Taking action

As someone who has been in business for myself since 2006 and in the ministry since 1985, one thing that is essential is to be self motivating. You don't have a boss to tell you what to do. You don't have a set salary to fall back on. When you get up in the morning and feel the blues coming on (like I did this morning), you can't pull the blankets over your head and wait for it to pass. Your business, ministry, etc depends on YOU. If you don't do something, who will?

What did I do today when the blues hit me almost as soon as I opened my eyes? I must confess, since I work at home, I have the luxury of being able to lie in bed for a few minutes and read. I usually start out my morning with Scripture and prayer still tucked in my toasty bed. I'll look over my emails and Facebook for anyone I'd need to network with during the day. I'll get up, drink my Reliv shake and slide back under the covers to memorize and meditate.

Today I needed to use the "shock method" as I call it (translated from French méthode de choc").
I got up, poured my tea and turned on a podcast from my iPhone. Today it was Jerry Savelle speaking on faith. But one thing I do when I am down, after having spent time with God, is I take ACTION on what I need to do. During the podcast, I thought of a friend I had talked to about my business. Actually two. Well right then and there I got that email off that I had neglected to do. I jotted on my list who I needed to call later and set an alarm on my phone to remind me. I was feeling a little better already.

Taking action, is my cure against the business blues.

vacation

It takes so little to make me happy at Christmas. Caviar, champagne..no wait.. that's not me...

But seriously, the festivities just roll along. Our family starts the holiday seasons as the good expats that we are with Thanksgiving. The search for the turkey is always unfruitful at that time of year because -um- the French don't celebrate Thanksgiving.

Then we move on to Martin's birthday on Dec 18. He had a guy party this time around with a few good buddies from junior high.

Church Christmas party was a high point this year because if was our first after nine years of church existence.

Christmas gets celebrated 3 times this year. Once with the ALL of us, once with the nuclear part of us and Auguste and once with Lydia's in laws.

New Years is looking *cough* calmer if I could dare day that. We're doing the New Years eve thing only til a little after midnight at a church family's home.

Our celebrations will cease only after the church potluck on Sunday and Gabrielle's birthday party. I've got the nems in the freezer and I'm making her chicken cashew. Will post recipe if good.

Christmas Day Dinner

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Sanford Hospital sugar cookies

Taken from Hospitality With Confidence
Bethany House Publishers

1 cup each
Powdered sugar
Granulated sugar
Margarine
Vegetable oil

Mix together qnd add
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
4 and 1/2 c flour (no more)
1/2 t each salt soda cream of tartar

Blend well. Male into 1" balls. Flatten with glass dipped in sugar. Bake on ungreaqed sheet for 15 min in 350 oven.


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Verna's Kringle Recipe

Taken from Hospitality with Confidence
Bethany House Publishers

1 c flour
1/2 c butter
1 and 1/2 T water
Cut together like pie crust and pat into round pan. This is sticky dough so put plamstic wrap over before patting.

Topping
1 c water
1/2 butter
1 c flour
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
1 t almond extract

Boil together water and butter. Take off fire. Then add flour stirring immediately til blended. Add eggs one at a time, salt, abd almond extract. Pour onto crust. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Frost with powdered sugar icing.

My note: I usually do a white icing with red decor. I make this only during the holidays but it is not necessarily a holiday treat where I am from.


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Fibromyalgia, M.R. and Reliv

I've been helping a lady with fibromyalgia for the last 4 months. It is amazing to see the results she has had with Reliv's basic products. When I met her for the first time she resembled a golden apple that was shriveled up. She shuffled like an elderly woman even though she wasn't yet 50. I was afraid to shake her hand. She seemed so frail, almost like a dry leaf and if I squeezed too hard, I was afraid she'd crumble.

I saw her again 3 weeks ago for the second time and didn't recognize her. She was standing straight, had a smile on her face. Her wrinkles were gone and she had color to her cpmplexion. Even her hair was smooth and healthy! When I realized it was her, I cried and she hugged me tight. She even walked faster than I did going to the subway! I was amazed for days at this "re-creation".

She's now 80% pain free after decades of fibromyalgia. Now I'm helping her help others with Reliv.

Zoe's sms to Lydia

Me and zoe are playing a fun game. She is mrs klinup and i am mrs klintout and we are klining the house with thaé. After every mission we get a cookie and tea and the dog a treat.


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1 Brush Set

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All Natural Make-up : for a flawless airbrushed complexion.
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Ask me!


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The Secret Life of Bees

This is our book club book for the month. We have a small anglophone book club in our area for expats like me. We usually have a yummy dinner at someone's house and discuss our book.

This month was my choice and Paige suggested the Secret Life of Bees. I loved this book. I have always been interested in the South. Maybe because my mom never let me watch Gone With the Wind. This book is worth a read. I tend to be a terrible skimmer when not interested but I read every word.

