Marie's Sunday thoughts . . .

Have you tried out your smile today?
To light your steps along the way?
It's mirrored in each face you meet
On byway, path, and city street.

Have you tried out your smile today?
A smile that's sunny, bright and gay,
That helps to life somebody's grief,
And brings to pain some small relief?

Have you tried out your smile today?
If not, you should without delay.
You'll find your heart is gladdened, too,
When someone else smiles back at you.
~Verna Young

As usual I have lots of things to smile about this week. It was a happy mix of all sorts. I'm not feeling very well this morning though and so I can't really concentrate that well. (My tummy feels a little bit ticky. I hope I'm not coming down with something!)



This week I've been inspired by the many soul enriching talks such as the above one which were given at our church's bi-annual conference in Salt Lake City. Jeffrey R Holland is one of my favourite speakers to listen to. He never fails to touch my soul. If you want to listen to it, please do, but it is a long one, so plan on spending a little time with it. I think you will be inspired if you do though. It's well worth every minute.
















Lura continues to inspire me, as she continues to progress towards being well again. She is amazing to me. I am so very grateful that she and John made it through this horrible accident some two weeks ago now. I am so sorry that she is having to endure all the pain that she is going through, but talking to her as I do most days, I can see the progress and I know she is healing bit by bit. That surely makes me smile and brings a song to my heart. That she can do so with a smile on her face most of the time, and keep her sense of humour through it all is inspiring. I am very grateful for the host of angels that surely must have carried both John and her through this and I am grateful for the many prayers and angels that continue to uphold her, willing her to get better. I am so grateful for her example in my life and the example of so many other strong and faithful and good Christian women that I look to as the standard by which I wish to lead and live my life.





















This week, I've been uplifted and enriched by the many glorious sunny days we have been enjoying over here in the UK. They've been wonderful and so nice to see after the very cold winter we have endured. Oh . . . I know that there are some of you that might look at the temperatures we experienced and say . . . "That is nothing. We often get it far colder here than that in the winter." . . . but here in the UK we do not have the benefit in many cases of well insulated homes with cellars beneath them, or double glazed windows. We don't have forced air heating systems that blast lovely warm air out into our rooms in the winter. It does not have to get very cold over here for us to really feel it in our bones and in our homes, and so this beautiful warm spring that we are having thus far is a really welcome respite for each of us. We know it won't be long before we will be back to the rain, and so we enjoy every minute of the sun that we can!















I was greatly uplifted by the One Step Program which I started on Friday. I was so relieved to find out that it is not a diet, but a program of support and guidance. That it comes with "free" exercise classes for those of us who are attending. That has been a problem for me since I lost my job last year. There's not been a lot of money for anything extra like that and so this is a real bonus. There is a water-aerobics class that I am thinking of signing up for and also there is an hour long exercise class that happens in the hour before the counciling session each Friday. Everyone also seems very nice and helpful. After I came out of the class and I was standing by the road, waiting for Todd to pick me up, I went to look through the folder I had been given and I had a Deja Vu experience. It was so wierd. I think Heavenly Father must have known long before I did that I was going to be going to this program. It was a nice feeling and I know that He wants me there.


















I was able to go into town the other day with Todd and walk the length and breadth of the inner city fairly pain free. That was an extra special blessing. I have not been able to do that for a long time. Yesterday I was able to go with him and Mitzie to the park across the road and with the aid of my cane walk through it. I don't know why I have to suffer so with this arthritis, but I am determined not to let it beat me. There are times when I could just sit down and cry because of it, and I confess . . . sometimes I do. I hate being so young and yet feeling like such a burden to Todd and such a cripple, because there are surely days when I am just that. But then . . . there are days like the day that I could walk through the town relatively pain free. I will never take the ability to walk pain free for granted again. I have come to see it as a special gift and blessing.



















She may eat mud and grass, which annoys me to no end, but she is our little dear and I love her to distraction. Yes, that little Mitzie has brought me so many smiles this week. I love to see her running like the wind through the back garden and through the park. Her joy and enthusiasm are infectious. The little terrier from next door managed to get into our back garden through the hedge yesterday and she so enjoyed his little visit. It really made me smile watching her chase him and being chased by him, playing together as they were. It made me wish that I could get her a playmate, but then . . . I thought about it and realized that things are the best just the way they are!! I do so love her cuddles and her muddy kisses, and her puppyish enthusiasm for life in general!




















