Another Blog Spark Offer

Blog Spark sent me an email asking if I would like to participate in another offer. I look forward to getting these invitations from Blog Spark. This offer was a coupon for a free Yopait Thick and Creamy yogurt which I love. I also received this cute stationery set. My favorite is the post-it notes book. Very cute. Blog Spark will send out two of these same offers to two of my readers. All you have to do is post a comment about anything. I will select two and have Blog Spark send your offer.

Through the Eyes of Little Ones

My grandchildren went to Vacation Bible School this summer. Drake is 7, his class started Monday night. Addison is 4, her class started Tuesday night. My daughter, Angel took Drake on Monday night. He walked into his class reluctantly. When he came to the car that night, he said, "Mom did you know that Jesus made that blind man see?". Angel replied, "Yes I did, isn't that cool?" Drake said, "if he was my next door neighbor, I would play with him everyday, can I come back tomorrow night?"

Tuesday night Addison (mommy's little sidekick)was going to VBS with her brother. In the car on the way, Angel was telling Addison how much fun she was going to have, just like her brother. Addison is a typical little sister....she loves to do everything her brother does. To everything her mother said to her encouraging her about her first night at VBS, her response was...."and you will be right outside!". The comment started out to be in the form of a question, looking for reassurance. Before arriving at VBS it became more of a command!

Angel picked the kids up and before she could ask how their night was, Addison said very dramatically "THAT WAS AMAZING!!!!". Angel ask what was amazing about her evening. Addison replied, "Jesus Christ gave me fish!" In disgust, Drake replied...."Addison, they were just goldfish!" Well Addison loves to eat and she loves goldfish crackers, so she was impressed....her brother, not so much with the fish but he was very impressed with the healing of the blind man.

Betty Crocker Christmas Cookie Magazine

It seems strange to be blogging about Christmas cookies in August. Especially since this is one of the hottest days we have had this summer in Greenville, SC. But you know it will be here before we know it.

One on my favorite things to do in preparation for Christmas is to bake cookies, breads, and make homemade candy. My favorite childhood memories of Christmas was baking with my grandmother every year. Now my grandchildren bake with me. The smells of Christmas, the Christmas music playing and their little hands and faces covered with chocolate, flour, etc. We have so much fun and even get some baking done. Making memories with them that I will cherish, just as I cherish those memories of baking with my grandmother. Hopefully, my grandchildren will cherish these memories one day also.

As I have mentioned earlier, BlogSpark is an awesome site to join. They sent me an email invitiation to vote on the cover of the Betty Crocker Christmas Cookie magazine coming out November 10. I voted for the cover with Santa on it. It was the most colorful.

For casting a vote, I will receive the Betty Crocker Christmas Cookie magazine. The magazine will hit the stands November 10th. Pretty cool, huh?

Being a Nana

One of my favorite things in this second half of life is being a Nana. Our grandchildren spent last weekend with us. What a joy. We have so much fun with them. It is all about them when they come. We all play so hard the entire time they are here. My granddaughter and I sleep together and Paba and my grandson sleep together. Addison and I went to bed with a bag of teddy grahams and talked about what we were going to do the next day. She put her arm around my neck in the middle of this conversation and said "you are my buddy".

My grandson is such a sweetheart also, he is tender hearted and so sweet. Sometimes he will just stop what he is doing, kiss me and say "I love you, Nana".

What joy!

The Empty Nest

When our only child, Angel grew up and moved out we had Chelsea. Since Chelsea died, we don't know what to do with ourselves. We have spent the last year coming home taking turns holding her. We have stayed home alot because she was not doing well.

In a way we are experiencing empty nest for the first time. Noone here but the two of us.

Unbelievable Grief

It has been over a month now since we had to put our little Chelsea down. We have grieved so much this past year as we watched her little body age and deteriorate. I often thought that the grief once she was gone would be much easier since we had grieved so...for over a year before her passing. I was so wrong!!!! I am experiencing grief at a level I have never experienced in my 53 years.

Another Emotion

After returning from the beach...joy and fun...back to reality...painful void.....this week.....excitement, anticipation, pride. As I mentioned a while back, my husband returned to school a couple of years ago to become a clinical massage therapist.

