Red Velvet Cheesecake

Several years ago I found a recipe the  Southern Living 2004 Annual Recipes Cookbook for Red Velvet Cheesecake.  It has become a Christmas favorite for my daughters.  It is so popular that they now request it at Thanksgiving.  It is not a difficult recipe and it looks like a peppermint when sliced. 

Ingredients
Crust
1&1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter melted
1 TBS granulated sugar
Filling
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs lightly beaten
3 TBS unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar
2 (1oz) bottles of red food coloring
Topping
1 (3oz) package cream cheese softened
1/4 cup butter softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted buter and 1 TBS granulated sugar and press mixture in bottom of 9 inch springform pan.
Beat 3 (8oz) packages cream cheese and 1 1/2   cups granulated sugar at medium low speed with electric mixer for 1 minute.  Ad eggs and next 6 ingredients mixing on low speed until fully combined.  Pour batter into crust
Bake in 325  oven f or 10 minutes; reduce head to 300 and bake for 1 hour and 15 or until center is firm.  Turn oven off and let cake stand in oven for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.  Cover and chill for 8 hours. 
Beat 1 (3oz) package cream cheese and1/4 cup butter at medium speed until smooth, gradualy add powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla, beating until smooth.  Spread evenly over top of cheesecake.  Remove sides of springform pan.  Garnish with mint sprigs and shaved chocolate.

Blustery Day in Georgia

It is as cold as it has been in a very long time  in Georgia.  It snowed yesterday and it wasn't even January.  It snowed our first year here in Bethlehem/Bold Springs back in 1993.  It snowed on Halloween of 1993 and on Christmas Day 1993.  We had just moved in with the girls.  Eliza was 5, Emma was 2 and Elle was 3 months old when it snowed. There were otter swimming and playing in the pond behind the house.  Pops was not happy with the otter because they were eating his fish.  But he sure did enjoy watching them play and then proceeded to declare that he would one day like to be an otter.  I am trying to capure the bitter cold of the season in these photos but am probably failing miserably.  Having taken a photography class this fall, I am experimenting with my camera.

White Trash Project Completed

 White trash finished and ready to snack and pack for Christmas presents for Elle's teachers.  Probalby will send some to Eliza Kate and save some for Emma Jane to since she comes home this week!!! Can't wait to see the Furman girl.

White Trash Tradition

Last  night I  made our tradional white trash mix.  We have been  making this delicious   mix for more than ten years.  We got the recipe from Gramma Suzy who got it from Ursula Knausel who has a cooking school in Atlanta.  Pops and I took a class from her while we were dating and had a great time.    Well--I enjoyed it--Pops enjoyed the food she prepared and talking to her and all the other students. Ursula used to host a gingerbread house night for parents and their children at Christmas.  She usually offers the class in November.  She is a delight and your kids would enjoy her class. 

The ingredients are as follows:

14 ounce box of graham cereal
1 pound raisins
8 oz chopped dates (i leave these out because the girls don't like them)
4-5 cups mixxed nuts
12-ounces semi sweet chocolate chipds

Toss all the above ingredients into  double thick 13 gallon trash bag

Place 1 stick of butter, 13 ounces of plain peanut butter in sauce pan until butter is melted, (not boiling) blend well.
Take off heat and stir in 2 tsp almont extract and 1/2 tsp salt. 

Pour over the incredients in the trash back and toss to cover.
Empty 1 pound confectioners sugar into the bag and toss again.  Let cool and put in airtight container.

Pure Joy

Pure Joy

I had been trying to get a picture of Elle in her band costume.  Thanks to her band director, I got a great shot.  Don't you just love pictures of your children smiling so widely that it makes their eyes sparkle?   The show is called Maestro and Elle is a member of the color guard.  I think the crazy wig is fabulous.  

Calling evil good?

I am studying the book of Isaiah in the old testament of the Bible.  It is quite challenging to me on many levels.  It is difficult to keep up with  the kings and countries at the time of Isaiah.   I have had to brush up on  the relationships between the peoples of many different geographical regions to understand who is whose enemy or ally. 

