Finally Friday!

However you choose to spend your weekend, I hope you have time to RELAX!

Hello Out There!

Hello, how are you?

(This is where you say, good/fine/OK, how are you?)

I'm good but having some trouble.

(You say, really, what's going on?)

Well, I've been blogging for awhile now but not getting many comments.

(You say, hmm, do you have readers?)

That's a good question, I wasn't sure till I set up google analytics, a great resource for bloggers, but I do have people visiting and reading. Or getting a call and just staying on my site for 2-3 minutes at a time.

(You say, Why do you think they aren't commenting?)

I don't know....

So, here's an all call for all you ghost readers out there, click on comments, write a comment or just say hi and post it! You can even be anonymous if you'd like.

Knowledge is Power

I've been blogging long enough that other people are starting to ask me how to start a blog and what to write about. Starting a blog is easy, as easy as an email account and I highly recommend Blogger from Google. The steps are quick and easy and you'll be writing in no time at all.

The next question, what to write about. For me, that's never a problem. Sometimes finding the time can be a problem but not topics, I have lists of them.

I have no doubt that you are an expert on something. Are you rolling your eyes? Hear me out. There is something that you love, or you're good at and you can write about and those topics can lead to other topics. Maybe it's baking, cooking, grilling, gardening, writing, meeting new people, telling jokes, teaching others, writing resumes, parenting, kids and their behavior, sports, travel, entertaining, party planning, housework, household hints, or even making lemonade from lemons. Whatever it is, you can write about it and have fun with it.

What if you started blogging about planning trips then a travel agency read your blog and wanted to place an ad, now you're hobby is making money and you are enjoying what you're doing.

Think BIG, the knowledge you have is powerful and the blog world is a big one. Be yourself, unique and have fun. Just try it, you may like it!

Wordless Wednesday

Family Cookbook

Around Christmas of last year my sister and I decided that we were going to take on the task of making a family cookbook. We talked to everyone about it, the idea was a hit so we created a template page that people could print and write in or type into and sent it out to everyone. We also set a deadline for the fall of this year in hopes that people would write down recipes throughout the year since we all know that what you cook changes throughout the year. We've already been getting good feedback and questions (such as asking friends or co-workers to add a certain recipe but note on the page how they are connected to us) and we're excited about getting the actual recipes.

Have you ever done a family recipe collection? Any tips to share or lessons learned?

My fingers are crossed that everyone doesn't wait until the end and a couple reminders have already went out in hope that people do, at least, make notes of what they want to include even if they aren't writing them out yet!

Dad

Anyone knows that several weeks ago was Father's Day but what you don't know is that my dad's birthday was one week ago, as well as his favorite holiday, the 4th of July. You also may not know that in December of 2007 my dad passed away, he was 55. Anyone that knows me and is reading this knows that I don't talk about him a lot but that doesn't mean he's not constantly on my mind, especially as my daughter does things that I know would make him laugh. Although he was my dad, he meant a lot to so many people.

He was a man who loved a great story, a good joke and the chance to teach anybody something that he knew about. He could captivate an audience, charm anyone and yet seemed a little shy in the oddest of circumstances. He loved a good coat, a good hat and pants that weren’t too long. His daily dress consisted of a button down shirt or a white T-shirt, jeans and a nautical belt. If it was sunny, a hat, since he’d been told to protect his head. He smelled of shaving cream and outside but never cologne. He loved fleece shirts but was picky about them and had a closet full with tags on them to prove it. He could run fast, couldn’t swim well and strolled more than walked.

He was also always ready to teach with a real life lesson. From offering to match anything we’d put into savings to show us the value of planning to setting up pretend fires in the backyard so that we could use a fire extinguisher and understand how it works, he understood the value of teaching someone versus doing it for them. Even though we were girls we knew how to use the tractor, pull start an engine and shoot a gun. Guns were for protection, not play, and having them in the house was never an issue.

He was also never without a tool or a snack. You could ask for any tool out there and not only did he have it, he probably had 3, one still in the package, and would loan it to you. You could ride in his car or truck and there would be snacks in the glove compartment, just in case of an emergency.

He was a man with a schedule and enjoyed his routine. He liked coffee in the morning that wasn’t too hot to drink, lunch at noon and dinner at 5. Whether he was hungry or not, when the clock struck 5 it was dinnertime. Picky he wasn’t and whether it was chicken nuggets or filet mignon, it was just dinner and having it at 5 seemed more important what he was having. In the evenings he enjoyed a good martini, with lots of olives and on those hot summer days there was nothing like a beer, an MGD until he took to Ultra and he never was a Bud man.

