Happy Halloween

Have a fun day, an adventurous evening, and a mystical night.

Humpday Help - A Lesson From the Dogs

You've been working hard all week, your body is spent, your anxiety is high so you plop into your comfy chair. Up trots Furball with that happy-go-lucky face and unlimited enthusiasm. Not able to resist such a cute face you give into the soft whines and head out the door for a stroll. Furball is straining at the leash sniffing about, happy to be in the fresh air.

A dog loves life wholeheartedly, adoringly, without reservation or judgment. He greets each new scent or sight with boundless joy and unselfconscious glee. His world is delightful.

Look around you and see the world through dog's eyes. Apply his exuberant enthusiasm to your own view. Be open to the small joys of living and appreciate what is.

For the rest of the day, set aside negative thoughts. Let your anxiety fade, relax, take a deep breath and find enjoyment in everything - the good, the bad, the indifferent. I think I'll take a walk in the woods with my dog, Maggie. But don't expect me to get on the ground and sniff!

"Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in the world. It beats money and power and influence. It is no more or less than faith in action." - Henry Chester.


Oh, have a Happy Halloween!

A Happy Ending to a Sad Day

Yesterday as I waited for the time to pick Devin up from school and filled with dread of the news I had to tell him, I began thinking. My little 8 yr old loved his guinea pig and was really becoming responsible with taking care of his pet and his chores. And there was the possibility Dev would want another pet... so... I called around... just in case... to see if any of the local pet shops had piggies. I found one and it would be on the way home from my eldest son's piano lesson.

Mark took Trevor to his piano lesson while I picked up Devin. I told him that we needed to talk. I think he knew something was wrong because he kept distracting himself with the dog and baby brother and ignoring me. When I finally told him that Fluffy has passed away, he threw himself headfirst into the couch and sobbed.

I picked him up and carried him to the lazy-boy chair; rocked him and cuddled him. 3 yr old Nate knew something was wrong and patted his big brother's back. I spoke soothing words to Dev and once he calmed down I asked him if he wanted another piggie. He nodded his head and wiped his tears. Mark called and we informed him to stop at the shop to pick up the piggie. We cuddled and discussed the Rainbow Bridge and Devin's eyes lit up with the thought of Fluffy playing with Cookie and Ruby while they wait for him.


During the next couple hours, Devin did all his homework eagerly and ran down the driveway at least three times looking for his dad's truck. We talked about names and prepared a fresh cage for the new baby.

Mark arrived and handed a box to Devin. We all gathered around the dining room table for our first glimpse of our newest addition. It was love at first sight! Dev took his baby to the chair and began reading to him. By the end of the evening he was given the name, Champ.



Dev told me that he would take even better care of Champ and love him just as much as he did Fluffy. At bedtime, Dev informed me that I needed to love up Champ for at least an hour while he was at school and make sure I had one of his shirts on my lap when I did so Champ would smell him and think it was he who was petting him. When I checked on the boys before bed, Dev couldn't have been any closer to his piggie's cage.





Saturday, we'll have a funeral. Fluffy will be buried with his brother, Cookie next to my dog & their pal, Ruby.

It's Monday - But it's too blue

I don't feel like writing today. *sigh*

When we moved into our log home the boys were going to be in their own rooms for the first time and we decided to give them room pets. The boys chose guinea pigs. After Christmas 2005 we went to a pet store and they carefully selected their pets. Devin picked Fluffy and Trevor picked litter mate Cooki.

The piggies brought much joy to our home and grew with love. We even adopted another pig, Speedy, from a rummage sale! The piggies went to school, to church, to grandma's and adventures in the neighborhood. Fluffy even was lost in the woods for two hours this summer!

Cookie passed away in March 2008 due to kidney disease. I was concerned for Fluffy's health since they were litter mates. But all seemed well until a month ago when Fluffy came down with a cold. His symptoms were rather odd but he was treated with meds from the vet. He seemed to get better and was very frisky last week. Then he stopped eating on Saturday.

Devin cuddled with his buddy for a time last night and this morning. After giving his piggie some lovin' and a kiss, bade him goodbye before boarding on his school buss. Fluffy passed quietly away in my arms a couple hours later.

