So it Friday, November 14, 2014. I have now been blogging consecutively for 45 days. It is hard to believe that I came up with that many different things to say. And for the past 13 days, I have also been working on my NaNoWriMo project as well. I am finding lots of things to say. But as I began to think about what to blog about today, I hit a wall. I had Writer's Block. I started and deleted several drafts before I began this one.
Yet the third time proved to work. That is this version. It is so hard sometimes to put thoughts on paper. I want to be sure I am using the right words to convey exactly the meaning I want. After all you can't hear my voice or see my facial expressions or hand motions to know what I really mean. All I have is my words. The right words convey exactly the meaning I want, while the wrong words can leave nothing. I just know I have a lot I want and need to share. At the same time, I am finding a desire to write that I never knew I had.
I always thought my sister was the one with the writing talent in the family. I was gifted in math. But as the years have gone by, I find myself spending more time writing or editing writing. As Dennis attended college, I edited his papers for him. I edit my children's homeschool work. I edit my blog and various posts on various forums I am on. I am surrounded by words. I can't escape them. They follow me where ever I go.
What are you surrounded by? Or what do you find yourself doing that you did not expect to be doing? I hope you will share with me!
Friday, November 14, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Thankful Thursdays - November 13, 2014
Today is day 13 of the NaBloPoMo challenge. And I am still here. Today I want to do a post regarding some more things I am thankful for today.
Today I am thankful for a home that suits the needs of our family perfectly. My children are really enjoying it and it suits our family well.
I am thankful for those in my husband's family who took the time when I first met Dennis to teach me how to crochet. I have completed many blankets over the years. Most have been given away to family and friends. It is something I really enjoy doing.
I am thankful that my parents (my mom specifically) instilled a love of reading in me. I am never bored or without something to do because I can always read.
I am thankful for our 12 passenger van that allows us to travel in comfort and grocery shop in one trip instead of many trips.
Oh and in honor of Throwback Thursdays, here is a picture from several years back. This picture was from back in 2010. Boy have my children grown.
So what are you thankful for today?
Today I am thankful for a home that suits the needs of our family perfectly. My children are really enjoying it and it suits our family well.
I am thankful for those in my husband's family who took the time when I first met Dennis to teach me how to crochet. I have completed many blankets over the years. Most have been given away to family and friends. It is something I really enjoy doing.
I am thankful that my parents (my mom specifically) instilled a love of reading in me. I am never bored or without something to do because I can always read.
I am thankful for our 12 passenger van that allows us to travel in comfort and grocery shop in one trip instead of many trips.
Oh and in honor of Throwback Thursdays, here is a picture from several years back. This picture was from back in 2010. Boy have my children grown.
So what are you thankful for today?
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
DAY 12 NaBloPoMo - 12 Things I am Thankful For
Today is day 12 of the NaBloPoMo challenge. I thought I would share 12 things I am thankful for since it is November and quickly approaching Thanksgiving here in the USA.
12 Things I am Thankful for:
1) My amazing and wonderful husband. I was truly blessed when he entered my life.
2) My four children - They light up my world and keep life interesting.
3) My extended family - they too make life interesting.
4) My Online Bible Study friends that have become like family
5) My Savior Jesus Christ who was willing to die on the cross for my sins
6) The ability to homeschool my children
7) Our various church families: Because we have moved twice in the past 6 years, we have had to find new churches. Our church families in Greensburg (there were two different ones) and the three different ones we have interacted with where we are living now have blessed our family
8) The ability to serve God as he calls me to do
9) The Cozi app that allows me to keep track of our calendar and to share it with my family, including sending reminders.
10) YouVersion App - that ensures I spend time in God's Word every day.
11) My Teddy Bear that my wonderful husband bought me for our anniversary many years ago.
12) The ability to spend time blogging and writing.
So those are the things I am thankful for today. What are you thankful for? I would love to hear from you.
12 Things I am Thankful for:
1) My amazing and wonderful husband. I was truly blessed when he entered my life.
2) My four children - They light up my world and keep life interesting.
3) My extended family - they too make life interesting.
4) My Online Bible Study friends that have become like family
5) My Savior Jesus Christ who was willing to die on the cross for my sins
6) The ability to homeschool my children
7) Our various church families: Because we have moved twice in the past 6 years, we have had to find new churches. Our church families in Greensburg (there were two different ones) and the three different ones we have interacted with where we are living now have blessed our family
8) The ability to serve God as he calls me to do
9) The Cozi app that allows me to keep track of our calendar and to share it with my family, including sending reminders.
10) YouVersion App - that ensures I spend time in God's Word every day.
11) My Teddy Bear that my wonderful husband bought me for our anniversary many years ago.
12) The ability to spend time blogging and writing.
So those are the things I am thankful for today. What are you thankful for? I would love to hear from you.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Tasty Tuesdays - Mexican for the Lactose-Intolerant
Today is day 11 of NaBloPoMo and I wanted to do another "Tasty Tuesday" post about Mexican food. I have a child (well not exactly a young child - he is 18) who is extremely lactose intolerant. He is "can't eat anything that is even produced on a line where other products containing lactose are produced. We only discovered this less than 2 years ago and had been dealing with for over 7 years. So this really limits where we can eat at and what we can eat.
