THE BRIGHT SIDE

Decide to be happy today, to live with what is yours – your family, your business, your job, your luck. If you can’t have what you like, maybe you can like what you have.
Just for today, be kind, cheerful, agreeable, responsive, caring, and understanding. Be your best, dress your best, talk softly, and look for the bright side of things. Praise people for what they do and do not criticize them for what they cannot do. If someone does something stupid, forgive and forget. After all, it’s just for one day.
Who knows, it might turn out to be a nice day.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

For Wednesday, August 31st, 2011



ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
AUGUST 31ST,  2011
  
If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side




It's WEDNESDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR LITTLE MR. WONDERFUL!

May the dear Lord bless you today and always.

Today you are one year old
and your Grand'ma' loves you very much!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!



NEW IN THE KITCHEN

NATIONAL TRAIL MIX DAY

Trail mix, in some places called 'gorp' for its ingredients of grains, oatmeal, raisins, and peanuts, is an ideal energy boost for strenuous summer outdoor activities

TAKE IT ON THE TRAIL TRAIL MIX

4 cups crispy corn cereal squares
1 cup peanuts
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apples, cut into pieces
1 package (12 oz. size) candy-coated chocolate pieces

In large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Store in loosely covered container.




PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS

Please pray for God's protection of
our troops and HIS wisdom for their
commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in
your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the
selfless acts they perform for us
in our time of need. I ask this in the
name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters
and Paramedics and EMT's

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!



AROUND HOME

Because today's your 1st Birthday
And you're so special too,
Everything that's happy,
Is being wished for you.
Our family birthday celebration won't be until a little later for Mr. Wonderful, but we will be celebrating today which is the actual date too.  This is the last of our birthday celebrations for this month, but come September there will be many more.  Sometime soon we'll be welcoming a new precious little girl into the family adding to the other September celebrations too

These grandbabes of mine do grow up so fast. Right from the first moment each one claimed my heart. It's hard to believe that I even have one starting college this fall.  Enjoy each day as the time does fly by.





COUNTING THE DAYS

This is your first Birthday
A very special one
A nice kind of day
For treats and lots of fun.
From the time you get up
Till you go Nighty night
Hope your first Birthday
Is a special delight.


21 DAYS UNTIL FALL



Keep looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE of things.
 
A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near…

Love,
ma


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

For Tuesday, August 30th, 2011



ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
AUGUST 30TH,  2011
  
If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side


It's TUESDAY!

BE KIND TO HUMAN KIND WEEK

Be Kind to Humankind Week"is celebrated annually, August 25th-31st.  While we strive to teach our children to be kind everyday to everyone they meet, I think it is also worthy to acknowledge kindness, celebrate kindness, for a whole week. As a society, I think people forget to do the normal decent things we should be doing everyday.

All of the negative news that you read and hear about in the media is disheartening—but the truth is the positive stories outweigh the negative stories by a long shot! We just don’t hear about them as often. Take heart—most people are caring individuals

Show you care. Decide to be kind. Daily affirmations: Motorist Consideration Monday, Touch a Heart Tuesday, Willing to Lend a Hand Wednesday, Thoughtful Thursday, Forgive Your Foe Friday, Speak Kind Words Saturday, Sacrifice Our Wants for Others’ Needs Sunday

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.  

Author Unknown

NEW IN THE KITCHEN

Toasted Marshmallow Day

Most people have fond memories of childhood, sat by a roaring campfire toasting marshmallows on wooden sticks… Yum! Toasted Marshmellow Day is a chance to re-live those memories, and for people who’ve never experienced toasting marshmallows to find out what all the fuss is about

Some like their marshmallows charred to a crisp and some prefer them golden brown. Others won't even bother unless there's chocolate and graham crackers nearby for a little s'mores action. While still others like to shove as many marshmallows as they can into their mouth all at once. No matter your preference, today we raise our sticks and toast the toasted marshmallow.

You will need a hot fire and each person needs a stick or a skewer.

To make a toasted marshmallow just push one or two marshmallows onto stick or skewer. Hold over hot flame just until marshmallow begins to turn golden and melt inside.

If it begins to fall off stick, turn upside down quickly and have a dish ready to catch it!

Allow to cool for a minute before eating because the filling is hot. 

mmmmm good


Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.  

Mark Twain


PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS

Please pray for God's protection of
our troops and HIS wisdom for their
commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in
your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the
selfless acts they perform for us
in our time of need. I ask this in the
name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters
and Paramedics and EMT's

GOD BLESS YOU!



AROUND HOME

Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in your own.
Adam Lindsay Gordon


Monday afternoon DS#5 and I got all the paper work done and now I'm the proud owner of the Little Red Hen.  Look out everyone, ma is on the road again!

Yesterday I was told not to be so polite as I had mentioned it was a land mark birthday for DS#1 - what I didn't say was that it was the big '40' for him. Forty is sooooo young anyway, that I don't think it's a bad thing to be celebrating at all.

DD also shared a tip for making the best crispy grill cheese sandwiches so I thought I'd share it with you all too.  It's worth trying for sure.  Use mayo instead of butter when making your grilled sandwiches.  She grilled our buns for sandwiches that way over the weekend and they were good.

This evening I'm having a birthday dinner for DS#5 as he was busy with fairs at the time of his birthday so I promised him a birthday dinner later on.  He requested meatloaf so that is what we are having.


COUNTING THE DAYS

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.  

Ralph Waldo Emerson


23 DAYS UNTIL FALL



Keep looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE of things.
 
A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near…

Love,
ma

Monday, August 29, 2011

For Monday, August 29th 2011



ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
AUGUST 29TH,  2011
  
If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side


It's MONDAY!

And Happy Birthday to DS#1 today!

May the dear Lord bless you today and always!

