Two of my grandsons came over last night. They love to play games on the computer. Last night they played math games. They do their multiplication tables so differently than we learned how to do them. They count their way through the problem instead of memorizing them. They get the right answer, but it takes longer. They wanted to stay for supper. I thought I’d make a chicken and rice stir-fry dish. Then, I thought kids often don’t want their food mixed, so I made the chicken, rice, and peas separately. Sometimes the boys are picky eaters.
When we sat down to eat, one of them needed some help cutting up the piece of chicken. The pickiest one left the peas. They said the rice didn’t have enough flavor. I brought over to the table some salt, pepper, and soy sauce. I sprinkled on the soy sauce, and he didn’t like it that way either, but ate it anyway. He said he would never eat it again. Then they asked why I had separated the food instead of mixing it together. The picky one did compliment me on the crust of the chicken. I told him how I made it with oil, dijon mustard and thyme. Parmesan cheese was sprinkled on top of that.
Next, they wanted dessert. The cookies were all gone. So, they had graham crackers. At first the picky one didn’t want any, but after all he hadn’t eaten his peas. So, when they went back into the computer room, he had the box of graham crackers and ate quite a few. It was a fun time of enjoying family.
Living in another country teaches one that life is not the same everywhere. Another country has a different culture. The language is different. Of course that makes it difficult to communicate. We moved to Spain because my husband was in the Navy and worked for Fleet Weather Central on the base as a weather man. He was to advise the pilots and sea captains of the weather above and below the sea surface.
Our first couple years there we lived off base out in the country. Our neighbors next to us were Spanish. They had a five year old little girl. They had a maid that came during the day and took care of her. When it was mealtime, the little girl would not sit down, but went in and out of the house. They followed her calling her name and had a bowl of food and a spoon. When they caught up with her they spoon fed her.
At that time it was inexpensive to hire a Spanish person for house help and also to sew clothes. So, I had someone come several days a week to do laundry, clean and sometimes watch the children. My seamstress came once a week. She made me some clothes and also for the children. She just measured us, no patterns needed. I needed help with the laundry because I had a washing machine that didn’t have a wringer. It was not automatic. The clothes needed to be wrung out by hand. With two children in diapers, and we didn’t have disposable, the diapers also had to be wrung out by hand. Then every thing had to be hung on a clothes line with clothespins. My, all this sounds like a long time ago, and some people can’t even envision it. My kitchen floor was a porous tile, and I was totally unfamiliar with how to care for it. So that was another job for Carmen.
Early in our marriage we moved from the USA to Spain. My husband was in the Navy. We were moving to the Rota Air Base between Sevilla and Cadiz on the Southwestern coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It was in the Andalucia part of the country. They didn’t eat supper till late in the evening. Then they went out into the streets and danced with their castanets.
We had two sons, ages 2 years, and 2 months. I found out what it was to travel with a tiny baby. The baby needed formula. It had to be in sterilized bottles. I decided to buy powdered formula, and put it in bottles that had been sterilized with sterile water in them. The bottles were eight ounce size, but the baby would only take 2-4 ounces at a time. There was no way to refrigerate it in the airports where we often had to wait for hours for the paperwork to be done. I was very thankful, though that the airport had a ‘formula room’ where i could sterilize what I needed to.
I was concerned about moving to a distant country and not knowing anyone. Fortunately I had taken spanish in high school, so I wasn’t worried about that. I prayed and asked God to help us find one other christian couple that we could be friends with. After we arrived and my husband had started his new job, one of his co-workers told him about a little Baptist church. Two ladies from the church came to the hotel to visit me. I was a little skeptical at first and asked them many questions. We decided to try it. God answered my prayer. There was not only one couple but a whole church of new friends.
Friends of mine recently adopted a young daughter who is about 13. She had been a foster daughter, and it has worked out for her to become a forever daughter. My friends are not young, and have raised their family and even have grandchildren. This young girl is very fortunate to have her new parents. God has blessed all of them. It is exciting to see how God has had his hand in their lives.
