What Will You Resolve For the New Year?

 


I, personally, don't do New Year's resolutions. I don't want to commit myself to a plan and then find that I should be doing something else that's better for my family or more important than what I resolved to do. It's not that I'm not flexible; it just sort of knocks the wind out of my sails when I'm really enthusiastic about something and then have to shift gears. Then, nothing really gets accomplished. I am no longer driven.

However, it's a new year. Of course, I want to take advantage of a fresh start; and, God's mercies are new every morning. So I will resolve to do certain things that are necessary for my health or for the good of my family regardless of my level of enthusiasm.

This year, I resolve, to spend less, exercise a little more, eat better and cook healthier and make a genuine effort to lose some weight. I will try to clean house more often and get better organized. Pursue other avenues of additional income for my family aside from my daytime job. Aren't these the kinds of things most Moms and Grandmas will strive for?

More importantly, I will pray more. Read the bible more. Teach my Grandchildren about God's word and love more and try to witness a little more often.

I hope that you will all join with me in this one... I will pray more for my children and grandchildren and the all the youth of my neighborhood, community and country. I will ask God to show me what I can do, personally, and I will strive to follow his lead.

I will pray more for my readers and hope that you also will pray for me. Lifting each other up is an important part of daily christian life.

Maybe my little blog will offer the opportunity for some "online" fellowship in the coming year. Everyone's comments are welcome.

I hope you all have a healthy, happy and prosperous year in 2011.





Happy New Year Glitter Pictures

Football and Salsa

Between Christmas and New Year's, time truly does start winding down. We rushed to put up the decorations and do the shopping and wrap the presents and plan the meals. When it's over, we look toward the new year and the new year's celebration, new year's day dinner and putting up decorations. BUT, we move slowly; even sluggishly to get it done. It seems there's just no hurry. As a matter of fact, let's watch some football and just chill. There's certainly no lack of it. Hmmmm. Fresh salsa comes to mind.

Recipe 1:

1 1/4 cups tomatoes
1 packed teaspoon cilantro
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon green onions
2 teaspoon white onions
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Cut the tomatoes and put them in a bowl. Add the onions and then the garlic. Next add the salt and chili powder, cilantro, Tabasco sauce in that order. Stir about 1 minute.

Recipe 2:

    * 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
    * 2 small cloves garlic, minced
    * 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed, chopped
    * 2 hot chile peppers, Serrano or Jalapeno, finely chopped
    * 2 to 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
    * 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lime juice
    * salt and pepper

Put chopped onion and garlic in a strainer; pour 2 cups boiling water over them then let drain thoroughly. Discard water. Cool.

Combine onions and garlic with chopped tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours to blend flavors.

Makes about 2 cups of salsa.

What to do with it after you make it:

o Serve with chips alone or melt some velveeta or some nacho cheese.

o Soak your wings in it.


o Barbecue your chicken with it.


o Cover your pork chops with it and cook them in your crock pot.


o Mix with sour cream or yogurt and use for a topping on baked   potatoes.


o Mix with black beans.

o Use as a soup base and spice it up.

A White Christmas

A White Christmas in the South. Some say it's the first one in 100 years. Others say 28 years. I guess it depends which side of town you live on.

We didn't wake up to it, but we went to bed with it.

Merry Christmas 2010

Faith Comes by Hearing offers a short audio production of the Christmas Story (The Birth of Christ) for family listening HERE.

Have a very merry Christmas!!!

Waiting For Santa

Track Santa's progress from any number of sites. The NORAD site is HERE

While you're waiting, listen to some original audio drama from Misfits Audio.

There is a wonderful version of "Frosty" HERE
(It even offers a visual)

You can also listen to (or see) their production of "A Christmas Teddy"
HERE

Radio Drama Revival has 2 Christmas episodes from The Twilight Zone (available only for a short time). They are "Gift" for Christmas
HERE

and Snow Angel (I have to listened to this one and Frosty and I loved them both).

HERE

Country Dammit/Darnit Doll

Although, I struggled with whether or not to change its name, I made the Country Dammit/Darnit Doll as a gift. Here's how mine turned out. I couldn't find all the things on the list that was used in the original post by Amanda. I posted that previously HERE

I couldn't get a paper mache cylinder or a tin button, etc.

