Reflections on Life Changes and Retirement

Life never stays the same. A person is forever evolving, changing and should be met with excitement. Nothing is truer than that aspect when one retires and moves to a completely new location. Last summer and fall, my husband and I made the decision to finally put the Salem house on the market and move to Central Oregon where we have two acres, a 14 x 70 Manufactured furnished home, and garage. The decision did not come lightly as we prayed and waited for God's guidance for several months trying to decide what to do with the property. Should we sell it, swap out the old home for a newer home in the winter, or just move to another state. One thing my husband and I have learned - RETIREMENT IS A FIGMENT OF THE IMAGINATION! After thoughtful prayer, the decision was made to move to Central Oregon, keep the property, and the house until the spring after the winter snows, and then swap out the older home for a newer manufactured home. With the decision made to keep the current home on the lot, all our belongings went into the two-car garage. The boxes are piled high on top of the furniture we kept. Downsizing is not easy as our garage can attest. God has taught us how to live together 24/7. This is a new experience because my husband would work 12 hour days at the gun club and now he has been underfoot quite a lot. When he goes to the valley I miss him terribly and can't wait for him to come home. We've also learned how to live in a small rural area with trips to Bend when needed. Another change has been to attend a new church in Bend, Solid Rock Community Church. My husband has been friends with the pastor for several years and we knew this would be our choice when we moved to Central Oregon. We miss our old friends at our old church but know this is where God has been leading us for quite some time now. My husband says he just wants to serve the Lord at our new church and I've been enjoying getting to meet everyone. Our prayer is God will use us both as we continue serving the Lord. Of course along the way, we've been struck with illness and I'm fighting uterine cancer. I have level one stage one uterine cancer and am undergoing a 12 week oral chemotherapy. We are thankful because God has been gracious. The cancer is treatable and curable and hasn't gone invasive into any other organs. My husband and I are so thankful for God's gift of good doctors who know what they are doing and who care. My husband has been diligently working on putting together his goals for the next year and I've been inspired to set a few of my own goals such as writing on my blog more often and getting those recipes to our friends and family who follow my blog. I'm also making a goals to work on my book and try to finish it year. It needs to be edited and there are a few things needing to be added before I even get to the editing part. I've posted my scone recipe many times, but I've got a new variation of it you'll love. I discovered using lemons was a tasty treat and one of our daughters says she likes them better than even the Chocolate Chip Oatmeal muffins I make so enjoy. Lemon Scones 2 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda zest from 4 lemons 1/2 cup butter cold and cubed Mix above in a food processor just until butter is crumbled. Add 3/4 cup heavy cream. pulse until blended - This doesn't take very long at all. Turn out onto a floured board and cut the mix into two balls. Re cut each ball into 4 pieces and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-14 minutes until just golden brown. Remove from the oven onto a wire rack with either waxed paper underneath or parchment paper. Drizzle while hot with the following: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and the zest of one lemon. Also mix in 1/3 cup softened butter. Makes 8 scones.

Life/Stuff gets in the way of real living....

Has it really been that long since my last post (2013)? Have I been that busy that I've fallen down on the job in posting on my Blog? Well,,,,,, yes it has and yes I have been busy. One of the big things taking time has been my husband and I fixing up our home of 25 years so we could sell it. The reality will be happening shortly when we sign over the papers to the new owners. Will they like the house as much as we did while the kids were growing up and even after the kids left home? We still love our old house. I have spent the last nine months packing boxes with the help of a dear friend. It seems this chapter of our lives is over. I'm sitting here in our La Pine kitchen typing while the garage is stacked to the rafters with "stuff". Where did we get all the "stuff"? Even after parring down for the last nine months, I still have "stuff" and will be rethinking each and every box as I eventually get to unpacking. Only unpacking right now won't happen. Hopefully, we will be either building or putting another manufactured home on the property. In the meantime, we are still in transition (although taking a break since its now hunting season and that takes precedent over everything). The men (four of them) got up early and were gone by 6 am this morning for their first morning of the hunt. Of course I'm cooking for them and will post one of my recipes I make when they come home. One of our hunter friends requests this dish every year. Its a Bacon/Corn Chowder soup served with cheesy biscuits. What moving boils down to is being flexible among all the crazy issues and challenges be it health issues or just trying to make room in the garage for something else. I'm afraid to go look in the garage. Mike says the boxes are piled up to the rafters. Laughing and smiling all the way trying to figure out what to do next. One thing remains constant though is the love God shows us through each challenge or issue. Mike and I have an opportunity in a new location to make an impact for God. We get to share our faith and "our" story to our neighbors and the new church we will be involved with. We want to serve God in the capacity He has for our lives. On to the new reality. Bacon/Corn Chowder Soup 1 pound of bacon diced Cook bacon until fat has rendered. Pour off fat except for 2 tablespoons. Chop 1 onion into small dices and fry until translucent Salt and pepper to taste Dice 3 potatoes (small) and add to onions Cook for about 5 minutes. Add one package of frozen corn, cooked bacon. Add 3 cups milk and 1 cup half and half or cream Simmer on low until the potatoes are cooked through. If you want a thicker soup, add some instant potato flakes. Again, season to your taste - you can even add pepper flakes if you so desire. Serve Hot. Makes about 4-5 servings. While soup is cooking, measure out 1 cup of biscuit mix and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Add 1/2 cup milk and drop by teaspoon onto a parchment lined cooking sheet. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Melt 1/4 cup butter into a cup, sprinkle with a pinch of dried parsley flakes and garlic powder/salt. Spoon over hot biscuits when done. Serve hot.

A special thank you to our Community Group.

