Fruit Basket

Tracy / October 5, 2006

When Mom called yesterday, she mentioned that she had some fruit that she would like to send to us….I had no idea it would be this!

She was at the post office yesterday when she heard an announcement that they were having a give-a-way…..of course she won, she always wins! I remember the year that Coca Cola had the win a free 20 oz. coke under the lids of their drinks…I didn’t win once. She won every time she bought a coca-cola! She is an amazing woman.

In any case, though unconventional as it is, we have a new centerpiece this morning for our kitchen table. This balloon sculpture is so nice, it will make your mouth water! Thanks Mama!

Well, onto the posting…..Happy Thursday!

We woke early to the tunes of Jacob yelling (he would tell you he was just “singing”) “Get up!,,.get up!…..Getup, get up!…..get up!, get up!, get up, up, up!” Needless to say, not everyone was thrilled with the wake up tunes in our home this morning…but at least everyone is awake and moving. That is what counts!

Back to my Mom, when she was reading the “have you ever” posting from the day before yesterday, she thought it important to remind me that I had left a couple of things out that she felt should be included:

#1. Made popcorn balls as a snack for your family without first removing the popcorn kernels (who knew you were supposed to remove the kernels…maybe I was already frugal at that age and didn’t want to waste anything, mom!)

#2. Yes, I did go through what we’ll call the Don Johnson “Miami Vice” phase of my life. (It was the 80’s, wasn’t everyone into Miami Vice?) My obsession may have went a bit far……she thought that it was worth adding to the list.

I wanted to introduce the two newest cast members to the Thanksgiving line up….we have affectionately named the bigger pumpkin Elmer, to the front and left is Gregory and to the front and right is little Will.

My children have been warned against touching the stems on the two smaller guys after the before mentioned “accident” that Edgar suffered. I’ve got to tell you that the children are quite attached to these pumpkins…but those of you who know me best know that they are doing nothing but making my mouth water!! 🙂

For those interested, this is this week’s indulgence:

This is me, this morning, with hot tea and the newest read “Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen.

Never having read this before, I’m enjoying it immensely.

It is the perfect accompaniment for a hot cup of tea.

If you enjoy tea, this is one of my favorites:

To make a perfect pot of tea:

Fill a kettle with cold water (you never want to make tea with hot water from the faucet).

This is the tea sock I made from muslin and an embroidery hoop! If you do this, make sure that you sterilize it first!!

Heat the water on the stove. While the water is heating, rinse your tea pot and fill with hot water from your faucet.

Cover with lid to temper the pot.
When the pot itself is warm, pour the water out and dry the pot completely.

Measure 3/4t of loose-leaf (my favorite!) tea per cup and place in tea sock.

Place the filled sock into the teapot …be sure tea sock is centered over top of
pot.

When the water in your kettle begins to boil (you should never boil green tea….
you will have to monitor the temp for this to not exceed 180 degrees), pour it over
the tea in the tea sock and into your teapot. Place the lid on the teapot and let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes.

My tea sock is homemade and doesn’t fit completely so I lay the ring
over to the side while the tea is steeping. It still will close
well enough to allow the tea to steep properly.

I like my tea steeped right at 4 minutes….you can steep less or more depending on
how strong you take your tea.

Remove the tea sock with the tea leaves and enjoy your tea!

Even with a big sweet tooth, I enjoy mine with no cream and no sugar or honey. Some of my favorite teas are mixed with dried fruit, giving them a natural sweetness that I adore! (With my obsession with cows, I could drink it in none other than milk glass!)

Prayer Requests

Please pray for my uncle Buster, I found out this morning that he recently had surgery and is at home recovering.

Please continue to pray for Roberta today as she recovers from surgery.

Pray for Ellen in my MIH group who received a diagnosis of cancer yesterday. We are praying that this is totally curable and will be nothing more than a small nuisance in her life for a while.

Pray for Jenny and her family in our Lines’ Yahoo group. She and her family are preparing for some rather large changes in their lives. (Thank you to her, BTW, for her adorable babies in our Oct. kid pic of the month!)

Pray for my son, Matthew, who is really struggling with his allergies this week. (I think that this happens anytime we unpack seasonal clothing from the storage space…any suggestions on this would be welcomed!)

Today I’m Thankful For

My aunt Denise, and the very sweet note that she emailed to me this morning, “thank you”!

My dear hubby…I love that when my heart is burdened, he is so willing to sit and listen…..and that as we approach 16 years of marriage, he still kisses me each and every morning and each and every night. (but…just in case, I thought I would hang a reminder right beside his side of the bed!! LOL!)

Our new centerpiece….life has a way of making you smile when you least expect it!

I’m still thankful that I have no cavities…you have no idea.

I’m thankful for having a few minutes on the phone yesterday with an old friend, Diana (not that you are old, Diana!!J)

Tracy’s Task

Today I’m hanging flower to dry for my friend, Christy.

We’re also focusing on our halls, laundry (which is well underway), and bedrooms…(which need some work)! What about you? Do you have clutter in these rooms that needs some attention?

This is a perfect time to address those areas…even just a little clutter seems to attract more and more.

We’re also still working on Christmas gifts. This is the progress that I’ve made on the dishcloth.

Usually on projects like this, I try and work 10 or so rows a day.

What I’m Learning

Little Emma is not the baby who will sleep through anything. She has for three nights been up trying to cut one of her lower teeth. We are giving tylenol and teething tablets but she is really having a hard time with those little teeth! Poor girl!

That’s funny, she doesn’t seem to have any problem sleeping now!

Today’s Scripture Meditation

I love Proverbs. This is a book of the Bible that holds so much wisdom.

This is the section that I thought I would share this morning:

Prov 4:20-27
“My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
(NIV)

There is a trick that hikers,hunters, and people who find themselves in the woods use to find their way when they are lost. Instead of what I would do, looking to see if I recognize anything, they look straight ahead and find two trees in the distance…one right in front and one off in the distance. They keep their eye on that farther tree and do not lose sight, less they find themselves lost again and often are just walking in circles.

We have to keep our eyes fixed on the only one who will help us out of our forest. We can’t look to the left or right and we must guard ourselves from distraction and the evil things of this world that would take our attention.

That my eyes will be fixed only on Him,


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