Carrots Pathway

2011-09-10T16:51:00.001-07:00

2011-09-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

So.
I'm sitting here thinking...
It's been a while since I've posted on my blog.
I probably need to post something.
Just to make me feel better. :)

I have been de-cluttering here lately. Oh, yes! Fly Lady! If you haven't heard of her go check her out! She is awesome! She's very down to earth...very practical. And, she has the sweetest southern accent. I'm thinking about asking for her book "Sink Reflections" for Christmas. :)
So what does Fly Lady do? Well, she inspires you to keep your life and house clean, organized, and headache free! And, she gives you wonderful advice on how you can best accomplish all that.
So! I have been de-cluttering. For one reason, there's a possibility that we may be moving again.

We'll see.

2011-07-26T07:38:00.001-07:00

2011-06-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

The past year I have been eating quite differently. For one, I've been on a candida diet, along with eating gluten free. Oh, yes. And my meat is organic.
I've learned to be more creative. There's actually a whole new world of foods that people miss out on. Good food, real food.

Since I've had to stay away from wheat flour, I've started trying out the alternatives. I discovered brown rice flour and have enjoying using it. The other day I ordered some quinoa flour in bulk. I do like the quinoa. (It does have a different taste to it that I am trying to get used to.)

A couple of days ago I decided to experiment with oats. I bought some rolled oats at Wally World-

grabbed my food processor-

and whola!

I've been making pancakes with it. It's not quite as fine as normal flour, but it still is good. The texture is actually very yummy! It's got a little bit of a corn meal feel about it...although not as coarse.

2011-06-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time a whole bunch of birdies built a nest upon my porch.

June 4th

(There are actually five...it was high up so I had a hard time getting all of them in the picture.)

June 6th

June 6th

June 11th

June 13th

2011-06-03T17:23:00.001-07:00

Tonight for supper we're having jambalaya with fresh tomatoes and okra. Combine that with the humidity...'bout right!

2011-05-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this past weekend! We had my brother and sister-in-law and their kids over. it was good seeing all of them. :)

Since Friday I have:

-Been to three cookouts
-Discovered that I enjoy throwing the football
-Fired my first rifle and shotgun
-Been to a wonderful wedding
-Gotten some new wedding ideas :)
-Read "Todd the Turnip" twice
-Met my new *adorable* niece!
-aaannndd....gotten a total of twenty eight mosquito bites on my wrists, ankles and calves. At the end of the summer if you see a pink polka dot Dr. Seuss like character walking about...don't be alarmed--it's only me. :)

All in all it's been a wonderful weekend/holiday.

Summer, I'm glad you're back.

2011-05-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

This morning, at about six thirty, I started a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce. While it simmered I whipped up some cookie dough. I've started freezing cookie dough in balls, so that when my sweet desires cookies (or when company comes) I can simply pop them in the oven-saving time and dishes.
I flash freeze them for an hour or two before putting them into the bag...that way they don't stick together.

2011-05-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I finished reading Alexandre Dumas' "The Count Of Monte Cristo." I do believe that it is now one of my favorite books. At first I didn't think I would like the way it was ending-but I actually found, to my delight, that I loved the end. There is nothing like an intriguing book that you simply cannot put down for the life of you!

2011-05-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

Out in the yard yesterday.

I am hoping to get serious with learning more about my camera. It's nice...but poor thing, it could do justice to it's kind if it were only in the hand of someone more skillful than myself.

2011-02-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

Well. We are now moved. Things happened so quickly! My new house is starting to feel more like home. I'm enjoying my dining room and my two extra closets. :) We painted the week before last. Both the living room and dining room were both dark panelling. Now we have a pretty pea green-type color.
Oh, and we're at a different house then we were thinking about. Originally. I won't be having chickens but I'm hoping to have a clothes line and a garden.
I think the best thing about living here is the fellowship. You never really fully appreciate having people around until you've been away. So, anyway. Glad to be back home.