What is a community group? Well one might say its just a group of people from the same community who come together for a purpose. That assumption might be right, but there is so much more to a community group than just coming together. Our church at Morning Star has small home groups we call Community Groups. These groups come together for the purpose of sharing God's Word and fellowship. The Bible says that "Where two or more are gathered in His name, there is fellowship with one another." This is a paraphrase but the premise is simple. Our group comes together to discuss The Word. We talk about our Christian journey with the Lord and strive on how we can improve this journey and become closer to Jesus through the sermons from our Pastor and from asking thought provoking questions designed to make us think and examine our lives. We encourage each other and our fellowship is sweet. This past year Mike has had the privilege of leading our group. The group's dynamics may change from year to year but the focus stays the same. Tonight we had our end of the year potluck and as always, the food was delicious and the fellowship sweet. Mike and I want to thank each couple and person who has made our community group worthwhile. We enjoy each and every one of the people who make up our group. Each person is special and unique in their own way and our group wouldn't be the same without them. I truly believe God has placed the people in our group that should be there and we have a lot fun but we also get serious about our relationship with the Lord. I just wanted to be sure to thank everyone in our group. Because I experimented with a new recipe for our potluck and it was a hit, I thought I'd share the recipe here in this post. Orzo/terryaki chicken salad 2 cups of cooked orzo pasta 1 pound cup up terrayki chicken (cooked previously) 1/2 cup parmesean cheese - shredded 1/2 bottle of Cardini's Ceasar salad dressing 2 hard boiled eggs chopped Cook terrayki chicken (I use equal parts of brown sugar, soy sauce, plus 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon ginger) Place all together in a bowl and toss with the salad dressing. Cover with a little of the shredded cheese on top and chill until ready to serve. Serves a family of 4-6. Enjoy.

Legacies

What is a legacy? Proverbs 13:22 states, "A good [woman] leaves an inheritance." As parents, each one of us wants to leave some kind of legacy for our children. Each decision we make affects our lives, spouses and children. I wonder sometimes, if I've made the right kinds of decisions regarding my children and how they view my life. What kind of example did I make, what have I passed on to my children they will remember me for, and what have my children learned from me? Priscilla Shirer says, "Our legacy of faith, compassion, gratitude, perseverance, forgiveness, patience and love should be carefully crafted and then purposefully passed on we well." When our children were still at home, I tried to be an open book for them about my relationship with the Lord and how He affected my life. I hope I was able to pass on the legacy of the attributes Priscilla talks about in the quote above. Will my chilredn they remember that I was not only a good cook or baker, but my life reflected my relationship with the Lord and they would want this relationship as well. I hope they saw in me a woman who wanted to be one of those Proverbs 31 women. One of my daughters recently wrote a post on her blog sharing her faith and what she believes and how she grew up learning of a relationship with God via my relationship or even the relationship of my parents having passed down from generation to generation. Does this make sense? I was humbled when this daughter shared her testimony of how she grew up hearing stories of the Bible and Jesus. I remember the day clearly when she gave her life to Christ at the age of 3 years old. Yes, she was a very smart 3 year old and knew what she was doing. So as I sit here writing this post, my challenge to you and even to myself, "What kind of legacy am I leaving for my children and their children?" Of all the legacies I leave behind, the one I want to be rememmbered most is my relationship with the Lord. Leaving behind recipes is another type of legacy I want to leave. I have made scones for years now and every time I make them, I get raves for the original taste and how simple they are to make so here is my recipe for scones. Scones 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon soda 1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cream of tartar Cut 1/2 cup cold butter into the flour mixture until the mixtures resembles large peas. You don't want to cut in the butter too much because you want those pockets of butter to explode in the oven. Cut in 1 cup half and half and stir until moistened and turn out onto a floured surface. Knead a few times into a ball. Cut into two balls and then cut again into quarters. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake a 375 degrees until golden or about 15 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheet and serve immediately while hot. Makes 8 scones.

Baby clothes redux......

This week I received three boxes from my daughter in Washington State holding our grandson's clothing he had outgrown. I was overwhelmed with memories of the clothing I normally would purchase as a single parent for my daughter. She requested I cut up my grandson's out-grown clothing and make a memory quilt. What a unique way to use a child's clothing! Now why didn't I think of this???? I even mentioned to her when she was little, she was the only one in our neighborhood with designer jeans at the ripe old age of three years old. I spent $60 on a pair of Jordache jeans and thought she was the cutest little girl in the world! I purchased clothing for her every six months because she would "out-grow" her old things and of course needed new things to wear. In fact, I preferred her to have new clothing and would forgo my own clothing needs so I could clothe her in the cutest trends imaginable. I even sewed some of her clothing because I couldn't find the girly clothing I wanted for her. Having fun making my little girl look pretty in "girly" things was what I looked forward to. I got the most frilly items I could find to dress her up in, and everyone who came in contact with her thought she always looked so cute. By the time my daughter was six years old, she began to revolt by wearing clothes only she wanted to wear. Even at an early age, she made sure she had had enough of the "frilly" gril thing. Oh DARN!!! I had to relent and let her wear the things she wanted to wear, normally not dresses, but pants and tops and definitely not frilly. Shopping for her just wasn't the same anymore. Having said that, our children grow up to have their own personalities and clothing styles. I found out this same daughter through time enjoyed wearing "classic and clean lines" clothing. She had her own style and looked the way only she wanted to look. I laugh so much looking back on how she developed her clothing style. She was stubborn in her own ways and remains to this day very particular about what she wears. Now she is having a little girl of her own and I asked her, "Are going to dress up your little girl in 'frilly' clothes?" Her comment was to only say "yes". Again, I laugh and know she will have her hands full as her little girl develops her own style as she grows up. I know - parents always say "payback" but I loved dressing my little girl to look girly, but alas, she developed her own style in her own time. (sigh) So now I'm finding I need to transition to figure out what kind of recipe I need to share to go along with the story and can't really think of one. Here's my contribution to this post: Memories made are important for both the parent and the child. One of the things I used to do with my daughter when I was a single parent was to take her out to breakfast before I went to work and she went to pre-school or daycare. Sharing a time with her at one of our favorite restaurants will be one of the best memories I have with her. I would order a cinnamon roll and she would order bacon and share my roll. Moral of the story? Make time to make memories by spending person time with your children, i.e. either a date time with ice cream,trips to the beach, breakfast, or just a special one-on-one time you can share with your child and build memories. Both you as the parent and the child will carry those fond memories of your special times spent together.