After two long years of waiting, wondering, wishing, and discussing what we want to do with this new training....he finally made the decision to take an early retirement at age 56 and go after his dream. He loves helping people.

The company where he has worked for the last 28 years gave him a great send off celebration today. I am so proud of him and very excited for him.

We have been married for 34 years and have been through a number of phases of life together.....we are ready to move on to this new phase of our lives.

Have I mentioned how my emotions have been all over the place?

The Week After

The week after we said goodbye to Chelsea, we went on vacation with our kids and grand kids. Talk about joy!!!!! We have a very relaxing, fun time with them all. We went to Myrtle Beach. The Breakers Paradise Towers is a great place to stay. They have a lazy river, three hot tubs and several pools. We had an ocean front room with a balcony.

It was good to go and focus on the other joys of our lives. We had a great time. We laughed, we played with the kids and ate some great seafood.

We returned home and had lots to do.....restock the frig and pantry, unpack, and wash clothes. When the busyness stopped and we took a day to rest up from vacation before returning to work....reality of the week before set in. The horrific pain in my heart took over again. It was a very sad and painful day.

Emotions All Over The Place

Emotions All Over the Place

The last three weeks have been very eventful and full of emotion....some good and some very painful. For the last year our baby girl Chelsea (our yorkie poo) has been going down. She would have been 15 in August. This past year has been so painful watching her little body wither away. It has been so hard that I thought when the end came I would experience relief. The end came on June 25th, we had to make the decision we so hoped we would not have to make...we had to put her down and say goodbye. I have not experience any since of relief, only a very deep very painful void like none I have ever experienced

I know that sounds crazy to those who do not have a pet. They are so much more than just a pet. They are so unconditional, they never talk back, they always need you. They are like a little child that never growns up, always look to you to meet all their needs.

She brought us so much joy for so many years. My husband sometimes called her our little joy.

http://www.myblogspark.com

I joined blogspark.com and received and invitation to receive free samples of Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters. When I received the samples I was amazed. I received 4-5 ounce bags. I was expecting little individually size bags. The four flavors are Roasted Almond, Nut Lovers, Roasted Cashew, and Roasted Peanut. They all have a great flavor. My husbands favorite is the Nut Lovers. I love them all.

These are great healthy and filling snacks. The ingredients are nuts, granola and honey. I really like the bite size pieces. You can just grab 2 or 3 or eat a handful.

These great tasting healthy snacks will be a stable in my pantry.

Dream or Reality?

I have been reading alot about online work. It is amazing to me that you have to wade through all the scams. If I had to guess...it appears the scams to legit ratio is at least 100 to 1. That is amazing to me. What does that say about mankind? Sad to think our kids are being raised online and this is what they are exposed to. What does that communicate to them about trust?

To end on a more positive note, I have found what appears to be some legit work at home. If it pans out I will be happy to share. If you have any great finds in this area I would love to hear from you. Is it a dream or reality that we can find work at home to lead us "on the way to early retirement"?

Mornings, Coffee and a Laptop

I love the mornings. I enjoy not being rushed into the day. I want my coffee, my chair, and quiet to start the first 30 minutes of my day. By the second cup of coffee I am ready to move to the sun room if it is not a workday. There is something wonderful about sitting down with coffee and my laptop in the sun room. Enjoying a beautiful sunny day or a cozy rainy day. I love rain days when I can stay home. Enjoying the fact that I don't have to go anywhere. Enjoying time to do just what I would like to do. How many times do we ladies take the time to do that?

Now that I am in the second half of my life, I would love to be able to do that everyday. Still have not given up on working from home with my computer. Just have to find what I am looking for. Problem is I am not sure what I am looking for. It is baffling to me that at this stage of my life I am rethinking what I want to do with the rest of my life.....I have always known what I wanted and went after it. I don't remember a time in my life when I did not know what I wanted to do. So I find myself at age 53 in a place I have never been...indecisive. While I am trying to understand this strange place I am at, I am living an incredibly wonderful life with the love of my life. We are enjoying many things about this stage of our lives.