I continue to be inspired daily by your love and your comments. I can tell you that I really look forward to each and every one of them. They always make me smile and I can surely feel the love behind them. I've been a bad blogging buddy lately. I have been reading your pages, but I don't seem to have the time I would like to sit and write words like I want to write. I manage to get in a few and then *poof* the time is gone and I have to be doing the other things I need to do . . .



Take this morning for instance. I sat down to write a simple post and now I find it is quarter to 8 and I have to cut this off. My pictures haven't cooperated. I've had to restart the computer several times . . . and now I won't have time to visit any of your pages until I get home from church later this afternoon.

I don't feel really great either, so no recipe today, but I will point you in the direction of The English Kitchen if you so wish where there is a deliciously different potato salad that we enjoyed for our supper last night. I do wish you all a very pleasant and happy Sabbath day. May your day truly be blessed in all ways, both the large and the small.

Poetry Saturday . . . A Boy's Song

Going Down Hill on a Bicycle:
A Boy's Song
~Henry Charles Beeching (1859-1919)

With lifted feet, hands still,
I am poised, and down the hill
Dart, with heedful mind;
The air goes by in a wind.



Swifter and yet more swift,
Til the heart with a mighty lift
Makes the lungs laugh, the throat cry . . .
'O bird, see; see, bird, I fly.



'Is this your joy?
O bird, then I, though a boy,
For a golden moment share
Your feathery life in air!'



Say heart, is there aught like this
In a world that is full of bliss?
'Tis more than skating, bound
Steel-shod to the level ground.



Speed slackens now, I float
Awhile in my airy boat;
Till, when the wheels scarce crawl,
My feet to the treadles fall.



Alas, that the longest hill
Must end in a vale; but still,
Who climbs with toil, wheresoe'er,
Shall find wings waiting there.



I loved this poem. I may not be a boy, but I know how it feels to fly down a hill on my bicycle, feeling as free as a bird, and soaring like the wind . . . and while I read these words . . . I was back there again, in my childhood . . . if only for a moment.

Here's a tasty and quick supper dish that children of all ages just love. I know my kids always really enjoyed these. They are quite adaptable as well, using whatever ground meat you may have on hand, or even ground leftover meat. If you want you can top with some traditional taco toppings just before serving, such as salsa, sour cream, olives, spring onions. It's up to you! (Or pass them at the table!) Delicious.



*Taco Tarts*
Makes 12, serves 6 as a main course
(They also freeze well)
Printable Recipe

Kids love these, both the big and the small! They are very adaptable in that you can use ground beef, chicken or turkey. You can even use ground leftover cooked roast beef, chicken or pork!

1 pound of ground beef (ground chicken or ground turkey can also be used)
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 each of a red and green pepper, trimmed and finely chopped
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 package of taco seasoning mix
1 cup of Mexican mix shredded cheese (Or use strong cheddar or Monterrey Jack)

For the cups:
2 cups of plain flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup milk

Spray a large nonstick frying pan with oil spray and then add the ground beef, onions and peppers. Cook and stir until the beef is no longer pink. Stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the taco seasoning mix and proceed as per the packet instructions. While this is cooking and simmering away make the biscuit cups.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two round bladed knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk all at once and stir with a fork, just unil the dough forms a ball around the fork. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead about 14 times. Pat out 1/4 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 3 to 4 inch biscuit cutter.

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 5. Press the biscuit rounds into one each of a 12 cup muffin tin, covering well up the sides and a bit over the top. Fill with the meat mixture.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes longer so that the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and serve.

Note - You can top with some salsa to serve, or a dollop of sour cream and some chopped spring onion. Use whatever strikes your fancy or nothing at all, depending on your family's tastes.



Over in The English Kitchen today, the World's Best Gingerbread Cake with a Spicy Lemon Sauce!

The tide of spring . . .

A beautiful wave of green has broken on the April countryside . . . sweeping around the woods and hedgerows like the rising tide in a river's estuary . . .



Like a mounting wave of green, it rolls around the whole world it seems . . . as every twig and branch unfurls new leaves, so tender and sweet as they uncurl . . .



Loveliest of all are the cherry trees . . . a shower of blossom . . . like the white sails of a galleon riding upon a restless sea; adrift before the wind, fair and graceful . . . rolling into the harbour on those full green waters . . . on the tide of spring.



Oh, I do so love this time of year . . . it is so filled with beauty and promise . . . and peace.

