Goodbye Mardi Gras 2012

As Mardi Gras 2012 comes to an end, I am here to tell you that I did not attend 1 parade..not 1 ! And I am okay with that. I have done enough "parading" in my younger days....BOY do I have stories to tell, but that is a whole different blog post! As Mardi Gras ends...so begins the season of Lent. A time to set aside some time of quiet to ask the Lord what he wants you to do.To see if the Spirit of God guides you to something. Today I read this in a blog and thought that it pretty much sums up what Lent is all about....

Millions of people are getting in their last partying before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, a much more serious time when ashes are applied with the traditional words, "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return."

Before we turn to dust and blow away, what good are we going to do in this world? The forty days of Lent create a season to positively answer that question since it's a time focused on spiritual growth and simplicity-a kind of spring cleaning.

Simply giving something "up" for Lent-like candy or alcohol or TV-might be a good thing. But it's more useful to give something "back" through positive acts of mercy and charity, helping the poor, doing volunteer work, giving a helping hand to family and friends who are in difficult situations. We can use this time to take stock of the values we promote and how we live our lives.

What will each of us give back rather than give up? That decision is up to each of us. I hope that this Lenten season becomes a time of spiritual discipline and reflection on what really creates the good times.

Those few paragraphs gave me an Ah Ha moment. So instead of the traditional "giving up" something for Lent, I have decided to "give back". My sister's best friend, Bobbi Jo, was in a terrible car accident on Sunday. She is still in ICU in a drug induced coma with multiple injuries that will require several surgeries. So this year for Lent, I am giving one hour of my day spent in prayer for Bobbi Jo. I know she has a long road ahead of her, but I will be positive and pray that when my 40 days of prayer ends, she will be recovered and back to living her life as she has always lived it...as a faith filled woman, full of love and life!

This is for you Bobbi Jo....

"A pearl is a beautiful thing that is produced by an injured life. It is the tear [that results] from the injury of the oyster. The treasure of our being in this world is also produced by an injured life. If we had not been wounded, if we had not been injured, then we will not produce the pearl."

Stephan Hoeller

THE INVISIBLE MOTHER

The Invisible Mother

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I’m thinking, ‘Can’t you see I’m on the phone?’

Obviously not; no one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I’m invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being. I’m a clock to ask, ‘What time is it?’ I’m a satellite guide to answer, ‘What number is the Disney Channel?’ I’m a car to order, ‘Right around 5:30, please.’

Some days I’m a crystal ball; ‘Where’s my other sock? Where’s my phone?, What’s for dinner?’

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She’s going, she’s going, and she’s gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, ‘I brought you this.’ It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn’t exactly sure why she’d given it to me until I read her inscription: ‘With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.’

In the days ahead I would read – no, devour – the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: 1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals – we have no record of their names. 2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. 3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. 4) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, ‘Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it And the workman replied, ‘Because God sees.’

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was Almost as if I heard God whispering to me, ‘I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.
No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no cupcake you’ve baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what it will become.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don’t want my son to tell the friend he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, ‘My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.’ That would mean I’d built a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, he’d say, ‘You’re gonna love it there…’

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we’re doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Sharing some really cute Valentine's Day quotes from children...they really are SO smart!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY !




Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way.

When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.

Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.

Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.

Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings.

Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.

Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.

Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.

Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.

If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you don't like to play with.

Love is hugging. Love is kissing. Love is saying no sometimes.

When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more.

There are two kinds of love- Our love & God's love. But God makes both kinds of them. Love is important to God.

Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.

Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.

During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.

My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.

Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken.

Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.

Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.

I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.

When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.

Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.

You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget, and it's good for them to get reminded.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


And a sweet recipe to make for all the loves of your life!
http://www.plainchicken.com/

CUPID CRUNCH


1 (24 oz) package vanilla Almond Bark
2 bags of lightly salted microwave popcorn, popped
(approximately 16-20 cups popped popcorn)
1 1/2 cups Valentine candy corn
1 cup dry roasted, salted peanuts
1 1/2 cups M&Ms (Valentine colors)

Pop popcorn and place in a large bowl.
The largest you have.
Pour peanuts, candy corn, and M&Ms on top.

