April is Autism Awareness Month!

Do you know a family affected by autism?

Make sure you take time to encourage them this

month! Say a prayer for them and for the

finding of a cure!

Some people don't like the puzzle piece symbol

being used to represent autism, but I personally think

it is perfect. I posted some of my feelings about a year

ago in a A Puzzle.

****

In that post, I said ........

"Whoever chose a puzzle piece to represent the disorder was exactly right. Finding a cure for your child is like a 10,000 piece puzzle all of the same color, with a few thousand fake pieces thrown in just for frustration. I'm overwhelmed when I think that each of my three boys has a different puzzle. And yet, how frustrating to them to be trapped in their world. So much potential that can't break through. The responsibility of finding treatments and help for them is enormous."

****

Thanks so much to my blog friends for

encouraging me! I've met lots of other

moms in the same situation and it's been

great to follow your life stories, too!

****

“You need to be aware

of what others are doing,

applaud their efforts,

acknowledge their successes,

and encourage them in their pursuits.

When we all help one another,

everybody wins.” ~~Jim Stovall

Cream

"Cream doesn't rise to the top.

It works its way up!"

~~proverb

Going and Coming

"Going and Coming"

Norman Rockwell

~~~~

I just love this painting! The family going on a little day trip

to the lake. Isn't this just how it really is? So much fun

and anticipation on the way...and then the worn out

feeling on the way home. Poor old mom and dad look

like they have really had it! The only one that looks the

same is the grandma in the back! She must have

sat under a shade tree and relaxed all day!

I fondly remember that feeling of being worn

out from a fun day as a kid.

And look...it's before car seats and seat belts!

Scrumptious Salads

We are big salad eaters in our house! This is one of my favorite

combinations and we have it a couple of times a week.

When the summer tomatoes come, they replace the strawberries.

Otherwise, it's a combination of...

prewashed bagged mesclun mix

(sometimes I add chopped romaine)

cucumbers,

onions (sliced so tiny and

paper thin that Taylor can't see them! shhhh!)

frozen peas (thaw in a

glass of warm water for a minute or two)

shredded cheese and rice noodles.

I love to whisk a quick dressing of olive oil,

lemon juice, s & p and garlic. But if it's the bottled stuff, we all

have our favorites...honey mustard, poppyseed, and ranch.

Senior Pictures

I must admit there are times when having boys

are so much easier than girls! After talking to

some of my friends who have senior girls this year,

I know that our senior picture experience was less

painful. Taylor didn't want a big fuss....the only

outfit change was to remove the hoodie and put

on a sweater. The only thing he did to get

ready was to take a shower and brush his teeth!

I can't imagine the makeup, hair and outfit

choices if he were a girl.

We were in and out of there in

30 minutes and that included seeing shots on

the computer and picking our favorites!

Making Every Day Count

I've been reminded lately of the newness of each day. Every morning

we are given a fresh new 24 hours. What will we do with a fresh new day?

It's another chance to make it count. A blog friend posted a question

she had been dealing with about what she was

doing to further God's Kingdom.

Another friend replied that she wasn't sure she was doing too much herself.

But I think loving your kids, your grandkids, your spouse, your neighbor...

making the world a better place...these are all things that let God's love

shine through. Promoting peace and love, forgiveness and friendship...

those are the things that make each day count. Even in doing the mundane

things of daily life...we are caring for our families...

and that is pleasing to God.

We give them nuturing homes in which to thrive.

So, what did you do today? Did you show love and peace or did you waste it

on bitterness and anger? Our sermon in church

Sunday spoke about the greatest

commandment of Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself. It was pointed out that

this doesn't mean an absence of wrongdoing,

but an active response of love to

others. And it's not difficult, is it? It's hardly any

effort to give someone a smile

or to show someone you care.

Wow...so much good to do and so little time, huh!?

And you know what I've found...you try to encourage someone

and you end up receiving a blessing yourself.

It's a win-win situation!

~~~~

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy."

~~St. Francis of Assisi

The Love of Birds

One of my favorite things about spring is that I so enjoy

the birds in my yard! I need to get out my binoculars,

Life List, and identification books! You never know

when an unknown stranger will come for a visit!

"I hope you love birds, too.

It is economical.

It saves going to heaven." ~~Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

Taylor and Mr. Bird, 2003

Taylor was 12, Mr. Bird was 1

They're both a little older now! :)

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

3-4 lbs. stew meat or roast

1 rib celery, diced

1 lg onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

14 oz ketchup

2 T bottled bbq sauce

dash cayeene

1 T chili powder

1 T salt

1/2 t pepper

1 c water

1 T vinegar

Cut and trim meat into large pieces.

Combine all other ingredients and pour over meat

in dutch oven. Heat til boiling, reduce heat, cover

and simmer 4 hours til meat is tender. Remove fat and

bone. Shred with fork. If too soupy, simmer uncover.