At the lake he was in his element. He knew the water and the lake by looking at the shore, knew the weather by the clouds and wind and knew the people he enjoyed spending his time with the most. He was an expert at tying rope and teaching others how to, making trays of drinks for a crowd and putting any boat into the slip, a feat that often seemed like putting a watermelon in a hole that was intended for a lemon. He also enjoyed running the lake at night, a delight to him but I’m sure it scared the life out of many of his guests. He loved a good adventure and the chance to rescue anyone in need.

Weather seemed to always be important to him. From monitoring it for the lake, watching for a full moon so he could spend hours in the hot tub on a cold winter night or run the lake at night in the summer, he always wanted to know what was getting ready to happen, it was all about being prepared and that’s probably why he wasn’t ever crazy about traveling beyond the lake.

He loved children and thought most were sweet but was always willing to sweeten them a little more. For the children on the dock he had long Tootsie Roll logs, for his nephews one Christmas they each received a tool box full of snack and sweets. Easter had it’s own memories and for as long as I can remember we’d awake on Easter morning to baskets full of goodies and the ever present bunny with the teeth marks on the left ear.

He liked the comfort of his home and welcomed others there. For a man who could do so much, ordering food out was never easy, his order was never right. He’s the only person I know that could go to McDonald's for breakfast and they were out of McMuffins, order the special and it’s wrong and finally figured out that it didn’t matter what flavor of turnover he ordered from Arby’s, they would never get it right. He’d take it in stride and grew to expect it.

He was more than just a great man. He was a leader, a teacher, a believer in others, a great storyteller and knew that he would never live to be an old man. For nearly 7 years he packed his days full of life and knew that his days were numbered, while he didn’t talk about it much we knew it was on his mind more than he let anyone know. During those clear nights on the lake when the moon was full and air was cool, or on a snow covered mountain in Montana a certain look would pass over his face and you knew that he was measuring his life against all his dreams and expectations, you knew that this was a man who looked death in the face without fear.

Good Morning from God

Good Morning, this is God and today I will be handling all of your problems.

Please remember that I do not need your help.

If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, DO NOT attempt to resolve it.

Kindly put it in the SFJTD (Something For Jesus To Do) box.

It will be addressed in MY time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it or attempt to remove it.

Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem.

If it is a situation that you think you are capable of handling, please consult me in prayer to be sure that it is the proper resolution.

Because I do not sleep nor do I slumber, there is no need for you to lose any sleep.

Rest, my child.

If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away.

I didn't write this but I think it's really beautiful and worth sharing...

Oven Self Clean- Safety Concern

I am a pretty cautious cooker so when I'm using the oven I rarely have things overflow or splatter but after owning my oven for a couple years I decided it was time for a really good cleaning.I debated on buying a spray on oven cleaner but decided that my oven had a self clean mode so why not use that and save myself some time and a little money. I was aware that it would smell for awhile as it burned off the gunk but what I wasn't aware of was how hot the OUTSIDE of my oven would get. I admit that I didn't get out the book and read so it may be mentioned there but as the parent of a toddler I was quickly pulling chairs over and blocking the front too prevent her small hands from touching the oven.

Sure, the oven was clean and it took a couple hours for the oven to cool back down completely but if you are considering hitting those self-clean buttons, be aware that the inside of your oven might not be the only place that gets really HOT!

My good idea made $50!

What could you do with $50? I know I could make it go a lot further than I used to and I'm sure anyone who is watching budgets or bottom lines would agree. So how can you get an extra $50? Several years ago I had an idea to help keep track of library books when I checked them out (most print out "reciepts" now). After selecting all of my books, I'd stop at the copier, put all the books spine down and make a copy. I'd write the due date on the paper and stick it on the fridge, paying 10 cents for a copy was much less than late fees when I realized a month later that I forgot to return one of the books! I realized this was a good idea so I sent it to a magazine and about a month later I got a letter, a proof of the page that I had to confirm and upon returning that I got a $50 check in the mail!

If you're a thrifty mom who's a pro at saving dough, or have lots of good rainy day activities, or have households tips that you share with friends, why not share it with Family Circle and see what happens! Here's the link with more information and an email address.