Tackle it Tuesday--Calendars, Time, Grief

You can see all of my Tackles here.

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Phil received a Pottery Barn Daily System for his birthday and the wall is now wired and Phil installed this very cool, very useful calendar, corkboard, whiteboard, charging station, and digital frame. (No pics yet!)



As if I need more reason to love this thing?
So.

Speaking of calendars...how many of you have made time to enjoy life?

Quit being so busy. Quit overbooking yourself and your family. Take control of your time and vow to spend time with those you love and enjoy. Don't you know how fast it all goes by?

I lost some very important people in the past few years and it's now, Christmas season, when I tend to miss them most because they were so big a part of my Christmases. The void is unfillable. The grief is overwhelming at times. And I know how many times I've wished I would've spent a little more time with them. I don't remember what I did instead of visiting them and making memories, all I know is the memories aren't there because I chose to do other things instead. Unimportant things.

I want that to change for the people I still have here to love.

David Meigs

I just got an email, David Meigs lost his home to a fire. Thank God everyone (pets included) got out. You might know him as Curmudgeon.

David has touched so many people with his kindness and prayer, me included. When I decided to write full time a few years ago, I asked a question on a message board about finding a free version of Microsoft Word. I received several responses about Open Office and one email from David asking for my address. He had an extra copy of Word and had prayed that God would give him someone who could use it.

It's nothing huge in the grand scheme of things, but it was grand to me. I feel horrible about his family's loss, but so terribly grateful they're alive.




Here's the email I received:

This morning ACFW member (and CFBA member) David Meigs and his family lost their home to a fire. Thankfully, the family and the pets all got out safely. However, the Meigs family has basically lost everything. I've set up a special fund through Paypal. If you'd like to contribute to the Meigs Family fund go to Paypal.com and send your donation to dancingword@gmail.com (put "For the Meigs Family" under the comments). I'll ensure David gets the funds.

If you have questions or comments, please contact me privately. Blessings!

Annie McDonald
ACFW Northwest Zone Director
Greater Puget Sound Area Coordinator

Since I am also a Zone Director for ACFW, I am passing this along to our CFBA membership and let them join in the same general fund rather than create separate entities!

God bless you all.

Bonnie Calhoun

Dir.- CFBA Founder/Owner - CFOM

~mich cooks snowballs

Update September 6, 2008:
Thank you Maddy for the award!

Snowballs are a Slovak tradition in our family. (So are kolachy but I didn't make those for Christmas this year. I'll get in trouble for not making them and end up doing them for our New Year's Day dinner.)

As a kid (about Zane's age) I used to help my Baba (grandma) roll these out for hours on end. You shouldn't really make this unless you double or triple the recipe. I triple it.



1 cup margarine (real butter makes them go flat)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla (I always pour extra in)
1 cup of fine chopped walnuts, packed tight (you can't do it with pieces, stick them in the food processor--they need to be like a thick powder)

Cream butter and sugar together.

Baba's recipe says to sift the flour--I'm sure this makes a great difference but I've lost my sifter and haven't replaced it so I've been skipping that step for years now.

Add salt to creamed mixture, work in vanilla and nuts--I use a spatula for this part.

Add sugar and butter stuff to the flour. Don't bother trying to use a spoon, get both hands in the bowl and mix it up until it looks good and mixed.

Chill about an hour. (Ok, I usually skip this step, too.)

Roll into little balls.

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. The tops won't look much different, you'll have to pick up the cookie and peek at the bottom, they'll be done when the bottom is a nice golden brown. Don't under cook them, they'll be doughy. Trust me.

While they're still warm, roll them in powdered sugar. Then a little bit later, roll them again. Don't skip this step.
If you're making a triple batch, buy a pound of shelled walnuts and put them through your little chopper or food processor. It'll come out to exactly 3 packed cups and that's what you want!


Then let me know how much you love these things! They're so addicting!

'Tis the Season **coughcoughscroogecoughcough**

Let's set the record straight. I love the season for what it is, a time to celebrate Jesus. The spirit of giving. If it was really that simple...

But it's not. I try to make it be, but inevitably, there is more. So I'm a scrooge. I fully admit it. I love putting up my tree, I love listening to my Bing Crosby Christmas CD, and I love being with my family.

