facebook free

facebook has been a wonderful for me way to stay connected to my family when we are apart. it’s like having a tiny window into their world. but i found myself checking facebook more often than i really needed to.

it has become a time waster and a huge distraction. i noticed that i was starting to find significance and purpose in the number of “friends” that i had. it became my emotional support during the bad days. it fueled my people pleasing nature in an extremely unhealthy way. and i would spend way too much of my day on facebook, maybe i’ve even become addicted. i think facebook was slowly sucking my life away.

so starting tomorrow, i’m doing a month-long facebook fast. i did it in february of 2012 and i’m doing it again.

i plan to spend the next 28 days without logging in ~ no matter how many times facebook “gently’ reminds me of all the updates i have missed.

my hope is that every time i feel like checking in, i’ll take that time to pray, and start developing a better habit. and i also plan to spend the extra time i gain with my friends and family, watching movies, taking walks, writing blog posts, reading books, baking, volunteering or sleeping.

you’ve got to make time in your life for what’s important, and really face book just isn’t one of them.

join me if you’re up for it!

see you on fb in march… maybe!

blessings

lately in january

in my kitchen:

 gingered-carrot soup,  spaghetti & meat ball soup, baked potato soup,

potato and ham chowder,  honey sesame chicken

~ we are lovin’ the crock pot meals these days

on my night table:

spanish fly ~ will fergusson, the good daughters ~ joyce maynard,

shadow woman ~ linda howard, deadline ~ sandra brown

who do you think you are ~ mark driscoll

through my speakers:

bx 93, chris tomlin, cornerstone ~ hill song

and this song brings me to tears everytime

 

search engine history:

blogger, face book, (in)courage, and this new recipe blog

 

readings in my bible:

one year daily devotional for women ~ daily inspiration from God’s word,

gospel of john

enjoyment:

 time spent with family, reading, writing/blogging,

walking/running, learning yoga

 

tv shows:

 lost {seasons 1 - 6}, the big bang theory, once upon a time,

game of thrones

 

movies:
big fat liar, house hunting, blades of glory, scenic route, monsters university

what about you? what have you been doing lately?...

 

blessings

mhmm monday

Three weeks ago, I posted this, and two weeks ago, this, last week this, and today we're making this from this website.

 

Potato and Ham Chowder

Ingredients
1 box (4.7 oz) Betty Crocker® scalloped potatoes
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
4 cups chicken broth
2 medium stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Directions
Mix Potatoes, Sauce mix from potatoes, ham, broth, celery, onion and pepper in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 hours.
Mix half-and-half and flour. Gradually stir half-and-half mixture into chowder until blended.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until thickened and vegetables are tender.

mmhmm good!

Blessings

Beautiful Thing ~ week # 4

For the past couple of years the company that holds a gas/oil lease contract with our farm treats us to dinner to update us and the other landowners of any new or upcoming developments. 

This week we dined at The little Inn of Bayfield “Located in the picturesque, heritage village of Bayfield, Ontario, on Lake Huron's sandy shores, The Little Inn provides elegant accommodations and an exceptional culinary experience.”

{image taken from ontariofinestinns.com}

Who doesn’t love going out to dinner? And it’s even more enjoyable when someone else picks up the tab!

That was going to be my beautiful thing this week.

UNTIL...

the flu hit our household.  Sunday afternoon found the hubs laying on the couch and by Tuesday, we were both down for the count.  We ended up taking turns laying on the couch, sipping soup, drinking in our Vitamin 'C', doing our darndest to get well, but ended up missing the all-expense paid dinner.....

By mid-week, I received this e-card

from our daughter, giving me just the boost I needed. 

I am thoroughly enjoying spending time each Saturday, perusing each day of the previous week and finding that one beautiful thing.
 

What was your beautiful thing this week?

 

Blessings 

Distracted?!?

