To be thankful

It is so hard to be thankful when you live in a society that is bent on wanting you to believe that you aren't happy and therefore have nothing to be thankful about. We live in a place and time where so much information as at our fingertips and there is no way to access that information without being bombarded with this idea of "everybody else is happy, this is how... and the only way that you will be happy is if you have what they have".

To be honest with you I am amazed that there are not even more bankruptcies and divorces than there are. We are never content with what we have, who we have and who we are. We just keep buying into the "celebration" of Thanksgiving, but we have trouble buying into being thankful. Think about it. When was the last time you said "WOW!" in awe, and when was the last time you said "I wish".

I don't know, maybe I am the only one here that feels like this and I am the only one that has to work on it as well. Really? Am I that selfish and alone in this?

I really find the need, propelled by the season of course, to really work on an attitude of thanksgiving. When I am thankful I am way more happy than when I am not. I want to be thankful for every perfect gift from above. But even when we are thankful, do you see that we tend to compare ourselves with others? When I feel discontent with my house, for example, I can't seem to just be thankful for the gift that the Lord has lavished me with in my house and home, I seem to need to compare it to say, people in India that live in those dirt floor rooms, you know, we have all seen them on TV. Why can't I just close my eyes, take in what I have, not what anyone else has and just give THANKS? We are always looking to the left and to the right.

Just so you know, I ponder, I don't come to many conclusions in my life, I just do what I can. So know that I am thinking "out loud" and who knows, maybe some day I will read this and say "what was I thinking?" So perhaps it is just fine for me to be thankful that I have a roof over my head, my own bedroom and a down comforter that I LOVE specially since there are cold children all over the world as I write this. And even though my house isn't 2500 square feet I can still be thankful for what I have. And well, I may not have lots of space but my husband adores me and we are really super happy while there are millions of hurting marriages that are suffering and are tearing apart, women hurting, men hurting and children caught in the middle... See, that is easy to do.

I challenge you, and myself of course, this week to be thinking about what we are truly thankful for. Think outside the box. I think there might a difference between being thankful for what we have compared to others and having an attitude of thanksgiving. I know we don't live in a vacuum, but humor me and ponder with me. What are you thankful for? I could so chase a rabbit right now, because that is what I do. But I will refrain, or else I will be tempted to write a book. (I know, because that is what I want to do with every post). Anyway, here is my first thought. Random, but here goes.

When I'm feeling ugly, lonely, rejected, lost, unwanted, or just in a blah kind of mood, I lay in bed with my Mike, and he wraps his arms around me, squeezes me tight and I suddenly am beautiful, I am safe. I am in the presence of someone who loves me and wants me, I am no longer lost, but in the place I belong. THAT, is what I am thankful for.

12 days of Christmas

Please go visit my friend Edie and check out what we made!

You will want to make one too.

AND

Wheat Grass Tutorial Coming to a Blog near you!!

Can't wait to share how to make this beauty.

(Please ignore the double paned 70s windows that, no matter how much I clean will NEVER look clean)

I will be a guest at Edie's!

I'm so excited about being asked to be a part of Edie's 12 Days of Christmas this year.

Make sure you pay her a visit and soon enjoy what we have had up our sleves.

A Craft Show and what I learned about myself

This past weekend a friend and I set up shop at a small, out in the boonies craft show to see how our stuff would do. I asked Diane, my very talented and artistic friend, to come and join me because I knew she would be of much help as far as set up was concerned and because it would also give her the impetus to get her business on a roll because she is such a talented artist and she needed a little push. Her jewelry is very different from mine and we figured our stuff would work well together.

After going over the mountain and through the hills, feeling nauseous and loosing all contact with civilization (no cell phone reception) we arrived at the Kyles Ford Auction House. A small warehouse/garage type building with concrete floors and no heat! Thinking immediately that this had been a huge mistake, I decide to just smile and set forth with the task at hand.

So here is our little set up.





Well, I will just get to the point. I learned this weekend two things about myself. Two things that I really already knew, but somehow when we are put in certain situations throughout our lives, these situations tend to shine a brighter light onto these truths about who we are and how we are.