Chapter 5 of Isaiah starts out with a song of the vineyard in which he details the loving care a vineyard owner gave to his vineyard that did not produce any fruit.  He  then leads into six areas of sin of which the people are guilty.  Isaiah does not name each sin individually like the was reading from a list of laws.  Instead, he gives great flourishing detail to the sins of the people.  The sin of calling evil good and good evil from verse 20 has caused me to think.  People  have a way of making sin more easily acceptable.  A little white lie is not really a lie we tell ourselves because we didn't want to hurt feelings.  Stealing has been be called borrowing. Politicians have often called their sins mistakes rather than own up to the sin.  Reading this chapter has caused me  to identify areas of my life where I have made my sin something justifiable.   It seems that it is as easy to day to call good evil and evil good today as it was in Isaiah's time. 

I am continually amazed at the power of studying the Bible.  It continues to speak to me as it has to people throughout time.  Isaiah's message is as relevant today to me as it was to the people to whom he spoke so many years ago. 

Athens Botanical Gardens

Last week Pops and I ran off to the State Botanical Gardens in Athens.  I grabbed my camera since I am taking a Fundamentals of Photography class and snapped the photos below.  Pops had never been there and was pleasantly surprised.  We wandered through the gardens before taking off to hike the orange trail which runs by the river.  There were families enjoying Frisbee's and picnics on the grounds of the gardens.  Great place for a cheap date since admission is free.    



Waterfall outside the conservatory



I need to work on the glare on the flower from the flash



Beautiful orchid inside the conservatory.

Pops walking out of the arch of vines

The arch of vines above was by the river.  It felt like we were walking into a land of fairies and leprechauns. 

Summer's End

Here it is October 13 and I guess I have to agree that summer is over. Many of you might say that yes summer is over, it was over back in September over Labor Day weekend. Where have you been you might ask?   For our family, I suppose the summer isn't over until it is too cold to go outside and we can no longer hold outdoor parties, and dinners.  Well, Pops and I have come to agreement that the party season is over even though it is not yet cold.  We have happily hosted 8 parties since March.  I am not complaining.  We love to have friends and family over to our house.  We love that our daughters invite their friends over to watch movies or to play Wii and Mario.    We are taking a break from the party scene.  (Don't worry you know this is just temporary.)

School has started for all the girls now and a routine has started.  The bible study I take began about a month ago and we are going full steam ahead.  Pops has finished his boating season by bringing the boat home.  He has not winterized it yet, still hopeful that he can fine one more outing to wakeboard.  He is gearing up for hunting season, but I don't know how he will fit that in with band competitions and the few weekend trips we have planned.

Oh yes, with the end of party season, comes the end of the season of the broken leg.    The doctor's say that the bone has healed and I have been sent to physical therapy.  I walk with a limp, but I walk.  I am told it will get better.  I pray that it does, because I want to be on the tennis court again.

This has been  summer that we will  never forget.    Of course  the passing of Pop's father, PawPaw makes this a summer of mourning and taking time to be thankful for our many blessings and for family time spent together.  It was a summer of reflection and tender kindness from friends and loved ones.  

Coming soon:   Isaiah--not a book for the timid. 

This week we are trying some new recipes.  I have not been cooking for about 6 weeks, and I am ready now to try something new.  I went to All Recipes to look through my recipe box. If you want to try their recipes, just go to the website and do a search of recipes to find what you want.  They will send you emails of new recipes if you like.  We are trying the following recipes this week:

• Four Cheese Margherita Pizza
• Beef & Bean Chimichangas
• London Broil
• Zucchini Risotto
• Bacon Cornbread
• Overnight Blueberry French Toast

Pops has tennis tonight and doesn't like to eat before he plays.  Elle and I are going to have the Four Cheese Margherita Pizza.