31 years ago....

How do you write about something that happened 31 years ago and keep it fresh and interesting, especially to those who know my story. Here's the latest version of how my world was turned upside down in a 30 hour period. When I was first married, I wanted oodles of children, at least four or five. However; God had other intentions in mind for me and after 8 years of marriage, I still wasn't able to have children so I applied to an adoption agency in Oklahoma. Now, having a husband in the military, the average time spent in one place was 3 years. After waiting two years and six months, and a home visit that failed terribly (our then dog jumped up on the social worker and I had coffee grounds in her coffee), the social worker called and started a routine conversation. She wanted to know if I was working, how my attitude was and if there was anything new in my life. I could hear take a deep breath on the other end of the phone and she said there was a baby girl for me. "What??" I said. "Are you sure?" "ME?" The social worker then asked if I wanted her to call back after the screaming had died down and give me all the particulars. I said, "Don't you dare hang up! I want to hear everything: How much does she weigh, how old is she, what does she look like and when does she get to come live with me?" Calmly the social worker gave me all the information and told me to appear at noon on Wednesday to pick her up in Tulsa. Now, being a Monday evening at 5 pm, it didn't leave much time for me to prepare for this new baby coming into my life. After the social worker hung up, I just sat thinking, "God, my heart is overflowing with love for this new baby girl and I can't believe this is happening to me." Long story short.....A daughter by the name of Sarah Elizabeth came to live with me on a stormy Wednesday afternoon. She was perfect in every way!! What an amazing experience to know in less than 30 hours, I would become a mom. Yes, there was a bit of a meltdown the night before we went to get her, but my blessing from God has been worth all the joys, love and tears a mom feels for a child. I have watched this baby grow from a small baby to a young woman who has a child of her own. She is beautiful inside and out and I can't wait for the next chapter in her life as she continues to grow in God's grace and love. I am blessed beyond measure and I'm sure she feels the same way when she looks at her own son with that knowing smile indicating,"God loves me, and my love as a mother is something to be treasured and valued through all the days of my life." Nothing is beter than that!!!! My story hasn't stopped and later in life, I received another gift from God in the form of my husband. He had several children so in the long run, my dream of having lots of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren has come true. But that's another story for another time..... Recently when my daughter came for a visit, she requested a meal of meat loaf and baked potatoes. So here is the basic recipe for meatloaf. 2 pounds ground beef 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt shakes of a pepper shaker 1/4 cup finely chopped onion a handful of oatmeal 1 egg 1/4 cup ketchup for the top Blend all ingredients together except the ketcup. Place the meat in a pie plate and shape in a round loaf. Pour the ketchup over the top and use a fork to spread the ketcup all over the top. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Place foil covered potatoes in the oven with the meat loaf and the meal will be done all at one time.

Happy New Year

I've been lazy in updating my posts and the beginning of the new year is a good time to get back into the habit and reflect on what God has done in our lives this last year. I can honestly say this last year has been a challenge for both Mike and myself. The challenges we had were dealing with a serious illness for Mike and plus all the doctor, hospital and chemo appointments needed in order to deal with the illness. Remembering the first week we found out about the cancer, God rocked our world and we felt like we had been hit with a freight train. In the course of four days, Mike had 3 surgical procedures, numerous blood and lab tests plus his first chemo treatment. Sitting in our recliners during the evening we first came home from the hospital, Mike said, "I have cancer". I think it finally sank into our brains at that time. Throughout the summer months of chemo treatments, more tests and lots of doctor visits, we saw God's hand in Mike's life and how we were able to share our faith. We shared our testimonies countlessly, prayed with others who were experiencing challenges in their lives and saw positive changes in those lives. Mike's Oncologist is a Christian and during Mike's last visit asked if they could pray at the end of Mike's appointment. Now, how many doctors do you know who are willing to pray with their patients! Mike and I also were able to share our lives in a class on Sunday mornings called, "Honor begins at Home." We had a total of 24 people in the class. Our prayer through this class was that God would touch the lives of those attending and make a difference in their lives. Mike and I are hearing periodically from those who were in the class and how their lives were changed by the Holy Spirit. We were on vacation one Sunday and we gave the couples a "Homework" assignment that required couples spend a date night and do a "check-up" on their marriage and what they were doing right and what needed fine tuning. One couple told Mike the date night would never happen because the relationship was so strained and hostile. Just this last month, this same couple approached Mike and told him on their vacation to Arizona, they started walking in the evenings and talking. They eventually talked about their marriage and did the "check-up". The husband told Mike their relationship was the best now than it had ever been in the past. This is just one story we heard. There are a few more, but time and space preclude me from sharing the other stores. Mike and I are blessed that the Holy Spirit was present in the lives of those attending our class and the class had a positive outlook on their lives. This glory goes to God alone! Christmas was a highlight this year too as we had a lot of family here at the house and I love to just sit and watch the kids and grandkids visiting happily together. What a blessing it was and I'm sure I had this funny smile on my face all afternoon long. All the work, cleaning and baking was worth all the smiles, giggles and hugs. I want to thank our friends, family and those who know us who have stood by us and been prayer warriors this past year. Mike and I feel so blessed by you all and I can't think of a better way to end this post than by thanking you all. With the new year upon us, our prayer is for continued healing and good health for both Mike and myself, and continued fellowship with those we hold so dear. Again, thank you all!!! PS: No recipe this time, just a thank you to you all.....

Where did the summer go?

