My sweethearts

 

Heart Down Under

The world is so small now.  What used to be an impossible gap is now bridged by electronic communications we could hardly envision when I was growing up.  This morning I know what my friend in Moscow was up to last night while I was sleeping, thanks to Facebook.  Thanks to blogs, I have "met" friends from all over the world, and see glimpses of their everyday life, know what they are thinking about, working on, know when their children are getting ready to go back to school.

And when I see on the news that a cyclone is roaring into their neighborhood, I pray for them.

I only know personally one young lady who now lives in Australia, but thanks to the truly worldwide web, I know several other ladies and their families. 

I find I don't really know my Australia geography.  In fact, I want to spell it "Austrailia."  I don't know whether anyone I know of is in the path of the storm, but this storm will have a big footprint, and I feel sure they will all feel some effects.  I'm praying for you, friends from Down Under.

My concept of Australian Geographical features

Comfort Food

Even here in the middle of Florida we have seen some cool days and cold nights this winter.  It's a great time for a bowl full of comfort!

Everything is Homemade has a yummy recipe for Un-Chicken Noodle Soup. This is a new favorite for me.  When I made it, I was missing some of the specific herbs and spices, so I just used Italian seasoning and Beau Monde seasoning instead. (We just recently bought our first Beau Monde seasoning, and we have been dumping it on everything!  It's yum on chicken, fish, vegetables, salad, boiled eggs, bread-and-butter, bagels-and-cream cheese...)  And I did not run buy the vegetarian bouillon; I used the chicken bouillon I already had on hand.  We think this would be really good with actual chicken in it, too.  Hmmm...maybe I'll make some more tonight!

I just learned how to spell bouillon.  I thought it was "boullion", but Mr. Spelczek underlined it, so I checked my fave online dictionary. 

We love Southern Plate's Chicken and Dumplings. Hmmm...maybe I'll make this tonight! 

We also love homemade chicken pot pie, topped either with Mama's dumplings, Pillsbury's pie crust, homemade biscuits (for those of you not from the US, these are NOT sweet biscuits/cookies, but Southern quick-bread biscuits), or frozen biscuits.  Maybe I'll make THIS tonight.


The theme here seems to be "chicken and starch."

Reading the Whole Thing

A couple of friends and I are reading through the Bible in chronological order. I've posted about this before.

Last year my friend read the whole Bible, gleaning much benefit from just digesting the whole thing.  here is what she posted on Facebook:

Yeah! Finished reading the entire bible straight through! Started some time this summer. I have never just read it straight through like this before. Read random books before. It was a wonderful perspective. I read it like a novel and things are so complete when you see it that way! You really get to see God's patience, forgiveness, and love as a whole. Awesome! Time to start over and do it again! Love it!

I encouraged her to read through chronologically this time, and asked if we could kind of read along together. She liked that idea, and so did her sister. 

These days we live hundreds of miles apart from each other, but we can still spur one another on to love and good deeds.  Now they are probably all caught up, while I bogged down on Job and a Christmas trip. But I am keeping in site that the goal is not to just do my spiritual check-offs, but to grow closer to God.

Some reading-through resources, chronological and otherwise :

My friend found this chronological listing. It differs somewhat from my Daily Bible in Chronological Order.  I am following her list this time.  Much of the time, I am reading from The Message, online at Bible Gateway.com.  Bible Gateway also has a few read-through-the-Bible plans. Some of the time, I am reading with my actual Bible, curled up on the sofa, usually with a cup of coffee. (OK - now it is almost 11 p.m. and I want a cup of coffee.)

My cousins, both young moms with young children, are encouraging each other.  They shared this link via Facebook:  The Hardest Thing to do is Open Your Bible.  In that article, Molly Piper refers to another article, Bible Reading Program for Slackers& Shirkers. I appreciate these ladies and their honesty.

A few more resources:

One-Year Bible Blog

Various Bible Reading Plans

Even more Bible Reading Plans. 

2010 Blog in Review

Jumping in to the Blog Recap Carnival with Jo-Lynne of Musings of a Housewife.

She asked for the first line of the first post of each month.  I picked and chose among the posts, and even among the sentences.

