last day of 2009

so my daughters comment this morning was...

i wonder what i should do today on the last day of 2009, because there'll never be another one again.

sounds like a good question for all of us to think about.

and wouldn't this be a great attitude to have every day...to want to make the most out of today?!


whatever YOU do, enjoy your day :-)

in the belly

have you ever felt God nudging you
to make a change in your life,
perhaps give something up for a season?

this is what i have been wrestling with for awhile,
and found myself resisting...
giving up something that had been very good
and encouraging for the past 6 years.

only was it encouraging?
not really. not right now.

i found myself coming away from what i had once loved,
feeling drained and overwhelmed.
unable to see the forest,
as i wandered amidst the trees aimlessly.

i've been like Jonah.
knowing the good i ought to do,
and unwilling to do it.

like Jonah, i've been sloshing around
in the belly of a fish.
how long ago did it start to stink?

part of his revelation from God during his time there:
"Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

that's what i've been clinging to.
a worthless idol.

so, here i am.
one week into surrendering this idol.
this sacred thing in my life
that is no longer sacred to God.

and what am i finding in the process?
God's grace.
his loving kindness and goodness.

i now have more free time with my family.
more peace of mind.
a slower pace and a quieted heart.

i am more engaged in the world around me.
i am more alert to my heavenly Father.

and i am more aware of my emotions.
no longer can i get lost,
numbing my heart.

so while this new season is very good,
it is very humbling and revealing.

being pruned is not pleasant.

my hope is that thru this process
i will bear fruit that
ultimately
brings glory to God.

Our Christmas Cat

This poem and picture are in tribute to our childhood family cat Taffy who lived 19.5 years(May 25, 1990 - Dec. 14, 2009). My Mom wrote this poem about her after Christmas 2008. Taffy must have loved the items under the tree as much as i did growing up.


Our Christmas Cat


By Betty Lehman

What does she dream, our Christmas cat,
As she curls beneath the tree
To rest in peaceful sleep, content,
Beside the Christmas scene?

What does she dream, our Christmas cat,
As breaths come slow, with
Body still, she lies
At dreamland’s door?

What does she dream, our Christmas cat;
Of ribbons and paper,
Of Christmas past,
The chase, the hunt, the laughter?

What does she dream, our Christmas cat?
Only she knows,
As she rises and yawns
And stretches and turns.

What does she dream, our Christmas cat,
As she curls beneath the tree,
To sleep again and dream
The dreams that only cats can see?

© 2009

burst of energy

i've known that i had a vitamin D deficiency since the summer, but i guess my dr. hadn't really seen the results. haha. and i didn't realize just how much it was impacting me with my low energy.

so while i was there for a sinus infection this week, she noticed my test results and is putting me on a weekly high dose of D (50,000) for 4 months, and suggests taking 1,000 D daily.

Soooo, lets just say that between the D and the caffeine i had yesterday, i didn't go to bed until close to 2:30. and here i am bright-eyed and bushy tailed this morning. I probably shouldn't have any caffeine next saturday when i take my next mega-dose, haha.

On the upside, my kitchen is clean, my laundry is slowly disappearing, i have all of my Christmas shopping for the fam. finished except for one gift (woohoo), i've played a game of Candy land with the kiddos already this morning, and i'm blogging today (surprise!)

I feel so hopeful that this is a step in the right direction for me, for my physical and emotional well-being.

Our House Rules

Our House Rules

Love God and Love each other

Be Generous with Hugs and Warm Words

Be Patient and Respect each other

Practice Forgiveness
Be Kind and Tenderhearted

Pray Often Live with a Thankful Heart

YES

This is one of my favorite quotes by Ann Kiemel.
I have it hanging beside my bedside so that i can read it in the morning :-)

YES
to tomorrow.
fresh dreams.
higher mountains.
greater impossibilities.
wider sunrises.
stouter courage.
braver risks.

YES
because Jesus is the divine YES.
because He changes everything.
He is my highest fulfillment.
He made me whole...
He takes the bad and turns it to good.
He is my Song.
My Reason to live.
"for me to live is Christ"

it's beginning to look a lot like

CHRISTMAS. >big grin<

I have important things to do today.

Like listen to Christmas music.
even my daughter (reluctantly) admits it has it's own charms.
you mean not everyone likes to listen to Christmas music
year-round like i do?
Gasp! you've.got.to.be.kidding.me.

watch the wonder of snow swirling around out beyond...
I can just picture God shaking his snowglobe
and sitting back to enjoy his creation.
Susie waves "hi" from inside the snowglobe!