I altered the recipe from the website a teensy weensy bit.  (I always do this, I can't help it)  I mixed together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 TBS minced garlic, 1/2 tsp sea salt with 4 sliced Roman tomatoes.  I also added in 1 TBS basic blend from publix (it is basically olive oil and fresh basil in a squeeze tube).  I let these things sit for about 10 minutes while I prepared the Boboli pizza crust but brushing it with the juices from the bowl of tomatoes. 

Next I put a layer of the tomatoes on the pizza crust.  The recipe calls for Mozzarella, Fontina, Feta, and Parmesan cheeses.  I could not find Fontina at the grocery store today and didn't want to ask Pops to go on a search for it.  (He helps me grocery shop since my accident--I could give Jeanne Robertson some new lines for her stand up comedy routine about grocery shopping with husbands.)  We didn't have fresh Parmesan. Elle doesn't like Feta.  I topped the pizza with mozzarella and one slice with  Feta.  There were a few slices of tomato left in the bowl and Elle and I ate as appetizers. 

Here is the pizza before it went into the oven--

Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees.  It comes outlooking like the picture below.

                 
Elle gave it a thumbs up.  It was delicious and we had enough left over for lunch tomorrow. 

Ok, so to tell you about the grocery shopping trip with Pops.  I had already made out the grocery list using All Recipes list maker.  I love that feature.  I also had a list of ingredients for Brunswick Stew that I am cooking this weekend from my brother's retirement party.  I gave Pops the Brunswick Stew list.  On it was listed a whole chicken, a roast beef, and a boston butt.  When I got home I saw that he had picked up pork chops rather than boston butt.  Not wanting to complain because I am truly grateful that he drives me around, I did not ask him why he got pork chops instead. He was  teriffic gathering things like toilet paper, milk, bread, and pimento cheese.  When I was almost finished, I asked him to get saline solution for my contacts and pointed him toward the pharmacy aisle.  While we were checking out, I noticed that the container of saline solution had changed since I last made a purchase. Upon close examination, I realized he had picked up nasal saline solution.  I couldn't stifle a laugh.  I decided to get the saline solution another day.

Flxible Project

Over a year ago we started a project to renovate and remodel a 1952 Flxible bus.  In January of this year Pops sandblasted the bus. 

Now it looks like this:

Our next step is to revamp the interior. We have loads of upholstery books from which to choose fabrics. 

Fat Burning Recipe

This is the first time in 6 weeks that I have cooked breakfast.  I wanted to try a new recipe I saw in my Health magazine.  The recipe is Blueberry Oak Pancakes with Maple Yogurt.

I followed the ingredients list exactly as it is listed in the magazine.  This is an easy thing to make because everything goes into the blender. The ingredient is short containing :  rolled oats, cottage cheese , eggs, and vanilla.  The syrup/yogurt recipe called for yogurt and maple syrup.  Sounds easy enough.

My Pictures looked almost identical to the pictures in the magazine.  I have a little more work to do however with food photograph and food presentation. 

Blueberry pancakes in nonstick skillet. 

Looks just like the Health photo.

The pancakes were good to me.  I felt the need for syrup rather than maple yogurt and it was good.  I also thought they might be good with powdered sugar.  I preferred the syrup to the powdered sugar.  Since these are supposed to be Fat Burning pancakes, I tried them with molasses also.  Molasses is full of potassium which is good something.  The molasses flavor proved too strong for me. 

The pancakes are included in Health's new book titled, "The Carb Lovers Diet".  The magazine article mentions that the key to bumping up fat burning is to eat something called Resistant Starch.  I went to the website and found they the diet includes a workout as well as a definition of resistant starch  This might be a good diet for me to try.

Still waiting for Elle to taste the pancakes.  I didn't even try this out on Pops.  It it doesn't look like a pancake is supposed to look, then he is not about to try it just because it is healthy. 

I give the recipe a thumbs up.  It was tasty, and easy to make.

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie is one of Elle's favorite recipes.  We had this last night with tatertots and a Caesar salad.
Pops and I hardly ever see her.  It is almost like lost Emma Jane and Elle left at the same time.  Elle is so busy that we only get to see her about an hour a day if we are lucky. 

Ingredients
1 lb lean  ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.