Exercise at Your Desk

Just sitting on the ball chair works muscle groups you would not normally use while sitting. Abs and low back muscles are straightened just by sitting on this ball all day. All, while sitting very comfortable at your desk.

The chair comes with a booklet giving illustrations of stretches and exercises you can do at your desk. The illustrations are great but this chiropractor who designed the chair carries it a step further. He tells which stretches are helpful for which muscles groups, for improving digestion, lung capacity and stretches to energize.

Another multitasker that I love.

A Great Find

I sit at a desk all day. By 10 every morning my low back and shoulders were stiff and painful. One of my coworkers had this odd looking chair....a ball chair. It is a frame with wheels that holds an exercise ball. After much hesitation I ordered this chair. When the chair arrived I opened the box and thought I had made a terrible mistake. In the box was the frame, the ball and a pump to put air in the ball.

I put the chair together in less than 10 minutes. It looked as though it was going to sit to low. As I looked around at coworkers sitting at their computer, they were hunched over with their arms and hands up too high when they were typing. So that was why my back and shoulders were hurting by 10 every morning.

The ball chair does sit lower, but ergonomically correct. After a couple of weeks it felt normal to sit lower. Actually much better.

The low back and shoulder stiffness I was dealing with everyday is a thing of the past. I love, love, love this chair. I paid $100.00 for this chair about 3 years ago and I have not looked back. I purchased mine from Gaiam.com.

Great Service-Great Restaurant-Great Birthday Dinner

Last night we went to dinner to celebrate my grandson's 7th birthday. He wanted to go out to eat and to a movie last night. His birthday party was today.

We went to the Olive Garden. The service was exceptional. Our waitress name was Sammy. She was incredible. She was friendly, energetic, and seemed to really enjoy her job. She made the night special for my grandson. If you live in Greenville, SC...go to the Olive Garden at Cherrydale and ask for Sammy. It was by far the best service we have ever had.....certainly the best waitress we have ever had.

Saving Money

I have used coupons before...rather sporadically. It seemed like too much work with very little savings. I was introduced to a blog about couponing a few months back. The young lady who writes the blog
http://www.daisysdeals.blogspot.com/2009/01/welcome-to-daisys-deals.html, does a great job helping you think about how to be more frugal and how simple and beneficial this couponing thing can be. The first 3 weeks I kept up with my savings, which came to $67.00. I began reading her blog weekly as well as other blogs that she follows.

Some of these blogs tell you exactly what the specials are by store and where to find the coupons. The major benefit is in stacking coupons....a term I did not know before reading these blogs. Stacking coupons means.....

If you find an item on sale at Wal Mart, a store coupon and a manufacturers coupon, you could likely get the item for free. Or even better the store may even have to pay you to purchase. Yesterday at Walgreens, Reynolds Wrap was on sale for 89 cents. I had a coupon for $1.00. After tax was added, the clerk ended up paying me 6 cents to purchase the Reynolds Wrap.

Second Half of Life

Now that I am in the second half of my life, I find myself in a place I have never been...indecisive. I don't know what I want to do with the rest of my life as far as work is concerned. I have always known what I wanted and went after it. This is a strange place for me. A place I am trying to understand and learn from.

I do know I would love to work from home and I would love for that to include a cup of coffee and a laptop. I enjoy working, I just want my work to revolve around my life, instead of my life having to revolve around my work.

I will continue to look until I find what it is I am looking for.

Verizon Wireless and ENV2

We have had service with Verizon many years. They are the only cell service we have had. My husband went on a trip with the men at our church. They were at a retreat center that was down in a valley. All the guys were having to borrow his phone to call home....he was the only one at the time with Verizon and the only one that could get a signal. Needless to say, Verizon picked up some new business when those guys returned.

Not only do we love our Verizon service, but I love my new phone. I got the ENV2 a few months back. It has large buttons and numbers on the front of the phone and a full key pad for texting inside. It is so user friendly, this is the first phone I have had that my husband did not have to set up for me. It has a function button on the full key pad in the top left corner. You can arrange the features you use on the phone most in this menu for quick access.

I only have two complaints about Verizon. I think a Verizon customer should be able to upgrade their phone at least once a year. Right now it is every other year. By the time you can upgrade, your phone is ancient due to technology moving so fast.

