Things to Pray For:
- That Anna would know that the Lord is with her all the time
- That the surgery would go fine and that nothing would go wrong
- That she wouldn't be in too much pain afterwards...
Thank You For Praying for Little Anna!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Prayer Request
My little sister, Anna, has always had trouble swallowing her food. She also has snored all her life. My mom looked inside her mouth at her tonsils, and was blown away by how big they were! My mom took her to an ear, nose and throat specialist so they could tell her us if she needed her tonsils out. They took one look at her and said, "She needs her tonsils and adenoids out soon. How's April 24th sound to you?" Now for a 4 year old little girl, this can (and probablywill be quite scary for her) so I am asking for your prayers. Also, we found out that our friend's little boy, Luke, needs the same thing done! So they are going to go get bloodwork done together (the poor things!) and then get a 'special treat'... they'll enjoy. that :)
Things to Pray For:
Things to Pray For:
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Modesty Fashion Week!
I recently discovered through the website Stay at Home Daughters, that the Stay at Home Missionary is hosting a Modesty Fashion Week! From the 9th-13th, she'll be hosting a huge giveaway, plus some really great articles by guest-poster's. :) So definetly check back for some great perspectives, views and 'how-to's' on modesty. The article series at the Stay at Home Missionary is about "joyfully seeking to honor God in the way we dress."
Hopefully we at My Simple Blessed Life will be posting practical ideas on how to dress modestly. Dressing modestly definetly does not mean dowdy, frumpy or in 'old lady clothes.' We don't have to dress in the latest fashions that draw attention to our bodies; we should dress to (1) glorify the Lord and (2) draw attention upward to our countenance.
So check out the Stay at Home Missionary blog for the upcoming series on modesty! After reading the prelude to the series, I can't wait!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The "Singing House"...
This is an absolutely wonderful short story published long ago...it touched me so much, that I had to post it. THIS is how I want our home to be for our family....and our extended family and friends....the "Singing House"....hope you enjoy it. ~Sue~
May Morgan Potter’s “The Singing House," a story published in the 1932 edition of “PTA Magazine.”
I tied the napkin around Fred’s neck and placed before him his glass of orange juice, his cereal, his big glass of foamy milk. In my own opinion I classified among the superior mothers whose children are brought up in the approved manner of an enlightened day.
Fred ate it all dutifully and then slipped down from his chair.
‘Now can I go over to Jimmy’s, Mother?’ he asked.
‘But Fred,’ I remonstrated, ‘you were over there yesterday, yes, and the day before. Why not have Jimmy come here today?’
‘Oh, he wouldn’t want to.’ Fred’s lip quivered in spite of his six years of manhood. ‘Please, mother.’
‘Why do you like Jimmy’s house better than ours, son?’ I pursued. It came to me suddenly that Fred and all his companions were always wanting to go to Jimmy’s house.
‘Why,’ he explained hesitantly, ‘it’s ‘cause—it’s ‘cause Jimmy’s house is a singing house.’
‘A singing house?’ I questioned. ‘Now what do you mean by that?’
‘Well,’ Fred was finding it hard to explain, ‘Jimmy’s mother hums when she sews; and Annie-in-the-kitchen, she sings when she cuts out cookies; and Jimmy’s daddy always whistles when he comes home.’ Fred stopped a moment and added, ‘Their curtains are rolled clear up and there’s flowers in the windows. All the boys like Jimmy’s house, mother.’
‘You may go, son,’ I said quickly. I wanted him out of the way so I could think.
I looked around my house. Everyone told me how lovely it was. There were oriental rugs. We were paying for them on installments. That was why there wasn’t any Annie-in-the-kitchen here. We were paying for the overstuffed furniture and the car that way, also. Perhaps that was why Fred’s daddy didn’t whistle when he came in the house.
I put on my hat and went over to Jimmy’s house, even if it was ten o’clock and Saturday morning. It came to me that Mrs. Burton would not mind being interrupted in the middle of the morning. She never seemed to be in a hurry. She met me at the door with a towel around her head.
‘Oh, come in. I have just finished the living room. No indeed, you are not interrupting. I’ll just take off this headdress and be right in.’
