Saturday morning thoughts . . .

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."
~Ralph Waldo Emmerson

"Think about your particular assignments in this tiem in your life. It may be to get an education, it may be to rear children in righteousness, it may be to be a grandparent, it may be to care for and relieve the suffering of someone you love, it may be to do a job in the most excellent way possible, it may be to support someone who has a difficult assignment of their own. Our assignments are varied and they change from time to time. Don't take them lightly. Give them your full heart and energy. Do them with enthusiasm. Do whatever you have to do this week with your whole heart and soul. To do less than this will leave you with an empty feeling."
~Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Reading these quotes, I am reminded of all the different hats I have had to wear during my lifetime, and all the hats I may yet be required to wear. Life does go in stages doesn't it? One minute you are young and at school, the next you are a young girl working at her first job. Then you become a wife and have a husband and a home to care for. Next comes children and allthe joy and work that they bring into our lives. As we reach our middle years, our nests begin to empty somewhat and then, before we know it, they fill up again with grandchildren and . . . our parents who used to take care of us. Now they need taking care of and then, the next thing you know, we too, are old and needing care . . . and, through it all, we have to remember to take care of ourselves and any other things tha tlife might throw into our paths such as friends, work, church, etc.



This is the balance of life. This is what life is, and, it's oh so very beautiful. We have to learn to embrace life at each stage we enter and to enjoy each experience for what they are. They will pass all too quickly, and before we know it, we will be looking back on them and thinking and wishing that perhaps we had done the things we had to do a little better, enjoyed the moment we had a little more, gotten more out of our life's experiences than we did.

At this stage in my life, I am only now coming to realize this truth, and yes . . . I do have regrets. I was the best mom that I knew hot to be when my children were growing up. Those were such busy years. With five children and allthe work that was involved with caring for them and for a home and a husband who had a very important career. I'm afraid that there were times that I was just far to busy to sit back and enjoy the moments, and time that I had to spend with them. Oh how I wish I had enjoyed those moments more than I did at the time and appreciated them more for what they were.



Life's too short to waste even a moment. Embrace each one for what it is and squeeze all the joy that you can from each experience, even the bad ones. Learn something that you can take with you into your future, some piece of wisdom to share with another that might help to ease their burdens in some way. Just be the best you that you can be. In doing that, I truly believe that we find joy, and peace, and comfort . . .

Just my thoughts on this early Saturday morning . . .

My Todd is a simple man with simple needs, and he takes great joy in simple pleasures. He also prefers simple food to eat. Meat and potatoes are his favourite meals. Simple and steadfast and filling. This meal hearkens back to my childhood and to his own. My mom often made us simple hamburger patties for our dinners that she would serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables, and so did his. My mom, however, rarely if ever made gravy with hers, and her's were so well cooked you could have played hockey with them. I think that in the olden days they thought that they had to cook their meat very well, or else they'd poison their families. I am glad to say we've come a long way since then . . .



*Hamburgers With Gravy*
serve 4
Printable Recipe

This is thrifty, good old fashioned comfort food. These are delicious served with a big pot of mashed potatoes and a vegetable on the side. This is one of Todd's favourite meals. He's a simple guy with simple tastes.

1 pound ground beef (I use extra lean)
3 slices of bread, broken into small pieces
1 small onion, peeled and coarsley chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 TBS catsup
1 small clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 large egg
a knob of butter
for the gravy:
1 envelope of brown gravy mix
1 cup water




Place the ground beef into a bowl. Add the bread crumbs. Put the onion, salt, pepper, catsup, garlic, parsley and egg into a blender and puree completely. Pour this over the meat and mix all together with your hands until well mixed. Shape into 4 burgers, each one about 1/2 inch thick. Press your fingers into the middle of each making an indentation. (This helps them to keep their shape better).

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and when it is foaming add the beef patties. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through and nicely browned. Set aside and keep warm.

Make up your gravy mix as per the package directions. Place the cooked burgers on heated plates, spooning some of the gravy over each. Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables on the side. Simple and delicious!



If you like a good old fashioned cookie, slip on over to The English Kitchen to find out how I made these delicious Washboard Cookies!



I did a card for a friend at work this week to give to her friend who had just had a baby boy. Take a look at the whole thing on Blossom Time Creations. I just love it!