Sweet Music and a Child's Goodnight

Of all my mommy memories, I love to recall when Tiffani was little and wanted me to sing her to sleep. Everynight until she was about four years old, I'd sing various lullabies and two specific songs ~ the 3rd verse of Away in the Manger (Be near me Lord Jesus...) and The Flower that Shattered the Stone.

She recently told me that she'd get so sad when I sang The Flower that Shattered the Stone, because it was normally the last one that I'd sing and she knew that I'd be leaving her room. Awww...

We started recalling those precious nights as we walked around our neighborhood one dark evening, singing at the top of lungs. She'd found some old cassette tapes in a box that she just unpacked after two years. One of the cassettes was made specifically for her called Tiffani's Lullaby, where the Man on the Moon spoke to her. Very cute!

A few days later I came across this quote from Thomas Alva Edison:

Of all my inventions, I liked the phonograph best.

Life's most soothing things are sweet music and a child's goodnight.

"Good Rice"

The rice we had in Florida was so delicious, we decided to find a recipe for "Good Rice." Here it is...we added clove of garlic to get closer to the recipe we enjoyed, but there still seems to be something missing. Anyone know what it could be??

1/2 cup butter
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
1 large onion, chopped
salt, to taste
Optional: 1 clove of garlic

1. Melt butter and saute onion until transparent. Add rice and stir constantly until it turns a caramel color.
2. Add chicken broth, then parsley, basil and salt. Bring to a boil and lower flame. Cover and steam rice for 18 minutes. Fluff with a large 2 prong fork.

Sand Key, Florida

We returned from Sand Key, Florida today. A beautiful place to have a business trip. We didn't get to explore until our last evening, but we enjoyed our time out of the Sheraton Sand Key Resort!

The beaches in this area were not sandy like California beaches. They were hard-packed sand and crushed shells. This picture looks toward the Gulf of Mexico, walking from our hotel. Tiff is on the left.

Here's the side of the hotel that faced the Gulf of Mexico.

You can see the water in this picture. A 6-foot deep line of seaweed stands between beach-goers and the Gulf waters.

Enough said!

Always have to have a tootsie picture!

While on the beach, we ran into another couple who attended our seminar (they live in CA too). They snapped this Mother-Daughter picture.

The 2 pictures above were taken at the Columbia Restaurant across the street from our hotel. Being on the other side of the street, this water is called the InterCoastal. We watched the dolphins in these waters while we ate our Mahi Mahi, "Good Rice," Yuca Root, and Plantains. "Good Rice" was prepared with a wonderful blend of spices and Yuca Root is similar in taste/consistency to a potato.

This boardwalk followed the shops and hotels along the InterCoastal, where we found a cute, little ice cream shop. Did we indulge? Absolutely!

Rejoice, Pray and Give Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:13-18

13 ...Live in peace with one another.

14 We urge you, brethren,

admonish the unruly,

encourage the fainthearted,

help the weak,

be patient with everyone.

15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil,

but always seek after that which is good

for one another and for all people.

16 Rejoice always;
17 pray without ceasing;
18 in everything give thanks;

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Monterey Chicken Casseroles

We found this recipe in a magazine years ago. It quickly became a family favorite...a "double do-over." We bake the casseroles in the individual baking dishes, but I'm sure it can probably be baked in a larger single baking dish.

6 six-inch Corn tortillas, each cut into 6 wedges
2 cups Chicken, cooked/cubed
1 cup Corn, frozen
4 oz can Green chiles, diced
1 16 oz. jar Salsa verde
3 T. Sour Cream
1 T. Flour, all-purpose
1 cup Mexican cheese, crumbled
Optional: diced tomatoes, diced jalepeno peppers, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, etc.

1. Preheat oven at 350 F degrees. Spray four 10-12 oz baking dishes with non-stick coating.
2. Place 5 unbaked tortilla wedges into the bottom of each dish.
3. Place remaining wedges on a baking sheet; bake for about 10 minutes (until crisp & golden).
4. Meanwhile, combine chicken, corn, chiles, salsa, sour cream, and flour in a medium bowl and divide mixture between the four baking dishes.
5. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
6. Arrange baked tortilla pieces on top of baked casseroles and top with cheese. Bake 5-10 more minutes. Garnish per taste. Makes four servings.

Optional garnishes: cilantro, cheese, jalepeno peppers, olives, sour cream, tomatoes, etc.

Faith, Hope & Charity

"My daughter just had triplets! I have to show you the pictures!" she exclaimed.

Who, you may be asking? The sweet lady who sat next to me on the first leg of our trip to Sand Key, Florida today. It was so fun! She was so excited and the pictures were beautiful. The precious girls are just a month old. Their names? Faith, Hope, and Charity! Darling...

