WHAT IS FOLLOWING?

All of you know how totally unsavy I am with most of bloggers features. Leigh Ann has spent much of her time helping me from time to time to figure something out that I want to do. Thanks yet again, Leigh Ann!!!

When the new Following features came out Diana posted about it and I jumped right on board. "I" was even able to do it without any outside help. A real boost for my ego!!!!

I am plugging this feature because it has so simplified my blog reading and blog life. I think it's the neatest thing since sliced bread :o)

Here is the official link: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=104226/

I would encourage all of you who want to make reading blogs and being able to comment on the spot so much easier. It is saving me so much time. You just list the blogs you want to read "Followers". You can even follow anonymously if you desire. Each time that person on your followers list posts, it automatically pops up on your home page. Now how much easier could it be than that?

Just my 2 cents worth!!

FRUGAL TIPS - Organization

I am a very organized person. One who believes "everything has it's place and everything should be in it's place". I find life so much easier that way and you save so much time not having to "find" or "hunt" for something.

When I buy multiple items on sale I put them in the bottom of the closet in our computer room. I keep just 3 or 4 cans of various vegetables in the kitchen cabinet and refill from the "stash" as needed. This helps rotate the items by first in, first out process.

I keep a shelf and a plastic basket full of spices, plus my new 20 spice rack. Some of the spices on my new rack were duplicates of what I already had. That is where the basket comes in. I have a list taped to the front of the basket. The additional different spices I keep in one of the kitchen shelves. When I need a particular spice...I first look at the list on my duplicate basket, if not there I look on the spice rack, the last place to look is the list, taped to the cupboard door of the cabinet shelf. I will eventually use up the duplicate spices in the basket and use the basket for another purpose.

When a bill comes in the mail I immediately write out the check to pay for it. I seal the envelope and put an address label in the left corner but I don't stamp it. I write the date for the bill to be mailed (not the due date but the mail date) where the stamp goes. I keep all these "pending" envelopes on the top of the desk in my computer room in date order; earliest on top. I check this stack and if the date comes up to mail an item I remove it from the stack, place the stamp on it and put it in the mail box. This way I never forget to pay a bill on time or mail in a payment but I have use of the money in my checking account for a longer amount of time and the amount is already removed and my balance shows it paid.

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A frugal tip and recycled item:

I use baking soda as a primary cleaner around my house. It is amazing how many things you can clean with baking soda.

I store it in a empty Parmesan cheese bottle and have one it both the kitchen and bathroom.

One side opens to get a larger quantity out.

The other side can be used as a shaker for a lesser amount.

Please leave me a comment. I'd love to hear some of your organizational, frugal or recyclable tips. I have learned so much from this blogging community.

IT ALL FELL DOWN

Back in April I posted about Mickey & our son-in-love, Dave, chopping down 2 large trees in our back yard that had been destroyed from the December, 2007 ice storm that we had. You can go here to read about that adventure!!

When spring came this year we had a Tulip Tree that the leaves looked like they were dying. We took several of them to the nursery and were told he thought they would be okay and just in shock from the ice storm. Well, the tree was not okay and was actually dead and began to lose all it's leaves. It was a huge tree that was one we had brought back as a a seedling from Alabama when we returned in 2002. They are pretty rare here and we loved it. It grew to about 30'-35' and had huge leaves.

Saturday was a really windy day here. Mickey & I were sitting in the living room and we heard this loud "Popping" sound and said "What was that?" When we looked out this is what we saw.

(pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them)
The tulip tree snapped completely off at the base. Right where Mickey would have cut it down!!!

Another shot showing more of the height of the tree as it was laid down.
Here is the stump. You can see how cleanly it snapped. Looks like it had been cut with a saw!!!

Now, how great is our God?!!!!! This was a tree that needed to come down and it was going to be some time and a huge job for Mickey to try and get done. So, it was done for us. Praise God.

Not only did it come down in the first place but it fell the perfect direction where not one bit of damage was done!!! Had it fallen the other direction it would have taken down part of the privacy fencing and might have caused damage to our neighbors property. We of course also have our 5th Wheel and David's Mustang parked in our back yard which "could" have been damaged, plus a storage building and the arbour.

Mickey thinks the tree was struck by lighting.....so we lost 2 huge trees from ice and 1 from lighting!! Glad we had other trees in our back yard.

