Memories in the making……

September 17, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

An unshared life is not living. He who shares does not lessen, but greatens, his life.- Stephen S. Wise

In a fast paced world of jobs, school, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and household chores, it’s easy to forget to spend time with the people you love. Togetherness gets lost in trying to coordinate schedules & keeping up the workload & activities in a busy life.

I know of some families that still get together on loved ones birthdays, that have passed on. It is just simply a meal with reflections of that person. Wouldn’t that be admirable, just to honor someone in such a way? Another family goes on a trip each year on the date of a passed loved one’s birthday. It’s just a way of them keeping in their remembrance the joy they had for that person.

Another thing to do is to make a tradition with your family. One thing our family used to do is on Christmas, at my grandparent’s house, was exchanging gifts. One of the gifts was always a box with 2 ugly neckties. Whatever lucky person got them, had to save them until the next year. Then, they could give those 2 ties & add any other article of atrociousness to it, if they chose. It was fun each year to see who was going to end up with the ties.

Just know, when you look back on your life. It won’t be the big promotion or the grade average that will warm your heart. Rather, important memories of the times you shared with loved ones will warm your heart. Enjoy your loved ones now, while they are still here. Celebrate life with the people dearest to your heart.

Challenge: Mark on your calendar & make a date with someone you love. Have dinner with your family, take your grandmother or grandfather on a picnic, go walking with a friend, take a pet or a child outside & play in the yard. Make some memories!

I hope everyone takes time out this week to spend some time with someone you love. Let me know what you did & how it turned out. I can’t wait to hear about the fun you have. But right now, I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes!

Parts of this article was taken from a book- 101 Ways To Make a Difference Today by Candy Paul

High Five For Friday!

September 14, 2012September 14, 2012 / kstrick7 / 4 Comments

I am so excited to be back giving a “High Five For Friday!” Here are my High Fives:

EA aka one of my college kids, helping Miss Neenee with Math homework-without me even asking!

So, there I was hurrying around the kitchen, cooking supper, trying to do 3rd grade multiplication (oh I have nightmares of times tables when I was in 3rd grade), & there comes my sweet EA. She can sense my despair & jumps right in to help. (Either that or she was ready for me to get dinner finished!) Either way, what an angel! 🙂

Attended Friends & Family Day at the church where I grew up.

My wonderful uncle called me & invited me to Friends & Family day at the church where I grew up. So, yeah, we went & saw our family & our friends (who are like family!) My Daddy preached at this church for 20 years. My Mama & grandparents went to this church & are buried there. Love going to visit with this precious church family!

Steak fresh off the grill!

Every Thursday my husband is off work. Every Thursday he puts something on the grill. Last night it was steak. So yummy!

Before the cupcake was devoured!

EA had a birthday this week. Somebody got invited to the party. Where somebody ate ALL of his chocolate cupcake. Then, somebody got a bath right after that!

My cupcake from the birthday party! WHOO HOO!

Thankfully, somebody did not eat all the cupcakes! This one was mine! Yea!!

I appreciate you stopping in to see my H54F! I hope everyone had a great week! I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes!!

Ever Have Too Much To Do??

September 13, 2012September 13, 2012 / kstrick7 / 4 Comments

I am usually a happy person. Most of the time. But some days there just seems like there is too much to do. The schedule may be so full with appointments, meetings, and obligations that there just seems like there’s no room to breathe. Life often contains too much work, house work, parenting, yard work, & other responsibilities, for one person to handle. It can leave me feeling frustrated, anxious, & out of control!

When that happens to me, as it may happen to you, I have some options. I can retreat into a shell of inactivity and leave everyone who is counting on me out in the cold. I can struggle my way through, moaning & groaning, making everyone around me wishing I had chosen option one. Or I can pull my self together & deal with it. All the while getting my perspective realigned by reminding myself what Jesus said to Martha in Luke 10: 38-42.

Jesus went to visit Mary & Martha at their home. Martha went about trying to get things together for her company (as many of us do). While Mary sat & visited with Jesus. Jesus told Martha she had become distracted with much serving (v.40). He reminded her that her sister Mary had chose the one thing that would be never taken away (v. 42). Like a lot of us, Martha had gotten so wrapped up in her service, that she forgot the most important thing- fellowship with the Lord.

Are you overwhelmed? Don’t lose sight of your priorities. Spend some time with the Lord. He will lift your load & give you the right outlook. Thank you for visiting with me at my blog. Y’all come back any time! I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.

Psalm 27:4 One thing I have desired of the Lord,… that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Parts of this article was taken from a devotional from Our Daily Bread, authored by Dave Branon.

