These Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty

The Drummer Guy has been looking through the pantry over and over for a tasty snack.  I don't think he is seeing much to his liking -  the primary contents in there right now are granola bars, quite a few boxes of cereal (good sale - great coupons!), and flour.  I seem to have a lot of flour.  I found a bag of pretzels hiding away in the back, so I whipped him up a little treat today. 

Ranch Pretzels

- 16 oz. pkg. twisted mini pretzels

- 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

- 1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix

- 1/2 c. oil

Mix together garlic powder, dressing mix, and oil.  (I'm always trying to cut down the fat in recipes so I only used 1/3 cup - they turned out fine.)  Place pretzels a large roasting pan.  Pour oil mixture over pretzels and stir well, until all pretzels are well coated.  Bake in 225 degree oven for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

I think the Drummer Guy will be a happy snacker tonight!

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Today I was searching online for a quick and easy muffin recipe and ran across this one on the All Recipes site.  When I first read this recipe I thought that there was no way this would work - no eggs, no oil. If I had not read on down further into the comments section of the post I probably would have passed on this recipe.  Several of the comments voiced my same skepticism, but offered assurances that the recipe was fantastic and to just trust that it would work.  So I gave it a whirl.

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Table of Contents:

- 1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix

- 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree

- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

How To:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.  In a large bowl mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, and spices until smooth.  Spoon equal amounts of batter into the muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

The Outcome:

I changed up the recipe just a little.  I used a spice cake mix and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice.  I also made them as mini-muffins and baked them for about 18 minutes.  (It made 3 dozen.)  The Drummer Guy and I both loved these.  They are so moist and full of pumpkin flavor.  And so easy that even The Drummer Guy could make them!

I heart pumpkin recipes!

Grand Finale

This is it - the culmination, the completion, the achievement of a goal.

But something unexpected happened along the journey.  I have discovered that I like dicing, slicing, and chopping.  Stirring, kneading, and sautéing have become therapeutic.  I have found that it is OK to cook with a little butter once in awhile.  (But I still will NOT use heavy cream – just can’t do it!)  I love looking through cookbooks, online recipe sites, and blogs for great new goodies for us to try.  Who knew – this project has led me to really like to cook.

So – I did it!  The Resolution has been fulfilled.  But it is not the end of the road.  I still have several recipes that we have tried that I will eventually get around to posting.  And I have probably a dozen new recipes that I can hardly wait to try.

But for now, here it is - the big finish.  Recipe #22:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Table of Contents:

-          2 ½ c. white flour

-          1 c. whole wheat flour

-          3 c. granulated sugar

-           2 tsp. baking soda

-          2 tsp. ground cinnamon

-          1 tsp. ground nutmeg

-          1 tsp. salt

-          1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

-          1 c. canola or vegetable oil

-          4 large eggs

-          2/3 c. water

-          1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

How To:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans or three 8x4-inch loaf pans.  In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together canned pumpkin, oil, eggs, and 2/3 cup water until well combined and stir into dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry streaks remain.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake the bread for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove the bread from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Run a knife gently around the edge of the bread and turn the bread out, right side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

The Outcome:

The Drummer Guy does not generally get too excited about baked goods.  He likes them, but he’s more of a meat and potatoes or salty snack type of guy.  He loved this bread.  Frequently when I make cakes, cookies, or this type of bread, we will eat on it a few days, then it gets forgotten in the bread drawer and I end up throwing it out.  We finished every bite of this one.  I love pumpkin bread anyway, but there is something wonderful about the blending of the pumpkin and chocolate chip flavors.  I will probably be making this bread again soon.

(In)Security Blanket

I'm pretty good about keeping the clutter at bay in our house.  At any given time you can usually find a box in the basement where I put things we no longer have a use for.  When it is full, I make a Goodwill run. 

