Dont forget the dishes...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The "Five Things" Post.....

My first tag experience....Karen, who did not stay on her side of the fence, jumped over and tagged me with this 5 thing challenge, so someday I will get her back! :) Here goes....

5 Things In A Room (I chose my bedroom)
1) This old box I keep on my dresser with some jewelry in it. It belonged to my grandmother.


2)This small change purse. It also belonged to my grandmother and its so old and I love it.

3) A picture of my sister and myself when we were small. She is the younger one and currently battles MS each day.



4) Body Balm for my heels before I go to bed. Anyone else battle dry heels? This heals it(no pun intended)



5) Willow tree prayer angel to remind me to pray, that includes those of you in blog world when you request it.


5 Things I Have Always wanted to do

1)Go to Disneyworld... I have never been there Becky.
2)Have a large herb garden
3)Ride in a hot air balloon
4)Re-new my wedding vows
5)Be a professional ice skater

5 Things I am currently into

1) Blogging...this is a hobby if you all didn't know it.
2)Deep cleaning my house in preparation for family arriving. This means windows, baseboards, ceiling fans, steam cleaning floors...all of it!
3)Radio contests. They give away some great prizes this time of the year.
4)Knitting dishcloths for anyone and everyone
5)Trying to eat better, just trying and trying

5 Things I found in my purse...I carry a black microfiber Ameribag, which I love.

1) Swiss army knife. Never know when you might need that.
2)Ibuprofen
3)Dental picks. You never know
4)Lots of coupons
5)Starbuck gift certificates...arent they cute this year?




5 Things I found in my Wallet

1)More coupons
2)My $50 CVS pharmacy card I got from the Oprah show
3)Parent of US Army pin(always on the front)
4)Pictures of my boys
5)Free oil change coupon




I am suppose to tag 5 people but I am afraid. Any volunteers? Anyone need a post idea? It really was not as bad as I thought :)

In All things..even our job...give thanks!

Good Morning from my place of work. I didn't expect to do a blog this morning, but Kelli has inspired me to think this week, of things to do and things to be thankful for. So many mornings, well about every time I drive to work, I really don't want to go. I want to be home. I have struggled with this for so many months now. I like my job and the people I work with, I just would rather be home. But this week, I was in a thankful mindset for this job. It is only 18 hours a week (3 6-hr days) so I really can not complain. But my job is our benefits. It offers a good pension and I make a good hourly wage. I have a Special Ed degree and did teach for many years, but since children, I have subbed in their school and now joined the corporate world. I loved working with Spec Ed but subbing did not have benefits. I know if I did not work, I would feel guilty not helping out a little. So, today,on record, I will be thankful and try hard not to complain to my blog buddy anymore.
God has blessed us and I want to have a grateful attitude since I will be there awhile. If you are ever in an accident and have insurance through a major insurance company :) I may get to talk to you!
Have a blessed day everyone and in all things, yes, even our jobs, give thanks!

Comfort Cookies from Grandma

They say this was the first cookie I ever ate....maybe that is why they are dear to my heart. My grandmother came over on the boat from Italy and I bet she had her pizzelle iron under her arm.
She made these anise flavored cookies every Christmas so it is tradition I must carry on. You will need a Pizzelle Iron to make these. They are a favorite around this place. And with you, I will share her recipe, and the recipe would mean nothing unless you could see her face, and I guess you will see mine too :) She turned 98 this October. I can not imagine being without her.

Pizzelle Cookies

12 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups oil
4 cups flour
1 tsp pure anise oil
1 Tblsp anise seeds

Beat eggs well. Add sugar gradually. Add oil and beat until smooth. Add flour a little at a time and mix well. Chill dough 2 hours, or overnight, or even a few days . Make small dough balls, about an inch in diameter. Drop balls on center of preheated grid. Close lid and clip handles together. Allow to cook til steaming stops, about 30 seconds. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 12 dozen cookies.Thank you to Kelli for helping me to think outside of the blogbox for ideas for posting. I feel like this post is more of a tribute to my dear grandmother than about cookies.

Progress in my Pantry

I still consider myself a Baby Blogger because I am learning new things all the time . I was sent to Kelli's blog to try my hand at her sharing of activites week. I have a recipe idea but before I can make it, I have to clean my pantry! I clean this out every few months but somehow, it just gets cluttered and things get put back in the wrong places. So, I took a few pictures..here we go... First, above we have the "messy, disorganized, boys must have been here" pantry. Then I took every single item out and filled my counters. "Whoa! What happened" were the words from my son when he walked in after work. He noticed.