In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.
In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour into pie plate.
Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

MawMaw's Goulash

 My brother and three cousins spent our summer days with our grand mother, who we called MawMaw, while our parents worked when we were children.  Her home sat  right in between my house and my cousin's house.  We could walk over to her house when we got up in the morning.   

MawMaw knew how to cook for young children and adults.  She was the oldest of 8 children whose mother died when she was just 14.  She learned how to cook at a young age.  One of our favorite childhood lunches was her Goulash.  I looked up the definition of Goulash and found this definition at answers.com:    A stew of beef or veal and vegetables, seasoned mainly with paprika. A mixture of many different elements; a hodgepodge. MawMaw's recipe does not have veal or paprika as the definition suggests but it is definitely a hodgepodge.  I hope you enjoy it. 

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped
1 can kidney beans
1 can tomato soup
2 tsp chili powder
1 can franco american spaghetti with cheese and tomato sauce and meatballs
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef and onions, drain off the grease.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook for thirty minutes on low.

Our Favorite Poppy Seed Chicken Recipe

My girls love this Poppy Seed Chicken Recipe. 
Ingredients

3-4 chicken breasts cooked and chopped
1 can of mushroom soup (I use heart healthy)
8-12 ounces light sour cream.
milk or water or chicken broth if needed
1 sleeve Ritz Crackers
1 TBS poppy seeds
2 TBS butter

Mix the soup and sour cream and pour over the shredded chopped chicken.  Mix thoroughly. . Add a little chicken broth if this seems too thick.  Poiur into 2 quart dish sprayed with PAM. Crush Ritz crackers and sprinkle of the casserole.  Sprinkle poppy seeds on top.  Melt butter and pour over crackers. 
Bake at 350 degreees for 30-40 minutes.

Shining Star or Complainer

Have you ever worked with someone who seemed to complain about everything?  Have you been that person who complains about everything who just can't seem to be happy about anything?   If I were completely, 100% honest, I would have to answer with a yes to both questions.

Working with people who continually complain is miserable.    It is difficult to accomplish anything when there are complaints floating around. Everything  seems to get mired up and stuck.  Frustration abounds. It seems as if there is no hope of accomplishing anything worthwhile.

Honestly, there  have been  periods when I complained about everything. Nothing made me happy and all  I saw were  shortcomings and failures in myself and others.   Have you heard  the saying "ain't nobody happy if mama ain't happy", well  sadly there wasn't much  happiness anywhere near me.  Complaining is an infectious disease. 


I came across  Philippians 2:14-15 the other day.   It says 14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

Paul did not mince words. He was writing to encourage the Philippians as they faced persecution.  As I apply this to my life it  says to me that I  should do everything without complaint or argument.  So I should not complain when those mundane chores of life seem to get me down.   You know, those chores like picking up shoes someone left in the den or when the kids spill a whole gallon of milk on the floor I just mopped or when my husband can't see the crumbs on the counter top (my personal pet peeve).  Those kinds of things. 

Why does Paul tell us not to complain?  Paul gives us two reasons. First, so  that we can be blameless and pure in a world that complains and argues.   Secondly, so that we can be shining stars for others to see Christ's love  more clearly through us. 

I would prefer to be the shining star rather than the complainer.
 

Dear God,

Help me to do my work and live cheerfully and without complaint. Give me self control when the complaints want to come flying out of my mouth.   Let me be a star that shines with your message of love and hope. 
Amen

Introducing Eliza Kate

Eliza Kate is our oldest daughter.  She is a 22 year old nursing student at Medical College of Georgia and a recent graduate of the College of Charleston.  .

EK was the first grandchild on both sides of the family. No shortage of people wanting to hold her.  When we brought her home from the hospital, Pops sat her baby carseat on the floor  next to our black lab Mandy.  Mandy licked her and deemed her acceptable.  EK now has a black lab of her own named HOBIE who protects her from bad guys in Augusta and Charleston.  She learned to say "Hi" by the time she was 6 months old and has been talking ever since.    EK has a wicked sense of humor and laughs easily at others and herself.  Hearing her laugh is one of life's great pleasures. Listening to her tell stories of her awkward situations is hysterically funny.   She is a typical big sister to EJ and E.  She lets them know she is the queen but quickly comes to their rescue should they need help.