We went into Chester City yesterday on the bus, and had a lovely afternoon walking around. We paid a few bills and then just wandered at will. The air was filled with laughter and music. There were buskers all over the place and it was so lovely! There were two elderly men, one was playing the piano whilst the other played the trumpet. So fun to watch. A Spanish looking gentleman was playing the guitar beautifully on another corner . . . and then in yet another space was a young man, also with is guitar, but also singing beautifully. It all added an air of festivity to what was really a beautiful day. I realized how very much I had missed Chester all those years we lived down South and how very glad I was to be back! My knee and back held out for most of the day and it was only when we got home that I felt sore and tired. That's a vast improvement!

Here are some lovely cookies that I do so enjoy. Rich and chocolatey, and moreishly scrummy!



*Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies*
Printable Recipe
Makes 2 dozen

Outrageously deliciously chocolately cookies. Need I say more?? Be careful not to overbake these. You want them gooey and chewy.

8 ounces of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
4 TBS butter
2/3 cup of plain flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large free range eggs
3/4 cup soft light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla
12 ounces of semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Lightly butter two baking sheets, or line with baking parchment. Set aside.

Place the chopped chocolate and butter into a microwaveable bowl. Heat in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring in between until almost melted, without overheating then. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in another bowl.

Beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla together with an electric whisk on high speed, until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and then slowly whisk in the melted chocolate. Stir in the flour mixture just to combine. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Drop by heaped tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 to 3 inches in between each. Bake in the heated oven, rotating the baking sheets, halfway through the baking time, for 12 to 15 minutes. They should be shiny and crackly looking, but still soft in the centres. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.



Over in The English Kitchen today, some delicious Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Artichokes.

Much ado about nothing . . . .

I just sat down to write this morning and . . . I got nothing! My head is a blank? I suppose it was due to happen sooner or later eh? I overslept too. I hardly ever sleep past 6. I remember looking at the clock at 4 am and thinking I got about 2 more hours to sleep and then I remember looking at the clock and thinking it said 6, but it actually said 7! Oh well, I must have needed it.

I spent all night in my dreams travelling too. In one dream I as faced with walking up a very steep hill. I knew I couldn't do it, not in the shape I am at the moment, so I spent a long time figuring out another way that I could make it to the top without having to walk up that path. I found another path that got me there but in a roundabout way. I was a bit distressed at having to leave my companions to take it, but I got there in the end. Oh, and this is the funny part. I found another path that would take me across from the path I was able to take to meet up with the path I should have taken and some old fart in a gardening hat shooed me away and refused to open the gate for me, so I had to go back again and try something else. I am sure there is some deep meaning to this, but darned if I know it!



Another dream involved my sister. In it she was visiting me and kept doing things to undermine me. I am not sure why. I remember having to wash the muck off of a hose and she was grinning and then she complained that I had gotten water on the baby. (All of a sudden there was a baby sitting in a baby seat under the hose that hadn't been there before) Anyways, I finished washing the hose off and was in the house and feeling really bad because of the way she had treated me and then she was apologizing to me and I felt better. Darned if I know what that was all about either!

No more popcorn before bed for me! Dreams are funny things aren't they. I often dream about my children, except they are still small. I never ever see myself, but I am always there, of course! Sometimes I see loved ones of mine who have gone on before . . . those are the special dreams. I like those. One time I saw the Saviour and that was a really special one as well. I only ever very rarely dream of Todd, which is a bit strange, I think. He's in my dreams but I never see him or talk to him. Places in my dreams are often an odd combination of every place I have ever lived, but seldom any place in particular, and I always dream in colour. Oh, and another thing, I am never fat in my dreams. How do I know that if I never see myself. I just feel myself and it is never a fat self, if that makes sense.



We are off into town today. We have a few bills to pay and it promises to be a very nice day. Let's hope the weather forcasters got it correct. It was 22* yesterday at the Tower of London. That's celcius folks and that's really warm! It didn't quite quite that hot up here in Chester, thankfully! I don't like it when it gets too hot, especially when combined with high humidity. I know . . . I'm nuts. I prefer somewhere in between hot and cold . . . oh yeh . . . that's warm!

My dental check up went well and I got my teeth cleaned. No cavities. That's a good thing! ☺ ☺ ☺ Me muther would be proud of me. I always hate going to the Dentist. I don't know why. Going to the Dentist today is not all that painful most of the time. Modern techniques are so good you hardly ever even feel the needles if you have to have one. I think it must go back to my childhood when things were quite, quite different! I do hate having my teeth cleaned though . . . it's a lot more invasive than it used to be and I have sensitive gums so it does make me quite uncomfortable when it is going on! I love how nice your teeth feel when it's done though!

