Life's Too Short for Petty Things

This past Saturday, a neighbor of ours for about 10 years passed away.  He'd been very ill and in the hospital, but due to insurance issues (he'd met his maximum insurance limit) they sent him home!  He came home on Thursday afternoon and died Saturday night. 

I was very sad and in shock all day Sunday as was my husband and oldest daughter.  They had just talked to him the very afternoon he died. 

No one likes to talk or think about dying, but this really made me think.  It also makes me realize that the things which I think are important may not be as important as I thought.  We never know when our time up will be.  Many questions ran through my mind after this happened:

Am I doing everything in my power to live for God? 

Have I talked to you today God?

Did I say 'I love you' to my husband before he left for work? 

Did I tell my children I loved them before they went to school? 

How about my mom and dad - have I told them I love them lately? 

Did I really need to make a big deal out of a petty situation? 

Was it really necessary to lose my patience with my children? 

Was the cause of my anger that important? 

If I died, would people notice? 

Am I making a difference in my world? 

Am I ready to go? 

Was I an example and a witness to my neighbor the way God wanted me to be? 

What can I do now to help his widow and mother? 

This is just a rambling of my jumbled thoughts about this weekend.  Sadly, there was no memorial service for him so we weren't even able to pay our respects.  I will miss him because he was always kind to our family.  There was one time when we were so busy that our yard had not been mowed.  While we were gone, he mowed it.  And sometimes he and his wife would bring treats over for our children. 

I hope that I am making a difference in my world.  If not, Lord please forgive me and help me. 

Pancakes and Biscuits

I'm always looking for new ways of doing things to make my life easier.  Breakfast is one of the meals that doesn't always work out too well.  My mornings are very hectic anyway without throwing breakfast in there.  Three of my children have to be out of the house by 8:00 and my oldest starts homeschooling at 8:15, so today, I decided to make up a batch of pancakes mid-morning and freeze them.  The recipe I used made 26 today (it varies) and so I'll get 2 - 3 pancake mornings out of it.   The pancakes work out really well frozen because I've always frozen my leftovers. 

Here's the recipe.  I've altered it a bit but originally got this from The Happy Houswife.

2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar (or you can substitute honey for the sugar)

Mix the dry ingredients well.  Add all other ingredients and cook on a hot griddle (350 degrees) until bubbles pop, then turn over for another minute or so.    If you use all whole wheat flour, they tend to burn quickly so watch them closely.

The next thing I plan to make up in advance and freeze is bisquits!  My husband and I have always had this standing joke about not being able to make biscuits.  But I recently found a recipe that both of us have been successful at!  So, I quit buying store bought biscuits and have been making my own ever since.  If you want to see the recipe, visit http://happytobeathome.net/day-2-in-paulettes-kitchen-2/    Instead of dropping them by the spoonfuls on the cookie sheet , I tend to roll them in my hand.  It just makes them look smoother.  One recipe makes 6 large biscuits so I always double it. 

Bon appetit!

On the Lighter Side!

We've had so much rain here of late that the fire ants and mosquitos have taken over. Or so it seems. My husband wrote a little poem about the fire ants that I'd love to share with all.

Ten inches of rain in just over a week

The fire ant mounds are now ten inches deep

The evil insects sting and inflict such pain

To kill them all would be such gain

I would love to tear their little heads from their thorax

Ha ha, die you little beasts, here comes the borax!

Yes, I know, my dear hubby has a very weird and distorted sense of humor, but hey, that's part of his charm that drew me to him!

A Trip To Remember

Our first field trip - Sea World - was a trip I'll never forget.  My daughter and I went with two other home school mom's and their children.  Having never been to Sea World, I wasn't sure what to expect.  The exhibits that were open were fabulous. 

It was a totally new experience for me to travel without my husband.  I was a little apprehensive about doing this - especially since it was going to be a five hour drive.  I printed maps from mapquest, had a Texas map, and a GPS.  Think we didn't get lost?  Think again!   Here, how that story began:

Our trip to Sea World went smoothly.  After Sea World was over, we all wanted to go see the Alamo.  We had no problem finding the Alamo.  But, that was a weird experience in itself.  It seems that we were so "strange" looking, that the security guards watched us like a hawk.  Can't you tell by the pictures that we look like we're up to something? Needless to say, it made us uncomfortable and we didn't stay long.  One of the other drivers needed gas for her vehicle, so once we left the Alamo, we were trying to find a gas station.  Evidently San Antonio, doesn't believe in having a gas station on every corner.  We drove around for what seemed like hours before finding one.   We were so turned around, it reminded me of one of those games where you put a ball under one of  3 or 4 cups and switch them around and guess which one it's under!  At this point, rush hour was starting and I'd gotten separated from the other vehicle.  Now, I come from a metropolis with horrid rush hours, but I think this one took the cake!  I can officially say, I've seen parts of  San Antonio that I would probably never see on a normal day!   The GPS I used took me all over the place before finally getting me to the highway I needed!  The other group finally found their way out around the same time I did. 

San Antonio is definitely a tourist trap - once you get in, it's hard to get out!   We finally made it out of San Antonio around 7:00, exhausted and hungry. 

Would I do the trip again if given the chance - absolutely!  In spite of the trials of the day, we totally enjoyed this trip.  My daughter and I took a different route home that gave us the chance to enjoy the beautiful rolling hill country, or as some people call it - God's country.

It drizzled most of the day on Thursday.  Thankfully, the downpour held off until it was time to leave Sea World.  We got pretty wet at the Alamo.  That being said, I felt it was appropriate for my slide show to have raindrops in it!

So Much Learned...

I've learned so much since I've started blogging, especially concerning menu planning, recipes, and living frugally.  There are so many blogs that I love visiting because of the good, down-to-earth information that's coming, not from some company, but from other mommies who are in the same situations I am in.  Just today, I found a wonderful blog that posts gluten-free crockpot meals - http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/.  I was very excited about this because my husbands step-dad was diagnosed with Celiac disease last year.  I can now help them out by giving them recipes for foods he can eat without breaking the bank. 

I've started making more of my meals completely from scratch which is healthier and cheaper.  Am I one that absolutely loves being in the kitchen?  Not really!  But with all the advise that I've read about on other blogs, I am beginning to like it more and more.  And I know my family loves it because they eat just about everything I've been serving (with exception to my youngest - she's a very picky eater and we are working on that one!)

So to all my bloggy friends - kudos!