Tired of Listening to Children's Music?

Here is another option for you.





I'm tired of cold weather, too!

see more crazy cat pics

Spring Fashions

I don't keep up with fashion much these days, so I appreciate Fussy's "what not to wear" posts. I was about to order this little number until I read her comments about why we shouldn't be wearing white pants.

Seriously though, what's NOT wrong with this outfit! Unless a woman has no hips at all, wouldn't this design really make them look huge? And you couldn't wear any sort of bra with it - the v-neck plunges all the way to the waistline - not to mention the loose construction on the sides. The fabric looks rather sheer, as if you can't already see through most white fabrics anyway.

For more reasons not to wear white, see Fussy's post. She beat me to the punch!

Medical Outreach in Ethiopia

This is a letter from a friend of mine who is in Ethiopia on a medical outreach trip. Anytime we are tempted to feel sorry for ourselves, just imagine raising our children in a place like this.

Dear Friends and Family,

This is a slightly longer update, so hope you don't mind.

"Do not fear little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Lk 12:32)
Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Mt 13:43)

OPEN DOORS

It is as if some door or flood gate has swung wide open.

There is a joy here that is beyond words...so subtle, yet so palpable and foundational that it underlies every moment and every effort made in this place.

Joy is the ground beneath our feet.
The trip over was filled with surprises. I made several new friends.
We flew over BONO's house,
We flew over the RIFT IN CARDIFF (for Tiff and Vanessa)
We flew over Chuck in PARIS.
And halfway through we stopped on Easter Sunday morning in ROME and they opened all the doors in the airplane. AHHHH, the sweet smell of Italian air on an Easter Sunday morning.

But the greatest blessing for me was when my friend Mary Walker gave up her seat in First Class to me and I got to lie down and SLEEP for the last four hours of the trip. It saved me. I arrived in Addis rested, had a great night's sleep that first night, and woke up Monday morning refreshed and TIME CORRECTED. That was a complete miracle.

The first day of clinic was amazing. We saw 1000 patients and ran out of contact cards so had to stop...but it was the biggest clinic day ever. And then today, we topped that number by almost 200...and broke our own record.

Stories from today...
Blind people were literally healed and could see. Deaf people were healed. One person who was color blind began to see in color.

In my own pediatrics clinic I saw a young boy I had last seen two years ago. The mother showed up at the clinic asking for me personally and carrying an Amharic Bible I had given her two years ago. At that time, she had received Jesus as her Savior. She was from the Bet Israel community and I had sadly been the person to recognize her son's symptoms and diagnosed him with Muscular Dystrophy. At that time I paid for her to go to the hospital to have a muscle biopsy done. I never knew the results. But she returned today with her son who could now barely walk. No one had told her that the muscle biopsy had confirmed the diagnosis and all he had had was a series of physical therapy. Now he was mostly crawling around on his stomach to get from place to place.

Long story very, very short, she had no resources and was so overwhelmed when I had to sit her down and explain his diagnosis and prognosis. She wept and wept and then became very angry and overwhelmed. There are resources available to this little boy if she went through the government for funds, but the bureaucracy was so terrible that to get there was almost impossible for an impoverished woman like herself.

So, I went to our Medical Director, Dr. Everette Holley, and explained the situation.

Then the miracle occurred for this little boy. Within two hours, Everette had someone from the Bet Israel community meeting with her. She had an appointment for the next day with another doctor and an appointment for the prosthetics clinic on Thursday so he could be fitted with braces and special crutches. They are going to see her through the process and take care of his needs and help him get all that he will require. Please pray for this Mother and this little boy. The prognosis is not good for him in this kind of environment.

So, that was a huge thing for me this morning and I was filled with emotion. Everette is my personal hero. If I had ever had a brother....I would want him to be just like Everette.

There are so many other incredible stories. I saw so many children who needed medicines that we just didn't have. So many children whose only problem was malnutrition. I even saw one child (2 yrs old) whose family was essentially starving him serving him only bread because the Orthodox church here is in fasting for Lent and they are not allowed to even have milk or meat or eggs, etc in their house. They are not even allowed to touch the food. So, I started pulling gloves out of my box and I told her to wear the gloves to make his food so she wouldn't have to touch it and she agreed...and if she runs out, come back for more. Unbelievable. I began to realize that many other children were in the same situation here. It was an eye opening experience.