2011-01-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

Monday we found out we're moving!

EEEEEKKKK SCARY!!!!

I'm really excited though. :) I'll be closer to my family and friends.
Oh...and I'm really excited about this...I get to have a GARDEN!!! YES! I'm planning on growing cucumbers, squash, zucchini, lettuce, green onions, and bell peppers. I've pondered growing beets and turnips. I love organic food but it's so expensive. This will be so nice!
There's also the possibility that I will be able to have chickens. I want just laying hens at first. I'm not ready to handle a rooster. (They scare me.) Besides, I don't want to raise a flock. Eventually, though, it might be nice to learn how to kill and dress a chicken.
Oh, I'm also wanting a clothes line. :)
To top off the "back to nature experience" we also aren't going to have internet. Ah, well. It will be an adjustment...but I'm sure I'll survive-somehow. :)

Hopefully I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch with all this.

We have to move and get there first. There's still a lot to wrap up here.

For instance. I still have my laundry room to pack up, along with my kitchen and attic. We've already packed up all our books. (Believe me when I say we have a ton.) We packed them in small boxes. Last time the books were moved they were moved in big tubs-which means you might as well schedule your trip to the chiropractor before picking them up.

I've packed up all the clothes I won't be needing. Kept a few out. I did declutter a bunch of stuff. (Like the Three Tenors in concert VHS...yea, I'm sure we'll be popping that in whenever we have a movie night.)

All in all things are going pretty well. I've been praying that everything would go smoothly. This is my first REAL moving experience. Just trying to enjoy the ride. :)

2010-12-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to a Christmas parade downtown. We had a great time! There were a couple of miniature ponies that were really cute.

Also...something random. yesterday night we were watching an old 1930's movie. It was in a Shirley Temple movie pack. (It only had Shirley Temple in about two minutes of the whole thing! Anyway. One of the quotes of the movie was "there's a lot of value in a beautiful woman who can keep her mouth shut." oh yea?? (playingly) Boys are made of snails and puppy dog tails! :)

I know I'm weird.

Btw. this marks my first post in what....four months?

2010-07-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to camp. One day while eating lunch, the girls and I got to talking on some subject, what I don't remember.
Very emphatically I made the statement that "When I get married I want to have at least three boys!"

a silent pause...

Oh. yea. That's right! I am married! :)

2010-06-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I just finished reading a book- Forbidden Grief. It's not exactly a "fun read" but I'm very glad I read it. It's about the affects of abortion on women.

To be quite honest, my thoughts many times towards post-abortive women have been "how could they do such a thing?" However, when you take a closer look into the picture, there's a lot more than meets the eye. It's not that these women are simply "hard heart-ed."

I've always known that abortion hurts women, but I never realized how dramatically it affects them. We rarely see the hurt openly but the affects of it are written all over our society. While reading this book I've understood some things better and I think I've made some connections.

Ah...so maybe that's why so many women look disdainfully at children in the grocery store? Maybe it's not simply a hatred of children...maybe it's something a lot deeper.

This book was very eye opening as to how post-abortive women feel and how there is a need to grieve and to have their loss validated. In our society, grieving over an abortion (as a general rule) is not accepted.

Don't get me wrong, just because there is grief and side affects doesn't mean that what is done should be justified or rationalized. I think it does mean, however, that we should have compassion on these women, recognize that there is a wound, not take their loss lightly and do our best to help them.

2010-05-05T05:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first day as a volunteer at Choices resource center. (www.choicesresource.com)
I am really excited and can't wait to learn more. Yesterday I made some phone calls (which was more complicated than I thought...you really have to watch what you say!), helped with the baby store, alphabetized a stack of cards, and tried to pay attention to everything they showed me. Of course, this summer I should be able to go through the training. I will be able to do more with the clients after that.
Oh, and the ladies are really sweet. I'm looking forward to getting to know them all better. :)
I'm really thankful the Lord opened up this opportunity for me. This has already helped me to meet some people and feel more at home up here...as well as the blessing of being a part of something like this.