9/11 Moment of Silence-I’m Glad My Grandmother Was Not Here

September 11, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

God Bless Kris Jenner. I know she was just probably just happy to tell her story of her breast augmentation on the national news. I know she probably did not purposely schedule her interview with NBC, during the moment of silence for the 9/11 victims. So, let’s not be upset with Kris Jenner. I mean, who does not want to want to look so chic at her age? I am blaming the Today Show. I mean come on- where does the nonsense end? Please read on of the happenings:

NBC skips 9/11 moment of silence, keeps up with Kardashians

By Chris Francescani

NEW YORK, Sept 11 | Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:46pm EDT

NEW YORK, Sept 11 (Reuters) – For NBC’s “Today” show, keeping up with the Kardashians on Tuesday trumped observing a moment of silence marking the attacks of Sept. 11, an American television news tradition observed by every other U.S. broadcast network.

At 8:46 a.m., ABC, CBS and Fox all aired live silent footage of grim-faced firefighters and somber families from various memorials, marking the minute 11 years ago when the first of two hijacked airplanes struck New York’s Twin Towers.

NBC’s “Today” morning program at the same moment broadcast an interview with Kris Jenner, the mother of Kim Kardashian and a cast member of the popular reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”

NBC has found itself under scrutiny since ABC News’ “Good Morning America” recently snapped a 14-year streak as the top-rated U.S. morning show.

NBC did not immediately return calls for comment but defended its decision to the website Politico.com.

“The Today show dedicated a considerable amount of time to September 11th coverage this morning throughout the entire show,” spokeswoman Megan Kopf told the site. The program included an extensive segment on a 9/11 survivor.

Returning from a commercial break Tuesday morning, “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie introduced Jenner at 8:45 a.m. and began a discussion about the celebrity’s breast implant replacement surgery, the run-up to which was featured on one of the show’s episodes.

“I gotta say,” Guthrie began, “I know you guys are all for ‘baring it all,’ but is there ever a time where you say ‘OK, we can turn the cameras off now?'”

Jenner said no.

“You know, I thought it was such a great idea to film that,” she replied about replacing her implants. “It was so important, healthwise, to remind women, you know, check your expiration date!”

Throughout the day, the network morning-show industry hummed with animated discussions about NBC’s unexpected programming.

“Oh…my…God,” one rival “Good Morning America” staffer intoned. “What were they thinking?”

NBC is controlled by Comcast and Fox is owned by News Corp

This is what was happening on NBC- during the 9/11 moment of silence:

NBC was reporting interesting news like Kris Jenner’s take on her TV filmed breast augmentation

This is what should have been happening:

NBC should have been having a moment of silence to respect those who were effected by the 9/11 attacks. Like this precious little girl that lost her Dad.

Am I the only full blooded American who feels like they deserve an apology? This was the anniversary of 9/11- the day that remembers when bad people boarded planes & killed innocent Americans- for insane reasons. If not for this day, I would not have been afraid to be alone at my house that night- ALL THE WAY IN MISSISSIPPI . Darryl Worley & Alan Jackson would not have gotten to sing their awesome country songs reminding us of the pain & fear that struck each American in our hearts, that day. We suffered as a nation. We came together & prayed for people we had never heard of before. We mourned for the common good of man. It was a call to repentence. But now, NBC has made a mockery of us & our grief. It’s not Kris Jenner’s fault. And to put Savannah Guthrie in the hot seat for that one. She’s just trying to get started on a good foot with America, why would you give something like this to the new girl? It’s kinda sad, kinda ridiculous, mostly makes me want to have NBC go out & cut their own limb off the peach tree – to bring back in for a good leg striping. However, instead of turning it to the Today Show in the morning, I believe I will be coasting on past to ABC or CBS, who showed respect & dignity. If my grandmother were alive, she would cover her mouth, shake her head & proclaim, “Well, I’ll say.” Which is what she always said when she was in disbelief of someone’s rudeness or unethical actions. Then, she would proceed with something like, “They outta be ashamed of themselves. I know, they was raised better than that.” All I have to say is God have mercy on the Today Show & God Bless America.

High Five For Friday!! H54F

September 6, 2012 / kstrick7 / 8 Comments

Alright! Here it is. My first “High Five For Friday”. It is just a little something telling 5 things that have happened recently, that make me happy. Hopefully, this will be one of many posts of this kind. There are many other bloggers that also participate in this little party! I will be hopefully linked in with “My Grey Desk” blog. She has a list of other bloggers that give a “High Five For Friday” Hope you love it!

