LOOKING OUT MY WINDOW....I was just looking out my window. The sun has set and the temp was 99* The skies are partly cloudy. Hope we don't get more rain this week. It is time for us to dry out.
AS I PONDER....
As I pondered this post, earlier today, I was listening to the news about the deaths of the police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My brother only lives about 30 minutes from there. What is going wrong in this world?? Will we be able to turn this around and live together peacefully in our country? What would a world be like without police officers? Will men and women soon not want to join the forces? Then where will that leave us? I am afraid. Very afraid! We need to pray for peace and pray for our peace officers.
WHAT I AM LEARNING...
I learned how to remove the hull from strawberries this past weekend. I usually just cut the stem off. But I saw this on Pinterest and thought I would try it. This works wonderful. I zipped through two pints of strawberries in under 5 minutes!! Try it!
I am creating tons of fruit for the freezer. Besides those two pints of strawberries, I also have a 1/2 bushel of peaches to put in the freezer. I'll get to work on them soon. And I can already taste those smoothies for breakfast and lunches!!
And peach cobblers and peaches and cream!
WHAT I'M READING...
I am still reading You Learn By Living by Eleanor Roosevelt. I am almost finished. It hasn't been one of my favorite books but it's been okay! I'll review it when I'm through. I am also listening to The One in a Millon Boy by Monica Wood. I am really liking this one!! Stay tuned for it's review too!
WHAT I'M WATCHING...
This weekend we turned off the news. Too much sadness. And looking ahead will be nothing but politics. So I'm not sure what watching TV will be like in the week ahead. Now, for those of you who are Big Brother fans...what do you think about the house. Who will go home this week? I'm wondering if Da'Vonne will find herself on the block before Thursday.
WHAT I'M HEARING...
While I mowed the grass this week I listened to Blake Shelton, Celine Dion, Patsy Cline, and Taylor Swift. Now that is a quartet, isn't it?? Almost 4 song lists and the mowing was completed!!
Pictures I want to share....
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| Harley eating peach |
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| Darian eating peach |
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| me enjoying my peach tea |
WHAT I'M DRINKING....
I made homemade peach syrup for making peach tea. Take 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 2 thinly sliced peaches. Bring to a boil! Mash the peaches into the liquid. Allow to steep for 25-30 minutes and strain into a jar. Add to iced tea for a real treat!!
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE KITCHEN...
Monday...Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas
Tuesday...Chicken Bow Tie Spinach Salad
Wednesday..Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwiches
Thursday...Layered Cobb Salad
Friday...Chicken Tortilla Soup
Saturday...Salisbury Steak
Sunday...Darian and I are eating out!
A QUOTE I WANT TO SHARE...
I don't know if this is true but I do know that the grief is as immense as the love was.
LOOKING FORWARD....
This coming Thursday is the 2nd anniversary of Richard's death. We will stop and remember him and pay tribute. While I was slicing peaches tonight, in the kitchen, Harley said, "I can just hear Papa saying, honey, put some of those sliced peaches on my bowl of ice cream tonight." Made me smile. He did love ice cream. And he loved fresh, sliced peaches. And I am happy she remembers him so fondly.
Happenings in my backyard...
Not a lot going on in my backyard. It is too hot! I need to get busy out there. But I'm waiting until it cools off. I will make a trip this week to get more birdseed. And I'm still fighting with that mole in the front yard.
A peek into my week...
This will be another week of taking kids to and from work. Harley works Monday-Thursday. I don't know Darian's schedule yet. He will have Marines on Thursday. Harley is going to Kansas City on Sunday with her basketball team. They are going to a Royal's baseball game. A team building experience. And Justin and Paige will not be here again this coming weekend.
A final thought...
In 1991 there were thousands of abortion activists all over the United States, blocking the entrance to abortion clinics and protesting. It was called The Summer of Mercy. There were hundreds of protesters outside the clinic of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita. An abortion zealot shot and killed Dr. Tiller as he was ushering at his church. I cannot understand how killing a doctor, while protesting the killing of babies, makes any sense at all. After his murder the clinic was closed. Years later it re-opened as Wichita South Wind clinic. It is the only abortion clinic within a 150 mile radius. I make no bones about the fact that I am pro-choice. I am a Christian. I am an RN. And I believe it is my right to make choices about my body. In the words of the woman who now runs this clinic:
“Pregnancy is a very personal thing. Whether a woman wants to carry a pregnancy to term and be a parent, or adopt, or have an abortion – those are all things that are a matter of the heart,”
With all of the things going on in this country with BLM and killing cops I am praying this protest this whole week will be peaceful. I worry about the police and I especially worry about my son! Prayers appreciated to keep them all safe. Let us all be able to believe how we want to believe and to remember that we live in the greatest country in the world!
I'm pro choice before conception but after conception then I'm not. There are ways and means to try to prevent pregnancy from happening, people need to initiate them and do them (I know not everything works 100% of the time). But if you do the act, then be willing to face the consequences so to speak if a child is conceived as a result.