Whew!!! Where did my summer go? This year, I felt like summer didn't exist. With my husband's cancer treatment, doctor visits, and chemo, our summer went by all too quickly. When I think back, we spent our time at home hoping for the best outcome of Mike's cancer. What I did accomplish was finally getting my new closet put together with all my clothes hung up in one place. Plus I was able to continue to make cookies for the gun club. In fact, Mike decided we needed to take our vacation trip to Hawaii and the money I've been saving for our trip is becoming a reality. Mike decided he wanted to stay at a Bed and Breakfast the whole time we are in Kona and I gave in (even though I would have loved to spend time on the beach.) So we leave on Halloween and return on November 9th. We are looking forward to just spending time relaxing, reading and enjoying the scenery. The Bed and Breakfast is in the hills (Waimea) near Parker Ranch and has been touted as having the best views in Kona. As for Mike's prognosis, the cancer has shrunk by 60% and the doctor is happy with Mike's progress. He will receive one chemo drug every other month for two years which is called maintenance by Mike's cancer doctor. The cancer won't be gone, but we hope for no growth. The doctor says if the tumors grow by 25%, we will have to look at other options for chemo or transplant. We will cross that bridge when it arises. We have been fortunate to have a doctor who is a Christian and he and Mike get along so well together. Next summer, we will take this doctor plus part of his staff on a rafting trip to thank them for all their help with Mike's illness. Through all the treatments, and doctor appointments, our faith has remained strong and we both look to the future and to spending many more years together. We are excited to see what God is going to do in this next "chapter" of our lives and how God is going to use Mike's illness for His glory and honor. In keeping with the summer fun, I'm going to give y'all a recipe we make in the summer and one that Mike and I have enjoyed on the grill. It's a recipe I developed as a marinade and uses interesting ingreidents. Enjoy Sweet & Spicy Pork chops 4 bone in pork chops 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 clove garlic 1/3 cup Worschestire sauce 1/3 cup soy sauce pinch of red pepper flakes Marinade the pork chops in the above mixture and let sit in the fridge for 4-5 hours. Grill the pork chops until done (be careful to not let them dry out). Cover with foil after removing from the grill and serve with your favorite condiments and side dishes.

The adventure continues....

So much time has passed since my last post I thought I'd better write an update to what's been happening in our lives this summer. Most of you know my husband was diagnosed with cancer and he has had four chemo treatments and this week, he will have his fifth. Meaning only one more chemo is left which we are looking forward to. We've also found out a bit more about the type of cancer we are fighting and how it will affect our lives in the future. The type of cancer Mike has is a "low grade" cancer meaning the cancer is harder to get rid of and not as fun to deal with. In fact, the tumors will probably stay with my hubby forever. After the sixth chemo treatment, Mike will have to undergo additional maintenance chemo treatments for the next two years. The drugs won't be as toxic as the R-Chop chemo but he will continue to get one drug, the Ritoxin. The goal for the cancer is to stop the growth and actually decrease the size of the tumors in his abdomen. A cat scan was done four weeks ago and the scan showed the tumors had decreased some but they are still there. Hence the need for "maintenance" chemo for the next two years. We don't know what God has in store for us, but we are confident He will be by our sides as we continue the adventure. In fact, we are scheduled to teach a new Bible Study class for our church in the fall called, "Honor". The study is taken from the movie "Courageous" and we are excited to see how God is going to use this study in the lives of couples at our church. Joshua 1:9 keeps croping up and we are relying on this verse a lot. (Do some research and read it). Now for some fun stuff... chemo has changed my husband a bit. His taste buds have been "skewed" a bit and I'm having to revamp some of my recipes to adapt to his taste buds. One of the things he loved was my take on a spicey bean soup. Spicey Bean Soup 1 pound of navy beans - sock them overnight 1 pound of chopped ham 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 cups of diced potates. 12 cups of water 2 teaspoons of salt - or salt to taste Combine the beans, water and seasonings with the ham and cook until the beans are tender. Add the diced potatoes and cook until they are done. Once the beans and potatoes are done, use an immersion blender and blend the soup only partially - this will thicken the soup and give it some body. Serve hot with a dollup of sour cream and your favorite bread. This soup also freezes well and like any soup is always better the second day around!

God is in control. Join us on our adventure....

In the last few weeks, my husband and I have been blessed by our family, friends and church family. Knowing we have these kinds of friends has made an impact on both of our lives we will remember forever. What started out as a normal week the week of May 7th, turned out to be a week we will never forget. Mike was having stomach pains and we thought he had an umbical hernia and would need surgery. The surgeon noticed something else was going on and ordered the CAT scan. The day after the CAT scan, our general practitioner called Mike into his office and went on to explain, "The news isn't good and I think you may have cancer." I got a one line text from Mike that said, "They think I have cancer." Ok....breathe....breathe...This wasn't happening and all I could think of was.....well, I couldn't even think period. This began a week long hospital stay where we learned Mike has Non-Hodgkins Follicular Lymphoma. Within a 30 hour period, Mike had a stent put in his left ureter, had a biopsy and a Power Port installed plus his first chemo treatment. Whew!!! even writing this, the events seem surreal and a blur, but when we came home from the hospital. Mike was sitting in his recliner and I was sitting in mine and he looked at me and said, "I have cancer". Just like that....being at home we felt like nothing had happened, however, everything was changed. Now, Mike and I are givers and when someone is in need, we love helping out by visiting, preparing meals and just being there for others. The tables have now been turned and we have been overwhelmed by our family, friends and church family who have been so wonderful in visiting, sending cards and praying for us. Mike and I found ourselves on the receiving end of the giving and knowing we were being prayed for has been a humbling experience. We are so thankful for each and every one who has sent cards, visited, and prayed for us. I'm learning to say, "yes", and "thank you," although it is still hard for me to do. Mike and I have been able to share our personal testimonies with so many people including the doctors, nurses and hospital staff. What's even more amazing is we are calm in our faith in Jesus Christ and He is taking us on this adventure for a reason. We just don't know where the adventure will lead. Yet, when people ask us how they can pray for us, we tell them, "Not our will but Thine O Lord." Yes, we are still adjusting to this diagnosis, but we are firm God is in control and we are following the path God has set for us. Julie, one of our daughters gave us something to put on the fridge and it is simple but so true: WHAT CANCER CANNOT DO: Cancer is so limited..... It cannot cripple.......LOVE It cannot shatter.......HOPE It cannot corrode.......FAITH It cannot destroy.......PEACE It cannot kill..........FRIENDSHIP It cannot suppress......MEMORIES It cannot silence.......COURAGE It cannot invade the....SOUL It cannot steal.........ETERNAL LIFE It cannot conquer.......THE SPIRIT (author unkn) Mike and I encourage you to join Mike and I on our journey. We appreciate every one of you. God has blessed us by you all. Simply, "THANK YOU."

