Sheila's Motto

"Endeavor to enhance the lives of others through education and encouragement."
Showing posts with label families. Show all posts
Showing posts with label families. Show all posts

Monday, April 9, 2018

Answers in Faith ~~ "A Grandmother's Double Delight"


To my delight and unspeakable joy, I became a grandmother several years ago.  When the first was born, the miracle of birth, of two people becoming three, amazed me even more than when it happened to me.  As I held that tiny boy, my heart swelled with so much love that tears leaked out of my eyes.  It happened again when the second boy was born.

We live in another state from our grandsons, so our trips to see them are far between. I send cards, but preschool kids don’t appreciate them like they will when they learn to read. When we visit, I always take gifts for both boys so now they expect it. I usually take them books, but from the looks of their two full bookcases, it may be time to expand my selection of gifts.

Watching these boys grow up and learn new things is rejuvenating for me. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child makes me feel young, although it’s exhausting to keep up with them. They can play and run for hours, but I cannot. I do the best I can before resting and telling them to continue their play.

We spent two weeks helping our son with our two grandsons while our daughter-in-law was on an overseas business trip. During those two weeks, we played on the floor, read books, drew pictures, ran races, played outside, went to the park, went to stores, went to McDonalds, and in general, did everything they wanted to do. We even did a few things they didn’t want to do, like picking up toys and being quiet while their dad worked in his office. We ate together, watched TV together, played games together, and lived together for two weeks.

At the end of our time there, I was packing my bag when the oldest grandson came in to watch. “I’m going home tomorrow,” I told him.

He gave me a very puzzled look and said, “But I was just beginning to like you.”

I hope someday my grandsons will appreciate the time I spent with them. I hope they never forget me. I hope they pass on my songs and lessons I’ve tried to teach them. I hope they grow up into responsible, caring, Christian men. It’s my prayer.

II Timothy 1:5 “…when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is also in you.” I hope I’m like the grandmother Lois, and I will establish the faith of Christ in my grandsons so that they know it from childhood (II Tim. 3:15).

“But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them” (Psalms 103:17-18 NKJV).

I want to thank my guest blogger and fellow author, Carol Kjar, for this uplifting and instructive writing.  My favorite line from the blog is when her grandson looked at her and said, "But I was just beginning to like you."  I'm confident that's a precious memory that will stay in the Kjar family for quite some time. 

As Carol mentioned in her blog, long-distance grandparenting can be a challenge. The Lord will give us wisdom how to accomplish this in a memorable way as our legacies continue.



Carol C.S. Kjar, (pronounced "care") lives with her long-time first husband in their empty nest in Boise. She spent her life doing many different things. She’s been a stay-at-home mom, a teacher, a secretary, a statistician, a literacy tutor, a newsletter editor, a timber sale accountant, an archeological technician, and best and longest of all, a technical writer/editor.  

After retiring, Carol focused on writing fiction. Her novels are sweet and wholesome, suspenseful with a touch of romance. She has also written children's, middle age books, and one non-fiction book about quilting. When not writing or traveling with her husband, she loves to quilt, sew, read, draw, paint, and read to her grandsons.

Here's Carol's contact information where you can read her blogs, take a look at the books she's published, etc.

My blog is found at www.cskjar.com/blog

I’m on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cskjar/

I’m on Twitter at @cskjar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For those of you who are already grandparents or about to become ones, celebrate and enjoy your gifts from God as your legacies live on!  

Happy grandparenting!

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Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Sweet & Savory ~~ Painted Desert Chili




Painted Desert Chili will not disappoint even if you don't live in the desert!  It makes enough to almost feed Coxey's Army, so this is the perfect recipe for Sunday Dinner or your upcoming Super Bowl Party. Serve it with green-chile cornbread and butter. Double yummy!


