The Icing On The Cake

On the first day of Harry and Travis's hunt, as soon as they left for the woods I got dressed and ready and went over the river and through the woods! Literally! And it took 2 and a half hours. From the back roads of the 'Show Me' state, Missouri and into the corner of Iowa, the 'Hawk Eye' state and right over the Mississippi River into the 'Land of Lincoln'. I drove in the wee hours of the cold morning to this quiet little town, Nauvoo.

I had been there before. Harry and I picked Travis up after his mission in Chicago. We drove to Nauvoo. The next morning Travis and I attended the first session that morning. It was wonderful. I felt really bad that Harry was so sick he couldn't go with us.

I did the 9:00 AM session at the Nauvoo Temple. It was wonderful and peaceful. I was so glad to have been there. They were so happy to see me and so helpful and friendly. I wish I could have stayed all day. Maybe another time.

Such a pleasant and wonderful morning, it was the icing on the cake for me!

Been Hunting

Warning: pictures of

dead animals below.

This is the reason I've been in Missouri!

Travis shot him at 105 yards with a 300 Remington ultra mag. He is a main frame 10 point with a 3 inch kicker off of his brow tine. (if you know what that means? Not sure I do.)

I actually went along to take care of my sweetheart and make sure he stayed out of trouble! He hunted his heart out and saw lots and lots of whitetail deer and one turkey. Out of all he saw, none were of legal size to kill. So he came home empty handed. (or empty cooler)

They planned this hunting trip over a year ago. Way before all of this past summers 'high health drama'. I tried more than once to cancel this trip due to bad health. The hard headed southern man I'm married to refused. So off we went to Macon, Missouri the week before Thanksgiving. We returned home Thanksgiving morning about 12:15.

I'm not sure who killed the coyote, but it was legal.

Drive 900 miles one way to hunt in extremely cold weather and sleep on a bunk bed and eat tasteless food and do with out Internet, cell phone service and a TV and then drive another 900 miles home in Thanksgiving traffic, PRICELESS??

Forget about it!

But if he wants to do it again??

I'll go along and take care of him again and again and again, if that's what he wants. He's gone through so much. He more than anyone deserves to have a little fun. (I just still can't see how that can be fun!)

Good Luck!

Black Friday!

May you be blessed to get all the great Christmas Deals you can find. Watch your toes and your shopping carts and your wallets!

Happy Thanksgiving

MAY YOU ALL BE

BLESSED WITH GOD'S

GREATEST BLESSINGS

Wordless Wednesday

ARE YA READY???

Enjoy yourselves!

Tasty Tuesday

French Coconut Pie

This is one of those recipe's I have had in my recipe book for 30 years or more. I have no idea where it came from but it's Tried and True! And if you like coconut? You'll love this!! It's one of my favorites.

It is very rich. This is another one of those recipes that only gets cooked at holidays. Any more than once or twice a year and it will kill ya. Just take a look at the butter, sugar and eggs in this thing.

This is the easiest recipe ever. I PROMISE, even if you don't cook, the only way to mess this up is to not cook it long enough or forget it and burn it.

Be sure to check it because all ovens are different and you want to make sure it is done. It might look a little better with a dollop of whip cream but it sure doesn't need it for the taste.

French Coconut Pie

1 stick butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coconut

Melt butter, add eggs and sugar, beat well. Add vinegar and vanilla beat until blended. Stir in cup of coconut. Pour into an unbaked DEEP pie crust and bake at 350* for one hour. Use the clean knife technique to make sure it is done. Cool completely before cutting. Very rich and yummy!

Prepared?

Hope all your preparations

are going well.

