NASCAR!

My friends Joe and Alicia have created a monster! Yep, it's all their fault. I am completely blaming them for my being tired today due to staying up to watch the Daytona 500 last night.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't give two hoots for NASCAR. I found it to be a waste of time. I would liken it to watching paint dry. I even took my Boy Scouts to a race at Chicago Speedway and found myself so very bored. I said I would never again do that...EVER!

My, my, my how things have changed. I am addicted to it now! It all started a couple of weeks ago when Papa Bear was gone and I was lonely. I took my crochet and went to my friends house to hang out with them and play with the kids. This is a huge NASCAR family. While there, they turned on the Budweiser Shoot-out, did a bit of explaining to me, and I was hooked. Who knew picking someone to follow would make such a difference?

This weekend, I made my plans around the races. Last night, I changed plans so I wouldn't miss the race which had been rained out on Sunday. My friends got me in on Fantasy Racing. *SIGH* I'm hooked. I sure hope the Chicago Speedway offers special discounted tickets for the Boy Scouts in the fall again!

Lesson here...never say never!

A bad kind of dry

In some instances, dry is a good thing:

* A dry spot in a rain storm
* Dry grass to sit on
* Dry sheets when it's time to go to bed (as opposed to still being wet in the washer because I forgot about them)

One thing definitely not good dry is a bloggers brain. Unfortunately, that is exactly what has been going on here. My brain has been dry dry dry. Think desert dry. Think left extra long in the dryer dry. Think so dry I could not squeeze out a single drop of creative juices dry. Yep, it's been a very dry couple of weeks.

I'm happy to report the dryness is lifting. I'm feeling a bit of wetness in my brain again (hoping it doesn't mean my brain has a leak!) I'm looking forward to once again posting, and I want to thank all of you for hanging in there with me during this dry spell.

Do you Ash Wednesday?

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Today, Ash Wednesday, is the first day of Lent.


For many Christians, now is the time of fasting and repentance. The time to let go of bad actions and concentrate on becoming better. The time to 'give up' something that is difficult to go without (think chocolate, coffee, internet...). During times of cravings of the given up something, remember the sacrifices Jesus made for us. In comparison to that, [insert your given up something] doesn't seem like such a difficult thing to go without for 40 days (plus Sundays).

Lent is also a great opportunity to spend more time in God's Word. Spend time in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...first four books of the New Testament) and learn how Jesus lived His life. How did he deal with conflict, with demands on his time, with haters? Is it possible to learn to live a better life by reading about His? I do believe so.

You don't need to be affiliated with a church/denomination to practice Lent. It's a personal journey.

Fat Tuesday: how will you observe the day?

Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, is being celebrated around the world today as Lent draws near. This holiday, however, has two very different observances leading up to Ash Wednesday. While many enjoy Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, as a time of indulgence and possible gluttony, others spend the day in prayer, preparing their hearts and minds for the upcoming period of Lent. But where did this holiday get its start, and why are there such different means of observing the day?

Mardi Gras marks the period of time between Epiphany, the revelation of Jesus as God's son, and Ash Wednesday. Many use the final three days as a time of pure indulgence and celebration before Lent. Celebrations throughout the world include parades, sporting competitions and dancing. One of the most well-known parades, at least in the United States, takes place in New Orleans.

According to the American Catholic website, "Mardi Gras, literally 'Fat Tuesday,' has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous, sometimes hedonistic event. But its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the 'last hurrah' before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday."

Some, however, take a more solemn approach to Tuesday and spend the day in prayer. Fat Tuesday is also known as Shrove Tuesday, which means, "to confess." People in primarily English-speaking countries often pray and confess their sins as a way to prepare for Lent.

Pancakes are traditionally eaten on Tuesday, as they are made of simple ingredients most already have in their homes. In fact, pancakes have become so popular for the day that there are pancake races held in Buckinghamshire. Kansas and Buckinghamshire have held International Pancake Day races as part of a tradition dating back to 1950.

Tomorrow's observance of Ash Wednesday will lead Christians and believers into the period of Lent, which is a time of fasting and giving up as a reminder of the time Christ spent in the desert. But the question remains: How will you observe today? Will you spend it celebrating and indulging? Will you spend the day in prayer and confession? Or will you work to combine the two?

[copied from World]

OdoBan

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I am completely in love with this multi-purpose cleaner. With all its uses, it is very cost effective (frugal). Take a look at the list:

•Odor eliminator
•Air freshener
•Multi-purpose cleaner
•Laundry refresher
•Kills 99.99% of germs
•Original eucalyptus scent
•128 oz. jug of concentrate make up to 32 gallons
•24 oz. ready-to-use spray bottle
•Fabric refresher

I use it with my laundry, to clean my bathroom, kitchen, laundry room. I spray it on my laminate floors and wipe. The couch and chair along with the children's table and chairs are cleaned with it. When I had carpet, I would use it on those troublesome dog accident areas. The possibilities are endless...all for about $14 a jug!