Miss Neenee’s 3rd grade “Recycling Project”

1. Miss Neenee had a “Recycling Project” to do using garbage (just phrasing what the note sent home said!) It is an owl bank. We used a clothes detergent bottle. She painted the front pink & the back turquoise. We used a cut toliet paper roll & painted water bottle tops for the eyes, a painted milk jug top for the beak, trash bag twist ties for the wings & bow. For the feet, we used thread spools painted yellow. However, the Miss is holding the owl by the feet, so you can’t see it. We had a good time making this for school.

Grandbaby bathing…

2. Got to keep my grandbaby & of course he played in the sink!

Fried potatoes & fried okra (my favorite anything is fried!)

3. My Daddy’s birthday was Saturday. So, he came over Sunday after church & we pigged out on southern comfort food. Fried potatoes & fried okra were on the menu. Along with meatloaf, shells & cheese, deviled eggs, blackeyed peas, & cornbread..shut yo’ mouth!

Some good bedtime reading!

4. Everybody has to have some good bedtime reading. Miss Neenee & I prefer Fancy Nancy (that’s fancy for would rather have). If you read Fancy Nancy, you just totally got that last sentence. 🙂

Awesome Train C.D.

5. Got this awesome Train c.d. from my hubs, just because. He’s a keeper.

Hope everybody has a great Friday! H54F!

How to be happy

September 4, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Do you want to be happy? Here is some advice taken from television personality Andy Rooney of “60 Minutes”….

“For most of life nothing wonderful happens. If you don’t enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are you’re not going to be very happy.”

“If someone bases his happiness or unhappiness on major events like a great new job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage, or a trip to Paris, that person isn’t going to be happy much of the time.”

“If on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink, or nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness.”

Being with friends can make you happy!

Isn’t this so true?? It’s the small things that make our life so full. A kiss from a loved one, a visit from a friend, or maybe just a call or card from someone saying they are thinking of them. Or maybe it’s a good cup of coffee in the morning. Trouble is, if we don’t enjoy plain old day to day life, then there’s not much hope for true happiness. We should go into our day believing everything is great, that people like us, that we are special until someone tells us different. The exciting thing is, we have the ability to be as happy as we choose to be. So, let’s choose to be happy!

I know I blogged, not too long ago about true happiness. I hope you are not bored by my thoughts regarding happiness. I just think sometimes happiness is learned. No one feels great & wants to be happy all the time. But if we learn to smile & discipline ourselves to have a good attitude, we will learn choosing happiness is just as easy as choosing gloom & doom. And it makes us so much nicer to be around! I have loved spending this time with you today. However, I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes!

I have become everything I ever made fun of ….serves me right.

August 30, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Used to I made fun of people that couldn’t see. I never could figure it out. Why in the world would you be able to see something better by looking at small print held way out, an arm length in front of you? I used to laugh at these people… used to.

Used to I made fun of people who were forgetful. I mean, how could you forget how old your kids are, what grade they are in, when their birthdays are… their names?? How could you go to the grocery store, fill your buggy up past load capacity, rounded over, & hard to see over the top- then get to the check out only to remember, you left your debit card at home? In any event, what would be the possibility of having an excited little girl in Girl Scouts- who lived for the once a week meetings to have fun & play & do all the perfectly wonderful Girl Scoutish stuff, then have a Mom who forgets to send the snack? I used to make fun of these people…used to.

Used to I made fun of people who were turning 40. Really? 40 is just a number! Get over it! It’s not like you haven’t got lots of productive years to come. What’s the big deal? Just the other day at the doctor’s office, while I was in for my yearly exam- the nurse said, “How old are you?” “40.”, I say. She asked, “ Did they schedule you for a mammogram today?” “What??” I gasped. She just smiled a big ‘ol smile & said, “Welcome to 40.” 40 has panicked me a little. However, I have learned from a dear friend that a lot of prayer & a lot of Paxil is the key to keeping your sanity.:) I used to make fun of these people…used to.

Used to I made fun of people who had gained a little weight through out the years. Seriously, just do some exercises, cut back on your portion sizes, at meal times. It’s not that hard. This was until I got cable t.v. in my bedroom & candy to eat while lying in bed, watching my favorite t.v. shows. And a desk job. And a metabolism of a 40 year old. I used to make fun of these people.. used to.

Used to I made fun of people that had unruly children. Every time I would see someone with kids running a muck or parents at a function that could not tell you exactly where their kids were at that particular moment, I would think- what horrible parents. If I heard of a child taking a permanent marker & drawing on their brother’s bed, why did the parents not have that marker put up where the kid couldn’t get it? Or if a child was taking their healthy lunch to school, because they were having some weight issues, only to find out that kid was standing up at their lunch table announcing what disgusting thing they had in their lunch bag that day to trade it for cookies & pudding & whatever sugary snack they could get out of the other kids. Well, that’s all just a reflection on the sorry upbringing by the parents. Used to this would disgust me…used to.