EK spent a year in London, England in a study abroad program.  She struck out to England all alone without knowing a soul.  I am proud of her independence. 

Just wanted to write a little bit about her since I have written about Emma Jane and Elle.  I will include more whenever she comes home and lets me take some pictures. 

Elle, Eliza Kate, Emma Jane

Emma Jane to College

We are back from taking Emma Jane to college.  She and I spent last week gathering her things, shopping for new things and eating lunch together.  It was great fun, but I am now tired of shopping.  Pops just rolls his eyes when I tell him this.  He thinks I could shop forever.  Obviously, he has never been on a shopping trip for swimsuits for all three daughters and myself.  Shopping is now always fun (more on that later)

Our big red SUV rolled out of the driveway loaded down at seven in the morning headed for Furman University in Greenville, SC.  We had a roof top carrier,  a hitch haul, and the car loaded completely.  We forgot to pack  two items;  the rainboots and the television.  The girls think Pops left the TV on purpose because he said he didn't ever  have a TV in college and college kids never watch TV anyway. 

The move could not have happened more smoothly.  We were greeted at the door of the dorm by girls eager to help unload Emma Jane's belongings.  Pops and Elle were happy for the help since I am still walking with crutches.  We hit a snafu  when the cartop carrier refused to unlock.  Handy Pops unscrewed the hinges with one of the many tools he brought to save the day. 

Most people leave after they move their children into their rooms.  Not so for us. We believe in getting to know everyone on campus before leaving our sweet baby there all alone.   There were several parent and family events to be attended both Friday and Saturday.  On Saturday Eliza Kate rolled into Greenville to help with the move.  Using the word "Help" may be grossly exaggerated.  Eliza Kate and Elle were completely at ease in Emma's room and immediately settled into the bed and got comfortable while Emma unpacked and rearranged the room, giving advice but not lifting a finger.  Sisters to the core.  The sisters were sweet enough to buy Emma Jane a fish because she could not take her cat Sookie with her.  I call the fish George but have been told his name is Jorje (pronounced Hor-hay). 

We met the President of the college, Emma's advisor, the cafeteria staff, and one of the librarians.  Had we been there longer, we would have made a point to meet the maintenance staff and the cooks at the cafeteria.  These are some of the most important people on campus.  Treat these people with love and respect for they make life easier and more pleasant.  President Smolla spoke to all parents on Friday afternoon and left not a dry eye.  I was doing just fine until his speech.  He left the students with the message that while at Furman, they would learn that life is "not all about you."  Pops and I were pleased with that the university supports something we have been trying to teach our girls. 

After leaving Emma Jane we went to downtown Greenville.  We decided to use the wheelchair and have Pops, Eliza, and Elle alternate as pushers since I was not too keen on using the crutches for the ten or so blocks of downtown.   The rides at Six Flags do not invoke as much fear as being pushed down the hill toward the Reedy River by Pops.  He thinks he was providing me with a fun ride.  We hit a bump one time that almost catapulted me out of the wheel chair and into the street.  Perhaps wheelchairs should have seat belts quipped Eliza Kate.  Perhaps you should watch where you are going I not so politely replied.

We visited Mast General Store where Eliza thought it would be fun to have me to get a feel for what it was like for her to go to the mall in a stroller and get lost in the clothing rack.  She also enjoyed pointing out and laughing at all the clothes she says  I would have totally worn 10 years ago when I was teaching.  (Have I mentioned that she is 22 years old.)  We have reached a different plateau in our Mother daughter relationship.  Elle seems to be the most tenderhearted and compassionate wheelchair driver, although she is not much on stamina.  I suppose she knows that since she is the only child at home, she better be nice to the one who feeds her. 

