Blue Jeans and Cotton Tees

I hope it stops raining.

I hope my package comes in time.

I hope my kids remember to say thank you.

We hope about things all day long….and we face many disappointments.

But what exactly is hope?

Sheila Walsh in her book Let Go (which is a fabulous book and I hope you all read it!) said it so well…

“Hope is only as strong as the object or person it is attached to. It has no value of its own…”

Wow. That is so true! If my hope is in the postal service or the every changing weather, or even my wonderful, yet quite fallible family, my hope is rather… um… hopeless.

Sheila Walsh goes on…

“As I sit here today, one thing is crystal clear to me: my hope can be summed up in one name – Jesus!

If my hope is in anything else apart from Jesus, then it is too small. He is the answer to everything I need or anticipate. He is my deepest desire even when I don’t immediately recognize that.

He is my yesterday, today and tomorrow.

When everything fails, He will not.

When I can’t count on myself, I can count on Him.

When I’m not sure how to pay my bills, I can hope in him.

When I don’t know what’s happening in our country, I can hope in Him.

When friends fail, He will not.

When my health fails, He will not.

When I disappoint others and myself, He will never disappoint.

When I want to give up on myself, He will never give up on me.

When I find it hard to love myself, He does not.

When I have no grace for myself, He does.

When I don’t know what to do any more, He does.

Do you see how securely your life is tucked into the very hand of the one who holds the universe in place?

You are loved, you are loved, and yes, you are loved!”

What is your hope in today? Are you feeling disappointed?  Discouraged? It’s time to put your hope in God.

He is the only one strong enough to never let you down.

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5: 5

My husband is absolutely the easiest guy to cook for – ever. Seriously. He rarely complains, just enjoys what’s put in front of him.

I’m not sure if this is the result of living on his own it for several years before we met and fell in love – or if he has always been so easy going?

But since he seems to like everything I cook – when he does compliment a dish, I take notice!

I first tried this recipe a few years ago – never dreaming that he really liked coconut. Surprise! He finished off a tray hot from the oven!

So simple. So yummy. What a great way to make my handsome guy happy!

Coconut Macaroons

Combine:

1/2 cup flour
3-3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/8 tsp. salt

Add:

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well. The batter will be stiff. Drop by tablespoons about 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Yield: 2-1/2 doz.

Enjoy!

I finally did it.

I cut my bangs.

Ever since Christmas I’ve been growing them out.

Why? I’m not sure.

I think it started when Dagmar had her hair cut and styled. As I sat there in the beauty parlor watching a professional turn my little girl’s pony tail into a young woman’s style – I started to feel a little dowdy. After all I’ve been wearing my hair the same way for years now.

Maybe it was the combination of country music and the intoxicating scent of hair product -  but I suddenly realized that I wanted a change. I would grow my bangs out and get a style.

The problem is that I have naturally curly hair. It doesn’t like change.  It does whatever it pleases on any given day. I’ve learned to subdue it by keeping it trimmed.

What was I thinking?

This life without trimming was fine at first – but slowly started to drive me crazy.

My subdued locks went wild with no restraint.

I actually bought <gulp> product to use. I gummed my bangs up with hair gel and sprayed them with hairspray – but as soon as I left the house the curls would bounce out every which way.

Sigh.

The family was supportive at first, although their eyebrows went up in amazement when the hair spray came out. Was their minimum maintenance momma actually using hair product?! What would be next? Heels?

When I would get discouraged the girls would say, “Just give it a little more time Mom”. Even my husband encouraged me to let it grow.

Until yesterday.

Yesterday was one of those incredibly awful bad hair days.

The humidity was high after two days of rain and no amount of hair product was going to subdue my errant curls.

I had corkscrews growing off my forehead in random patterns. I cringed every time I passed by a mirror.

I mentioned to my girls that I was ready to chop off those bangs – and in return I got wan little smiles that seemed to say, “Yes Mom – it’s time!”

This morning I casually mentioned to my husband that I thought it was time to cut my bangs. Even he agreed, saying, “Will you cut it yourself or go in to the salon?”

