The Wonderful World of Nature

Nature is wonderful.  It is so big and varied, no one can experience it in its entirety in a lifetime.  Nature's bounty includes plant life, animal life, aquamarine life and, let's not forget earth's atmosphere, which is in itself another whole entity.  We refer to nature as Mother Nature.  Mother Nature is blamed for everything from a devastating hurricane to a woman's phases in life (which is not a bad comparison).

A feral cat nursing her babies.

The amount of animals on our fair planet is countless.  All we know about is what has been discovered.  Of course we have the common animals everyone knows about.  The animals we eat, the animals we keep in zoos, those we keep as pets and all the others.  The other animals are those in nature, the feral (wild) ones that we prefer to see at a distance and those creepy crawly ones that most of us prefer to completely avoid.

I met one of those creepy crawly ones yesterday morning while I was weeding the vegetable garden.  I met it, I did not see it.  My contact with it came in the form of a bite that felt like a needle stick.  Try as I might I could not get a visual on the sneaky little thing.  All I know is I was left with a slightly swollen hand that is just now going down.  When I am gardening I come up close and personal with a lot of Mother Nature's little blessings.  I've met squash bugs, all kinds of spiders, little black bugs, little red bugs, grasshoppers of all sizes, worms, caterpillars, bumblebees, butterflies, centipedes and wasps. 

I am OK with meeting these precious little gems until they want to meet me.  Like yesterday, I was just minding my garden and my business until that stealth critter made a rash judgement on me and attacked me.  Not nice.  I've had wasps come down on my neck and sting me, I've met little bees on my toes, a scorpion on my back and a jellyfish on my legs (in the ocean of course!).  I even met a stinging nettle on my backside while taking care of some, um, personal business in Mother Nature's out house once.  If it stings, I've found it. 

Then there are reptiles.  I like snakes.  Yes I do.  My husband does not like snakes which is why I am the one who goes into the storage shed in our backyeard when we need something out of it.  I know there are dangerous snakes out there, but they don't sneak up on you like the black ops insect that attacked me yesterday.  Snakes are afraid of us.  They don't want a big tall giant around them.  Think about it, they are down on the ground.  They have to look way up high to see us.  That is like when we are at the bottom of a tall building looking up.   Snakes much rather run away from you than attack you.

Buffalo in the Tall Grass Prairie Reserve

I like to see animals in the wild.  When my husband and I are camping or hiking we get to see a lot of wonderful creatures.  We've seen deer, racoons, squirrels, road runners, rabbits, turkeys, turtles, buffalo, and all kinds of birds. 




Yes, Mother Nature has given us a big wide world full of things to be discovered.  Whether you like the desert, mountains, forests or the oceans, it's out there for you to experience and enjoy.  Try to experience it in every season.  Nature is constantly changing and it's beauty is never ending.

Just remember to watch where you walk and where you stick your hands!


SCL
 

"Let the rivers clap their hands;

let the hills be joyful together before the Lord."

Psalm 98:8





Words

Words are cool. Where would we be without them?  They are what makes the world go 'round' and frankly I hate to think what our lives would be like without them.  Have you ever thought about that?  Words invoke emotions in us, they describe things, they tantalize our senses and they can make us who we are.

Some words are just downright funny.  Take the word "blog" for example.  I just want to say it over and over again.  It's like blab and blah.  You can say "I'm going to blab about how blah I feel on my blog".  Kind of fun, huh?  Or when I am passionately trying to express my feelings about something to my husband and all he hears is "blah, blah, blah"!

We have words that describe physical things like dynamite which can mean a big explosion or it can also mean something very good.  Like "he is just dynamite at blowing up that dynamite".  Then we have milkweed.  I like this word but it just doesn't seem to go with this plant.  You would think that you should be able to milk this weed.  Besides, this is not a weed, this is a wonderful flowering herb that has beneficial properties.  One person's weed is another person's medicine cabinet!

I digress.  I am getting just a tad off today's subject.  Aha!  Did you get that one?  Digress.  It means to veer away from the point of the story, but whether I used this correctly or not doesn't matter, I just like this word, too.

