2010

Well, 2010 was a year of milestones and since today is the last day, I'd say I made it through the year.  Not without a few bumps and bruises along the way.  I think in most ways 2010 was bittersweet.  Hopefully 2011 will just be sweet.

Happy New Year.  I pray 2011 is full of beauty, hope and joy for you and your family.

Ciao.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!  


Today is the day we celebrate God's promise to us....


“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Isaiah 9:6


Luke 2


11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.




Now if we could just get everyone agree to have peace on Earth and good will towards each other!    I pray you have a very blessed Christmas wherever you are, whatever you're doing.  For me, I'm just hanging out at home, waiting for the kids to get up.  It's a lot different with them being teenagers!  Later, we'll go to my mom's for dinner.  I'm grateful to have my sister and my step-dad both home from the hospital in time for Christmas.


Maybe the Spirit of Christmas bring you beauty, peace and joy!


Ciao.

Recipe of the week: Cranberry Bread

I love baking for the holidays!  Cranberries are only in season this time of year so I try to buy a few bags and freeze them.  This is one of my favorite recipes and I'd say, hands down it's the one people ask me for the most.  It's great by itself or with cream cheese on it.  I love to put it on holiday goodie platters because it's pretty.  I usually use one cup of unbleached and one cup of whole wheat flour.  Let me know what you think. A Votre Sante!

Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp orange rind
3/4 cup orange juice
1 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix the dry ingredients together into one bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir egg with orange rind and orange juice.  Blend mixture into flour mixture, stir until just moistened.  Fold in cranberries, raisins and nuts.
Spoon into 2 small greased loaf pans or 2 large one.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes.  Sixty  minutes for 2 loaves and 75 for 1...or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan for at least 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack.  Store wrapped, wait 12-24 hours before slicing.

Our Greatest Need

Our Greatest Need

If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator.

If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist.

If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.

If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer.

But our greatest need was forgiveness,
so God sent us a Saviour.

-Roy Lessin

Sad Girl Days...

There are those days when you're just sad.  Today is one of them.  Life on planet earth can be brutal at times.  Sickness, disease, poverty, death, aging and abuse, sometimes it's all too much to bear.  


As best as I can, I "accept the things I cannot change".  I accept that I'm at the point in my life where I'm going to lose people.  My grandparents are all gone, my husband's father and step-father are both gone,  two of my uncles are gone, I lost a dear aunt 12 years ago....I have a few friends that are widows.  And yet it doesn't get any less hard.  The only comfort I have, Sara Groves sums up well...."I know to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord, and from what I know of him, that must be pretty good."


I'm going to need large doses of beauty, thankfully tonights sunset was stunning.

I hope you're finding beauty as well.

Ciao.

Top 10 Reasons why God created Eve

10. God worried that Adam would be lost in the Garden of Eden
because he wouldn't ask for directions.

9. God knew that someday Adam would need someone to hand him the
TV remote.
(Parenthetically, it has been noted that men don't want to see
what's ON TV; they want to see WHAT ELSE is on.)

8. God knew that Adam would never make a doctor's appointment.

7. God knew that when Adam's fig leaf wore out, he would never
buy a new one for himself.

6. God knew that Adam would not remember to take out the garbage.

5. God wanted man to be fruitful and multiply, but he knew Adam
would never be able to handle labor pains and childbirth.

4. As "keeper of the garden," Adam would need help in finding
his tools.

3. Adam needed someone to blame for the Apple Incident and for
anything else that was really his fault.

2. As the Bible says: "It is not good for man to be alone."

1. And the No. 1 reason of all

[Tada, drum roll, fanfare, etc.]

God stepped back, looked at Adam and declared:
"I can do better than that."

Author unknown, but I don't think was written by a man.

=) I hope you have a beauty-filled day.

Ciao.