While I waited, I looked around. The rugs were almost threadbare; the curtains, dotted Swiss, ruffled and tied back; the furniture, old and scarred but freshened with new cretonnes. A table with a bright cover held a number of late magazines. In the window were hanging baskets of ivy and wandering Jew, while a bird warbled from his cage hanging in the sun. Homey, that was the effect.
The kitchen door was open and I saw Jerry, the baby, sitting on the clean linoleum, watching Annie as she pinched together the edges of an apple pie. She was singing; singing “Springtime in the Rockies .”
Mrs. Burton came in smiling. ‘Well,’ she asked, ‘what is it? For I know you came for something; you are such a busy woman.’
‘Yes,’ I said abruptly, ‘I came to see what a singing house is like.’
Mrs. Burton looked puzzled. ‘Why, what do you mean?’
‘Fred says he loves to come here because you have a singing house. I begin to see what he means.’
‘What a wonderful compliment!’ Mrs. Burton’s face flushed. ‘But of course my house doesn’t compare with yours. Everyone says you have the loveliest house in town.’
‘But it isn’t a singing house,’ I objected. ‘It’s just a house without a soul. Tell me how you came to have one.’
‘Well,’ smiled Mrs. Burton, ‘if you really want to know.... You see, John doesn’t make much. I don’t think he ever will. He isn’t the type. We have to cut somewhere, and we decided on non-essentials. I am not very strong and when Jerry came we decided Annie was an essential if the children were to have a cheerful mother. Then there are books, magazines, and music.’ She pointed to the radio. ‘These are things the children can keep inside. They can’t be touched by fire or reverses so we decided they were essentials. Of course good wholesome food is another essential, but we don’t buy things out of season, and our bills are not large. The children’s clothes are very simple and I make them. But when all these things are paid for, there doesn’t seem to be much left for rugs and furniture. But we find we get almost as much pleasure from our long country walks, with Jerry in her buggy, as we would in a car, especially if we had to worry about financing it. We don’t go into debt if we can avoid it. Moreover, we are happy’, she concluded.
‘I see,’ I said thoughtfully. I looked over at Jimmy and Fred in the corner. They had manufactured a train out of match boxes and were loading it with wheat. They were scattering it a good deal, but wheat is clean and wholesome.
I went home. My oriental rugs looked faded. I snapped my curtains to the top of the windows, but the light was subdued as it came through the silken draperies. The overstuffed couch looked bulky, and not nearly so inviting as Mrs. Burton’s old day-bed with pillows you were not afraid to use. My house was not a singing house. I determined to make it sing.
~~~~~~~
I tied the napkin around Fred’s neck and placed before him his glass of orange juice, his cereal, his big glass of foamy milk. In my own opinion I classified among the superior mothers whose children are brought up in the approved manner of an enlightened day.
Fred ate it all dutifully and then slipped down from his chair.
‘Now can I go over to Jimmy’s, Mother?’ he asked.
‘But Fred,’ I remonstrated, ‘you were over there yesterday, yes, and the day before. Why not have Jimmy come here today?’
‘Oh, he wouldn’t want to.’ Fred’s lip quivered in spite of his six years of manhood. ‘Please, mother.’
‘Why do you like Jimmy’s house better than ours, son?’ I pursued. It came to me suddenly that Fred and all his companions were always wanting to go to Jimmy’s house.
‘Why,’ he explained hesitantly, ‘it’s ‘cause—it’s ‘cause Jimmy’s house is a singing house.’
‘A singing house?’ I questioned. ‘Now what do you mean by that?’
‘Well,’ Fred was finding it hard to explain, ‘Jimmy’s mother hums when she sews; and Annie-in-the-kitchen, she sings when she cuts out cookies; and Jimmy’s daddy always whistles when he comes home.’ Fred stopped a moment and added, ‘Their curtains are rolled clear up and there’s flowers in the windows. All the boys like Jimmy’s house, mother.’
‘You may go, son,’ I said quickly. I wanted him out of the way so I could think.