I hate going to any store. I hate that I get stressed.

This week:

• I overdrew my bank account
• On the way to put cash in for my stupid mistake, I got pulled over for expired plates. They expired in August. I got a citation and a business card. When I get the plates, I call the officer and he won't turn in the citation. Thank God for nice cops.
  
• One of Zane's Christmas present came in the mail--a guitar. He saw it on the porch and I had to give it to him early.
  
• I paid Phil's speeding ticket.
• I yelled at Phil for hanging up on me because he was pissed off about something that happened at work.
• I prayed for and called my friend who had another mastectomy.
• I prayed for my friend's husband who has been sick for three years with no answers, he's going in for more tests this month.
  
• I prayed for my sister's niece who was in an accident during the ice storm that has left her little face destroyed.
• I watched my friend's kids, her mother has breast cancer and isn't expected to make it more than another couple of weeks.
• And then there's the private stuff that I can't put on a public blog.

I wonder if I just have a bad attitude or if more bad stuff seems to come around this time of year?

On the other hand:

• I finished my Christmas shopping--ONLINE. Oh how I'm thankful for online shopping.

• We're healthy except for the common cold and flu nonsense.
  

• We have what we need. Food, clothes, a home, extras, Phil has a job, I'm still writing and will hopefully get paid sometime soon, we're doing well with homeschool and all the stuff Mike mentions on his Master's Artist post today. I really needed that. I don't want to ever take things for granted, though I know I do on a daily basis. I know I'm sounding particularly whiny today and I don't mean it. I'm down about some things and I don't understand a lot of things. I have faith and I know God's choices are the best, but it doesn't mean it's always easy. y'know?
  

• Zane wrote 5 songs so far. The kid is precious to the point of tears. I have to share, he sang while I transcribed the lyrics. Maybe they're only beautiful to a mother. He just strummed the severely out of tune guitar and sang his little heart out. I understand as completely as I can "make a joyful noise unto the Lord" because of my living room serenade by my son.

My Family and Me

My family and me
My family and me
They're the best
They help me when I'm stuck
They love me too
I love them

Whatever I Do

Whatever I do my parents still love me
Even when they're mad at me they still love me
Whenever I don't listen they still love me
Whatever I do
They still love me

About Mom

About mom
About mom
I can't replace her
She's the best
About mom

His other two are About Dad and My Friends, which are both very similar to About Mom.

If...

If I can just keep listening to those songs.

If I can just keep remembering the innocence of the motive in creating.

If I can just keep remembering that I am God's precious daughter.

If I can just keep remembering that He has given me a gift, whether it was wrapped pretty and tied with a bow or whether I found it out on the porch, it is still His gift to me.

If I can just keep remembering that my heartfelt attempts to please Him will be accepted with sheer joy and love...

then maybe I can get through this holiday.

The Cowboy Christmas Tree

Here it is!!!!

The Star Wars Exhibit

Thanksgiving Menu

Thanksgiving for 18 or more, here, at my house.

Those with asterisks are what Phil and I are making. Jen's bringing the family recipe cheese ball and baking the birthday cake, my sister in law is making the scalloped potatoes and the apple cranberry sauce and my mom and sister are bring the veggies and pies.

We're having our dinner Saturday. Thursday we're going to the Museum of Science and Industry for the Star Wars exhibit!!

Appetizers

• Special Recipe Cheese Ball (cream cheese, Buddig Beef, shredded cheddar, green onions smooshed and rolled in Real Bacon Bits) Mmmmmmm.
• Celery and cream cheese

Dinner

• *Twice-Smoked Orgasmic Ham (yes, this is real and yes, it lives up to its name.)
• *Smoked turkey breasts
• *Polish cracker stuffing that only the family likes
• *Stove Top for everyone else
• *Apple, Bacon, and Onion stuffing (new this year, Phil wants to try it)
• *Mashed Potatoes
• *Canned cranberry sauce
• Hot cranberry and apple sauce
• Scalloped Potatoes
• *Homemade rolls
• Corn
• Green Beans
• Sweet Potato w/marshmallows

Dessert

• Pumpkin Pie with cool whip
• German Chocolate Birthday Cake for Phil and my brother
• Green jello w/pineapple and cool whip