Be Thankful

The third thing we can do to live in thanksgiving daily is open our arms.
One of the best ways we show our gratitude is by blessing the lives of those around us. When was the last time you told someone you love how much they mean to you? When was the last time you expressed your gratitude to someone who has always been there for you, someone who has sacrificed for you, someone whose heart has always been filled with hopes and dreams for you? When was the last time you unselfishly reached out to help another in need? Every time we cheer another’s heart, every time we ease another’s burden, every time we lift a weary hand, we show our gratitude to that God to whom we owe all that we have and all that we are.
Not long ago a mother and father from the Republic of Georgia faced a terrifying reality. The doctors told them their baby had a heart condition, and unless he had surgery he would die. Because they did not have adequate facilities in Georgia, the mother and father walked across their country and all the way to Yerevan, Armenia, seeking medical help.
The Armenian doctors examined the child and agreed that the baby needed heart surgery. They knew how to perform the surgery and they had the necessary facilities, but they couldn’t perform the operation because they didn’t have the right tubing. As much as they wanted to help, there was nothing they could do. They told the couple to take their baby home to die.
As you know, the Church—through its humanitarian service arm—sends millions of pounds of food, clothing, and medical and educational materials throughout the world each year. As it so happened, Elder Robert H. Sangster and his wife, Sister Sandra Sangster, were serving a humanitarian mission in Armenia, and they had just received a container of medical supplies.
You may have already guessed that tucked away in this container of medical supplies was a box of precisely the kind of tubing needed for this child’s operation.
When the doctors discovered the tubing, they rushed the baby into surgery and performed the operation.
That’s a wonderful story and one that repeats itself daily as a result of the tremendous humanitarian help that is given to many nations in the world. The great welfare effort given by the Church benefits members and nonmembers during times of need. It reaches out to care for others. But what happened later makes it an even better story. One day, soon after the operation, Elder and Sister Sangster heard a knock at their door. When they opened it, this loving mother and father fell to their knees and wept as they thanked the Sangsters and their church for supplying the precious tubing that had saved the life of their child.
The blessings that come from opening our arms to others are among the choicest this earth has to offer.
As we strive to open our eyes, hearts, and arms, our step will become a little lighter, our smile will become a little brighter, and the darkness that sometimes broods over our lives will become a little lighter. Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t been an especially grateful person. Rejoice and think of what an impression you will make on those who thought they knew you. Think of how delightfully surprised they will be.
Be grateful. Every day is a new canvas—a new opportunity. Our beloved President Gordon B. Hinckley has said: “My plea is that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life, we ‘accentuate the positive.’ I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment and endorse virtue and effort” (Standing for Something [2000], 101).
Choice blessings await those who live in thanksgiving daily. “He who receiveth all things with thankfulness,” the Lord has promised, “shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more”.
Don’t wait to start. Open your eyes, open your hearts, and open your arms. I promise that as you do so, you will feel greater joy and happiness. Your life will have a new level of meaning. You will forge relationships that will transcend this life and endure through the eternities.

Not everyone can be a star quarterback; not everyone can be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company; not everyone can win a gold medal at the Olympics; but everyone—everyone—can live in thanksgiving daily.

May we follow our Savior in all we do is my humble prayer.

Joseph B Wirthin

Look at me!

Don't this look just like me

cookin in my kitchen with my

little black and white floor!

I love it! Only difference,

my hair is red.

Photo Friday

How all this started:

Back in March of 2006. Harry was getting onto a fork lift on the job site as he was stepping up his foot slipped between the rungs and he started to fall backwards. His foot got caught in the rungs and actually kept him from probably falling and breaking his back. Instead he broke his foot in 5 places. Being a diabetic since he was 18 years old, he doesn't feel his feet very well. He walked around on that broken foot for a few days until it turned purple and was finally killing him. Off to the ER we went and 3 months later he had surgery on it putting in bolts and pins. He had to have special shoes made and then to stable him a little better they added a leg brace. See pictures below.

Aren't these nice looking shoes? They only cost around $900.00. They cast his feet and specially ordered these shoes. They were great. But as his luck would have it his foot never really healed. He did all he could and all the Doctors ordered him to do.

So infection finally took over his body and it

was bad and it was MRSA/STAPH.

Only thing left to do was to amputate it.

Things went from bad to worse and

then to Miraculous! Any way insert new foot!

Now, look!!! New shoes!!!

Steel Toed shoes!

Normal, straight off the shelf!

$29.95!

I still can't believe it sometimes.

Oh No!

I couldn't help myself.

It just happened.

I was home by myself for a few hours

and things were so quiet.

And the mood just hit me and

I couldn't stop myself.