Spring has sprung!

Finally warmer weather is making it's appearance known in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. What makes the warmer weather even better is the fact our back yard has been revamped by a good friend. The yard looks new with fresh bark dust, nicely mown grass and no weeds to be seen. What a difference a little hard work makes in making a back yard presentable.

The warmer weather makes me want to spend more time outside reading a book (yes, even in the cooler weather) with a glass of wine or soda sitting on the table. Or even tossing the tennis balls for the Tori dog to play with.

With Spring comes allergies, the desire to do some deep cleaning and finally putting away of the Christmas decorations and taking down the Christmas tree. Yes, mine is still up with all the decorations in the lower living area. Since we don't use this room, it was logical to just leave it up.

Also with the Spring comes the desire to make new things in the kitchen and I'm ready to try and make some of those new recipes I've been wanting to make for quite some time. Developing new cookies has become kind of a hobby especially since I supply the gun club with cookies for sale. I've been working on my molasses cookie and think its finally perfected and ready for publishing. So here it is.

Have a great Spring and don't work too hard cleaning. Take time to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the glorious surroundings God has given us to look at.
Molasses Ginger Surprise cookies
3/4 cup softened butter
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Cream the above until light and fluffy.

Add 3/4 cup molasses and incorporate this into the creamed mixture.

Add 4 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 package of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix until all is incorporated. Drop by spoonfuls or use an ice cream scoop. After placing the cookies on cookie sheets, refrigerate until firm. This takes a few hours. I usually put all the cookies on one sheet and then when they are firm, move them to parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes until the centers of the cookies are set. This makes about 22 very large cookies or about 4 dozen normal sized cookies.

Happy Easter!!!! Growing up, my mother had a habit of dressing my sister and I alike at Easter time. She also did that to my two younger sister. We'd get home sewn dresses in different colors, wear wristlet gloves and hair bands in our hair. In the mornings, we'd get up to find a small chocolate rabbit waiting for us. We'd then troop to church in our finery. After church, it was time to go to my grandmother's house for a big banquet consisting of ham, potatoes, salads and all the fixins. My grandmother would then hide Easter Eggs around the house and if nice outside around the yard as well. Then all the kids would go hunting for all the Easter eggs. What fun we had finding those eggs. When we reached our teens, we got to hide the Easter eggs for our smaller siblings and then watch them as they hunted for those elusive Easter eggs.

Times certainly have changed. I still try to get a chocolate bunny for my kids or whoever is staying with us and then the last few years, I've been making a big breakfast for our church crew consisting of the singers, production crew and staff. I pull out all the stops and make it special. These people are giving of themselves to serve our church and so I make sure to give them something special by serving them. This year, I'm making egg enchiladas and oatmeal.

When I was younger, I served my church by playing keyboard, but now I serve in a different way by cooking for the staff and crew. The egg enchiladas are a new recipe and one that looks good so this is what I'm sharing with you. It doesn't matter whether you have a big banquet or breakfast, or even go out to dinner, as long as you celebrate Easter by serving the One who gave His life for us - Jesus Christ.

May you have a blessed Easter and put your trust and faith into Jesus who gave his life for us.

Egg Enchiladas

12 eggs
2/3 cup half and half
1 pound sausage
1 cup diced onions
1 Jalopeano pepper
1/2 cup diced red and green pepper

3 cups whole milk
2 cups shredded cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour

12 enchiladas

Cook the vegetables until tender. In a separate bowl beat eggs with the half and half and add to the vegetables. Cook on low heat until the eggs are set and done. Add the cooked sausage.

Make the sauce by melting the butter and mixing in the flour. Cook out the flour until the raw taste is gone. Add the whole milk and cook until thickened. This is a basic rue. Add the shredded cheese and take off the heat.

Assemble the enchiladas by putting some of the scrambled egg mixture on the enchilada with 1/3 cup of the sauce. Roll the tortilla and place in a 8 x 13 baking dish. Once all the egg mixture is gone, cover the tortillas with the remaining sauce and bake until the mixture is heated through. Serves 12 people. Of course use salt and pepper to taste.

What did my grandmother, and mother think?

I just spent four days watching my grandson, Jonah in Washington State while his mommy went to visit his daddy at a school in Philadelphia.

How does one keep up with an almost two year old? I don't know how I did it, but I did!! Watching Jonah play for the few days I was with him made me start thinking. What did my grandmother think of me when I was little, or did my own mother have the same thoughts as I did while watching my own little girl.

When my mother and father went away for the night, my siblings and I would stay at my Grandma's house. I remember her as always stern but her food was good and she made us feel at home and we enjoyed being at her house. Did she think we were cute while we played or pretended in games? One day I will know what she thought as I see her in heaven and ask all those questions I wanted to ask long ago.

My own mother watched my daughter while I attended undergraduate school. I know from talking to my daughter my mother taught her how to count change and shop in a grocery store. I know there were many other things my mother taught her grand- daughter but how did my mother feel watching my daughter pretend and play games? Did she have the same feelings as I did watching Jonah? Again, these are things I may ask my mother once I get to heaven.

What made the biggest impression the last few days - is loving my grandson is easy and watching him play, jabber, and just all around jump around with his toys, playing with the bouncy balls, and other antics - this all made me smile. What made me smile the most was at night I would read to him and then sing "Jesus Loves Me this I know." When I sung to him, he would close eyes and just cuddle. Nothing better than those cuddles.

God has so blessed us with children who have children and watching all these children grow is precious as an adult. One we need to cherish and hold true to our families. I thank God he has blessed me with so many grandchildren and even though some of those grandchildren live in different cities, I love each one with tenderness and the hope each child will grow in God's love and accept the wonderful gift he has in His son, Jesus Christ.