Devin has an after school program and won't be home until 5pm. My heart hurts for him. I don't think he understood how sick his piggie was. I did mention my concern regarding the fact of the piggies being litter mates & the posiblility of Fluffy having the same problem. Dev loved his little buddy.


We loved you, Fluffy!

Humpday Help - Sing in the Rain

So it's Wednesday... the middle of the week and you need a little help getting over that hump. To top it off, you woke to a gloomy day with dark clouds. Your mood may match your day. So let's change your mood and change the day!

Turn on some fun music before you turn on the shower. Light the fire within and choose something that makes you laugh or giggle or even feel a little sexy. You don't have to be a great singer to enjoy the benefits of music, simply let it into your soul and let your entire body resonate with the sound. Whether you are singing in the shower or in the car or dancing while doing chores or on the way to the copy machine... you will feel your spirit rise.

When you are letting the music in, you take deeper breaths and more oxygen into your system. You are healing your body and giving your spirit a lift. Express yourself, put a melody in your heart. Get a little silly, laugh when you think nobody is looking, hum a tune, put a dance step in your gait and you will quickly feel the sunshine enter your soul and the day will become much brighter.

Cleaning Day - The Many Uses of Oil

When we were cleaning Mom's house when she moved we found many bottle of oil... mineral oil, olive oil, vegetable oil... It turns out Mom was "green" before it was chic and thrifty to top it off. Here's Mom's advice:

*To perk up potted plants combine one part mineral oil and two parts water in a spray bottle. Once a month, use to mist the plants then wipe off the leaves with a soft cloth.

*Combine 1 cup of mineral or olive oil and 1 Tbs.of lemon juice in a spray bottle. Shake well, then spritz the mixture on a soft dry cloth and use to wipe wooden surfaces. The citric acid in the lemon juice cuts through grime while the oil lubricates wood and brings out its natural shine. This also woks on removing fingerprints from stainless -steel appliances.

*A dollop of olive oil on a soft cloth will quickly removes fingerprints and give a polish to stainless appliances when you're in a hurry.

*Pour a few drops of mineral oil on a lint-free cloth and rub into the leather of dingy-looking boots or shoes for a quick and easy restoration. It also acts as a waterproof barrier, protecting footwear from the damaging effects of rain and snow.

*Pour a small amount of vegetable, olive or mineral oil onto a clean cloth and rub your wood cutting boards. Let sit for at least two hours then wipe off any excess oil. I have a large butcher block; I use olive oil or vegetable oil and leave it on the wood overnight. The oil barrier will keep odors from getting absorbed into the wood's pores and acts as a lubricating shield against water-induced damage, drying and cracking.

*Keep some oil and cotton balls handy to remove adhesive bandages and temporary tattoos. Apply oil with cotton ball and wait one minute. Then voila, no tears and no red marks!

*Need to perform an emergency shave on those legs and don't have time for water? Use mineral or olive oil (for dry skin) to ensure a smooth, effortless shave for silky, soft legs.


I'm sure we could all come up with some more ideas on what to do with oil. Hmmmm....What's yours?

Humpday Help - How 'bout somethin' sweet?

Ack! It's Humpday again! It's like a birthday... always sneaking up on me.
To me, some of the best things in life are chocolate, a great conversation, tea, and hugs. When a girlfriend lets you know you have chocolate on your mouth, you've been blessed with two pleasures - her company and some really good chocolate! Did you know that having tea with friends is also a great excuse to bake chocolate chip cookies?

So here's a little somethin' somethin' for my friends.


Indulge in the luxuries and whimsies of life and revel in the carefree delights of friendship.

Cleaning Day - Modern Technology - are we missing something?

Modern technology gave us the means to make chores in life easier, quicker and free up time for us to spend time with families or doing things we enjoy. But are we?

The Dishwasher - There was a time when dish washing was done by mother and daughter; it was also thought of as their bonding time. They would discuss issues in the young woman's life, solve problems, wipe tears, give opinions of fashion and even have a few good laughs. Growing up, I never had a dishwasher - it was always Mom and me, sometimes my married sister joined us. I remember talking about boys, bras, fashions, situations at school... it was a short time of bonding that left me feeling loved, safe, and secure. What happened to that time? Do mothers and daughters still have a few moments where men/boys are sparse so they can tell secrets?