Break up almond bark.
Melt according to package directions.
Pour over popcorn mixture.
Stir until everything is well coated and then spread out onto waxed paper, parchment, or foil.
Let sit until completely dry and then break up into clumps.

NEVER doubt the groundhog!

WHAT THE FEBRUARY!!!!! its cold!
The temps dipped into the 20's overnight! We had a very mild Dec and Jan but looks like February said "I'll show you". The local Mardi Gras parades started this weekend and I am sure lots of people stayed home because of the rain and cold. I know I sure did! Back in the day when I was much younger, the cold and rain didn't bother me. We would make as many parades as possible...sometimes 2 and 3 in one day. That used to be so much fun. Its a shame you can't feel safe doing that in New Orleans anymore. But it is what it is right? Hopefully next weekend won't be as cold and we can make at least one parade.
Happy Mardi Gras!


Here is a super easy mini King Cake recipe to try....
borrowed from
http://www.plainchicken.com/

King Cake Knots

1 loaf refrigerated french bread dough

3 Tbsp butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar

4 tsp milk (may need more to get right consistency)

1/2 tsp vanilla

colored sugar - yellow, purple, green

Preheat oven to 350.
Unroll french bread dough into a large rectangle, about 16 by 12 inches.
Brush the dough lightly with softened butter.
Mix together sugar and cinnamon.
Sprinkle over butter.
Cut the dough in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise
into strips about 1 1/4 inches wide.
Twist two stips together.
Tie each strip loosely into a knot, stretching gently if necessary,
and place on baking sheet about 2-inches apart.

Bake for 25-28 minutes.
Cool.
Mix together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.
Dip each knot into icing and then sprinkle with colored sugar.

Saturday Evening and New Blog Design

You like the pink? I DO!!!

Good evening folks! It's been a rainy day here but that's okay because I had no place to go and nothing to do. I love Saturday's like that!! And if I have anything to do about it, tomorrow will be more of the same, altho I do hope to see my baby boy tomorrow AND maybe win some money on the SuperBowl football pool we have at work! Now that would be sweet.
Life has been moving quickly and we have been super busy at work. Makes me sad to see so many sick little ones. Hopefully this crazy weather will clear up soon and everyone will be healthy. Something tells me that we will have quite a few more weeks of this unpredictable weather....and it wasn't the groundhog! What does he know!!!
My sweet baby boy is growing so much. I cannot believe in 3 weeks he will be 1 year old! OH MY how time flies! He is walking and has beaucoup(beau·coup also boo·coo or boo·koo Chiefly Southern U.S. adj.Many; much) teeth (last count 13 I think). He has the cutest lil personality and just warms my heart more than I can explain. Here he is being all cool....

As you all know, tomorrow is SuperBowl Sunday and I can assure you none of us here in the south are that excited about it. And I know that you all know why!! That's okay, 2013...New Orleans....Mercedes Benz Superdome.....New Orleans Saints!!!! DAT's what I'm talking about!

Tomorrow is National Nutella Day so in honor of that, the recipe I am sharing is...yep you guessed it....something using Nutella!!! Make it for breakfast/brunch...your family will L.O.V.E. you for it! ENJOY!!!

NUTELLA STUFFED FRENCH TOAST (serves 2)

• 4 slices Texas Toast (get the good stuff, you’ll thank me later)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/8 cup powdered sugar
• 4 Tbsp Nutella
• maple syrup

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium low heat. In a bowl whisk together the eggs, cream, and powdered sugar. Take 2 slices of the Texas Toast and spread 1 Tbsp of Nutella on each one. Sandwich together and dip both sides in the custard mixture. Grill on each side until brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately with maple or cane syrup (although if you wanted to ruin it by serving with fruit you could totally do that too).