After talking for about an hour, it turns out that we were actually acquainted with Linda from a church that we attended a while back. Tiffani remembered her on stage singing with the choir. We hope to run into her again some time, so we can see updated pictures of her dear grandbabies. Maybe take a picture of the five of them for our blog.

We pray that with the Lord's help all three of these beautiful little girls will manifest in life what their names connote.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three;

but the greatest of these is charity.

~ 1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV)

And may we all be blessed with
Faith, Hope and Charity
in our own lives!

* * * * *

Quote of the Day:
"Ohhh...I thought she said Faith, Hope and Jerry!"
~Tiffani
(engine noise in the plane kept her from hearing Charity)

Survey: Favorite Activities?

Find the Surveys in the column to the right of the posts. There are two Surveys, so if you are both a Mother and a Daughter, please choose up to 3 activities in each one.

We're interested in seeing if there is a difference in the choices of Mothers and Daughters.

Mothers & Daughters...Sisters & Friends III

A daughter is

the happy memories of the past,

the joyful moments of the present,

and the hope and promise of the future.

~Author Unknown

More pictures from 8th grade graduation...June 2007.
Three generations of mothers and daugthers...beautiful!

A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be a friend.

~Author Unknown

Hospitality

In her beautiful (to the heart and eye) book, Simple Words of Wisdom, Penelope J. Stokes writes: "...In biblical times, hospitality was a matter of life and death. God's people were commanded to be hospitable to strangers ~ to provide food and water and shelter to them, lest they die in the hostile desert climate."

Near the end of her entry on Hospitality, Ms. Stokes imparts, "For the most part, the people who travel through our daily lives aren't in danger of dying from exposure or malnutrition or dehydration. But they do need spiritual sustenance ~ the bread of truth, the water of grace, and the encompassing shelter of God's love."

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. ~ Hebrews 13:2



Over the years I've learned that Hospitality can simply mean "being available." It's about caring for and nurturing others. Providing a refreshing atmosphere in your home and in your manner. Letting others in, whether your home is spotless or not.

Hospitality can be as effortless as putting on a pot of tea and setting out a plate of Pepperidge Farm distinctive collection. Or as elaborate as inviting others over for a five-course meal.

Here are other common considerations...Taking a meal to a family who's recently had a new baby. Presenting a homebound sister with a prettily wrapped banana bread. Speaking with, comforting, or praying with a friend in-person or on the phone. A myriad of ideas probably pop into your mind.

All in all, it's really not "what we do," but the "intention" of what we're doing and why we're doing it. Do we need a little prodding? Does it overflow as the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

What are your favorite ways to practice Hospitality?

Cell Phone Surprise!

Sometimes Mother-Daughter Outings include going out to buy special things!

How fun was this day?! Tiffani had asked now and again when she'd be able to have to her own cell phone. I never like giving "ages," so I told her, "when you need one."

We decided she "needed one" when neither the mother nor I could reach her one day at a home where she was babysitting. (It turns out that their house phone had been forwarded and the kids never even heard the home phone ring.)

Jeff and I decided to let her know she could pick one out as a Christmas gift last year. That's her "surprised and shocked" face in the picture above.

A few days later we were off to the phone store to put her on the Family Plan. All new territory for us as parents, since these things didn't exist when we were her age!

Red Raspberry

Q: I've heard you talk about a red raspberry herb that helps girls and women.

Can you tell me more about it? ~ Anna

A: Yes! We love Red Raspberry! The Red Raspberry leaves have been known worldwide for centuries to support the female system. Most commonly known to be used during pregnancy, the leaves are recommended for females from puberty on.

"Red Raspberry Leaf's effectiveness is not limited to women who are pregnant or delivering babies. It is also great for young girls who need calcium and hormone support as their bodies change rapidly, or women who have hormone imbalances, especially during menopause and after. And at any stage, it can be used for improving the tone of the reproductive system, to support normal hormone levels or just as a good source for bioavailable calcium." *

The leaves are full of Vitamin C ~ a vitamin that a body uses up so quickly with stress and environmental pollutants. Red Raspberry is in its whole form, so the body doesn't have to rob from its stores of other factors to create a whole vitamin C.

Girls and women can easily add Red Raspberry Leaf capsules, liquid, or tea to their daily diet. Ask a trusted nutritionist or herbalist for a good brand recommendation.

*This quote came from my research notes on Red Raspberry back in 1993. It's my favorite quote, because it's so concise. I am sorry to say that I do not have its reference.

Make your own Red Raspberry tea and other uses
More information about Red Raspberry

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