This picture is hard to see but what also came down was my clothes line!!!! that had been tied between this maple tree and the tulip tree.

See the clothes line tied around the trunk?
SO, not only the tree came down but so did my clothes line :o( We will have to figure some way to get it back up when Mickey is able to tackle the job.

We are just praising God for a job well done!!!!!!!

UBER Award

I recently received this lovely award from Bobbi, Great Adventures II. Thank you so very much, Bobbi.

About the award: Uber (synonym to Super) Amazing Blog Award is a blog award given to sites who: ~ inspire you ~ make you smile and laugh ~ give amazing information ~ are a great read ~ have an amazing design ~ and any other reasons you can think of that makes them uber amazing!

The rules of this award are: * Put the logo on your blog or post, * Nominate at least 5 blogs (can be more) that for you are Uber Amazing! * Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog, * Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.


I'm going to do mine a little different in making my choices. I'm doing it by category.


INSPIRES - Meredith at A Mother Singing with her inspiring posts of her adopted daughter, Jane and her grown children. Her mother love is evident in each and every post.

MAKES ME SMILE & LAUGH - Linds of Rocking Chair Reflections. Linds writes with such a sense of humor even when faced with very difficult situations. Many times when reading Linds blog I am literally laughing out loud. I think it is a wonderful gift to be able to laugh at ourselves and see the absolute humor in so very much of life.

GIVES AMAZING INFORMATION - I picked two for this award because each blog is from such a different perspective of information.

Barbara of Ramblings from an English Garden . Barbara blesses us with many lovely tours of interesting places around England where she lives. I get to share in these places, through her camera and narrative, that I will never see with my eyes in real life.

Shirley of Alabama Times. Shirley & her husband and 2 children recently moved from Pennsylvania to Alabama and are building their own home from the ground up!! She is sharing with us each step of the process. It blesses not only me, but my husband, Mickey, to get to follow along on the very intriguing process that her husband has designed and how they work together in this great undertaking.....even the children.

A GREAT READ - Maxine of Nanna's Reflections. I especially appreciated the Godly approach that Maxine took when posting her thoughts and concerns about the Presidential election we just had. She caused me to think even deeper than I already was.

AN AMAZING DESIGN - Susie of A Pink Carnation in Bloom. Since I am so much more a "word" oriented person I have picked Susie for her header design because it so fits the wonderful story of how that name came to be and about Susie. If you aren't familiar with it......go to her blog and click on her side bar and read it. It will bless you. Susie is one young woman I have followed almost from the beginning and I love her "heart" for her Lord and her family.

ANY OTHER REASON YOU CAN THINK OF - ALL OF YOU who I read and comment on a consistent basis. Realize, I think you are all UNER or I wouldn't be coming around!!!

I'm also going to name two more bloggers who don't blog any more and who I miss terribly!!!

Both of these gals blessed me with their wonderful Spiritual insight. They were truly Proverbs 27:17 to me – “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

Karen of Karen's Ramblings, who lives in New Zealand with her husband and young son & daughter & Carin of Folded Wings, who lives in England. It is my prayer that God will bring these two voices back into Blogland because they always lifted our Savior high and I miss them so. In case either of you happen by to read.....WE NEED YOU!!!!

NORMAL

Normal....... adj. - conforming with an accepted standard or norm; natural; usual ....what a wonderful word!!!!!! I am so happy that our life and home are getting back to normal.

We were able to attend our wonderful Church services Sunday morning. We had been the previous two Wednesday nights but hadn't tackled the longer Sunday morning services before. It was so wonderful to be there.....Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching."

Our Church had a 3 meeting revival Sunday a.m., p.m. & Monday p.m. It was totally awesome!!! I wish it could have gone on and lasted more than the 3 services. The Evangelist really spoke to all of our hearts....at least I know he did to ours.

We don't get a lot of the beautiful fall colors in Oklahoma that so many of the N.E. areas of the country do but this beautiful maple tree is one we planted in our backyard and it blesses us each fall with its beauty.

Some more of normal this week: I made another batch of my home made laundry soap. I kept track of the number of washes I got from the first batch and it was 40.

I am back on my weight loss project!!!! Yeah.....Thanksgiving and Christmas...oh well I'll do the best I can.

