Gathering Life: Life is Good

July 29, 2011

Life is Good

As I am almost to that monumental big 5-0, I find it hard to be as positive as I always was; For some terrible reason I have always considered that age as being really close to the end. I really did tell my youngest daughter recently, to put on my headstone these words. "I told you I was not well." I repeated this funny on decoration day at Corum Cemetery to my little brother. He is not little or young, but will always be my little brother. He is only two years younger than I. Now at our ages little brother is just a term of endearment that I have always given him. He was very amused by my choice of writing for my headstone. His reaction was typical for the Mr. Reasonable that he always tries to be. With my never give up attitude, my mood has gotten better. Well not to mention a doctor's visit to make sure that I was not going to die very soon. The never give up attitude and being thankful for how far I really have come. Gratitude is something we all need to practice on a daily basis. It is really hard not to dwell on bad when that occasional depression that slips up on everyone comes around. Being thankful that we are able to enjoy life, family and friends is where I can find the most comfort. I have to thank God for giving me a life full of people who do more for me than I deserve. If not for help from the people who love me I would never be at this place in my life. This week I have just returned from a tropical vacation that many do not experience their whole life's. As a child I fished in ponds, creeks and the river. I always loved it more than anything. I was blessed to have caught a fish off the banks of Paradise Island in the Bahamas. It was a little fish. It may as well been a whale to me, I was totally thrilled to have just ride a boat in the Caribbean. My words often during this trip was, "Dorthy is not in Kansas anymore." I said this on the boat and in the spa where I had my feet scrubbed. This is another thing I have never done before. It is amazing how much someone sanding your feet down can help. Life is good, and I am going to try my best to live it with as much gratitude as possible. Giving the credit to God and the people that have made it possible for me to make it this far.

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Cool Weekend Remember My Chilli

3 pounds ground beef
2 large onions
3 chopped celery stalks
1 chopped garlic clove
1/2 cup bell peppers chopped
1 can chicken broth
1 can beef broth
2 cans rotel chili fixin's
2 cans chili style diced tomatos
3 cans of dark red kidney beans
2 packs McCormick Chili seasoning
Palm full of salt-----Palm full of pepper---Palm full of sugar
Splash of vinegar---Tlbs. or so
Brown ground beef, onion, celery and bell peppers together. Drain Fat
Pour the rest of the stuff in in order listed above except the beans.
Simmer slowly a couple hours or more, then add the dark red kidney beans.

Audrey Hepburn Beauty Secrets

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

Food Memories

The Pigs were part of our food memories. They provided our sauage for breakfast. The lard we used to cook with. The best meal in the world was the tenderloin with gravy and biscuits. This meal was always what we had the night the pigs were killed. Imagine the pig was all over the kitchen a couple of hours before, then you ate it for supper. His head was even on a sheet in the floor most of the day.We all have memories that are associated with food. There are places that I return to from my past, that I actually get hungry pulling in the driveway. My grandmother was a simple cook. Salt, pepper and lard/fat was her seasoning. She did use sage in dressing. She used too much sage in her dressing. We planted watermelons in the rows that the planter skipped on the Mandy Farm. The Mandy Farm was our cotton patch. The rows were one quarter of a mile long. We planted two rows in water melon; that's a half of mile of watermelon. We could eat water melon the fun way, get your own half and spoon it out. We also dried apples on the barn top and car shed. The roofs were tin so they got very hot and dried the apples quickly. Grandmother's version of a fried apple pie was not fried. She made the turnover and baked it in the oven. This to her was a way to not waste the grease. She buttered them when they came out of the oven. I still think this way is better.

Old Wives' Tales

An old wives' tale is a type of urban legend, similar to a proverb, which is generally passed down by old wives to a younger generation. Such 'tales' usually consist of superstition.

My Grandparents had many of them. I have passed them along to my daughters. Saturday night one of them mentioned this one. Giving me the satisfaction that they had listened to things I truely want to pass on to them. Keeping the wonderful things we recieve from our ancestors.

Bad Luck Wives Tales

*An owl hooting three times in a row.

*Spilling salt – this one can be redeemed by grabbing some of the salt and throwing it over your left shoulder. This is believed to be the way in which to throw the salt into the eyes of the evil spirits that are lying in wait.

*A five leaf clover.

*Putting your shirt on wrong side out.

*A rooster crowing at night.

*Never get out of bed with your left foot first or you will have bad luck all day.

*Breaking a mirror will bring on 7 years of bad luck.

*Singing before breakfast .

*Opening an umbrella inside the house is sure to bring bad luck to the entire household.

Joke of the Day

A very gentle Southern lady was driving across the Savannah River Bridge in Georgia one day. As she neared the top of the bridge, she noticed a young man fixing (ready) to jump. She stopped her car, rolled down the window and said, 'Please don't jump, think of your dear mother and father.' He replied, 'Mom and Dad are both dead; I'm going to jump.' She said, 'Well, think of your wife and children.' He replied, 'I'm not married and I don't have any kids.' She said, 'Well, think of Robert E. Lee.' He replied, ''Who's Robert E. Lee?'' She replied, ''Well bless your heart, just go ahead and jump, you dumb Yankee.'

Watermelon Facts

*Not only does it quench your thirst, it can also quench inflammation.

*Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide.

*Watermelon is an ideal health food because it doesn’t contain any fat or cholesterol.

*Pink watermelon is also a source of the potent

*There are yellow and pink watermelons.

*Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.

*Watermelon is grown in over 96 countries worldwide.

*In China and Japan watermelon is a popular gift to bring a host.

*In Israel and Egypt, the sweet taste is often paired with the salty taste of feta cheese. Every part of a watermelon is edible, even the seeds and rinds.

They Said It

"When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses." ~~~Joyce Brothers

"Worry is a heavy load, but a kind word cheers you up."~~~ Proverbs 12:25

"If we should live a thousand years, our time is all today, today."~~~James Mongomery

Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be. ~Thomas à Kempis

"You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice. ~Steven D. Woodhull

"What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. It is always the same step, but you have to take it. ~Antoine de Saint-

"Don't wait for the Last Judgment. It happens every day. ~Albert Camus
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Gathering Life

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July 29, 2011

Life is Good

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