2010-04-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I invested in a tea ball. Yesterday I tried it for the first time.
This morning I made myself some peppermint tea with dried peppermint from my yard.
A tea ball has such a classy feel to it. So drop by some time for tea dahhhling.

2010-04-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

Since being married there is one question I have received a bit more frequently.

Do I have a job?

To answer that question, yes, I do. My job is my home.

I believe the home is the center of society and affects almost every area of it. For example, children in school who have good home lives are usually better students. (And vice-versa) Working to better the home is actually helping society and is not a waste of time.

There are a great deal of things to keep one busy and productive. Working in the home also opens up ministry opportunities that would be difficult to do otherwise. This, I believe is very important. Our society relies on organizations to take on the tasks of ministering to others, when really, (Biblically) it is the responsibility of every person.

There are also advantages to working in the home, a few that quickly come to mind are: cleaning your own house-which means you don't have to pay someone else to do it for you, being able to cook and make healthy meals- you don't have to eat out all the time or buy pre-made meals, use less gas- though I still go places, and when my husband gets home I actually have time for him!

All that to say, I love my life at home and am very thankful to be here!

And by the way...I don't eat bon bons. I eat gummy worms.

2010-03-18T05:25:00.000-07:00

I just watched on the CNN news that Italian police are using a mafia member's Facebook account to track down other mafia members. It seems the one had friends on Facebook.
One thing I'm wondering...did they ever play Mafia Wars?

2010-03-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I cut my darling's hair. He's been styling it differently so I had to learn a different cut. His hair is thick and forgiving...so experimenting on him isn't as dangerous as it might be on others. :) With his help and my taking forever, it did turn out looking good. :)

2010-03-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

Sometime soon I hope to buy a mill. I've been saving up for a little while to buy this one. It's actually the same type that my family has. I'm used to it and really like how it runs. I'm so excited about getting it! Whole wheat is so much better for your body and tastes wonderful!

A few of my favorite things to make with whole wheat flour are:

Yummy home made bread!!

Cinnamon rolls

Whole wheat pancakes

Blueberry muffins

And pizza dough!
(This picture isn't the best, it does taste better than it looks- believe it or not!)

2010-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

A little nook I found behind a building

2010-02-16T14:42:00.000-08:00

I learned something new last week.
Dandelions are edible and help detox the body. The roots can be dug up, roasted and brewed to make coffee. New leaves can be used in salads while the older can be cooked like greens. The flowers can be eaten raw or battered and fried to make fritters.
I'm sure there are many other uses and benefits that I can't remember...but these are a few!

2010-02-09T05:06:00.000-08:00

Our snow bear

Some kind of little creature...I don't know my animal tracks that well. :)

2010-01-19T05:56:00.001-08:00

Last night I dreamed that I accidentally flushed a tomato and hamburger down the toilet. Later in my dream I knocked out a mean dog that was trying to eat everyone. After I hit him, he turned into a cucumber.

2010-01-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

I just finished listening to a podcast on iTunes. It's from Revive Our Heart's True Woman 08' conference. I signed up for the Revive Our Hearts and True Woman podcast....it is wonderful and I have enjoyed it so much!

There is one message on there that is absolutely amazing. I wish I could let every woman I know listen to it! The name of it is "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" by Mary Kassian, who is the author of "The Feminist Mistake." It's worth checking out!

"The woman who accepts the limitations of womanhood finds in those very limitations her gifts, her special calling-wings, in fact, which bear her up into perfect freedom, into the will of God."

2010-01-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

Always be kind to animals,

Morning, noon, and night,

For animals have feelings too,

And furthermore...they bite.

- John Gardner -

2010-01-07T05:15:00.001-08:00

My husband has introduced me to a new product...new in the sense that I haven't known about it until recently.