Please pray for these precious people. Nearly half of the 1200 people who came through clinic today prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior. Some who have been saved are Muslim as well.

Finally, the word for today:
"I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: " The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man to do to me?" (Heb 13:5,6)

"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to You" Gen 28:15

I love you all and am amazed at the sheer numbers of people we are seeing in clinic. It is breaking all records and yet is so smooth and God is moving mightily. Praise and worship in the mornings is nearly transcendent at times and you can hear the voices of the Intercessors lifted up filling the air with cries and worship and prayer that seems to waft all over the clinic compound, and fill the air like a cloud. We step outside our little rooms from time to time and just breathe it in and are refreshed to go back in and begin work again.

Thank you for praying for us. The peace and mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus is mighty in this place and the Joy is palpable. (I've already said that, haven't I?)
Love to you all,

Signing off from another day in Paradise.....
Tessalah.......

Indoor Salad Bar Garden

Last fall, instead of pulling up this lipstick pepper plant, I decided to put it in a pot. I kept it on the south-facing porch until frost, then brought it inside. The peppers that were already on it continued to grow a little once inside. I picked all four of them when they turned reddish - I think it was the end of December or early January.

A few weeks later, the plant formed quite a few blooms. To my surprise, peppers began to form. We ate several of them this week. Amazing! I didn't have a plant light for it - just the light from a south-facing window. I just hoped it would survive and give me a jump on spring production! This certainly exceeded my expectations.

Wonder if Jungle would let me knock out the south facing wall and install windows corner to corner?

Unfinished Projects

This is the quilt I finished last year. It was started more than fifteen years ago. I finished piecing it and started the quilting way back then. I took it off the quilting frame to move. That was three moves ago. Last year I decided it was high time I finished it.


My initial plan was to use it in the guest room, which I didn't have at the time. Even though all three of the boys are grown and living elsewhere, we use our two additional bedrooms as offices/project rooms.





After I spread it out on the bed, I realized the appliqued bows would look better facing out instead of inward. I don't know why that didn't occur to me when I could do something about it earlier.



I used to remember how many different fabrics I used - I know it was over 100. I cut out too many of the pink, red, and brown rectangles, so I made a baby quilt with pink and light brown pieces alternating with plain muslin instead of the light colored prints.


I also made a small top with the leftover red and darker brown rectangles. My next project will be to get that quilted.


One unfinished project down - only umpteen more to go.

Make Me Laugh Monday

Best Business Card Ever

Too bad we don't also have a copy of his/her business plan.

It's Never Too Late...

For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 (NKJV)

In nature it’s said that a bird with a broken wing will never fly as high. In our walk with God, nothing could be further from the truth.

Regardless of our failures, regardless of our age, we can still soar to higher heights. Just think of what Moses and Abraham accomplished in their later years.

If we open our heart, God will open the door.

All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me]. John 6:37 Amplified Bible

Bats in Our Belfry

Well, I think it is probably a bird, and we don't have a belfry. But still. Yesterday afternoon, I heard some thrashing about in or around our chimney. We have one of those prefab, metal fireplace things. It is built into a corner of our great room. Since it is metal, the thrashing about makes quite a racket.

Given the size of the firebox, there is obviously some open space on each side of the actual fireplace and behind it, too. At first I thought the alleged bird was in the chimney itself, but our cat thinks otherwise. We have a chimney cap which also has screens. It appears to be intact, but it's hard to tell without climbing up there. This time of year birds can be rather resourceful when it comes to finding suitable real estate in which to build a nest.

I've opened and closed the damper several times, hoping the bird would fall out. DH is concerned it is a rodent of some sort, but I think rodents are nocturnal. This critter was silent after dark yesterday and so far this evening as well.