QUART JAR INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
  • 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
  • 2 Tbsp. cumin
  • 2 Tbsp. paprika
  • 2 Tbsp. yellow cornmeal
  • 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
  • 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 Tbsp. dried parsley
  • 1 cup dried pinto beans
  • 1/4 cup small dried white beans
  • 1/2 cup small dried black beans
  • 1 cup dried kidney beans

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:

  • 16-20 cups water
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 - 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 - 12 oz. can tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 48 oz. tomato juice or V-8
  • 2  lbs. ground beef

DIRECTIONS:

  • Brown ground beef with diced onion in skillet.  Drain and add to 12 quart stock pot along with all other ingredients.
  • Bring to a boil; simmer for 3-5 hours or until beans are fully cooked.
  • You may need to experiment with the total amount of water you add to the recipe.  Some folks prefer a chili that sticks to the wall while others desire it with much more broth.  I happen to fall into the second camp.  In addition, if you have extra liquid, the cornbread can be added to the bowl of chili.
  • The beans do not need to be soaked prior to cooking; however, it's a good idea to rinse them in a colander before adding to your stock pot.

Happy Dining, stay warm, & enjoy your chili!

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Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Tomatoes - Straight From The Horse's Trough




August delivers many things including fresh tomatoes along with corn on the cob and other healthy veggies. Those featured photo above include the Roma variety along with the Heinz slicing ones.  Roma's are good for making salsa or canning of tomatoes to use in your winter soups and stews. Here's the finished product all lined up:


A few years back my ever lovin' surprised me and installed a couple of horse troughs in our back yard in which I could grow my herbs and vegetables. To find out why tomatoes thrive in this type of receptacle, please check out my digital E-book titled Straight From The Horse's Trough on Amazon.com. 
Here is the link:   https://www.amazon.com/Straight-Horses-Trough-Gardening-Suburbanite-ebook/dp/B00C2YU5Z2/ref=la_B004S20HAO_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470775255&sr=1-5#nav-subnav

It can be a challenge to grow your own food in a small space, but it's amazing what you can do with just a bit of ingenuity, creativity, and elbow grease.  Here's a picture of this year's plants half way through the growing season:



If you are short on time, put the heavy scope on these 20 Recipes for Fresh Summer Tomatoes featured in this web link: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/summer-tomato-recipes/view-all

For all of you health experts in blogger land, here's the scoop: http://www.floridatomatoes.org/news-events/10-reasons-why-you-should-be-eating-more-tomatoes/

What is your favorite way to use tomatoes in your meal planning other than serve them sliced with a dash of salt or sugar on top?  Please leave a comment as our readers would like to hear from you!

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Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Poetry & Prose ~~~ "Generations"



When my first generation began
           I have no clue,
Dwelling upon it now and then
            I certainly wish I knew.

Who married who
            and how did they become acquainted?
Was it love at first sight
            or a romance quite belated?

Where did they live
            and how did they get to the states?
Was it by air, land, or sea
            as they awaited their fates?

Were their life spans
            lengthy or short?
How many of their dreams
            did they have to abort?

Occupations, interests, and hobbies
            were probably quite varied.
If they were listed on a wall
            it probably couldn’t be carried.

God ultimately decided
            in which clan to place me.
My children and I would become
            part of my family tree.
Since He makes no mistakes,
            I’m exactly where I need to be.


~~ Excerpted from my newest book titled Poetry Time which is available on Amazon.com or in my Etsy shop.  Here is the Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Time-Inspirational-Collection-Traditional-ebook/dp/B01G7J4SSC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8#nav-subnav





Do you like the black and white bead work ensemble featured at the top of this blog post?  I certainly do!  It was handcrafted by my fellow author, Carol M. Green, who is also a spectacular social media coach.  Speaking of Carol, she designed my fabulous blog page.  In terms of giftings and talents working their way down through the generations, here's a glimpse of Carol's siblings and what they do in their spare time ~~


Kaye is a seamstress and painter.
Bonnie fashions fused glass necklaces, stained glass windows, and lamps.
Barbara crafts crafts.
Ted was a portrait photographer.
Claire is a seamstress.
Carol's daughter, Marie, is also a seamstress and makes the cutest bags.
Carol's granddaughter, Maggie, is an artist who has illustrated two children's books titled Gary Learns to Skate and Gary Learns to Fish both of which can be found on Amazon.
Carol's sister, Judy, makes gorgeous items from leather such as this handcrafted checkbook cover.