I can and do spend an inordinate amount of time on line from reading the countless blogs I follow and then bunny trail to those who comment and read their blogs, face book follow-ups, recipe blogs for new menu ideas, e-mails and this is without even starting an addiction to Pinterest. And before I know it, I’ve wasted the whole morning…

As an introvert I tend to retreat a lot. Withdraw into myself. Hide behind a book, my kobo or other indulgences to just be alone and get some me time. The beginning of the month found us in the middle of a winter storm  offering me a few wonderful days of being “storm-stayed” at home giving me ample time to just sit and think…. but sometimes, thinking can get me into trouble.

Often it goes into overdrive and turns into fixating. And I end up spending {or should I say “wasting”?} a lot of time thinking on things that don’t matter, things that keep me worried and distracted.

One of the things I find hardest about trying to keep connected to God is that I easily get distracted. I end up spending more time checking Facebook, tidying the house, going for walks, blogging, talking on the phone with my girl, reading and I realize that amongst all the “busyness”, I have hardly given God a second thought.

And you know, it’s easy to miss things when we’re distracted.

How is it possible to be more God-focused?

I don't have to try hard to be distracted and discouraged in the mundane of my daily life. It doesn't take much for me to forget what my life is truly about, and WHO it is I live for.

Connecting with God means being intentional with my time.

I know this is an area I really need to work on and I pray that God continues to draw me nearer to Him as I walk in faith day by day.

Maybe you can relate?

Blessings

Library Club

Recently I joined the local book club at the library. We met last night night to discuss the book, “Spanish Fly” ~ Will Ferguson. 

From the inside jacket:
Meet Jack McGreary, a young man growing up in the faded boom town of Paradise Flats, amid the dust storm and broken dreams of the Great Depression. Raised by his eccentric and increasingly erratic father, Jack has learned to live by his wits. He outplays the local businessmen out argues the local priest and even outsmarts a gang of hardened carnies as a seedy fairground. And a when a pair of fast-talking swindlers blow through town, Jack joins them.
Virgil Ray and Miss Rose are more than happy to lead a young boy astray, and together they go on a raucous crime spree across the American Southwest. They play three-card Monte and toss crooked dice, and they sell shares in everything from spider farms to cat ranches. They hustle pool. They swap tills with hapless store owners. They even peddle bogus aphrodisiacs under the banner “Spanish Fly: Drives Women Crazy!”
“Remember“, Virgil tells Jack, “when they hand you their money willingly, it doesn’t count as stealing.”
It’s a wild ride, one of jazz clubs and easy money. But when the three of them find themselves caught up in a murder ploy. Jack begins to suspect that he is being set up as a patsy. Are Virgil and miss Rose playing Jack? Or is Jack playing them?

It is no secret I’m a book nerd. I really like the quiet atmosphere of the library and could spend countless hours there. I’ve even thought about becoming a librarian! I think any true book lover has probably considered it at least once ….in fact the thought of going to school, rather back to school, to get my degree in library science has been running through my head for the last couple of years. I think being a librarian would be just about the most fun job ever.

Why I Would Make a Great Librarian:
I’m a voracious lifelong reader.
I am always reading something.
I love finding new authors to read.
I’ll sometimes read three to five books at once, {Current reads: Hunted ~ Karen Robards, Shadow Woman ~ Linda Howard, Deadline ~ Sandra Brown, The Good Daughters ~ Joyce Maynard} simply because one only has so much time to read all the books in the world, and because I gravitate towards different types of writing at different times of day, on different days of the week.
I love books ~ actual books. I love the feel of them and even the smell of them. Sure, I’m a blogger and I love technology. But even more than that? I love books.
I love reading lots of different types of books. Right now I’m on a mystery thriller kick, but I also read tons of romances, and political thrillers. I also read some historical fiction, and the occasional classic. And while I don’t love them as much as novels, I read non-fiction books, too. {Just a lot more slowly.}
I am a huge supporter of the library, because it’s dumb to buy a book that can be easily borrowed. I even check out movies, CDs and TV shows from the library.
Sometimes I’ll find myself straightening books on the shelves, and I never put books down or back out of order.

