Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Catching Up on the Photo Challenge

Happy Leap Year!!  I was doing a photo challenge at Fat Mum Slim, but I found out that it was harder for me to do than I expected.  I just couldn't keep up with the day to day photos. So now since we are at the end of February, I will do the best I can to complete this series.

17.  Time
Time is fleeting. Make the most of each and every day.


18. Drink
I actually have my eye on the water across the table. Drink plenty of water.


19. Something you hate to do
Making the last choice for a dear friend. This is Sadie. Passed away Feb 27, 2012.


20. Handwriting
Autograph from a star.


21. A fave photo of you
I was about 4 years old; taken at my grandmothers house.


22. Where you work
I organize events. Just one of the hats I wear...


23. Your shoes
These are my old trusties!! I love these shoes. Terrible, terrible toes...
I didn't do a good manicure.  Sorry.


24. Inside your bathroom cabinet
The picture is blurred, I guess, for a purpose. I couldn't hold the camera still for this shot. 
I don't have a traditional bathroom cabinet. My husband made these shelves 
out of old barn wood and the cabinet above is an old Army artillery box.  
I had painted this picture on the wall. The frame was dug up 
from an old farm land years ago. It was put together with pegs, 
so we are thinking late 1800s or early 1900s.
We still can't figure out what color to paint the bathroom.


25. Green
My Doodles. Her favorite colors are blue and green.
 

26. Night
The night life. This is my husband on the right ,with his band.


27.  Something you ate
A wonderful, healthy dish of chicken, red peppers and zucchinis.


28. Money
Money is also fleeting.
It's my son's birthday. No longer a teenager...
Sometimes I miss my little boy.


29. Something you're listening to
Construction on the outside, but I can't seem to get a picture of it. I apologize.

That's it! I'm finally caught up.
Visit Fat Mum Slim. She's FABULOUS!

I also want to thank Karen from My Little Home and Garden, for
letting my know how to make my photos larger. Thanks, Karen.
You should pay her a visit, too. She has a wonderful blog.

Here's to your health!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

TEA TIME!!

I am still making my wish list for Aynsley China.
I found this beautiful piece and was so attracted to it.

I wish I knew how to make my pictures bigger on my blog,
because this size does not do justice to the beautiful set.
If you will notice, it has dogwoods inside.
My grandfather's farm had many dogwoods.
I just couldn't wait to get to their house on Easter day
for the trees were in full bloom and they always looked amazing to me.

 The legend of the dogwood tells that the wooden cross
on which Jesus was crucified was constructed from a dogwood tree.
On the day of the crucifixion God pronouned that no dogwood tree
would ever grow high enough to be used again for that purpose.
Today dogwoods remain bent and twisted, unable to reach 
significant height. Each dogwood blossom contains four petals 
that open in the shape of a cross, 
each bearing the reddish mark of a rusty nail.

Here is another favorite!
I love the soft blue and the tiny roses.
The handle is so delicately placed
and if you look closely
it looks as though the cup and saucer
are made of soft flower pedals.
The touch of gold gives it a rich look.

I really don't want to spend too much of my time
wishing and hoping for things. Life is very precious.
I don't want to keep in my heart a desire for "things."
What I want to keep in my heart is a desire 
to spend time with each and every one of you.
You have become very important to me.
I enjoy visiting all of you and keeping up
with what is important to you.

I love hearing about your families and
I love seeing pictures of your day to day experiences.
You are like gold to me. I pray for you all
and want things to be good in your lives.

I wish us all to live Happily Ever After!

I will be joining Tea Tuesday with Terri at Artful Affirmation.
Terri is a very fun lady. She has a  birthday on March 12
and is having a giveaway in honor of this occasion.
You are a wonderful lady, Terri.

Here's to your health!

Monday, February 27, 2012

It's a Mosaic Monday!

I just love it when the girls come over for the weekend. They spent their time out near the patio with sidewalk chalk. We had plenty of messages when we stepped outside.

