Fresh From The Tree

This week I was given fresh organic oranges. I spent quite a while juicing them in my Nutribullet. For Christmas and a belated birthday gift my husband and I bought ourselves a KitchenAid Stand Mixer with the ice cream attachment. I thought, “Why not try making a sorbet using some of this fresh orange juice?” I had some simple syrup with pineapple left that I made the last time I tried to make sorbet.  Success! My husband said it was good. I am very pleased that we have fresh sorbet with no chemicals. Unfortunately I had to use sugar, albeit, organic to make the simple syrup. Next time I will use agave nectar and give it a try.

The frozen yogurt shops just lost a customer. I can make my own and know what is in them. I think next time I will try one of my vegetable Nutriblast. Vegetable Sorbet. Mmmm.

FYI: I am also trying the image format for you Blogging 101 colleagues. In the Capoversa basic theme it is not making a big difference from the standard format.

Trying a New Post Format

Today’s Blogging 101 Assignment

I couldn’t see any difference when I did the preview. I read the Post Format -Support information. I tried the different formats with this new information. I still didn’t see any difference. I checked to see if my theme supported this feature. It is in the list of supported themes.

I Tried.

 

Has My Step Been Re-Sprung?

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Re-springing Your Step.”

I read the prompt and wondered what has happened to me recently that would have me rejuvenated. I realized that the answer was a lot of little thins for temporary changes but nothing lasting. That revelation was very disheartening. How can I motivate others when I am fatigued? I can’t successfully because they can see something is not 100% with me.

I have had taken a day here and a day there to rest physically. It helped to some extent I am sure. I can go on.  I awaken this morning feeling stressed out with the list of things I need to do NOW. The only solution I see is to make my list, prioritize and work the list.

Maybe then my step will get sprung. Physical rest is nothing without mental rest.

The Awesome Lemon

The lemon is known for many attributes. It is known as a purifier, flavor enhancer and makes great lemonade. Today I read an article about using lemons to clean the microwave. I tried it. It worked. It was so simple. It said to let sit for 5 minutes. I didn’t. To get rid of the stains I repeated the process. If I had waited the 5 minutes, I might not have. Nevertheless, in less than 10 minutes I had a clean, purified microwave (including the splatters on the door).

I decided to try it on the stove top. Those of you who cook a lot know how hard it is to get the grease build up off the stove back. You know where the clock and controls are. You try to clean it off as you cook but sometimes you don’t get it all. I decided to use the hot lemons from the process above and I rubbed it all over those areas. I let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes. It wiped off.

I have used lemons to sanitize my counter tops and cutting boards. Now I will add the microwave and stove to the list. Grease and food splatter that soap and water doesn’t completely get is now the victim of pure lemon juice.

Here is the link to the process. http://lifehacker.com/use-a-lemon-to-make-cleaning-the-microwave-easy-1525960405

I Remember That Night

Yesterday, I felt the lonliness and foreboding reflected in hsteinhayer101’s post  This Is Really Bad.  The story was told so well that I felt I was there. The “not knowing what to do” and the danger of making the wrong choice touched me. Her situation was far more serious and intense but her words took me back to my front porch over 30 years ago. My world was dark and lonely. It should have been one of the happiest times of my life. I had a newborn son, a wonderful husband and a helpful daughter. Nevertheless, my world was dark and lonely. The one overshadowing thing about depression is feeling all alone. I didn’t realize it at the time but I was suffering from Postpartum Depression. I just knew I wanted to end my life because for some reason I thought my family would be better off without me.

hsteinhayer101’s decision was choosing the correct place to sit. My decision was which direction to run that would guarantee getting far away to kill myself or be killed. I lived near two very busy streets that had a lot of traffic. A woman walking down the street in a thin nightgown would draw attention. It sounds silly now but that night I would have appeared to be a runaway from a mental asylum and the police would have picked me up. My husband found me and held me. I didn’t even know how to accept that at first. I felt he had spoiled my plans. When you are depressed and in that deep. dark place all you see is how good ending it all would be.

So many of us suffer from mental dis-ease and don’t realize it. We don’t consider depression from job loss or grief from a death mental dis-ease but it is. It may not last long or be as intense as others that cause them to seek escape in drugs or the control from another person.

I thank my husband and my Lord for bringing me through that time. The shadows of depression still linger just on the outskirts of my consciousness but I recognize it. It will not conquer me.

Letter To My Dream Reader

Letter To My Dream Reader]

A Letter To My Dream Reader

It is a joy to explore the world through your eyes. Everything is seen with wonder and excitement. Hearing the question “What’s that” in that little voice makes me smile. I felt the same with your mother and uncle has they began their exploration of the world around them.

Every twinkle in your eye, every little side-eye smile signals the brain-circuitry is firing on all cylinders.

My dream for you is that you never lose that curiosity, that desire to learn and experience  new things. You have no fear. Move through your life with confidence and wisdom. Rely on your parents’ teaching and guidance. There may be times in your life that you disagree with them but don’t every discount their wisdom. Remember, they have been where you have yet to go.

Remember, Grandma loves you.      Heart

 

 

This was my original post. I tried to post it as my new-thing to me and let you read my letter as a PowerPoint presentation. It did not work quite like I wanted. I guess I have to go through the Slideshare route.