I looked around my house. Everyone told me how lovely it was. There were oriental rugs. We were paying for them on installments. That was why there wasn’t any Annie-in-the-kitchen here. We were paying for the overstuffed furniture and the car that way, also. Perhaps that was why Fred’s daddy didn’t whistle when he came in the house.
I put on my hat and went over to Jimmy’s house, even if it was ten o’clock and Saturday morning. It came to me that Mrs. Burton would not mind being interrupted in the middle of the morning. She never seemed to be in a hurry. She met me at the door with a towel around her head.
‘Oh, come in. I have just finished the living room. No indeed, you are not interrupting. I’ll just take off this headdress and be right in.’
While I waited, I looked around. The rugs were almost threadbare; the curtains, dotted Swiss, ruffled and tied back; the furniture, old and scarred but freshened with new cretonnes. A table with a bright cover held a number of late magazines. In the window were hanging baskets of ivy and wandering Jew, while a bird warbled from his cage hanging in the sun. Homey, that was the effect.
The kitchen door was open and I saw Jerry, the baby, sitting on the clean linoleum, watching Annie as she pinched together the edges of an apple pie. She was singing; singing “Springtime in the Rockies .”
Mrs. Burton came in smiling. ‘Well,’ she asked, ‘what is it? For I know you came for something; you are such a busy woman.’
‘Yes,’ I said abruptly, ‘I came to see what a singing house is like.’
Mrs. Burton looked puzzled. ‘Why, what do you mean?’
‘Fred says he loves to come here because you have a singing house. I begin to see what he means.’
‘What a wonderful compliment!’ Mrs. Burton’s face flushed. ‘But of course my house doesn’t compare with yours. Everyone says you have the loveliest house in town.’
‘But it isn’t a singing house,’ I objected. ‘It’s just a house without a soul. Tell me how you came to have one.’
‘Well,’ smiled Mrs. Burton, ‘if you really want to know.... You see, John doesn’t make much. I don’t think he ever will. He isn’t the type. We have to cut somewhere, and we decided on non-essentials. I am not very strong and when Jerry came we decided Annie was an essential if the children were to have a cheerful mother. Then there are books, magazines, and music.’ She pointed to the radio. ‘These are things the children can keep inside. They can’t be touched by fire or reverses so we decided they were essentials. Of course good wholesome food is another essential, but we don’t buy things out of season, and our bills are not large. The children’s clothes are very simple and I make them. But when all these things are paid for, there doesn’t seem to be much left for rugs and furniture. But we find we get almost as much pleasure from our long country walks, with Jerry in her buggy, as we would in a car, especially if we had to worry about financing it. We don’t go into debt if we can avoid it. Moreover, we are happy’, she concluded.
‘I see,’ I said thoughtfully. I looked over at Jimmy and Fred in the corner. They had manufactured a train out of match boxes and were loading it with wheat. They were scattering it a good deal, but wheat is clean and wholesome.
I went home. My oriental rugs looked faded. I snapped my curtains to the top of the windows, but the light was subdued as it came through the silken draperies. The overstuffed couch looked bulky, and not nearly so inviting as Mrs. Burton’s old day-bed with pillows you were not afraid to use. My house was not a singing house. I determined to make it sing.
Monday, March 2, 2009
My Frank Sinatra Kick
I love Frank Sinatra. His early movies from the 40's and 50's and his singing. I don't support or like his lifestyle he led, nor the choices he made, but golly do I love his voice! :) I have exactly 84 songs sung by Frank Sinatra on my computer. :) Including Christmas hits! :) But I mainly listen to the songs from his movies. Such as, "The Right Girl for Me" from Take me Out to the Ball Game.........that song leaves no room for wondering why bobbysoxers swooned over him. :)
Ol' Blue Eyes singing "La Ci Darem La Mano" from Mozart's Don Giovanni
From the movie It Happened in Brooklyn
Frankie crooning "It's the Same Old Dream" from It Happened in Brooklyn
Can anybody tell which movie of his I like best? :) It Happened in Brooklyn is my absolute favorite Frank Sinatra movie! Other than the fantastic music, I love, love LOVE who stars in it. Frank Sinatra as Danny Miller; Kathryn Grayson as Anne Fielding and the dashing Peter Lawford as Jamie Shellgrove-a shy, piano-playing guy from England. Can it seriously get any better?! Especially Peter Lawford's role. I didn't know who to look at in the scenes with both Peter Lawford AND Frank Sinatra. I kept thinking, "Well Frank Sinatra can sing......but Peter Lawford is just so sweet and sincere......how to choose!!??"
