Wordless Wednesday

Love and Hugs,

Mèmére

Monday Memo: Our News!

❤ February 2, 2015 

Today starts a new chapter in our lives.  

Precious Husband and I are so excited

 and a little scared! 

 Details coming A.S.A.P

Love and Hugs,
Mémère

Sunday Smiles

Love and Hugs,
Memére

Weather By Pooh

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Mèmére

Wordless Wednesday

Love and hugs,

Mèmére

Bean Soup

Rain came yesterday and through the night.  Today was a soup day for sure.  Susan Branch is one of my favorite artists and has a great blog with lots of fun things to see and read.  Read about her bean soup recently and it sounded good and today was the day to try it.  Oh my, it is a keeper for sure.  I was concerned it might be a little bland but the flavor was wonderful.  This recipe will go in my family cookbook file for sure.  Give it a try and tempt your tummy with a hot flavorful yummy bean soup.  

Susan Branch Bean Soup

1 pkg. ham hocks

1 lb. small white beans (great northern)

3 sliced carrots

3 stalks celery sliced

2 medium onions, chopped

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste
water to cover

Put all ingredients in a soup pot and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer till beans are cooked and all good and flavorful.

Serves six

Note: I chopped veges in the food processor and it worked well. 

Love and hugs,

Mèmére

Monday Memo: Who Said Kids Aren't Smart!

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Mèmère

Being Wise

My Grandma Turner's Ball of String

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without." 

--unknown

Love and Hugs,

Mèmére

Wordless Wednesday

Love and Hugs,

Mèmére

Monday Memos

"A new year is a clean slate, a chance to suck in your breath, decide all is not lost and give yourself another chance."
--Sarah Overstreet

Love and Hugs,
Mèmére

Listening To Precious Husband

Beauty of recent sunset

Precious Husband said he couldn't read my blogs because the font was as hard to read as my handwriting.  I want him to read my blogs so tonight I changed the settings back to plain and simple.  See Honey, I do listen to you.

Hugs and Blessings,
Mèmére

More Review of 2014

Grandma arriving in Arizona in style of course.

Here is a little more on my review of 2014.  I tend to put things off that are hard and this post contains some hard stuff for me but I need to get it done.

Precious Husband and I always told my mom that we would be here for her when and if she needed us.  June 2013 was a pivotal time when physically my mom's health took a turn due to an injury.  She lived in an independent living facility but we had to move her to assisted living.  When we went home for our family reunion in June of 2014 we could see major decline and when we told mom we thought it might be time to move to Arizona with us she was receptive to the idea.  A week later she fell and was admitted to the hospital for a week with pneumonia.  She said she was ready to come to Arizona and live with us.

My brother and sister-in-law packed her belongings and put her in the passenger seat of their motor home and moved her over July 1st.

It was a transition for her and for us of course.  She began showing early signs of dementia and then on Labor Day she had a bad fall.  About a week later and mom became a hospice patient.

Precious Husband was amazing through all mom's care - we physically tended her as a team.  It was a hard 9 or 10 weeks but we were able to make good on our promise to be here for my mom.

Mom was born in Tombstone Arizona and she returned 87 years later to live out her days in Arizona.

Hugs and Blessings,
Mèmére

Wordless Wednesday

Hugs and Blessings,

Mèmére

Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies

Get the hot chocolate ready and let's make cookies!

Tempt my Tummy Tuesday.  In keeping with my past format I am sharing a family favorite recipe today.  Last August I found this chocolate chip cookie recipe and it is a keeper for sure.  Give it a try and see if you don't agree.  

Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups chopped peanut butter cups (about six 1.6-ounce packages)

In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips and peanut butter cups.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking

sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.  Yield: 7-1/2 dozen.  

—Taste of Home Recipe

Note: I buy the mini peanut butter cups that are already unwrapped and just chop them slightly saving time.

Blessings and Hugs,

Mèmére

Blessed!

I try very hard to never take my life for granted.  I am blessed beyond measure by a wonderful husband, amazing children and even more amazing grandchildren.  Some days the normal and routine comes and goes and yes I fail to let my blessings encourage my heart as they should.  That is when I am glad for gentle reminders.  

Yesterday I met a gentleman and after a short visit he turned to me and said, "You are married to a very good man.  He loves you a lot."

Yes, truly I am married a a good man that loves me a lot.  I am thankful to a stranger for being so bold in reminding me of those facts.

Counting my blessings and reminding myself to never take my blessings and life for granted.

Blessings and Hugs,
Mèmére

2014 In Review

2014 came and went with not one blog post from me.  I wish I had followed through and blogged the many events of our year.  Events of great adventure that I never dreamed I would participate in.  Events that changed our family forever.  Events that inspire new challenges and risks for the future.

I can't turn back the clock but I can try to improve with this new year.

