Pray for Mom

My mom is having surgery today, so we'll spend the day at the hospital. Please pray for a great outcome. She's a little frail, but we believe she will be much better off after the surgery.

My Favorite Makeup Remover - Revisited

I'm telling you, I think I've tried everything. And I still keep trying new things as they come out, but I keep going back to this: BOOTS No.7 Quick Thinking 4 in 1 Wipes.

The package contains 30 wipes that remove makeup, including eye makeup, tone and moisturize. I am extremely sensitive to scents, and these don't bother my eyes at all. Sometimes I have to add about a tablespoon of water to the package to get the right moisture content, but they really work well.

The good thing is, I keep a package in a container next to my favorite easy chair, and get this chore done while I'm sitting with my husband in the evening.

The only drawback is that I can only find them at Super Target, and there's not one close to me. So, when I do go near Super Target, I grab two — that will last for 2 months.

Update: My local Target (non-Super) is now carrying the Boots products - yea! These are still my favorite, though I've tried other brands over the year. Be sure to not pull and tug on your eyelids - you don't want to stretch the skin out and make them droopy over time, young ones. Just gently rub the eyelashes until the mascara comes off. I found that whether this product works well for you depends on what kind of mascara you wear. I'd rather change mascara than change makeup remover, that's how much I like these.

Meet the Granddog

I don't have much time today, with deadlines and such, so I'll just share a picture of my young little granddog. He lives in Germany, and is now 70 lbs.! Not even full grown yet, either. Jaeger is a full-blood Doberman, and Barrett and Beccy are getting a little taste of what having a kid might be like. The first picture is when he was only a few weeks old. The second one is in December at around 6 months old. He's probably grown since then.

Since I don't have any grandkids yet, this will have to do for now...unless you count my grandbird. That's a story for another day.

Rx for your pH - revisited

Here's a tip for balancing the pH of your body. Stir 1/2 tsp. of baking soda into a cup of water and drink. It's the classic "bicarb", but it has more benefits than just soothing indigestion.

Be sure to find some baking soda that does not have any aluminum in it. Bob's Red Mill is a good brand. Then keep it in the refrigerator or the freezer to keep it fresh. Save the other kind for cleaning or deodorizing something.

Cutting-edge naturopathic doctors say that "disease cannot exist in an alkaline environment". I drink this bicarb drink whenever I feel like I'm starting to get sick. It's also very good whenever you didn't get enough sleep the night before. Believe me, it works! And, of course, it's a lot better for the symptoms of indigestion than popping all those antacids. Often, simple is best.

Dr. Bob recommends drinking 2 tablespoons of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of water before you go to bed. This will do essentially the same thing, plus a few more added benefits. These are listed on their website:

INTERNAL BENEFITS:

* Rich in enzymes & potassium

* Support a healthy immune system

* Helps control weight

* Promotes digestion & ph Balance

* Helps soothe dry throats

* Helps remove body sludge toxins

EXTERNAL BENEFITS:

* Helps maintain healthy skin

* Helps promote youthful, healthy bodies

* Soothes irritated skin

* Relieves muscle pain from exercise

Rubbermaid Produce Savers

I like these! Rubbermaid Produce Savers have been keeping my baby carrots fresh and convenient. I haven't tried it with other veggies yet, but I'm sure they will work well also. It has a grid in the bottom to keep them from standing in moisture, and air vents on two sides for ventilation. These are available in the grocery store, and I only found them and bought them because I had a coupon and they were on sale. Now I'm sold.

By the way, Dr. Bob says you should eat carrots, beets, and at least 1/2 of a red apple every day for liver health. I haven't figured out how to eat beets everyday, but I've got the other two down pat.

Wholly Guacamole - they did it again!

I was very excited to find that one of my favorite products - Wholly Guacamole - now comes in a different form. They just came out with 100 Calorie Snack Packs, 3 packs to a box. This is great news for me, because I often won't open a larger pack when I don't have someone home to eat it with me. I don't want the leftovers to be wasted!

Now I can open up a pack and dip my baby carrots in anytime I want. I could even carry this with me (in a cooler or insulated bag) for a travel snack. Each pack has corners that will pull open, so I don't have to get out my scissors. Ahhhh....life is good.

The Not-So-Fun Side of a Power Outage

See the dead computer? Not a pretty sight.

