Very Special

Last Saturday lives were reunited for a few hours.  The greatly anticipated Sunshine Acres reunion came together with about 35 in attendance.  Some of us hadn't seen each other in about 25 years.  We had a wonderful time and only regret the absence of a few that had planned to come and could not make it or forgot (shame shame on you).  We are already planning on a repeat event but in January or February when it is cooler and we can enjoy a fire pit in the back yard instead of coping with 110 degree heat. 

Personally the highlight of the whole evening was the young man in the picture above with our son Anthony.  Gary and I found each other on Face Book 25 years after leaving the Acres.  What is so special about Gary is his love for Anthony!  The minute we connected on FB Gary wanted to know about Anthony.  When plans were made for the reunion,  again the first thing Gary asked was whether or not Anthony would be there. 

When Gary and his brother Jimmy arrived they greeted everyone and passed out hugs to the other Acres' kids and then he made a straight dart for Anthony.  He parked in a chair next to Anthony and spent the whole evening catching up on Anthony's life and giving him all his love and attention.  Now this is not always easy when you are communicating with someone who is non-verbal due to his disability but it did not stop Gary from reconnecting after all these years.  This is the young man that as a teenager would come over and put Anthony is the basket of a three-wheeler bicycle and bike him all over the Acres so Anthony could have fun. 

Very special.  Amazing love in action.  Watching the two of these young men really was the most special part of the whole evening.  To see my son loved on in such a genuine and caring way made my mother's heart swell with appreciation and love.

Promises were made not to let 25 years go by before getting these two back together again.  Every Anthony should be so fortunate to have a Gary that loves him in such a special way.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Why do bananas go from too green to too ripe over night?  Happens a lot at my house but it becomes a good thing when it comes to having banana bread.  I am always on the lookout for a good recipe.  I have discovered recipes that include pineapple make a good moist bread.  This last week I made 4 loaves from the following recipe and I think my search is truly over.  This is wonderful moist flavorful bread.  Try it out and let me know what you think.  I doubled the recipe to get 4 loaves and it worked well.

Go see Lisa at http://www.blessedwithgrace.net/ to see lots more yummy recipes.  Lisa has a great blog.

Pineapple Banana Nut Bread                                                      

3 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 c. nuts, chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. mashed bananas (ripe)
1 (8 oz.) can pineapple, crushed & drained
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs, beaten well
1 c. oil

Combine dry ingredients, stir in nuts, set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and add to dry mixture, stirring just until batter is moist. Spoon into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Freezes well.

Diligence and Excellence

Pastor Eddie gave a wonderful message yesterday on excellence.  I believe he titled it "Excellence for His Excellency".  Very encouraging about being the very best we can be for the Lord.  Came home last night and read this devotional about diligence.  Very good stuff and very neat how they fit together.

Today I read in Proverbs about a virtuous woman being a crown to her husband.  Excellence and diligence truly are a part of that virtuous woman if she is going to be a crown to her husband.  So my thoughts and prayers today have centered around God helping me in the area of diligence and excellence. 

Had our four little grandchildren over the weekend.  Made more homemade ice-cream (and I wonder why my clothes don't fit? ) and had a good time with them.

Oldest son coming over for tacos tonight and maybe we can fit in a game of Rummy Q.  Hope to talk him into helping us put together the gas fire pit table Precious Husband got me for my birthday.  Maybe if I see the fire pit on the patio it will give me hope that this summer heat will one day be a memory and our beautiful Arizona winters will be here again.  Maybe.

Hello. My Name is Dorothy and I Am

addicted to the computer!  There I said it!  When I confessed this fact to my Precious Husband last night he quickly replied, "You do spend a lot of time on it!"  He is right and I am the only one who can change this and get a handle on my obsession. 

How do I know I spend too much time here?  Precious Husband asked me last week if I was still on vacation.  Yep, the dog hair is rolling again and a little too often.  I must get busy and put all those character qualities that I have studied through the years into practice now.

Diligence, self-control, moderation, discipline.  I could surely go on but I must turn this object of my affection off and get a hold of myself.  Yes, for sure!  Hope the withdrawal symptoms aren't too much for me - but it is for my own good, yes, for sure!

The deer eating supper in my sister's back yard in Sonora, California

Have a great weekend!

Old Mother Hubbard Has A Bare Cupboard

Our church, The Chapel East Valley moved into a new building.  We recently attended our first potluck and when I packed my food to take I did so thinking our new kitchen was stocked with the basics.  Wrong.  The cupboards are totally bare.  Nada, zip, empty!  Good thing I had taken lots of plastic sliverware to leave in the kitchen but have you ever tried to serve homemade ice-cream with a tiny plastic spoon?