All of the aforementioned, I am super guilty of. I thought you got wiser as you got older. I was so looking forward to that wisdom. Only to find I will be the crazy cat lady who wears 2 different shoes, has the flat spot on the back of her hair, because she can’t see to comb it, who thinks the blue hair dye is really gray & talks to her collection of dolls, as if they were children. I may be exaggerating a little bit ( I don’t really care for cats). If you relate to any of this, you know most importantly, laughter will get you through…And if it doesn’t try an antidepressant. So, now I have become everything I ever made fun of. Serves me right. If you have a funny story about things you used to make fun of, I would love to hear it. I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes!

Chocolate Eclair Cake

August 19, 2012August 19, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I got to noticing, the other day, that I have a column on my blog for recipes & I don’t have a single thing in it. I don’t know what my problem is, sometimes. I have over 200 recipes pinned to my Pinterest board. I am going to start sharing some of these. This one is one that makes me emotional! My mama used to make this for our family. She passed away 10 years ago. When I make this for my family, it makes me feel like a little bit of Mama’s love is on the table. (Goofy, I know!) This is a wonderful dessert, that I know you will be one of your families favorites.

Graham Cracker Eclair “Cake”

Our delectably airy treat includes graham cracker layers that become cake-like and soft from the pudding.

time

prep:15 min

total:3 hr 15 min

servings total:9 servings

What You Need

15 HONEY MAID Honey Grahams, broken in half (30 squares), divided

1pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1-1/2cups cold milk

1tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

1cup BAKER’S ONE BOWL Chocolate Frosting

Make It

ARRANGE 10 graham squares, slightly overlapping, on bottom of 8-inch square pan. Beat pudding mix and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Let stand 5 min. Stir in COOL WHIP.

SPREAD half the pudding mixture over graham squares in pan; cover with 10 of the remaining graham squares. Repeat layers.

REFRIGERATE 3 hours. Spread with BAKER’S ONE BOWL Chocolate Frosting.

Variation

Prepare using JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding, fat-free milk and COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping.

An unforgiving spirit

August 19, 2012 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

Forgiveness is not something we do for other people.

We do it for ourselves- to get well & move on.

Our preacher taught a lesson about those with unforgiving spirits. Since I have fallen victim to this before, I took notes & have studied this. People who have an unforgiving spirit are in for a lot of uncalled for things.

This list is what our minister gave regarding those with an unforgiving spirit:

You will develop emotional problems.
You will ruin your physical health.
You will withdraw from God.
The devil will harbor hatred in you heart.
You will lose your soul.

On the Mayo Clinic website, there is an article which talks about the benefits of forgiving.

What are the benefits of forgiving someone?

Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for compassion, kindness and peace. Forgiveness can lead to:

Healthier relationships
Greater spiritual and psychological well-being
Less anxiety, stress and hostility
Lower blood pressure
Fewer symptoms of depression
Lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse

True forgiveness is possible. Here’s how:

Determine when you forgive, to let that issue go & do not raise that issue again. Expect occasional imperfections from people in your life.
Ask the Lord for strength, to not take revenge. God is the only One qualified & has the right to be in the vengeance department. He is a righteous judge. He tries to teach us- “I’ll do to you what you did to me” will never balance it’s self out. Try to learn this as early as possible. It will save you much heartache.
Remember those you have hurt.
Rebuild the relationship.
Pray for that person each day.
Remember the cross of Christ.

If the hurtful event involved someone whose relationship you otherwise value, forgiveness can lead to reconciliation. This isn’t always the case, however. Reconciliation might be impossible if the offender has died or is unwilling to communicate with you. In other cases, reconciliation might not be appropriate. Still, forgiveness is possible — even if reconciliation isn’t. See my blog “When God says forgiveness just isn’t enough”. It is a good lesson reminder on how just because you say you are sorry, does not guarantee the relationship will be put back together as it once was.

Always remember kindness is free. If we are committing ourselves to kindness, then we will be less likely to be needing forgiveness.

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you are inspired to forgive, in some way. I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes!

Today’s Blessing

August 14, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

May you always have

enough happiness

to keep you sweet;

enough trials

to keep you strong;

enough success

to keep you eager;

enough faith

to give you courage, and

enough determination

to make each day a good day!

Stay tuned…. come back to find out why an unforgiving spirit can be harmful to your health! I will write about it soon. I have to go for now, because I should be washing clothes.