Cockadoodle Doo

Top of the Morning!!

Late Nights

More people like the quiet of the early morning I'm sure.  But for me there is something about the quiet of the late night.  Once I get myself past the "it's late and time for bed" I can stay up into the wee hours of the night which I guess techincally is the wee hours of the morning.  Either way, it is a favorite.  Although going to bed at 3 or 4 in the morning does have its downside later in the day, not to mention I was a lot better at it before I turned a million years old!!!

Visitors

I’m thankful for visitors.  We don’t get visitors very often.  So it is always extra special when we do.  And today I can’t think of a better thing to be thankful for!!

Tender Mercy

It would seem that there are many tender mercies surrounding us each day.  There is no doubt in my mind of this.  But this tender mercy was a witness to me of the reality of God and His awareness of each of us at all times.

My Sil related this tender mercy while visiting with her after the funeral for her husband.   The night before his passing she said his demeanor was like nothing she had experienced in some time.  He was animated and seemed so much like his old self.  Even earlier the next morning this same tender demeanor continued.  She woke early, had gotten up quietly in hopes of not disturbing him.  But as she was leaving the bedroom he called out and suggested she come back to bed for more snuggle time.  Of course she obliged.  A bit later she had gone out to the kitchen when he called her back to help him to the bathroom.  He was unable to move about himself due to his condition; any vertical movement caused him to pass out.  She helped him into the bathroom then went back out to the kitchen.  After a few minutes she went back to help him back to bed.  Sadly he was gone.   He had suffered with the effects of pure autonomic failure for nearly 15 years; with the last three years or so the most intense.  She was an amazing help meet. 

After listening to her share this remarkable story I believe know I was hearing a tender mercy experience as she related to us what seemed like a disease free evening and morning with her husband. 

God is mindful of each of us and this tender mercy is just another example.

The Wedge Again

Because I love "The Wedge" so much I decided I had to give it a try at home.  It just wasn't economical to keep going back to Mary's Pizza.
This is a wedge with a twist because I didn't have all the "normal" ingredients.  So I've put my substitutes in parentheses.  The end result was tasty nevertheless!!

Ingredients:

1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into quarters

Blue cheese dressing*

1 tomato, minced**

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (feta)

1 cup cooked bacon, crumbled (thinly sliced ham that I toasted up)

On each salad plate, place 1 wedge of lettuce turned on its side. Pour blue cheese dressing on wedge. Sprinkle with tomatoes, green onions, crumbled blue cheese, and crumbled bacon. 

*Dressing:

Puree 1 cup each Greek yogurt and blue cheese (feta) with 1/2 cup buttermilk (sour cream), 1 shallot, lemon zest (lemon juice), Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt and pepper.


**I marinated my tomatoes in some olive oil, red wine vinegar and fresh basil.

Mils

After the funeral of Mr. Man’s brother we went to his brother’s home and visited with his wife.  She shared a couple of experiences with us which I feel prompted to write about.  Mainly because I want to remember them while still fresh in the my mind.

She and her husband had by all accounts a very romantic marriage.  Someone asked her to share how they met and their subsequent courtship.  Simply put they met at a church function; a valentine dance I believe.  Their courtship by most any standard was a short one.  They met in February and were married in April!!  Their earthly union was 45 years.  

The part that fascinated me about the whole thing was when she shared meeting her future in-laws.  Her story was exactly my story up to a point.  Father-in-law was full of questions.  Mother-in-law said not a word.  This was most nerve-wracking for me and apparently it was for her as well.  She continued on by saying on the long ride back to Utah all she could say was, “your mother hates me!”

But it was at that point our stories differed.  She went on to say, although their initial meeting started on a somewhat rocky foundation she learned to know and love her mother-in-law through their years of correspondence.

I did not share that kind of relationship with my mil.  Maybe the difference was the fact that I was 18 when I met her and my sil was 25.  It was for me an intimidating feeling to not feel welcomed; something I could never shake.  Although I don’t believe that was her intention; for I would come to learn she was simply a woman of very few words.

What I do believe is, that everything happens for a reason.  And I believe in all things a lesson can be learned.  Now a mil myself I’ve tried to be mindful of my dils and sils.  I have by no definition perfected my status of mil………..but I’m working on it!  Of course it helps that I have the most awesome dils and sils on the face of this planet earth!!!

Matthew 6:24

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Simple enough!

New State

On January 5, 2011, I declared I wanted to travel to a new state.   For a million reasons it didn’t happen in 2011 and until last week 2012 didn’t look like a new state would be a part of any travel plans either.  Then a phone call changed all that.  Funny how phone calls can do that.  And five days later we found ourselves in a new state; the state of Texas.  Ironically this was the state I had been eyeing.  Although the trip was not necessarily taken for ideal reasons.  I did nevertheless get a tiny glimpse of the HOT HUMID state of Texas.   Sadly no great food of Texas was able to be enjoyed.  But we did see lots of these in all shapes and forms!

Toes

I love to have my toes done.  It is my favorite thing to do.  I was introduced to this wonderfulness almost ten years ago.

There time goes again flying by!

Life

Simply put, I'm thankful for this life and all that goes with it!

  My cup runneth over!!

Brothers

And then there were two...

Remembering
Norman Lane Allred

August 4, 1943  -  June 15,2012

Happy Birthday Shout Out

Sending Happy Birthday Wishes Your Way!

And May All Your Wishes Come True!!

With Love!!!

Happy Birthday Shout Out

Happy Birthday to the Birthday Boy!

Safely Home but a Little Overgrown!!

Wishing you a grand birthday!!!
Love! Love!!

Mormon 6:17

"O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!"

Can Do

This can is all sealed up from the outside contaminants of the world.  

It is patiently waiting for the day it will be opened and used.  Until then nothing is going to touch its inside goodness as long as it is sealed.