But I have a had a hard time letting go of this:

And this:

And this:

That's not even all of it.  My clothes have invaded our entire house - most every closet, drawer, and flat space. They range in size from too big, down to the size 8 "I Have a Dream" collection.  My insecurity has kept me from letting them go.

I've finally decided my security cannot be wrapped up in clothes that don't fit me anymore.  I have to do something about it -  it's time to let go.  I think it's OK to do it.

Obedience

"For MY thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways MY ways,” declares the LORD.      Isaiah 55:8

I have been experiencing a struggle with faith.  I believed God had shown me that I was to do something.  I took some action steps that I thought were what I was supposed to do in order to accomplish this task.  But nothing happened; the doors all seemed to be closed.  I did not understand and had pretty much decided that I had not heard God correctly.  I was prepared to let it go.

But once again I strongly felt that God was telling me I was supposed to do something.  However, this time, He showed me that the way I had envisioned carrying out this task was not what He had in mind at all.  What He was showing me was way out of my comfort zone.  I asked Mark, who I consider spiritually wise, if he thought I was capable of doing it.  He told me that it did not matter what he or I (or for that matter anyone else) thought.  If God wanted it done by me, He would accomplish it through me.

The project is in motion.  In some ways I have felt blessed by what has happened so far, but in other ways frustrated and not understanding.  Mark encouraged me to think about Psalm 62:8:  “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."  So I did just that.  I cried out to God and told him the things on my heart - about my thoughts, my feelings of inadequacy, my frustrations.

But then something incredible happened.  I experienced a quietness in my soul.  I felt I was hearing something - like a whisper - come from deep within me.  I know it has to be the Holy Spirit moving in me.  This is not the kind of thought that I come up with on my own!  I understand now that this has never been about what the task is, or if the project even moves forward.   It doesn’t even matter if the project outcome is what I (or the world) would call a success.   This is about obedience – and being willing to do what God told me to do.

Following God’s leading does not happen automatically – at least not for me.  It is a matter of continual choice.  Having a desire to be what God wants me to be and do what He wants me to do is good, but it requires action on my part.  I want to be obedient to God’s will.

A Walk in the Park

We walked out of church today to a perfect Autumn day.  It was too nice to be indoors, so we headed to our local nature center.  Come take a walk with us!!

 

"De-vine" Design - Revisited

Back early in garden season 2010 my pursuit of a "de-vined" yard began.  About 5 big bottles of Round-up later I still can't declare victory in the war, but I have won a few major battles!

Here are a few pictures taken back in the Spring:

 South side of house - front yard side of fence

North side of yard, back yard side of fence

And here are some pictures taken this month:

South side of house - front yard side of fence!!!  I pulled a little burmudagrass out of this area today, but no vines in sight!  Ready to plant something in this space.

 North side of yard, back yard side of fence - I think it will take another season of chemical warfare on that trumpet vine back in the corner.

 

North side of yard, back yard side of fence - "de-vined"  - at least for today!

It has been a productive garden season.  There is still so much to do, but I'm trying to focus on what has been accomplished.  I worked for about 3 hours out there today doing some fall clean-up.  Then I allowed myself a little time to just sit and enjoy some of the beauty.

Here are some divine photos from the fall garden:

I guess I don't already have enough to do in the garden so decided to lay a path out in my daylily bed!  Thanks to The Drummer Guy for carting 25 HEAVY stones out here for me.  Still need to sink them in the ground.

 Found a few blooms in the forsythia today.  I've never seen that in October before.

The End Is Near

The Resolution finish line is in sight!!!!!!  