They can go into this new relationship knowing from the book of Isaiah in the Bible that they do not need to fear; God is with them and they can look to Him for help and guidance and wisdom. I know that they will do this, and teach their new daughter how to live according to the Bible with Christ in her life, and make sure she knows how to do this. They will take her to church, they will pray with her, and make sure she knows how to invite Christ to be her Savior from sin. It is important for young people to be involved in a church youth group where they can interact with other teens and see them living their lives for Christ in sports activities, worship, mission trips, drama, and meeting together to help others.
They had an open house so that their friends and family could meet her and show their support for this new family. A huge group came and celebrated with this new family. It was another way of enjoying family with my Christian friends.
My two year old granddaughter is not very interested in my reading books to her, but is beginning to be more so. I have a back pack of Disney story books. She picked out one, ‘Chicken Little’ and I began to read to her. We read a few pages, and she became distracted, and then chose another book from the bag. We started that one about Tinker Bell. Then Shasta, who is my companion poodle mix dog, came and wanted me to play tug of war with one of her toys. I think she is a little jealous when the grandchildren are here and tries to get my attention this way. So, I read the book and multi task with playing tug of war with her. Then something else distracted the two-year old.
Soon, the five year old granddaughter came with a book about monsters. I started to read that book and both girls were listening. Of course Shasta was still there wanting to play. We read part of that story, and again had read a few pages, and they were off doing something else. The two year old decided to dump the coasters on the floor, she found the crayons and showed them to me. Mommy decided it was time to go, but the seven year old and five year old wanted to stay. Often they do, but we decided that this time they would go with Mommy. Then the five year old had tears, but we promised that she could stay another time. So it is a great time of enjoying family, but we will still have to work on reading with the grandchildren.
It was my turn to bring the food for our small group get-together. We usually have snacks and a dessert. So, I decided to make a couple pies and a fruit snack, and a couple others. So, I got out my Taste of Home magazine and found the recipes. I made my shopping list, and went to the store for all the ingredients that were needed to make everything. I always find it almost exhilarating to have these ingredients that will go together and make something scrumptious.
I needed them for Sunday night. I went shopping on Saturday. I decided to make a couple things Saturday that could be put in the refrigerator or freezer. Sunday afternoon, I would make the remaining three things. Then, I received a call from a friend and she wanted to come over and said that she would help me cook. I thought I could use some help so went to pick her up. So, I got out the ingredients to make everything. She helped me grate the zuchinni, and slice some apples. I chopped some green pepper, green onions, and mixed up some other mixtures. It was fun to have my friend there with me as we talked and cooked together. We made apple slices with a home made vanilla yogurt and brown sugar dip, a zuchinni mixture on crackers, and salami and cheese roll-up wrap bites. When it wass all finished and I loaded it all up and took it to our friends home where we all enjoyed it together.
Several members of my family attend the same church. My mother does at 89. A sister and her family, a brother and his wife, a son and his family and nieces and nephews and grandson. It is a wonderful blessing to being able to enjoying family at church. Last Sunday was New Years Day and most of us sat together. My son was visiting from Chicago and that just gave me a wonderful cozy feeling to all be together. My seven year old grandson’s mother was concerned about his behavior during the service, since this week, there wasn’t kid’s church. He did real well though. I was proud of him. The pastor’s sermon communicated the direction that the sermons would focus on in the coming year and how we can be involved in more ways than listening to them on Sunday mornings.
On Wednesday evenings we also get together for a meal at church before the Wednesday night classes, and activities. Usually, I eat with my daughter and grandchildren, but sometimes with others to enjoy my church family. After the meal, I listen to the kindergarten through second grade Awana children say their Bible verses. They do it to get a jewel for their vest, but we are praying that the seeds of hiding God’s word in their hearts will take root and grow. What a privilege and blessing it is to do this for God and for the children.