ReplyDeleteI truly want to support law enforcement and pray for their safety but having dinner tonight with daughter in law, she expressed something that her brother went through that profiled him based on his previous behaviors that has resulted in a citation and a court date because he was carrying a large amount of cash (to deposit to pay rent but the police thought otherwise, where they seized the money, cited him, gave him the court date and she's not 100% sure the money will be returned to him. I respect the police but unfortunately I saw their profiling on what they did towards son based on the car that he drove and actions he had committed prior. Each and every time they pulled him over, they never found anything, yet they kept doing so. One night I was driving with him and a police car was next to us. They shined their light into his car. When they saw it was him and me, they left us alone. He said they wouldn't have if it was anyone else in the passenger's seat other than me. I will pray for their safety though because they are trying to (I hope) do the best they can with what they have to work with).
I find it amazing it has been almost 2 years since Richard left you all. I know he is dearly missed.
betty
Hi Paul a - love the idea of the straw ... and then Hayley remembering Richard and his love of peaches with ice-cream, or ice-cream with peaches! I too wish peace in the world ... have a good week and I'll be thinking of you on Thursday - Hilary
ReplyDeleteThank you Hilary!
DeleteDay 1 of this new eating plan for me and you go and post about sweet tea and ice cream....sigh....Thanks for sharing your and Hayley's Richard memories. I know that it has been a long hard 2 years for all of you.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your new eating plan. Hope it goes well.
DeleteI keep straws in the house to suck the air out of plastic zip bags and to core strawberries - I never use them to drink, lol. As I told some Republican legislators here, 'Keep your hands (laws) off my uterus and I'll keep my hands off your guns'.
ReplyDeleteI like straws for sucking the air out of plastic bags too!! Good saying abut your uterus. But I don't want to keep my hands off their guns! I want to see some gun laws that will make a difference.
DeleteI do love peace tea and yours sounds wonderful. Hope you have a great week !
ReplyDeletePeach tea! The best!!
DeleteLast night my husband commented that, "All these killings, so close together... It has to be orchestrated at a higher level." Meaning, someone is intentionally filling the media with the kind of stories that only increase the violence.
ReplyDeleteI am more and more happy with our decision to move to China.
I don't know if someone is feeding the media or if the media is just stirring the pot. I don't know how I would feel about leaving the States right now, though!
DeleteI'll bet your peach tea tastes wonderful. No artificial flavors with that syrup you made. Great idea! It's sweet that Harley was so forthcoming with her memory of Richard. It keeps him close to her. I added a note and a photo to my post today for you. Keeping you in my thoughts. How was national ice cream day?
ReplyDeleteWe totally forgot National Ice Cream Day. Can you believe that? When I remembered they were both already retired to their rooms so I just let it go. Thank you for your note and photo. I needed that. So weepy today!!
DeleteI really enjoyed The One-In-A-Million Boy! Glad to hear you are also!
ReplyDeleteLinda in VA
I am enjoying it much more than Eleanor, right now!
DeleteI love how (most of us) in Blogland can agree to disagree and still get along and love one another. I saw something on FB the other day about our military sons and daughters overseas protecting us from ISIS... and what are we doing but killing each other back home. SMDH.
ReplyDeleteLove the photos!
I do not know what is going on in this country of ours. Maybe we have become so used to freedom that we don't know what other countries are like. The races have got to quit this sh** NOW! Both sides blame the other side. And no one wants to accept that they might have a part in it too! So sick of it.
DeleteI will be thinking good thoughts for you on Thursday. it may be a hard day for you.
ReplyDeleteI am saddened by all the shootings...I don't know what to make of it all either. The world is a scary place. We live in the sticks so it is highly doubtful that anything would happen here. Meth is the big thing on the Reservation....but they all seem to post bail and get out again to make more meth.
We need to come together in America for the good of all our people...some politicians need to step down if they cannot work together.
I support a womans right to choose, but I think that sometimes it is a hasty decision. I saw a sign one that said "Abortion, one dead and one wounded." It made quite an impact on me.
Your meals sound better than ours. Chicken and Corn on the cob tonight, brats and baked beans one night and then a peachy french toast that you soak overnight in the fridge....that is as far as my imagination goes so far this week! :)
Oh I think your meals sound good too. Especially that peachy french toast. You must share the recipe. Quite a quote there!! Yes, I think even when one choses abortion you will still be wounded. Meth is a big problem here in my neck of the woods too. Meth is what has taken my son from me and from the kids that I am raising. He chose to cook meth rather than raise his kids. Very painful for all of us.
DeleteI enjoyed reading your list. I hope Thursday is not too painful for all of you and that you can remember the good times like the ice cream and peaches. I'm not sure I could go through with an abortion but like you I'm pro choice.
ReplyDeleteI accompanied a friend to an abortion once. It wasn't easy for her but it was her choice. People who think adoption is the answer don't realize how painful that can be too! I think it is easy to second guess another person's decisions. Especially if it isn't happening to you!!
DeleteTake care of yourself this week. It's crazy out there.
ReplyDeleteCrazy it is! Thank you Liz
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