Look for fun crafts for my kids @ church.
do test runs of aforementioned fun crafts.
spend time regretting that you found one you like better
than the one you just spent an hour preparing. sigh.

take care of sick child.
teach sick child how to use the papercutter that
he seems to be totally entralled with.
"Mom, can I have one of these when I'm 18?"
sure honey, i'll start saving now ;-)

make eggs. burn eggs while blogging.
melt cheese over burnt eggs.
at least they're not for me. wink,wink.

clean my house. you guessed it.
at the bottom of this list.
nope. i don't think cheese can solve this one.
BUT, maybe a little MORE Christmas music will get me in the mood!
(Shhh...don't tell anyone my secret!)

love.joy.peace. Susie.

The Very First Noel

I found a wonderful little Christmas dvd called "The Very First Noel" that kept the kids attention and caught me in bursts of laughter throughout. I love their sense of humor and the warmth. And hey, you can't go wrong with Andy Griffith narrating it.

Heaven

Mary Anaya and baby have gone home to heaven.


http://gettingdownwithjesus.blogspot.com/2009/10/mary-anayas-miracle-she-made-it-home.html#

Prayer for Mary

an online friend Mary Anaya is 6 weeks into her diagnosis with Advanced Lung Cancer which has spread to her spine and liver. She is 17 weeks pregnant with her 11th child, and she and her family founded and run a city mission in Omaha. I read today that she is in ICU on a respirator because she has pnemonia. Drs. are hoping to keep her alive for 7 more weeks so that they can deliver her baby. She and her family and friends are praying for her healing.

You can read about this wonderful woman here:

http://gettingdownwithjesus.blogspot.com/2009/10/could-we-get-down.html#

Prayer for Parents

O Heavenly Father, make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say, and to answer all their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame or ridicule when they displease me. May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction or to show my power. Let me not tempt my children to lie or steal.

And guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all that I say and do that honesty produces happiness. Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. And when I'm out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue. May I ever be mindful that my children are children and I should not expect of them the judgment of adults. Let me not rob them of the opportunity to wait on themselves and to make decisions. Bless me with the bigness to grant them all their reasonable requests and the courage to deny them privileges I know will do them harm. Make me fair and just and kind and fit, O Lord, to be loved and respected and imitated by my children. Amen.

prayer by Fr. Anothony Coniaris from Making God Real in the Orthodox Christian Home

Time out!

Confession time!

I am in a self-proclaimed time out. Really.

Call it hormones. PMS. whatever you may. But when it comes,
my anxiety goes through the roof and i turn into this whole other person
that even *I* don't like. My hubby has jokingly labeled me
the "possessed Susie Doll" when i get like this. My eyes light up,
my head spins around...you get the picture.

I had dd home all day, so my "day off" was ambushed by a sick child.
After 3 days of a sick child last week, i didn't take that very well.
The lowest point of my day was when i had my own tantrum (blush)while my ds was having HIS tantrum over shoes. Thankfully he was only 5 minutes late.
I must admit that i was completely honest and wrote down "trantrum over shoes"
as the reason he was tardy. I'm sure the ladies in the office have heard it all.

So i cleaned like mad today, made a crockpot, and politely excused myself to
my room after dinner. I'm working on curriculum for school, waiting for a phone call from my MIL (that's a whole other post!), reading, watching tv, etc.
I'm sure the hubby is thankful to not have to deal with
me, and i get the space that i so desperately need. At times like these,
I would be much better off if i could just hibernate or get a one way ticket to
Alaska (or Hawaii) for about 4 days.

So, hopefully i will be past the worst of it by the time the weekend rolls around
and I head to the mountains for a weekend with my wonderful girl friends.
My daughter hopes for your sakes that I'm through all of this, lol. You've been warned!

Nothing.

long week.
work which requires lots of patience and creativity. putting aside self to give.
other people's children. Your precious children. help me to welcome them as you would.

Home. sick child. wonders of when he will get better, and what course
will it take? my little boy is not quite himself. yet he is slowly improving. once again I must entrust him to you. You're not done with me yet Lord.