I have a friend pick it up for me at Sam's Club, however, you can get it online...but you have to pay more for shipping then what you pay for the jug.

Thankful Thursday

If you are my friend on FaceBook, you already know the excitement we had over the weekend. If not, you will soon understand why I am so very thankful.

I was woken Saturday morning with a phone call by my 20 year old son, who lives 13 hours away from his mom, saying he had been in an accident and was in the hospital. He and a friend had been out drinking and were stupid enough to get into a vehicle. They both fell a sleep. The truck went off the road, hit a field turnout and went air born. My son (who was not seat belted) was thrown from the truck. His friend (who was seat belted) was pinned inside and had to be cut out.

Both are out of the hospital and healing. It is only by the grace of God these boys are alive. I have told God thank you about a cagillion times already, and will continue to do so.

There is a silver lining here, my son is taking this all very seriously. He is publicly telling everyone about the drinking and his stupid actions. He wanted to see if the truck could be parked near the high school as there is a real problem with teenage drinking in the town he lives. He realizes he was given something his brother wasn't...a second chance at life. He wants to see why God has kept him here and what is in store for his life. He understands there will be huge consequences to his actions and is ready to accept them.



My son and his friend lived through this and I am so very thankful they did. Thank you Lord for your shield of protection!

Love my Bear

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Today is the day for love. Mmmmm...I sure do love Papa Bear.

He's my rock. He's my calmness in a storm. He's my grounding. He knows my good sides, my bad sides and my weird little quirks, and loves me anyway. The Lord definately blessed me when He put Papa Bear in my life.

Happy Valentine's Day Honey, I love you!

Eat the Fridge

Do you find science projects in the back of the fridge? Green oranges in the crisper? A bottle of...wait, what is that??

Food wasted is money wasted--not a very frugal thing. So, what are we going to do about this? Hmmmm {scratches head} let me think. I know! {Lightbulb moment} Use it up!

Instead of throwing that little bit of veggies away, put it in a container in the fridge to make soup with at the end of the week. Some meats can also be added to this. The water you drain off boiled potatoes can be added as well as the liquid drained off the veggies. At the end of the week, add broth, seasoning, noodles, rice...whatever you would like, and enjoy a waste-free soup.

If you aren't into the soup thing, you can keep your leftovers in a designated area of the fridge and once a week have a leftover buffet. Little dabs of this and that. The reason for a designated area is to keep science projects from happening.

If there are large enough amounts left for another meal, you can package them and place them in the freezer (make sure to mark what is inside and the date). You not only will save money, you will also save time later on when all you need to do is pull the package out, let it thaw and reheat.

Fruits getting a bit soft and no one wants to eat them? Cut into bite size pieces, add a bit of yogurt, stir and enjoy.

Groceries is one of the biggest areas we can save money. There really is no reason to ever throw out food.

No Stress??

You hit snooze one to many times making you late for work. The boss was a jerk. You forgot your lunch at home. The car has a flat tire. One of the kids comes home from school sick. Your teenager has major attitude because you dared to breathe her air. Supper was something just thrown together and no one really cared for it. The dog puked on the floor.

STRESS!!

I've lived many years dealing internally with stress and anxiety. I've been able to remove many of the triggers from my life, yet some things are just unavoidable. Until now, I've just dealt with it...but no longer. I've been turned onto a natural way of feeling better that I feel I must tell everyone about. It's just way to good to keep to myself.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). It's a series of 'tapping' points on the body to rid the body of the yucky stuff. My friend Lori has a store in Princeton, Optimal Health, 815-915-4115 . What Lori teaches is a natural healthy way to deal with the 'yucks'. This is a technique you take with you into life. You can do it whenever you need.

There is no way I will be able to fully tell you the wonders of EFT, I highly recommend you research it for yourself...and call Lori! If you aren't local, find a naturopath in your area and ask if they are familiar with this technique.

Think of it, a life with little to no stress...even when the dog pukes on the floor.

I like football??

I think I might like football {audible gasp}. I know, right? Who would ever think I would be a football fan? Oh sure, I don't mind half-way watching a game when it's on, but I wanted to watch the Super Bowl, and not just for the commercials either. In fact, I found myself in quite the predicament during last nights game--I didn't want to miss any of the game and I didn't want to miss any of the commercials...when was I supposed to get up and get my football game munchies?

Of course, I decide to get into football when it's over for the season. I couldn't get excited about it when it was on every week. {rolls eyes at myself} Oh well, better late than never I guess.

Go Bears!