Well, being Thrifty Thursday you probably know where I am going with this post.  The new but empty church kitchen has become my baby - my challenge to make into a fully stocked working kitchen.  Being the queen of thrifting I am excited about having a legitimate wonderful reason to get to go thrift shopping.  I even have Precious Husband's blessing on this.  I am always seeing wonderful kitchen things for sale and at a good price so off I went this last Tuesday with my mental list in hand.

Unfortunately this week turned up nothing for the church kitchen BUT I found a wonderful vintage cake and pie carrier in mint condition.  I have wanted one forever!  Won't this be fun to take to the next potluck!

Also found 2 of my Anchor Hocking banana split dishes to add to my collection. Planning on making more homemade ice-cream for our Sunshine Acres get-together next week and thought I would use the dishes for banana splits.

Yes-siree, lots more thrifting will be happening in the future to get that kitchen in order but I really must concentrate on the church kitchen and not my own : )

Check out http://lbratina.blogspot.com/ to see more thrifty fun finds from others.

Proverbs 3:5-6

I found another delightful blog friend in Heather over here. Wandering through Heather's posts I found a picture of my life verse Proverbs 3:5-6. This was the verse the Lord put on my heart and mind when He gave me my first son, Jason 39 years ago last month.

I was a week short of being 22 years old and never married. Thought adoption would be something I would like to do when I married (there definitely was no man in sight at this time) but never dreamed that I would become a single mother. It was the verse in Proverbs that got me through 9 long months before the adoption was final. Lots of doubts on my part but God is always faithful on His part. Those 9 months taught me so much about what a life of faith means and I cherish the memory of that time.

My second life verse is Psalms 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Time and time again God has blessed my life beyond measure and beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Thank You Jesus!!

Holiday Weekend

 Vacation pictures in Yosemite National Park 

Wonderful to look at when it is hitting 115* here in Arizona now

Nice to have a holiday weekend with some extra time to slow the pace down.  Hope all our family and friends had a nice 4th of July.  I am thankful to live in a country that is blessed beyond measure in spite of all that is challenging her.

Saturday night daughter Danielle and her family came for a cookout.  Always fun to have the 4 grand-kids in the house and take in all the cute words and actions.  Next weekend we get to have them a couple of days while mom and dad get some quality time together : )

Fourth of July was spent making ice-cream to take to the potluck we had at our church.  I got my recipe from my cousin Cathy when she served it at our family reunion in Visalia last month.  I question if mine was nearly as good as Cathy's but everyone at church loved it and I guess that is all that matters.

Now I am gearing up to have our Sunshine Acres reunion in a couple of weeks at our home.  Been busy putting pictures together to show on our computerized photo frame.  Nothing like gathering around and looking at old pictures and sharing memories.  Should be a fun evening.  Expecting people who lived at the Acres 30 years ago! 

Reading Bout The Good Ole Days

Tuesday I left for a doctor appointment in time to stop at Gracie's - my favorite thrift store.  Probably over 1/2 of my library came from Gracies where I usually pay fifty cents for a hard cover book.

Not disappointed I came home with a big bag of books - some for me and some for friends.  The fun find was 8 books about the old days with lots of pictures in Norman Rockwell fashion.

Precious Husband tells me he loves for me to read to him so I think these books will make delightful reading material maybe at dinner time.  Yes, it will be good to read about the good ole days.

Yellow Bowls -- Yes Again : )

 Sonora, California (vacation pictures)

Monica over at The Homespun Heart has one of my must read blogs each day.  Her love for the Lord and the amazing job she does as a wife and mother is just amazing.  Yesterday she referred to a post about yellow bowls.  Whoppee!  Go check her post about cinnamon rolls made in her yellow bowl.  So fun to find someone of like mind concerning yellow bowls!

This Sunday our church is having a family potluck and my yellow bowl will be attending full of potato salad or Famous Dave's coleslaw I am not sure which yet.  Along with the yellow bowl I am taking homemade vanilla ice-cream.  The recipe for this awesome ice-cream was given to me by my cousin, Cathy Rose who shared it at our recent family reunion in California.  This ice-cream was the hit of the reunion for sure!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Not sharing a family favorite recipe today but rather giving a heads up if you like cold blended coffee drinks.  On a whim I purchased a box of Kirkland's iced coffee drinks at Costco and oh my gosh are they ever good.  I add caramel and whip cream and I dare say say are the best I have ever had.  For the cost of a couple of large blended coffees at McDonalds you can purchase a box of 30!  Whoopee, what a deal - whoopee, what a wonderful cool refreshing drink!  Living in Arizona where the heat is now reaching 112* we do appreciate cool things.