I wiped down all the shelves, pitched many items , consolidated others and 3 hours later, I have a clean pantry and clean kitchen once again! I am ready to take on Thanksgiving.
Thanks Kelli!
T Thanks to Karolee for the Friendly site Award. It was so fun to know I am on her blogroll. Go visit her in Montana..she has lots of fun stories and recipes that I am going to try.

Twangs in our Life

Any of you with teens(that's my younger rock star) may already know about this game called Guitar Hero. Its hard!! I have tried it and you have to play the notes to the tunes of rock songs(I prefer the familiar ones of the 70's( Slow Ride). The guitar is the "controller" that plugs into the video console.You must then correctly press the right colored buttons on the guitar's neck (and strum at the same time) to match the onscreen instructions. Play well and the familiar rock songs sound like they should, and the virtual crowd cheers you on, but if you press incorrect notes, some sour "twangs" are heard, and the crowd begins to quiet down or even boo you offstage.OK...you may see this coming but I am trying to relate this video game to our lives. When we "play well" and seem to hit the right notes, God is pleased with us, but aren't you glad for Grace?? God does not boo us off stage when we hit a "twang" in our life. I have my share of "twangs" daily and I am thankful God hears those sour notes and is a forgiving God. May we all make beautiful music today!

YOU....Staying Young...

Today I am going to share some facts with you that I read in the new book I got from Dr Oz called "You....Staying Young...The Owners Manual for Extending Your Warranty "

Did you know.....???

-Research shows those people who take 162 mg of aspirin a day show a 40% decrease in arterial aging, a major cause of memory loss

-People who consume the highest amount of Vitamin E are 43% less likely to get Alzheimers

-When you increases your learning during life, you decrease the risk of developing memory -related problems

-Veggies of any kind, slow cognitive decline even more than fruits...pass the sprouts , please!

-Garlic ,100% whole grains, soybeans, avocado, beets, and raisins are all helpful to lowering blood pressure

-Flossing your teeth is more crucial in preventing tooth decay and gum disease than brushing and Dr Oz says if you dont floss, start saving for dentures

-Yoga is a great de-stress technique ,lowers blood pressure and heart rate, decreases stress hormones like serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins

-Research suggests singing also produces endorphins and helps to increase immune function

-Use a Neti Pot to clean out your nasal cavity

-Oolong tea contains polyphenols,which have been shown to hekp control body fat

People who get fewer than 6 hours of sleep a night have a 50% increased risk of viral infections and an increased risk of heart disease

-Saunas help clear toxins from your body

-Vitamin D reduces the risk of cancer, because its toxic to cancer cells. He recommends 800 IU a day if you're younger than 60 (whew!made that age limit!) and 1000 IU if you are over 60

-Olive oil, rich in monounsaturated fat, is not only a heart helper but may also deter cancer

-Green tea has been shown to have the highest content of polyphenols, which are chemicals with potent antioxidant properties(believed to be greater than even Vitamin c)

-Deep breathing helps transport nitric oxide , a very important lung and blood vessel dilator that resides in your nasal passage, to your lungs.

-The most important things you can do to lower your risk of diabetes are to keep your waist thin, exercise 30 min daily and keep your blood pressure under control.

-Get a chia pet...30 grams of chia seed taken with bread decreased the sharp blood sugar spike seen an hour after eating

Well, I could go on and on and on. This book is so full of information, that I am going to sit down and read this cover to cover this weekend. I 'll let you know what I have learned. I just went through and tried to pull a few things of interest but Dr Oz goes into such great detail that I think someone who gets this book has a good chance of learning something that could save their life or someone else's.

I will let you know what helps me most...

Mystery Shopping today

Today, I completed a mystery shop. Yep...I am one of those mystery shoppers and you never know when I come into the store! This all started 2 years ago when I heard about local places of businesses needing mystery shoppers. I called the number the radio station gave out and before I knew it, I was talked into doing this and had given my credit card number and $100 to a place called Mystery Shop Link. I immediately felt like I had done the wrong thing by paying to do a job. So, after some phone calls and research, I knew I had been scammed. In fact, the company I work for now said I should never have been asked to pay money.