Two of my favorite words to use when I am not happy are aggravate like this computer is doing to me right now) and irritate.  Happy words like elated and ecstatic are fun words, too.  Productive words I like are multi-tasking and organizing and non-productive words are snoozing, schmoozing, and lazy.  Some days I don't feel very motivated and all I want to do is sit around and schmooze with other like minded people!

 I like precious.  It can describe anything as cute as a baby, a nice gesture by a child or a sarcastic term for something ridiculous.  For example "your idea of crossing that log over that muddy water in your Sunday best was just too precious.  Your mama's gonna kill you!"

Agape love.

The bible is full of interesting words.   I could write a book about them but two of my favorites are selah and agape.  It seems that no one knows what selah really means, but it appears in Psalms a lot at the end of a verse.  I think it means "right on, you rock God"!  Agape is a Christian love that represents unconditional love. It is pronounced agap-pa.  God has agape love for his us just as a parent has for her children.



Words are endless.  Our lives are intertwined with words and we couldn't function without them.  Let's just remember folks to use our words wisely and speak softly.   You never know whose life you might touch with your words.

SCL

"Since you were precious in My sight,

You have been honored,

And I have loved you."

Isaiah 43:4

National Recognize Something Day

We all know about the national holidays our country celebrates, but what about all those little things that are given special monthly and daily recognition?  I find it humorous that July is National Pickle Month which goes quite well with today being National Hot Dog Day, National Vanilla Ice Cream Day and Hot Enough For You? Day.  This just screams July!  Who doesn't like hot dogs with pickles and some nice cold ice cream to top it off during the hottest month of the summer?

Call

Who thinks this stuff up?  I want this job.  You don't need to pay me.  Just having the distinction of being the one in charge of declaring special days would be payment enough.  I have some ideas I would like to share with you.  If you like them, then you can start a petition to get me hired as the National Recognize Something Day spokesperson.  Just call your congressman or woman to get me nominated.

Let's start with the warm months of June, July and August.



Lewis

National Brush your Dog Day, National Brush your Cat day, National Kiss your Dog Day, National Kiss your Cat Day.  National Picnic Day, National Campout Day, National Take a Hike Day, or National Family Reunion Day.

Now I'll suggest some days for the cooler months from September to March.



National Thank God it's Back to School Day, National Rake your Yard Day, National Wear the Ugliest Sweater you can Find Day, National Save a Turkey Day, National Wear Orange Day, or National Build a Snowman Day.

Now for April and May.  I saved the best for last.

National Play in the Rain Day, National Pick Spring Flowers for your Neighbor Day, National Plant a Victory Garden Day, National Kiss your Horse Day, National Jump Rope Day, National Play Hop Scotch Day and National Skip Day.  Spring just brings out the child in me.

Other ideas I have are National Kiss Your Husband/Wife Day, National Shake Hands with a Stranger Day, National Sing in an Elevator Day, and National Be A Vegetarian for the Day, Day!

Well, you get the idea.  I could go on and on.  This is a lot of fun.  Why don't you try it?  Make a list of days for recognizing special things that you like.  I guarantee it, you will find this as relaxing as a thirty minute yoga session.   Before you know it you may find yourself skipping down the hallway humming a lively little ditty that you won't be able to get out of your head for a very, very long time.  Then you can declare it National Get This Song Out of My Head Before I go Crazy Day!

SCL

"You are my hiding place,

you shall surround me with

songs of deliverance."

Psalms 32:7

Recipe of the Week - Crock Pot Beans

I love food and I like to cook.   I especially like to experiment with different recipes.  More on myself than on my husband.  There are three people living in our home and we all have different kinds of diets.  My mother likes foods that she grew up eating, I am a vegetarian and my husband, well, he likes to eat almost anything, especially if it mooed, oinked or cackled in its former life.

Cool snake.  I like snakes.

I'm sure I have gotten the attention of some vegetarians out there, but frankly, I love my husband more than life itself and I love cooking for him.  If he wants meat I will cook meat for him.  He has his own tastes when it comes to vegetables, though, he doesn't like any cooked greens or any kind of squash, but otherwise he is very easy to please.  He respects my choice of diet and I respect his.  I believe mutual respect in a marriage is the number one priority.