I hoped it would find its way out, but this afternoon it was still flapping about periodically. So what do we do? Do we wait until it dies and bust holes in the wall until we find it? Or stage a valiant rescue? DH has me concerned enough about just what sort of critter we are dealing with that I'm not terribly anxious to confront it alive. Yet, I also hate the idea of letting it suffer.

My niece who lives nearby said they had the same issue last winter. The "bird" stayed for at least a week. All three of their cats lined up in front of the fireplace trying to figure out how to remedy the situation. She's pretty sure "it" finally left on its own and didn't just die in there.

I certainly hope ours moves on sooner than a week!

What does your name mean?

I found a link to this name thing on Valarie's blog. She said it was kinda scary because it is so accurate. I gave it a try, and she is right...scary. I also tried it using my first and middle name, and I was even more amazed.

There are a few points I would argue...I don't think anyone would consider me aggressive. Quite the opposite. I avoid confrontations to a fault.

I also don't travel very often, mostly because DH isn't into it. But I am more comfortable far away from home. I tend to visualize myself living in every place I visit. Strange!

The parts about being a perfectionist, tenacious, restless, intuitive, overactive imagination, and trying hard not to rock the boat are spot on. I'm blessed that DH is much steadier than I am - otherwise we would be moving every year and racing off on all sorts of tangents.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Fight the Frizzy Frump While Saving the Planet

If, like me, you were born with hair that has a tendency to look like this charming family on the right or this (scroll down to the second photo,) you've probably subjected your hair to all sorts of torture over the years such as extreme heat and various toxic chemicals. I remember saving cans to use as hair curlers, because the small curlers available at the time made me look more like Shirley Temple.

Efforts to tame the frizz have become even more of a challenge now that I live only a mile or two from the ocean!

After trying various products, I found that mousse seemed to give me the best results without being sticky, greasy, or otherwise offensive. However, the aerosol cans were a concern.

I'm also making the transition to natural personal care products since it occurred to me that everything that goes down our drains eventually ends up in our drinking water - not to mention the fact that it is also in direct contact with my skin.

Last month when I was ordering vitamins, I noticed this product. It claimed to be natural mousse but comes in a pump bottle. It does indeed foam up when pumped into your hand. It isn't as rich as aerosol mousse, but I find it easier to work into my hair. So far it seems to work, but then yesterday was only the first day of spring.

There are probably other similar products out there, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

P.S. DH says men don't understand why we women obsess about our hair. Men are just glad if they still HAVE hair.

He has a point.

Wedding Gift

I decided to make a quilt for my son and daughter-in-law as a wedding gift. Both of them happen to be graphic designers/art directors, so it turned out to be a daunting task.

Under the circumstances, I thought it would be best to allow them some input concerning fabric selection and pattern. My son deferred to his bride. She chose fabrics with subtle prints in a monochromatic palette.

They wanted something more contemporary and "random" than what I usually do. After much obsessing contemplation I decided on a design that is roughly based on the log cabin pattern. Although it looks fairly random, I achieved it through a rather systematic process.

Given the way my mind works, the project was quite a challenge. I'm sure it was beneficial for me to think outside my proverbial box.

The photo isn't that great - I enlisted a couple of family members to hold it up. They weren't tall enough to keep it from bunching up on the floor, so the front edge is on the sofa. There must be a clever way to display such a large quilt for a complete photo, but I didn't come up with one. I suppose if we used a ladder we could have hung up on the outside of the house.

The quilt is machine pieced and hand quilted with the Baptist fan pattern. I've always done my quilting by hand, but after the many hours of working on a project this size - I don't even want to know how many - I am now willing to give machine quilting a try.

Machine quilting is now an option because I got a new sewing machine during the project. My 33 year old entry-level Singer was having "issues." Rather than have it serviced, DH decided it was time for an upgrade, even though as he often jokingly (I hope) reminds me "you haven't been very nice to me lately."

I'm so in love with my new machine. It doesn't have all the latest bells and whistles, but it has so many more than my previous machine, I'll probably never use even half of them.

I hope to have some new projects to post before another year goes by - that's how long this project took!