I did think to myself,

'What if someone knocked on the door?'

What would they think?

But I don't care.

YES I did!

I listened to CHRISTMAS Music!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS MUSIC

ALL TYPES!

Both of these CD's.

And aren't they both about as

different as night and day?

(Had to hear Josh twice)

These aren't necessarily my favorite, but I'd love

to hear what your favorite Christmas CD is??

Wordless Wednesday

Tasty Tuesday

Do you remember these pumpkins? Well I finally got around to cooking them. It was so easy for my first time. I was pretty excited. It took two cooking's and I came out with 10 cups of cooked pumpkin that I pureed. I froze it in 2 cup portions. Most recipes call for a 15 oz can of pumpkin and so I can just thaw out one bag to use instead of the can. Aunt Patsy even has some more pumpkins she needs to get rid of so I think I'll help her out and get a few more.

Cooked Pumpkin

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut pumpkin into small manageable pieces and cut off pith and seeds. Place cut pumpkin skin side up in a large roasting pan. Add 1/4 inch of water and bake uncovered for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven and allow pumpkin to cool. When cooled, cut away skin and mash or puree. Use in any recipe that calls for canned pureed pumpkin.

So with the other 2 cups of pumpkin puree I made 3 loaves of Pumpkin bread. Kept one and gave the others to the children. It's some good stuff.

Pumpkin Bread
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

My Favorite Household Task

I love to iron!

Not many people iron anymore. I think it might just

become a lost art. That's sad isn't it.

I grew up ironing everything I wore. Even t-shirts. I usually ironed it right before I wore it.

My mama taught me how and she has a very specific way to iron certain things. I iron the way she does.

I have a hard time watching someone else iron a shirt or pair of pants. I would rather stop them and just do it for them because it pains me that much.

Everyone of my siblings learned to iron our clothes. My brother irons as well as I do.

When we traveled we use to take the iron with us. Now most hotels have an iron in the room and so I haven't packed an iron in years.

My sweet sister in law, has a story she can tell you about when she married my brother. All of his sisters and mama talked him into taking his iron and ironing board to the hotel in the town he was married in. I didn't think that was such a strange request since all our dresses had been packed in suitcases. But I think she tells a pretty funny story. We are a strange family. My only brother is the youngest and has 4 older sisters. I think we just prepared him to make a wonderful husband for her. I don't know that he ever got his way about anything. Poor thing, he did have it hard. But he sure is beloved by all of us and he irons his own shirts.

Living In Thanksgiving Daily

We must let go of the negative emotions that bind our hearts and instead fill our souls with love, faith, and thanksgiving.


Anger, resentment, and bitterness stunt our spiritual growth. Would you bathe in impure water? Then why do we bathe our spirits with negative and bitter thoughts and feelings?


You can cleanse your heart. You don’t have to harbor thoughts and feelings that drag you down and destroy your spirit.

You can repent of uncleanliness. That is the miracle of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. You can become clean. You can cleanse your heart of impurity.

Begin the process today. Repent of those things you should repent of. Drink deeply of the living waters of the gospel. These latter days are a time of great spiritual thirst. Many in the world are searching, often intensely, for a source of refreshment that will quench their yearning for meaning and direction in their lives. The Lord provides the living water that can quench the burning thirst of those whose lives are parched by a drought of truth.

Pray with all your heart. Consider the love your Heavenly Father has for all His children. Open your heart to His cleansing word. Feast on the words of holy writ. Cherish the messages of modern-day prophets and apostles. Forgive others who have offended you. Don’t waste another moment feeling self-pity. Every day drain from your heart the feelings of resentment, rage, and defeat that do nothing but discourage and destroy. Fill your heart with those things that ennoble, encourage, and inspire.


Joseph B. Wirthlin

Yes Again

Katherine from Smokey Moutain Cafe tagged me to share 7 random facts about myself. The rules are, you have to provide the link of the person who tagged you, and you have to tag 7 others to do the same.