So I have had to get real creative in the kitchen. When we first received the diagnosis, we asked to speak to a nutritionist but had the request denied. Our gastro-intestinal doctor felt that handing us about 4 sheets of paper counted as nutritional counseling. Now for someone who had never even had friend in person that had the diagnosis, it made things very challenging. Many items either contain lactose (like certain brands of ramen noodles) or are produced on a line where other products are produced that contain lactose. But labels frequently don't identify that fact.
Our family loves Mexican food, but with someone who is lactose-intolerant it is out. So you can't imagine our excitement when we discovered a brand of cheese that is lactose-free because of the way it is made. So this allowed us to increase some of the items we could fix.
So there is our version of Mexican food. I hope you enjoy! What is your favorite food?
So I have had to get real creative in the kitchen. When we first received the diagnosis, we asked to speak to a nutritionist but had the request denied. Our gastro-intestinal doctor felt that handing us about 4 sheets of paper counted as nutritional counseling. Now for someone who had never even had friend in person that had the diagnosis, it made things very challenging. Many items either contain lactose (like certain brands of ramen noodles) or are produced on a line where other products are produced that contain lactose. But labels frequently don't identify that fact.
Our family loves Mexican food, but with someone who is lactose-intolerant it is out. So you can't imagine our excitement when we discovered a brand of cheese that is lactose-free because of the way it is made. So this allowed us to increase some of the items we could fix.
So for the last two months or so, I have tried preparing mexican food for our family. Tortillas are safe. I make homemade guacamole from avocadoes, green and/or red bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, red onions and I may or may not use cilantro (part of my family likes it and part of my family does not). I cut open and scoop out the inside of the avocados (discarding the seed) and place it in my food processor with some lime juice. I coarsely chop it. Then I dice the rest of the ingredients and mix them together gently. I typically add mesquite seasoning, chipolte seasoning and a small amount of chili powder to taste. I have some in my family who can't take a tremendous amount of spice, so I go on the light side. Add whatever is right for your taste.
I start a pot of rice (well I actually have either my son or my husband do this for me). We also put a pot of either black beans or white northern beans on to cook, adding some of the mexican seasonings to them. Then I brown either ground beef or chicken in a fry pan. Once it is browned, I add the same spices that I added to the guacamole - again to taste. In the meantime, my children and husband dice tomatoes and onions, shred lettuce and cheese and prepare the table with the other items including the tortillas, taco sauce, salsa and sour cream. When everything is ready I set up a station with the ingredients. I then have each family member tell me what they want on their burito/taco. I add those ingredients to their shell and wrap it for them.
Here is a picture of my husband's after he had made it picture perfect.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Day 10 of NaBloPoMo Challenge - 41 DAYS IN A ROW OF BLOGGING
So today is day 10 of the NaBloPoMo challenge. So I have now been blogging for 41 days straight. I am rather proud of my accomplishment. In addition to the NaBloPoMo challenge, I am also participating in the NaNoWriMo challenge. My goal for that challenge is to write 50,000 words by the end of November. So far I am keeping up well. I am not going to go into details about what topic I have chosen to write about yet. But I have to say I am pleased with my progress.
I never planned on trying to write a novel. I never really planned on writing anything. But I have to say I am enjoying the writing process. It is somewhat magical to come to my computer with nothing really on my mind and see what eventually becomes a blog post or part of the book. Of course our life is never boring, so I can find plenty to say.
So what things have you done or are doing that you never expected to see yourself doing?
I never planned on trying to write a novel. I never really planned on writing anything. But I have to say I am enjoying the writing process. It is somewhat magical to come to my computer with nothing really on my mind and see what eventually becomes a blog post or part of the book. Of course our life is never boring, so I can find plenty to say.
So what things have you done or are doing that you never expected to see yourself doing?
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Week in Review - NaNoBloMo Day 9
So we have had quite a week around here. We had to take our youngest son to get his military id renewed. Since we were already going to Hershey Medical Center on Wednesday for our second son, we decided to combine the trips into one. The two boys, Dennis and I left the house around 8 am and followed the GPS' instructions to get to Carlisle (the nearest location to renew a military id). We were directed to get off of the main road way before we expected to do so. But we wound up liking the back road we went on for the most part.
We completely missed Harrisburg and some other high traffic areas. When we arrived at Carlisle, the GPS brought us in the back gate, which was perfect for where we were going. We found a parking spot and walked into the ID center. There were several people ahead of us. So we sat and waited. Finally it was our turn. We quickly completed what was necessary to get the id and were back on the road. By this time, everyone was getting hungry. So we started to decide where we wanted to eat at. We finally decided on Mexican. Several years ago, we found a really good Mexican restaurant in the area. So we used the GPS to find it. Although, the area had changed so much that we were not sure we were at the right place. Once we walked inside we knew we had though.
