Friday, December 14, 2007

Choices

What will I do with today? What will you do with today? There are lots of things I could do, or I could do nothing. The choice is mine. Sweet Hubby does not have that choice...he HAS to go to work. If I am doing what is right, I do not have a choice either. I am one of the fortunate ones...I love my job. I could be better at it, and am continuing to try. After 29 years in the same career, you would think I would have it down pat! I am still fighting this bug...it is not an easy one to kick, but I think I am over the hump. If my ears would unplug I would be more content. Poor Rachel has a double ear infection. Linda had a solution to my problem....I don't think so. Lots of vitamin C, warm saline solution, sudafed, and some Zinc will have to do.


We made great headway on the bags yesterday, but did not get them quite finished. A short time today should do it. We just need to put the linings in and sew a finishing seam and voila! 9 purses done...Rachel let me know yesterday she needs to make 1 more. This one will use 3 fabrics and I think she has it down enough to go it solo. I am getting my final boxes ready to go out. I think UPS will get my business as I waited too long to trust the postal service. So after the bags are done, cookies made, my final sewing project finished up (it is 1/2 done), boxes shipped, home school finished, laundry put away, bathrooms wiped down, kitchen cleaned, dinner cooking, kids bathed, dog fed, I should be able to call the rest of the evening my own. I have a Christmas dinner menu to plan also. I am thinking Prime Rib....does anyone know how to make this? I need to call the butcher and order it, I think. We will only have our son, daughter in law and grandson for Christmas dinner. We invite my Mother in love and her husband, but his health is not good and plans can not be made in advance. Hopefully this year they can make it. Christmas Eve is spent here also, with my entire family in attendance. Most of the food is brought from everyone else, so it is an easy meal for me. I make Spinich Dip and Hawiian bread and a dirt cake served in a flower pot with a silk pointsettea in it. I will post recipes later.

Now is not the time of year I usually do this, but I have spent a good bit of time reading. Since I have been ill, reading makes me feel like I am at least doing something. I really have enjoyed The Excellent Wife. I have learned alot from it and have been very encouraged by it also. I am feeling the need for a novel....I searched my library and found this. It has 4 novellas all with the themes, Christmas and quilts. I have not read it in years, so it is perfect.
I promised Katie I would post a recipe for Monkey Bread. It has been a Christmas morning tradition since my 25 year old was a little boy. The kids love it!
MONKEY BREAD
1/2 c. sugar with cinnamon (I just pour it in to taste)
3 cans buttermilk biscuits (nothing fancy)
1 stick butter
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl. Cut biscuits into 4 pieces. Coat biscuit pieces in sugar/cinnamon mixture. Put biscuits in a bundt pan (or an 8x8 cake pan) Melt butter on stovetop, add brown sugar and bring to a boil. Bake at 350* for 30 min. (I place foil loosely over bread 1/2 way through baking to prevent hard edges.)Turn out on platter while hot.
There it is Katie...Enjoy!
I want to share a few key things I learned in The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace (not, Price like I stated previously). These are just a couple of things that jumped out at me.
1) "Gentleness is strength under control."
2) "Angry outbursts are deeds of the flesh"
3) "Wisdom is the ability to relate truth (God's Word) to life's situations."
4) "Bitterness destroys love" "Fear hinders love."
All of the above are taken directly from The Excellent Wife. Now this is the best piece of scripture for any wife (or husband) to follow.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself and is not puffed up; love does not behave rudely; does not seek it's own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; LOVE bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." I Corinthians 13:4-8a
Isn't that just how God loves us?? I make a choice today to love like that too! Remember it is a choice!

11 comments:

Lib said...

Hi Bren,
What a lovely post.:o)
I played catch up with chores, then hit the rd. ,now I have the rest of the day to play:o)
Tonight is soup night,its cooking so it will be simple and relaxing.
Hope you get to enjoy your play time:o)
Blessins',Lib

atet said...

We do a standing rib roast (prime rib) every Christmas-eve here at casa de cornfields (I ordered mine yesterday!). My favorite way to cook it is from Alton Brown's show Good Eats. He has a cookbook out that has the method in it. Basically -- you cook it slowly (really slowly) at low temp with a probe thermometer in it then you crank the heat at the end. Turns out perfectly every single time! I'll get the info on the book if you would like, just let me know!

Unknown said...

I still think that turkey baster is the way to clear those nasal passages.....lol...
Good post Bren.

Angelena said...

What a great post. I spent the day finishing up wrapping presents.

I sure hope everyone feels better soon!

Kimmie said...

Hi Bren;

I found you in a search...under sewing...

I am a homeschool mum too...and a Christian !

I recently began to teach myself to sew (lol, some projects come out, so go in the trash ;-)

so nice to meet another member of the family!

Kimmie
mama to 6
one homemade and 5 adopted
*and waiting on a Guatemalan adoption-God willing

Libby said...

Oh gosh - I haven't made Monkey Bread in forever . . . it's so yummy. Thanks for the recipe *s*

Marilyn Robertson said...

Thanks for the post. I don't have a clue how to prepare a standing rib roast. Sorry. I would run from that turkey baster! *G*

Niki said...

Hi Bren, what a good post! I hope you are back to 100% soon! The bags look great. I still have to start the Excellent Wife, hopefully in the new year.

Knitwit said...

I forgot about Monkey bread. I'm sure the kids would love it. I'll have to put in on my list of stuff to have soon!

copperswife said...

You've been busy! I'm so sorry that Charlotte is sick now.

Isn't Martha Peace's book wonderful? I learn something new with each and every reading.

~katie~ said...

Dear Bren,

I've been offline for a few days now...(obviously!!) - but THANK you sooooo much for posting this recipe, and even making a point to tell me about it! You are a sweetheart!! I can't wait to make it - it's been years since I've had it - the memories are rolling into my head just thinking about it. Thanks again!

I am just catching up on some of your other posts, but I wanted to let you know that I put your site under my "Inspiring Sites" list - I hope that's Ok that I linked to yours! :-)

Ok....onto more reading....

Blessings,
Katie