Vicks VapoRub Cure?

I’ve been quiet this week because I came back from another visit to MO with the worst case of ‘baby crud’ ever.  From Thursday afternoon even to today, I have been hacking and gagging.  (I’ll spare you the gory details…)  The worst of it is the constant coughing that is making me sore like I’ve been doing crunches all day and breaks up my sleep at night. 

 

 

I’m sure you’ve seen the “Vicks VapoRub on the feet cures coughing in 15 minutes” all over Pinterest.  I took note of it mainly because I LOVE the smell of Vicks.  (As a child I had a little jar of it on my nightstand that I would sniff just because I liked it.)

 

Well, the time has come to put the folk lore to the test… 

 

 

Himself rubbed in the Vicks and I put on some thick socks.

 

 

And I started timing.  (Actually started at 6:15 but took a couple minutes to get myself ‘comfy’ for the wait).  I noticed my feet started to feel very warm. 

 

 

Fifteen minutes later…

 

 

…still coughing.  Feet are feeling tingly too. 

 

 

After waiting another 15 minutes, I get up and go amuse myself on the computer for an hour.  After a total of an hour and a half of waiting, I give up.  It did NOT work for me.  And I really, really wanted it to. 

 

However, once I pulled off the socks and wiped off the excess Vicks, I had fantastically soft and good smelling feet!

Pinterest Inspired: Blue Stuffed Eggs

Last month I saw a Pinterest pin of pastel stuffed eggs.  They were so pretty that I decided to try them for our Easter meal.

 

 

I started out as though I were making normal stuffed eggs.  I did wash off the egg white halves so there was no yolk clinging to them. 

 

 

Then I put some water in a large coffee cup and added blue food coloring until it reached the color I wanted – a nice dark blue because I wasn’t sure how it would take on the egg whites.

 

 

Ten halves fit in the cup.  I let them soak for about 5 minutes as I did other things.  I took them all out at once, then gently dried them with a paper towel wrapped around my finger.

 

 

From there I stuffed them as normal.

 

 

Blue stuffed eggs! 

 

Wouldn’t it be fun to do red, white, and blue ones for the Fourth of July?

 

http://www.modernishhomemaker.com/

Fab 50: Counting Down the Final 100 Days

 

And the count is 91 as of today.

In this last one hundred days, I’m finally ready to get serious about getting back in shape.  I’ve fooled around long enough.  I’ve been loving my cooking, decluttering, and creating a bit too much… and my elliptical and portion control not enough. 

So you can guess what my current endeavor is…I’m building up time on that elliptical, doing crunches and push-ups, and stretches and tai chi.    I’m watching my portion sizes, eliminating certain foods from my diet and bring other foods in.  I’m taking vitamins and supplements.  And I’m drinking 10 glasses of water a day (slosh, slosh!). 

Am I loving it?  No.  Will I love the results?  Yes.

And that’s good enough.

Another issue I’m taking control of is the amount of time I spend on the computer.  Too many games, too much mindless Pinterest, too much surfing.  Now I allow myself about 45 minutes in the morning as I wake up, a quick email check at lunch, and… if I’ve gotten everything done I need to during the day… an hour in the evening.  But if I didn’t get everything done, I only check email.  Wednesday is my “day off” both house work and exercise.  That is when I write most of my blogs, do that playing on Pinterest, and so on. 

It’s amazing how much more time I have and how much I get done.  I’m actually reading again!  And keeping up with my magazines.  And writing letters… real ones that go thru the mail.

Good stuff.  I like what’s happening.

Does Truth Change?

A few weeks ago we attended a special screening of a new Christian documentary movie called “Balance of Justice”, entirely created by Ben Owen.

 

 

http://www.justicedocumentary.com/ 

 

 

Why was it special to us? 

 

Well, do you see that young man standing the second from the right?  He’s the one who made the movie.  (That’s his dad in the red shirt.)  The picture was taken in Sept ’06 on a mission trip I led to Lynch, KY. 

 

 

Himself was along on that trip.  He and Ben became friends.  Himself was quite impressed with Ben.  He already had many plans for his future.

 

 

(Perhaps perfecting his marshmallow roasting technique should have been one of them?) 

 

Now fast forward almost 6.5 years later…

 

That’s Ben speaking after the screening of his movie. 

 

I was very impressed with what I saw.  The movie is informative and thought-provoking.  Quite impressively Ben was invited to screen his movie at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF).  That is a major accomplishment for any film maker!

 

Here’s the promo for “Balance of Justice”:

 

“The film tackles sobering questions in the backdrop of today’s society. Is justice a concept relative to culture, which had one meaning when the Constitution was written, but another today.

 

What defines justice in America today?  The new documentary titled “Balance of Justice: Searching for Truth in a Relative Nation” offers a fresh look at the current state of our nation – from the perspective of justice.

 

Gain insight into current issues through interviews with:
Ben DuPré – Attorney with the Foundation for Moral Law
Col. John Eidsmoe – Author of “Christianity and the Constitution”
David Fowler – President of Family Action Council of Tennessee
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc. – Writer, Speaker & Researcher for the Creation Museum
Dr. John Laida – Pastor

 

Featuring exciting music composed by Darren Dixon, “Balance of Justice” is the first project from Border Watch Films; a recently established independent Christian production company.  The film was produced by Benjamin Owen, with narration by Mike Brooks and the acting talent of Nathan Keeler.