Goonies Poster Chunk Truffle Shuffle Movie Poster

Cooking with Emma Jane

Emma Jane is having her friends over this evening for movie night.  Tonight they are watching all the episodes of Doll House, a series on television.  Emma Jane wanted to have some appetizers for her friends so she is serving them some of the olive sandwiches I made earlier today.  She is also making homemade pita chips because I refused to pay $3.50 for a small bag when I could get two bags of pita bread for 2.50

Her recipe can be found at Allrecipes.  I like Allrecipes because it has a recipe box of my favorite recipes online. 

I had to take some pictures of her cooking while listening to Louis Armstrong on her portable  record player wearing an apron.  She is a vintage kind of girl. 

Brushing the tops with olive oil

so cute in the vintage apron

the album cover to some great music

Spreading with olive oil

Playing Louis Armstrong

Thank you Emma Jane for a fun day with you. I will miss you when you go to college.

Making olive sandwiches

Tonight is my supper club.  I am excited about going somewhere.  Getting out of the house is such a big treat for me now that I cannot just go on a whim.  I decided to make olive sandwiches.  A friend of mine brought some over for dinner along with chicken salad and fresh fruit the other day and we just gobbled them down. Emma Jane was the only daughter home--she helped me gobble these light treats.  Since I had never had olive sandwiches, I decided to make these and take to supper club. 

Apparently, olive spread is a vintage recipe.  I found two or three and used these as a guide, but as usual, I just made it my own way. 

Ingredients: 
2 8 oz cream cheese
1 cup chopped olives (I used green)
1 tbs olive juice
1 cup chopped pecans


Directions:  Soften the cream cheese and add chopped olives and pecans.  Blend with a mixer.  Add olive juice to soften and make it easy to spread.  Spread on bread or crackers to serve. 

Mix everything with a hand held mixer, add olive juice as needed.

Spread on bread, I cut them out with a flower cookie cutter.

Add a sliced olive to make the center of the flower.

a little smudged, but delicious

Ikea, Emma Jane and a Wheelchair

Yesterday, I went with Emma Jane to IKEA.   We were looking for a duvet cover for Emma Jane to take to college next week.   She is leaving for Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina on Friday.  We took the wheelchair with us because I didn't think I could crutch it around the entire store and I didn't want to miss anything.  Emma Jane has taken to calling me "Crutch" now. She enjoys this moniker and may start using it rather than Mom.

Emma Jane is a very bright person.  She has a memory like a computer.  Once information is input into her brain, it stays there and she can recall it very easily.  We do not argue with her about facts because she is correct 99% of the time. Okay, well we do argue with her from time to time just to see her reaction to our challenge.  It is fun to upset her apple cart.  She is a voracious reader and has a book collection which is rapidly spreading into every room of the house like the  untended ivy in my flower bed.

My first experience with her pushing the wheelchair was a week ago at Bed Bath &Beyond again looking at college things.  Emma Jane rearranged the aisles in BB&B so that she could turn the corner with "Crutch" in  he wheelchair.  A few corners were just too tight and we knocked things off the shelves.  Sorry to BB&B.  On the straight away aisles, Emma Jane would pick up speed and lift herself up on the handles and get a free ride.  Fun for her, frightening for me.  She informed me that I was not to touch anything because it could slow down our process.  I feared loosing an arm if I didn't obey her rules. 

IKEA has a huge undergound parking lot which requires an elevator to get to the shopping level.  Our first obstacle was the elevator.  We rode it all the way up and all the way down before deciding which level to exit.  We decided to visit the restroom before shopping.  I wish there were some way to purchase the hand dryer in IKEA.  The force of the air coming from the dryer forced all the wrinkles out of my hands and up to my elbows.  Think what it could do to the wrinkles elsewhere.