A little walk through my blog year...

January
There in the drizzly snow stood the soldier next door in uniform.

(Update: the soldier next door is no longer living next door, though his family is still there. His deployment plans changed and he is still local as of now).

February
26 Golden Rules for Writing Well cracked me up.

March
There are no lurkers at my site.

April
1985

May
Loading up with my sis-in-law,

( In memory:  The friend who was in the hospital during this time passed away some weeks later after a 2+ decades fighting cancer. Later in 2010, Abby Dog, my SIL's almost -perfect Weimaraner, passed away.)


June
I am all wrapped up in trying to figure out a reversible wrap skirt.

July
I peeked over shoulders to observe what they were reading  during my walk-around.  Here are a few titles:

August
Amanda suggests (exhorts?) us to go to church.

September
The other day, Earthgirl asked me what my dream job would be.

October
Come see the scaredy cats and other spooky-eyed critters at the Sm'Arties blog.

November
I'm pondering how to best be a peacemaker when my friends are in conflict.

December
Remember the cape I was making for a Spanish maiden in historic St. Augustine, FL?

Some new favorite goodies this holiday season

Homemade peppermint marshmallows  - Who knew? In hot chocolate...ymmmm...Next I may try these. 

Folding little Christmas trees - addictive. 

Caron Simply Soft yarn - Feels so good running through your fingers.  Read the reviews - I am not alone in this opinion.

Loops and Threads Country Loom yarn - I finished two-thirds of an afghan today.  No, not kidding. I may finish the rest tonight.

Chainless foundation  - These tutorials, here and here,  taught me how to make a whole line of single crochets without starting with a long chain stitch.    Therefore, the afghan.

The movie Tangled - The scenes featuring Maximus the horse were worth the price of admission. All over the theater I could hear adults as well as children laughing out loud. (We haven't seen Voyage of the Dawn Treader yet, but I'm sure it will be a favorite, too.)

A simple 4-in-1 cookie recipe that has been in my recipe box for years, but I never made it until this year.  My favorite version: lemon flavoring with dried Craisins. The recipe originated from McCormick.


Did you discover some new favorites this Christmas?

Vanilla Butter Cookies

4 cookies from one recipe

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 t salt

Flavorings/spices(see below)

Add-ins(See below)

Preheat 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add egg and beat well. Blend in flavorings and spices.  Combine salt with flour; add to creamed mixture. Stir in add-ons.

Drop by rounded teaspoons, or roll into balls.  Flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in flour or powdered sugar. Bake 10-12 minutes until slightly golden.

Flavorings and Add-ons:  

1. Vanilla Butter:  Add 1 T vanilla extract

2. Lemon: Add 2 t lemon extract plus 1-2 t. ground ginger

3. Cranberry Almond: Add 1 t. almond extract.  Stir in 1/2 cup driend cranberries ("Craisin") and 1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds. (Note I skip the almond and almond flavor, and make these lemon-cranberry)

4. Chocolate Mint: Add 1 t. mint extract along with 1 T. vanilla.  Add 1/2 cup cocoa to flour mixture.  Stir in 2/3 cup chocolate chips (I used chocolate mint M&Ms)

December in St. Augustine, FL

Remember the cape I was making for a Spanish maiden in historic St. Augustine, FL?

When we read Felicity - An American Girl, we learned that the caps they are wearing are called 'mob caps.'  I don't know why. 

The tall handsome British Redcoat is her brother. 

When he was only about 6 years old, the first time they went as a family to an event in St. Augustine, his parents looked around and realized he was gone!  Someone pointed out that their son had joined the reenactors, who motioned that it was OK.  He marched along with them, very serious, having a great time.  Afterward, they invited him to join them next time.  He has been reenacting history ever since!

You never know when an encouraging word to a child may ignite a passion.  Those men, who could have shooed away a little boy, instead welcomed him and began to build a young man who would carry on their traditions.

Our next project:  gaiters!  The dress white gaiters he is wearing in the picture (white button-on canvas that runs from shoes to above the knees) are loaners - he needs his own black ones and white ones. We'll be working on those in 2011, and I look forward to posting pictures in uniform.