His 'puppy-dog' look. :) He seems to think he likes her a lot. :)
*Sigh* And he knows he's in love with her.
The most important question is.......how does Kathryn Grayson choose!?
Personally, I would've agonized over both of them for weeks and then chose Peter Lawford. What? I'm a sucker for shy, music/piano loving, sweet, sincere and not to mention handsome characters. :) But I still 'melt' every time I hear Frankie's voice. :)
When I first heard Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson sing "La ci Darem la Mano" while dancing around a little Italian bistro, I immediately loved that song. It's an opera, so my family isn't so thrilled about hearing it, but that's why I have my Mp3 player. :) And self-restraint from attempting to hit a high note. :)
When I first heard Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson sing "La ci Darem la Mano" while dancing around a little Italian bistro, I immediately loved that song. It's an opera, so my family isn't so thrilled about hearing it, but that's why I have my Mp3 player. :) And self-restraint from attempting to hit a high note. :)
"La ci darem la mano...."
And Peter Lawford's character Jamie played the piano the whole time!
Thank you, to Ella who kindly lent me this movie.....I'm hooked. :) And I'll return it to you soon.
I was literally hopping up and down when I picked up from the library, Frank Sinatra in Hollywood 6 CD set collection. The second and third discs were my favorite. :) They had all the songs he sang from Anchors Aweigh and It Happened in Brooklyn. The third disc had all the songs from Take Me Out to the Ball Game and On the Town-two of Ronnie's favorites. :) They're so cool! Some of them had outtakes, extended versions and beautifully remastered versions of all his songs. I was in heaven! :) Now I'm just waiting to get the sheet music for La ci Darem la Mano out of the library. :)
So in closing and with chores awaiting, I will leave you with a lyric to one of his later hit songs.......
I'm going my way. :)
Another hockey night in Pittsburgh!
It was another hockey night in Pittsburgh...or at least in Bethel Park! I went to watch Ronnie tonight at hockey. Every other week, they scrimmage and the opposite weeks they do drills...I don't feel to badly if I miss drills, but I try not to miss a scrimmage game. My dad went with me tonight and Ronnie was excited to have his grandfather there. (out on the ice, a lot of the little boys look the same and it can be hard to find yours in the crowd...we learned a long time ago, to put different colored hockey stockings on him, and he has his name and a flag on his helmet....
Here he is in the center starting after the puck
I swear that Ron has just as much if not more fun than Ronnie!
Ronnie 'digging' for the puck
it's hard getting pictures thru the plexiglass...I finally learned to turn off the flash
Here is Ronnie with my dad, his Zedoh...one of Ronnie's biggest fans!
Look at these smiles...anything these two do together is always special!
~Now my little ones are off to bed, and so am I! I think I'm still cold from the skating rink...those places are cold! It's such fun watching my children do their activities...maybe next year Anna will find her special activity, too.
Here he is in the center starting after the puckI swear that Ron has just as much if not more fun than Ronnie!
Ronnie 'digging' for the puck
it's hard getting pictures thru the plexiglass...I finally learned to turn off the flashHere is Ronnie with my dad, his Zedoh...one of Ronnie's biggest fans!
Look at these smiles...anything these two do together is always special!~Now my little ones are off to bed, and so am I! I think I'm still cold from the skating rink...those places are cold! It's such fun watching my children do their activities...maybe next year Anna will find her special activity, too.
Goodnight! ~Sue~
Mulligan...a family tradition!
Quick post...many people had asked "What is mulligan?!" Well...for any of my cousins or sisters reading this, they'll know right away. My grandmother used to make it for my mother and her three sisters...and I know my mom and aunts have made it over the years...for us...it is comfort food....memories of childhood. It is also a thrifty meal that can stretch to feed many people. It's very simple, and here it is!