When our power outage began, my desktop was plugged into a UPS-Backups surge protector. I shut it down the proper way. But when the power came back on, the computer, she was dead. Middle son and computer geek Austin made a trip home to check it out for me.

[Back in the old days, every family wished for a doctor or a lawyer in the family. These days, everyone would like a computer geek. I could write a book..."Grow Your Own Computer Geek". Just kidding, Austin. You're invaluable in so many other ways.]

Anyway, after much examination, it was determined that the power supply failed and then fried something on the motherboard. Not good. The power flashed back on a couple of times during the 16-hour outage, so that may have something to do with it. Now we shall see whether the UPS-Backups lifetime guarantee is even worth the paper it is written on. I am jumping through all the hoops. They are sending me a new surge protector unit, and I am to mail them the old one with a written report so they can test it and see what happened. I can't wait to see what it costs to mail a 13-lb. package. But at least I get a new surge protector out of it. Depending on what their tests show, they may pay for the computer repair. I will keep you posted on whether this company has integrity. Thankfully, in the meantime, I've got the laptop.

After this experience, my recommendation would be this: Once a power outage has begun, or a lightning storm approaches, unplug the computer or surge protector completely from the wall. I don't know if the problem happened during the initial loss of power or during the two flashes of power restored, but it couldn't hurt. Research shows you should also unplug your telephone or cable lines from the computer because a surge can come through that way. This is good advice for ALL of your electronic equipment like printer, monitors, tv, dvd players, etc. And for heaven's sake, keep a good backup. I currently have a portable hard drive, and it is proving to be worth it's wait in gold. We are also considering installing a panel-mount surge protector in the main electrical box.

How to (sort of) Enjoy a Power Outage

Last week, I was finally getting back to work in my home office and just working away. Then the power went out. There was ice accumulated on the power lines, and apparently it took some of them down. We had no electricity for 16 hours, which also left us with no home phone since we have cable telephone service. To compound things, my cell phone battery was low, so I had to stick it in the car to charge for a while.

Fortunately, our gas fireplace works even if we don't have electricity. Yea! We were able to heat the entire living area, and then sleep warmly under a down comforter in the cold bedroom that night. Even though our gas fireplace turns on with an electric switch, it works because it has a thermal coupler. (Interpretation from Dear Hubby: A thermal coupler creates a small amount of electrical current when heated. So it's sitting there being heated by the pilot light, and has enough power to start the fire.)

Since you never know when one of these incidents will strike, it's good to be prepared. We've had this trusty yellow lantern my daddy gave us (shown on the right) for many years. It has a flourescent bulb that gives a good amount of light, as well as a spotlight on the other side. However, a battery had corroded in the case and it wouldn't come on! Dear Hubby went to the store for batteries (he can't sit still anyway), and came back with a really nice red Coleman Lantern that is rechargeable. It has a flourescent bulb, and will charge in a car or on household current. It runs up to 9 hours, makes good light, and takes no fuel. We will get a lot of use out of it. He got it at Academy for around $35.

Another thing that was a help is our radio (shown in front) that is solar-powered, but also has a hand-crank on the side. Just a few cranks, and we were able to listen to the radio as long as we wanted.

So, there we sat, reading by lantern-light near the warm fire. I kept thinking, this is how Abraham Lincoln had to do all of his studying. Then I got tired of that and rearranged the living room furniture by firelight.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.....I LOVE electricity.

Buxom Lips

Well, enough lamenting about time. Over the next several days, I'm going to review some products for you. I have sacrificed myself to buy these things you've been wondering about and try them out. You can thank me later. :)

The first one I'll tell you about is Buxom Lips. This is a lip gloss from the Bare Escentuals line of products, and it is supposed to plump up your lips. I'm not sure if it actually does that, as my lips are kinda plump anyway, but I love this stuff. I am on my second tube. It makes my lips feel all fresh and tingly, and I love the color. They have a lot of colors, but the one I use is Candi. I just like everything about it. So there.

I need to add that I get very distressed when I see perfectly beautiful people who have undergone medical procedures to make their lips plump. Priscilla Presley comes to mind, as well as Lisa Rhinna. Oh, and Meg Ryan. It broke my heart to see what she has done to her mouth. She doesn't even look like herself anymore. It's not worth that. Just try some Buxom Lips. It is a little pricey, $18, but it lasts a long time.

