~ The Breakfast of Champions ~

Begin with a delightful loaf of homemade bread.

Cut a couple slices and slather with butter and peanut butter. I know, I know. You could skip the butter, but WHY?? Put the two slices together and, voila!, a peanut butter sandwich. Aren't you glad you tuned in for today's blog? Wait, I'm not done yet.

Brew yourself a smooth cup of coffee. Add cream (and sugar, if you must).

Now you're ready for my all-time favorite breakfast from my childhood years. Dunk your peanut butter sandwich into the coffee, letting a bite-sized corner soak up JUST ENOUGH coffee ... but not so much that it falls into your cup. Yes, there is an art to this.

You have to lean into this breakfast, and don't be too surprised if you have coffee dripping down your chin by the time you're done.

When you get to the last bite, just toss it into your cup. Let it float for a while, but don't let it sink! Scoop it up with your spoon and enjoy.

Slurp! Mmmm!

By the time you've finished the sandwich, you probably won't have much coffee left. If you don't mind a little butterfat or soggy crumbs floating in your coffee, drink up. Otherwise, pour it down the drain and finish breakfast with a fresh cup of coffee.

Ahhh. Memories.

~*~ I Yam What's I Yam ~*~

"Is it 'possible' to stop reading self-help/improvement books and just be me?!"

Earlier this week I wrote the above question in my a thought a day five year journal. This morning I checked my Kindle and discovered I have downloaded at least a hundred books (all free, thank you very much!) that want to help me live better, longer, more like Jesus, healthier, and happier; that plan to give me the keys to being a more vibrant and more productive wife, mother, Christian, friend, and citizen ... in just a week or two, or 5 easy steps, or eat this not that, or dream/pray it and believe/receive it.

Well, blow me down!

In my life, it's not others who are blowing me down; I blow myself down by constantly asking, "What's the matter with me? Why can't I ...? Why is it so hard to ...?

The bottom line is, this is who I am! As Popeye sang so poignantly, "I yam what's I yam and that's all what's I yam...."

God made me to be ME. There are things I do well and love to do; there are things I can't do very well or don't want to do; there are things I simply can't do.

I'm all for being the best me I can be. But all my plans and mindsets and determination aren't going to make a whole lot of difference, especially if every book I read shows me another new plan. As I've been telling myself for the past year: Lighten up!! How about I just live each day to the best of my ability and let it go at that?

Since God made me, I need to trust in his capable hands. Does he want to change something in my life, set my feet in a different direction, surprise me with something new? Well, okay then! I'm open! My part is to stay in touch with him.

Listen to this from The Message Bible, in Matthew, chapter 11, verses 29 & 30: "Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Ahhh. Lighten up! Yes!!

Original Release Poster

~*~ Happy New Ears ~*~

Li'l Sneezer's famous words, "I been sick," have been rolling around in my head for the past few days. A cold that just wouldn't quit finally prodded me to the doctor. She said I had a sinus infection and the start of an ear infection, so now I'm on antibiotics for two weeks.

My energy level is slowly getting back to normal, but my ears have been blocked for 4 or 5 days. (Seems more like 4 or 5 weeks!) The strangest part has been constantly hearing my heartbeat in my ears. Strange and aggravating! In my usual style, I've been analyzing what this might mean.

• Do I only think about myself?
• Do I only hear what I want to hear?
• Weldon has a constant ringing in his ears, and I have expressed frustration with his lack of hearing/listening skills. Will I be more compassionate and understanding now?

I think you get my drift.

Besides "I been sick," this verse from an old hymn has been traveling through my mind.

Open my ears, that I may hear

voices of truth thou sendest clear;

and while the wavenotes fall on my ear,

everything false will disappear.

Silently now I wait for thee,

ready my God, thy will to see.

Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!  

Yes! I want to hear God's voice! Deaf people can hear his voice; people not looking for God can hear his voice; Jews, Hindus, Muslims can hear his voice ... because he is always speaking! Perhaps we don't hear because we only have our own heartbeat ringing in our ears. I'm part of the "Me" generation, you know!

• You will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way. Follow it, whether it turns to the right or to the left." (Isaiah 30:21)
• The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. (Psalm 50:1)
• I want to hear what God the LORD says, because he promises peace to his people, to his godly ones. But they must not go back to their stupidity. (love this one! Psalm 85:8)
• God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. (Job 37:5)

So, I continue to pray that my ears will be opened - naturally and spiritually. The beginning of a New Year is a fine place to start. And then I want to remember to begin each new day with the same excitement and resolve: Open my ears, that I may hear!!!

 Happy New Ears!! 

~*~ DIY Christmas Tree ~*~

Some of my daughters' earliest memories of Christmas trees are of branches painted white, stuck in a can of cement, and hung with lights and ornaments. Such was our Christmas tree during the years we spent in Haiti. We loved the uniqueness of it and the way you could see right through the tree to enjoy the ornaments on the other side.

This is not my photo, but I was glad to find it on a blog!

For several years, Anna has wanted to try making a similar tree. She decided on three different types of branches, a pot, and floral foam. Fortunately, when she was ready to put it all together, my grandson Marshall and I were there to help. Oh, and let's not forget Thistle!

Anna cutting foam to fill up the pot.

Action shot: Thistle wants to help!

These are real branches that have been "flocked".

