~ Kind Sight ~

 I just thought I'd share a few thoughts with you today.  I usually meet friends for coffee & breakfast every Wednesday morning. It's fun and a good chance to catch up with each other in person. We were discussing being kind to ourselves today and I thought the statement above was very appropriate.

Then I went to the grocery store. I ran into a good friend from work...she retired much earlier than I did and we haven't seen each other in a very long time.  Immediately, she began to apologize for her appearance and weight gain.  Honestly, I hadn't even thought of that...I was so happy to see her!  I told her we shouldn't even begin to compare ourselves with "what used to be"...even though we are tempted to do so.  We are healthy and able to care for ourselves,  travel, do what we want when we want and live a relatively peaceful life.  Of course, I'd love to have a slimmer body, fewer lines and wrinkles and a heck of a lot more energy but hey, we are really blessed to be where we are today.  Why, do we have this automatic tendency to do this to ourselves?  We're not 18 or 20 years old, a size 2 or airbrushed like these young ladies.

Furthermore, I don't wanna be 18 or 20 anything anymore, I've never in my life been a size 2 nor is there a chance that anyone would want to airbrush me. ;-)


I just think it's important for each of us to appreciate who we are, what we have and  how blessed we are to awaken to each new day.  Just give me a kick in the back side if I should start to whine about age, weight, etc., ok?   OK!  ;-)

~ Happy Memorial Day! ~

 Memorial Day symbolizes the day we pay tribute to our fallen soldiers who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. On the one hand, most of us have never or will never deploy in theater on active duty. In fact, the very concept of war might offend our personal sensibilities. On the other hand, many of us have served, know of someone who has served, or work directly with these courageous men and women who volunteered their service and life in the name of freedom.


The U.S. remains free ~ because of the brave!  If you feel inclined to support our active military personnel, I encourage you to check out Soldiers' Angels.

There are a jillion ways to participate ~ and it's incredibly appreciated by our military.

~ Jalapeno Poppers ~

•  

10 jalapeno peppers  
  8 oz. cream cheese, softened
10 bacon strips, halved
Seasonings of your choice...I like to use minced garlic & Cajun seasoning. I also like to use chopped fresh shrimp and/or crab meat too.  Delish!  Adjust the amount of ingredients to feed a
crowd.  I promise this won't be enough!  :-)


Before you even begin with the peppers, put on rubber gloves!!  I keep a box of the toss away latex type for things like this. 


Cut peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds, stems and center membrane. Stuff each half with about 2 teaspoons of cream cheese filling. Wrap with bacon and secure with toothpick. 


I prefer them grilled, however, you can use the oven too.  Just place on a broiler rack that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 425' for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove toothpicks. Serve immediately.


Adding an icy cold margarita just adds to the flavor....and fun!  ;-)


I hope that you and your loved ones have a fun, safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!


Joining ~

~ Birthday Table ~

This is how the table began ~ I just haven't been able to decide how to finish it until now.  I honestly don't know if I'll leave it as is or not.  ;-)  I'm really thinking I'll go back and put a glaze on it.

I stenciled and/or painted each of my family's birthdays on the top of the table. Notice I've started sanding...

This design is stenciled on the front ~ 

The photos are certainly not the best but I am sanding it all!

Yes, her pretty legs are being roughed up ~ :/

I applied clear wax over all and then buffed it.

I still have 3 other pieces to paint. We shall see how it goes with them.  

Joining ~ 

What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants

~ Something I'm Lovin' ~

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller

Roll away under-eye puffiness and dark circles for brighter, more radiant eyes.

Is it right for me?
While you sleep circulation slows down and causes fluid to collect in your lower eye area. Dark circles and puffiness appear. Skin Renew anti-puff eye roller is right for you if you gently want to stimulate micro-circulation around skin's delicate eye area to decongest excess fluid for diminished dark circles and puffiness. 

The above is from Garnier.  I don't know about you but some mornings I have "luggage" under my eyes!  I blame it all on allergies ~ may or may not be true.  :-)  I keep this product in the refrigerator and let me tell you, it's a blast of  feel good when you use it!  I always use it in the mornings and in the evening before bed.  The pollen counts here in this area of Texas have been unbelievably high and the heat has arrived.  I promise this will make you feel better...and look better too.  Try it ~ you know you want to!


Joining ~

~ Happy Mother's Day! ~

My mother's been gone 9 years now and Mother's Day is still very sentimental for me.  I hope that each of you have a fabulous day!  You might be a mom to pets or an honorary mom to others but you still deserve recognition on this special occasion.  I feel very fortunate to be able to spend time with my kids and grandkids.  Whatever you choose to do, enjoy every moment!