I used a generic oat meal container and painted it light brown. I wouldn't even attempt to free hand the poem on the container so I printed it and attached it with tacky glue and painted around it.


I couldn't find the crackle so I painted two coats of Elmer's glue onto the Oatmeal container and let it dry completely before painting. A little of the white shown through and it had little texture to it. It worked pretty well.


I used yarn instead of jute for the hair and I eliminated the buttons at the hair base and used a strip of the cloth to make a band all the way around the doll. I glued it down with tacky glue.

Here's the poem I used:

When you want to climb the wall,
And stand right up and shout.
There's a little Dammit doll
You cannot do without.

Just grasp it firmly by the legs,
And find a place to slam it.
And as you whack the stuffing out
Yell Dammit, Dammit, Dammit!

If Dammit's not a word you say
Then twist its little neck
And grumble out repeatedly
Oh Heck, Oh Heck, Oh Heck!

And once your done abusing it
Just sit it on the shelf.
But hug it first, as I'd hug you
If I were there myself.

You know, there's always a story. . .

The first doll I made by the original pattern. I felt like was just too small, so I enlarged the pattern from 6 inches to 9 inches. My Granddaughter who is 5 was already fascinated by the entire process. She said she "just wuvs it"! She asked if she could have the little doll. She wanted rainbow hair and a nose and smiley face. When she saw there was a poem involved she had to have that too. So, obviously, it was time to rename the doll. She didn't know what it was called anyway. So I changed the poem to "Dang It". She is thrilled with her dang it doll and even took it to school to show her teacher. Kids... you never know what will impress them.

We found a little zip up purse for her to carry her "Dang It" Doll in.

I printed the poem very small and ran a strand of yarn through it and it now hangs around her doll's neck. She still "just wuvs" it! 

Check out my Christmas Fun with Kids post on my other blog for some tasty treatsHERE 

Free Christmas MP3's

Free contemporary Christmas songs in MP3 format. They are free and legal. Left click to listen. Right click and "save link as" to download.

FREE CHRISTMAS MUSIC

Amazon.com is also offering "25 Days of Christmas" Free Christmas Music by known artists. You'll have to download the Amazon.com downloader program.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Congratulations, Leon! It's way over due.

A slower version of this song is on another video that has beautiful Christmassy pictures HERE

SANTA IN WONDERLAND

From Santa Claus Funnies

SANTA IN WONDERLAND

Inspired by

Lewis Carroll's

Alice in Wonderland

Dell's Santa Claus Funnies #2, 1943

The Pink Pig

My daughter and I took the little ones to see Santa and to ride the Pink Pig at Lenox this weekend. The Pink Pig is a Holiday Tradition in Atlanta.

The Pink Pig is an amusement park-like ride that originally was a miniature suspended monorail sized for children. Adults would be hard-pressed to fit inside the enclosed cars that the children sat in as the ride operated. The original ride "flew" from the ceiling of the toy department. The pig was then moved outside the building to a rooftop Christmas village that surrounded the Great Tree. The Pink Pig started outside under the tree, returned indoors to fly over the toy department before returning to its starting point. The original Pink Pig was named Priscilla. A second pig, named Percival was later added to meet the high demand to ride the pig. After completing their journey, riders received a sticker that said "I rode the Pink Pig".

The ride moved to the Festival of Trees in the 1990s, and resided at the Atlanta History Center. The ride was brought back to Rich's in 2004 when it reappeared at the Rich's at Lenox Square mall, the new location for the Great Tree. The new version of the Pink Pig is a conventional train ride with a miniature pink pig locomotive pulling a set of pink child-sized passenger cars at ground level, instead of the original suspended monorail design. Today, both parents and children ride Priscilla, the Pink Pig.
 

Oh, Yeah! It was snowing that day! Very Christmassy!!!

Leon on CBS

Set your DVR for 9:00 a.m., Sunday December 12th - Then watch after church!

LEON RUSSELL ROAD (Well, it's about time!)


Leon Russell, the world renowned musician, owned a recording studio in the 1970's in the Tulsa Pearl called Church Studio, a former castle-like Church in The Pearl District. Tons of music history went down there, including recording the likes of Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, J.J. Cale, The Gap Band, and more.


