That Season!

We're right around the corner from 'That Season'! You all know what I am getting at. There are so many words to remind us of that season; cookies, egg nog, fruitcakes, candies, candles, scents, santa,reindeer, snow, tinsel, yule logs burning, decorated trees, gifts,etc. The list goes on and on.

The reasoning behind the whole festivities and celebrations is that God gave His Son to this world, that we all may have a chance to enjoy eternal life.

It is said that the Holy Son was born around this time of the year. So, we show each other and the world that we appreciate God's gift to us by giving, sharing, and helping each other. That is the real reason for this season: Giving thanks and praises to God for the most unselfish gift of all; His Dear, Precious Son.

Collecting Just Because

What kinds of things are you interested in collecting? Vintage cars, toys,
books, ash trays, piggy banks, or other sorts of money-saving devices? I like
to collect odd-shaped glass bottles, vases, glass and/or porcelain figurines, all in cobalt
blue,lime green and cherry red.

I'm having a really wonderful day when I can walk into a thrift shop and see
an interesting and rare item in one one of my three favorite colors. I almost
always choose the cobalt blue color over the other two colors. I have collected quite an array of useful products. I enjoy displaying my items
and discussing them with anyone who will listen.

To be sure, we collectors are an interesting breed. We will go to many lengths to
look for a rare find. And when we do find something that we consider worth
while, I, for one, am willing to bargain and haggle for a reasonable price.
I enjoy things with different shapes, and sizes in my three chosen colors

My First Love

Hands Down! My mother was my first love. The earliest memories of myself was that of me pulling on my mother's skirt or dress tail, and her looking down at me with a great big smile on her face. I had the distinction of being her first-born daughter after having three sons one after the other.

I am sure that I got lots of Mom's attention in the fourteen months before the next daughter was born to Mom. That was my sister, Ruby. She was a chubby and happy child that was always doing, and eventually, as she learned to talk, saying things that kept the rest of us, Mom included, in stitches.
Being a part of a large family had it's negative aspects; but in that case, I personally do believe, the positives overrode the negatives. My Mother
loved me (us) unconditionally, and I (we) adored her, too.

Rainy Days

Boy, did we get the much-needed rain around here! It rained all night on a
Wednesday night, all day Thursday, Thursday night, and most of Friday. We
are water-logged here, but I loved every second of every raindrop that fell.
We have been in a drought situation for months now. The trees around here were so colorless until if anyone came along with a match or a lit cigarette,
we would have been in real trouble before the rains came.

Anyway, I feel so contented now that we've had sufficient rain, I went shopping today for pillows for the bed. They are large and firm, so comfortable!
I'm expecting to enjoy the ultimate rest and relaxation as a result of these
pillows of perfection!

Music and Cool Days

There is something so special about a cool, refreshing day that requires no
energy. Natural coolness makes me want to listen to, and reminisce about some of
my favorite music. I can dance a few rounds or just cut a couple of steps in
the privacy of my kitchen, while preparing a nice, simple but nutritious meal. I went back a few years, and chose some of my special artists and groups. I really enjoyed myself, and the memories just flowed around and
enveloped me.

The day passed so quickly because I was existing in a surreal dimension for
hours. The cooking and the mundane housework was finished, and I wasn't even aware of doing it. I must make any excuse to listen to music while doing my home chores again real soon.

Stir-Fry Meat and Vegetables

I enjoy a great stir-fry dish. I serve it with a salad and a nice fresh roll and/or brown rice.
My favorite dish is vegetables with shrimp or beef. For the shrimp stir-fry, I clean and devein the shrimp; about a pound after cleaning. I then marinade them by placing in a small plastic bag, adding 1 teaspoon each of: ground cayenne pepper, sesame seeds. Then I add two small buds of fresh garlic, chopped, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, and a half teaspoon of Watkins
All Natural Gourmet Ginger.

Shake all ingredients together; roll around in the bag with the fingers; and let set for about 3-4 hours, or it can stay in the refrigerator overnight. Use a wok or a large cast iron skillet. Have the veggies prepped: red bell pepper, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower,
carrots, green onions, (leeks). Place in heated wok or skillet. Stir continuously. Add a half tablespoon of Watkins Chicken Soup and Gravy Base with a half cup of water following. Also, mix a heaping tablespoon of corn starch; don't fail to add a half cup of teriyaki sauce. Allow everything to come to a boil before
adding the marinated shrimp. cover, and let simmer for fifteen minutes. This is a quick and nutritious dish served with brown rice, and a fresh garden salad.

Starting A Business.

It is not so easy to do anything that you wish to achieve success with.   There
is  lots of discipline that goes along with the idea. Focus, study, preservance,finance, to name some of the strageties that are needed. If you
stay with your plan,  however, and learn all you can from others that are gaining success in their chosen endeavors,then you, too, will overcome all obstacles that will come your way. You will succeed. Believe in yourself, and the skills that you
are gaining as you move along.  Only you hold the formula for smashing success, or failure and
disappointment.  Again, believe in yourself!  You can do anything that you put your whole mind
and focus on.