And this girl is going to make sure no one gets near it!

Back up people....

This can belongs to me!!

This can watching makes me sleepy...z...z...z

The Wedge

On a recent dinner out with friends we went to Mary's Pizza.  We went there because the day before I was there with friends from work for a birthday lunch.  I had to go back the very next night because of  The Wedge.  I just couldn't stop thinking about it.  It was so good.


The Wedge is two wedges of iceberg lettuce topped with Mary's blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles, bacon and marinated tomatoes.  It is my new favorite salad!

Firemen

Today I'm thankful for the safety of this fireman and for all the firemen who risk life and limb for the likes of me.

And equally as grateful for his loving and supportive wife!

Someday

So we have all said it, “someday” I’m going to do this or “someday” I will get it done.  We have lists on the fridge, we have lists in our planners, we put lists in our phones and we make lists in our head, all there to help us remember the things we want to accomplish “someday.”  (Well maybe not the things in our head, who remembers the lists in our head?) 

So when is that day?  Does anyone really know?  I don’t.  But I do know this if we had a “someday” maybe just maybe all those things we desperately want to accomplish would actually happen.  I'm not suggesting we get rid of a workday, although I would be willing to sacrifice a workday for “someday!”  What I am suggesting is adding “someday” to the week.  You know Someday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Makes perfect sense to me. 

In my perfect world there will be a “someday!”

What's Cooking?

What's cooking?  Certainly nothing that requires heat.  It is was 90 degrees at 6:00 p.m. last night as we passed through town.  So I whipped up a salad, then we headed to the "Big Chill" for an evening with friends and some of this:

 

Wet Head

It was the rule in our house growing that you never went to bed with wet hair or as my mom said "with a wet head". It seemed like a sensible rule. She said if you do you'll wake up with a stiff neck! I didn't want that. So that was my rule with my girls, no wet heads at bedtime. Well now they have girls of their own. However, they don't have the no wet heads at bedtime rule in their homes! They don't buy the stiff neck story! 

Where have I failed?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPat

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

~~Love this scripture!

~~~~~

 

Also, a special Happy Birthday Shout Out to this boy!!

It is indeed GREAT to be Eight!!

Garden Progress

 Potatoes looking better after Dottie and Birdie decided to do some digging!

 Squash, cucumbers and tomatoes

 Beans, chard and beets

Herbs

Apps

There are so many "apps" out there how does one know which one is a got to have?  I'm not sure how to find them all but there is one that is a new favorite.  It is called "QuickVoice."  I love that I can record whatever thought I might have and then email my little recording and if my recording is just a short one I can email it in text form.  I can also use it to make my own ring tones.  How fun is that!  Check it out!  "QuickVoice"

My Perfect Match

Mr. Man, my perfect match has been gone for five nights on a business trip.  It is time like these that I'm even more thankful for him.   You know absence makes the heart grow fonder.  It is true it does.  I miss my Mr. Man and will be most happy to see him later today!! 

Refinement

So I was thinking about the word refinement as it equates to us as individuals.  How this life is a time of refinement and each day hopefully we are doing something to improve who we are.   

Then I thought of diamonds.  Are we like a diamond, the hardest natural substance known to man? Do we resist change and improvement?  Did you know that for every one part diamond uncovered, it is estimated that 15 to 30 million parts of waste must be moved away.  Diamonds are great but seriously I don’t think I want to be a diamond.  Too much baggage surrounding a diamond to suit me.  As a diamond accepting change would be hard.

Then I thought of gold.  I think I would rather be gold. Gold is considered a soft metal; it is willing to submit to change. Change hasn’t always been easy for me but in the refinement process I’m working on it. 

Or even a pearl.  A pearl although hard is produced in a soft cozy environment. I like cozy.  Although in that environment they do take a while to grow at least they are moving in the right direction. Not surrounding themselves with millions of parts of waste.  They are just always moving forward, minding their own business refining themselves!

Diamonds might be a girl’s best friend but for me I’m stickin’ with gold and pearls. 

Photoshop

So since I've purchased two different or has it been three different versions of Photoshop I decided it is finally time to learn how to use it.  Try as I might this software puzzles me.  So I've signed up for an online class which starts in two weeks.  I figure if I put it in writing I will doubly hold myself to actually sitting down and learning something from it.  For the record this class will in no way take away the current job of my two favorite Photoshop experts.  Their knowledge is much greater than this class of one week will provide; just sayin!

Sleep

Once the morning was my friend;

then I started teaching Seminary,

then I moved an hour away from work,

then I got a dog who wakes at five!

Sleep it is a distant memory!

Matthew 6:3

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth

The Desk

Not long after we moved in our home (nearly 10 years old) we turned what would be a never used formal dining room into an always used den. This den serves two purposes.  One it is the designated dog room and two it houses my much loved office with all the drawers and cabinets a girl could want.  It was built to order and I L.O.V.E. it!  However, I have never been able to keep the desk clean; it rapidly became a dumping ground if you will.  Well at the beginning of the year I vowed to end the clutter.  In the beginning I was doing great then I fell miserable off the “just say no to clutter” wagon.  Today I climbed back on and I’m so happy I can see my desk again.  And even happier that I actually got rid of some clutter and didn’t just move it around.

Before

After

Snakes

Snakes are definitely not my favorite for the record.  And yes this is “My Favorites Friday” but one can’t appreciate a favorite unless you mention what is not a favorite.  And snakes pretty much top that list!!  But where we live snakes do too.  Although we personally have not had one in our yard (they know they are not welcome here) a dear friend has.  In fact at their house they have what they call snake season. Yesterday was the beginning of snake season.  It showed up right outside their back door.

So next time I visit I will be wearing my steel toed boots and a coat of armour!!