To honor him during the revival of the recording studio, The Pearl District Neighborhood Association is placing honorary street... signs (LEON RUSSELL ROAD) outside the studio on 3rd Street between Utica and Peoria on November 6, 2010.


The section of the street that will be renamed is Third Street from Peoria Avenue to South Utica Avenue. To celebrate the dedication, the Pearl District Association and city of Tulsa will officially unveil the new Leon Russell Road signs at 7 p.m. Nov. 6.


Read more here


Leon Trivia - What was the name of Leon's old band?
The Starlighters: (with JJ Cayle)

Friday Funnies

At Grandma's


Two little boys went to their grandparents' place for Christmas. At bedtime, the youngest one began to pray at the top of his lungs.


"I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE...
I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE...
I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE..."


The older brother exclaimed, "Why are you shouting? Do you think God is deaf." The little one promptly replied, "Nope! But Grandma sure is!"

What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?

Answer: It's Christmas, Eve.

What do you call a penguin wearing ear muffs?

Answer: Anything, he can't hear you!

Homemade Gift Ideas - Updated 12/23/10

I found this gift idea at Amanda's Crafts (Dammit/Darnit Doll)
Country Dammit/Darnit Doll

Croche one HERE

Buy one HERE,
HERE or
HERE

This one came from All Recipes
Peppermint Bark


My daughter made the peppermint bark as gifts. You can see how hers turned out HERE

I found this gift idea at About.com
Heirloom Photo Ornament

Friday Funnies

A Funny Christmas Sign In a stationery store: "For the man who has everything... A calendar to remind him when payments are due."

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THIS BIRD CAN DANCE!!!!

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Why does Santa have 3 gardens? So he can hoe hoe hoe!
       
What do snowmen eat for breakfast? Frosted Flakes

What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
Frost bite

Sounds of The Season

A neat page to visit is the "Santa Baby" page. Read about  Eartha Kitt and Marilyn Monroe while listening to the song. Click the home page to choose more music. Listen HERE. (You may have to click the play button on the player).

 

If you've never heard the Amos 'n Andy Christmas show; you really should. Maybe you'd like to hear it again. Listen Here

Listen to the story of the First Christmas
HERE

Mother and Daughter Talent

Mariah Carey and her Mother, Patricia sing in this very festive video. Apparently, there's more to Mariah than meets the eye.

When Should a Little Girl Have Her Ears Pierced?

I am solidly steadfast on this subject ( stubborn). I just don't feel like it's okay to mark or put holes in a child's body who isn't old enough to understand and decide for his or herself.


I know there are many people who get their daughter's ears pierced when they are infants. I try not to be judgmental, but I won't do that. I believe the person has a right to choose things like that.


When both my daughters turned 13, that's what they got for their birthday, if they wanted it. Of course, they did. My daughter recently got her 5 year old's ears pierced. Obviously, I don't approve and I wouldn't do it. My little granddaughter is so proud of her Hello Kitty earrings, so naturally, I told her they were very pretty. I asked her if it hurt and if she likes them and if she was glad she did it. I got all yes answers. Naturally, I tried very hard not display displeasure or disapproval.

Knowing that tatoos and body piercing must be approved by a parent and or you have to be 18 to get those things done, I can't help but wonder why ear piercing under legal age is acceptable. . . but it is.


I got mine pierced when I was fifteen ( by my best friend ). I had trouble with my ears for a long time. It was years before mine stopped getting puss-filled or infected. I hope hers is different. They are cute.


Maybe it's just me. What do you think?


Note: When I was 15, a lady named Jean Dixon wrote an article for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She predicted that during the summer of my 15th year that aliens were going to come and take away all the women who had pierced ears. Well, it was a much more innocent and naive time than now so, of course, I was terrified until the predicted day had passed.

An update to this post can be found HERE

Freebee Friday

Free Cookbook: 25 Meatloaf Recipes

Get it HERE. You will have to register with the site.

 
From the New Black Digital Library, download free Warhammer eBooks HERE

Download Mobipocket Reader for PC HERE

Have some fun with your kids (or by yourself). You'll all die laughing. Move your cursor over the teddy bears. Don't click. Try leaving the cursor pointing on one teddy bear. It really will make you laugh!


TEDDY BEARS