Stay with the original plans until you feel sure they are working. Don't be
afraid to try a new way, if you are going nowhere with the first venture. Be
sure to do all you can the first time before going in another direction. It can be accomplished. These plans can come around full circle. Remember; hard work, preservance, and staying focused. Don't throw in the towel.  Watkins is a great business opportunity for anyone that's interested in an ultimate
goal of achieving success, plus, a generous addition to one's income.   As an Independent Watkins
Distributor, you can maneuver the home business around your other responsibilities.  Join the Team!
Become an Independent Watkins Distributor/Associate today!

Summertime!

What with the extreme heat, and the ongoing drought, the earthquake that was
felt from Mineral, Virginia, and Hurricane Irene wreaking havoc in most of the eastern part of the United States, it is still a great summer. I wake up
fairly early, do my morning chores before the real heat sets in, then I relax
with a crossword, or a wordsearch puzzle while having breakfast; I'm done for
a long while.

In the later part of the day, I stir up a small bite for dinner, and sometimes I go for a stroll. I love to watch the sun set. It usually start
to set surrounded by a fiery-orange glow. There are times, however, when we're graced to see pink and blue-gray hues following the sun to its nightly resting place. Whatever's going on, it is still a great summer for me!

The 'Ice Cream' Season

I love serving and eating ice cream; don't you? What is there not to love?
So many flavors! Which ones are my favorites? I love the nutty ice creams;
Butter pecan, with lots of large pecan pieces, butter almond, pistaccio,etc.
I enjoy the fruit flavors,too. Strawberry, black cherry, pineapple. There
are not too many flavors that I don't favor.  Add a gourmet touch to your dish of ice cream
combining it with the wonderful,creamy taste of Watkins Cinna-Cream sprinkles!  Smooth!

However, black walnut is my favorite flavor of all time! Rum raisin comes a close second. I'll take any one, or two or three of those ice cream scoops piled high on a waffle-sugar cone, and POP! I've made it to Ice Cream Paradise!
I can begin, center, or end my perfect summer day on that cool note! Yea!!
for ice cream!!

Picking Peas (From Our Garden)

I finished picking a batch of peas from the garden. It can become back-breaking work, if I allow it to. I know how and when to stand up straight and relax my back. I also know when to stop and finish the chore later.
The ants can be a drag. They seem to love the rows of peas, and they are
constantly crawling and stinging. Boy, are they irritating! But, I have
learned to ignore them and get on with the task.

When I zoom in on the work at hand, I realize that I am almost finished. We
give away a picking of peas, then we keep the next batch. That's the way it goes. When it's done this way, everyone's happy, and the peas just keeps on
bearing. The more we share, the more there is to share. I also enjoy working
in the garden. It relaxes and de-stresses me. I become one with Nature!

Its Bounty time! We are already enjoying some of the fruits of our labor. From our garden, we have harvested yellow squash, zuchinni, and the flat, italian beans. It is such a joy to make meals from the things we plant and actually see the growth from the first day, to the fruition of them. I get so much satifaction from working with the soil and being outside, observing nature at the same time. We use the vegetables in salads, soups, stews, and stir-frys. What blessings! We also want others to share our bounty. So we derive great pleasure from giving part of our harvest to neighbors and friends. 'Way to go'!

Social Butterfly versus Clinging Vine

I'm sure it's in the genes, that special something that makes one person a social butterfly, flitting from one personality to another; they seem to blend in with everyone. They are so popular and have many acquaintances.

On the other end of the totem pole, there's the clinging vine personality.
They seem to operate with a bird's eye view on life. They can only accept one person as a close associate at a time, and they are so desperate when dealing with that one person, until they actually do the unthinkable; they drive the person away from them with their clinginess.

Then the clingy person usually have a great meltdown, accusing the social butterfly-type of abandoning her. The butterfly-type is so surprised. It was not her intention to leave anyone out of things. She just enjoy the company of everyone, a real people-lover.

Doggy Dayz

I heard my dog, Choca, barking playfully. I wondered what was he after.
Now Choca shares the fenced-in backyard with his adopted canine brother, Slick.
They each have their own house to sleep in, but for some reason, they prefer sharing one house at a time.

Sometimes they'll sleep in the igloo-shaped house, and at other times, they'll use the regular dog house. Yesterday morning, Choca was the first to come out of the house and stretch, ready for another day. Slick was apparently trying to get another nap.

Choca waited for Slick to come out to play with him for as long as he could.
Then he stuck his head in the house and started to bark playfully to Slick, his tail wagging all the while. No immediate response from Slick. Choca stopped for a little while, then he resumed his mission; trying to get Slick to come out and play! So cute, if you're tuned in to dogs like I am.

How Do I Rid The Garden From Nutgrass?

Nutgrass is a pest that can't be stopped with ordinary measures. You need to go an extra mile to be rid of that. Over the years, we've chopped it,
dug it up by its roots, tilled as deep as the tiller would go, then raked it
off and burned it.

The nutgrass would quickly pop back up in the garden as if absolutely nothing had been done. I really think we need to work on the garden plot for at least one year to get rid of the nut grass once and for all.