March 29, 2014 found Precious Husband and I arriving at our daughter and son-in-love's home in Kentucky.  We helped our oldest grandchildren, 17 year old Tristan and 13 year old Amber pack their new suitcases and we flew on an air bus to London, England.  We spent 3 days there and then went by train under the channel to Paris, France for another 3 days.  Never would I have imagined that I would be going out of the USA!  The trip was too short but made for wonderful memories with our grandchildren.

March 29, 2014 Headed over the Atlantic

Tristan 17 years old.  Amber 13 years old.

My first thought getting on the plane, this is like an "E Ticket ride" at Disneyland!

We rode the London Eye on our first day of sight-seeing.

I enjoyed the architecture.

Cute sign where we stopped for coffee of course!

Boat ride down the Thames River

Under the London Bride

Tristan was thrilled to go through the British Museum

Teenage girls don't mind posing for the camera -

teenage boys - not so much.

Amber posing with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Amber in front of the Eiffel Tower

Tristan in front of the Eiffel Tower.  

Their Pèpére was so smart in how he photographed each of the children.  

The locks we hung on the Pont des Arts Bridge

Better close for now and continue my review and catch-up on another day.

Hugs and blessings,

Mèmére

Putting The Memories Away

After my long absence thought I would remind readers that my blog is written as a form of journaling for me personally. It also is a tool to share memories, pictures, information/history and hopefully words of wisdom with my family.

Usually the tree is down and the Christmas decorations are put away no later than New Years and actually it is usually done on New Years Day.  This year I was a little slow and had better things to do.  The TLC's came and spent 3 days with us.  TLC's are my 4 grandchildren that live here in Arizona.  They are named with their initials forming - you guessed it - TLC.

Today I am sharing some Christmas decoration history.  The little elf came from my mom and dad and sat on our tree when I was a kid.  Sometimes he hides in our tree, this year he sat on a lamp overseeing activity in the dining room.

One of the first things that I put up at Christmas is my nativity scene.  My mother-in-law took up ceramics when Precious Husband's father died and in 1988 she gave us a beautiful nativity set, painted just perfectly.  In 1998 the little donkey caught the eye of our first grandchild, 2 year old Tristan.  Quick as a two year old can be the donkey didn't have a chance.  Tristan's mom and dad were chagrined but I got out the Elmer's glue and quickly the little donkey was given life again.  

Precious Husband and I were married in 1983 the year that Avon produced these precious little Christmas angels.  Good friends of Precious Husband gave them to us for a wedding gift and each year they find a place among the animals and wisemen.

A few years ago I found this nativity set in Kentucky half price after Christmas.  I love the sweet faces and the detail.  They remind me of Precious Moment figurines.

Look at the chubby cheeked angel with her sweet smile.

Joseph with his crook.

Mary

Baby Jesus

Memories, all wrapped up and put into storage boxes for another year.  Fewer boxes will be stored this year because I only packed the things that make me smile and have history.  We are making changes in our life this year and with that change comes a great need to downsize our belongings but this is all news for future blogs . . .

Love and hugs,

Mèmére 

Welcome To 2015

A trip to Paris and London made special memories in 2014

Welcome 2015

Looking forward to a new year filled with God's love, His faithfulness, His mercy and His grace.

I have missed blogging - missed over a year in fact.  So with a new year I intend to continue journaling memories and blessings to remind myself of what each day holds and hopefully encourage my family along the way too.

Happy New Year!

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;

    therefore I will wait for him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,

    to the one who seeks him;

it is good to wait quietly

    for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:22-26

Hugs and Blessings,

Mémère

Food For Thought Today

Oak Creek Canyon 

October 2013

Normally I post a recipe for Tempt My Tummy Tuesday but today I am sharing some food for thought instead.  This will definitely give me lots to think about as I go about my day today.

Oak Creek Canyon 

October 2013

Edith Schaeffer writes:

"Love will grow as reasons for love are discovered, thought about, dwelt upon in the mind, expressed verbally, and remembered.  As time goes on, the memory will become rich with increasing vividness and warmth in storing up facts and reasons behind the increase of love."

Oak Creek Canyon 

October 2013

Love will grow as: 

1. reasons for love are discovered 
2. thought about 
3. dwelt upon in the mind 
4. expressed verbally 
5. remembered

Something to think about for sure and more importantly to challenge me today.

Afternoon Light

The weekend is upon us and we are looking forward to spending time with family.  Our boys will come for the weekend and then on Sunday the TLC's and their parents will join us for bbq.  Saturday hope to Skype with daughter and her precious family in Kentucky.  

October is birthday month for two sons, two son-in-loves and 1 daughter!

Hope you enjoy your weekend and make it special too.

Old Fashion Popcorn

We have for years used microwave popcorn and it was easy and pretty tasty.  Lately not so much though and when I saw this blogpost I had to try it.

MaryJane blogs at The Beehive Cottage and just the pictures alone will inspire you to try her popcorn. I definitely give it my thumbs up.  Fluffy, tasty and so much more healthy without all the additives of microwave popcorn.  Much cheaper too.  Making a big batch would give me a reason to bring out the yellow bowl more often too.

Give MaryJane's old fashion popcorn a try and see what you think.