 

“Balance of Justice” seeks to address trends developing in America that threaten to destroy our liberty and distort justice. Concepts like: A “living constitution” approach to rights and laws.  Promotion of an undefined “social justice.”  The use of “hate crime” legislation.  Belief that truth is relative.

 

Having law and order in society depends on an absolute standard.  The question is; whose standard will that be?  This is a critical time for our nation and we need to know about these topics from a Biblical perspective.

 

Is there anything we can do to protect our liberty and ensure justice is done?   Sure, we can vote, but as Christians (and even as patriots) does our duty end at voting?  Not only can we do more, we should do more.  Because more than just freedom hangs in the balance.”

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Balance-Justice-Searching-Relative-Nation/dp/B00ALK1A9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363796009&sr=8-1&keywords=balance+of+justice+dvd 

 

 

 

 

http://www.cornerstoneconfessions.com/

 

An Early Spring Walk to the Lake and a Discontented Moo

I think spring is finally here in Tennessee.  After a few cold days, the temperatures are up in the 70s (!!!!) and the flowers are blooming happily.  Himself and I took a walk down to the lake to see what was going on there.

 

The wild prairie trillium is blooming everywhere.

 

 

  

 

It’s also known as ‘wake robin’. 

 

 

The Spring Beauties were in abundance too. 

 

 

And the purple Dead Nettle were as thick as ever.  I don’t think this one ever goes dormant around here.  It likes places with disturbed soil and you’ll see it thick in farm field in the spring.  It looks like a purple carpet.  It’s call ‘dead’ nettle because it looks similar to a stinging nettle but it doesn’t sting… hence ‘dead’ of stings.  It is actually in the mint family and can be eaten (tho it doesn’t really taste like all that much).  It is full of antioxidants tho… 

 

 

The May Apples are just coming up.

 

The stone I sat on next to the lake was really rough and when I took a closer look, it became apparent why…

 

 

It was full of fossil crinoid stem segments.  I think they are from the Silurian period.  (The ‘what’ from Dr. Bhatia’s geology class stuck pretty well but the ‘when’ has disappeared just like the dinosaurs!)

 

It’s been a busy winter for several of the local critters.

 

 

The beaver have really re-landscaped the shore line.    

 

 

And what about this palooza of black walnut shells?  That tree behind them is about 2’ wide!

 

 

Wow. 

 

Himself wanted to hike a bit.  Since I was feeling a bit under the weather I walked about 100 feet to the left side of the lake; a side we don’t go on because it is pretty brushy.  That little distance is all that is open and easy to walk.

 

The view sure is different from this side! 

 

 

I amused myself by snapping some photos while I waited.

 

 

Not a good cast…

 

While Himself was gone, I could hear one of the cows bellowing up over the hill.   She went on and on, so much so that I became concerned.  When Himself got back he offered to go check to see if she was stuck or something.

 

As he went back up the hill, the bellowing became louder and louder.  At least we knew she wasn’t stuck!

 

It wasn’t long before we saw her.  She actually seemed to be stomping as she came down the hill…bellowing as she came.

 

 

Doesn’t she look cranky?

 

 

She gave me a sour look and let her opinion of the world be known.

 

 

Then stomped on down the trail to the big open pasture on the other side of the lake.

 

Just in case, Himself went on up to have a look around to see if he could figure out the reason for her discontent.  Everyone else was calmly munching away on the new grass, not the least bit concerned about ol’ Fussy.

 

 

After he finished checking, he came on back to where I was waiting.  We then headed back home ourselves… still hearing Fussy carrying on up on the hill!

 

 

 

 

http://www.cornerstoneconfessions.com/

 

Special Day, Special Times

We had a special Easter this year… Himself was home to spend it with the family!  It’s been so long since he’s had Easter with us.  Normally he’s out on the ship over the holiday.   As usual we all gathered at my parent’s home. 

 

 

The babies hit the ground running.  First target… their Easter baskets! 

 

 

Little Hoss unloading his goodies.  (I made their baskets several years ago).

 

 

Little Bird checks out her new flashlight.  It’s pretty cool.  There are no batteries, it charges by pumping a lever.  It looks like a baby duck and the lever is his wing.

 

 While they were playing with their new toys, Himself and I zoomed outside to hide plastic eggs.

 

 

Or should I say “semi” hide eggs?  We did put a few in less obvious places to take a bit more searching.  Next year will be even more hidden.

 

 

Then the hunt was on!

 

 

Little Hoss wanted his ‘Unca’ to help.

 

 

Bird was all over it by herself!

 

 

Found another one!

 

 

Getting serious.

 

 

Looking for the golden egg?

 

 

Even Grandpa and Grandma got in on the action.

 

 

While “the women” got dinner finished out, Big J and Himself took the kids out to fly one of their new kites.

 

 

Up and away!

 

 

Chasing kite tails!

And where was Hoss during the kite flying?

 

Being an elk with his stick antlers!

 

 

RAAAARRRR!!!!

 

 

Or just enjoying a good run around the yard.

 

 

Then it was time to sit down to dinner and give thanks for the true reason of the day… what Jesus did for us.  And Little Bird said the prayer. 

 

God is Great,

God is Good.

Let us thank Him

For our food.

 

AMEN!