Are you a runner in real life?  Please check out Carol's blog page http://runninggrannygreen.blogspot.com/.  She also completes custom orders for her beadwork, designs websites, and writes books!

I would be remiss if I did not mention my youngest granddaughter, Ali, who has started authoring the first book in her children's mystery series titled The Cupcake Thief.  Imagine this if you will ~~ Ali sits to my left in my little office and dictates as I type on my keyboard!  She will be the fourth published author on both sides of my family.  It all started with my paternal great aunt, Dr. Effie Mona Mack, who wrote the state history for the Nevada public schools. Maternal aunt, Fern Hunt, penned beautiful poetry. Yours truly is just about ready to release her tenth book, and Miss Ali Faith is hot on the mystery trail. My oldest daughter, Cathie Richardson, is a freelance artist and graphic designer whose work is featured in such books as The Christmas Tin. This wonderfully illustrated book encourages young children to prepare a small gift for someone who is not expecting it in order to bless them.  It reinforces the timeless message of love is the greatest gift of all.  Cathie's designs are featured in Fine Art America  http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/cathie-richardson.html



As you look back in your family tree what do you see?  There just might be some very pleasant surprises waiting there for you!  Inheritances are not always bank accounts, buildings, businesses or land.  Sometimes they manifest in the most amazing ways.  So, prepare to be amazed!

Happy Reading & Creating!

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Friday, July 29, 2016

Science With The Grandkiddos



During one of the grandkiddos' recent visits, they made two ice cube trays of citrus slices.  These have been such a nice relief during our recent one hundred degree temperatures.

Depending upon the ages of your grandchildren, you may have to slice the lemon or lime into small wedges for them.

If your grandchildren are old enough, they can read the instructions for themselves:

1. Rinse a lemon or lime, dry with paper towel, and cut into small slices or wedges.

2.  Place one wedge into each compartment of the ice tray.

3.  Place the ice tray in the freezer overnight.  Invert the tray to remove the cubes.  If you only desire to use one or two at a time, they can be removed from the tray by grasping the citrus wedge.

4.  This is a fun way to explain to young children how water can be a liquid and a solid.

5.  Other suggestions for the citrus wedges ~~ place them inside a glass of iced or hot tea or a citrus drink!

Happy Reading & Learning.  Stay cool!

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Friday, June 17, 2016

Poetry & Prose ~~ "Dad, This One Is For You"


As I reminisce about the many cherished memories
I have of my dad when I was just a child,
Like sitting on his lap listening to his funny stories
Or his silly songs causing me to laugh and smile.

My dad was a kind-hearted and humble person
Who always seemed to understand,
When I would need a hug to enfold me
Or feel the strength of his caring hands.

Even though he was a man of very few words,
He would know the right things to say.
When doubts and fears assailed my mind,
He would say,"Don’t worry, everything will be okay."

When life would bring about turbulent times,
He faced them with calm assurance and laughter in his eyes.
He reminded me that each day held promises of hope
And would point to the double rainbow in the sky.

He had an ability to discern when it was time to share
His words of wisdom and offer ways to help.
He knew when the time had come for him to step aside
And let me stand on my own and do things myself.

With heartfelt thanks and gratitude,
And without a doubt, I want my family to know,
I am grateful for lessons of life he taught me,
And he will always be my hero.

For it was only when I started my own family
That I began to ponder and reflect,
What it meant to be a loving parent
Wanting to nurture, provide and protect.

Thank you, Dad, for showing me what it means
To live my life with honor and integrity.
Thank you for being an awesome father
And being the best dad one could possibly be.

Dad, This One Is For You.

Ephesians 6:2-3


Contributed by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures. 

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