Here is recipe #21 that I made yesterday and an extra old standby recipe:

Hearty White Chili

Table of Contents:

- 3 c. cooked, shredded chicken (I used a package of 5 chicken thighs)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large can chopped green chiles
- 1 pound dried Great Northern beans, rinsed
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 whole Jalapeno, sliced (I did not use)
- 1-½ T. ground cumin
- ½ teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoons Cayenne pepper
- Salt to taste
- white pepper, to taste
-1 c. milk
- 2 T. Masa (corn flour) OR cornmeal ( I actually had some Masa)
- grated Monterey Jack cheese

How To:
Cook and debone chicken.  In a large stock pot  saute onions and garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes; add chopped green chiles.  Pour chicken broth into the pan and add rinsed beans.  Add sliced jalapenos. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook for 2 hours or until beans are done. Halfway through the cooking add cooked chicken.  When beans are tender, mix milk with masa (or cornmeal) and pour into the chili. Cook for an additional ten minutes to thicken. Check seasoning and adjust to taste, adding cayenne pepper and paprika if desired.  Add some Monterey Jack cheese to the pot and stir to melt. Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, extra cheese—even pico de gallo and guacamole, if desired. 

The Outcome:
As I was cooking this and tasted the broth, I thought I was not going to like the seasonings in this chili.  But in the end, as all of the spice flavors blended, it was delicious and we will definitely have this soup again. (Probably tomorrow - lots of leftovers!) I ate mine just topped with a little cheese, but The Drummer Guy likes a little extra kick.  He added a little Cayenne red pepper to his.  I had to refill his drink when I refilled his bowl.

 

I served this up with my favorite cornbread recipe:

Quick and Easy Cornbread

- 1 pkg. Jiffy cornbread muffin mix

- 1/2 pkg. yellow cake mix (whatever is cheapest works fine)

- 3 eggs

- 3/4 c. milk

Mix all ingredients together until well blended.  Pour into greased 2 quart baking dish.  Bake 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  (May need to cover with foil for last 10 minutes to prevent top from over-browning.)  This is a delicious cake-like texture cornbread. 

Breaking Out of My Shell

This summer I discovered stuffed jumbo pasta shells.  I've known of their existence for years but always thought they would be too much work to make.  I was wrong - they are so easy and really don't take much time at all to prepare.

Here are a couple more new recipes.  Recipe #19:

Stuffed Beef & Spinach Shells

Table of Contents:
- 1 pkg jumbo pasta shells
- 1 lb. ground beef or turkey (I only used about 1/2 that amount)
- 1 pkg frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
- 1 onion, diced
- 8 oz. pkg. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
- 1 small can mushroom pieces, drained
- 1/2 - 1 c. Mozerella cheese
- 1 egg
- salt, pepper to taste
- 1 jar of you favorite pasta sauce (I used Ragu Tomato & Basil)

How To:
Cook shells according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water to cool.  Brown meat and diced onion; drain.  In large bowl combine all ingredients (except sauce); season to taste.  Pour about 1/3  jar of the pasta sauce in greased 9x13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with about 1 T. of the meat and cheese mixture.  Place in baking dish and cover with remaining pasta sauce and additional Mozerella cheese if desired.  Cover  tightly with foil; bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 1 hour.

The Outcome:
These are so good and super-simple to prepare.  The recipe I used said the shells freeze beautifully.  You just stuff and freeze, then add the sauce when ready to cook.  I have not done this yet, but since I am becoming a real fan of a make ahead freezer meal I will probably try it sometime.

Moving on with The Resolution - Recipe #20:

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Table of Contents:
- 12 pasta jumbo stuffing shells, cooked and drained
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef (again only used about 1/2 this amount)
- 1 jar (16 oz.) mild or medium picante sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chiles, drained
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 1 can (2.8 oz) Durkee French fried onions

How To:
Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water to cool.  Brown ground beef; drain.  Combine picante sauce, water and tomato sauce.  Stir 1/2 cup of sauce mixture into beef mixture along with the chiles, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and 1/2 can of the French fried onions; mix well.  Pour 1/2 of the remaining sauce mixture in greased medium sized baking dish.  Stuff cook shells with ground beef mixture.  Arrange shells in baking dish; pour remaining sauce over shells.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Top with remaining cheese and onions; bake, uncovered 5 minutes longer.