In keeping with a recent posting, I did something new for this grandson. I made him a peanut butter sandwich for the first time in his life and he loved it. So here is a ramped up version of a grilled PBJ sandwich. If you've never tried this, you need to try it at least once.

Grilled PBJ

2 slices any type of bread
Peanut butter
jam of your choice
butter

Spread one side of your bread with peanut butter and place in a skillet with a bit of melted butter in it. Top with the other slice of bread that has been spread with jam. Brown one side at a time. When you get ready to turn the sandwich, melt a bit more butter in the pan and flip the sandwich. Eat hot.

The phone call that changed my life....

Have you ever had a single phone call change your life? I had a phone call 30 years ago changing my life forever. About this time of the year, I tell the story of how my life changed for the better based on the phone call I received February 8, 1982.

The call came at 4:00 in the afternoon and I was home alone doing what I did every day at this time, thinking of supper and what to make. The caller was from the Oklahoma Children's Baptist Home and getting a call from my social worker was common because she would call every once in awhile asking how I was doing. This phone call started out like any other call with the social worker. I let her know I wasn't working and I was thinking of what I would fix for supper. She paused then proceeded to tell me, "You are now the proud parent of a little baby girl." I sat there stunned to say the least!!! I said, "What did you say?" She reiterated again that I was now the proud parent of a 1 month old little girl. I started screaming, "Are you kidding? Are you sure? Me??? How? What? When? where was this little girl?" The caller said she could call back when I was a bit calmer, but at this point, I didn't want the caller to hang up! Like any parent, I wanted to know if this little girl had 10 toes and 10 fingers, what she looked like, how long was she, and how much did she weigh when she was born.

After writing down all the information (I knew I wouldn't remember anything she told me so I had to write it down), the caller wanted to know if I had a named picked out for this little girl - all I could think of was Sarah Elizabeth because both were Biblical names and both women waited until they were older when they had their children. I didn't even hesitate with the name and I didn't even consult my husband at the time about the name. The name just seemed like the right one and it seemed so fitting. The caller said they would start calling the little girl Sarah right away and have her name on all the paperwork ready for us when we picked her up.

The caller had one other thing to tell me, "We need you and your husband to pick up Sarah on Wednesday at 1 in the afternoon." At the time, we lived in Lawton and driving to Tulsa was a 4 hour drive. Basically, I had one evening and 24 hours to get ready for a newborn baby. What was I thinking??? Was I really ready to have a little baby come into my life? Panic attacks don't usually happen, but I found myself having a panic attack and I called my mother to give her the news.

The first thing she said she did was cry for the birth mother for giving up her little girl so I could have a newborn baby and the second thing she said she did was cry for me because I finally had a child - one I had prayed for since the beginning of my marriage 10 years earlier. My mother calmed my fears and reminded me I grew up the oldest girl in the family and had cared for all the smaller siblings my mother had. (There were 3 smaller children eventually in our family so caring for them came naturally.)

The adoption agency said this little girl was the prettiest baby they had seen in 10 years and she definitely was coming into my home. I remember holding her for the first time, tears streaming down my face looking into her quiet sleeping face being overwhelmed with instant love. The love that only comes between a mother and her child.

I am so thankful and grateful to the Lord above for his gift to me. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed God gave me the desires of my heart to have a baby and nurture that baby into an adult. I now see the love she has for her son and am constantly reminded of God's initial gift to me.

Just last year this beautiful daughter found her birth family and she now has a pair of twin sisters and a brother whom she has met and learned to love. She also has met the wonderful woman who was selfless in giving me the opportunity to raise a daughter who is beautiful inside and out. I'm thankful God has given her the gift of a birth family as well as an adoptive family. Happy Adoption day Sarah!!!!!

One of Sarah's favorite things to eat growing up was my banana bread so this is the recipe I'm sharing today.

Sarah's banana bread
1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
2 eggs
cream the above ingredients until light and fluffy

Add 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 cups flour. When blended, add 3 mashed ripe bananas and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Bake in a loaf pan for about 45 minutes until the center is done. While still in the pan, brush the top of the loaf with 2 Tablespoons melted butter 3 Tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Remove the loaf from the pan and when cool, slice, spread with butter and eat. Very yummy....

Resolved, Resolution -

Resolution - the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc; the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute, firmness of purpose.

Have you ever made a resolution and stuck to it? My husband and I saw the movie "Courageous" where four men resolved to make changes in their lives impacting their families and walk with the Lord. We both were moved by the movie and checked out the website.

On the website, there was a Bible study geared towards men and women called, "Honor". My husband leads a Community Group for our church and we've been following a classic type of Bible study where we discuss and ask questions about the pastor's sermon from the Sunday before. We've been doing this for several years but when we saw the "Honor" Bible study, we thought, "Wouldn't it be a good idea to see if our group would be interested in changing our format and going through the study."

After ordering the leader's kit and reading the study booklets, we discussed changing our Bible study with our group to follow the movie and "Honor" format.

For me, there is a booklet included in the study called, "The resolution for Women." I've been reading this book now for about a week and am so impressed with its content I decided to write about it on my blog.

The first resolution in the book reads as follows: "I DO SOLEMNLY RESOLVE to embrace my current season of life and will maximize my time in it. I will resist the urge to hurry through or circumvent any portion of my journey but will live with a spirit of contentment." (The Resolution for Women, page 6)

Wow! I was immediately reminded I need to embrace my current season in life and felt God was speaking through his Holy Spirit to change a few things in my life.

1. I need to be more flexible in my lifestyle, changing as my life changes

2. Being "retired" means I don't have a schedule to follow and I don't have to "Hurry" through my life. I need to enjoy it

3. I need to work on being content with what God has given me

I'm looking forward to see what other "gems" God will give me as I journey through this Bible study. I also believe God has been prompting me to finish my book, "Shelter from the Storm" this year. Writing, I want it to be perfect and edit as I write, but usually go through and edit the whole thing. I need to write without editing and once its completed, then edit the finished product.

Finally, I'm claiming 2 Corinthians 9:8 as I journey through this next year and "resolve" to accomplish the goals I have set for myself.

