journal #57 12/19/2010

On My Mind...loving God's Children

Celebration....visiting with my family

Praying For...Those that serve the cause of the Mighty God all over the world. The leaders of nations that their hearts will be softened and will desire to do right. Our Quinn Man...a jolly little guy. He is talking up a storm and the funniest little parrot ever. I pray for his protection, safety, joy, and health and the same for all children everywhere. This grandchild of the week program has been so powerful that I'm adding child of the week to my prayers. With six living, grown children, five spouses or significant others, and eight grandchildren, I've got quite a line-up.  Our Sweet Sarah and daughter #4 is a wonderfully dedicated mother and wife. We pray for her health, joy, inspiration, and happiness. Praying for peace in the hearts of all mankind. Praying for our missionary--safety, joy, success, contentment.

Homemaking...still concentrating on our little suite...

Commitment to Health...Deliciousness...loving green smoothies and lots of salads with beans and salsa...made some delicious roasted root veggies yesterday....cut up potatoes, yams, turnips, beets, (any other root you like) onions, and garlic...drizzle with only 1 teaspoon olive oil and mix well....mix in red pepper flakes and dried herbs of any variety...make sure the garlic cloves are not resting on the pan or on top---hide them or they will burn....roast at 450F for 30-45 min until roots are soft and beginning to brown...this is lovely with California Kale and a big green salad...I like to use less potatoes and more of everything else

Appearance...although I get lots of curious looks, I love dressing in my usual style of mid-calf, A-line skirts, blouses, cardigans and/or blazers, knee socks, and black madera birkies....I would love to find some ariat lacers in black or red for colder weather in Seattle and Cedar City


Scripture Meditations...this week my thoughts have been turned to scriptures about serving God's children. There are so many but I suppose I'm thinking mostly on how the Savior tells us to lose ourselves in the service of others to find our true selves.

Towards a Real Education...The Good Life: Helen and Scott Nearing's Sixty Years of Self-Sufficient Living was a wonderful read for me, since I've been dreaming of that sort of lifestyle for a long while. Finally got my anatomy book,  Memmler's The Human Body in Health and Disease, to start the School of Natural Healing class. Also, working on a botany class for the School of Natural Healing with Botany in a Day. Only 4 classes left plus the Master Herbalist seminar in June. Dr. Ginger Medicine Woman coming to a family gathering near you. Actually, it's just the beginning, since I plan to keep going and get a ND.

What's Coming...a warm and sunny Phoenix Christmas

Simple Pleasure...hot baths

Natural World..haven't drawn anything in my Country Diary of a Modern Lady in about a month and miss it dreadfully....It's amazing how calm and happy drawing God's creation makes one...and how attached one can get to the natural world in a short time....

Garden Gate...armchair gardening...getting more and more excited to begin our family retreat project...

Bee News...considering more hives...need to research the feasibility of moving hives to a new location...


From the Apothecary...X-ceptic tincture does the job again...after spending 10 days of the last month in and out of the hospital with my FIL, I was bound to pick up some bug....last night I was shivering uncontrollably with terrible body aches....took a hot bath and wrapped myself in blankets...downed a dropper full of X-ceptic tincture and am feeling quite a bit better this morning....will take a couple more doses, since this seems to be a nasty bug.....but I expect to be totally well by tonight.


Commitment to Loveliness...I stole the following from my friend Caryn for this week's commitment...Forgetting the slights and hurts that so easily beset us. "Forgive and forget!"