Today I am starting my Recipe of the Week posting.  I decided to do this every Friday.  The recipes will always be vegetarian or vegan and I guarantee they will be delicious.  One night a week I make a meatless meal for my husband, too.  One thing we both love is beans so making a meatless meal with beans is as easy as can be.

 
The following recipe can be cooked on the stove top or in a crock pot.  I do not presoak my beans.  They cook just fine without being presoaked, it just takes them a little longer.  You will also note that I do not always include measurements.  Your measurements will basically depend on how many people you are serving.  Just adjust the recipe accordingly.

Crock pot Beans

1 cup of washed dry beans (you can use pinto, navy, kidney, black beans, lima, or any beans of your choice).  You can also use more than one variety.
1 chopped onion
1 - 2 cloves chopped garlic
Seasonings to taste include salt, black and red pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder or paprika.  This is your call on what you want to season your beans with.
Water or vegetable broth - you want enough liquid to cover the beans by at least two inches.

Place all in the ingredients in a crock pot early in the morning and set it on high.

This method of cooking takes about 8 hours.  They will keep well on the warm setting until you are ready to serve.

If  you decide to cook this on the stove it takes only takes about four hours.  Just as good and declicious.

Garnish with chopped onions, shredded cheese, chopped hot or sweet peppers or sour cream for extra richness.

Serve with cornbread and fresh vegetables that are in season.

I will also share this easy cornbread recipe my mother has used for years.

Easy Cornbread

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  While it is heating up put 1/4 cup of canola oil in a cast iron skillet* and place it in the oven.

Mix together 1 cup flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Once mixed add 2 eggs, 1 cup of milk and the hot oil from the skillet.

Stir until you do not see any dry particles in the batter.  Do not over mix.

Place the batter in the skillet and bake for about 25-30 minutes.

*I use an eight inch skillet.  If you do not have a cast iron skillet you can bake this in any oven proof dish.  By putting the oil in the dish first you do not have to pre-grease it.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do.  Let me know if you have any questions.  You will see by my recipes how easy it is to make vegetarian meals for you and your family.

Have a wonderful weekend.  I hope to see you back here on Monday.

SCL

"Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans,

 lentils, millet, and spelt;  put them into one vessel,

and make bread of them for yourself."

Ezekiel 4:9a

Social Networking (Or Not)

Is my brain in there somewhere?

Okay, I know.  I belong to that "other" generation now.  You know that baby boomer generation that is a product of the post WWII boom.  I've heard it said "how old would you be if you didn't know your age"?  Yes, I dig it and I get it, but what I don't get are these social networking sites on the world wide web that are supposed to be so user friendly.  I think when that web was being spun my brain got caught up with the bugs and was devoured!

I joined Tweeter (oops, it's Twitter and tweet is what you do on Twitter),  I joined Facebook and, obviously, I joined this blog site.  However when I try to tweek my profile information on Twitter and face-off the information I get on Facebook, I cannot follow or get what in the world wide web what they want!

I have tried several times to post my profile picture on Twitter but it does not like the size of my photos.  I have tried to edit the information I get on Facebook but they keep coming back like that damn spot in the Poe story.   It is a conspiracy I tell you.  They don't want us B.B.'s here.  Push like if you agree with me!
 



I wouldn't feel so stupid if I hadn't been a part of this computer boom.  Back when I was a professional in the world,  I worked with the newest and best office equipment that was available.  I was sent to numerous training classes at places like IBM and the IT departments where I worked.  I learned many new software programs that made our jobs easier.  It was exciting days back then.  Kind of like "look Pa there's land in them thar computers".   Well, not quite like that but kinda, sorta.

If your pulling one these stay in the
slow lane so we don't make them mad!



I like blogging and I like seeing what's going on in the world.  I also think it is very sweet that these sites are offered to us for free.  However, I really think it is a plot to get rid of us "others".  You know, us other than the 20 and 30 somethings.  Maybe we are driving too slow on the information highway and are getting in their way. 





So to appease the ones behind the flasing cursors, I suggest we hang in there, muddle along and act like we know what we are doing.  Stay in the right lane, take power naps and hit like on everything you read.  That way they will think we know what we are doing and maybe, just maybe, they will stop sending those stupid "error" messages all the time.

Love and peace to you all.

SBL

Share with God's people who are in need.