It is a mouse trap that you can reuse. It's like the traditional trap, but much cleaner and much less dangerous for your fingers! All you do is press it to set, then when the mouse get's caught...simply press, release, and dispose.

A last night, I thought I heard something rustling in the kitchen. I figured the cold probably made something want inside. This morning we had a mousy. We set it (the trap) again just in case of any relatives.

A lot of people bait with cheese, but I think peanut butter works better. They seem to like crunchy.

Have I ever mentioned I wouldn't mind getting a hampster?

2009-12-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

We hear of all kinds of super heroes. However, we never hear of ones like Mr. Incapable. You never hear of those kinds of super heroes.
Drum roll please!! (*In radio announcer voice*) "He's the one, he's the only, heeeee's Mr. Incapable!! Can he save the day, NO! What exactly can he do? Well...we don't really know."

2009-12-15T09:20:00.000-08:00

Today I'm making two kinds of cookies: sugar and chocolate chip.
I'm also making date balls. Yum!!! Dates are normally pretty high, but I have found that you can get them pretty cheap in bulk at Sam's club.
Eggnog, peppermint ice cream, and date balls! Mmmmmm!!!

2009-12-11T07:26:00.000-08:00

Oh, to think of heaven without Christ! It is the same thing as thinking of hell. Heaven without Christ! It is day without the sun; existing without life, feasting without food, seeing without light. It involves a contradiction in terms. Heaven without Christ! Absurd. It is the sea without water, the earth without its fields, the heavens without their stars. There cannot be heaven without Christ. He is the sum total of bliss; the fountain from which heaven flows, the element of which heaven is composed. Christ is heaven and heaven is Christ.
The Fathers House - Charles Spurgeon

2009-12-09T09:12:00.000-08:00

While in the car today, a song came on the radio that was so great! I had never heard it before.

Percy, The Puny Poinsettia

Percy the puny poinsettia
is hanging his bloom in dismay
If they had just kept him wetta
he’d be a houseplant today
Folks liked the other plants betta
now he’s alone on the shelf
Even a plant with no uncle or aunt
shouldn’t spend Christmas Day by himself

Holiday shoppers would stop by the counter
and pick up a plant to take home
Until one by one all his friends were adopted
and Percy was left all alone

Percy the puny poinsettia
is hanging his bloom in dismay
If they had just kept him wetta
he’d be a houseplant today
Folks liked the other plants betta
now he’s alone on the shelf
Even a plant with no uncle or aunt
shouldn’t spend Christmas Day by himself

Then into the store on the night before Christmas
came a poor little girl who was cryin’
But when she saw Percy her eyes opened wide
and she said “Can I please make him mine?”

Now Percy the puny poinsettia
is standing beside Mr. Tree
His leaves have never been redda,
he’s as proud as a flower can be

Somebody made him feel betta,
rescued him off of the shelf
Even a plant with no uncle or aunt
shouldn’t spend Christmas Day by himself

2009-12-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I stumbled across a pretty neat website.

It had the actual costumes from different movies up close.
This was one of my favorites!

2009-12-01T05:13:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we went ice skating. I had never been before. It was great and I absolutely loved it! When I was little we used to go to the skating rink regularly. It's a really fun source of exercise. :)

Thanksgiving went well. We actually had two: one at my grandparents and one at my in-laws. It was so good to see everyone. :) I made a sweet potato casserole that was pretty good.
We got home Saturday night at about 12:30. (I guess that would be early Sunday morning, technically.)

Yesterday I made homemade butter. Yum yum! Nothin' like fresh butter!
(The buttermilk that's leftover is actually sweet.)

2009-11-17T07:39:00.001-08:00

Wild fowl

2009-11-16T16:54:00.001-08:00

I love the style of these purses and would love to make one sometime. I don't care too much for the pattern on the right... I'd probably go with something a bit more colorful.

2009-11-16T06:19:00.000-08:00

Never encourage your husband in constellation watching while he's driving.

2009-11-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

I am making lasagna tonight.

