Movies, Movies, Movies

Yesterday I ran away for the afternoon with my neighbor. We went to see P.S. I Love You. It was a tear-jerker - but an overall good movie. The previews always get me though - and then there are about 3 or 4 other movies I want to see. (Remember to pause the player to the left if you want to watch these trailers!) The first one is called "Stop-Loss" -

The other movie that looked really good had Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman called "The Bucket List" -

Did I mention that I love to go to the movies!!!??! Anybody wanna go with me????

Accentuate the Positive

My friend Tina and I had a long running conversation via email about being positive. Being one that doesn't shy away from controversial topics, books, movies - and wanting always to learn - I recently watched "The Secret" a movie based on the book by Rhonda Byrne. The majority of the content was self-serving to say the least, and chock full of new age philosophies to say the worst.

The movie did cause me to think on this verse from Proverbs 23:7 that says As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. I took this to mean that we play these mental tapes in our minds of who we are - and then we live it out - truth or lie, as a somewhat self-fulfilling prophecy.

There is something to be said for having a positive outlook. Negative people are such a downer. I also know how susceptible our feeble minds are to the power of suggestion, making either perspective contagious. I like to surround myself with optimistic, yet realistic people.

With that in mind, I have been trying to accentuate the positive in respect to my marriage, and how I view my husband. I have been trying intentionally to see the good things - and notice the bad things a little less. Having PMS this week made this task a bit more difficult. In the last 24 hours, I have found some things about Travis that were endearing to me. First, last night on our way home from the big extended family Christmas dinner, I put on the "country legends" station, because he enjoys it, and I heard him singing with Anne Murray to Shadows in the Moonlight. He has such a nice voice, so I enjoyed listening to him. Then, this morning, our handicapped neighbor called and woke us up asking if we could come help, because he broke a pipe and having had a stroke a few years ago, so he had only one good hand to control the water that was spewing everywhere. When I woke Travis, he threw on pants, and was out the door.

The more we focus on these kinds of things, the more we seem to notice them. I am not sure about the "Law of Attraction" but I have tried and proven in my own life that being positive seems contagious.

Homeschool High Horse

I rarely get on my soapbox about homeschooling. I feel that it is important to respect the place that each person is - even if I don't agree with it. I do believe the best place for kids is at home, but I also believe in being gracious. If someone asks directly for my opinion, I will give it. If they ask for advice, I will share my heart.
But tonight.......what I am about to say is unsolicited ranting.... feel free to peruse other more politically correct blogs.
My nephew is here. We decided to let our kids throw a party while he was here - an in-between Christmas and New Years thing. They invited ALL of their friends - from two homeschool groups, and a teen girl neighbor.
The neighbor came over looking upset about something, little brother in-tow (even though I said it wasn't a good idea for him to come), and proceeded to sit, snuggling up under a blanket on the front porch swing with the nephew (who has a girlfriend) all night. Kendra kept going out on the porch to invite them to play games, cards, and somehow join the party. They kept saying, "we don't fit in at this party".
It is probably hard to fit in at a party when you don't even physically attend. They decided to keep physical distance from all party-goings, and then tried to turn it around on the other "homeschooled" kids. This strongly suggests to me - that public school kids *gasp* are the ones in need of some social skills. Since it wasn't their personal friends, they couldn't find a way to mingle, join in, and have fun.
The party was great fun - too bad they missed it.

Paper or Plastic

I'm not a big fan of Walmart. It is a necessary evil most of the time. I have a limited budget for my family and in order to make my dollars stretch, I shop where the prices are low. I do not like the quality of their meat or milk, but for the most part it is adequate. Tonight, as I was going through the checkout line at my favorite Wally-world, I had a nice surprise. To the side, I found these handy little recyclable shopping bags, available for only $1 each. I picked up 5 and will probably pick up 5 more the next time I go so I'll have plenty for those larger shopping trips. I just hate the plastic bags and also want to be a more "green" consumer - so this will be a nice step in the right direction.

Please Pray for Justin

My friend Justin spent most of his day after Christmas in the hospital. It appears he has a hernia and needs surgery to correct the problem, that causes him quite a bit of pain. He nearly passed out today because of it. This is when it is the hardest to be so far away from people we love - when we can't be there with them. Please pray for Justin that God would protect him through the surgery. I might just pace a hole in my floor on Monday praying for that boy! This is a picture of Justin with Kullen last November. Justin is Kullen's all-time favorite big boy. He wants to be just like him when he grows up! We love you Justin! Get well soon!

