Christina Perri - A Thousand Years (Official Lyric Video)

Happy Things...

It has been a day to embrace the joyful things to make the day a happier one.

*Dog walks on the wood chip laden trail.

*A child's laughter

*Whipped cream on any dessert

*Sunshine and warmth

*My little nephews

*Flowers blooming

*Candles

*Buying running shoes 

*My latte'
*Sam

*BOOKS

* Long running trails

*Waterfalls

*TEACHING KIDDOS

*A sandy beach

*Peanut butter cups

*Smiles, hugs, and kisses

*Red cabbage and other German foods

*The sun rising

*Football games

*The future
*Possibilities
*Honesty
*Kindness
*Hope
*Family
*Friends
*Love

 Khalil Gibran explains in the The Prophet.

“Then a Woman said, Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.

And he answered.

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with tears.

And how else can it be?The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Is not  the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?

And is the lute that soothers your spirit the very wood that was hallowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall in the truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say , “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”

But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come, and when one sits with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep in your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.

Only when you are empty are you at a standstill and balanced.

When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weight his gold and silver, needs must your joy or sorrow rise and fall.”

The Little Things...

So, it has been a great week and a great month! I received this note at work today from my honey, Sam...

It is the "little things" that you do for one another that make each day just a little brighter.

Lonestar - Baby I'm Amazed By You

~Moving On...The Next Chapter~

It was a wonderful summer~Now it is time to get back to work and to a bit of reality. I really do hope my summer was my new reality, but only time, faith, and distance will tell. This quote definitely describes how I have been feeling lately.

By J. Johnson, picture courtesy of tumblr

Maybe it's not always about trying to fix something broken. Maybe it's about starting over and creating something better.

Yep, I have been described as a "fixer" many times. I unfortunately have many "Debisms" to prove it. My very closest friends know my Debisms and the validity behind their mysteries. Some of my friends~ahem....Small~know the Debisms all too well!~During this time of the year I sometimes just feel fear, I hate it, but sometimes it just catches up with me. I consider myself to be a positive person and so I try to run~really fast~ to outrun those fears and to avoid anything that makes me afraid. Recently, fear has caused me to miss out on some really great parts of life. This summer I have discovered I can't run to avoid dealing with my fears; I don't want to outrun what I have now. The happiness I have now outweighs my fears. I am amazed each day by the wonderful and amazing man I have found. He has a calming nature and really understands/accepts me as a whole~ my stubbornness, literacy nerd quirks, vulnerability, and above all~fears.

By J. Johnson, picture courtesy of alittletoofragile

Yesterday afternoon I had a sudden and unexpected flood of feelings~emotions; most of which included fear of trusting someone with all of my being; heart and soul. Going back to school I have to trust that love will survive distance in the end; with truth and faith prevailing.I had to call/text for reinforcements in order to stay grounded, aka:Small. There is nothing like a friend who has been down to the depths of grief, who can empathize with "that moment" in which your life was forever changed. Remember, we all know, "Misery loves company."

Small encourages me to move on and one of her favorite things to say to me is: "Don't assume, you're assuming." I don't have to say much to her about how I am feeling, she just gets it. It is an unspoken rule that I don't have to explain any of my feelings to her, she knows, understands, and can appreciate them. Most of the time I wish she didn't totally understand~I never wanted her to feel what I felt, but life doesn't always work out as one would hope. Angie listens to my babbling and then gives me her two cents, okay, a lot more. :) She knows I don't want to look behind, I only want to focus on the positive and what I have always wanted and truly deserved out of life.

I have found myself in unfamiliar territory this summer with a relationship that challenges me and all of the chapters in my book of life. I am thankful for Sam; his patience and kindness is worth taking many risks. No, I did not go to church this whole summer, I feel like such a sinner, especially since God has sent so many blessings my way. I feel so lucky and I am going to make a close to end of the year's resolution to listen, love, and pray more...

By J. Johnson, picture courtesy of factsaboutyou

I have three words to describe the place I am in life right now. Nearly six years ago, I would have not thought them all to be possible, but time, courage, and healing creates change.

1) Blessed
2) Stronger
3) Optimistic

I am in a good place now because of my wonderful family, friends, and my amazing job. Working defines who I am and those little peanuts saved me from the depths of despair on many rough days. I think being a "fixer" in the end was a blessing because when I couldn't fix what was happening in my own life I could always go to my work; help my kiddos with their learning problems and physical~emotional "boo-boos." I would arrive home feeling emotionally exhausted, but knowing I had made a huge difference in some one's life during that day.

The job that I love helped me to remain grounded, hopeful, and positive.

I love my life and the possibilities within this new and exciting journey.



~Twelve Thoughts For Today~

By Karen Saunders, picture courtesy of lovelydreamms

I Knead Bread!

I love bread~it is so wonderful! I savored fresh doughnuts, pretzels, and rolls when I toured parts of Germany in 2002. My Grandma Duren made amazing breads, doughnuts, and cinnamon rolls throughout her lifetime. Growing up, I remember her spending most of her time baking goodies in the kitchen. I really enjoy baking and sharing what I make with neighbors, family, and friends.~

Last weekend, I made some very good cinnamon rolls and this week I decided to make some zucchini bread with a fresh zucchini from our garden. I also made some wonderful banana bread~so yummy! I am including the recipes for the breads.

Banana Bread

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/3 cups mashed bananas

1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix together all dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid ingredients in another. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Zucchini Bread

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix together all dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid ingredients in another. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix well. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-60 minutes.

Nummy...enjoy!~

August is Right Around the Corner

Joke of the day:

What did the mother buffalo say to her son as he went off to school?

 Bi-son

When August comes, so does the start of working again at school. (Ok, not until the 29th...)

August always warns me that summer and free time are both quickly coming to a close. I never really stop thinking about work and the next school year over summer break. In my basement I have a large box that has been filled this summer with new reading buddies, puppets, books, erasers, pencils, and other goodies for this year's kiddos. My break has also provided me with extra time to read and find new resources for parents.

I thought of my brother's family and how they are raising my nephew and already encouraging good values and manners at home. My sister is going to be a new mommy in December (yippee!) and so I thought of her also when I found this handout on parenting written by John R. Eggers. Listed below are a few of his ideas:

What is a good parent?

1. Commit yourself to being a good parent. Make it a passion. Realize that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. Most people achieve because they are determined..

2. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Be the Socrates of the 21st Century-ask, probe, remind, conference, tell, listen, write, post, network. Above all, think and learn out loud with your kids. Remember, it's impossible to over communicate.

3. Love your kids. There are three things you need to do to show love for your kids: talk to them, spend time together, and listen to them.

4. Have fun with them-often. Remember, having children was your idea. Enjoy your kids and enjoy special times together.

5. Listen, very simple. Show them they are important to you.

6. Provide discipline. Kids want it and need it. Discipline means security and stability.

7. Rituals and special times are important, create them in your family.

8. Teach for trust: Say what you mean and mean what you say.

9. Laugh a lot. Parents and kids who laugh, last.

I really liked the author's ideas and thought them to be honest, genuine, and not expensive. :)

           Now to other news~ The NFL lock-out is over, whew!~

         Clara and Jebbie~Are you ready for some football?

I have been ready for football since the Superbowl ended! It is always exciting to think of another year when it begins! I am going to be traveling to Champlin to see some Champlin Park Rebel football this fall too! I know one really great coach that I want to support. :)

Now to the bad news of the month: I am not going to finish my crocheting project for the county fair this year. I know, I am a nerd, but I am still going to enter some other knitting items.