If too dry, add a little water.

~~~~

15 large sandwiches

~~~~

I usually make half this amount. And I usually

leave the celery and green pepper in large pieces

and remove them with the bone.

~~~~

This smells incredible while it's simmering all afternoon!

We gobbled it up...as shown... with oven fries and salad.

I've Been Tagged!

Lavinia at Bird Bath Chronicles has tagged with me

her own special meme! I'm supposed to tell of a

cleaning quirk that I have. Well, I guess I have a few!

My first one is that I have a chore list that I print off

every Monday morning. It lists everything that should

ideally be done around the house every week. I do

what I'm in the mood to do and try to get most everything

marked off before the weekend.

I am a huge list person, so it fits me perfectly.

And hey...a family of 6, with a rabbit, fish, parakeets and a yard

needs a little structure to run smoothly, right?

And in the spirit of Keeping it Real....I don't usually get

the whole thing marked off!

And in a weird coincidence, I blogged about my cleaning list

on this exact day last year! Funny!

Lipstick Rules

"Where lipstick is concerned, the important thing

is not color,but to accept God's final word

on where your lips end." ~~Jerry Seinfeld

Happy Weekend!

Good morning! Sit down and have some

breakfast with me! How about

toast and homemade pear

preserves with your cereal?

And how about a cup of tea or coffee?

One lump or two?

"The Springing of the Year"

A Prayer in Spring Robert Frost (1915)

~~~~ Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest; keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year.

~~~~

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,

Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;

And make us happy in the happy bees,

The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