First, unfortunately I realized that my insecurities run VERY deep. I know that we all have insecurities, we fight these all of the time, yet, at least with me, when I can stay in my little world I tend to know how to overcome or at least deal with these insecurities. Boy, the moment I stepped into this situation which way out of my world and my comfort zone I felt like I was wearing a huge sign on my forehead. "I am a total looser". I found myself feeling what I feel often, ehem... I don't belong here, do I? The comparison game begins and never wants to end. I begin to believe the lie. The same lie that Eve believed, It's that lie that says: "I am being cheated!"  Eve believed that God was withholding from her, and so do we. This person and such have this that or the other, and I don't. Yep, That is what we believe. I will speak of the lie often, because it tends to pop up everywhere, and in every situation possible, it's constant, unrelenting...
So now I find myself fighting the lie. The best way to fight a lie of course is with truth. So what IS true is that he did give them something that I don't have, however, I also know that he gave me something that they don't have. And for the past couple of days, since I have been back home, I have been able to be so joyful in those things, and along with it Thankful, VERY thankful. I saw also a lot of pain, loneliness and selfishness.
You know, I learned that I am not an artist, I'm just a wanna be, but I enjoy what I do and I love who God has created me to be. I love that I am able to have the time and resources to "have my fun" and enjoy in the adventure of learning and exploring God's Creativity.

I also learned that I may actually be more of an introvert that I thought. I am not a shy person at all. I have no problem standing in front of a crowd and doing whatever I need to do. But oh my word, put me in a place with lots of people and tell me to get to know people and mingle. Please no, please no!
You see, an extrovert is energized by people, the more the merrier, and they love it, they thrive. Us introverts although not necessarily shy would much rather be home bodies doing our thing without being bothered. Being with lots of people for too long is so draining! Now don't get me wrong, I love my friends and I do love people, I'm not exactly a hermit, and don't shy away from me out of fear of overstepping my comfort zone. It's just that opposite of an extrovert, us introverts get energized by being alone. I don't even like to listen to music much (I know, I am the oddity, don't shute me!) Solitude is healing and joyful.
So as you can imagine, by the time it was time to go home, I was over it. Please let me just lie in my bed, get my feet warm and have my hubby come and love on me. I even told him "I really don't want to go to church tomorrow honey, I'm so sick of people!" I know, I'm so bad. I did go, but left early. I was able to enjoy some wonderful (productive) solitude the rest of the day. And come Monday morning I was ready to go to work. Had a great day!

So there you go, two things that I learned about myself, and perhaps two things that you learned about me that you didn't know.

By the way, my husband and my youngest child are introverts as well. My poor 12 year old is an extrovert to perfection. Poor guy! I do try, honestly.

Hearty Potato Soup

At my house we love Potato Soup. A few months ago I gave you a sneak peek at it in my post What's for Dinner

As I atempt to get this blog on the road my hope is to have a regular segment called WHAT'S FOR DINNER. Today I am going to share with you my sectert to the best Hearty Potato Soup. I know lots of people put sour cream in theirs, but that is not my magical trick.

Here we go.

Cut up your potatoes. However much you need for your family. I'm going to guess 2-3 lbs. But sorry, I didn't really measure anything. But I guess it is time to give you the secret (at least I hope it is a secret, that would be cool if you never knew this and I'm enriching your life by telling you!!)
Cut up your potatoes into medium size pieces and cook them in WHOLE MILK. Put enough milk in your pot to cover the potatoes. Add about 1 tsp of salt. (little flecks are because I use sea salt, I don't like pepper, so add pepper if you like)



As soon as you get those going get you a cookie sheet, the kind with a lip. I use my Pampered Chef Large Bar Pan. Just as a side not here, this is probably my favorite Pampered Chef product. I had one for 12-15 years and broke it a few weeks ago. I was in morning for several days, I couldn't bring myself to throwing it away for way to long. When my hubby said something to me about it I decided it was time.
So this picture is the very first time I have used my new one, I figured it was the perfect way to begin seasoning it. (my other one was black)



I probably could have squeezed a few more in there, but that was enough for me. Stick that in a 450 degree oven and forget about it! (at least for a while).