1. I love to read cook books but rarely ever cook anything from them.

2. I'd rather bake than cook.

3. I love old black and white movies.

4. I enjoy sewing when I'm in the mood. I wish I was in the mood more often.

5. I love wrapping Christmas presents.

6. I hate putting up a Christmas tree but love taking one down.

7. Before going to bed I like to run cold water over my feet. Also I always ask for ice water and no soap when I get a pedicure. The colder the better.

I'm going to tag some of those who seem to need something to blog about. So please forgive me and just give it a shot.

Lisa of Lisa's Place

Pat of Swamp Woman's Family Recipes

Christon of Christon's Life....A little crazy, A little messy...ALOT HAPPY!

Courtney of Rauscher Family

Leah of Bigger is better!

Rachael of Our Family

Liz or Elisabeth of Elizabeth and my Special K's

Family Photo Friday

top row-Garnetta, (My grandma), Nannie, (my great grandmother), Vella;

middle row-Lois, Clara;

bottom row-John, Iris and Betty)

This picture was taken in October of 1932. Standing are; Lois (8 yrs. 11 mo.), ~my grandma~Garnetta (16 yrs. 10 mo), Vella (14 yrs.) and Clara (11 yrs.); middle is Johnny (15 mo.); seated are Iris (3 yrs.) and Betty (5 yrs.10 mo). (the ages are from the back of the picture)

I stole these pictures from my cousin Pam's blog. She's recently started a blog and I am so excited because I haven't seen most of the family pictures that she has shared on her blog. Keep it up Pam, I love it and thanks!

Being Thankful

Now most of you know me and know the things that are most important in my life. That being said, there are a couple of things I want to throw out there. I am really thankful that Harry is physically able to work and support our family and that they have plenty of work right now. I am also very thankful that we have Health Insurance. With the economy and the job market the way it is these days I feel we are very blessed. I have been so shocked at the massive cost of health care. Of course we have met our deductible and out of pocket expenses for this year. I seem to stay in contact with the insurance company trying to keep a handle on all of it. I'm put on hold a lot but with a lot of kindness and patients on my part, I seem to be making headway. It is easily a part time job.

On a different note, Harry had a great check up yesterday. His kidney function is even better than it was in the hospital. Things have steadily improved. He's getting better and stronger with his walking on his prosthesis. He is surly a blessed man. And I am very thankful for him!

Wordless Wednesday

Things like this frustrate me,

how about you?

How many horses in this picture?

Should find 7. (I can only find 5 horses)

You should find 11 faces in this picture.
Do you see them?? (I can find 10 faces)

Tasty Tuesday

Thanksgiving comes around every year and I can always expect a call from my niece Leah. (You canfind her blog here.) She thinks that Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving unless she has my Broccoli Casserole and Blueberry roll. She never keeps the recipe and she only wants it this one time of year. Which is about the only time I make it also. Just Thanksgiving and Christmas. So here's to you Leah! Enjoy this out in SLC. Look forward to seeing you at Christmas. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Blueberry Roll
(this isn't really a roll, I have no idea who named this)

crust: 1 1/2 cups of self rising flour
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix all together and press into greased 9x13 pan. bake at 325* for 25 minutes. Let cool. When cooled pour one 20oz can of blueberry pie filling over the crust.

Topping: 1/2 cup milk
1 8oz. bar of cream cheese (room temp)
3/4 cups sugar
1 8oz. container coolwhip

With mixer beat this together and spread over the filling and crust. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Better if you let it set up over night in fridge.

Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli Casserole

4 or 5 pound bag of frozen broccoli cooked and drained real well.

Mix together: 1 cup mayo
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 eggs
1 small onion chopped fine
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt

Pour over broccoli and fold lightly until mixed. Pour into deep 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with one cup of cheese. Now top with bread crumbs and drizzle a stick of melted butter over top. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30-40 mins. Remove foil and cook 10 more mins to brown the top lightly.

Happy Monday Morning

Is this a serious case of bed head or what?? Shelby spent the night with us Saturday night. One of her favorite things to do besides baking or having Pop Pop read to her is to sit on my lap and look at the pictures on my computer. I have them in Picasa2 if you don't have it go get it it's free and so much help in organizing and editing your pictures. She likes for me to tell her about each picture and talk about it. She loves this picture of her self she thinks it's funny.