A second ago I saw something on the recipe I missed at first.

"let sauce simmer for 2-3 hours."

Yea...sure. I don't think so.

2009-11-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

My Wal-Mart has very unique methods of organizing their products. Yesterday while I was doing my weekly shopping, I steered my basket to the hat and purse department (the hat and purse department are in the middle of the clothing departments). I was quite humored to find frosted mini wheats, crackers, granola bars, and velveeta cheese sitting in the middle of the purses.

hum....this purse is so colorful, it makes me want a box of mini wheats!

2009-11-09T07:44:00.001-08:00

"The Paradise of God is not the Elysium of imagination, the Utopia of intellect, or the Eden of poetry; but it is the heaven of intense spiritual fellowship with the Lord Jesus - a place where it is promised to faithful souls that they shall see his face." Charles Spurgeon

2009-11-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

Growing up we were always watching the 1934 movie The Scarlet Pimpernel. (It's still one of my favorite old movies.)
The woman in this movie always fascinated me. She is so gorgeous...at least in the picture she is. No girl would have a problem looking like this if she had a good enough makeup artist. :)

A few of my favorite things!

2009-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

I love these rooms!

2009-11-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

I took this picture one morning a few weeks ago. I guess the temperature change was causing steam to come off the houses. The sun was hitting just the right angle for me to be able to see it.

2009-10-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

Here lately I've been reading Charles Spurgeon's The Father's House. This is an EXCELLENT book and one of the best I have read on the subject of heaven. It is very comforting and enlightening...not just to those who have experienced a loss.

2009-10-24T03:34:00.000-07:00

Thought for the day:

Conviction is worthless unless converted into practice.

Sometimes I like to sit down and evaluate things. Do I have convictions that I have laid aside for the sake of entertainment? Do I obey my husband like I should? What is the true reason I am wearing this outfit? When I really start to think about it, there are many things that we believe that NEED to be applied.

2009-10-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

This week I've had a cold. So far I've not taken anything but olive leaf and hot tea. It's worked pretty well and I'm starting to feel better.

We actually drink hot tea all the time, not just when we're sick. There's nothing more relaxing than sitting down with a warm cup of Indian or chamomile tea! Last week my husband and I watched the movie Emma together while drinking hot tea and eating roasted chestnuts. Ahhhh........

2009-10-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

My favorite veggie tales movie is Madam Blueberry. Yes, I do watch veggie tales. (And I am not ashamed to admit it!) :)
The best song on this particular movie is to me the thankfulness song. A thankful heart really is a happy heart!

I thank God for this day,
For the sun in the sky,
For my mom and my dad,
For my piece of apple pie!

For our home on the ground,
For His love that's all around,
That's why I say thanks every day!

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have,
Thats an easy way to start!

For the love that He shares,
'Cause He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks every day!

For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Phil. 4:11

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Col. 3:15

2009-09-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

I never thought I would get to this point, but alas....I have. This might sound familiar to some of you. :)

So, my husband and I are driving home from a church singing last Friday night. They had had "snacks" at the church afterwards.....more like an entire meal! All the desserts were scrumptious. Needless to say, we left feeling quite full.

On our way home, I asked if we could stop by steak-n-shake. Why you may ask?
Number one: I had a free coupon for a milkshake burning a hole through my purse.
Number two: Letting a coupon for anything that is free just go out of date is almost like sinning.

Now, don't get me wrong. I was not at all in the mood to have more to eat.....much less a thick, rich, heavy, Steak-n-shake milkshake. I felt a bit sick to tell you the truth. We were a ways from the house so I would have had to finish it in the car.

But it was a coupon, and it was FREE!!

Who would have ever guessed that you could have such mind battles over a milkshake!

After reasoning with myself for a time I finally made up my mind.
No! I could just see myself sitting in the car, sipping my FREE prize while feeling absolutely miserable. (But consoling myself with the fact that it was free, and that it would be wasteful to do otherwise!)
But, since it had no nutritional value whatsoever and could not be saved for later, I passed it up.