They surprised us with this little message. As soon as you stepped out the
front door,  you saw "OUT THE DOOR." When you go
through the gate, you get the message "COME NOW."
Then you follow the arrows and at the end in BIG letters,
"WE LOVE YOU!"  They sure make my day!

Little Bit got a new bow for her hair. It looks so cute on her.
She also got new bubbles. We spend a great deal of time
blowing bubbles. 

Doodles sometimes like to blow bubbles, but
she would rather spend the time telling stories
or just doodling.

I love the one that says, "BB's Rrock!"
I am wondering "HOW she means this.
Is she saying that "grandmother's rock"
or if she is saying "this is BB's rock."
I think she mean the rock belong to me.
tee-hee

Children are so precious! I hope they understand what
I am trying to teach them each and every day.

Time is fleeting!
It just seemed to be the other day
when they were just babies.
Make the MOST of everyday.

I am joining Mary, at Little Red House, for Mosaic Monday.
Please pay her a visit. She has some amazing photos
worth viewing!

Here's to your health!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Another Tea Tuesday and the Photo Challenge

My tea time starts off with a wonderful cup of Organic Golden Ginger.
Ginger is used to help settle upset stomachs and has other great benefits.

Here are some benefits of Ginger tea:
Relieves nausea
Combats motion sickness
Helps digestive processes
Combats inflammation
Reduces dizziness
Limits Flatulence
Controls chronic pain
Eases the pain of muscle aches and rheumatoid arthritis
Minimizes symptoms of the common cold, allergies, and other respiratory conditions.
This tea was very soothing on my tummy. It's also a good tea when
you want to kick back and relax, or a great afternoon pick-me-up.

My breakfast started off with a heaping bowl of oatmeal.
I love Walmart's Great Value 100% Whole Grain Old Fashioned Oats!
I sprinkled a little cinnamon and honey over the cooked oats. So YUMMY!

I first cooked it in the Silk PureAlmond milk.
I did have to cook them longer. It might have been better
to cook first in water, then add the milk. But the FLAVOR
was just so awesome...
I chose the Vanilla flavor that had 35 calories.

and 0 sugar!  The honey with the vanilla gave it a wonderful flavor
and the cinnamon just set it all off to a great breakfast.
Old-fashioned oats are a whole grain, which means that they
are very beneficial for the health of the consumer.
They have this great nutrient-rich germ and the bran, 
which is extremely high in fiber.
Such a great start to a day!

Little Bit wanted to bake some cookies the other night.
We went the easy way and bought a package of 
prepared cookie dough. You can see
she's a shoe nut!

The cookies were very sweet. Can you believe I only ate one?
I sent the rest home with her and her sister.

I will be joining Martha at Martha's Favorites for tea. Oh, Martha
has some BEAUTIFUL tea sets to show today. It is so much fun
joining her for tea.

I will also join Sandi, at Rose Chintz Cottage.  Sandi is a delight
to join for tea time. She sets a beautiful table.


I have two more pictures to add to my Photo Challenge with Fat Mum Slim.

15.  Phone
Called a dear friend and thanked her for the wonderful
card she sent me for Valentines.
Thank you, Marianne. Your cards turned out so wonderful!

16. Something New
A paper flower made by a sweet new friend.

I was organizing an event at work the other day
and this sweet lady assisted in many ways.
She is such a very sweet person.
She came back to my office
with this beautiful paper flower that 
she had just made and gave it to me.
It made me feel so special.

I still have a few more photos to catch up on, 
but I have to get them together. Until next time....

HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH!

Monday, February 20, 2012

A Day at the Park! Bone Health...

The girls and I love going to the park. Their favorite part is playing on the monkey bars. They love climbing and swinging from the bars.

Weight-bearing exercise is very important for bone health. We should schedule at least five weekly sessions of a bone-building activity, such as walking, jogging, yoga, weight training, or resistance exercise.

Did you know that weight-bearing exercise signals the body to deposit minerals in the bones, especially in the hips, spine, and legs, where the minerals can be used to fortify the bones?

