Yesterday was a pretty good day, all the way around. I met my parents for a belated birthday lunch – which was delicious – and my parents gave me a couple of really sweet gifts. Afterward Moose, who had come along for the ride, got a special trip to the doggy store and we found some cookies shaped like a moose! They were seriously cute, so I got four of them for him. He got a lot of attention from the employees who thought, correctly, that he is quite a handsome boy! After a few errands, during which the rain started to fall, we ended up nearly floating home. Geesh, it was really coming down! I made a delicious dinner in the new Instant Pot that hubby got for me for my birthday and overall, ended the night with a contented smile on my face. I may not have gotten the housework done that I needed to do, but it will always be here waiting for me tonight when I get home.
Verse of the Day
January 18, 2018
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
TEMPTATION… We’ve all been there. Satan’s silver bullet designed just for us personally. “No one will ever know; besides it won’t hurt anybody!” some mysterious voice sounding like our own whispers. Even if those two statements were true, and they never really are, it would matter because something inside of us caved in to what we knew was wrong. One line of defense is to simply remind ourselves we are not alone in this temptation — others have faced it and conquered it, so we can too, by God’s help and the power of his Holy Spirit.
www.verseoftheday.com
Food for Thought
Life is unpredictable. That’s the one thing we can be sure of from day to day. Oh, and fortune cookies are rarely correct – which was proven to me yesterday at lunch. Not necessarily food for thought, but a random thought instead.
Thesaurus Day – I’m sure very few of us haven’t at one time or another picked up a thesaurus to complete a project, write a letter, or try to articulate a thought without the typical mundane words we use each day. I know that it was a book that traveled to and from school with me for many years, and now there is one sitting by my desk at work. Today is the birthday of Peter Roget, the author of Roget’s Thesaurus. Peter Roget was born on this day in 1779. For anyone who hasn’t used one for many years, the Thesaurus lists synonyms (words with the same or similar meanings) for words. This gives us alternatives to using repetition when writing, and giving speeches. It also lists antonyms – or words with opposite meanings. If you haven’t used this valuable book in awhile, maybe celebrate today by picking yours up, dusting it off, and taking a look through it. It’s a treasure trove of incredible expressive opportunity. I know . . . I admit it . . . I’m a word geek. I love using variety in my verbal and written conversations and the Thesaurus has taught me much over the years, and I have always appreciated its value to forwarding literary excellence.
Winnie the Pooh Day -How many of us either read Winnie the Pooh when we were children, or have read it to our own kids? I did too! On both counts! Perhaps you can take the opportunity to enjoy your favorite bear and all of his friends to celebrate the birthday of A.A .Milne, the author who created Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends. A.A. Milne was born on this day in 1882. If it’s been awhile since you’ve read any of these books, Winnie’s pals included Christopher Robin, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, and Roo. Have some fun today reading some storybooks about the adventures of Winnie and his friends. The first time I researched this day, I stumbled across a very interesting study – I’ve heard of it before, but hadn’t actually read it. There are college and psychiatric studies that analyze the personalities of each of the characters in the Winnie The Pooh stories, and each character it turns out, is completely dysfunctional and displays various mental instabilities, illnesses, or personality disorders that are actually common amongst real life human beings – from ADHD, OCD’s to depression – it’s a fascinating study that I realize that was partially tongue in cheek, but really does make one think. I’ve also heard – though I don’t remember where, since it was awhile ago – that just about everyone we know can be compared to one of the various Pooh characters – and it’s true! We’ve all known an Eeyore, or a Tiger, or a Roo, or any of the other residents of Hundred Acre Wood . . . something to think about! I believe I’m a bit of a Kanga – and if you don’t remember what she was like, maybe take a stroll down memory lane and read a Pooh book, or take a look at that study and see how you feel about it.
Food Celebration of the Day
National Gourmet Coffee Day – I am a die hard coffee snob. I refuse to spend a dime at Starbucks, and every time I have I feel like I am betraying real coffee and independent coffee shops. I can say that the ONLY time I have spent money at one is when there was literally nothing else available – like in an airport, or in Alabama. Seriously, there wasn’t an independent shop ANYWHERE! We grind fresh organic beans at home for our daily coffee, and appreciate the amazing aroma that wafts out of the bag when we open them up to get the morning started. There is no need to spend a great deal of money on the coffee drinks in shops – you can make them in your own home! I don’t take the time to do a lot with mine. I have a Café Latte machine at home that makes my morning mocha a simple matter. I just put the fresh ground coffee and water into the top, put milk and chocolate into the pot, and while the coffee is brewing into the pot there is a whisk whipping the milk and chocolate together into a lovely, creamy, foam topped drink. Ta-Da! Morning mocha in a couple of easy steps. I also have a frappachino maker for those days when I want an iced, blended coffee – but I usually only have those in the summer. Why spend $6.00 a drink when you can get the machine for $40 (or so) and make them at home??? Today I did luck out though, because I had the leftover batter from Hot Buttered Rum day, which translates well to a great flavor profile in coffee (minus the rum of course). Here’s my gourmet treat for the morning – Buttered Latte with fresh whipped cream – no sugar, no chemicals and very low carb! Awesome!
Peking Duck Day – I seriously thought about trying to do this one today, but after I found a recipe I changed my mind. For one thing, duck is really expensive! And for another thing, I can’t imagine buying a bird for dinner that still has his head. AND I can’t fathom the thought of hanging said bird from his neck with a string until he dries after boiling him. Um. No. Here’s a recipe from Food Network to help you do it, if you have a less sensitive tummy when it comes to things like heads on dinner food.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/peking-duck-recipe0-2013559
I’m heading to work. I haven’t been out there yet this morning, but I’m hoping that it didn’t rain all night long and that I won’t be floating to work. God bless you and I’ll see you tomorrow! (Which is Friday, just in case you forgot!)