The Outcome:
Love these!!  I have made these several times and The Drummer Guy is enthusiastically in favor of having this dish frequently.  Can do!

True Love

Today The Drummer Guy took me to Botanica.  In the rain.  And then the lightning and thunder kicked  in as we strolled the paths under the umbrella he was holding over our heads.  Is that true love, or what?

It was a beautiful, wet wonderland.  There is just something about a lovely garden that soothes my soul.  Every time I go Botanica I wish that my garden looked better.  Then I have to remind myself that they have full time staff members and dozens of volunteers and generous financial resources that keep their gardens looking so fantastic.  And then I have to remind myself that I have a job.  And a house.  And other things to do in life.

If anyone thinks that a garden just comes together and it doesn't take a lot of money and sometimes back-breaking work to make it happen, they are wrong.  I noticed this past week when I was in the library that there are a lots of books on how to make a "low maintenance" garden.  Do NOT be deceived.  Beautiful gardens  portrayed by the pictures in those books don't just happen.  And sometimes you wonder if it is worth it, but other times it so is.

For today I am going to give myself a break and just enjoy the splendor of God's creation and thank The Drummer Guy for taking me for a walk in the rain.

Below are some pictures from our outing.

Therapy

It's been a challenging summer.  The Drummer Guy has been a little off his groove (drum humor).  He is on some routine medications that he has taken for years and back in the spring, a decision was made to try to a different medication.  I told his sister that he has been like the poster child for every medication related side effect one could experience for this drug.  Unfortunately, it wasn't a medication one could just start and stop.  He had to titrate on to the drug, wait for it to build up in his system to evaluate the effect, see that it made him feel terrible, then wean back off.  It has been physically draining for The Drummer Guy and emotionally draining for both of us. But God has seen us through it and he is good as new - maybe better!!!

I haven't done any blogging over the summer, but it seems that  I used cooking as my therapy to see me through this time.  I looked through my recipe stack and see that I have about 10 new recipes that I tried over the summer.  I intend to see The Resolution through, so I will be posting them over the next few weeks.

We have been going to an area fruit market to buy fresh peaches.  They are the best peaches I've ever eaten.  They are wonderful sliced up for a yummy snack.  I have also eaten a few standing over the kitchen sink with juice running down my arms.  They have been fantastic for baking.   Here are a couple of peach recipes.

Recipe #14:

Peach Crisp

Table of Contents:
-  Peaches - peeled and sliced
- 2 c. flour
- 1 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 1/2 t. cinnamon
- 1 c. chilled butter

How To:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Layer peaches in a 9x9 baking dish ( I think I used 5 or 6).  In large bowl mix flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon.  Cut butter into flour mixture with pastry blender until it looks like pea-size crumbs.  Sprinkle crumbs over peaches.  Bake 30-40 minutes until lightly golden.

The Outcome:
This recipe was good, but just not quite what I was hoping for.  I cut the flour to 1 cup and put in 1 cup of oatmeal.  I used half white sugar and half brown sugar.  Also I couldn't make myself use a whole cup of butter, so I cut that in half.  Perhaps a less than perfect outcome was my fault???

So, I kept searching for another peach dessert recipe.  Here is my next try - Recipe #15:

Southern Peach Cobbler

Table of Contents:
- Peaches - peeled and sliced (I used 6 large peaches)
- 1/4 c. white sugar
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 t. ground nutmeg
- 1 t. lemon juice
- 2 t. cornstarch

- 1 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/4 c. white sugar
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 1 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. salt
-  6 T. butter
- 1/4 c. boiling water

How To:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In large bowl combine peaches, 1/4 c. white sugar, 1/4 c. brown sugar, spices, lemon juice, and cornstarch.  Toss to coat evenly.  Pour into a greased 2 quart baking dish.  Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 c. white sugar, 1/4 c. brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Stir in water until just combined.  Remove peaches from oven and drop spoonfuls of flour mixture over them.  Sprinkle entire cobbler with a mixture of 3 T. white sugar and 1 t. ground cinnamon.  Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

The Outcome:
This is sooooo good.  I have made it 3 times now and am hoping to get a few more rounds of fresh peaches for whipping up another recipe or two of this.