Have you ever thought you’d make a great {fill in the blank}? What would you be, if education or training were free?

Blessings

mhmm monday

Two weeks ago, I posted this, and last week this, and today {anyone noticing a pattern} from this website, I am making this.

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:
5 pounds russet potatoes, washed but NOT peeled. Diced into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes
1 medium/large yellow onion, diced
10 cloves of garlic, minced (if you use jarred, it's a 5 teaspoon equivalent)
64 ounces (8 cups) chicken stock or broth
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
optional garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, green onions

Directions:
Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken stock to slow cooker.
Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
Add the softened cream cheese and puree soup with an immersion blender until the cheese is incorporated and about half the soup is blended. (Alternately you could remove half the soup and the cream cheese to an upright blender, then re-incorporate).
Stir well, top with your choice of garnishes & enjoy!
Yields about 10-12 servings

mmhmm good!

Blessings

Beautiful Thing ~ week # 3

The other day, I was in town running errands, going in an out of many different stores. As I was leaving Tim Horton’s, 

I was pleasantly surprised to have the door held open for me.

Friends, chivalry is not dead!

Now I am sure there are some women who would be offended at having the door held for them because they think it implies that we are inferior ~ or that we are too weak to open doors for ourselves…and then there are those men who think you shouldn’t do things like open doors for women because if women want to be fully independent and equal these days, then they need to give up being treated with any special consideration.

Personally, I think it’s an act of common courtesy. I don’t think I will ever get tired of this timeless gesture of gallantry. It made me feel special… and I always smile and say, “Thank you!”

What was your beautiful thing this week?
 
Blessings

#55

It's his birthday today and we've been celebrating. 

As we sat around the table with Krystle & Gerard at one of his favourite restaurants, we shared many laughs, enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and exchanged many wonderful memories of our “farmer”.  About the only thing that would have made it even better was if our two boys could have also joined us...

I'm so thankful to have this man in my life. 

{photo from 2010 at our daughter's wedding}

He isn't perfect. {and hey let’s be honest, neither am I. }

He's the one who swept me off my feet over 25 years ago. The one who loves me unconditionally. The one who has provided well for our family. The one who loves sports. Whether he's playing volleyball or badminton, or he's watching tennis, hockey, football, soccer, poker, curling, baseball, bowling, figure skating, billiards, golf, did I miss any?, oh yeah and darts. {smirk}

He's the one who'll gives his all to everything he sets his mind to with a happy-go-lucky kind of attitude, making him about as optimistic as they come.

And

He's the one I love with all my heart.

Happy Birthday, sweetheart! wishing you many more years!

Blessings

Winter blahs

I am not made for winter. From the middle of November until the early days in April I am cold… and no amount of layering can keep this girl warm. But even worse than the cold of winter is the darkness.

The cold and the dark make the hours before bedtime feel so long and lonely. Sure, our home is cozy, but I much prefer evenings sipping a glass of wine sitting outside on the front porch.

Living my whole life in Ontario, one would think that by now, I would be able to take this season in stride, but every single year I am surprised again by how isolated and disconnected I feel throughout the winter months. As the days get shorter and the temperature drops, the darkness starts to wear me down and it's not uncommon for me to start feeling the winter blues…

In the dull days of winter, I find myself wanting to stay in more, eat more and definitely wanting to sleep more.

Winter is hard.

So, how do we survive these long nights?

This year, quite by accident I’ve found myself in a rhythm that has me looking forward to the evening’s setting sun. I’ve started lighting candles to give this old country farmhouse a rosy glow.  As we approach the end of the day and dusk falls, I walk through the downstairs, close the curtains, turn on the lamps, {I prefer lamps over the harshness of overhead lights}, and finally, I light candles. I’ve come to treasure this evening ritual, as it helps me intentionally beat those winter blahs.

What do you do, to chase the winter blues away?

 

Blessings

mhmm monday

last monday i posted this and after Krystle shared this, i knew it was something i wanted to try...