Happiness Project

I came across Alex Shalman's blog about a week ago via John Chow dot Com and I was intrigued by his post on "The Happiness Project". If you would like to participate, the guidelines are posted here - Happiness: The Group Writing Project. Basically, you answer the questions on your blog, and let him know. He links back to your post. I'll do the same here for anyone else who wants to participate.

Here are my thoughts...

How do I define happiness?

Contentment - not wishing I was somewhere else, with someone else, doing something else

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your happiness now, versus when you were a child?

8 to 9 - probably about the same as when I was a child. In between childhood and 13 years ago, probably a 5 due to some events in my life. My mom became very ill when I was 11 and died when I was 18. I then married someone who turned out to be a very angry, controlling person. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have put myself and my sons through so many difficult years. Thankfully, I'm now married to a wonderful, kind, supportive man.

What do you do on a daily basis that brings you happiness? (and how consistent is the feeling of happiness throughout your day)

Starting the day with 1 Year Daily Audio Bible podcast
Working out (makes a noticeable difference in my energy level and outlook on the day)
Morning coffee with my husband
Planning how I will spend my time since I'm self employed
Do things to bless and encourage others
Reading
Playing the piano
Gardening
Watching the birds and ducks in my backyard and in the pond behind my house
Learning
Writing
Going online

What things take away from your happiness?

Interruptions and distractions - especially when they cause me to change my plans - I'm not a spontaneous person.
Confrontations
Dealing with people who have unrealistic expectations of me
Dealing with my own unrealistic expectations of myself
People debating about politics
Traffic

What can be done to lessen their impact or remove them from your life?

That is a very good question. Wish I had a good answer.

What do you plan to do in the future that will bring you even more happiness.

Fill my mind and meditate on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.Be more careful what I say - then I won't have something to regret. (Philippians 4:8 The Message Bible)Simplify my life - I have a tendency to complicate things.
Do more creative activities
Be kinder to myself
Do more for others

Renewing wedding vows

Last Saturday, our pastor's parents invited the entire church to attend a ceremony and reception in honor of their 40th wedding anniversary. His mother wanted a full blown wedding with the bridesmaid (her granddaughter,) flower girl, etc. One of their sons gave her away, and the other son, our pastor, performed the ceremony. It went like this...Dad, do you take Mom to be your wedded husband. Mom, do you take Dad...

Jungle - AKA hubby - offered his regrets for not attending. However, he assured them he would be certain to attend the baby shower. *rim shot*

You probably had to be there...

Organic Yogurt

In our quest to eat more organic foods and the Mediterranean diet, I found this organic Greek yogurt at Walmart a few weeks ago and decided to try it. It's surprisingly creamy for a fat free dairy product. And it isn't as tangy as ordinary plain yogurt. I've found all sorts of ways to use it. It works fairly well as a replacement for sour cream.


One way I've used it is by adding Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix that I got at Sam's Club. (Sam's sell it in a large container. Or you could make your own.) We've used the dressing as a fat free dip, spread, and salad dressing.


I haven't tried cooking with it yet, but while I was looking for a photo to snag, I found some recipes and coupons - sweet!


I also found this information:

Called “yiaourti” in Greece, Greek yogurt is creamier than regular yogurt.
Authentic Greek yogurt like ours owes its extra creaminess to a centuries-old
straining process that removes the whey (liquid) from the yogurt.

For hundreds of years, Greeks have prized strained yogurt for its richness and
creaminess, and because it makes a wonderful cooking ingredient that’s less
likely to curdle when heated. Before the time of mechanical refrigeration,
Greeks also knew that yogurt stayed fresh longer with the liquid strained off.
Today we know that straining makes Greek yogurt richer in protein than regular
yogurt, and lower in lactose.

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt has 0% fat, just 90
calories per five point three-ounce serving*, twice the protein of regular
yogurt, and fewer carbohydrates. Because it’s organic, our yogurt is also better
for the earth. And we think it’s better for you, too.

