One to think about . . .

“Our actions have a tongue of their own; they have an eloquence of their own, even when the tongue is silent. For deeds prove the lover more than words.” ~St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Children age you . . .

Without saying a word, just by being, children age you! Up until I had children, time seemed to hover over reality and, although I celebrated my birthdays, it didn't seem to change the time factor much. Once you have children, however, they tend to become the measuring stick of your rapid aging process. Whereas you used to think back on events in a foggy but not that ancient past, you now have the years counted explicitly for you by way of your children.

When a child celebrates a birthday, it quickly brings to mind that another year has gone by and the child has changed. Suddenly, you glimpse an older person in the mirror and realize it it you. Time has sped up and you find yourself keeping track of the years as they quickly sift through your fingers!

Unless I can make the claim stick that I gave birth to all my children prior to age five, time is proclaiming the fact that while the children grow up, I am getting older.

Two of my children are off on their own. My older son is soon to be an author and he wrote the book in Chinese. Even my fourth child, my baby is twenty-one, now.  My husband often shakes his head and bemoans the fact that it all happened so quickly. We were so busy raising the children, we regret not always having time to stop and totally revel in the fact.

We are, however, blessed. My advice to the mothers with cranky babies, exhaustion, and not enough time to do what they want to do . . . relish it as it ends all too soon and you will have children who will willingly walk into the future on their own, two feet and you are left with the memories. Rejoice and be glad and be thankful!

All Keepers in my book!

"Anger is the feeling that makes your mouth work faster than your mind."
-- Evan Esar

"Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels."
-- Bob Thaves

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
-- J. R. R. Tolkien

"In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra."
-- Fran Lebowitz

Mixing together dinner . . .

My husband says that I cannibalize our meals in that there is usually something in the new meal that was already in a past meal. I admit I'm guilty but when you made a great sauce or gravy, even if only a bit is left, it is worth saving. I keep ziplock snack bags on hand just for this purpose. The few tablespoons go into the bag and the bag goes into the freezer. Only I know what the mystery packets hold!

After so much time out of the house on errands, today, I wasn't in a mood to create dinner so much as mix one together. I decided on pasta with a savory tomato sauce. The pasta water is put to boil and I dug around in the freezer for my mystery packets of flavoring. I tossed in a can of dice tomatoes for extra tomato flavor and now have spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove. Before I serve dinner, one of my mystery packets of  pesto will join the formula. The warehouse store sells jars of this and I divide it up into packets and freeze them, too.

My husband maintains that saving money on groceries isn't that difficult . . . It is the thinking that needs to go into it that is a challenge. He likes my thinking and appreciates the fact that I didn't come by these 'smarts' overnight but keep working at finding  new ways to save and prepare a good meal.

Just figured it out . . .

After a quick trip to the store for last-minute items (my daughter's shopping not mine!), I figured out why shopping takes so long and why people are getting so fat. We pulled into the crowded parking lot and were thrilled to see two parking spaces at the far end of the lot. It was a bit of a walk but was right in line with the entrance so, in my thinking, convenient. I was about four cars behind the line up and didn't think I would have a chance at grabbing one of those parking places. Much to my surprise, all four cars passed them up and preferred to snake in and around the entire lot in hopes of getting a really, really close parking space. The sun is shining, it isn't particularly cold . . . We were heading into the door of the store while those same cars were still waiting for the absolutely perfect parking spot to open up miraculously for them.

I decided that the 15-30 minutes roaming the parking lot and the lack of eagerness to do any walking probably contributes greatly to adding wasted time to the shopping trip and retention of excess weight with the lack of eagerness to walk more than necessary. Meanwhile, my daughter and I are in and out of the store within 20 minutes and on our way home.

Christmas . . .

Christmas--that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance--a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.

- Augusta E. Rundell

Final Countdown to Christmas . . .

Yes, Christmas is going to happen this Sunday and there isn't much anyone can do at this point in time to slow down the daily progress towards that conclusion. I've ventured out a few times for normal shopping needs and the last-minute frenzy is already in force.

I tend to shop early in the season and am always on the look out for ideas/gifts the months before Christmas. I know that if I put it off until Christmas Eve, I will dump any and everything into my shopping cart in hopes of something filling the bill for needed gifts. Not a great way to enjoy the holiday! I'm a 'list' person. Around the end of October, I make up a list of who gets gifts, who gets cookies, and who gets a Christmas card. It is always available at every shopping venture in case I find a sale or special gift in the store. Around the middle of November, my extra closet becomes off limits and my family knows that the blessings of Christmas and it's subsequent surprises are in the works.

I'm happy to say that my closet is now open to inspection and gifts have been wrapped and distributed as needed. Unfortunately, my 'babies' have grown up too much and there isn't any of the package shaking and guessing of bygone years. The gifts I put under the tree are left alone. Sigh . . .

I did break 'tradition' this year. I dearly enjoy prime rib and our local warehouse store carries beautiful cuts of meat every Christmas. Even though is is about four dollars cheaper than the regular grocery stores, it still would cost around $45 for a great hunk of beef. Every year, I firmly decide that this is the year I splurge. I arrive at the warehouse store, carefully select a prime rib roast, and put it in my grocery cart. This lovely piece of meat gets a ride around the store as I complete my shopping . . . then reality sets in and I think about how many groceries I can purchase with that $45 . . . and the roast goes back to the meat counter. This year I didn't give a ride to any meat! I did find some roasts on sale at the regular grocery stores, however, and will make due. It is definitely not prime quality but I will just have to be more creative with my preparation. The temptation was too strong this year to just buy the stupid prime rib so I knew that going near it would cost me $45 on the spot. No promises about next year, however!

Busy times starting with Christmas Day as the next day, we are having our favorite friends over for dinner. Our respective children have been away at college/seminary and it will be a sort of reunion of old times. The following day is my youngest's 18th birthday. Oh, and two days before Christmas, is my older daughter's birthday! Both of them were born two weeks early and should have been January babies. No sense of planning on their part!