Time Management? Or Me Management?

As you can tell from this week's posts, the new year is causing me to take a serious look at how I'm spending my time. Most of the time, it just seems to be out of control. The truth is, I can't control time. I can only control me.

Because I have worked from home for several years now, I have developed some habits that are not the greatest for success. I am working on changing my thinking and my habits so that I can accomplish more of what I want to accomplish, both in my business and personal life. Time is going to pass whether or not I do anything significant with it.

Chew on this for a minute:

"Time management is a misnomer. The challenge is to manage
ourselves." Stephen Covey

Yep. That's what I've got to keep remembering. Even the president of the United States only has 24 hours in a day, and even with all the responsibilities he has, he manages to exercise.

I have a choice, and I am choosing to manage myself more wisely. (Nothing like putting it out before the whole world to motivate you to stick to your guns.) I am not a slouch, by any means, but I have felt for a long time that I am just treading water and not getting anywhere. Like everyone and everything else is controlling my life. I want to live more deliberately, yet not rigidly. I want to be available to whatever the Lord God would want me to do each day, but not have each day and week and month go by like a speeding freight train.

Part of the problem is, I'm interested in too many things and my attentions are scattered. I must choose to focus on what is most important. I don't want 2009 to rush by while I'm taking care of emergencies or frivolities and not attending to what is most important.

How about you? I welcome any comments and/or suggestions.

Who Am I?

I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half the things I do you might just as well turn over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed – you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great individuals and, alas, of all failures, as well. Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a human. You may run me for a profit or run me for ruin – it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

WHO am I?

--Author Unknown

The answer is below, but please ponder this a few minutes before you scroll down....

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The Answer:



I am a Habit. (Now think about it for a few more minutes.)

More about habits tomorrow!


(No, not Hobbits. When I heard that Hobbits like to eat so much they have "2nd breakfast", I told Dear Hubby I finally figured out what he was. *grin* )

What Does A Year Look Like? Part II

Continuing on yesterday's vein, I've been giving a lot of thought to why the years go by so fast. When I was a kid, a year was FOREVER. Now, it just flies by. I've got to get a grasp on this!

I was thinking...you know how fast a week goes by? Well, there are only 52 of them in a year. That's not many. Here's a visual:

52 marbles. Each represents a week. A week goes by incredibly fast. It doesn't look like many when you look at them this way, does it? Don't miss the fact that I have displayed them in a colander. One more year has dribbled away. It was a turbulent year in many ways, but it still went by very quickly. I want to grab each week and squeeze out of it all I can get. I'm tired of my time being ruled by the urgent rather than by the important. Even the important, joyous occasions have gone by too quickly to really savor the moments.

Lord, help me sort out the priorities in my life and get rid of anything You deem unimportant. I haven't been doing such a good job myself. Help me to grasp and hold on to everything You desire for me. Show me how to slow my life down to a pace that is joyful and manageable. I know I can't "manage" everything in life, but I want to slow the speedboat down to an enjoyable 30 mph with an occasional joyride. Lord, help us all!

What Does a Year Look Like? Part I

How do you picture a year in your head? A few years back, I asked several people to draw what a year looked like, and every picture was different. A year is circular in my brain, and because I grew up spending the school year with one parent and the summer with the other, those seasons are still distinctly separate in my head. For some people, the years are linear.

Here's what a year looks like to me:




Though in my youth and in my head the summer months stretch out long and luxuriously, it doesn't actually happen in modern adult life.

Here are a few drawings of a year by other people:


















It's really interesting to me how differently we each view things. Any way you want to look at it, we're beginning a new one, and I always want to make a fresh start. Though I most likely won't have the time, I have a burning desire to clean out closets and drawers and set my life in order. More than anything, I don't want another year to speed by without living in the moment and enjoying every blessing.

How does the upcoming year look in your head? I would love to see it. If you'd like to share, please e-mail your drawing to me. Whatever the answer, I wish you love and joy and peace and blessing.

I'm Having Blogger Problems

I've been trying to post for a few days, but Blogger has a problem and is not letting me post pictures. Since my next 2 posts are very dependent on the visuals, I'm holding them until I can get the pictures in. Hang on with me! Hopefully this will be resolved soon. (It's happened before.) *sigh*