So, determined to work ,to at least get my money back, I did a few shops...I did grocery stores, department stores, cell phone places, and car dealerships. I did make my money back in about 3 months, but I have kept 2 ongoing jobs. About once a month or so, I do a local grocery store. I figure they have me pegged by now. I can tell by the exceptional attention I get when I walk in the store to the time I leave. Its unspoken on both our parts but its fun when I go in that store when I am NOT mystery shopping and I still get the same great service, by managers no less!

Today, I did an oil change on my car. I have not paid for an oil change in 2 years! I rotate vehicles and take which ever car needs it next. They also have a card I get punched so for every 4 (free anyway) oil changes, I get a 5th one free, which I give to my sons. So, what started out as a scam (that place is no longer in business by the way) has turned out to be a fun occasional thing to do. I come home and input the information on my computer and a check is sent to me in the mail. I know they need people all over the United States...if you are ever interested and have a Saturn dealership in your area, let me know !

Autumn Around our Place...come see!

Many of you are posting pictures of the beautiful colors of autumn where you live (except for those of you in Florida :) so I decided before the trees are bare, I wanted to show you my home and the colors around it. I even snapped one or two of my husband building a gazebo.(he did not know)I hope its done for next summer to enjoy! Also, we are blessed to have such a gift near us, ....we have a Parkland Foundation trail right at our back door. We take DAILY walks on this land the foundation maintains for us. Our lab, Maura,reminds us when its time to go. So, I hope I do not bore you with too many pictures .

Breakfast pictures promised

Ladies...I promised pictures but forgot to put them up. Here is what our Breakfast for Dinner looked like!

Bon appetite!

Happy Wednesday!

Today, I will be home all day cleaning and getting things picked up before my work week. I have odd work hours. I work for one of the major insurance companies in this nation , on the phones taking claims. Hey...I carry our medical benefits and help pay a few bills...like taxes!
I work early from 5am to 11 am on Thurs, Fri and Sat. Since I live out of town, I get up at 3am to get there on time, and I mean right on time. With all the deer jumping this time of year, I fear I will be calling in my own claim. My drive to work is a good time to pray and listen to worship music so I enjoy that. Its quiet and always dark. I hope God doesnt mind getting up early to listen to me :)

I think I will finish my knitting today. I am working on a dishcloth for a coworker for Christmas...I have a few of these to get done before Christmas. I got this cool dishcloth book that I am having fun with! I took the pictures outside so you can see my knitting better and so I just snapped a shot of our yard too! Hmm...I wonder if anyone can guess which dishcloth I am making ..its on the front of the book :)

Have a blessed day!

Jody

Sharing my morning devotion.....

We Trust The Seasons, Why Not God

Then the word of the Lord came to me, asking, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I replied, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I watch over My word to accomplish it.” (Jeremiah 1:11-12 )

My favorite time of year is the fall. I’m energized by the cool weather, crisp air, and colorful landscape. The season swells with holiday romance and the promise of peace on earth, good will toward man.

The seasons come and go as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow, and God set the seasons in motion as a way of saying, “Year in and year out, you trust the seasons to return, now trust me to be just as faithful.”

In a vision, God explained this to the poet Jeremiah:

“Then the word of the Lord came to me, asking, ‘What do you see, Jeremiah?’ I replied, ‘I see a branch of an almond tree.’ The Lord said to me, ‘You have seen correctly, for I watch over my word to accomplish it.’” (Jeremiah 1:11-12 )

More than likely, God chose the almond for his illustration because in Israel it is traditionally the first tree to bloom, signaling the arrival of spring. Jeremiah would know it as the “watch tree” because it was the tree you watched as you waited for the season of new life.

As God teaches Jeremiah, there is good-natured humor in his play on words (more evident in the Hebrew). In a sense, the exchange goes like this:

- God: Jeremiah, what do you see?

- Jeremiah: I see a branch from the “watch” tree.

- God : That’s right! Use it as a reminder that I “watch” over my word, that I am constantly at work whether or not you can see what I’m doing.

The ebb and flow of the seasons are greeting cards from God, reminding us that things are not always as they seem. We tend to live by sight and not by faith, but God is patiently teaching us to do it the other way around – live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV)

Have a blessed day!
Jody

Breakfast for dinner

Well, I see Becky is having a different type of breakfast this morning so I thought I would share my breakfast that we are having for dinner...sorry, no step by step pictures.