Coming up with a recipe for this post has been difficult so I'm resolving to try a new recipe every month to expand our culinary tastes. This is a new recipe I tried out last night. It was a hit with those who ate them and my husband ate his share - 4.....

Garlic butter biscuits

1 cup Biscuit mix (buttermilk baking mix)
1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese (cheddar and jack mix)
1/2 cup milk

Mix and drop by small spoon fulls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for about 8 minutes until the biscuits are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and while still hot, spoon on the following mixture:

3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon dried parsley leaves.

This will make about 12 small biscuits and they are yummy.

Snow and Rain, oh my!!

The rain this past week has been unbelievable even for Oregon! With rain measuring over 7 inches in one week, our ground is sodden, wet and squishy if there ever was such a word.

Starting the week, we had quite a bit of snow and I enjoyed watching the falling snow create a winter wonderland. Once the snow ended, the rain began and didn't stop until today when there was a bit of sun showing; but that didn't last long either because when I was outside, I felt raindrops again.

Mike and I were fortunate because our power did not go out and we were able to stay warm and dry. Learning how to live without power can be trying and hard on those who don't know how to cope with it. Living on the farm growing up, my family lost their power on a regular basis - sometimes living without power for several days. One time when we lost power, my mother had homemade rolls rising and a pot of soup on the stove. When I got home from school, she had the camp stove out finishing up the soup but had to throw away the rolls. We bundled up and stayed dry with a fire in the fireplace. After supper, we all sat around the table bundled up with a lantern playing card and board games to. pass the time away

Hearing of the power losses in both Oregon and Washington reminded me I should have some type of emergency kit ready in case our power went out. Here's the recipe for a simple but important reminder to keep things, "In Case of Emergency."

Emergency Kit

First Aid Kit
Bottled water
Sleeping bags
Camp stove
canned food in the Pantry that needs little or no heating
Powdered milk
Flashlights for every member of the family
Extra toilet paper
Games to play to pass the time away
Books to read by light of the flashlight

Replace the food on a regular basis so you have fresh non-outdated food. I'm sure I forgot something on the list, but you can build your kit specifically for your family. My daughter's family lost their power in Washington and she did a great job coping and adapting to the difficult time until the power came back on.

First taste of snow!

The appearance of snow outside my window this morning brought back so many memories of growing up on the farm. The winter months would bring their excitement of snow, riding on the tractor while my Dad would clear the snow or building the biggest snowmen of all time. My bother and sister would make snow forts too so we could throw snowballs at each other. Or even walking with my brother in the snow trying to trip each other so we'd end up in the snow either face down or face up.

My mother would bundle us up with our farm boots, woolen gloves, and baggies. Yes, I said baggies. My mother was a genious when it came to improvising!! She would let us put on the gloves and boots, but then we would add the baggies to our gloves held in place by rubberbands and also the boots were covered in plastic bags held in place with rubber bands. Who knew back then you'd be able to find tools like rubber bands and baggies doubling as winter wear gear....Yep, she was a genious, and yes, our hands got cold but they stayed dry. Same for the feet.

After playing outside until our hands were frozen (at least we thought so), we'd end up standing or sitting next to the fireplace warming our hands and feet with a cup of hot cocoa. What warm and cozy memories of the snow. Even to this day, I get excited about the snow and didn't get much sleep last night anticipating the first sight of the snow this morning.

My mother would also make ice cream snow so this is the recipe for this post. If you do make this, be sure to get your snow from a clean source (most snow now isn't as clean as it used to be). Growing up, making the ice cream snow was almost as much fun as playing in it.

Ice cream snow

2 cups of snow
1/2 cup of cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons of sugar

Keep the snow cold while mixing your other ingredients together. Then pour the cream mixture over the snow and scoop the snow into either a cone or dish. Enjoy.

What is Retirement?

During my 40's, I had it all...a new college education, a wonderful brand new home for myself and my daughter, a new career and of course a new husband who came with 8 children and bunches of grandchildren. Finding a new career was an exciting time in my life - about 15 years later than most career minded people but I got there with the help of my folks and other family members.

Thinking of retiring wasn't in my volcabulary back then and "somewhere down the road" I was going to retire, maybe when I was 65, hahaha. I don't think I ever wanted to retired. Sometimes peoples' plans don't coincide with God's plan for their lives and in this case, my life. I got laid off from the new career but God gave me another job and in this new job, I met a family who became life-long friends. Career-wise it wasn't the most demanding job, but I did enjoy it until God decided I should make another career move.

At 50 my husband and I made a decision maybe I needed more education so I took an accelerated Master's course and got an MBA. Who in their right mind would take a 2 year course in 18 months? Yep, ME!!! It wasn't easy but I graduated in a class starting out with 11 people and ending up with only 5 graduating on time. Those were crazy times but through this I got the job of my dreams in 2006. This job was demanding, but rewarding in its own way and soon I was part of an association where I sat on a Board of Directors and was considered a "high powered executive". The job also demanded I commute to Portland adding another layer of stress.

In 2009, only 3 years after receiving my dream job, I lost the job and was looking again for a new position utilizing my education and skills. Now honestly, who would hire someone in their 60's in an executive position? Not many people and, I found I would interview for a great position, but as soon as someone saw me, I would not get the job due to my age or disability (bad knees).

I started praying and asking, "God, if you want me to work, find me a job. If not, I guess I'll be retired." The job never came to fruition but applying for Social Security Disability was one outlet. I thought if I can't work, I'll see if I qualify for benefits. No one gets SSDI on their first try....that is except me. God was definitely telling me something about time to retire. I guess at that point, I needed an attitude adjustment regarding retirement.

So after all this, what is retirement? I've heard on the news there are approximately 2,000 baby boomers retiring every day. Is retirement all play, staying at home doing nothing, or just letting life slip by? I've come to the conclusion retirement is a new and exciting career change. I get to sleep in (don't have to be on the road to Portland by 5:30 every morning and don't have to plan meetings, be in charge of meetings, etc.), make anything I want for supper (doesn't matter how long it takes to cook - I have time), learning new hobbies to keep me busy, write a book, or even volunteering a few days a week.