I threw out the 1st peach recipe and kept this one.

Be back someday soon with The Other White Meat and maybe more!

Chinese Chicken Fried Rice

I actually have been cooking quite a bit (for me!) over the past month, just not new stuff. I ran across this recipe under the "Dinner In An Instant" tab on Allrecipes.com. I made a few adjustments and here is the recipe I came up with for supper tonight.



Chinese Chicken Fried Rice


Table of Contents:

- 1 Tbsp. EVOO
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 oz. cooked chicken chunks (from the freezer from bulk cooking day!)
- 2 cups cold rice (I used instant brown rice)
- red pepper, diced
- frozen peas, thawed
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. water
- salt, pepper to taste
- cashews or peanuts

How To:
In large skillet saute onion in EVOO over medium heat until golden brown; add chicken and stir until warmed. Add rice, diced pepper, soy sauce, and peas - stir fry together for about 5 minutes. Beat egg with water; push rice mixture to sides of skillet and pour egg in middle. When egg starts to set, stir into rice mixture and continue stir frying until egg is done. Season to taste. Stir in nuts, if desired.

The Outcome:
From start to finish, this took about 20 minutes to prepare. I did not have any leftover cold rice, so I just cooked a batch and then rinsed with cold water. The original recipe and several of the recipe comments stressed rice must be cold. My guess is it would be a sticky mess if used hot.

Every time I make something new, I am already thinking ahead to what I would do differently next time. This recipe was no exception. It was very good, but next time I think I would add a little chicken broth for richer flavor and also add some water chestnuts because I like the crunch of them. Also, I used some honey roasted peanuts, because that is what I had. Next time I would use cashews, or maybe just save the fat grams and not use nuts at all.


Overall, a pretty tasty dish in very little time!

Icing On the Cake

No, I haven't been baking!

Today is Saturday and we got up at the crack of 0730 to tackle a huge item on the task list out in the garden. Our plan was to go to the free wood chip pile at the park and start scooping it into our pick-up. I'm not sure why, but before we left, I decided to just give the garden center a call and find out if they had bulk mulch. They said they did so I asked the cost. (Insert "gasp" here.) Although it is cheaper than buying multiple bags of the pre-packaged stuff, it still was a bit pricey. We discussed the pros and cons of going to the park versus buying some. We like FREE from the park, but you don't know if those wood chips are from diseased trees or what else you might be dragging into your yard. Add that to the fact that it was already close to 80 degrees with humidity above 90%.

We finally decided to just bite the bullet and buy some. While I was getting ready to go, this light bulb popped on in my head and off to my catch-all drawer in the bedroom I ran. My reward - a very old gift certificate to the garden center!!! We received it as a wedding gift and I had totally forgotten about it. It said it was good for one year from the date issued, so that makes it over 5 years old. But I remembered my son-in-law, the government guru, once saying something about gift certificates not expiring in Kansas by law.

Off to the garden center we went with our gift certificate clutched in my hot little hand. After talking with the nice guys there about the mulch and figuring out how much we would need, I asked if they would still honor the gift certificate. I held my breath, waiting for the answer. They said they would!!! We ended up paying only $10 for two heaping pick-up loads of beautiful hardwood mulch. I think I heard angels singing.

The Drummer Guy ferried it from the truck to the backyard by wheelbarrow and I spread it out. It was just fabulous mulch - dark, and finely shredded with no big chunks like you frequently get in the bagged stuff. It also smelled heavenly! (Yes, I know I am a garden geek! But just for the record the Drummer Guy said it smelled good, too.) And it makes the garden beds look so gorgeous, the plants just pop against the rich, brown backdrop.