Spaghetti and Meatball Soup Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large carrots or 10 mini carrots, shredded
1 small zucchini, shredded
1/2 onion, shredded or finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
42oz low-sodium chicken broth
24oz marinara sauce
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1lb mini meatballs
1 cup cut spaghetti or other small pasta

Directions: Heat oil in a large soup pot, add vegetables, season with salt & pepper, and sauté until soft. Add in chicken broth, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning and red chili pepper flakes and bring to a boil. When boiling, add in meatballs and spaghetti. Simmer until pasta is cooked. Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese, if desired.

mmhmm, mmhmm good!

Blessings

Beautiful Thing ~ week # 2

This was the view outside my window at the beginning of this week

and by mid-week I had this bank of snow

blocking my vehicle and ultimately me in… for days!

Welcome to winter in Huron County!

For several days in a row we experienced severe and dangerous blizzard-like conditions, getting our fair share of snow falling and blowing resulting in near white-out conditions and several road-closures …. yes I do realize that living in Ontario it is inevitable to get our fair share of extreme weather.  Baby, it was cold outside!!! -28 C degrees, with a windchill that made it feel like -39. That my friends, is really, really cold.

Did you know that Snowflakes form in a wide variety of intricate shapes, leading to the popular expression that "no two are alike". Although statistically possible, it is very unlikely for any two snowflakes to appear exactly alike due to the many changes in temperature and humidity the snowflake experiences during its fall to earth. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through differing temperature and humidity. Each snowflake is unique in structure.

whoops that was off-track…

the point of this post? is to find one beautiful thing to remember and to focus on. 

My point is this, life moves at such a fast pace that it seems to pass us by before we can really enjoy it. But life doesn’t have to be this way. It means taking time to enjoy whatever you’re doing. Life is better when unrushed. Slowing down is a conscious choice, and not always an easy one. And sometimes the choice is made for us by giving us a snow storm to help us stay put and simply do less.

‘There is more to life than increasing its speed.’ ~Gandhi

What was your beautiful thing this week?

Blessings

Intentional Plans

I am a type A personality through and through. I can make lists for days and I love having a “plan”. When I was younger I had big dreams and I loved writing in my diary/journal. I would sit back, imagining how life was going happen. After I found Jesus, I figured God was going to bless every decision I made.

Life was all going to go according to my plan.

Planning ahead and being intentional is a good way to live. There is nothing wrong with spontaneity but God wants us to be purposeful in the way we live.
 
But what happens when Life doesn’t go as planned…
Being married at 18 That was not part of my plan.
To a farmer, no less That was not part of my plan.
Having three kids in 4 years That was not part of my plan.
Going back to high school and graduating at the age of 29 That was not part of my plan.
Staying on the family farm That was not part of my plan.
Being diagnosed with significant health issues That was not part of my plan.

Hopefully you are getting the idea. It’s funny how quickly we forget that God is in control and that His plans are always best.  Nowhere are we promised a perfect life, but intentionally making choices will help move us in the direction towards godly living and fulfilling the purposes God has for our lives.

You see it’s not about my plans, it’s about His!

It may not be a part of your plan, but rest assured that our God is sovereign.

How about you? Are you a planner? Do you like making lists?

Blessings

Winter Warmth

With a dangerous blizzard warning in effect for Huron County, there's no better way than to spend the day tucked into the kitchen of my cozy country farmhouse, cooking.

Ginger Carrot Soup

 and Rosemary Cheddar Biscuits

Nothing quite like fresh baked biscuits and warm soup on such a cold blustery day!

Blessings

One Word

We’re already 5 days into the new year. Is your life completely different? Nah. Mine either. I haven’t abandoned any of my resolutions either. Why? Because I didn’t make any!

A long time ago, I did New Year's resolutions like most other people. And like most other people, I'd broken them long before January came to an end.

So, a few years back, I decided rather than any kind of resolution, I'd try for a word. One word  to build my year around.

I've found this really works for me. I've used words like honesty, authentic...