Sleep and Rest Part 2

Causes of Insomnia

1. Stress related to work or family
2. Ailments such as an allergy or cold or painful conditions such as chronic back pain
3. Uncomfortable mattress or pillows
4. Caffeine can remain in the body for up to twenty hours - try avoiding caffeine after lunchtime
5. Cigarettes - nicotine is a stimulant
6. Alcohol - alcohol can disrupt the stages of sleep
7. Medications such as decongestants, appetite suppressants, asthma medications, some pain killers and others
8. Food insomnia - Too much sugar before bed can cause your blood sugar to drop during the night. This causes the adrenal glands to go into action and wakes you up.
9. Low-carb diets can also create a low-blood-sugar reaction.
10. Exercising within three hours of going to sleep
11. A snoring spouse - enough said
12. Hot flashes or menstrual cramps
13. Enlarged prostate - trips to the bathroom
14. Newborn baby in the house
15. Environment - noisy neighbors and their dogs, the room too hot or too cold, bright lights shining through your bedroom window, or traffic noise. Also, clutter and unfinished projects in the bedroom don't produce a restful atmosphere.

-------------------------

None of the prescription sleep aids are approved for long term use. Dr. Colbert recommends trying one of these remedies as an alternative.

Acceptable Sleep Aids

1. Valerian (herbal remedy) - can be combined with lemon balm and passionflower to improve it's effect
2. 5-HTP - helps raise serotonin levels - check with your doctor if you are taking anti-depressants
3. Calcium and magnesium combination
4. L-theanine - an amino acid found in green tea - it promotes relaxation
5. Melatonin - a hormone manufactured from serotonin and secreted by the pineal gland - often produces less as we age
6. Meditating on the Word of God is also highly recommended. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Psalm 1, Psalm 23, Isaiah 26:3)

Other recommendations:

1. Plan to get seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
2. Keep track of your sleeping patterns for a week. (The book contains a one page sleep journal.)
3. Get some sort of aerobic exercise such as brisk walking in the afternoon or early evening.
4. Eat a modest, healthy dinner four hours before bedtime. A light snack (he gives an approved list) is okay.
5. Begin to turn down the lights as bedtime approaches.
6. Avoid action packed movies, television programs, and even the late news. Relaxing music or watch something calming.
7. Turn off the worry and anxiety by thinking of things for which you are thankful. (Make an appreciation list.)
8. Get to bed by 9:00 or 10:00 PM. The sleep we get prior to midnight is the most beneficial. We are designed to sleep when it is dark and wake up when the sun rises.
9. Take a power nap when you can. *Stretch and yawn*

Pillar number three coming soon.

Pillar #2 - Sleep and Rest Part 1

• During sleep, our body shuts down and repairs itself.
• Our immune system recharges
• Our major organs are restored
• Our old cells are replaced with new ones
• Our mind relaxes and orders its thoughts, creating a healthy mental state

An estimated fifty to seventy million live on the verge of mental and physical collapse due to lack of sleep.

Without enough sleep...

• We increase our risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• We become clumsy and "sleep drunk".
• We jeopardize our jobs due to reduced productivity.
• We endanger our lives and the lives of others.
• We reduce our sex drives.
• We invite diseases.
• We jeopardize our marriage.

LOL Friday

Saw this on Fussy's blog this week. Maybe it had just been a long day, but I laughed through the whole thing.

Ah...Signs of Spring

The weather has turned nippy again, but I got some pictures on Friday while it was warm.

We inherited a profusion of daffodils and other bulbs planted with reckless abandon by the previous owners. The daffodils are blooming a few weeks earlier than usual.

The hanover (flat-leaf kale) I planted last fall is growing. Only a few plants survived, but the ones that did are doing quite well. We enjoyed some for dinner last week. I think these will be on our dinner plate tomorrow.

The neighbor's Bradford pear tree is in bloom.

The garlic planted in the fall is growing - and so are the weeds.

Onion sets hadn't arrived at the local garden centers when I checked about 10 days ago, so when I noticed a package of red pearl onions at the grocery store, I couldn't resist. The young cashier made a remark about how difficult it might be to peel them. He was surprised when I told him they were going in the ground! They are just beginning to sprout.

Ah...spring!

Longevity Research

I just read an interesting post about the lack of longevity research. Over the years, I've saved several articles about living long and living strong.

