Tuesday 4 January 2011

The Simple Woman's Day book



FOR TODAY, January 4th, 2011...

Outside My Window...

It's gotten very cold again and of course it's so early in the day now that it's still dark, dark, dark . . . I think I'm the only person crazy enough in this neighbourhood to be up this early! Old habits die hard!

I am thinking...
About how clean and new we are when we are born. Free of all the things of this world that would drag us down . . . like regrets, ambition, fear, worry, embarassment . . . expectations. We are totally unencumbered and so fresh from our Heavenly Father that I am sure we remember having been with Him . . . ceptin we can't tell anyone coz we can't talk yet! Then we learn to have all those things that drag us down, and then we spend the rest of our lives trying to get rid of them! It's like we have this spiritual umbilical cord from God when He first touched us and then . . . it's gone and we have to find our way back again. Makes me sad sometimes that so many of us are floundering with no sense of purpose in our lives, no real meaning . . . no idea of who we really are. I am so grateful that I have all those things and that I am headed in the right direction!

I am thankful for...
I seem to spend so much of my time in pain these days. I am thankful for having lost my job when I did. I don't think I would have been able to carry on working in any capacity like this. There were signs of it over the past few years . . . days when my knees would lock for no reason at all and I've been trying to find out what's wrong with my right hip for about 6 years now. The pain has been worse these past 4 0r 5 months though and now I can barely walk. Just putting one foot in front of the other has become a real effort, but I am grateful that it is an effort I can still make!

From the kitchen...
There's some muffins, but that's about all. Not a lot really! So NOT like me!

I am wearing...
Pink and yellow jim jams and my long blue robe. Warm.

I am creating...
I am working on some new designs and getting ready to sew something special!

I am going...
I have a Doctor's appointment this morning to see if I can't get some physio therapy. There is a brother at our church who has the same problem and he's been getting physio for it and he says there has been a vast improvement. I can't believe that I haven't been offered any. I think you really have to push for these things.

I am reading...



21 Days closer to Christ by emily freeman, with paintings by Simon Dewey
Inside the dust jacket we are invited to "embark on a life-changing, 21-day journey toward a closer personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ." It promises to help us recognize the hand of the Lord in our lives and to make us even more aware of the comfort and support that is available only with His help. I have only just started it. I bought this book because one of my goals for 2011 is to draw closer to the Saviour and I thought it might help me to do so. I'll let you know how I get on!

"Behold I will lead thee by my hand, and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name."
~Abraham 1:18 (A promise to us from the Saviour)

I am hoping...
Mitzie is going in for her spaying on Thursday. I am hoping and praying that all goes well. It will be fun trying to keep that plastic thing on her head for 10 days after, but we shall see how it goes! She might surprise us!

I am hearing...
Early morning sounds . . . the house cracking and snapping as it comes alive. Clocks ticking. Walls creaking . . . the Westminster chimes from our newest clock, Mitzie snuffling here beside me. Joyful sounds. The house is waking up. Some things never change . . .

Around the house...
The decorations are all down and things now look a bit bare. Funny how that goes! It's the same every year!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
Docs first thing this morning, Primary Presidency meeting tomorrow night, Mitzie to the Vets Thursday and then we are having the missionaries over for their tea on Friday night, all told a very good week is shaping up . . .


Here is picture thought I am sharing...



I just love this bedroom, well except for the cowboy boots at the end of the bed. I'd get rid of those, and replace them with some vintage slippers. I love the colours of this room and that wall paper is just so pretty. It has a cosy want to snuggle in and stay here all day feel about it, don't you think? I've been thinking about getting myself a doll house and decorating it. I reckon it's probably about the only way I'm ever going to be able to afford indulging my decorating fantasies!

And just as a closing thought for today . . .

Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds and shine!
~Buddha

A thought to inspire for today. I can do that!


And there you have it . . . my day book for this week. Don't forget to hop on over to the Simple Woman to check out the other day book entries! (Or better yet, do a simple day book entry yourself! It's not that hard and I am betting you would enjoy it!

I thought I’d share my favourite soup with you today. My mother always had a soup pot on the boil it seemed and there was never any real recipe to follow . . . it was just made. I tried very hard to put my recipe down on paper yesterday . . . and this is the end result. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as we do!



*Chicken With Rice Soup*
Serves 4-6
Printable Recipe

Commonly known as Jewish Penicillin this soup is good for whatever ails you. I always keep my carcasses from my roast chickens to make this soup. As I always cut up chickens myself to use in other recipes I usually always have bags of chicken backs and necks in the freezer as well, which are very good when used in this soup also! Its amazing what you can do with a few bones and some vegetables!