Then chop up a medium onion and 2-3 garlic cloves and saute in butter.



till it looks like this:



Now make sure that you keep a close eye on the potatoes and stir regularly because they can boil over some or worse, the milk sticks to the bottom and yuck, you have to transfer everything to another pot careful to not scrape the nasty bottom, and that means more dishes to wash... Not that I would know this from experience.

Soon your potatoes will be soft and your bacon will look like this:



Now, take a few potatoes, not many if you don't want your soup too thick and mash them with your potato masher.
Return to the soup and mix well. Add onions.
Grate sharp cheddar cheese, cut up bacon and serve on a cold winter day!

Enjoy!

Pick Me! Pick ME!

I feel so many times like a little girl. The little girl lined up on the playground wanting so bad to be picked by my favorite girls, so bad to be cool, and wanted, to be on their team. "Pick me, Pick Me, don't you like me?"; I'm the little student with my had way up in the air that wants to stand out and be admired by the teacher because I know the answer. "Pick Me, Pick Me, I'm smart". I am like the little girl that tries out for the cheer leading squad, "Pick Me, Pick Me, I can do it, I can look good, pretty and jump high". As we get older the feeling doesn't go away. "Pick Me, Pick Me", for the scholarship; "Pick Me, Pick Me" for the job; "Pick Me, Pick Me" for the promotion. "Pick Me, Pick Me, I am a good friend".

A few Sundays ago at our church we had a little baby shower for a gal at our church that had just had her 4th baby. We had a very simple pot luck after church. I was part of the group of gals that planned this shower and since it was simple we didn't do a whole lot for it. On Saturday I decided to take it a step further and make it a little more special by being crafty and creative. I made a super cute banner with the baby's name on it. I was bummed though because I forgot my camara. Trust me, it was adorable.


I made a cute diaper cake where I was able to display some of my lovely fabric flowers,





and I made these SUPER CUTE booties cup cakes.






Needless to say, I got lots of oooohs and ahhhhs. Honestly it was a LOT of work. It took my entire Saturday to get all of these things prepared to make this shower special for my friend. I had a blast doing it though. I felt so creative and lovely and special myself.

When I got back home Sunday afternoon, my husband asked me how it went, and then asked me something very curious. He said: "Did you win?" I said: "Win what? What are you talking about?" Then it hit me.

Is that what we are all about? Are we just in this big competition of life? Is it truly the game of life in which we continually are begging: "Pick Me, Pick Me"

Can you picture Moses going about his business praying to God, "Pick me, pick me"?   Gideon never begged God to pick him, as a matter of fact, he was one excuse after the other. And who can forget poor Jonah who ran in the opposite direction when God picked him. He ended up in the belly of a giant fish!

These men were picked for a grand job, one that I would have hesitated about as well. These were jobs that were hard, risky and dangerous, to say the least.

So fast forward thousands of years and  I find myself sitting at the table with my girlfriends and Jesus. In our hearts we feel the same words that James and John were saying in Mark 10: "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." Do you hear that? "Pick me, pick me". We run ourselves silly trying to obtain a "place" with our friends, and even with God, but heaven forbid us to be asked to do the "hard thing", THEN we choose to answer, oh, I can't because I studder (as Moses did) or we say we are the least of our family (as Gideon did) or we simply run to the nearest port (really, the farthest).

Oh, we are so silly!! But honestly I really don't know where I'm going with this post. But I'm going to post it anyway.

For one, my insecurities have kept me from posting it for weeks, and I just know that I will not be picked. This is something that each of us has to face. Why is it that we do the things we do? And if we don't get "picked", would we have done them anyway?
The other reason is because what my husband asked me hit a nerve. I didn't like that he aked me this because it was a truth that we just don't want to face. I ask myself all of the time. What are my motives anyway? Lets just face it!

So there you go.
A few weeks ago made some fabric leaves that are just so adorable! I'm dying to take a picture and post them. Yet, I'm going to refrain. I will just continue to smile and find great satisfaction each time I pass by them. Even though no one will get to "pick" them. I will enjoy the thought of having to figure out how to make them and having to pick out matching fabrics to make them SOOOO look good. I will love the thought that I was creative and I made something beautiful. Just because.

"Pick me, pick me" we still yell.

Perhaps I should start yelling "I pick you, I pick you".