~ My God Box ~

Do you have a God Box?   Some people call them a "worry box" or something similar.  I've had one for eons!  This particular box was given to me ages ago as a Christmas gift from one of my direct reports.  I used to collect angels and she thought this was very appropriate...and yes, it was!  I decided at that time to use it for my God Box and have never changed.


You ask..."what is a God Box"....."what do you do with it"....and how is it meaningful?  Well, I used to have a terrible problem of asking for God's help for any myriad reason and then continuing to try and "fix" the situation myself.  Finally dawned on me that it's not my job at all ~ it's the Lord's work. So.....to help me "let go and let God",  I decided to place all of my concerns in this box.  It really is a strong visual message to me. When I walk by it, I affirm "let go, Pat". :-)  I guess when one is trying to control things and attempting to 'fix' them, it's really not a good thing.  At least in my case, it isn't.

I write down my prayer, concern, issue on a piece of paper with the date on it. I always write a "Thank you!" on there too. I feel like it's a good idea to always thank Him in advance 'cause he's always working things out for our higher good, even when we don't know it at the time or get busy in our every day lives and kinda forget.  As you can see, there's no fancy paper...one I see is written on the back of a grocery list. When I have a situation ~ which I've had many the past few months ~ I've used a LOT of slips of paper!  :-)  When someone asks me to pray for them, I add their name and concerns. When I read about someone in need or some issue, I add that too.  

I probably go through the box 3 - 4 times a year.  As I read each slip of paper, I smile and think, "Hmmm, that wasn't so bad" or "Wow, I would never have thought of that solution" or something similar. I'm always amazed at the results. I also have left slips of paper in there, adding the latest date, as it is something that is probably still a concern for me.  I feel that He is still working on that person, or ME, or the situation and it's just not finished yet.

I added quite a few concerns last night and today.  After thinking about it for a bit, I decided to just share it with all of you.  I don't mean to be preachy or anything....this just works for me!  


Oh, and no special container is needed...you can use anything you like, even a shoe box.

~ Happy Cinco de Mayo! ~

Margarita Pie

I shared this recipe last summer but thought it bears repeating today!  It's quick and easy so you can still enjoy it for your celebration.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups crushed pretzels
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup white sugar (I really don't use the sugar)
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed ~ Important: Using only 1/2 the container of whipped topping allows the pie to set up better...will be firmer and slice well. Use the other half to top the pie.

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine crushed pretzels, melted butter, and sugar. Press mixture into a pie pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together lime juice, lime zest, orange juice, and sweetened condensed milk. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon filling into pretzel crust. Chill pie for at least 4 hours before serving.

This is a very versatile pie. I normally use 1 small can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed, for the liquid ingredient, omitting the orange juice. You can also use just 1/2 or 3/4 of the concentrate, filling the small can with Tequila. Using the fresh lime juice...use fresh orange juice, orange zest and a hit of orange liqueor. Adding a drop or 2 of green food coloring adds a bit of color and looks more festive. :-)

Easy recipe, no baking and great to serve during this hot weather!

~ Just Checking In ~

Just thought I'd check in and say "hello".  I have missed ALL of you so much!  I have sneaked in a few blog reads and made a few comments but not near enough.  :-)

I thought the ceiling in the closet was all repaired last week.  Alas, there's another reason for the leak...it's back...and they have not determined the "why".  They have to cut it all out, find the problem and then more repairs, painting, you name it.  I do NOT like this, let me tell you.  It's a hassle to have to take everything out again.  Oh well, things could be worse, right?  I might be like the tornado victims and not even have a place to live.

Had problems with my car...was stranded one afternoon near a mall as it would not start. A kind gentleman jumped it for me and it ran fine over the weekend. Then late one afternoon I went out ~ nada, nothing, not even a click.  I knew the battery was ok as it was just a few weeks old and everything else worked...lights, radio, etc.  Had to have it towed to the mechanic and guess what?  It was the starter!  They did replace the power steering pump and all that goes with it as it had not stopped the noise since the original repair.  Let's see...since Jan 1st, I've had the power steering pump, etc., the battery and the starter replaced.  It's not a fun way to spend money....in my humble opinion.  I could be buying cutesy warm weather things, stuff that I prolly don't really need and perhaps a trip to the beach.   I did share some $$$ with the dentist too. Oh well ~

I have done some spray painting, planting and a few other odds & ends amidst the other stuff. Will share that soon!  I may not be here often for the next week but just know I miss you!