Anyways, I won't babble on any longer about nothing. Do remember to keep Lura in your deepest prayers. She surely needs them. Have a great Thursday everyone. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, may the sun shine upon you!

Here's a tasty salad recipe that's a bit different and quite healthy. We love it. Ok . . . so I LOVE it, Todd tolerates it. Salad is not his cup of tea.



(photo from Delicious)

*Green Bean, Olive and Pinenut Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Makes a delicious starter or accompaniement to any meal! Tasty green beans with a tomato/olive dressing and the added crunch of toasted pinenuts!

1/4 cup of pitted black olives
2 sunblush tomatoes in olive oil, drained
1/4 cup of Parmesan Reggiano Cheese, coarsely grated
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp good quality balsamic vinegar
1/2 pound of fine free beans, trimmed and halved
1/4 cup of toasted pinenuts

Measure the olives and tomatos on a board. Finely chop with a sharp knife. Tip them into a boil and whisk in the grated cheese, oil and vinegar. Set aside.

Cook the beans in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well and then run under cold water. Drain well again. Add to the bowl of olive/tomato mixture and gently toss together. Add the toasted pine nuts and toss again. Serve immediately.



Over in The English Kitchen today, Garden Party Fairy Cakes for a Royal Wedding!

Dancing in the rain . . .

Yesterday, cane or not, I had been promising myself that I was going to go for a long walk. Just as I opened the door to go though, I saw drops of rain on the ground and within a few moments the skies opened and it just bucketed down. It wasn't too long before all the pavements were wet and large puddles had started to form. So much for my walk.



I returned inside and stared through my front window at the rain falling, feeling more than a little disappointed. As I watched I noticed a little boy and his mother walking past the house. On the little boy's feet were shiny red wellington boots, and on his face he wore a smile so broad that it was obvious that he was quite enjoying his walk in the rain!



Watching him walk along, happily splashing away, it occurred to me that it had been a very long time since I had regarded walking in the rain as an activity to be enjoyed . . . and so, within a few minutes . . . this time armed with an umbrella and raincoat, I set off too. It is no surprise that I really enjoyed that walk. What a difference a change in attitude can make to circumstances we cannot alter!



Lura continues to improve, slowly and steadily. You can read about her journey here, with much thanks to her friend Sil, who is able to be with her at this time and leaves updates on Lura's Page daily. Lura is not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination and your prayers are still so very much needed and appreciated. I am in awe of Lura's strength and fortitude and so inspired by her example and attitude. But then again . . . I always have been. Please continue to stop by and give her some love and encouragement. She could really use it.

I am off to the Dentist this morning for a check up and hopefully cleaning. I didn't get to my One Stop Program last Friday morning , except to stop in and let them know I was registered, but would have to leave early that day due to a clash with an emergency Dental Appointment. It was decided that I best leave it to start this Friday, so that is how that went. I've been watching Kirstie Allie's Big Life on the telly these past few nights . . . tuning in to how rich and famous people lose the weight. She seems quite motivated, but then again, she has the help of a personal trainer and all that staff around her motiviating her. She's also got a Chubby Buddy, but he was caught by an "in car" camera cheating and buyingand eating burgers at a fast food outlet. It seemed a shame that he has all those resources to help him as well, but he's out there still eating burgers. I should be so lucky. There won't be any personal trainers helping me out!!

Here's my absolute favourite way to do a grilled cheese sandwich. Won't be too many of these in my near future either.



*Rustic Grilled Cheese*
makes one serving, but is easily multiplied
Printable Recipe

This is my favourite way to make a grilled cheese sandwich.

2 slices multi-grain bread

1 tsp Honey Mustard

6 slices of shaved Chicken Breast sandwich meat

2 thin slices of tomato

1 slice of processed cheese

softened butter

Spread the mustard onto one slice of the bread. Top with the chicken, tomato and slice of cheese. Cover with the remaining slice of bread. Spread both outsides of the sandwich with softened butter. Heat a skillet large enough to hold the sandwich over medium heat. Add the sandwich. Cook until browned on one side, before turning over to brown on the other side. Remove from the pan and let sit for a few minutes before slicing in half to serve.




In The English Kitchen today, a delicious Slow Roasted Shoulder of Lamb.