Mulligan
brown 1 pound ground meat, drain and cook 1 chopped onion with it.
cook elbow macaroni until al denti, drain and rinse. (rinsing is very important)
add 1 large can tomato sauce, 1 can tomato soup and some water (or tomato juice) , salt and pepper
Mix it all together...and only add as much water or tomato juice so that it is nice and juicy as the pasta will absorb some liquid. That's it! (it's really good with a little parmesean cheese) We usually have salad or green beans with it...or even just cut up some cucumbers.
We use gf macaroni, and organic sauce and soup when we can afford it...if not, it still beats the ingredients in hamburger helper! Enjoy! ~Sue~
cook elbow macaroni until al denti, drain and rinse. (rinsing is very important)
add 1 large can tomato sauce, 1 can tomato soup and some water (or tomato juice) , salt and pepper
Mix it all together...and only add as much water or tomato juice so that it is nice and juicy as the pasta will absorb some liquid. That's it! (it's really good with a little parmesean cheese) We usually have salad or green beans with it...or even just cut up some cucumbers.
We use gf macaroni, and organic sauce and soup when we can afford it...if not, it still beats the ingredients in hamburger helper! Enjoy! ~Sue~
Menu plan Monday!
It's here again! Every week, I am more and more challenged to plan healthy menus for our family as inexpensively as possible...and to do it gluten free, soy free and healthy. I'm getting excited about it, actually. Here is this weeks menu:
Monday
Hot brown rice cereal with apples & raisins
leftovers ( we have so many leftovers in the fridge!)
homemade baked beans, cornbread, salad
Tuesday
GF lemon blueberry scones, yogart
GF pizza, veggies
chicken veg't stir fry with brown rice
Wednesday
oatmeal with apples/raisins
leftover beans/cornbread/veggies
Thursday
eggs, turkey sausage, potatoes, fruit
grilled ham/cheese sandwiches, veggies
venison steaks, mushrooms, peppers, sweet potatoes, green beans
Friday
GF blueberry pancakes
broccoli cheese quiche, beets, cucumbers
white beans with bacon and sage, mushroom polenta, salad
Saturday
oatmeal, w/apples & raisins
brown rice, lentil casserole, salad
turkey soup, GF biscuits
Sunday
cereal, bananas
GF pizza, salad
mulligan, veggies
Hot brown rice cereal with apples & raisins
leftovers ( we have so many leftovers in the fridge!)
homemade baked beans, cornbread, salad
Tuesday
GF lemon blueberry scones, yogart
GF pizza, veggies
chicken veg't stir fry with brown rice
Wednesday
oatmeal with apples/raisins
leftover beans/cornbread/veggies
Thursday
eggs, turkey sausage, potatoes, fruit
grilled ham/cheese sandwiches, veggies
venison steaks, mushrooms, peppers, sweet potatoes, green beans
Friday
GF blueberry pancakes
broccoli cheese quiche, beets, cucumbers
white beans with bacon and sage, mushroom polenta, salad
Saturday
oatmeal, w/apples & raisins
brown rice, lentil casserole, salad
turkey soup, GF biscuits
Sunday
cereal, bananas
GF pizza, salad
mulligan, veggies
~Sue~
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Busy week...and God's goodness!
My goodness....this has been an unusually busy week around here. (right now, I have a little calico cat curled up on my hands and wrists...it's a little hard to type right now) LOL (late Saturday evening....)
At the end of a particularly busy time in our lives, I've found that when it is over and life settles down again, I see God's hand helping me thru...and the blessings that were the results.
We had a nice 2 day visit with my Mom, who we hadn't seen since December. She had been in Alabama helping my aunt after surgery. We enjoyed watching Ty 2 days this week....a wonderful day-long visit with dear friends, a couple cubscout events , a visit with our old friends and neighbors and our churches progressive dinner.