We both love this picture and we have to find it every time and look at it. She'll say look at me smiling at you! I tell her that I was the first person she smiled at and that I love so much. She wasn't 24 hours old yet. She knows all these things because we talk about them all the time.

This is a picture of Donnie and Harry the first time they layed eyes on the precious grand daughter they shared, little Miss Shelby. We have to talk about this picture of Popi and Pop Pop. She'll say "look at Popi he was laughing at me and look at Pop Pop he was crying." I'll say and "why was he crying?" She'll say "cause he was so happy." But last night she said, "look Pop Pop was walking" She noticed that Harry was standing right there with Donnie. That was a different conversation for us.

Then she really likes this picture of herself smiling. She was 3 days old in this picture. I'll say, "now who are you smiling at in this picture?" She'll tell me, "I was smiling at mommy." I'll ask her why? and she'll tell me because mommy was funny. Shelby and I do this at least twice a week if not more. Reagan and I look at the same pictures and the only ones she is interested in is pictures of Pop Pop and her mama and daddy. But we'll keep doing it as long as they both want to look at pictures. Both of them are so much fun.

Living In Thanksgiving Daily

First, we must open our eyes.

I agree with Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote, “The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life” (Quotationary, electronic quotation dictionary). Unfortunately, because the beauties of life are so abundant, sometimes we take them for granted.

Our minds have a marvelous capacity to notice the unusual.

However, the opposite is true as well: The more often we see the things around us—even the beautiful and wonderful things—the more they become invisible to us.

That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds—even those we love.

Because we see things so often, we see them less and less.

Those who live in thanksgiving daily, however, have a way of opening their eyes and seeing the wonders and beauties of this world as though seeing them for the first time.

I encourage you to look around you. Notice the people you care about. Notice the fragrance of the flowers and the song of the birds. Notice and give thanks for the blue of the sky, the color of the leaves, and the white of the clouds. Enjoy every sight, every smell, every taste, every sound.

When we open our eyes and give thanks for the bountiful beauty of this life, we live in thanksgiving daily.

Joseph B. Wirthlin

Decor

For Lentil-Banded Pumpkins and Candles click here.

Photo Friday

Which is the real leg and which is the

fake one?? Can you tell, can you tell???

This is the first time he has walked into our house since July! By the time he got to his chair though he was worn out. He's just weak from not walking. He's doing great and still going to P/T twice a week and that is really helping him to learn to walk again. Hopefully he can shed that walker in a few weeks. He walked all the way into the Lab today for blood work. I was so proud for him.

Changing the subject, we have been at odds about that gray goat on his face. It's driving me crazy. He says he'll cut it when he kills a deer. With his luck that could be 2012 and it'll be down to his waist like ZZ Top. I'm trying to have patients but it's hard.

I show you this picture so that you can see my new wall color. It's Sherman Williams Restrained Gold. Sistah Carla and DIL Jordan picked it out. It's different. It's growing on us slowly. I'll show you a before and after sometime next week.

Oh and what a cute little girl in the picture too. I asked her yesterday where her daddy was and she said 'huntin', clear as day. We had to bribe her out of the dress up tutu so they could go to the fair Wednesday afternoon.

My FIL.

No real reason for this picture. Just thought I'd share. Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Tag

Tagged By Sass E-mum

Four places I go over and over.
1. Wal-Mart
2. Lakeside Pre School
3. Wal-Mart
4. Physical Therapy (Harry, not me)

Four people who e-mail me regularly
1. my mama and daddy
2. Sistah Jill
3. Barney's Friend Chris
4. Sistah Jill

Four of my favourite places to eat:
1. Longhorns (you know, the Liver)
2. Olive Garden
3. Bone Fish
4. Pat's house

Four places you'd rather be
1. Italy
2. Brazil
3. England
4. On a beach anywhere

Four TV shows I could watch over and over.
1. Dancing with the stars
2. The Closer
3. Army Wife's
4. O'Riley Factor

Four people I think will respond
Any one who will accept the challenge or anyone who hasn't been tagged lately or anyone who has a hard time thinking of something to blog about! And there are a lot of you out there!! Get to crackin!