My Own Little Corner

Danny Gokey – Tell Your Heart To Beat Again (Live)

                                                        SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL

Last times post had a huge response, I am so glad that everyone really liked it! I wanted to make sure that I followed it up with something very special. I have taken some time to ponder and think about what would be best, this story and music video is what I decided on. I have watched it many times myself and every time I watch it my soul is filled with an incredible peace that is indescribable! If you watch both the story and the music video that follows I believe it will fill you with this same kind of peace and contentment. I always play it twice. The first time I watch it and the second time I close my eyes and let the words and music fill every fiber of my being! I hope you love it as much as I do!

KEEP SMILING

When my children were growing up I used to tell them a mistake is only a mistake if you don’t learn something from it. All the rest are learning experiences.

I absolutely love the movie Meet The Robinsons. Even though it is a Disney animated film, it’s message is for all ages. The main Character Lewis sees his life as one mistake after another and finally hits rock bottom declaring “I have no future”. Then he meets the Robinsons who teach him that it is through our mistakes that we learn and progress becoming better and better with every learning experience we have. There motto is Just Keep Moving Forward. At the end of the movie he is reborn so to speak with this new-found knowledge. He adopts the motto Keep Moving Forward and learns to push on joyfully through his mistakes until he finds success after much trial and error. I believe this is a wonderful message for all of us. I own the movie and have watched it many times to keep reminding myself of this wonderful principle. I especially love the song Little Wonders by Rob Thomas at the end of the movie. It reminds us that these small hours, these little wonders, these twists and turns of fate remain with us as the joys and happiness of success from lessons learned, clarity gained and obstacles overcome. I hope and pray that we will all hang on to our own little wonders that will help us be the best that we can be and that they will fill us with happiness and joy on your journey!

We arrived home after church the other day and as soon as my 5-year-old granddaughter got out of the car, she ran into the front yard arms open wide reaching up to Heaven, declaring as loud as she could “HELLO WORLD!” ( Isaiah 11:6” and a little child shall lead them”). If only we could all greet life with this kind of joy and enthusiasm!

Keep Smiling

Herman’s Hermits – Bus stop

This is something fun to ponder at valentines! I love doing family history, there are so many fun stories that give us a connection to our ancestors. My great great grandfather Joseph Holbrook and my husband’s great great grandfather Edward Stevenson knew each other.

  My husband and I met at a bus stop. Prior to our meeting some very interesting things fell into place to put us both there at that very moment in time! I have to wonder if our grandfathers were doing a little match making from heaven. Had all of the things leading up to our date with destiny not fallen in place perfectly, we probably never would have met. Whatever it was that brought us both there that day our grandfathers or just serendipity, I am grateful! He is the best thing that ever happened to me and I will forever cherish our time together! I love you Craig!!!
Keep smiling!

For those of you that made a new year’s resolution to eat healthier this is a great snack!
EASY FRENCH ONION DIP

One pint cottage cheese

One envelope Knorr’s French Onion Soup mix

Stir them together and serve with your favorite vegetables.

 

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6 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon dry taco-seasoning mix

1 tablespoon minced onion

4 quarts popped popcorn

Salt to taste

Melt butter over low heat. Stir in taco-seasoning mix and minced onion. Drizzle over popcorn. Add salt to taste and toss it all together.

This popcorn tastes a lot like Pizza Puffs for those of you that are old enough to remember what they are.

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2 – 16 ounce cans refried beans

1 cup bottled taco sauce

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese softened

½ cup sour cream

6 tablespoons mayonnaise

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 large avocados

1 medium onion chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tomatoes seeded and chopped

1 cup olives sliced

1 cup sliced green onion

Tortilla chips

Stir together beans and taco sauce. Spread the bean mixture on the bottom of your serving platter. Next is the cheese, some people like to put ½ the cheese in the middle and the other ½ on top I put all the cheese in the middle over the bean layer. Next in a small bowl mix the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and garlic powder. Beat well until the mixture is smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cheese. In a food processor or blender combine avocado, onion and lemon juice and blend. Spread this mixture evenly over the cream cheese layer. Sprinkle tomato, olives, green onion and the remaining cheese on top if you saved ½ the cheese. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips.

This is a  mild  version you can make it as spicy as you like by using hot taco sauce, or even hot sauce mixed with the taco sauce, more garlic powder or more onion.

Keep Smiling!

This Christmas I have been enjoying the Hallmark Channel. One of their movies is entitled Broadcasting Christmas. It has a story about a family that kept and preserved a fruitcake they had baked for uncle Francis who was declared missing in action and didn’t come home from the war. They interviewed Mrs. Henderson in the movie about the fruitcake. She explains that her “grandmother baked the fruit cake wrapped it in cheesecloth and sprayed it every month with rum to preserve it. Time went on 10 years, 20 years, 40 years and the cake kept. Mother took the fruit cake from grandmother and I took it from mother”. She explains to them that it is a ritual, a reminder that wherever the world takes you there is always a place where your heart remains. Where you are loved, and remembered and treasured. Where someone kept a cake for you.

In my family, it is not a cake but a Christmas cactus that is over 100 years old. My grandma Ida that I have told you about gave it to my mother who then gave it to me and when I am gone I guess I will pass it down to my daughter, although she is dreading that because she doesn’t have much of a green thumb. In fact, she almost killed it a few years back.

 A few years ago, when her and I lived together she got a Christmas cactus as a gift. She put it with mine (the one that was grandma Ida’s and my other one which is a start off grandma Ida’s). She put her cactus in-between mine and right away my two cactuses started looking droopy and sick. Hers was not growing either. I told her mine were not doing well because she put hers between them and separated a mother from her baby. She told me I was crazy that plants don’t have feelings and so I asked her to do an experiment and remove her plant from the middle to see what happened. That night, before we went to bed she moved her plant and the next morning when we woke up my two plants looked wonderful, they were no longer droopy and they had woven there branches together as if they were hugging each other, and within a few months hers had grown so much it needed a new pot. Interesting isn’t it!

Whether it is fruit cake, a Christmas cactus or something else we all need things that help us remember our loved ones and hold them close to our hearts, both those that are living and those that have passed from this world. I believe it is through these strong family bonds that we will all find peace and happiness in this crazy world! My plants are proof that families need to stick together, love, support and cherish one another!!!

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I remember that, as a small child, I noticed something magical happen in the weeks and days leading up to Christmas. People seem so much happier! Even in the stores, you hear people singing along with the music flowing from the store speakers. Not everyone, of course, but most people stop thinking so much about themselves and their situations and start thinking of others. People use the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and anonymously leave gifts for those in need, or on a neighbor’s doorstep. Passing strangers smile and wish each other a Merry Christmas.

Most importantly, for a brief time our thoughts are focused more intently on our Savior Jesus Christ, and that is what I believe brings the Christmas magic to the air. It changes hearts, causing us to set aside our everyday lives and focus on others instead of ourselves. As we live this way, we will be a light and a beacon of hope to those that might be struggling. It feels so good to live like this; I never could understand, even in my childhood days, why it disappeared after December 25th.

Imagine what the world would be like if we all lived this way all year long. I hope that we can all keep the light of Christ shining in our life all year long!

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