  Practice hospitality.

Romans 12:13





It's A Small World

Our past has a way at coming back to us.  I don't mean this in a negative or sarcastic way.  Nor do I mean you sow what you reap or what goes around comes around.  Alright, I know, enough with the cliches!

This is not our home. 
Wouldn't mind if it was.

Several years ago my husband and I were in the market for a larger home when my mother came to live with us.  We had  some very specific needs for our new house and we looked at a lot of houses.  Thankfully we had the most patient real estate agent on the face of this earth.  The day finally came when we found the house with the best fit for us.

I was so excited as I described the house to my mother.  When I told her where it was, she said we had some friends who used to live in that town.  When I told her it had a Florida room she said her friend's house had a Florida room.  Well, you guessed it.  The original owners of this house were some long time friends of my family.  Not only that, they hosted my parents 25th wedding anniversary in this house and I was at that party.  I don't know why I do not remember that party or this house.   Sounds like something I need to address some other time.

Another time I experienced the small world phenomenon was in 1977 when I was stationed in South Korea while serving in the Army.  I met a young man at a party I was attending who went to the same high school as me.  He had been a couple of years behind me and knew me, but I didn't know him.  However, here we were, two Oklahomans several thousands of miles away from home and bumping in to each other in South Korea!

Pretty boots.

Last week I found out my horseback instructor is from the same town in Texas where I have relatives and she knows my great niece.   I could go on and on with stories like this.  I'm sure all of you have had these same experiences and every time one occurs we always say "what a small world".

I find this very exciting.  It's like "life reruns" or "second chances".  Or maybe it's a way to connect us to the big wide world.  Sometimes as we go through our daily routines life becomes mundane.  We can start to feel like ants in a colony going through our tasks and doing what we need to do to   get through another day. 

When we have a small world occurrence it gives us a whole new outlook on life.  It brings our past back to us.  It's a way of reminding us that we are truly connected with everyone and that everything that happens is not always just a coincidence.  It is truly a purposeful event.

Until tomorrow dear friends.  Have a blessed evening.

SCL

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a
manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Philippians 1:27

Economics 101 - Supply or Demand

When I took economics in college our professor asked the class what drove the economy.  Was it supply or demand?  A very interesting discussion ensued and I said it was supply.  Apparently I was wrong, but I still stand by my decision.

Just yesterday while I was browsing in a thrift store I overheard a mother telling her son who was looking at toys to hurry up and pick something out.  He said  "I know I want something, I just don't know what".  So there you have it.  The boy wanted to buy something but he wasn't seeing anything that interested him.

Which brings me to today's topic.  Consumerism.  My husband and I love to visit antique stores, thrift stores and flea markets.  I guess you can consider it a hobby.  However, because of this we have a lot of stuff.  I am positive that we wouldn't have all this stuff if it wasn't out there.

In the process of this looking around we starting collecting things.  Many, many things.  And I know we are not the only people who do this.  Just look at the many books and magazines that offer prices on collectibles and look at the numerous websites and television programs about pickers, auctions and appraising items.



I collect milk glass, gravy boats, small creamers, egg coddlers, egg holders, mid-century glass pitchers, vintage tablecloths, napkins and fabric, spice holders and the list goes on and on.  Now don't misunderstand me, I am not a hoarder.  I have a nice, clean home with my collections displayed artfully.  In fact I had to stop collecting some things because I have run out of room.






 I love most any mid-century kitchen and dining items.  I am constantly amazed at the clever inventions that were made to make life easier in the kitchen.  It is like a walk through history.




My husband collects old glass insulators, Lionel trains, vintage gumball machines, and other manly kinds of stuff.  He would have more but the things he likes are old cash registers, gas pumps, juke boxes, pinball machines, cars,  you get the picture, things we really cannot afford!



So there you have it folks.  What you see here is just a fraction of our collections.  I am convinced that it is supply that drives us to be crazy collectors.  As you can see, if these things were not made we would not have bought them.  Don't you agree?  After all, why was I in that thrift store yesterday?  I didn't need anything, I was "just looking".  By the way, I bought an excellent crock pot carrier that I really needed!

Go in peace dear friends.

SCL

Let us not love with words or tongue

 but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3:18