Now when Precious Husband receives a text asking if he wants to have coffee on the veranda : ) when he gets home he knows it will be a cold caramel cappuccino waiting for him on the porch under the fans.  They are delightful!

Go over and see more great recipe links at Lisa's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Gifts

 

Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them. . . Numbers 18:29

Concerning the subject of gifts Gina Bridgeman prays, "Give me one more gift, Lord: the courage to use all You've given me for Your glory"

Amen Lord.

Trying to Get Fancy?

Trying something new today.  Tried my hand at Photobucket last night and this is my first attempt.  I think this could be quite fun but I need to do lots of practicing with trial and error.

My Story of Anchor Hocking Dishes

Thought I would hook up with Leigh on Thrifty Thursday and share my story of how I came to collect Star of David pieces by Anchor Hocking.

Several years ago I had a few pieces that I had thrifted along the way for a few reasons:
1.  I like the pattern
2. They are easy to find at thrift stores and antique stores
3. Most importantly they are found at a reasonable price

Oldest daughter Michelle stopped by one evening and showed me a piece she had gotten at a yard sale and told me how much she liked it.  She asked me if I didn't have the same pattern?  So I took her to the china cabinet and started pulling out pieces that filled two boxes and I sent them home with her.

Later youngest daughter Danielle gets married and she wants to start collecting pretty dishes too so I open the china cabinet again.  She really likes the Star of David.  "But" I tell her, "your sister collects that now.  How about you taking this Sandwich glass and we will build on all this?"  No Danielle wanted the Star of David.

So for several years I have added to both girls collection and I think they have pretty much everything available.  With that in mind I decided to start collecting it again too since I had given all mine away.

On vacation I found a set of snack plates in an antique store still in the original box at a good price.  Maybe one more set will complete my collecting.  Because it is so readily available I have been able to get all the pieces for my daughters and all the ones I want to use too.

So now you know : )

Why I Love Being a Mémère

 Pépère and Thomas (TLC#4) sharing a chorro at Disneyland

(the crumbs give him away)

Got a call from Trent (TLC #1) this morning with his sister and 2 brothers in the backround.  "Mémère, we don't remember the song about the little light and we are trying to sing it." 

On the way to California with the four littles I sang "This Little Light Of Mine" and they chimed right in and we sang it over and over.  Thomas (TLC #4) at 16 months remembered the part "oh no!"  So I sang the song again to Trent today and then of course he wanted to know if I could come over to his house today.

Makes a Mémère's heart smile and sing all at the same time.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

When my daughter Michelle mentioned having lots of zucchini in her garden I immediately thought of my recipe for Zucchini Bread which motivated my choice of recipe to share on Lisa's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

This is a recipe I received from a precious older lady in a bible study I attended a number of years ago when I was young - now I am the older lady : )  Each Thursday Sister Lillie would bring an amazing bread or sweet dessert to share with us.  I have such sweet memories of this special lady with the big heart and wonderful baking skills.  

Sister Lillie’s Zucchini Bread

2 eggs

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups coarsely grated zucchini

1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. In a mixer, beat eggs. Add oil, sugar, and vanilla; continue beating mixture until thick and foamy. With a spoon, stir in the zucchini and pineapple.

2 In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. A third at a time, add dry ingredients into wet and gently stir (by hand) after each addition. Add the walnuts and blend gently.

3 Divide the batter equally between 2 greased and flour-dusted 5 by 9 inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in to the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly.

Makes 2 loaves or a couple dozen muffins.  This is really a family favorite and one I always use for company.  The addition of pineapple to the bread makes it very moist.

Glad To Be Home

 The look of excitement!  Danielle and Taralyn waiting to see the princess at Disneyland.

Precious Husband and I had a delightful two weeks and returned to our abode on Kristal Lane Friday night.  We had a wonderful time but boy does it feel good to be home again.  Definitely no place like home I am happy to state!

We started out with our youngest daughter, son-in-love and 4 grandchildren on Saturday.  By the time we reached the beach it was nearly dark but we all ventured into the water and had a great time curling our toes into the sand to keep erect.

