Category: Meme

Thank you Beckie for this really neat meme. And Chrixean tagged me the day after with it :grin:.This reminded me to really stop and ‘smell the roses’. We always try to reach for the stars, but forget that we are already blessed with what God has given us – simple pleasures. So, here are my 10 simple pleasures:

• Being able to read God’s word
• Spending time with my Sweetheart to explore the world around us
• Walking barefoot (best enjoyed on a sandy beach)
• Having a roof over my head
• Having enough to eat
• Smelling fresh brewed coffee (and drinking it :razz:)
• Reading a good book
• Having fresh fruit and veggies
• Great blog ‘conversations’ via the comment section
• Being healthy

I could keep going, because there are so many simple pleasures in life…

Okay, so who am I tagging with the meme? Hm, not sure, because some of readers have done this meme…lets try these fine ladies: M, Carolyn, Faith, Carmen, Amanda :???:. Are you ladies up for it? Just let me know if you have done it already.

BTW – this is the first time I did not write a Carnival post. Believe me I tried, but it was just too emontinal – I had to delete the draft. Please visit Allison today to read great posts about the Beauty of Rain, written by great Christian bloggers.

Loni from Journaling Through the Valley tagged me with a Kitchen Meme and I thought – hey, why not! Some more stuff about me you really didn’t want to know – right :grin:! But here I go anyway…

1. How many meals does most of your family eat at home each week? How many are in your family? We eat 14 meals at home (don’t go out much anymore – but that is a different story – lol). 3 people in our family.
2. How many cookbooks do you own? 8, one subscription (Rachael Ray of course) and several print-outs from foodnetwork.com
3. How often do you refer to a cookbook each week? It depends if I want to try something new; maybe once or twice a week.
4. Do you collect recipes from other sources? As I mentioned above – on-line.
5. How do you store those recipes? Do I really have to tell; I just throw them in my kitchen drawer.
6. When you cook, do you follow the recipe pretty closely, or do you use recipes primarily to give you ideas? The first time I usually cook exactly by the recipe, after that no guarantee; I might take out some things we didn’t care for, but that is very rare. After I have done the recipe several times, I cook the meal without the recipe.
7. Is there a particular ethnic style or flavor that predominates in your cooking? Believe it or not – Italian…and you thought it was German – haha.
8. What’s your favorite kitchen task related to meal planning and preparation? The arranging of the plate when I finished the cooking process. I like to make it look pretty.
9. What’s your least favorite part? I don’t like cleaning the pans.
10. Do you plan menus before you shop? I usually don’t even plan my meals until the day, than just stop at the store to pick-up what I need for dinner.
11. What are your three favorite kitchen tools or appliances? Dishwasher, Food Processor, Pots & Pans.
12. If you could buy one new thing for your kitchen, money was no object, and space not an issue, what would you most like to have? I use to have a great stove/convection oven in Germany. I really would like one again.
13. Since money and space probably are objects, what are you most likely to buy next? Actually we would need to tear out the entire kitchen (it is falling apart)! I would buy all new appliances, including a new fridge, dishwasher and stove/oven.
14. Do you have a separate freezer for storage? Not anymore – had one in Germany though.
15. Grocery shop alone or with others? With my Sweetheart.
16. How many meatless main dish meals do you fix in a week? 0. My guys won’t eat meals without meat. We just talked about it last night. I grew up eating 2-4 meals without meat.
17. If you have a decorating theme in your kitchen, what is it? Favorite kitchen colors? We don’t have a theme, but I would like to. Just haven’t had the funds to decorate the kitchen how I would like to. The colors for the future kitchen – light orange.
18. What’s the first thing you ever learned to cook, and how old were you? Oh dear, I really don’t remember. Maybe our family recipe potato salad? Not sure how old I was.
19. How did you learn to cook? My mom taught me.
20. Tag two other people to play. I am not tagging this time, because I know that some of my blogging buddies have done this one already, and I really don’t like rejection (one of my weak spots – lol). If you do play along though, please leave me a comment, so I can check out your answers.

Blogger memes I mean. Carol at She Lives has tagged me this morning. If you have never visited her site, it is time my friend! She is an awesome lady from Texas (Dallas area to be exact). Well, this tag is similar to the one I had done on My Ligther Side, but hey, this way I can use some of the same answers – hehe.
So here it goes – remembering:

10 Years ago:

• We moved into our first house – ever
• I hoped for a second child
• I worked too many hours and neglected my family
• Was spiritual waste
• Complained living in AZ

5 Years ago:

• By God’s leading and His grace I started leading women’s Bible Study
• Sang in the praise team
• Changed jobs (started working for a church office – PTL no more corporate back-stabbing)
• Our Son started High School
• Learned to accept the fact that I live in AZ

1 Year ago:

• Blogging world was unknown too me (yeah Carol – I had no clue about it either – lol)
• Listened to the Lord to take care of my marriage
• Stepped back from a lot of “public” service in ministry (still do ministry – just not so public any more)
• Our son started his 3rd semester in college (accelerated program)
• Discovered the beauty of living in AZ (God knew what He was doing when He planted us here – lol)

Yesterday:

• Worked 8 hours in church office (Monday-Friday thing)
• Stopped on my way home to pick-up dinner (a daily thing – like my things fresh)
• Read all my favorite blogs
• Did a silly quiz about what kind of pie I am, because I could not draw a little piggy – lol
• Friday night date with my Sweetheart (weekly thing)

5 Songs I know all the words to (I have many, because singing in a praise team, but these are my favorites):

• Amazing Grace
• Merciful Rain
• Here I am to Worship
• God of Wonders
• You are My all in All

5 Things I’d do with a million dollars:

• Go on a mission trip to the Far East (like Japan or China)
• Pay off the mortgage
• Pay off our son’s student loan
• Buy a house in San Carlos
• Put the rest in the bank to receive interest

5 Places I’d ran away to:

• Into the arms of my Savior
• Into the arms of my Sweetheart
• San Carlos, Mexico
• My Mom in Germany
• My closest friend, Carlene

5 Things I’d never wear:

• Thongs – ewww (I am with you Carol – I like my VS cotton bikinis :))
• A see-through blouse (would have to wear a shirt under it)
• Cloths that are too tight
• Green shoes (it’s just not a good color on me)
• Fake nails (sorry Carol – borrowed again)

5 Favorite toys:

• Game Boy Advance
• PC
• Digital Camera
• Books
• Day trips with my Sweetheart (I know it is really not a toy – but relax time for me)

5 Favorite books or TV shows:

• The Bible
• The Face of God (Bill Myers – Carol you would enjoy this book)
• Black, Red, White (Trilogy by Ted Dekker)
• For Women Only
• Amazing Race (only TV show I watch)

5 Greatest Joys:

• Jesus Christus (no not misspelled – it’s the German word)
• My Sweetheart
• Our Son
• My Mom (my dad died 14 years ago), my sister and her family
• My friendships – in person & my virtual ones

5 People I tag (okay – this time I will try, because I have been really generous over the last memes and have not tagged. PM you are safe, because you have done so many lately and this one is similar to the one you tagged me with :)):

• Jane (not sure if she will answer though, because she just does one per year – lol)
• Heather (not sure if she does them – never seen one on her blog)
• Blest (hope she does)
• Lisa (would like to know you even better)
• Cindy (a blogger I just discovered and who is currently the hostess to my blog)

So this concludes my meme for this week…Now I have to contemplate on contentment and get my house in order. Have a blessed day ~ Eph2810