The temperature and humidity both were climbing as we continued the work. We were both drenched in sweat when we finished, but it was so worth it. Although there is still much work to be done, the garden is looking better than it ever has. But the mulch - definitely the icing on the cake!!

Below are some pictures of the fruits of our labors.

Cherry Coffee Cake

Two facts:

1. Today was Picnic Day at our church.
2. I haven’t made any progress in the new recipe venture for a few weeks.

I considered those two facts together. I don’t know if this will qualify me for the “bravery” or the “what was she thinking” award, but I decided to try a new recipe to take to the picnic. I couldn't hide the fact that I brought it – our name is in big black letters on the side of the pan. But good or bad - the way I had this figured is it could have a good outcome either way:

1. If it was not so great, they could just think, “Oh, that poor thing can’t cook. She’ll be our go-to gal when we need someone to bring a bag of chips or a bottle of soda.” Or . . .
2. If it was a success and super fantastic: “Wow, what a great cook! We’ll call her whenever we need a tasty dish!”

(Oh, wait – was that second outcome a good thing?!?!?)

Today’s recipe is Cherry Coffee Cake. I found the recipe posted on one of my favorite blogs – Controlling My Chaos. It is probably a favorite because I have control issues also! Check out her blog for the cute little recipe cards she posts with all of her recipes. (My recipes are written on napkins, torn out of a magazine, or just bookmarked online in my favorites file.)

CHERRY COFFEE CAKE

Table of Contents:
1 yellow cake mix
1 cup flour
1 pkg. (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling
1/3 cup cold butter

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. corn syrup
1-2 Tbsp. water

How To:
Combine 1 ½ cups of the dry cake mix with flour and yeast. Add water and mix until smooth. Stir in eggs until well blended. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Spoon pie filling over top. Place remaining cake mix into a bowl and mix with butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over top of cake. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, 40-50 minutes. Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over baked cake.

The Outcome:
This recipe goes in the “keep” file. I think this cake would be one that is even more moist the second day because of the pie filling. But there was none left, so I guess we will have to wait until next time to find that out!

OMG

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in YOUR sight, O LORD, my ROCK and my REDEEMER."

Psalm 19:14

Today random thoughts have been bouncing off the walls of my mind. I don't know why. Sometimes there are just days like that. What I ended up kind of zoning in on was the phrase, "Oh, my God." I don't much like it. And that has nothing to do with God, although everything has to do with God. You hear it as an exclamation of surprise, as a venting of frustration, as a fit of anger. It is used as a response to almost any given emotion at any given time by adults, teens, and children. It can be a habit, just something we say. I'm no goody two-shoes - I've said it myself. But I don't like it because it uses the name of God in a non-honoring way.

Here's my next random thought. I don't know what brought it to mind, but I was thinking about the time Mark had to go to St. Louis for a week. I remember picking him up at the airport. I was standing in front of the security gates, anxiously waiting for him. Do you know that feeling of anxious expectation, that you can just hardly wait for something to happen? That was what I was feeling.

Now here's my last random thought. (I really am going somewhere with this!) I was thinking about God and His Word, and how I just long to know more of Him, and have a more intimate personal relationship with Him. That's when it hit me that every morning when I get out of bed, I want to feel anew that longing, that feeling of anxious expectation. That feeling of I just can't wait to meet with God this morning - to give Him glory, tell Him my deepest thoughts, listen for His voice, and to stand in awe. When I capture that feeling, that urgency - that should be the time to exclaim, "Oh, my God!!!!!"

Progress

The metamorphosis of the garden continues. Over the past few weeks we have completed cutting down all of the ornamental grasses. A lot of invasive grass and weeds have also been pulled. We have been to the dump 12 times with the debris!!!!

Here are some before pictures:

Here are some after shots:

And here is where we collapse to survey the progress:

It's a good tired!

(Check out Outdoor Wednesday at Southern Daydreamer for some great outdoor pics!)