Impromptu Christmas Eve Love

With about a jillion other things to do, on Christmas eve morning, I decided that all of my local friends and neighbors deserved a little lovin' from the oven. The idea was inspired by my friend Helen, who always made us iced cinnamon buns at Christmas time. I spent several hours making dough and filling and icing, and once warm plates were put together, loaded the kids up to make some deliveries. We only actually saw two families, but left the surprise for the rest in conspicuous spots to be found when the recipients returned home - hopefully that day and not a week later (that would definitely be a surprise - a plate of mold!). It was fun. We got phone calls and emails of thanks - but really - it was our pleasure!
The recipe was terrific. I got it from Marmee Dear's Bread Basket Cookbook. I know she won't mind if I share it here:

Marm's Cinnamon Buns

>Place the following ingredients in your mixer equipped with dough hook:
1 1/2 very warm water (110-120 degrees)
3 Tbsp dry milk powder
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 Tbsp yeast
>Mix on a low speed until combined then add in:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp sea salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
Unbleached, all purpose flour will be used in the next step.
Mix briefly then add, 1 cup at a time, approximately 6 more cups of unbleached all purpose flour. Add flour carefuly as the full 5 cups may not be needed. You want a soft, workable dough. Knead for 5 minutes on a medium speed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 2 equal parts. Roll each part on the floured surface to a rectangle. Spread with soft butter and sprinkle generously with brown sugar and cinnamon. You may also cover cinnamon sugar mixture with chopped nuts and raisins if desired. Roll up tightly, beginning at wide side. Seal well by pinching edges together. Even up roll up by stretching slightly. Cut roll into 1 1/2 inch sections. (I do this with dental floss or sewing thread.) Place in greased baking pans, cut side up, with a small space between rolls. Use fingertips to even and flatten out rolls if they are uneven. Let rise until puffy. This should take about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Frost with icing while still warm.
ICING: Sift 2 cups confectioners sugar into a bowl and moisten with a little water or milk (I used half and half). Add a few drops of maple flavoring and stir until smooth. Drizzle over warm rolls. Decorate rolls with extra nuts if desired.

Cousins

This weekend while visiting with my husband's family, we managed to get an extra kid for the week. My nephew Austin came home with us. He is a fun and energetic boy who will be 17 on New Year's Day. We have been having a lot of fun with him. He starts the morning off with a bang by tromping into Kaitlyn's room and waking the girls up like a large puppy saying, "Play with me!" There have been people chasing each other around with spatulas, late night movies, and lots of laughs. This is one thing that makes me happy to be in Texas, is the chance for the kids to get to know their cousins - as strange as that may be. The picture to the left is Austin giving his cousin Kendra a "Merry Christmas" cuddle on Christmas morning. They aren't always so lovey-dovey - sometimes they love each other by hitting, bickering, stealing things and I won't say who but I believe there was an incident with someone farting on someone else's cell phone! (I won't mention any names.) Ah, the joy of cousins.

Overheard by the Christmas Tree

Kendra and Kaitlyn were dismayed because they could not get the Christmas tree lights on. They communicated this to their dad by saying, "Dad, help us turn on the tree." My ever comedic and witty husband sauntered up to the Christmas tree and said:

"Hey tree, you like me bay-beh?"

What strange things are happening this holiday at your house???????

#1 Song on the Day You Were Born

My friend Stephanie posted this on her blog - and I thought it was neat. You can go to this site and find out the #1 song on your birthday, the day you were married, etc. The chart topping song on the day that I was born, February 28, 1970 was "Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel.
Awesome blossom!

Bittersweet

I have some friends who have said they would come over and bake cookies today. It is not very formal, but it will be so much fun! I really hate being in the kitchen alone. Our house in WV had a kitchen that was sort of open to the living room. We had our computers right there in the area. This old house has the kitchen as its own separate room. There are things I like and hate about this. I like being able to listen to music when I cook and that others can watch the television if they want. The kitchen is the central room of the house, but that also makes it a high traffic area and people get in my space.
I do miss baking with Kathie and Jeanette and even the huge group that used to meet at Helen's house. This has been a year of doing some maybe familiar things with new people. It is a joy getting to know new people, and falling in love with their precious kids - in the way that I loved my friends' kids in WV. Last night we were at the house of some new friends, and it was brimming over with energy and laughter. Amy, the hostess, is a soap maker, which is something I've always wanted to do - at least once - and it was neat seeing what each new person brings into your life.
It is still always bittersweet.