So, if I redid that moment, would I still have passed it up again?
I don't know. I couldn't tell you. A coupon is a powerful thing.......

2009-09-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

Right now, I have a 15 bean soup sitting on my stove . I started cooking it this afternoon and almost burned it. But, miracle of miracles! It actually tastes good! (If I don't say so myself.) :)

Last night I was skimming online for no apparent reason and came across this cute ball of fluff. I tried to convince my husband to let me get one. (Just kidding.) Just think of how fierce he will become once grown.

My dream kitty

2009-09-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Long time ago I used to tell Mama that I was going to get a hairless cat; if any guy wanted to marry me, he would have to take kitty as well. That way I would know if he really loved me. :)
If I had a place to keep it, free food, and someone to take care of it and clean up after it, I wouldn't mind having one. It would be my sweet kitty. It could help me cook and in the evenings snuggle on the couch with me.

2009-09-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

I made cookies today.

This morning I was looking in my "cookie Bible" for a good recipe.

I came across one recipe.......simple sugar cookie.....with a bit of Tabasco sauce. In a way I almost am tempted to try it just to see how it would taste. :)

2009-09-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Today has been a rather rainy day.
While running errands this afternoon, I took the opportunity to use my new polka dot umbrella! I've never really thought about using one and haven't all these years. But, since I now have one....why not?

I used to not like it when it rained. Over the years, however, I've gotten to where I can enjoy it. Yes, during some months it can get rather gloomy....I can remember Mama telling me one winter "not to let the weather dictate my mood." I try to keep that in mind, as well as the fact that the weather is part of God's plan, rain included. When you think about it, rain can be really pretty......it's all in the the perspective. :)

2009-09-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

I would like to bring up a very serious point, one that few take into consideration.

If a Puffin doesn't have a name, then what is it? Logically, it would be a "Nuffin."
Well, you might say, what is a puffin with a name? My answer to that would be, whatever it's name was! It might be Albert, or Patricia....but it would be a name.

2009-09-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

Today I found some meat in the freezer that needed to be used- thus I am attempting to make a roast.....crock pot style. It seems pretty easy; stick it in and turn it on! Wholaa! We'll see!

On a completely different topic.....Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? There is this one song that I find myself humming randomly throughout the day. It's not that I like the song, it just happens to have a catchy tune. It's Taylor Swift's You belong with me. (Let it go on the record, I am not a fan of hers).

One afternoon I was bored so I decided to see what the music video was like. (Though I am not a big music video person.) I found it ironically funny. She's supposed to be a frumpy geek who likes a boy with a preppy girlfriend. Taylor Swift, who, in my opinion is preppy herself, didn't really fit the part. :) All they did to make her look frumpy was stick a pair of glasses on her.

Now if only I could create a frump.........
Maybe one day I'll find a picture worthy of the title. :)

Speaking of frumpy.

I've been listening to a modesty series by one of my favorite speakers Nancy Lee DeMoss. One of the things that she points out is that in our society, when women hear the word "modesty" what comes to mind is normally frumpy, unfashionable, and unattractive. The idea of the high collared school marm.

That is not, however, what modesty is! That is what the world would have us think it is!
I would highly recommend listening to Nancy Lee DeMoss' study on modesty. (She has a womens ministry called Revive Our Hearts. I love her material and find it very sound and encouraging. Also, you can sign up for the Revive our hearts podcast on iTunes, which I have enjoyed a lot!)

So, is it possible to be cute, attractive, stylish and modest at the same time? I think so. :)

2009-09-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Carrots Pathway!

First of all, let me clarify the meaning of Carrots. It is not carrots as in munch munch, but carrots as in me. I am Carrots.

What about pathway? Well, personality and creativity are a journey....and a journey is much easier if you have a pathway!

So, please join me on my adventure into the technical world of expression.