You are near. I may not always feel it.
But as sure the sun rises and sets, whether i see it or not, i know you are near.
Not all moments are lived in the clouds above troubles and worries.
You ask me to walk through the valley. Darkness settles over and makes itself known. But Your light overcomes the darkness.

and with that light, comes the radiance and the sheltering presence of your love. Nothing can separate me from your love.
Nothing.

The following scriptural devotional really spoke to me this morning. In uncertain times, it is good to remember that God is my source, and that I can trust Him. :)

Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven.

Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?—To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.—I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. . . . Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.—Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do.”

Lam. 3:41; Ps. 113:5, 6; Ps. 25:1; Ps. 143:6-8; Ps. 63:3, 4; Ps. 86:4, 5; John 14:13

Painting with Charitable Judgements

I found this online, and just had to share!

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Pet. 4:8

Ask God to help you make charitable judgments about others. (Charitable simply means “loving.”) Making a charitable judgment means that out of love for God you strive to believe the best about others until you have facts to prove otherwise. In other words, if you can reasonably interpret what someone has said or done in two possible ways, God calls you to embrace the positive interpretation over the negative, or at least to postpone making any judgment at all until you can acquire conclusive facts (see 1 Cor. 13:6; Matt. 7:12; 22:39; James 4:11-12).

Adapted from The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflictby Ken Sande
read more from Ken Sande online at: http://www.yorkpca.org/index.php/judging-others-the-danger-of-playing-god

Food For Thought

Observing others' actions is like being handed a tube of oil paint and a brush and then painting their portraits. If an action was offensive to us, our sinful tendency is to use that single incident's "color" to paint an entire portrait of their character. We may do this because we don't know that person well enough to have many other colors and brush sizes, but it is more likely we generalize such incidents to cover their whole character in order to justify keeping them at a distance. Is that how you want others to paint your portrait?

Let me suggest three alternatives.

Neutral – Admit your ignorance of that person's character and leave parts of the portrait blank.

Positive – Recall the good you know about that person so that your portrait of him or her will be more accurate.

Gracious – Trust God that he is at work in that person. Fill in the blank part of others' portraits with God's good intentions for them. Even more, go one step further and paint over the real smudges and blemishes with the colors of grace.

~Scott HaydenBangkok, Thailand

Gratitude Continued

i have a new goal. I haven't figured out how to link to it, but there is a circle of bloggers who are aiming to reach 1,000 things to be thankful for, so I am going to cumulatively count my thanksgivings. I know what you're thinking..."Better you than me" :)



6. in honor of my last post, i am thankful for my curly-ish hair ;) i don't always give in to the curliness, but i love that i have the option.

7. i am grateful for my friday night Bible study circle of friends. really, they are so much more than that. how can you limit a group of friends to one time slot, lol. i can't. these are my core group of friends that i know that, no matter what, they care about me for who i am, strengths and weaknesses and all, and it is such a joy to be a part of their lives.

8. i'm grateful for my hubby, who works hard to provide for our family, and that he doesn't make me feel bad about it in order to make himself feel better.

9. i'm thankful for the opportunity to play tennis with my son. even if the ball rarely makes it back over the net. (stop laughing!) hopefully when he is famous one day he'll credit me with having pointed him the the right direction. haha.

10. i'm thankful for the free swimming i'll get to do at the ymca this week, just because of where i work. what a cool perk to have this week, and a great way to end the summer with my kids.

A Good Hair Day

i must share. my daughter is actually the one who called me out on the carpet tonight. actually, it's a good thing. It means that something is sinking in, lol. And i appreciate that i can take pointers from her, not just vice versa.

I was fussing in the mirror over my new haircut, a bit disgruntled that the newly added layers had robbed me of my ability to easily straighten my naturally wavy/curly hair.

She reminded me of this really cute, challenging, (totally unrealistic) but inspiring story that speaks of the power of attitude.

here goes:

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and
noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

"Well," she said, "I
think I'll braid my hair today." So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror, and saw that she had
only two hairs on her head.

"Hmm," she said, "I think I'll part my
hair down the middle today." So she did and she had a grand day.

The
next day she woke up, looked in the mirror, and noticed that she had only one
hair on her head.

"Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my
hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day
she woke up, looked in the mirror, and noticed that there wasn't a single hair
on her head.

"Yah!" she exclaimed. "I don't have to fix my hair
today!"

Attitude is everything. (Author Unknown)

I can't imagine attaining quite THAT attitude in that situation (that is SO
not my idea of a "fun, fun day", but it reminded me that i have much to be thankful for. After all, how many people have you heard wish for a head of naturally curly hair?!!!!