I've learning to accept my limitations and embracing retirement albeit in a different sort of way. I volunteer at a home twice a week babysitting a wonderful baby, I'm learning to use a new sewing/embroidery machine and I'm working on my book, "Shelter from the Storm" which I hope to finish in 2012 (Lord willing). Maybe I'll even start a new book after the one I'm working on is finished. Who knows. But the main thing is I'm learning to be retired and not fighting it.

Now for the recipe from this "retired" person. I've acquired a taste for croissants from Williams Sonoma. These don't take any time except they do cost so here's the recipe.

Go to the Williamssonoma.com website and hunt for food. Order one of the boxes of croissants. Follow the directions on the label and enjoy. Serve warm or use them as sandwich bread. These items were one of Oprah's favorite things she gave away every year on her show. Now that's taking it easy with being retired and cooking!! Have fun Baby Boomers retiring!!

Memories of Grandchildren exploring Grandma and Grandpa's house

The Christmas celebration is over, decorations are coming down, Christmas lights are finally off and the New Year will be here at the end of the week. The highlights this year were many. There isn't enough space to mention all of those highlights but I think attending Jonah's first birthday party and our family Christmas stand out the most.

Helping Sarah with all the preparations for Jonah's first birthday turned out to be fun as Sarah and I tried to figure out how to do things and make them work - like the green marshmallow trees. I laugh when I think of how we tried several things to make them stand up all by themselves and they turned out looking amazing.

Watching our three littlest grandchildren last week, seeing the wonderment in their eyes as they explored every nook and cranny of our house was precious. Noah and Chloe (2 1/2), and Jonah (1 1/2) noticed all the sparkly decorations, bows, greenery, and tree decorations. The three children shared toys, cars, books and other items together as each gift was opened and played with. The room seemed like chaos but this chaos was a controlled chaos and I sigh and just smile when I think of all that occurred during our special Christmas time with family.

I'm finding it hard to transition from Christmas to making any New Year's resolutions for the new year, but this next year I do want to focus on finishing my book and then hunt for someone to publish the finished product.

As for a recipe to share with this post, I am reminded again of that elusive little green marshmallow tree my daughter and I tried to make for Jonah's birthday. So if you find yourself wanting to make any green trees in the future, here you go with the recipe.

Green Marshmallow tree

1 bag of large marshmallows
12 oz of white premium chips
2 cups Rice Krispie cereal
1 bag of long pretzels
1 roll of Marzipan
green powdered color
brown color, either gel or powdered

Take some of the green color and toss with the cereal. This will turn the cereal green but keep the cereal dry.

Melt the chips until just melted.

Take a marshmallow and stick a pretzel in the middle, Next coat the marshmallow with the white melted chips. Immediately roll in the green cereal. Put the coated marshmallows into a container so they can stand up and harden.

Next, take a small amount of the marzipan and add the brown color to it. Do this by kneading in the color. Make a small ball of the marzipan and stick the pretzel end of the tree into the marzipan. Place the tree back into the container to again set and harden.

The trees should stand up by themselves and you've got something totally edible. Enjoy.

Christmas is here....Let the celebrating begin!!

This week is Christmas and first of all, I am reminded of the ultimate gift God gave to me in the form of His son, Jesus Christ. Without this gift I would be nothing and I would have nothing. Jesus has given me the strength to perservere when I thought all hope was gone. He also gave me the strength I needed to start a new life in 1985 with my daughter. Remembering back on those days of being a single parent to a 3 year old, I wanted the holidays to bring the best memories I could possibly give my child.

One of the traditions I had was to have my daughter go to bed on Christmas Eve and then when she was asleep, I'd jingle some bells and run into her room and tell her, "Santa just left and those were the reindeer I heard." She believed me until she turned older, and I think she didn't want to spoil my fun and didn't tell me for a few years just so we could jingle the bells and proclaim Santa came to our house.

I also remember those days when my dad would take my daughter shopping for a Christmas present for me. I was always humbled by my dad's actions because he would do this for Mother's Day as well.

When I started celebrating Christmas with my new "blended" family, I tried to make traditions by decorating EVERY (yes, I said EVERY) part of the house. I had theme rooms. Our living area downstairs was the Santa room with the tree; the family area where we spent most of our time was the angle and nativity area because this is why we really celebrate Christmas; and of course the kitchen and bathrooms were decorated with snowmen. I would even have our girls decorate their rooms with lights and fake trees so they would have something of their own. Of course their friends would come over and call my house, "the Christmas house" because of EVERY part of the house had something to do with Christmas.

Another tradition I started when our kids were small was to give each person (including the gentlemen) Christmas stockings in their Christmas stockings. (One of the first things I did when I remarried was to make everyone in the family their very own Christmas stocking. As our kids got married, I would make their spouse or their children a Christmas stocking to match.)

Since the kids have all left home, I haven't been decorating as much and in fact in the past few years, I haven't even done the outside lights. With the twins coming from Washington DC and our newest grandson coming from Washington State, I decided this year, I'd bring all the glory back to the house and make it kid friendly so the little ones will remember Grandma and Grandpa's house as a house of wonder and delight.

I'm also pulling out all the stops in the food area this year. We are having baby back ribs and turkey for our celebration plus Red Velvet Cake, cookies galore and all the favorites my family enjoys. So for this post, I'm going to give you my favorite sugar cookie recipe. I've mentioned before my grandmother would always put out sugar cookies at Thanksgiving time and I could never find the exact recipe she used, but I did find a recipe comparable. Enjoy and continue to make those traditions with your families as you celebrate this season of joy.

Grandma Reimer's sugar cookies

1 1/2 cups softened butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar

Cream the above ingredients until light and fluffy.

Add 2 eggs and beat well. Add 5 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 cup milk and mix well. Regfrigerate for 3-4 hours until firm or overnight. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and use your favorite cutters. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.

Before these cookies are baked, you can sprinkle colored sugar on top or frost them and design them once they are cooled. Use a buttercream frosting.