1 spent chicken carcass (if there is not a lot of meat left on the carcass you can add a few chicken wings or a leg)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 carrot, unpeeled and cut in half
1 stalk of celery
Handful of celery leaves
1 onion, unpeeled, cut in half, root end removed
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper

To finish:
1 carrot peeled and grated
¼ of a swede peeled and grated
1 handful of long grain rice

Put your chicken carcass in a pot and cover with boiling water. Add the bay leaf, thyme, carrot, celery, celery leaves, onion and salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 ½ hours to 2 hours. Strain broth into a clean pot. Discard vegetables and pick off as much meat as you can from off of the bones. Cut into small chunks. Bring broth to a boil and reduce somewhat. Taste and adjust seasoning. (If it is not very strong you can add a TBS or two of Marigold vegetable stock powder, but it really shouldn‘t be necessary.)

Add the grated vegetables and the rice and simmer for about 15 minutes until cooked. Add the diced chicken meat. Heat through and then ladle into hot bowls. Serve with some nice crusty bread.




Over in The English Kitchen today, some delicious Mustard Chops!
Co


10 comments:

  1. Morning Marie, Ye sit is a cold one down here as well -1 at the moment. Mary and I hope to go inot Bathlater but will wait and see what she says when she comes over..I am so sorry that the knee and hip are so painful. Your Drs. don;t seem to be very helpful. Perhaps the physio would help..worth a try anyway isn;t it. we are lucky that our Drs practice is quite good...omce you get action ! that can take an age soemtimes...
    Hope Mitzie get son ok. on Thurs. I can just see her with the collar on ! I somehow don't think it will be on very long !!!
    LOve and prayers winging there way north
    Love Sybil

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  2. Oh Marie -- I am sorry you are in pain. I will be praying for you that the physio therapy works.

    Big hugs!!!


    That soup looks perfect for a cold winter's day!!

    Love you!

    xoxo
    Jen

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  3. I don't know about your local authority but in our area you can actually self-refer yourself for some things. I - every now and then - self refer me to the occupational therapists who can provide all sorts of equipment that make day to day living easier. I don't know about physio, maybe that's for your doc, but we have an adult care team and a call to them triggers access to all sorts of services. None of us likes to describe ourselves as 'disabled' but there is just no point in struggling when there's no need.

    Anyway, we all love you too much to risk it!

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  4. I was just thinking about how good chicken with rice soup would be. I've not made any in ages and here you have the recipe right here today. It is supposed to be good for what ails you. Take care and keep warm. I do hope you get some relief from the pain soon. Lots of Love and Hugs!

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  5. Hi, Marie! Oh, but I'm sorry you've been having so much pain. I know it's been hard for you for some long time now, but so sorry it's getting worse instead of better. Hoping & praying very much that you will be able to find some relief--and that your doctor will refer you to some physio-treatment. Have you tried acupuncture? Let us know how you get on. Hoping all goes well for Mitzie later this week. It's been appointments & all sorts here too--dentist, hair cuts, etc. In between it all sneaking in creative moments and dreaming... Happy Day, dear friend--LOVE YOU LOTS ((BIG HUGS))

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  6. Dear Marie,
    I stumbled over here
    by mistake and am just
    loving this blog : ).
    I am still down with
    this bug, but every
    day I count my blessings
    that it isn't a chronic
    illness. Now I find that
    YOU are dealing with
    chronic pain and I'm just
    so sad and sorry. Sending
    you heaps of hugs, prayers
    and good thoughts that
    your new year will only be
    better from here! Love
    and Tuesday hugs....
    xx Suzanne

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am sorry that you are in so much pain all of the time. I hope your doctor will have you go to therapy soon.
    We are in a rush trying to pack up and head on home. We left Lynell's yesterday morning and spent the afternoon and night here at Erin's. We will drive half way home today and the rest tomorrow. I wish the the New Year's elves would take down my Christmas tree and decorations today so I won't have to face doing it tomorrow. Oh well, I can wish can't I?

    I'm sending love and best wishes for some pain free time. Hugs, Lura

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  8. Marie my friend, you really need to insist on knee replacement. I pray that the therapy (if you get any) will help but it doesn't work for everyone and especially when the knee is as bad as yours. If you have bone on bone there is really nothing that will relieve it. Hate to be bearer of bad news but I have had 2 knee replacements and love love love it. No pain ever! That's probably what's making your hip hurt and you can do severe damage to your hip sometimes if that's the cause. I'm just keeping it real. I can't believe your doctor would let you live with that pain - I'd be shopping for a new ortho. I feel every bit of your pain - been there done that. I truly wish for you relief. I'm seeing my ortho surgeon this week about shoulder replacement - it's been killing me but at least it's not weight bearing and my ortho (after MRI) said I need a new shoulder. I will do anything to be free of pain and you should too. Try to stay warm. Hugs from far away.

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  9. Marie I'm so sorry about your pain. There's nothing that will sap our strength and our smiles as much as chronic pain. I'm praying the doctors will find a solution for you. blessings, marlene

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  10. I truly loved this blog and want to thank you for making me smile - quite something to give to the world in the way you do despite the pain you are in.

    Thank you for introducing me to the daybook.

    ReplyDelete

Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!