Enjoy your Special Day!

This is one of those land mark birthdays for him and I was able to do a little celebrating earlier on with him when we camped a couple of weeks ago.  


Happy Birthday!


NEW IN THE KITCHEN

MORE HERBS, LESS SALT DAY

More Herbs, Less Salt Day promotes use of healthy herbs over salts.
Late August is a very appropriate time to celebrate this special day. The harvest of garden herbs is at a peak. There's nothing better than fresh garden herbs in your favorite recipes.  It doesn’t take much room or effort to grow a variety of fresh herbs, and a little rosemary, thyme, mint or other herbs can do just as much to enrich a dish than a heavy dose of salt.

Here are two ideas for making your own tasty salt substitutes

Onion Salt Substitute

Onion gives you the taste you are looking for without the salt so you can fool your taste buds

6 teaspoons onion powder
3 tablespoons paprika
 3 tablespoons poultry seasoning
 2 teaspoons ground oregano
 2 teaspoons white pepper
 2 tablespoons mustard powder
 1 teaspoon chili powder
 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Zesty Herbal Salt Substitute

3 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons garlic powder
 1 ½ tablespoons paprika
 1 ½ tablespoons mustard powder
 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
 ½ teaspoon ground dill seed or 1 tsp. dill weed

This one is good run through a blender or grinder before sprinkling on foods.



PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS

Please pray for God's protection of
our troops and HIS wisdom for their
commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in
your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the
selfless acts they perform for us
in our time of need. I ask this in the
name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters
and Paramedics and EMT's

GOD BLESS YOU!



AROUND HOME

The chief beauty about time
is that you cannot waste it in advance.
The next year, the next day, the next hour
are lying ready for you,
as perfect, as unspoiled,
as if you had never wasted or misapplied
a single moment in all your life.
You can turn over a new leaf every hour
if you choose.


Arnold Bennett

The years certainly do fly by.  I sometimes have a hard time believing my children are getting older because it means I am getting older too.   But every birthday gives us a new year to celebrate and enjoy.  

I believe in remembering birthdays with gusto. It’s a celebration of presents, candles, cake, and special wishes. It’s a day to honor life, reflect, and set goals for the future.

We have one more August birthday coming up in just a few days and then September will be here...where or where did the summer go.


 Prayer Request

This weekend DSIL had some bad news about one of his uncles who has been just been placed in hospice care. Please join me in praying for him and all the family too.  May the dear Lord bless and comfort them.


COUNTING THE DAYS

Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake


24 DAYS UNTIL FALL



Keep looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE of things.
 
A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near…

Love,
ma

Sunday, August 28, 2011

For Sunday, August 28th, 2011



ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
AUGUST 28TH,  2011
  
If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side


It's SUNDAY!


Dream Day Quest and Jubilee

The 3rd of three annual Emancipation Days of Respect which honors the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. by promoting unity, respect and remembrance.


The Emancipation Days of Respect are Humanitarian Day, January 15th – MLK’s Birthday, Victims of Violence Holy Day, April 4th – Anniversary of MLK’s death, and Dream Day Quest and Jubilee, August 28th,  Anniversary of King’s I Have a Dream speech

On this the anniversary of Dr. King’s I Have a Dream Speech, Aug. 28, 1963, .you are requested to wear black and white to show respect for Peoplehood in the Spirit of WAO (We Are One).


   
I still have a dream today that one day war will come to an end, that men will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, that nations will no longer rise up against nations, neither will they study war any more. 

Martin Luther King, Jr.


NEW IN THE KITCHEN

CHERRY TURNOVER DAY

Turnovers are made with a short crust or puff pastry and make for great desserts or entree items

QUICK CHERRY TURNOVERS

1 can, 8-count size, refrigerated crescent rolls
1 can cherry pie filling
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3 teaspoons water
Heat oven according to package directions on rolls. Separate dough and place in triangles onto cookie sheet. Place 2 spoonsful of filling into center of triangle. Fold over and crimp seal edges with a fork or a pastry crimper. Bake according to package directions.

Blend sugar and water for glaze, and drizzle over warm turnovers.

NOTE: You can use any pie filling you desire.


We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.
Woodrow Wilson


PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS

Please pray for God's protection of
our troops and HIS wisdom for their
commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in
your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the
selfless acts they perform for us
in our time of need. I ask this in the
name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters
and Paramedics and EMT's

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!



AROUND HOME

If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you to go on in spite of all.  And so today I still have a dream. 

Martin Luther King, Jr..

A young girl said to her friend, When I get older, I want to wear glasses just like Granny's because she can see so much more than most people. She can see the good in a person when everyone else sees a bad side. She can see what a person meant to do even if they didn't do it. I asked her one day how she could see the good and she said it was the way she learned to look at things as she got older. When I get older, I want to wear a pair of glasses just like Granny's so I can see the good too.

Walter Buchanan

What a different world we could live in if we all wore a pair of Granny's glasses! We don't have to wear special glasses but we do need a certain mindset. Our prayer this weekend might be to ask God to help us see some good around us even if it's hard to find.

I heard from DS#6 yesterday.  He will have an appointment with the surgeon this coming Tuesday and surgery will tentatively be September 8th.  Please join me in praying for a good outcome.  May the dear Lord bless the doctors caring for my son and guide them in their decisions.  May blessings be on DS#6 for healing and good health.

We are having a beautiful and lazy weekend here at the camper.  It's just DD and her hubby and I and only a very few campers on the hill.  The weather couldn't be more perfect.

I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday with lots of Rest and Relaxation too.


COUNTING THE DAYS

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.  

Martin Luther King, Jr.



25 DAYS UNTIL FALL



Keep looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE of things.
 
A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near…

Love,
ma