~~~~

And make us happy in the darting bird

That suddenly above the bees is heard,

The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,

And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

~~~~

For this is love and nothing else is love,

The which it is reserved for God above

To sanctify to what far ends He will,

But which it only needs that we fulfil.

The Spring Alarm Clock

Do these guys really have to start chirping

at 4:00 in the morning?

We really have a lot of robins in our yard. Here in Ohio, they are considered one of the first signs that spring is here! They are known, of course for their bright orangey red breast and their bright blue eggs.

They are known for their habit of hopping along the ground and also for cocking their head to one side. When they do this, they are actually listening for worms moving underground. On a good day, one robin will eat

15 feet (yes, feet) of worms!

They also eat insects and even small frogs. They do not eat seed.

Because of their eating habits, they are especially fun to watch in a birdbath. They don't just daintily stand on the side and take a sip...they jump straight in and take a whole bath. They need it after all that digging in the dirt! We usually have nests on several downspouts on our house each spring.

So.. Welcome, Robins! But could you keep it down until 7:00?

Chocolate to Make You Beautiful!

I run a little gift basket business out of my home, so

I try to keep things like packaged chocolates on hand

for last minute orders. This package's expiration date

was about up, so I thought I'd better eat them myself! ha-ha!

I did have to laugh, though, when reading the label...we don't need to feel guilty about indulging! After all, these chocolates have added vitamins and minerals for our skin! Plus...the "natural goodness of cocoa flavanols to help hydrate from within"

(hmmm...wouldn't drinking a glass of water be better?) And to top it all off...there is an uplifting message inside each wrapper! So eat up, people....your hips may not thank you... but your skin and emotional well-being will! :)

Origami Fortune Teller

Did you make these when you were a kid? I bet I folded and

decorated a hundred of these when I was around 5th or 6th

grade. So much fun to make and even more fun to work....

kinda like aerobics for your fingers!

And the little messages we wrote inside

were fun, too! I guess they are still popular because

google provided instructions and lots of pictures!

What a fun memory!

Care to pick a color?

Magnificent Millefiori

I was introduced to millefiori several years ago by a friend.

She had been to France, toured the Murano Glass Company,

and purchased a beautiful millefiori pendant.

Millefiori is a glasswork technique which produces distinctive

decorative patterns on glassware. The term millefiori is a combination

of the Italian words "mille" (thousand) and "fiori" (flowers).

The millefiori technique involves the production of glass canes or rods,

known as murrine, with multicolored patterns which are viewable

only from the cut ends of the cane. A murrine rod is heated in a furnace,

pulled until thin while still maintaining the cross section's design,

and then cut into beads or discs when cooled.

I've since purchased these three pieces for myself....a paperweight...

And a couple of pendants. I think I like it so much because it reminds me of these favorite childhood candies. Kind of made with the same process.... just sugar instead of glass!

Stepping Back In Time

As our children grow up, my sister and I have had several

conversations about being a little sad that the child is gone

as they turn into adults. Not that we don't want them to grow up,

but you just kind of miss that little person that hung around your

knees and asked you for a juice bottle. Sometimes you can

stumble across a little something that triggers memories and

you would just love to squeeze that 31/2 year old again.

Well, last night I dreamed that this little guy was back!

It was the most vivid dream! I could feel him giving me one

of those strangle-hold hugs around my neck

and talking a mile a minute in that little toddler voice!

He was sweet-smelling and fresh from a bath in his little footie

pajamas. I can't believe how real it seemed. It was as if God

gave me a little gift....a brief glimpse back in time....

it gave me a warm feeling and a smile on my face all day today!

I flipped through a box of photos this evening (no, I don't have them

in albums or scrapbooks...I've been a little busy!) and found

this photo. This is exactly how he looked in my dream.

He had to have his 4 front teeth removed when he was three,

hence the toothless grin at such a young age.

What a sweetie....and he still is!

Slowly But Surely

Well, the triplets were diagnosed with autism 11 years ago.

Each and every improvement is a labor of love, blood,

sweat and tears! Sometimes we go a long while without

really seeing anything new and then a little something

gives us a bounce in our step and and smile on our faces.

Spencer has noticably improved in his understanding and

response time when we talk to him!

For example, usually when I say "Spencer, go get your socks", I

have to point out his bare feet, point to my socks, gesture down the

hall to his room...and repeat. And MAYBE he will come back with socks.

WELL, this week I simply said, "Spencer, your feet will get cold

on the kitchen floor. You should go get some socks."

And he went and got them! :)

One other example, he wanted his cd player (which I had confiscated

because he wouldn't leave the volume down at a humane level).

He came and said "C.D." (one of the few words he can say).

I said, "You can get it. It's in my workroom back by your bedroom"

And he went and found it! :)

Progress that does this mom's heart some good!

Baby steps, baby steps, but we keep plugging along!

Ham and Cauliflower Pot Pie

I've joined Savory Sunday with this

recipe! Click HERE to see more!

Sauce

1.5 sticks butter

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

8 oz Velveeta

1/2 c parmesan cheese

1 t sugar

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 t onion powder

1/4 t pepper

1/2 t dried dill

1-2 c half and half

Whisk all in sauce pan until smooth over medium heat.

Add more half and half if needed to make the sauce

the proper consistency.

Pour over 3 c cubed ham

and 1 head of cauliflower, cut in 1 " cubes and parboiled.

Bake in greased casserole dish, topped with Martha Stewart's

pate brisee for one crust. Bake 350 for 45 minutes.

♥

Metamorphasis Monday = Master Bath

Remember several weeks ago when I was stripping

wallpaper? Well this is the bathroom that I was tackling!

If you feel like you stepped back into the 1980's, it's

because that's how old this decor was!

Here are some lovely 'before' pictures.

This seperate room has the toilet and shower in it...

The paper was already coming off in some places!

Here's the sink and closet area.

Nice and big with lots of sun from the skylight.

Since the budget didn't allow for new counter tops, I had to come up with something to coordinate with that pink! I found this article in Martha Stewart and since I love gray, it was perfect!

So here's the gray paint....so much calmer and soothing than that wallpaper! I did try a light blue on the ceiling of this shower area. I had always wanted blue ceilings but was surprised when it didn't really work like I thought it would. It's very subtle and this tiny area was the perfect place to

try something like that. You never know if you don't try, right? I will paint it white someday.

Garage sale metal baskets are a nice change...

We're keeping organized with all these hooks!

I put a darker gray on the cupboards and

new brushed nickel hardware.

I was surprised how much bigger it all appears!

This bath opens up into our bedroom. And yes...

more wallpaper. Sigh. I still have the paint cans

and scrapers in the corner....so I'll have to begin

the next phase soon!

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch

hosts Metamorphasis Monday. Others who have done

recent red0's have posted their links on her entry today.

Go check them out, too...I know I will!

Criminals?

We live in a very small village...conservative, quiet

with very little crime. Over the years everyone has

joked that it's a little like Mayberry. We have one

police officer on duty at a time and they really have

little to do. Most evenings you can find them at

the tiny grocery store parked side by side with

the county sheriff chatting and killing time.

This week Mister took a friend to the airport

and had the friends car parked in front of our house.

Next day he went to drive it to friend's apartment, just

one mile away and on his way to work. But he barely

got it down our street when the transmission went

out. So, he pulled into a parking lot and left the car

for the day. That evening, The Mister walked down

to get the car and bring it back to our house.

He was poking along at about 2 miles an hour down our

street when a lady officer pulled along beside him and

rolled down her window. She asked a dozen questions,

like "What are you doing?" and "Do you live in this

neighborhood?" She followed him home, came inside and

wanted to see ID and get friend's name, etc.

~~~~

We laughed about it and then I recalled a similar situation

happening to Taylor about 2 years ago with the same officer!

He was leaving a friend's house on the other end of town and

the police pulled up behind him and followed him out of the

neighborhood. She finally turned on her lights and pulled him

over and asked questions like "Do you live in this neighborhood?"

"What are you doing here?", etc. Only having had his license a

week, it unnerved Taylor, but we still had a good laugh!

~~~~

They don't really look like suspicious criminals, do they?

At least not like these guys!

*famous mug shots googleimages.com

Wouldn't you say by the looks of these real mug shots that

the moral of the story would be to never break any laws

when you're having a really bad hair day!