I never thought about preserving health to the point that we would continue to live with the same sort of health and vigor we enjoyed at the age of 20. People with good health usually seem to be 10 or 15 years younger than their contemporaries, but not much more than that.

This week's Parade magazine had an interesting article about living to be 100. It is along the lines of other articles I have read in the past - based on statistical information gathered from people who have lived longer than most.

• Eat according to the Mediterranean diet
• Read the newspaper - basically, stay current and connected to keep your brain working
• Go forth and multiply - parents, especially moms, live longer
• Drink tea regularly. Coffee and wine also seem to be beneficial.
• Watch your waistline
• Get married
• Have faith - most centenarians have some sort of regular religious practice or belief.
• Buy the farm - living in the country extends life better than city dwelling.

This particular article didn't even mention owning a cat!

A Fun Way to Work Out

A fun way to work out...
OK Go - Here it Goes Again

Pillar Number 1 - Water

We are currently going through the Seven Pillars of Health.

The first pillar is water.

Day 1 establishes the importance of water as the foundation of good health.

Our body is about 70% water

Our muscles are about 75% water

Our brain cells are about 85% water

Our blood is about 82% water

Our bones are about 25% water

Dr. Colbert treats every patient with water first. He finds that most of us simply don't drink enough water. Mild dehydration leads to problems with our joints, our immune systems, our arteries, brain function, memory, and the appearance of our skin. It can lead to high blood pressure, digestion problems, and asthma.

After establishing the need for water, he gets into literally nauseating detail about what is in our tap water. Some of the offenders are agri-pollution, drugs and personal care products like shampoo, viruses and parasites (cities treat water to kill most bacteria, but they don't work on everything), chlorine which creates additional carcinogenic byproducts, fluoride (which isn't as healthy as we think), and aluminum.

Some bottled waters aren't any better. To further complicate matters, the plastic bottles also leach plasticizer chemicals into the water when used repeatedly or when the water is bottled too long. A side note says that plastics including baby bottles should never be used in the microwave.

Dr. Colbert prefers purified, alkaline water from glass bottles. The appendix lists the PH of various waters and source information for alkaline water filters (quite expensive, I noticed.)
Additional recommendations include the best time to drink water. He recommends drinking 8 to 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before each meal, especially before breakfast. Drinking more than 4 to 8 ounces of water with meals, especially cold drinks, is discouraged. The doctor says it disrupts digestion.

To calculate how many ounces of water to drink, he says simply divide your weight by two.

Our frig has an in line filter. It is what he calls an entry level carbon filter, but certainly better than nothing. We are making an effort to use the filtered water for cooking and for making coffee - not just drinking. Next time we buy bottled water, we will look for one of the brands that score better on his list. For now, we will pass on the $1200 alkaline filtration system.

Here's to your health.

The Daily Audio Bible

A couple of weeks ago, I started looking for audio Bible options for my iPod. One of the places I looked was on iTunes. I found something called The Daily Audio Bible. I checked it out and decided to subscribe. The daily readings will take you through the entire Bible in a year - in just 15 to 20 minutes per day.

I have been listening to it when I go to bed at night. Brian reads from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and a couple of verses from Proverbs.

He is an independent music producer, photographer, and graphic designer. To his amazement, when he decided to begin the podcast, it grew from nothing in 2006 to over 6 million downloads today. It’s one of the most popular programs on the Internet with nearly a third of its listeners tuning in from communist China. “The Daily Audio Bible is a one year journey through the Bible and now that I’ve read it cover to cover more than twice, I don’t even see the world the same as I once did” says Brian, “I have seen incredible stories come from this; things that make life rich and fulfilling. You simply can't remain the same if you're exposing yourself to the Bible on a daily basis.”

Soon he will be traveling to India to set up something similar. It is an amazing evangelistic/missionary story.

Brian doesn't come across as religious or denominational. Because of that, his effort is drawing listeners who might not be reached by traditional means. It is also having a unifying affect on the body of Christ at the grass roots level.

He says, "I simply let the Bible speak for itself."