Praying For...Gayle, our beautiful Jazz dancer that she will be happy, healthy, safe, and a good student in addition to knowing that God loves her. We pray that she will be spared the evils of the world and enjoy a magical childhood. Soon she will move out of childhood and we pray that during this transition she will not loose sight of Jesus Christ or rebel against her parents. I pray that the people of the Earth will stop fighting, plant gardens, enjoy family life, and love their neighbor. I pray that leaders and rulers will soften their hearts toward God's children and be inspired to live His commandments.
Bibliophilia...sent Gayle The Good Master by Kate Seredy. Since I've yet to read this highly acclaimed book myself, I'll be reading it along with her.
General Conference Book Club...A club of one isn't really a club, and Conference Sermons aren't books. Nevertheless, I'll enjoy it anyway. I love the new Women's General Meeting, by and for women of the church to woman of the church and world. This week I studied, Wanted: Hands and Hearts by Linda K. Burton. In it she quoted M. Russell Ballard. “Between now and the day the Lord comes again, He needs women in every family, in every ward, in every community, in every nation who will step forward in righteousness and say by their words and their actions, ‘Here am I, send me.’ My question is, ‘Will you be one of those women?’” Sometimes it is hard to say yes, but I want to please the Lord more than I want my will. In my little corner of the world, I want to live the gospel daily in small and simple ways. I want Jesus and Heavenly Father to see me as a true disciple, because I served the weak, the lost, and the needy as best I could. Free 3R tutoring is one of my small and simple attempts to serve the children of God. Even though we'll only be here another 4 months, another family has (re)inquired about tutoring. I'm sure I can help a bit in that little time, but I sure wish they had carried through 8 months ago.
Cucina Fresca...I made a wonderful discovery this week. Most days I make a small pot of lentil (brown, beluga, red, or French) or split pea soup (yellow or green) with one of my several recipes containing these fast cooking legumes. Last week we were hungry and our yellow split pea soup was watery. Instead of giving up, I finely chopped up a cup of cabbage and added it to the soup. After two minutes of wilting, we ate hungrily. Woo Hooooo! New taste sensation.
New Split Pea Soup for Two
1/2 c. yellow split peas
1/2 onion, minced
1 T powdered dehydrated mixed veg (Harmony House) or use veggie broth for your liquid
2 T dehydrated spinach (Harmony House)
pinch thyme
dash red pepper flakes
1 c. finely chopped green cabbage
Place everything except cabbage in a small sauce pan with enough water to cover by an inch or two. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat, cover, and simmer for 2-4 hours. Add cabbage, correct seasonings, and eat. We only salt food at the table these days. Using Course Celtic Sea Salt, we get a pop of salt flavor without over-doing the salt. Salt can lead to high blood pressure and stroke, but I must eat some salt. One problem with adrenal failure is low sodium levels. So I must balance the two ends of the sodium spectrum. Lentil and split pea soups are delicious with a sprout and grated veggie salad (tiny bit of finely grated carrot, zucchini, celery, winter squash, and/or beet root), dressed simply with a dash of raw apple cider vinegar and a twist of black pepper. Between the salad and the huge bowl of soup, we each consume about 300 calories. That's pretty good for such a filling, satiating meal.
Dr. Ginger, Medicine Woman...No, I'm neither a doctor nor a medicine woman. I'm simply a student of herbalism and natural healing. This week our little granddog met with an accident, bounding dog meets sharp stick. She punctured her chest all the way to the muscle layer. The hole was about 1/2 an inch wide and very ugly. Surprisingly, there was little blood. We took her to the vet, who gave us several options. When he said we could choose to do nothing and allow self-healing, we opted for that. Although he warned us it would take 3 weeks to close, it is healed up after only five days of treatment with prayer, garlic oil, and comfrey salve. I also give her 1/4 clove of garlic a day mixed with a teaspoon of peanut butter. Trying to keep gauze on was a challenge, so I rigged up some harnesses from an old, white, cotton t-shrit that look like miniature, backward vests.
Garden Gate...the basil, peppers, and eggplant seeds are no longer sprouts but baby plants. I love gardening in containers.
Sound of Music...I love playing the Ukulele but my fingers are a still bit raw. Uke'n Play Ukuele for Kids is perfect. It's filled with easy to play silly songs and a sing/play along cd. It's exactly what I wanted. When I see Quinn and Sammy this summer, I hope to teach them a song or two.