We were advised to treat the plot with rock salt when the garden is dry,
then barely wet it down with the hose. Not too much water , or the salt
will become weak and ineffective. Or, as another source mentioned, that
sugar would produce the same results as the salt. Either method, if they work would not hurt the vegetables if we plant shortly after the treatments.

Pollen Season

it's that time of year again! Pollen time! The cars are yellow; as are the porch and chairs. I have to cover my face to sweep and dust the porch
furniture every day.

I don't enjoy itching and scratching, so I can't hang my laundry on the clothes line, otherwise the pollen will settle into my clothes,and we'll be scratching and itching for days to come. Thank goodness, the season is short, and will be over in no time.

I adore this time of year; nice, warm, and peaceful days, cool, lovely nights. Can one ask for more? I'm putting in my bid for pollen-free spring days and nights. But, all said and done, spring is my season.

Where's Real Peace?

There is so much unrest in the world today. The more simpler life has become, the more complicated it really is. The new technology is being made to make things easier, but, more times than not, it's not being used for the purposes it was intended. Pedophiles, stalkers, scammers, etc., all make the internet a scary place.

Using all this gadgetry while operating a vehicle, has resulted in the unnecessary loss of life. Connecting so readily with old friends, new
'friends', and/or ex-lovers, have been, or, are the cause of many broken relationships and homes. Are these tools bringing you real peace of mind?

These tools are wonderful if used properly. But, they can produce devastating results if they are being used for the wrong intents and purposes. How wired up and connected are You?

Preparing For The Garden

It is time to start preparing the soil for this season's garden. I'm already thinking of fresh tomatoes, potatoes, onions, carrots, zuchinna, yellow squash, eggplants, okra, etc. We are in the process of clearing our garden spot from the leftover dry weeds from last fall.

We'll then rake the whole thing off, till the soil once, add lime and fertilizer, then

till it again; then make the rows to be planted. We'll rotate the vegetables. We won't plant the same vegetables in the same rows as we did last year. Then, as the little plants start to shoot up, we'll have to wrestle with weeds for the duration of the garden.

There is much joy to be had in preparing a garden plot and watching it grow.
I get much satisfaction from seeing things grow. I like the idea of knowing that I had a small part in arranging for things to grow and produce.
The real beauty of it all is when those delectable vegetables are all prep ared to be devoured by me.

Pre-Valentine's Day

Do you have an other-wordly lover? Is it your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, or any significent other in your life? Well, aren't you blessed!
There are individuals out there that just can't seem to attract anyone's attention to them in the Love Department. Sad? You bet!

A very close friend of mine, a few years ago, uttered these words to me between many tears, "All of my life I have looked for some one to love only me unconditionally, but I never found them. They always wanted me to perform for them on their terms. They were never interested in what I wanted. I really needed attention from them, but I never got it".

If you truly love your mate, make a serious effort to find out the little things that pleases him/her. Maybe it's something as simple as just listening to him/her. It could very well be that he/she wants your attention or your thoughts on a new endeavor that they want to try. Maintaining a romance is like managing a bank account: If you don't put anything in the account, you can't draw money out when you really need to.
Take the time to be patient, kind, attentive, and loving, caring. You will reap many wonderful rewards!

My Rambunctious Dogs: At It Again

My dog, Choca, is a digger. He likes to express his freedom every once and again. Last week, he decided to dig out from under the backyard fence and scoot!
Our other dog, Slick, all but told me that Choca was gone. Slick came to the back fence and tried his level best to 'talk' to me.

It truly is amazing how well dogs can communicate without 'speaking'. Slick would bark and then start to run in the direction of the hole where Choca had made his escape. Then he would come back to me to see if I was 'on the same page as he was'.

When I finally saw that Choca was gone, and I said it out loud to Slick, he started to whine as if to say, "Finally, you got it! What took you so long"? As I observe my dogs every day, I am more and more amazed at how they have their own minds and at how well they can convey their thoughts to humans without 'speaking'.

3. What Are You Waiting For? I'm Waiting For .....

1. For bullying to stop. Bullies, beware! What you dish out to others will surely return to you fourfold.

2. For the grass to be greener on this side, instead of on the other side of the septic tank!

3. For everyday to be as refreshing and romantic as Valentine's Day.

4. For yummy, smooth, nutty, and deliciously, rich chocolates to be eaten at every meal. It is the food of Queens and Kings.

2. What Are You Waiting For? I'm Waiting - - -

1. For all of the poor to experience being rich long enough to see if they like the new lifestyle, and would love to live forever after in that very different world.

2. For the human male species to engage in a more loving and nurturing role with their offspring.

3. For wine and fruitcake to become a healthy, sought-after snack.

4. For my very rich uncle to step out of the poorhouse after many years, and clue me in as to where he hid or invested his millions.

1. What are you waiting for?

What am I waiting for?

1. For lasting peace on all the Earth. The Earth should become the Paradise it was meant to be! Everything in perfect order!

2. For my fortune to appear. The old nag that was supposed to bring my fortune to me seems to have taken many wrong turns, or perhaps he has forgotten about me altogether. Maybe he has retired to Turkey or Aberquerque.

3. For hell to freeze over! Then no one would have to go to that forbidden place. Now, wouldn't that be nice!