrive.  Then came the marvelous Kate in a dress that reminds me of the one worn by Grace Kelly when she married the Prince of Monaco (was that on purpose, or coincidental?).  I watched until the couple exchanged vows and then sleep overtook me.  Yesterday, I was exhausted and spent much of the day watching replays of the wedding celebrations.  It was such great fun.  I was quite taken by the way Prince William looks at and behaves towards his now wife, so differently from how his father behaved towards Diana, Princess of Wales.  After all the coverage that I have watched both before and after the wedding, I have come to the conclusion that this one is a love match and I sure hope it all stays that way.

Anyone else out there watch the festivities?  How about my friends across the pond?

Love,
Elizabeth

Sweet Memories of a Time Gone By

All the current news coverage of the upcoming marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton this week must bring back to many people who are old enough to remember the incredible fervor surrounding the marriage of The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.  I was in college at the time, attending Brigham Young University, and living in the basement apartment in the home of a sweet older couple.  One of my closest friends, Ruth, lived with her family around the corner from my house and we were all huge Anglophiles. The afternoon before the big day, a handwritten invitation appeared at my door, penned by Ruth's mother, inviting me to attend the royal wedding at their home that night.  Such fun!  I remember going to bed extremely early and then awakening around 2 a.m., getting dressed and then running full speed to Ruthie's house, where we lay on the floor in front of the TV for hours, watching the pageantry unfold.   It was such a sweet time, because of course, like most people, we believed this was a love match and I adored Lady Diana and how virtuous she was when she married.  These are lovely memories of so long ago...

Of course, over the ensuing years the whole thing fell apart, but I still loved to peruse pictures of The Princess of Wales, admiring her fashions and the warm way she had with people.

Fast forward to another memory.

It was 12:30 a.m. on August 31st, 1997.  I was lying in bed, timing contractions I had been having for the past hour with my second pregnancy, which were with my son, Robert.  My husband, Mark, was watching TV in the living room.  The contractions had gotten to be close enough apart that I went out to tell Mark that the baby was coming and that he needed to take me to the hospital.  As I came into the room, Mark turned around, having just heard the news report and told me that Diana was dead.  Utter shock and disbelief.  After waking our close friends and neighbors, the Langstaffs, to come over and watch our daughter, Sarah, who was 2 years old at the time, we got in the car and drove to the hospital.  Once in our hospital room, we turned on the television and watched news coverage until my labor became so acute that it was time to turn it off.  To this day, I remember so well the incredible jumble of emotions I was feeling at the time and whenever I see pictures of the crashed car in the Paris tunnel, it brings it all back - horror, disbelief and also the incredible awe and joy of having a child, all of that all at once.

One week later, I watched the funeral with my newborn baby in my arms.

Now, this week, the nuptials of Diana's son, William, and Kate Middleton.  It is great fun for many, I am sure, but I do wish the news media would refrain from referring to their relationship as a "fairy tale", which of course it is not.  I hope it all goes off without a hitch and that the son will be luckier in love than his mother.

But I cannot help remembering an earlier time, when my body was full of youthful vigor and my heart and mind were full of romance and I went running to a friend's house in the middle of the night to celebrate what I thought would be the wedding of the Century.

Love,
Elizabeth

Menu Planning Monday

Hello!

I haven't posted a menu plan in quite awhile.  I've been flying by the seat of my pants, which is a crazy way to go.  It is always better to plan.  I get more bang for my buck that way and I don't have to flounder one hour before mealtime, wondering what in the heck to have!

Monday -Hawaiian Pizza (with leftover ham), Tossed Salad

Tuesday - Chicken with Olives, Mashed Potato Casserole, Asparagus

Wednesday - Black-Eye Peas and Brown Rice, cooked with leftover ham, Okra and Sweet Potato Fries

Thursday - Chicken with Sesame Noodles, Steamed Broccoli

Friday - Taco Salad

Saturday -Fettuccine with Sausage and Kale

Sunday - Roast, Butternut Squash and Salad

Well, that is it for this week's menus.  I am excited to do more meals that are planned around Springtime veggies.  For more Menu Planning Monday posts, please visit Laura's blog, I'm An Organizing Junkie!

You may be surprised to learn that we have begun having our big meal right after the children return home from school.  They always come home starving and eat so much that it was ruining their supper, so we have started having family time/supper as soon as they get home.  We read scripture and sit around the table talking about the day and filling all the empty tummies.  At night, before bed, we have a snack.  This is working really well for us.  It also is helpful to me because kitchen clean-up happens before I start feeling really tired and am tempted to let it go until morning.

What time is your supper?  Who does the clean up?


have a wonderful day!
Elizabeth