Now...Ron and I had never been to a progressive dinner and had no idea what to expect. We had so much fun! First, we were directed to have appetizers at the home of our good friends, the Skiles home. There, we were able to fellowship people from our church for a little while, and were able to meet some people that we hadn't had the opportunity to get to know before. We were then handed our itinerary for the evening. We then traveled to another home for soup/salad...and again, wonderful fellowship. One of the things that was nice, was that in between, Ron and I felt like we were on a 'date'....we laughed, and were able to talk uninterrupted by little ones. After our soup/salad, we headed to the church office to co-host one of the main courses. For our final destination, we headed to a home of friends from our caregroup for dessert. What a sweet spread! We laughed and had a lot of fun....and are looking forward to it next year. Now....it is time to REST after church...no one is going anywhere, no one is coming over....we're all going to rest, enjoy each other's company and have a relaxing dinner....with no one rushing out the door.
One thing that this week has taught me, is that our family does not do very well, with lots of activities. We are really praying about guarding our family time....and down time. Not sure how that will look in the future, but I know God has a plan and for our family, it is NOT to be running out the door every evening. Many women get a 'nesting' instinct before a child is born...well, I think I get that instinct everyday...I love the warm, homey, old-fashioned, slower pace of life....at home. I'm definitely a homebody! Oh, I am definitely happiest when home...and I love having guests here with us as well. Tonight after a simple dinner of potato pancakes, applesauce and sweet/sour red cabbage, we'll light a fire, have a little family devotion time, crochet and just hang out together around the fire....maybe add a little popcorn and an old movie to finish the evening.
I wanted to share a portion of some lyrics that we sang at church this morning , they really blessed me.
'Blessed be Your name, when the sun's shining down on me, when the world's all as it should be, blessed be Your name.
Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering, though there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your name.
Ev'ry blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say...Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name! Blessed be Your glorious name!
You give and take away...you give and take away, my heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be your name.'
May you all have a peaceful day and a blessed, restful Sabbath! ~Sue~
At the end of a particularly busy time in our lives, I've found that when it is over and life settles down again, I see God's hand helping me thru...and the blessings that were the results.
We had a nice 2 day visit with my Mom, who we hadn't seen since December. She had been in Alabama helping my aunt after surgery. We enjoyed watching Ty 2 days this week....a wonderful day-long visit with dear friends, a couple cubscout events , a visit with our old friends and neighbors and our churches progressive dinner.
Now...Ron and I had never been to a progressive dinner and had no idea what to expect. We had so much fun! First, we were directed to have appetizers at the home of our good friends, the Skiles home. There, we were able to fellowship people from our church for a little while, and were able to meet some people that we hadn't had the opportunity to get to know before. We were then handed our itinerary for the evening. We then traveled to another home for soup/salad...and again, wonderful fellowship. One of the things that was nice, was that in between, Ron and I felt like we were on a 'date'....we laughed, and were able to talk uninterrupted by little ones. After our soup/salad, we headed to the church office to co-host one of the main courses. For our final destination, we headed to a home of friends from our caregroup for dessert. What a sweet spread! We laughed and had a lot of fun....and are looking forward to it next year. Now....it is time to REST after church...no one is going anywhere, no one is coming over....we're all going to rest, enjoy each other's company and have a relaxing dinner....with no one rushing out the door.
One thing that this week has taught me, is that our family does not do very well, with lots of activities. We are really praying about guarding our family time....and down time. Not sure how that will look in the future, but I know God has a plan and for our family, it is NOT to be running out the door every evening. Many women get a 'nesting' instinct before a child is born...well, I think I get that instinct everyday...I love the warm, homey, old-fashioned, slower pace of life....at home. I'm definitely a homebody! Oh, I am definitely happiest when home...and I love having guests here with us as well. Tonight after a simple dinner of potato pancakes, applesauce and sweet/sour red cabbage, we'll light a fire, have a little family devotion time, crochet and just hang out together around the fire....maybe add a little popcorn and an old movie to finish the evening.
I wanted to share a portion of some lyrics that we sang at church this morning , they really blessed me.
'Blessed be Your name, when the sun's shining down on me, when the world's all as it should be, blessed be Your name.
Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering, though there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your name.
Ev'ry blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say...Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name! Blessed be Your glorious name!
You give and take away...you give and take away, my heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be your name.'
May you all have a peaceful day and a blessed, restful Sabbath! ~Sue~
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