I baked 3 loaves of wonderful Whole Wheat Bread. Not only good for us but YUMMY.

I mixed a batch of prepared ahead Oatmeal Pancake Mix. I got the recipe from Lynn. It is made with white & whole wheat flour plus the oatmeal. Not only very healthy but very good and made without any preservatives....win-win.

Mickey & I made a batch of Fondant for his bees. Yes, he feeds his bees a candy mixture for the winter!!!! This was our first effort and it didn't turn out 100% but it is usable.

We have walked at Wal-M*art the past 2 days because it has turned colder here. Fall has finally made its very late appearance. We walked 25 minutes Monday and 28 yesterday. We will make it to our 30 minute goal today. He gains a little in strength each and every day and even though his appetite isn't great it is getting better.

So.....normal is very good and we are glad to be getting back to it!!!!

MY WEIGHT LOSS WEEKLY UPDATE

I began this weight loss journey on August 4th

Thanks to Sarah I now have a ticker where the lady bug moved.

My little lady bug (which has turned into a butterfly??) moved 2 lbs the wrong direction!!!

Holding myself accountable and posting every week on Monday...

good, bad or indifferent.

Monday 8/11/08 - Weight Loss 4 lbs - Exercise 6 days walking 15-20 minutes

Monday 8/18/08 - Weight Loss 0 lbs. - Exercise 5 days walking 15- 20 minutes

Monday 8/25/08-Weight Loss 2 lbs-Exercise 4 days walking 15-30 minutes

Monday 9/1/08-Weight Loss 1 lbs-Exercise 3 days walking +added weight exercises

Monday 9/8/08-Weight Loss 1 lb-Exercise 6 days walking most 30 minutes

Monday 9/15/08-Weight Gain 1 lb-Exercise 2 days walking 30 & 39 minutes.

Monday 9/22/08-Weight Loss 2 lbs - Some walking.

Monday 9/29/08-Weight Loss 0 lbs - No walking.

Monday 10/20/08-Weight Loss 2 lbs - Much driving!!

Monday 11/10-weight Gain 2 lbs-Much stress!!

Weight Loss after 12 weeks - 9 lbs and 11 to go!!

Waist measurement down 1 inch.

We do not plan to walk on Sunday, the Sabbath and a day of rest.

The walking is so much easier since Mickey has joined me. He certainly does not have any weight to lose but the exercise is good for him, too.

This process is SLOW, but as long as I can lose 1# a week, or at least not gain anything I consider it successful. After all 1# a week is 52# in a year!!!!

Well, I am reporting about 3 very challenging weeks here. As you know, we have been through one of the most stressful times of our lives and I AM A STRESS EATER! Anyway, I am determined to get back with the program beginning today. Back to actually planning our meals and I am going to begin by making some whole wheat bread today.

I am not VERY happy about the backward movement but it is what it is.

I said Good, Bad or Indifferent

This one counts as BAD - But it is not going to way-lay me from pressing on.

Have a blessed week!!!

I measure my waist the 1st of each month, and since I won't be by a computer on October 1st or on schedule November 1st but I measured today. My waist it the same.....a total of 1 inch in the waist. I am very happy about that!!!

BFF GOLD CARD

Finally, I am getting around to a blog award....Blogging Friends Forever. I received this from my English friend, Barbara, back a little while ago. With my husbands surgery and the election taking priority on my blog I'm just now getting around to doing this.

The idea behind this award is that you send it to three bloggers who have regularly commented on your blog and also to one new blogging friend.

The 3 people that I have chosen to pass this award on to are bloggers that came and commented on my blog right at the beginning almost 22 months ago and have continued to comment ever since.

I have many regular blog friends now but these 3 have been here from the very beginning. Leigh Ann, Ginger and Jen. These 3 have truly passed from blog friends to "friends" and people I would stay in contact with even if I quit blogging. They are also 3 people I want to get to meet in real life so badly!! We ALMOST made it Jen :o)

For a fairly new blogging friend and regular commenter I award it to Brenda. I am so happy I not only got to meet Brenda on blog but in real life!!!

I very much appreciate all who visit and comment. You really add joy to my day.

I especially appreciate all the wonderful woman who pray daily with me on Hearts In "1" Accord . What an honor and blessing it is to know we are praying with others from all over. If any of you would like to join this 24/7 prayer group just click on the button on my side bar.