So I cut them.

It was such a relief.

I felt like myself again. It was comfortable. My curls and I were at peace.

I feel a little like Olivia Walton. In several episodes of the Walton’s she feels the need to make a change, to be or look different. Yet at the end of the hour-long show, no matter what she tried – soloist in the church choir or a new hairdo -  she realized that she rather liked things the way the were before.

She went searching for something that she already had.

Me too. It just took me four months.

But I found it – my very own style – the one that has worked for years.

It’s good to be back.

Spring! It looks like you are finally here!

The temperatures are warming up, there’s rain – not snow in the forecast, and the 4 legged varmints are back.

You know the ones – raccoons, ‘possums, skunks and the like.

Although none of these animals actually hibernates during the winter months, they sleep longer and don’t do as much stuff. Some call it a state of “tupor” – waking from time to time to search for food.

That sounds very familiar – much like my own winter pattern!

As the days get longer and the warmer, they venture out and become nuisances.

We counted 3 dead skunks on the way to church yesterday. (Bet those cars will remember that stretch of highway for a long time!)

One friend reported that a critter had gotten into their chicken coop and killed every chicken. The intruder didn’t eat them – just killed them.

Another friend had a similar occurrence – but they only lost half of their flock.

At lunch today – I  saw a big fat ‘possum walking across the farm yard as if he owned the place.  I was concerned that he might be diseased so I checked online.

The site I found was full of interesting information. I discovered that although opossums are nocturnal, to have them wandering around in daylight isn’t too unusual – just like cats.

They are also very immune to rabies, but you should still avoid getting a bite. (Now that’s good advise!)

I also found that possum tastes like chicken, but if you wish to eat them, you should first catch it and feed it table scraps and other good food for a while to work all the carrion out of its system.

Right… like I really want to look the critter in the face and ask when it ate it’s last meal of carrion?! I wonder how long it would take to remove the effects of a carrion diet anyway?

But this particular sight didn’t recommend the practice of eating opossums at all. It sited that “a small cadre of renegade opossums has been known to have sought out people who have eaten their compatriots and lay siege to their dwelling. Armed with crude but efficient crossbows, they may shoot arrows into the car tires or capture and hold hostage the pets of the offending citizens.“

Wow! And since it’s online – you know it has to be true! I guess we’ll cross ‘possum off the menu this week.

I sent the boys out to take care of the offending critter.

Let’s just say it won’t be eating any of our chickens or eggs; nor will we be eating it.

Things will settle down here in a few weeks when the rest of our corner of the world wakes up and shakes off the winter doldrums.

But in the meantime we’ll keep the critter gun ready – and a close eye on the flock!

When I was growing up, a church potluck was not complete unless Miss Shirley brought a lasagna.

It was fabulous and disappeared quickly. As kids we would jockey for position in line to get a piece before it was gone.

Lasagna was a delicacy for us. It just didn’t ever show up on our table at home. We were Dutch – German and my dad was a meat and potatoes kind of guy.

When my oldest sister had a baby, one of her friends brought over a lasagna. She was kind enough to share the recipe and a family classic was born.

Soon after my husband and I were engaged, he leaned over at a family meal and whispered, “Do you think you could get your sister’s lasagna recipe?”

I’ve teased him ever since that he married me for the recipe!

Lasagna

1 pound hamburger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon basil
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 -lb can tomato sauce (2 cups)
2 – 6 oz. can tomato paste
10 oz. lasagna noodles (10 noodles)
3 cups cottage cheese (1 large container)
2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown meat slowly, drain. Add next garlic, basil, salt, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook noodles in a large amount of salted water, drain, rinse.

Combine cottage cheese, parsley flakes, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Place 1/3 noodles in greased 9 x 13 pan. Spread with 1/3 cottage cheese filling, add 1/3 mozzarella cheese and 1/3 meat sauce. Repeat layers.

Bake 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

This can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Just thaw before baking and allow at least 15 minutes more to the baking time.

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post up with Design by Gullum’s Foodie Friday