Sunday we enjoyed the fun at Knottsberry Farm and Monday and Tuesday we took in "part" of Disneyland.  Wednesday the kids returned to Arizona and Precious Husband and I headed north.  We had a wonderful family reunion on Saturday with my father's side of the family and then on Sunday we did the same thing with my mother's family.  About 45 people both times.  Cousins I had not seen in a number of years.

Spent two nights with my mom and then one night with my brother and his wife.  Left there and headed to beautiful northern California where we stayed two nights with my sister and her husband.  When we left there we were blessed to enjoy the beauty of Yosemite National Park on our way home. 

The best part of Precious Husband's vacation was being able to visit both Reagan and Nixon's libraries.  

Lots of laundry and unpacking to do and a house to clean.  Jason house sat for us but need I say more . . .

Had a wonderful time and enjoyed our family visits so much but I am glad to be home.

Every little girls fantasy.  Taralyn was just speechless!

Love That Pooh Bear!

We sure had a good time at Disneyland with our daughter and her family.  Our 4 grandkids went full steam from morning to night and loved every minute of the excitement.

The grandkids are safely home in Arizona now and back to their routines.  Precious Husband and I spent the night in San Louis Obispo and are now headed up the coast and then will head inland to arrive at my mom's tonight.  Having picture perfect weather and enjoying that so much knowing it is 110* already at home.

Yesterday we had fun thrift shopping and antiquing.  Found a couple of treasures : )

Will get more pictures of grandkids up hopefully Monday.  Got some very cute shots.

TLC #4 enjoying pretzel with cheese while we wait for mom and dad to ride Space Mountain.  Isn't this the most precious face in all the world!!  That's Mémère's boy!

Enjoying Our Vacation

 Taken at the Reagan Library

Good morning.  On our way this morning to enjoy the California coastline.  Looking forward to family reunions on both my dad's side and mom's side of the family Saturday and Sunday. 

Guess Where I Am?

We spent all day Monday and Tuesday at Disneyland with our youngest daughter, son-in-love and 4 grandkids!  How fun it was.





Took lots of pictures and built up arm muscles pushing double strollers through a very busy happy place.









Parted with the kids today.  They headed back to Arizona and we continued north.

Precious Husband has wanted to visit the Reagan Library so we accomplished that this afternoon.






Enjoyed my favorite soup - clam chowder on the restaurant patio over looking the beautiful harbor in Ventura tonight. 




Tomorrow we will head north and enjoy the coast before ending up at my mom's on Friday.


These pictures may not be classic Disney but they are from the Pooh Bear ride.  Pooh Bear if you don't know is my hero.

Granddaughter Ava Turns Four

 Ava signing "eat"

Our precious little granddaughter Ava in Kentucky turned four this last Wednesday.  Our daughter Michelle wrote a beautiful letter to her and published it on her Caring Bridges Page and I wanted to share it here with you.  

Dear Ava,

Today is a special day because today is your birthday.  Although you are only turning four, I find it hard to remember life without you.  From the moment I learned of your impending arrival, I decided that you would be an important addition.  You would be the salt; the essential ingredient that would balance out the flavor and complete our family. You have not met my expectations, however. My precious child, you have surpassed them!  You are not the salt, as I had hoped.  Instead, you are the sand.  Your influence, like that in the case of the oyster, has produced prized pearls.  By acting as the sand, our family has molded a pearl of courage, of humility, of gratitude, of self sacrifice, and of love.  In fact, each day your presence brings out the best that each of us has to offer and reveals treasures we never knew were there.

I know that your journey in life has been difficult for you in every way.  Considering the advantages bestowed on people around you, you might even consider your situation unfair.  Most people will waste their gifts, make insignificant impressions on those around them, and live hollow lives. They will see your broken body and fail to recognize your value. I want you to remember that your life has purpose. Remember that you are sand.

Daddy, Tristan, Amber, and I will forever cherish the pearls that you have given us, and the many more to come.  Happy Birthday baby girl! We love you.

The following is from my friend Connie who responded to Michelle with this wonderful encouragement :

I enjoyed your birthday message to Ava.  Because our purpose is to Glorify God, He gets to decide how.  If we don't keep our eyes on Him, we will come up with our own ideas of what will bring glory to God.  When He said His ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts, He was telling us truth.  Because this is only our shaping and molding place, and not our final destination,  it can be hard to understand His purpose.  The more we spend time with Him, and in His Word, the easier it is to trust Him, and His way.  As a matter of fact, looking at Him gives us great joy, even in the hard places.  Remember it is from faith to faith; one day at a time.