Two sets of branches are pre-lit, so we had to deal with the electric cords.

The shortest branches are metal and could be carefully bent.

Tah Dah!!!

Anna wanted to let her kitty get used to the tree before she added the ornaments. Maybe she will comment here and give us an update on "Thistle Versus the DIY Christmas Tree."

In case I don't post again this month,

Merry Christmas and a Blessed & Happy New Year!

~*~ Facebook ~*~

Some days are simply too busy for much Facebook time; other days there is nothing cute, interesting, meaningful, or funny to share. Then there are days like today. "ooh. I should put that on Facebook!" So, instead of driving everyone crazy with way too many inconsequential posts, I'm going to put them all right here and be done with it!

• grrr. are ALL men like this?
• YAY!! the sun is shining
• A guy who stopped by the farm yesterday (someone we hadn't previously met) came to help Weldon cut the corn today. amazing!!
• froze 12 cups of black-eyed peas and fixed some for lunch. They're really good cooked with corn. mmmmm
• Considering how much I loved my time in Haiti, I sometimes ask myself why I left and didn't stay in touch with anyone there.
• God is making popcorn for the angels! Guess not. Turned out it was just tons of acorns clunking down on all the tin roofs around here.
• Rolly went to his new home this afternoon. makes me happy and sad.

They're going to call him Thor

~*~ Fry Baby, Fry ~*~

I'm from up north, y'all. But do I try to adjust to southern ways and do things with southern charm? You betcha! I mean ... Yes, ma'am!

Take okra. Please! Take okra!! No one seems to really love it, but everyone plants a ton of it in the garden and then tries to give it away to the neighbors. I had never had okra before coming to the farm and I haven't had much since then. It's just so dang slimy!

However, my lovely mother-in-law has shown me a good and easy way to cook the stuff. Yes, it's a little slimy while you're cutting it, but at least it isn't slimy when you put the finished product in your mouth.

Are you getting excited or simply trying not to gag? This is a "wing it" recipe, by the way. I usually have to have exact measurements, so if I can do this, you can too!

Fried Taters and Okra

Ingredients: butter, onion, potatoes, okra, salt & pepper, corn meal

Start by choosing your frying pan. That will determine how much room you'll have for the ingredients. Chop your onion, cube the potatoes, and slice the okra into rounds. I suggest you use at least twice as much potatoes as okra, but that's just me.

Toss a hunk of butter in the frying pan and throw in the onion and potatoes. Fry until the potatoes just begin to get soft. You can put a lid on it to speed up the process. Then add those charming little okra (okras?). Add salt and pepper, or get creative with some additional spices. I don't care.

If you want to use precooked potatoes, fry the okra and onion first and then throw in the cooked potatoes. Either way, once everything is in the pan, if it's looking a little dry, add some more butter and continue frying until everything is cooked and sizzling nicely.

Next step, sprinkle yellow corn meal over the whole works. Stir. Repeat. The potatoes and okra should have a nice coating of corn meal, but there shouldn't be excess piles of corn meal sitting in the bottom of the frying pan.

Continue to fry until everything looks delightfully browned. Dish it up and holler, "Come and get it!"

By gully, that's good eatin'!

~*~ How to Get a Job ~*~

My paternal grandmother painted this picture in 1915.

I kept the unframed watercolor tucked away among papers and books for many years, but in 2005 I had some Christmas money saved up and I decided it was time to get it framed.

I went to Hampton House Art & Frame in King, NC, and hemmed and hawed over mats and frames. The woman was very helpful and knowledgeable, but she listened to my ideas, too. Everything is top-notch quality to make sure the painting will be preserved and won't fade away with the effects of time, air, and light. I was (and am) delighted with the finished product.

Fast forward to 2009. I met a lady at the milk barn with the last name of Hampton and before long we connected via Facebook. A short while later, the little light bulb went on in my head and I confirmed that she was, indeed, part of the "Hampton House" family.

In January 2011, I sent this note to Lara Hampton: "It was good to see you this morning, Lara! And when I saw you, I had a few strange thoughts. I thought, 'There aren't very many artsy places in King ... except for Hampton House!' I thought, 'I might like to work there. I wonder if they're hiring?' Silly, I know ... but I'm serious. I have 11 years experience in typical office/receptionist work. I have no formal training in the art world but I'm quite artistic. Let me know if you should ever have an opening that I might be able to fill."

And here we are in the present day. We barely kept our heads above water when we were milking 30 cows; now we are milking six! (Never fear! Cows will start calving in about a month and we'll be back up to 24 - 30 in no time at all.) However, I seriously started wondering if I should start looking for a job. And I seriously questioned who in the world is going to hire a 61-year-old woman for a job that some young whipper-snapper would snag in no time flat!

So, in my usual style, I began praying: "Lord, if it's time for me to get a job, you're just going to have to drop it in my lap. That's all I know. Amen"

This past Saturday I got a note from Lara: "Hey Cindy, still interested in trying out a part time job?" (We had never spoken of the little note I had sent almost 2 years previously. You can imagine my shock!)

I went in this morning, met with the family, got the tour, and I'll start with a few hours on Thursday. I get to learn the whole framing business! Well, that's the plan, anyway. We'll see how it goes. One step at a time. I love it!!! (Oh, and let's keep it quiet about my being 61, okay?)

"Lord, You're AWESOME!! That's all I know. Amen"