For Saturday, August 31st, 2013

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31ST, 2013

22 DAYS UNTIL FALL

Sunrise: 6:54 am

Sunset: 8:03 pm

If you can't see the Bright Side, polish the dull side

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR LITTLE MR. WONDERFUL TODAY!

May the dear Lord Bless you today and always!

Happiness is all around and smiles will light your day.

 You're 3 years old and Happy Birthday 

is what we'll sing and say!

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Wishes, hugs, and lots of fun gifts, too, for your 3rd birthday, you deserve them.

 Happy Birthday to You!

This is the last of our August birthdays and today is the last day of August.  Due to the holiday weekend this little one will be having his birthday party next weekend.  But today is his very special day and I am hoping that it is a great day for him. The days of the terrible twos are now past the terrific three's are here for him.   I should be seeing him later on .  We have planned to meet up at the Great Trail.

For most of us this Labor Day weekend means the end of summer.  With vacations ending school beginning for everyone, the lazy days of summer end and the crazy days filled with lots to do begin.

The pictures today are from Mr. Wonderful's birthday party last year.

Hope you all have a super Saturday!

COUNTING MY GIFTS

You don’t even miss a beat when gratitude to God is the beat of your heart.

Anne Voskamp

I am trying to count at least 3 things I'm thankful for each day and then in 1 year's time I'll have counted 1000 gifts. I’ll be sharing them and giving thanks to God for these gifts each day.

905.  for our little Mr. Wonderful

906. for family get togethers

907.for birthday celebrations that last all week!

Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!

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!

3 is a great number and so many cool things usually can be found in 3s. None of them are as fantastic as you though, 3-year-old! Happy Birthday!

A little smile, a word of cheer, 

A bit of love from someone dear…

Love,

ma

For Friday, August 30th, 2013

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30th, 2013

23 DAYS UNTIL FALL

Sunrise: 6:53 am

Sunset: 8:04 pm

If you can't see the Bright Side, polish the dull side

It's Toasted Marshmallow Day on August 30th, a tasty and toasty way to wrap up summer festivities. Celebrants may gather around campfires and barbecue grills to melt marshmallows over warm coals, glowing embers or open flames.

The fire is the main comfort of the camp, whether in summer or winter, and is about as ample at one season as at another.  It is as well for cheerfulness as for warmth and dryness.  

Henry David Thoreau

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Money can't buy happiness. But it can buy marshmallows, which are kinda the same thing. 

Unknown.

I'm not good at saying goodbye to summer at all, but I do love love toasted marshmallows and the best way to enjoy them in my opinion, is to put them between two graham cracker squares along with a piece of Chocolate bar.  A S'more is what it's called.  The melted goodness of marshmallow and chocolate can't be beat.  

That being said, I found a recipe for S'more brownies that looked pretty good so thought I'd share that with you all today.

Bring everyone’s favorite campfire treat inside with this simply delicious, ooey-gooey recipe for S’more Brownies. Layer box brownie mix over graham crackers, bake, then top with marshmallows, graham cracker pieces and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels.

Nonstick cooking spray

9 broken in half (18 pieces) whole graham crackers, divided

 1 package (18.3 oz.) traditional 13 X 9-inch chewy fudge brownie mix

 1/4 cup water

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.)  Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels,divided

 2 cups miniature marshmallows

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

LINE 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan with foil leaving an overhang on two sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

PLACE 15 graham cracker halves into bottom of pan, overlapping slightly. Break remaining graham cracker halves into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.

COMBINE brownie mix, water, oil and eggs in medium bowl until blended. Stir in 1 cup morsels. Spread over graham crackers in pan.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out still slightly sticky; remove from oven.

PREHEAT broiler.

SPRINKLE remaining graham cracker pieces and marshmallows over warm brownies. Broil for 30 to 45 seconds or until marshmallows are light brown. Watch carefully as browning occurs very fast!. Remove from oven to wire rack. Sprinkle immediately with remaining 1 cup chocolate morsels.

COOL for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Lift out by foil edges to cutting board. Carefully remove foil. Cut into bars with wet knife. Store in tightly covered container. 

You can enjoy these even if you don't have a campfire.  

Hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

COUNTING MY GIFTS

You don’t even miss a beat when gratitude to God is the beat of your heart.

Anne Voskamp

I am trying to count at least 3 things I'm thankful for each day and then in 1 year's time I'll have counted 1000 gifts. I’ll be sharing them and giving thanks to God for these gifts each day.   As you can see I've only 100 more things to put on my list and I'll have reached my goal of 1000.  What will I do then…I'll start on the 2nd. 1000 gifts.  It's wonderful to see how many gifts I've received in my life and I'm thankful for them all!

902.  for marshmallows

903. for campfires

904.for chocolate!

Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!

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 !

Happiness equals Marshmallows!