Breakfast Pizza

1 lb bacon
1 (8oz) can crescent rolls
1 (12oz) package frozen hash browns
2C shredded cheddar cheese
5 large eggs
1/4 C milk
salt and pepper to taste ( I throw a little salt over the shoulder for luck...like Rachel Ray!)

Cook Bacon
Unroll dough and press onto ungreased pizza pan. I use a stone.
Mix eggs, milk, bacon, hash browns, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Pour over pizza. Top with cheese.

Serve with Chocolate Cake!

The kids love this. It tastes like one of the local restaurants that serve this. Soo...good!

Pictures another time since its morning and I dont make it till dinner!

Tea Time...What's Your Pleasure?

We are having a hot tea day today....I wish I could have all the new friends I am meeting over for tea...gosh, that would be fun. If I could, what kind may I serve to you? I would love to hear some favorites...maybe there's one I haven't tried yet!


Also I got my first award from Violetlady...thanks , now you are making me figure this link thing out...am I doing ok?? I dont know how to get that award on...too many things to learn too soon. Lets just go visit her and you can see it over there :)

HA! LOOK AT THAT! Thanks to Becky and Karen, I got the award up.

Oprah Show update!...What Can't You Live Without?

Hi all...I am back. All the anticipation of seeing Oprah is over. But, as a new blogger, I remembered to bring my camera and take pictures. They took my camera and cell phone at Security.
So, here are the details. We got up at at 4am to beat early morning rush hour traffic. We stood in a long line of Oprah fans. We finally got thru the doors and were put in a standing room only Holding room with lots of pictures of Oprah and celebs on the wall. I stood next to her and Barry Manilow :) Finally, an hour later, in the studio,we could sit down. Staff came out and talked to us while we waited for Oprah to get ready. The show was on "What cant you live without?" There were 4 celebrities: Cindy Crawford and her husband, Ron. Since they can not live without Strawberry Rhubarb pie, we all got a piece of pie to eat. Very large piece and soo good. I am sure the recipe will be on Oprah .com next week. Ivonka Trumph was on. She loves her jewelry but NO, she did not give out any jewelry! Keisha Whitaker, Forrest's wife,was on and liked certain food items and bathrobes and this Kissable lip gloss that she named after past boyfriends. I got a tube named David. Rachel Roy , a fashion designer ,was on and I forget what she liked because I was talking to the couple next to me that just got engaged. Oprah likes her Skinny Cow ice cream so we all got to eat ice cream. Yummy!Oprah looked good. She had on a snug black dress and large earrings that Ivanka Trumph sent her in the shape of an O. After our ice cream, Oprah thanked us for coming and left the stage. It was a fun experience. In the top picture, I am farthest to the right, and in the last picture,I am the second one from the left. First is Suzane, myself, Roseanne , and Donna, my sister. We all went out to lunch in the city and made a day of it. I am ready to go again...but I have to wait a year now. So, the question of the day is: What cant you live without? Somehow, I think all of us would have a few different answers than the celebrities of this world. The show airs October 30 if you want to look for me in the crowd :)

Gone To the OPRAH SHOW...be back Wednesday!

Hi everyone...I know I am new and I dont have alot of "readership" yet but for at least the few of you I have met, I wont be here for a few days. I am leaving Monday morning to go to the Oprah show, not be on it, just in the audience. I live a few hours from Chicago but I am spending the night with a friend since we have to be there at 6:30 am for the Tuesday morning taping. If you wondered how I got tickets, well, it was easy. I went to her website and the phone lines were open and the phone number was listed so I called...and called.....and called. Finally, a man named Mark answered the phone and said "Oprah reservations, what day would you like to come, I have the following dates available..." Yes, I freaked out, asked all kinds of Oprah questions, but he would not tell me what the show would be about. So, that will be my Wednesday post and I will tell you all about it. Gee, maybe I will get some return bloggers for this story ...see you all on Wednesday.
Today I am busy catching up on laundry, and making dinners for hubby and the boys the next few days. I know they can use a phone and order out but I prefer they eat well. A mom thing??

Begging to be photographed...

I feel I must introduce you to the little girl in our family. Her name is Maura , which I read means "dark skinned girl" in Italian. She was left in a trailer court north of our town. The owner moved out and left her all alone in the trailer for 2 weeks. I found out about it and called the police . I offered to take her to the Humane Society. When I got there, the place was full and they said they would call me when they could take her. They called back 4 weeks later. 4 weeks too late. We had fallen in love and now we would not give her up for anything! She is now the queen of our house and we have had her almost 2 years now.