The other complaint is that I would love for Verizon to be my internet service. The wireless service is 40 dollars a month for one computer. We have two. That is double what we are paying for internet service. Watching and waiting for the price to be more competive.

Pentax Digital Camera

I purchased this camera about 4 years ago. It does take good pictures, however there are a couple of things I don't like about this camera.

When I am outside taking pictures I can not see what I am taking a picture of because of the glare on the screen. I just have to point and snap the picture and hope for the best. I am actually getting rather good at it.

This camera has a delay when you snap the picture. It is a focus delay, however, when I am taking those priceless candid shots of my grandchildren I have missed some great moments because of this delay.

I would love to have a camera that takes great pictures, has continuous shooting, and the ability to see what I am taking a picture of outside.

Root Awakening Shampoo By John Freida

I have alot of hair but very flat at the root. I have tried so many shampoos that promise to volumize and give body. Many of which only weigh the hair down. I tried Root Awakening Strength Restoring Shampoo and Root Awakening Nouishing Moisture Shampoo. I love them both. I get body, lift at the root, and my hair is shiny and healthy. The shampoo is creamy and latters great. If you are like me and have spent more money than you care to count on shampoos that don't deliver what they promise, you might want to try Root Awakening.

Almond Tea

2 cups ginger ale-diet
2 cups cold water
¼ cup sugar free instant lemon tea
½ teas. almond extract
½ teas. vanilla extract

You can replace the cold water and instant tea with 2 cups of fresh tea.

Frozen Latte

1 cup skim milk-add ice to make 3 cups
1 box fat free sugar free vanilla pudding
1 cup frozen fat free cool whip
1 TBS. instant coffee

Mix in blender and serve with cool whip on top and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Making Memories

My granchildren spend the weekend a couple of times each month. They love to spend the night and we love that they love coming to our house.

My grandson is 6, my grandaugher is 3. They like to have coffee with us on Saturday mornings. Of coarse theirs is heavy on the cream and light on the coffee. A couple of weekends ago, we sat in the sunroom, all of us watching the birds eat while we all drank coffee and just enjoyed talking and spending time together. A memory I think of often.

There is just nothing better than having a cup of coffee with someone you care about. Some of the best times my husband and I have together are on Saturday mornings drinking coffee and just hanging out.

What Girl Doesn't Love Jewelry

I love jewelry, don't you? I love unique but classy pieces. Do you make jewelry? I would love to advertize your jewelry on my blog. Post a comment with your email address and I will get in touch to work out the details.

Four Day Work Week and Our Economy

Our present economic situation is like nothing most of us have seen in our life time. We have gas and energy concerns....high cost and shortage. Businesses laying off employees. Obvious awnser...a manditory 4 day work week. Seem silly? Think about it. If we all worked 4 10 hour days, businesses would have the energy savings of 1 day a week. Wonder how many jobs could be saved? Think about if school buses did not run one day a week, the gas and financial savings would save alot of teaching jobs and pay for alot of teaching supplies.

Wouldn't it be great to have Friday declared as "family day"? Moms, Dads, children spending time together. Look at our First Family, the dog, the garden, a wholesome all America family. It is obvious they enjoy being together. Could it be possilbe they are setting the tone, reminding us of what is really important?

Sound to me like everyone would win. Wonder why we are not hearing any discussion about this?

One Of My Favorite Things

I love the "all you" magazine. I have found some great shortcuts, ideas, and coupons. I just used a Rimmel free mascara coupon from this magazine. The buy one get one free's are great (if the price hasn't been marked up to absorb the cost of the free one) but this was really free. I did not have to purchase anything. That was fun, to walk into a store and get something free.....legally. The mascara is "Sexy Curves".

All Those Things We Love

My granddaugther is three and she loves pink. Everytime she sees something pink she says "my favorite color is pink". I have two grandchildren, one boy and one girl. Have you noticed that little boys only a few months into their little lives are drawn to cars,trucks,and all the things little boys love. Little girls only a few months into their little lives are drawn to baby dolls,handbags, and all the things little girls love.

Talk About Multitasking......

