Living Simply
Yes indeed. Snow in every state, including Hawaii, except for Florida. Quite a phenomenon. And it has happened before. Still, interesting.
Read story by clicking here.
Global warming? Nature fighting against manmade progressions?
Last evening, we made our first offer on a house in Wisconsin. It’s a tough choice to decide whether to live in Wisconsin or Minnesota but the home values are really good in Wisconsin right now although the taxes are a wee bit higher.
It felt strange to make this offer. The house is gorgeous and the location is nice. But the home values in this neighborhood are down as they are everywhere. The seller has set their price really high. And we made our offer based on sales in the neighborhood.
I vacillate between having done the “right” thing (a lower offer) based on facts and feeling like I’m insulting a seller (who unfortunately priced their house too high).
We’ll know soon if the offer is accepted. Meanwhile, I hope the unsettling feeling of insulting someone goes away.
Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2
Every November I, along with millions of others, would sit around the table at what we call “Thanksgiving.” I’d eat and laugh and reminisce on how another year has passed. And yes, I would be thankful. My tradition was to ask every person at the table to say what they were thankful for in the year gone by.
But how quickly I can forget the spirit of Thanksgiving. As my life gets entrenched in the routines of the day, my mind wanders and the thankfulness is forgotten.
There are times when its brought back to my remembrance. When a death occurs, an anniversary, a birthday.
The Scripture above reminds me to continue being thankful because I have been truly blessed. It is comforting to know that no matter what happens, I can find something to be thankful for.
So I’m trying to live with a spirit of thankfulness every day. Continuing to remember all that God has provided me in friendships, material things, health, family. Each blessing unique and each one filling my heart with contentment.
Thank you Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The phenomena of thousands of fish and birds dying continues as Sweden, Italy and New Zealand join the U.S. in the abnormality.
So far, we hear of scientists calling it normal but the reasons for the deaths sound absurd.
It Italy, the scientists say the birds died of overeating and indigestion. So sorry Italy. I can’t buy that either.
If it’s true that this is normal, I would like some of these scientists to point us to other dates throughout history where both the air and water have produced massive deaths caused by noise and indigestion (eating too many sunflower seeds), has occurred.
I will not hypothesize. I do find it alarming and it makes me stop to ponder why our wildlife is dying in mass. If these deaths were chickens that we eat every day, many would stop eating the chickens until a cause was found.
I pray that scientists will continue searching for the cause of these deaths.
Click here for article
For previous blog on this subject, click here
When I’m told “I’m going to make dinner” and the person proceeds to get humongous amounts of red and poblano peppers, my eyebrows go up in “I don’t know about this.”
But, the meal was delicious. This was not spicy like I thought it would be and was served with pumpkin cornbread muffins. Very delicious. Fresh cantaloupe on the side was also served.
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| Black Bean and Roasted Pepper Soup |
You can find the blog and recipe information by clicking here.
Thank you Sam!
We went to Cafe Cravings in White Bear Lake, Minnesota for breakfast.
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| Cafe Cravings in White Bear Lake, MN |
There was a special listed on the board of walnut apple pancakes for $7.45 which I thought sounded delicious. I picked up the menu to see what else they had and noticed that the price for that same “special” was actually less. When I asked the cashier about the discrepancy, I was told that the menu had changed.
Since there were 3 of us, I asked what else had changed and they told me they could tell us as we chose. Hmmmm …. I expected them to offer the lower price for my menu item but no offer was forthcoming.
Then I asked if they had hot chocolate made from an espresso machine (the milk). The gentleman said “We can do that.” When I received my hot chocolate, it was the cheaper powdered one.
Batting zero for zero.
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| Apple walnut pancakes |
The pancakes were pretty good although they were a little too moist, ie. a lot of butter was used. I also tasted a hint of bacon and wondered if they had been grilled on the same griddle.
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| Blueberry Muffin |
This was huge! I didn’t taste it but my husband said there weren’t very many blueberries.
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| Cheesy Potatoes |
The potatoes were fresh and not frozen. I heard no complaints from the person who ordered this.
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| Garden Omelette |
The presentation of this menu item was good. Then I heard “I think I got the wrong thing.” It was a good garden omelette, just a little different than what was expected. Again, the potatoes were made from scratch.
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| Powdered Hot Chocolate |
I enjoy hot chocolate. So when I specifically ask if it’s from one of those old-fashioned machines that spew it out with water or if it’s powdered, and I’m led to believe it’s not, I’m disappointed.
This was my fault though for not being specific enough. I thought my question was understood but those with me thought I could have been more specific.
The older I get, the more I want to get what I pay for with my money.
As we continue our hunt for a house, we find many interesting things in the homes we view.
There are, or used to be, a lot of Scandinavians who lived here. Many of the older homes have saunas. This one had a sauna and right outside it this huge and very deep tub for soaking.
Many homes have fireplaces. We couldn’t figure out if this was wood or gas burning. Some of them are very complicated.
My favorite “find” of the day. A red drop-in shower stall. It really took me back when I entered the master bedroom bathroom of the house and saw this..
The world screams for our attention. I don’t know how many more reality shows they can come up with or how many more new gadgets they can make to help us live “simpler” lives.
Amazing! This run by the Seattle Seahawks player Lynch is absolutely fantastic!
This shows what real teamwork can do — in business, marriage, personal relationships and as a church.
1 Corinthians 12:2 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. (NIV translation)
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| Southview Seventh-day Adventist Church in Minneapolis, MN |
We entered through the front door. Since there were no greeters, we assume most people came in through the side door.
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| Front Door, Southview SDA Church, Minneapolis, MN |
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| Side door, Southview SDA Church, Minneapois, MN |
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| Sidewalk to side door of Southview SDA |
The wood in the church was dark. This is a chandelier that hung from the ceiling.
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| Stained glass window at Southview SDA Church in Minneapolis, MN |
The stained glass windows were pretty.
This church reminded me of the one I left in Seattle although the one in Seattle had streams of light that came in and the wood was lighter.
The sermon was on remembering the poor. The leaders, including the Pastor, were energetic and kept my attention — a good thing.