I thought  that Emma Jane had learned the art of wheelchair pushing on our last adventure.  I was wrong.   As I mentioned, she is very bright. She has an ability to hyperfocus which allows her to take in great amounts of information without any distraction. I was not the object of her hyperfocus at IKEA. I was the distraction she managed to avoid.  Emma Jane was captivated by all the innovative and sleek furniture and storage options.   So captivated in fact that she often would wander off leaving me in the middle of an aisle blocking traffic, telling me  "Be right back Cructch."  I would apologize as people tried to get past with their carts while looking at me as if I were an abandoned child.  (This wheelchair does not have large wheels that I could have used to get out of the way.)  She did always come back for me.  I was the one with the credit card.  It pays to have an American Express.

We did find a pretty duvet cover named Renate Blom.  She also got yellow and green towels to go with it as well as polka dot sheets at Target.  It was a great day with Emma Jane.  We laughed and shopped and talked.  I can't think of a better way to spend the day with a daughter.




.

Elle Starts a New School Year

Yesterday was the first day of school for Elle who is a junior.  Pops and I walked outside with her and took her picture as she got into the car. We have been taking this type of picture for many years.  It is odd to us that there is just one child in this picture when for so many years there were three and one year there were five.  However, confidence and excitement shone through her smile.  She was glowing in anticipation of what the school year might hold for her.  This is the first time in 17 years that she will walk  into the school without having an older sister somewhere in the building.  She gets to be someone new this year. 

 I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 6:17 which  tells us Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!   Is it possible that we can have this excitement that Elle  has every day?  I believe that this is exactly what Paul is telling the Corinthians in this letter.  Paul is talking about reconciliation with God that was accomplished through Christ's death on the cross and his resurrection.  Paul writes in verse 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. 

Paul's words about becoming  a new creation refresh me like ice cold lemonade on a hot Georgia day. 
Thank you God that we can be new again!!

Love is Patient...

I am again reading 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.  I could read it every day as a reminder of the ways I should behave.   Over the past two weeks I have learned about patience.  With a broken leg, things don't happen quickly.  I have to wait to have help into and out of the shower.  I have to wait for someone to take me somewhere because I cannot drive.  I have never before in my adult life been this dependent upon others.  Several years ago, I might have been grouchy, grumpy, and depressed at my dependence.  But now, I am happy to have people who can take care of my needs.  I am learning that I don't have to have my way right now, when I want it.  It is alright to wait, in fact, it can be good.  I suppose I am learning humility because it is hard to be proud when you cannot put on your own clothes or make coffee. 

There is a challenge in the book Becoming a Woman Who Loves, to read the verses in 1 Corinthians 13 everyday for 3 months.  Everytime I read it I seem to become more aware of my actions and inactions  God's word is a powerful force.  Will you join me in trying to read these verses for three months? It will be a great way to start each day.  Imagine all the changes that can take place.  

God's Grace is a Gift

I read the most interesting devotion this morning at Proverbs 31 Ministries.  It was written by Tosca Lee who writes about growing up in church most of her life but one day was forced to accept that she had been leaning into her own goodness rather than God's grace.  Lee writes that we cannot earn God's grace by the right choices we make, by our own goodness or hours at church.

Lee's writing hit home with me because I too am a pleaser who does not like to let people down.  I have always felt somewhere in the back of my mind/heart that doing good would earn me something.  Over the past few years I have come to understand  that I can't do anything good enough, worthy enough, kind enough , whatever enough to earn anything.  Acceptance of this fact,  somehow takes the pressure off of trying to do the right thing.  Now, I seem to be able to let go and let Christ 's love take over in my life.  Now when I make mistakes, my spirit is not crushed. Nor do I fear failure so much that I fail to act.  I accept responsibility, seek forgiveness and move on.

If you haven't read anything at Proverbs 31, check it out.

Easy Guacamole

My daughter Elle recently made a bowl of Guacamole for my tennis team.  Her recipe is easy and very very good.

Ingredients: 
       3 Avocados
       1 container Tomato Trinity by Incredible Fresh (sold at Publix)
       3 TBS Lime Juice (fresh or bottled--we used Key Lime Juice)
       Salt
       Chips

Slice the avocado and remove pit

Scoop out avocado with a smile!

Add in tomato Trinity and stir gently

Elle likes it chunky

sprinkle with lime juice and salt to taste

Thanks Elle, it was great!!!