Easter Sunday we started the day at church. The service started with the choir standing at the back of the church singing "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord". The choir ending the song as they were taking their places in the choir loft. My husband Charlie and the choir sang He's Alive. Followed by Pastor JT sharing a message titled From Grief to Gladness. He was preaching from John chapter 20: 20 where Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection. It was His words and His presence that released them from their guilt and grief. The message was so personal that He delivered it to the disciples Himself. Jesus actions were comforting and soothing instead of condemning them. He shifted their focus from their failures to His victories.

As I was sitting taking in every word I couldn't help but wonder if others were seeing and hearing what I was.....The choir told the story of what He did for us through song followed by Pastor JT sharing with us who Jesus is....loving, forgiving, comforting, soothing, He is able, He is truth, He is peace.

What a beautiful picture was illustrated for us Eastor Sunday morning of not only what Jesus did for us, but who He is to us...His children.

Massage Therapy

One of the things I first noticed about the man I feel in love with was his love for helping people with his hands and the joy it brings him. It might be changing a light bulb for an elderly neighbor, helping a friend fix or build something, stopping to help a stanger he sees in need of help. He notices the needs of others when the rest of us are too busy with our own life.

At the age of 54, he returned to school to become a licensed massage therapist. Many think of massage therapy as a luxury. Go to a spa, get a full body massage to treat yourself. Massage therapy is so much more than that. My husband works on problem areas....stiffness, chronic pain, etc.

You know I mentioned earlier that I love anything that mulitask, be it beauty products, health products, or services. Well massage therapy is one of those multi taskers I love. Visit my husbands blog for a list of those benefits at chazmassagetherapy.blogspot.com

search engine placement

Looking for a way to earn a few extra dollars? Looking for a way to save money? Who isn't these days. A friend shared some great sites with me. Sites where you can do some multi tasking. These are legit sites for making money. They come recommended to me from someone who is doing quite well. It seems the idea in making money is to join a number of them so you have checks coming from several places. It is slow starting but from what I understand, persistence and diligency pays off eventually. I have talked with those who have made some significant income. Still learning about this. Please share info you have on making money online legimately. Join some of these sites and read the forums and see for yourself. I will post a few each day for you to check out and see for yourself.

The Benefits of Flaxseed

I am a multitasker, I love products that multitask. That is why flaxseed is one of my favorite supplements for good health. Flaxseed has so many great benefits. It provides the a great balance of the omega 3's, 6's and 9's, protein, fiber, and lignans. This great supplement reduces inflammation, promotes a healthy immune system, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers, and helps prevent osteoporosis

Flaxseed is great for women of all ages to to normalize the menstrual cycle and help manage menopausal symptoms. Some even use in place of hormone replacement therapy. And......if taken 30 minutes before a meal, will help reduce the amount of food you eat.

I have only listed a few of the major benefits of flaxseed. In this great age of Internet, there are many more benefits you can Google. Sounds like a wonder drug, huh? Yet we hear very little about it. Wonder why!

Health Benefits

There are things in life you have control over and things you have no control over. We tend to take our health for granted, not realizing that we do have some control of our health. Too often we believe that our family history and our destiny controls our health. God is absolutely in control of all things. He has a plan for our lives. He is a gentleman, our Maker gives us the freedom of choice. As we teach our kids, there are consequences for bad choices. The same is true where our health is concerned.

As I told you earlier, I enjoy learning new things and sharing that knowledge with others. Please share your tips on health benefits, stress relievers that work for you, etc..... We can learn alot from each other by sharing our knowledge.

One of my favorite finds is flaxseed oil. Great for controlling cholesterol, for healthy hair and skin. There are many more benefits to flaxseed oil that I will share later.

What Do I Want To Do When I Grow Up?

In my late 40's I began to notice I had a love for learning. As I have moved into my 50's that love for learning just continues to intensify. Where was this love for learning in my teens and twentys? I was only interested in finding the love of my life. When I found him, all I wanted to do is build a life and family with him. He is still the love of my life. We have raised our daughter. We now enjoy her, our son-in-law and our precious grandchildren.

I am enjoying this stage of my life. I love learning new software. I love discovering new recipes. I love learning about new products. I love to learn about how to save money and get quality products. And I really LOVE sharing information.