The Washing Machine - Now this will take some back! I cherished the days I helped Grandma do the washing. She had one of those old style machines with the big rollers. She would load her bras and girdles into the round tub with Ivory soap; I loved watching the bubbles form into a lather like substance. Then I would be on the receiving end as she pushed each garment through a roller to squeeze out the suds. I'd drop the garment into a tub of water. She'd feed it into another roller, and I'd guide the item through and drop it into a tub of clean cold water... During this time of washing Grams undergarments I noticed the difference between what she wore and what my mom, my sister, and I wore. She would tell me delightful stories about the "evolution of the undergarment" and what she wore as a child in the early 1900's, her first bra and so on. Do young girls have this opportunity to learn such historical trivia and have such bonding time with their Grams?

Dryers - Before homes had clothes dryers, the clothesline was an important fixture in the yard. I used to love how ours would turn in the breeze and how the sheets would smell as they flapped in the sunlight. Mom was convinced the sun killed those nasty germs and bleached out the whites. It didn't matter to me, I just loved crawling into a freshly made bed at night and smelling the sunshine in my pillow. Grandma had long ropes running from her house to the garage and when the weight of sheets got to heavy, Gramps would place long poles under the lines for added support. He seemed to know when Gram needed his help and would appear out of nowhere. No words were spoken, just a simple nod from Gram acknowledging the lines were high enough. They would share a soft smile, Gram would give Gramps a gentle kiss with a sparkle in her eye before he returned to his chores. My heart would flip at the sight of such a simple expression of love. Do men & women silently help each other simply out of love or has modern technology taken that as well?

Modern technology certainly made household chores easier and quicker. Everyone said it would give families more time together; couples time the needed; individuals time to do things they enjoyed such as hobbies. As I look around me I see people using this time to work more, argue more, and spend more time doing individual activities. Am I missing something? Are we?

Humpday Help - Just an Ordinary Day

Ack! I'm late! After getting the boys off to school this rainy morn, I took hubby to the airport then with toddler in tow, when to the grocery store for a can good sale. The only thing wrong with that sentence is taking the toddler to the store. Ugh! For a three year old, Nate the Great is a determined fellow. As I was carefully selecting the can goods to stock my pantry, so was he... with the most expensive items! Along comes the temper tantrum as I put his items back on the shelf. *sigh* Just an ordinary day for me.

Now he's eating lunch while I nibble on a piece of homemade raisin bread and sip vanilla caramel flavored coffee. Ahhh..... Even the guinea pig is quiet right now.

Oh, that bread went down to easy. I sit and think of the other day when I made it with Nate's help. He carefully poured the ingredients into the mixer along with extra raisins; his tongue ever so slightly sticking out of his mouth. We had flour all over the place but he was so darn cute!

As I sit back with that thought, I take a sip of my coffee. For a moment I think of all the hands and human ingenuity that brought this heavenly beverage to land in my routine. Amazing... when you think about it.

I open my window. The birds are unusually loud today. Perhaps they are grateful for the rain; perhaps it's one last chance at having a juicy worm for a meal. The weather seems to have washed away the troublesome pollen and has brought the autumn air smelling of leaves and earth.

It seems blessings fall; no matter what the day. As I think about my ordinary day, little miracles of life are all around. This beautiful, heartbreaking wonderful world is an ongoing love letter from God. We just need to stop and read it.

"Earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God." - Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Cleaning Day - Banana Bread

When you are cleaning the kitchen don't throw those brown bananas away! I found a super easy banana bread recipe.

Heat oven to 350'. Grease 9"x5" loaf pan.
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups Jiffy or any baking mix
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 medium)
1/3 cup chopped nuts - optional

Cream shortening and sugar. Combine remaining ingredients and mix until well blended. Pour into prepared pan. Bake about 55 minutes. Cool on a rack before slicing.

While cleaning the kitchen this morning, I found several bananas left over from last weekend's camping trip. Ewe! I don't like throwing food away and this is a great recipe to use. It's simple and my family loves it. For fun I add a little nutmeg and brown sugar on the top before placing it into the oven.

I like to use farm fresh eggs. Visit your local Farmers' Market or watch for signs along country roads. They run about $2 a dozen.