( I surely do miss my campfires)

A little smile, a word of cheer, 

A bit of love from someone dear…

 

Love,

ma

 

For Thursday, August 29th, 2013

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29th, 2013

24 DAYS UNTIL FALL

Sunrise: 6:52 am

Sunset: 8:06 pm

If you can't see the Bright Side, polish the dull side

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DS#1 TODAY!

May the dear Lord bless you today and always!

Enjoy your special day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

May God grant you friendship and warm love within your home. May He surround you in the quiet peace that's found in Him alone. May His hand lead you to laughter, and His love dry every tear. As you sense his presence in your life more deeply every year.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever-fresh and radiant possibility.

Kate Douglas Wiggin

DS#1's name means a gift from God and truly he is.  Every child is a gift, for that matter, no matter what their names are.  I'm hoping that, weather permitting, this coming weekend I'll be seeing him and doing some celebrating in person. 

We are planning to go to the Great Trail Festival.  It's a lot of fun and we haven't been there for quite a few years, but used to go often.  The Great Trail Festival is an unique experience which only a festival of the early American French and Indian era can endear. They have crafts and a wide variety of delicious kettle cooked foods along with a lot of living history there.

With Labor Day weekend ahead most will have an extra day off from their labors and get to relax and rest up a bit.  I know I used to take Friday's off so I'd have a long 4 day weekend to enjoy.

I hope you all have a great Thursday!

BIRTHDAY PRAYER

 Heavenly Father, Please bless DS#1, for today is his birthday. Dear Lord, please protect and guide him as he continues along the path you’ve chosen for him. Give DS#! the courage to follow in your light, and feel your love wherever he goes.

Make him strong and give him the strength to make good decisions in the coming year. Keep him free from illness and sadness, for he is a truly good person who deserves happiness and success in all aspects of life.

We know that life is like a book. With each new chapter, we learn and grow towards what you would have us be. Bless DS#1 now on this day, and in the future.

In your name we pray,

Amen.

COUNTING MY GIFTS

You don’t even miss a beat when gratitude to God is the beat of your heart.

Anne Voskamp

I am trying to count at least 3 things I'm thankful for each day and then in 1 year's time I'll have counted 1000 gifts. I’ll be sharing them and giving thanks to God for these gifts each day.   As you can see I've only 100 more things to put on my list and I'll have reached my goal of 1000.  What will I do then…I'll start on the 2nd. 1000 gifts.  It's wonderful to see how many gifts I've received in my life and I'm thankful for them all!

899.  for DS#1

900. for special days and festivals to celebrate

901. for good food

Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!

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!

There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents... and only one for birthday presents, you know. 

 Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

A little smile, a word of cheer, 

A bit of love from someone dear…

Love,

ma

For Wednesday, August 28th, 2013

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28th, 2013

25 DAYS UNTIL FALL

Sunrise: 6:51 am

Sunset: 8:07 pm

If you can't see the Bright Side, polish the dull side

August 28th is Dream Day, an ethereal occasion that precipitates pondering of personal musings.

Dream Day honors the memory of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., who delivered his famous I Have a Dream speech on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

On August 28th, dreamers and others are encouraged to wear black and white apparel to demonstrate reverence for unity among the races.

You see things; and you say Why? But I dream things that never were; and I say Why not?

George Bernard Shaw

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

I'll take the dream I had last night,
And put it in my freezer,
So someday long and far away,
When I'm an old grey greezer,
I'll take it out and thaw it out,
This lovely dream I've frozen,
And boil it up and sit me down
And dip my old cold toes in.

Shel Silverstein, Frozen Dream, A Light in the Attic

I think we all have dreams.  They may not be as grand as those Martin Luther King Jr.  But where would we all be with out hopes and dreams.  

When I was a young girl, I used to dream about having a large family.  Of course, not in my wildest dreams did I imagine that it would grow to be the size it is now.  Each one of my children has been such a blessing to me. 

I think we all need to live our dreams, if not, who else will.   Dreams can rock us, scare us, and in some cases, inspire us.  The meaning of your life is something you create day after day with your own actions and thoughts. Life is made up of choices and decision making is critical as each choice has both consequences and benefits; please weigh the latter and always choose life. Always ask what you can learn, and how you can move forward.

There are always opportunities in your life. They come along everyday.We also have dreams, dreams that we carry with us for a long time. Both are worth pursuing.   What are we without dreams? We wouldn’t have anything to chase, anything to motivate us, we would just be surviving not living!

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

COUNTING MY GIFTS

You don’t even miss a beat when gratitude to God is the beat of your heart.

Anne Voskamp

I am trying to count at least 3 things I'm thankful for each day and then in 1 year's time I'll have counted 1000 gifts. I’ll be sharing them and giving thanks to God for these gifts each day.   

896.  for hopes and dreams that come true

897. for inspiration that motivates

898. for the young at heart

Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!

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 !

Pay attention to your dreams - God's angels often speak directly to our hearts when we are asleep.  

Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book

A little smile, a word of cheer, 

A bit of love from someone dear…

Love,

ma

For Tuesday, August 27th, 2013

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27th, 2013

26 DAYS UNTIL FALL

Sunrise: 6:50 am

Sunset: 8:09 pm

If you can't see the Bright Side, polish the dull side

It's Banana Lovers Day on August 27th, an appealing foodie holiday that invites tropical fruit enthusiasts to partake of plaintains.

Have a fresh banana and enjoy it's potassium rich goodness today!

It's Banana Lovers Day!

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

Author unknown

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

 One banana, two banana 

Three banana, four 

 Four bananas make a bunch 

And so do many more... 

I do love my bananas and if I don't have one every day, I suffer leg cramps at night so you can be sure I try to have them often.  

There are plenty of good recipes with bananas in them too and one of my favorites is Banana nut muffins.

So I thought I'd share a recipe for them today

This recipe will make Banana Bread or Muffins

2 cups Bisquick or Jiffy mix

1/2 c. sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs

1/2 tsp soda

2 large bananas, mashed

1/4 c. chopped nuts

1/3 c. milk with 1 tsp. vinegar

Combine baking mix with sugar, melted butter and baking soda.  Add combined bananas walnuts, eggs and milk.  Blend thoroughly.  Grease and flour bread pan Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minus

For muffins:  bake at 350 for 1/2 hour .  Makes 12

Who doesn’t purchase bananas when their green and still end up with a few over ripe ones in a few days?   No one ever seems to eat the last two or three bananas so they end up turning speckled brown and over ripen.   For a while I was just tossing them in the garbage.  Then I got smart and started peeling them and placing them in baggies to freeze them.  Then I got lazy and stopped peeling them. I just toss them into a Ziploc bag and freeze them.    About once every other month or so, I load up on frozen bananas.   I defrost them and make some banana bread.  I've learned to never through them away.

Ripened bananas, although soft and very sweet, are still good for a variety of uses in the kitchen.   You can use them in baking, making smoothies or dipping in chocolate to create frozen pops.   

And the peels are supposed to make great fertilizer for rose bushes. Put the peels in the blender with some water and whir away until they are smooth.   Use this mixture to water your rose bushes. 

I haven't tried this out, but will have to do so.  My rose bush has been blooming so prettily all summer that it's seems to be doing quite well on it's own.

I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday!

COUNTING MY GIFTS

You don’t even miss a beat when gratitude to God is the beat of your heart.

Anne Voskamp

I am trying to count at least 3 things I'm thankful for each day and then in 1 year's time I'll have counted 1000 gifts. I’ll be sharing them and giving thanks to God for these gifts each day.   

893.  for bananas

894.for rose bushes

895. for my freezer, what would I do without it?

Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!

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 !

I've gone bananas!

A little smile, a word of cheer, 

A bit of love from someone dear…

 

Love,

ma

 

For Monday, August 26th, 2013

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

MONDAY, AUGUST 26th, 2013

27 DAYS UNTIL FALL

Sunrise: 6:49 am

Sunset: 8:10 pm

If you can't see the Bright Side, polish the dull side

 August 26th is Make Your Own Luck Day. Tell the truth: Are you feeling lucky today?

The only sure thing about luck is that it will change. 

Wilson Mizner 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.

Irish Blessing

I'd rather think of the good things that happen in my life as blessings rather than luck. 

 Many an opportunity is lost because a man is out looking for four-leaf clovers.  

Author Unknown

We all have opportunities that can be missed if we are too busy not to look for them.  

Can you believe I won! What luck!

Boy, I just lucked out with that great deal!

I sure am lucky that I didn’t get the flu this year!

I got lucky and finally got a good picture of a butterfly!

I'm pretty sure that most of us have said something like this before.  But really it wasn't just luck that did those things.  Feeling lucky is all about feeling blessed.  To me it is just another word to describe a blessing.

There is no such thing as a coincidence, everything in our life has been well planned ahead of time.   A blessing is very different from the idea of luck. A blessing is defined as a favor or gift bestowed by God, 

Luck is for people who don’t yet realize that God has a great and mighty plan for their lives.

The more I focus on the fullness of my life, the more grateful and satisfied I am. I am grateful that my basic needs have always been met. I am grateful for my relationships, my family and friends, who fill my life with laughter, inspiration, and companionship. 

May your week be blessed with all things good!  Happy Monday!

Never iron a four-leaf clover, because you don't want to press your luck.  

Author Unknown

COUNTING MY GIFTS

It’s when you count blessings — you see Who can be counted on

I am trying to count at least 3 things I'm thankful for each day and then in 1 year's time I'll have counted 1000 gifts. I’ll be sharing them and giving thanks to God for these gifts each day.   

890.  for all the wonderful blessings in my life

891. for summer's last hurrah, we've had some wonderful days

892 for beautiful butterflies

Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!

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 !

What do you get when you cross poison ivy with a four-leaf clover?  A rash of good luck.  

Author Unknown

A little smile, a word of cheer, 

A bit of love from someone dear…

 

Love,

ma