I could relate to Lily having lost my mom when I was 16. I cried at times, remembering that empty feeling she so vividly recounts in the book.

We'll see the movie too at the next book/movie club. Looking forward to it!!!!

My life is sweet

What a wonderful day. I slept in. That in itself is wonderful. Then I drank my shake then had my quiet time in bed. What a sloth I can be.

We lazed around a huge mall most of the afternoon. I can't remember the last time I did that!

My husband's cooked brunch and now dinner and we'll have all the kids over tonight. Can't get much better.







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My today and yesterday

I was so happy for it to be Wednesday yesterday because it's the one day I can sleep in some. Z doesn't have school but all the others do. I was awakened at 2 am because J-N was sure his alarm had gone off and he was up fixing tea for breakfast. It took him a while for my words of "it's only two-go back to bed" to sink in. At least Isaac was happy to see a full kettle in the morning and all he had to do was flip a switch to heat the water.

Did I mention in my last post that we had tea a-go-go in Luton? I was soooo happy. Tea here tea there tea everywhere and it definitely is better in the British Isles.

My Wednesday turned out to be kind of busy with a trip into Paris for some paperwork.

My Thursday so far has been terrible. Thaé got into a fight with a cat and he looks like the cat won. I broke it up with my bare hands (yeah, I'm SuperWoman) while my stomach was churning. I rang the door bell of where I thought the cat may live and the woman who answered was on the phone. I told her about the fight. She continued to talk on the phone. I asked for a paper towel. She continued to talk on the phone. I showed her my bloody dog. She closed the door, got a paper towel and then she was listening. You know I could have walked away and not given a darn about the cat but I couldn't. I have her number. Now what? Do you think I'll get sued for my animal's instincts?

Reliv conference

I was so impressed by this conference. The integrity of all the participants was awesome. The health stories were moving.
The Kalogris Foundation is a valuable mission to needy people. I was moved to tears for the most part of the week end.

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New member of the family!

Sunday night we adopted a golden/lab named Thaé, 7 years old. He was abandoned almost a year ago because he'd killed a cat in the country hotel that his owner ran. I'm so excited. He's very shy but getting used to our large noisy family and all the trips to the school every day!.

The excitement has sort of worn off. The relatives have returned to the States. The only straggler that is left is our friend Chris and his sister who are on the other side of Paris. (That was my stupid move. I should have found a place closer to ours.)
I threw out the flowers today but while cleaning the house I find stuff for the USA lost and found. The kids have already decided to change rooms. In fact the deed was accomplished on Sunday afternoon. The closet cleaning goes on and we have a ton of garbage bags to putout tomorrow. Hopefully not too early since the gypsies like to poke their fingers in the bags and dump. Nice.

Lydia is jumping for joy!

And the winner is: Timothé Pfister!

This is an awesome recipe I'll make next week!

Creamy Tortellini Soup



1 1.8-ounce envelope white sauce mix (see note)

4 cups water

1 14-ounce can vegetable broth

1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 7- to 8-ounce package dried cheese tortellini (about 2 cups)

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves or torn spinach

Ground black pepper (optional)

Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)



Place dry white sauce mix in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker.

Gradually add the water to the white sauce mix, stirring until

smooth. Stir in broth, mushrooms, onion, garlic, basil, salt,

oregano, and cayenne pepper. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5

to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.



Stir in dried tortellini. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 1

hour more or high-heat setting for 45 minutes more. Stir in

evaporated milk and fresh spinach. If desired, sprinkle individual

servings with black pepper and Parmesan cheese.



Makes 4 servings.



Note: White sauce is a basic cooking sauce made with margarine or

butter, flour, and milk, cream, or stock. White sauces are quickly

made by stirring together the flour and melted margarine or butter,

then adding the liquid. The creamy mixture is cooked and stirred

until it is thickened and bubbly. Sometimes cornstarch is used

instead of flour for thickening.



http://groups.yahoo.com/group/casseroles_and_crockpots/

Looking for some new casseroles? Crockpot recipes?

Elmer's German Potato Salad

2 potatoes, sliced

1/2 cup onions, chopped

1/2 cup celery sliced

1/4 cup green peppers, diced

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup oil

Chopped parsley

Veggie bacon bits or sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine all ingredients except parsley and bacon. Add

salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook for 5-6 hours

on low in crockpot. Garnish with bacon and parsley

a new blog is like a brand new notebook

Remember ow fun it was to go into Walden's Bookstore and but one of those book like notebooks? I loved those bound notebooks that had empty pages. I'd waste so much time thinking and writing...

A new blog is kinda like that. Empty pages... a new cover...

Welcome!