Dennis and Joseph ordered a chicken dish with jalapeno peppers. Nathan ordered the fajitas, while I ordered chimichangas. The meals were fantastic. We really enjoyed our meals. We then continued on our way to the Medical Center. We arrived at the medical center and followed the directions provided to us. We finally found a parking spot (it was quite the adventure) and went inside. While our second son located a bathroom, Dennis and I located where we were going (this was our first time ever in this medical center). Once everyone had used the facilities, we went into the clinic.
We knew we were about an hour early, but decided to check in anyhow. Surprisingly, when we got back to the waiting room, our son was almost immediately called back. By the end of his appointment, I knew my son was exceptionally flexible (which I already knew) and that he did not have Marfan's Syndrome. I also knew my son thought it was really fun to have a geneticist, a genetics counselor and a medical school student all in his room at the same time. I also found out our son is well over 6 feet tall now.
To finish off our week, our microwave oven died. This is a tremendous tragedy for our family. It is used to make tea, prepare lunches and even fix dinner at times. So with a broken microwave, it is not a good thing.
So how has your week been?
We completely missed Harrisburg and some other high traffic areas. When we arrived at Carlisle, the GPS brought us in the back gate, which was perfect for where we were going. We found a parking spot and walked into the ID center. There were several people ahead of us. So we sat and waited. Finally it was our turn. We quickly completed what was necessary to get the id and were back on the road. By this time, everyone was getting hungry. So we started to decide where we wanted to eat at. We finally decided on Mexican. Several years ago, we found a really good Mexican restaurant in the area. So we used the GPS to find it. Although, the area had changed so much that we were not sure we were at the right place. Once we walked inside we knew we had though.
Dennis and Joseph ordered a chicken dish with jalapeno peppers. Nathan ordered the fajitas, while I ordered chimichangas. The meals were fantastic. We really enjoyed our meals. We then continued on our way to the Medical Center. We arrived at the medical center and followed the directions provided to us. We finally found a parking spot (it was quite the adventure) and went inside. While our second son located a bathroom, Dennis and I located where we were going (this was our first time ever in this medical center). Once everyone had used the facilities, we went into the clinic.
We knew we were about an hour early, but decided to check in anyhow. Surprisingly, when we got back to the waiting room, our son was almost immediately called back. By the end of his appointment, I knew my son was exceptionally flexible (which I already knew) and that he did not have Marfan's Syndrome. I also knew my son thought it was really fun to have a geneticist, a genetics counselor and a medical school student all in his room at the same time. I also found out our son is well over 6 feet tall now.
To finish off our week, our microwave oven died. This is a tremendous tragedy for our family. It is used to make tea, prepare lunches and even fix dinner at times. So with a broken microwave, it is not a good thing.
So how has your week been?
Saturday, November 8, 2014
SATURDAY SAYINGS
So it is Saturday once again, and it is time for Saturday sayings. Today I will not just be relating something one of my children said, instead I will be telling you something that was said to one of my children as well.
This week we had to take our second son in to see a geneticist. When we arrived at the Medical center, we quickly found where we were supposed to go. We were an hour early, but they let us register. We were then sent to the "Carnival" waiting room. Very quickly we were checked in and my son and I were placed in a room (Dad and #3 son stayed in the waiting room).
A medical student entered our room and began taking the history. Then he left and said the geneticist would be in shortly. Well imagine my son's surprise when the doctor, the med student and a genetics counselor all entered our room. My son commented, "Boy I must be really important to have 3 people taking care of me." or at least that was the general idea of what he said.
The geneticist told my son, "Boy you really fill out your 'genes'! The funny thing was that Joseph had commented earlier about his "genes" and pointed to his "jeans" that he was wearing.
The appointment went well and we have nothing to worry about, which makes this mother very happy.
The geneticist told me that before we left the center, we would be provided a website to go to for information about the condition that my son could have had. The genetics counselor (a woman), told him that they were NOT going to give me the website. She said there was no need to scare me, which I appreciated. All in all the visit went very well and I was very impressed with the staff and facility (or at least what I saw of it anyhow).
So what has gone on in your week?
This week we had to take our second son in to see a geneticist. When we arrived at the Medical center, we quickly found where we were supposed to go. We were an hour early, but they let us register. We were then sent to the "Carnival" waiting room. Very quickly we were checked in and my son and I were placed in a room (Dad and #3 son stayed in the waiting room).
A medical student entered our room and began taking the history. Then he left and said the geneticist would be in shortly. Well imagine my son's surprise when the doctor, the med student and a genetics counselor all entered our room. My son commented, "Boy I must be really important to have 3 people taking care of me." or at least that was the general idea of what he said.
The geneticist told my son, "Boy you really fill out your 'genes'! The funny thing was that Joseph had commented earlier about his "genes" and pointed to his "jeans" that he was wearing.
The appointment went well and we have nothing to worry about, which makes this mother very happy.
The geneticist told me that before we left the center, we would be provided a website to go to for information about the condition that my son could have had. The genetics counselor (a woman), told him that they were NOT going to give me the website. She said there was no need to scare me, which I appreciated. All in all the visit went very well and I was very impressed with the staff and facility (or at least what I saw of it anyhow).
So what has gone on in your week?
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