1. I'm grateful for my wonderful family...I know they are always there, and accept me for who I am.

2. I'm grateful for summer. For the peaceful, leisurely days that we can enjoy, even if it is going faster than i'd like.

3. I'm grateful for the lift that good music can bring me.

4. I'm grateful for the insurance we have. Though it may bring headaches and stress, it is a blessing i must acknowledge!

5. I'm grateful for my current health. I had fun playing volleyball last week, and despite what i cannot do, i'm thankful for the many things i CAN do!

Gratitude Quotes

We all have within our grasp much to be thankful for. Gratitude fills. Discontent drains. The choice is ours. ~Richard A. Swenson

Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you. ~Eileen Caddy

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content. ~Helen Keller

Wii, wii, wii all the way home

we got a wonderful surprise this weekend.



We went to hubby's company picnic. Usually I dread them because everyone tends to stick to themselves, and i have felt shy in the past and didn't really enjoy the picnic because i didn't know how to engage others. So first off i was pleasantly surprised to find that i had some great conversations with several of the other wives. And at the end i was also able to approach one of the women that i've sensed some tension from in the past, and we had a good talk about our kids. So i felt very excited that i was able to move past myself in a social setting and make the best of a situation i was dreading (Susie pats herself on the back, hehe)



Secondly, they have a raffle every summer, with several gift cards and gifts to win. Surprisingly, our family won a Wii system!!!! We had been hoping to buy one for Christmas this year, so we ended up having an early "Christmas in July". What a total blessing! The kids were thrilled, and the look on their faces was priceless (I'm sure you can imagine). So guess what we did this weekend, lol. I rock at bowling, and am so-so at the tennis. Maybe i can get Wii Fit or Active for christmas. anything to get my rear into gear ;)

peace

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.”And the world is passing away along with its desires.—Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!—But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death.

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”—I want you to be free from anxieties.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”—Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.—The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

John 14:27; 1 John 2:17; Ps. 39:6; Rom. 6:21; Luke 10:41, 42; 1 Cor. 7:32; John 16:33; 2 Thess. 3:16; Num. 6:24-26

dd's room is done!

i attempted my first ever painting project on dd's room. We did a lilac color with a butterfly border and it looks very cute! we even got the border and decals at the dollar store, and they actually work! gasp. we saved over 37 dollars on wall borders. woohoo. i think it's especially sweet that she is totally okay with going the economical way and is so appreciative of her new room.

poor girl has been waiting for a "beautiful room" since we moved in 7 years ago. bad mommy (blush). anyway, tomorrow we're going to do all the organizing and putting everything back together, a lovely ending to a spring break. Now here's to hoping that the paint fumes will actually GO AWAY so that she can sleep in it, lol.

WARNING

reading other people's blogs may be highly inspirational. but sometimes, i think blogs should come with a warning. like this one.

WARNING: READ WITH CAUTION. THIS BLOG MAY MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE CRAP. IF YOU SUFFER FROM LOW SELF-ESTEEM, THIS BLOG'S CONTENTS MAY COMPROMISE YOUR ALREADY FRAGILE EMOTIONAL HEALTH. IF YOU ARE HAVING A BAD DAY, THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG MAY MAKE YOU FEEL WORSE. IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH YOUR LIFE, THIS BLOG MAY MAKE YOU FEEL MORE UNHAPPY. FYI: SMILES APPEAR WIDER WHEN ON LARGE SCREEN MONITORS.

or something like that. really. we love to be inspired, and to see in other people the potential that abounds in a single life. but at the same time, it's like being faced with all of the things you'd love to do, the great person you think you could be. only instead of feeling more hopeful, you just feel like you could never measure up. why is it that we're so quick to compare our lives to others' and feel as if we fall short somehow. I mean, aren't we meant to live individual lives, each reflecting the creativeness that God has put into us? I don't think that God means for us to compare ourselves with others the way we do. I know He doesn't!

At the same time, why do we (I, really) sell myself short, and think..."I could never do that!" I think it's time for me to climb out of the box that i've been "living" in, to kick the word "should" out of my vocabulary, and to be open to dreaming bigger dreams outside of the 4 puny little cardboard sides around me. Do i really even know what that means? Not yet. But I want to find out!