Drinking soda is bad for your bones! Soda contains phosphates which leach calcium from bones. 
Fresh, filtered, pure water is a much better choice.
As the ad says, "Milk is good food."  Actually, the truth is (by recent studies) milk does contain calcium, but it is not in a form that is easily absorbed by our bodies. If it comes from factory-farm cows treated with antibiotics and hormones for growth, it's not very healthy. It's best if the product comes from organically raised, grass-fed cows.  The calcium will not be more absorbable, but at least it will be healthier.

Want to know another big problem? The fact that the Standard American Diet's (SAD) meat, eggs, and dairy foundation creates an acidic environment in the body! The body becomes over acidic, then the buffering minerals like calcium are pulled from our bodies to reduce acidity. The milk raises acidity that forces our bodies to steal the calcium in the milk and use it for buffering, rather than bone building.

Well, we do need calcium to maintain good bone health. It is hard to get the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) from food alone, so supplements are required. RDA states that adult men and women up to the age of 50 should consume 1,000 mg of calcium daily. After age 50, women need 1,200 mg daily, while men remain at 1,000 mg.  After age 71, both men and women should aim for 1,200 mg each day.  It's also suggested those doses be split throughout the day. Instead of purchasing 1,000 mg doses,  get 250 mg portions and take them throughout the day. Other vitamins, such as Vitamin D, Vitamin K2 (dark, leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower), Magnesium (seafood and lean meats), 
and Manganese (whole grain nuts, seeds, avocados, leafy greens, and legumes), 
are all good sources to help absorb calcium for bone health.

I hope this advise is helpful for you. I know it is for me. Our bodies are constantly working hard to build new bone and we can help out with some moderate exercise, smart food choices, and a few supplements.

I am joining Mary today at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Here's to your health!

Photos by Brenda

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Tea Tuesday and Photo Challenge

First, for the photo challenge with Fat Mum Slim:


14. Heart
Happy Valentine's Day to my Sweetheart!
I met my sweetheart many, many years ago. Life just gets more interesting with him. We've had our ups and downs, but we seem to always pull it all back together. I love it best when we laugh together. Sometimes we laugh so hard we can hardly get our breath and I think that is when love blossoms within us. He's my best friend.  As Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston (RIP) said in a song, "I will always love you."

Here's a fact:  A research team from Stony Brook University proved in clinical trials that love truly can span over the years. The study verified couples who were together over 20 years had the same chemical reaction in their brains as those who had fallen madly in love in the past six months. When someone is in your heart, your feelings for that person don't wane over time.
 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my other best friend, MARIANNE, from Leisure Lane!
Please pay her a visit today and give her good wishes for her special day.
Marianne and I have been friends for a very long time. 
We are now watching our little boys grow in to wonderful men 
and try to keep each other encouraged in this life.
You are a wonderful friend, Marianne. Happy Birthday and Happy Valentine's Day!!


 NOW FOR THE TEA FEATURE!!

Martha from Martha's Favorites had a Giveaway not long ago and I entered.
Her sweet little grandson pulled my name out of the hat.
Here is what she sent me:
I received this beautiful BLUE teacup and saucer, 
a beautiful purple broach,
and Cinnamon Plum Tea from Ashbys of London.

Martha also sent this beautiful card with a personal note. 
I didn't realize the tea was heart shaped until
I took this picture. Isn't it just so beautiful.
Martha, you are such a thoughtful lady.

You will have to go on Martha's website and see all of her beautiful things.

I love the tea set, Martha! I took lots of pictures!
I feel very blessed that my name was pulled from the hat.
When I saw this, I thought to myself that it was blue and would 
be great in my kitchen.  I was right!!

I am joining Martha and Terri for Tea Time!

Now, putting all things aside, I would like to mention the psalmist, David, who had God's law in his heart. He wasn't in love with rules; David just knew keeping God's commandments, or being obedient, would please Him.  "Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected." (1 John 2:5)  David's love for the Lord stayed strong from his early days as a shepherd to his years as king. True love lasts.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!!

Here's to your health!