Maria's Chinese "Take-Out"

Take out the everyday pans.

Take out the oil.

Take out the garlic.

Take out the onion.

Take out the broccoli.

Take out the zucchini.

Take out the soy sauce and spices.

Take out the Ka-Me lo-mein noodles.

Take out the bowls.

Take out the chop sticks.

Take out the place mats.

Bring your appetite!

Mommy

I am wearing Emeraude perfume today.

It was my mother's favorite scent.
Those tender moments before bedtime are part of my eternal memories of her. . . Mom, freshly bathed and in her silky robe, catching a few minutes to herself...watching the news or The Tonight Show. . . I can smell her Emeraude. . . I snuggle her one more time before going to bed. The tenderness is all around me.

Happy Mother's Day, Mommy
~We miss you~

Happy Mother's Day

~ Whether our children are big or little sprouts,
we still open ourselves to the tenderness of motherhood ~
May we mother with His grace and may His light shine through us in every way Happy Mother's Day
God's Sweet Blessings to All
~Maria

Sky Watch Friday ~ May 8, 2009

~Sometimes, God's light is able to shine through our imperfections~

View the sky from all over the world at SkyWatchFriday

What do your shoes say?

I am a gardener.

I am a walker.

I am a comfy person.
~
I used to think these were the craziest shoes...
I never thought I'd EVER wear them!
They are now my favorite after-work feet relief!
Take off your heels...
and slip into something more comfortable.

I got mine at LL. Bean... *they were super on sale :)

Eight Things

8 Things I look forward to -

• That first cup of coffee in the morning with my best friend (my husband) especially when he brings it to me :)
• Some personal space at the end of work *finishing my Valerie Pfeiffer cross stitch "Lady in Red"
  
• Lovely walks in my little community
• When my three children are all home
• Huge holiday gatherings with my family
• Music or writing that makes me cry or laugh out loud or say aha!
• A lesson I prepare that my students enjoy
• Road trips with my sister

8 Things I did yesterday

• I went to church and heard The Good Shepherd reading again, but I always find a new significance at each phase of life or time in history... He is my Leader ~ who loves me...
• Stopped at a flower/garden shop to pick up new plants for the garden
• Made a HUGE pan of apple crisp from our own apples of last fall. They froze really well after I flash-baked them... Oh Wow... the apple crisp was awesome... we had to make ourselves stop eating it...
• Made a HUGE pan of chicken parmesan (the low fat way with no breadcrumbs) everyone loved that too :)
• Gardened
• Assembled window boxes with pansies and impatiens
• Ate supper with our daughter and her fiancé
• Walked our two lil' ole ladies ~ Muffin & Misty ... 15 and 13 year old shih tzus

8 Things I wish I could do-

• Be more Prayerful & aware of God's presence
• Be Calmer (my blog title is really a personal reminder ;)
• Live to see great-grandchildren!
• Travel whenever!
• Better organize my desk at work and my home so that I would stop wasting so much time!
• The last three are different places I wish I could live:
• -a farm with chickens, goats and horses
• -an apartment in the prettiest part of Paris
• -Tuscany, Italy

8 Shows I watch-

• Friends
• Dog Whisperer
• Fraiser
• Food Network (mostly Sandra Lee-love her table-scapes) ...
• I don't really watch much TV any more... which is why we're cutting our big cable bill down to just basic (23 stations) Not much on TV that really floats my boat...There's so much personal talent that's not recognized by the main-stream... It's all on youtube or blogs (which are my new magazines ... such great writing & producing out there) or just walking outside and getting fresh air!

Laura at First Three Chapters tagged me... so...
You really should visit these 8 lovely Bloggers -

• Chris
  
• FarmGirlCyn
• SkyWatchFriday
  
• PrettyOrganizedPalace
• A Holy Experience
  
• A Focus in the Wild
• SavvyCityFarmer
• Cesar Milan

A Rose-breasted Grosbeak Visits *a video treat*

A visit by a sweet sounding Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

The song of this bird is so calming to me. I hope
you enjoy this little video -44seconds. I produced
it using a few photos of the grosbeak
at our feeders and included
its beautiful song.