As food for thought, here is a verse out of the Message Bible: Galatians 6:4 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

pure joy

Coming into 2009, the comments i kept receiving from friends were that 2009 had to be better than 2008 (in terms of all the trials that i went thru the 2nd half of 2008). While that sounds great, i think that i've come to realize (as of the 2nd week of january, if not before, lol.) that life is just going to be full of trials, and i had better get used to it. really. at first that possibly sounds cynical, but it's not meant that way. I used to think that if i was serving God and "in the center of his will" that i in some way could expect things in my life to just fall into place. That I would be somehow protected from pain and suffering. Perhaps that's part of the reason why i stayed in my little christian bubble at ywam for so long. But that's a whole nother train of thought best kept for another post.

anyhow, i am learning that trials WILL come. It doesn't mean that i am in sin, or that i have somehow "missed the boat". The Bible says that even Jesus learned obedience through the things that he suffered. Who am I to expect any less?

Can I say that i am at the point that i can consider it joy that these trials come, as Paul encourages us in James? that would probably be stretching it. But i no longer see it as something to be ashamed of, or as a sign of some failure on my part. I'm learning to find a place of peace within the storms that come, and am grateful for the breathing space that comes between the trials in which i can look back and reflect on the ways in which God's presence and grace brought me through that trial. For an opportunity to draw near to God and grow in my love and dependance upon Him.

It wasn't until i had Gracey that i understood what it meant for God to "uphold us with his righteous right hand." One day Gracey and I were walking down the stairs of our 3 story apartment, and she stumbled on a stair. Had I not been holding her hand, she would have plunged down those stairs. Yep, she was literally dangling in my hands for a second, but she was safe. And God gave me an image of him holding me in the same way...as my loving heavenly Father.

I was reading my devotional today, and the words in Psalm 37 "trust in the Lord, and do good." jumped off the page as never before. I was getting ready to head into work, and was preparing my heart for what the morning held. I was looking for one gold nugget to meditate on that morning. And those 7 simple words gripped my heart...."trust in the Lord, and do good." What an amazing, wonderful command. It can be so easy for me to make following Christ more complicated than it needs to be. And here it was. very simple. trust in the Lord. and do good.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8, 9

As the season of lent begins today, I am overwhelmed by the magnitude of my sin and shortcomings. But even more overwhelming is the magnitude of Christ's forgiveness and mercy, the great love of my Savior.

This is my prayer today:

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *
and whose sin is put away!
2 Happy are they to whom the LORD imputes no guilt, *
and in whose spirit there is no guile!
6 I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD." *
Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32

Thank you Lord for the joy that you bring me, in that place of assurance of your forgiveness. Thank you for your steadfast love that never ceases.

change

i love changing things up here on my blog...a change of scenery is always nice. there's something theraputic about changing my blog...maybe it speaks to a certain power that i have here that i don't have in real life. i don't know. i really don't feel like paying someone to figure it out either, haha.

i used to love changing around my furniture, until a) my furniture got too big and cumbersome b) my body got too weak to manhandle furniture and c) i got smart enough to listen to my body, lol. I have to strategically plan and convince my husband of why a change would be practical. having a hubby who is an ISTJ taught me a long time ago that anytime i need to use my powers of persuasion upon him, they're best utilized thru a lens of praticality. smart wife that i am ;)

take heart...

When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

When my heart is faint . . . lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety!—Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.

“I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.”—If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God . . . and it will be given him.

Who is sufficient for these things?—For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.—“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

“Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven. . . . Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.”

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food . . . when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night.

Ps. 94:19; Ps. 61:2; Isa. 38:14; Ps. 55:22; 1 Kings 3:7; Jas. 1:5; 2 Cor. 2:16; Rom. 7:18; 2 Cor. 12:9; Matt. 9:2, 22; Ps. 63:5, 6

Mummy's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Combine the following and simmer for 1 hour:

12 oz. can tomato paste
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 - 1 lb. groundmeat (depends on your "meatiness" preference)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup water
1-3 cloves minced garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder
1 T. sugar
2.5 tsp. salt (1.5 if sauce is meatless)
1.5 tsp. crushed oregano (i manually crush mine)
1 bay leaf (i usually skip this)
1/2 tsp. pepper (optional)

That's it folks. And yes, we sisters call my mom "mummy" ;)

hdtv headahces

we're having some digital headaches...let's just say i'm not looking forward to Feb. 17th, lol. I found this funny clip, which was good for a laugh.