The Lord Bless and keep you all.  Happy Birthday Ava!

Your Sister in Christ,
Connie Young

Today's Proverb

Pivotal Proverb For Sure!

Proverb 3:5 says, "trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding."  This is the verse the Lord put on my heart 39 years ago when He put an eight month old baby boy into my arms.  I was a single woman with a dream of adopting but I had that scenario planned for the future when I at least had a husband.  With no prospective husband/father in sight I became a single adoptive mother at the age of 22.  My twenty-second birthday was more of baby shower than a birthday party - receiving basic necessities for my new son.

Single parent adoption was pretty much unheard of back those many years ago and none of it made sense to me but God gave me the added faith I needed to trust Him and not lean on my understanding or lack of it.  God's hand changed my life in the natural and most importantly in the spiritual.

Tomorrow Jason and I will celebrate our 39th adoption anniversary - a day that definitely changed my life and one I am so thankful for.  I love my son so much and I am very proud to be his mother.

Have a Great Day!

1. Wake Up !!
Decide to have a good day.

"Today is the day the Lord hath made;  Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up !!
The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance;   

But the Lord looks at the heart."  I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!!
Say nice things and learn to listen.
God gave us two ears and one mouth,
so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.

"He who guards his lips guards his soul."  Proverbs 13:3  

4. Stand Up!!...
For what you believe in.
Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. 

"Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, We will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..."  Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up !!...
To the Lord. 

 "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up !!...
For something higher. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,  And lean not unto your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him,  And He will direct your path"  Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up !!...
Your Prayers. 

"Do not worry about anything;  Instead pray about everything." Philippians 4:6

* Afraid I can't give credit to whom it is due - found this via cyberspace.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

It's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday once again and I am going to share my recipe for the cheesecake that won my Precious Husband's heart.  We are celebrating our 27th anniversary this November and we dated for 2 years prior to marriage so you can just imagine how many Cherry Cheesecakes I have made through the years.  This recipe is a favorite of my kids and grandkids too.  The nice thing about the recipe is that it is delicious and it is EASY to put together.  This cheesecake  has definitely become another of my signature hospitality recipes.

Cherry Cheesecake

8 ounce cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

8 ounce Cool Whip

1 can of cherry pie filling

graham cracker crust

Make crust and set aside. 

Beat cream cheese and sugar till fluffy.  Add sour cream and vanilla and beat well.  Fold in Cool Whip and spoon into pie shell.  Add can of cherry pie filling to the top and refrigerate for several hours before serving.  Yum!

Today's Proverb

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.  

Proverbs 31:30

Enjoying Morning Light

I am not a morning person but I am trying to change that fact.  For two weeks now I have been successful in rising between 5 and 5:30 and I am truly enjoying it.  The coffee pot usually wakes me at 4:45 and when I get up that's the first place I head.  With hot coffee in my hand I slowly meander to my rocking chair in my office where I finally come alive. 

This morning as I drank my first cup of stimulant I couldn't help but be drawn to the appearance of the morning light coming in my window and making shadows on the wall.

With my discipline of early rising I am also being much more detailed and consistent with my to do list.  I am listing each day's hopeful tasks on my computer calendar on Sunday afternoon and through the week I add to it as need be.  This is working so well for me.  It seems to challenge me to be able to check off the items each evening.  Sometimes I get tired and think about moving a project over to the next day or week and then I rethink it and the desire to make my check mark wins out.  I am really motivated by this and the success and accomplishment I am experiencing. 

As I have said before I love going from to-do to ta-da!  Works for me!!

The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.  Psalms 74:16

But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. Proverbs 4:18

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle.  Psalms 43:3

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.  Psalms 119:105

The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.  Psalms 119:105

First a Cup Then . . .

Yesterday I had errands to run and the time got away from me but there was still time to fit in a favorite thrift store.  Precious Husband was patient enough to wait till I finished my treasure hunt so we could meet for date night.

Several months ago I found the little Desert Rose teacup in another favorite thrift store.  It was there without a saucer and I had to bring it home because it is the same pattern that my precious friend Dolores used in her home all her married life.  I so enjoy having things that remind me of special loved ones in my life.  So, yesterday I found the lonely saucer and brought it home to complete my cup and saucer.  I love when that happens!

First the cup 

Then the saucer . . .

 Maybe not a first marriage but definitely meant to be together now.

Linking up to Thrifty Thursdays

 

Today's Guiding Prayer

 

 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalms 19:14

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. 
Psalms 141:3