Garnet is the modern January birthstone and the gem designated for the 2nd and 6th wedding anniversary. The garnet lends itself well to use in Garnet rings, Garnet pendants and Garnet earrings, which also make very sensible, attractive and popular gifts. In the deepest, darkest days of the winter, it’s always good to look at something bright and colorful as a reminder that spring will be here eventually, even as the snow piles up and the temperature plunges. The birthstone for January, the coldest month of the year, is just that reminder. The garnet, a blood-red stone that practically seems to pulse with warmth, has the perfect January birthstone color—wearing one will add light and warmth to even the darkest January day. It is a way of enjoying family.
The name Garnet appears to originate with the Latin granatum malum which means pomegranate. Pomegranate is the name of the bush which produces a red fruit with seeds. During the Middle Ages primitive cultures believed that the red stones would stop bleeding. Many early cultures believed that garnets were helpful in preventing and curing blood disorders and infection. Christians consider it is symbolic of Christ’s sacrifice and the blood of their savior.
Jewelry made with garnet has been found as early as the Bronze Age (3000 BC) in burial sites. It is thought that early communities valued garnet and believed that it offered protections in the afterlife.Garnet, the birthstone for January, signifies eternal friendship and trust and is the perfect gift for a friend. Garnet is the name of a group of minerals that comes in a rainbow of colors, from the deep red of the pyrope garnet to the vibrant green of tsavorites. Today, the most important sources for garnet are Africa, Sri Lanka, and India. A gift of garnet is thought to be symbolic of love and the desire for a loved one’s safe travel and speedy homecoming. Garnets of muted yellows, vibrant oranges, rosy pinks, lime greens, and violets are all part this gemstone’s rainbow of hues. The diversity is due to unique combinations of elements within each particular gem, such as iron, calcium, and manganese.
What a privilege to have my son and family here for the week between Christmas and New Years. They live five hours away, so it isn’t often that we can see one another. There two grandsons who are 3 and 7. They not only get bigger each time, but are able to talk and relate better than the last time. They like playing games and want me to read to them. Sometimes it is a book that Grandma has, and sometimes it is something they have that they want me to read to them. They got several new games and things for Christmas that they wanted to know how to use. It is fun when they want to include Grandma in playing with them.
Their parents were invited to a wedding on New Year’s Eve. So, the boys were able to stay at Grandma’s house. That was a perfect time to read together and play together. It was also a time to eat together and eat some of the Christmas goodies that hadn’t been eaten yet, the cookies and candies. Those grandsons really liked those things. The boys got an X-Box for Christmas. They had several skylanders and it was fun to watch them play this game and determine what each of the characters were capable of. It is amazing to see how much the three year old can accomplish on the game at his age.
Then it was getting closer to midnight, the New Year, 2012. Of course they wanted to stay up, but I thought we would watch the New Year come to New York on TV, and then it would be time for bed. Fortunately, their parents came home before that, so then it was no longer my responsibility. What a night for enjoying family! Donna
The holidays are a great time of year to propose and ask her to marry you. How exciting is that? You have been together for how long now? Isn’t this the perfect time to do it? No doubt she has been waiting for this moment. I know just the place where you can get a beautiful 14 Karat gold and 0.5 Karat diamond ring. Go towww.sparkleconnections.com There you will find solitaires, wedding sets, bands, a choice of what will be appropriate for this memorable occaision. The diamond symbolizes purity and light. This is the time of year that we see a lot of sparkle. There are beautifully lit lights everywhere. There are more dark hours to enjoy and see them. It is fun to take drives in the evening and look at all the merry lights. Maybe that would be something you could do to help set the mood, and then pull out the sparkling ring and ask her that important question.
Rings are the symbol of the marriage covenant. It was thought that the fourth finger (which we now call the ‘ring finger’) contained a special vein that was connected directly to the heart, and therefore it became the official finger for the wedding band. Purchasing the ring is traditionally performed by the groom. This step is without the future bride’s knowledge, so he can surprise her with a proposal and a ring. Now the only step left is to actually propose in order to give her a diamond for the holidays.
computer room, he had the box of graham crackers and ate quite a few. It was a fun time of enjoying family.