I love words. Reading them. Writing them. Hanging them on my walls. That’s why I love the idea of choosing one word to focus on all year. Because let’s face it: resolutions just weren’t working.

So at the end of each year, I ask God to reveal a word for me. And here’s the really cool thing ~ He does exactly that. God talks to me. I’m not saying He calls my phone or writes big puffy letters across the sky {or on my Facebook wall}. Rather, He whispers gently into my heart.

The word He gave me for 2014 is {drum roll please}

Here’s how dictionary.com defines it:
in·ten·tion·al [in-ten-shuh-nl]
adjective
1. done with intention or on purpose; intended:
2. of or pertaining to intention or purpose.
3. Metaphysics .
a. pertaining to an appearance, phenomenon, or representation in the mind; phenomenal; representational.
b. pertaining to the capacity of the mind to refer to an existent or nonexistent object.
c. pointing beyond itself, as consciousness or a sign.
Synonyms
1. designed, planned. See deliberate.
Antonyms
1. accidental.

But what does that mean exactly?

I think, for me anyway, it means to think intentionally about the choices that I make, the words that I say, how and what I spend my time on. Because when we spend time thinking and praying about our values, it shows others what is important to us and how God intends for us to live.  2014 is my year to live an intentional life.  It is a commitment let Him use this oneword to frame my year however He sees fit. And it could very well be the key needed to living the life that God has planned.

Do you have one word that you’re focusing on this year?

Blessings

Beautiful Thing

Each Saturday, I plan hope to review my week and find one beautiful thing to remember and to focus on.  Technically this was from last week, when the family was all home on Boxing Day celebrating Christmas together.  I came across this photo of my daughter play the piano;

and I was again reminded of my love for her. 

What was your beautiful thing this week?

Blessings

14 in 2014

Welcome to my version of a bucket list…14 challenges I have for myself to complete during the year.

Some are fun, some are easier than others, and some...well some could kill me.

My goal with this?

Is to step outside my comfort zone and to live fully the life He has blessed me with. To be myself … and to stretch myself to limits I didn’t think were possible.

This list is and will likely not to be followed in any particular order... just to be completed by the end of this year.

By December 31, 2014, I hope to:

Develop a better discipline in my life by spending time in God’s Word each day.

Attend a music concert.

Participate in a 10K run with my girl.

Learn to say “no” without feeling guilty.

Continue blogging at least two or three times a week.

Take a road trip with girlfriends.

Serve in my community {food bank, church, library} .

Get this tattoo.

Make a difference in someone’s life.

Write a book.

Learn something new {language, skill, craft}.

Get my belly button pierced.

Read 150 books in the year.

Ride the train.

We’ll have to see how it goes. I make zero promises.

Blessings

 

Happy New Year!

Some of us live with a past we don’t like. As we look back, there are choices we made we wish we could unmake. They don’t define who we are now ~ in Christ, we’re new, and clean, and forgiven. a new creation, free from condemnation 2 Corinthians 5:17 ~ but we regret them with all our hearts.

I’m a part of that group of people.

There are seasons of my life that found me walking totally apart from God, making my own decisions, and leaving the consequences to chance. I don’t like many of my choices from that season, and if I could go back and choose differently, I would.

But here I am, some … several years later, and the choices are what they are.

I can choose to let it define me, confine me, refine me, outshine me … or I can choose to move on and leave it behind me.

 

Here’s the thing ~ you can't erase your past. Your history. It's there, will always be there. But what it doesn't have to have, is a strangle hold on you. We all have histories. No one makes through life unscathed. That's a fact of life.

 

We can’t change our past.

But we can live fully in the now God provides through relationship with Jesus ~ a now filled with the knowledge of His grace, mercy, forgiveness, and redemption.

Today, as we begin a New Year, let us remind ourselves daily of Philippians 3:13b - 14 {New International Version {NIV}} “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  and let's focus on making decisions intently, so there are no more pasts to regret! 

Blessings