Simple Bible verse and yet...

He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

Proverbs 18 : 13 

How many of us try to finish off other people's sentances before giving them time to do it for themselves? How many of us are judging or preparing our replies before we have even heard what the issue is about?

Yes, I'm guilty. I know I have often done this, yet it's a verse which I have read time and time again. This is one more bad habit which I have to try and conquer.

Many a true word is spoken in jest!

My daughter sent me this earlier today. We laughed so much I thought I would share it!

Another poem

Time for T.

It's 10 o'clock

So time to stop

For a deliciously cheerful

Cup of T.

Boil the water

Choose the mug

(It has to be Pooh

If the T. is for me!)

Temptation fruits

Or acai berries.

Make T. for two,

Even better for three!

S.J.

Oh, for some rain...

                              

...then I could do the same as this little guy.

Munchy Monday #50: Col de la Iaia Sofia

O.K. folks. I'm sorry to say that this is my 50th and last Munchy Monday post. It's not that I have run out of recipes, it's just that it ties me down too much.

This Munchy is different in another way, too. I am directing you straight over to my eldest daughter's blog for a recipe that my grandson called "Granny Sofia's cabbage".

Why? Because it's purple!

Note: If you can't make head ner tail because it's in Catalan, then drop me an e-mail and I'll help you out :)

Lovely song... Oh, so true

Please, dear bloggy friends, pop over to my daughter's blog and listen to the song she posted some days ago.

http://www.dreamymaygirl.blogspot.com.es/2015/01/we-have-this-moment-today.html

I give up...

This morning, folks, I just couldn't find my glasses anywhere. Without my glasses I can't see much anyway!

Think, Think.

I'd had a shower. No, they were not in the bathroom.

I'd got dressed. No, they weren't on my bedside table, the bed or the dresser.

I'd put a wash on in the downstairs bathroom and no, they weren't on the cistern or on the toilet seat.

I had tidied the kitchen. Couldn't see them there either.

They'd vanished.

Wait a minute... As a last resort (which should have been the first thing to do, I guess) I asked the only other person who was conscious at the time: "Martí, have you seen my glasses anywhere?"

"Well," he answered, slowly, "as a matter of fact, I think someone has stolen them."

Bear in mind, of course, that all this happened over a period of twenty minutes or so. (Grrrrrr. Frustration. Honestly, this house is a madhouse, so typical of me, etc, etc,.)

So, you want to know the rest of the story? They say a picture speaks a thousand words...

They WERE in the kitchen. I must admit they suit him. Funky ball of wool!!!


I've just had one of those unwelcome thoughts that you would prefer to push to the back of your mind and leave it there till it's so dusty you can't think it any longer...

If this house is a madhouse, I'm the second in command!

Have a nice weekend, everybody.

Where God is

Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

                                                                                 Deuteronomy 4:39

Where is God? Unbelievers sometimes ask it contemptuously, while believers ask it when overwhelmed by tragedy, trial and sorrow. Where is God? Let the Bible tell you.

God is above His people:  "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler."

Psalm 91:1-4

Beneath His people: "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them."

Deuteronomy 33:27

Before His people: "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night."

Exodus 13:21

Behind His people: "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left"

 Isaiah 30:21

Around His people: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."

Psalm 34:7

With His people: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Isaiah 41:10

"(...) and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Matthew 28:20

And within His people: "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."

John 14:23

Be assured that whatever your circumstance God is above, beneath, before, behind, around, with, and within you.

-W. Ross Rainey

Through days of toil when heart doth fail,

God will take care of you. -Civilla D. Martin

For a very long time this November 25th's Daily Reading (I have no idea from what year... 2008-2009 or so, I think) has been kept in my Bible as a reminder of the Lord's care for us and His presence in a believer's life. As an added thought, I penned down back then Acts 17:28, the first part of which says, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being." I read this small piece of paper about a week ago again, and was so very encouraged by it that I told myself I should share it.

I hope it may also be of use and encouragement to any reader that happens to be visiting!

 

(First posted on my daughter's blog in November 2013)

Dad's Dictionary...

BALDERDASH

Lovely word, this one. Unfortunately, it's not very clear where or when it originated. Most webs I looked at pointed to it being a late 16th century word used to describe a 'frothy liquid' and then, later 'an unappetizing mixture of drinks'.

My father used to use it to mean 'absolute or complete nonsense', and he was usually frustrated or angry when he used it, too. This, it seems, is the correct, modern usage of the word.

Balderdash is a board game, first published in 1984. Seems like a fun game to play, although you have to have a little imagination. Just up my street...

An article especially written for today's mother

Are you a mother? Are you enjoying motherhood? Maybe you are feeling inadequate, useless, that it's all too much and that you you can't take any more?

Whatever your circumstances are, please take a few moments to read this very encouraging article, written by a homeschooling mother of fifteen, who just so happens to be a very dear bloggy friend of mine from the States.

http://largefamilymothering.com/2014/09/22/five-things-that-steal-motherly-joy-and-how-to-avoid-them/

Quick post

Honestly speaking, from my experience, mothers with teenage boys do most definitely not have any need for a television in the home.

All you have to do is give each boy a list of household chores which they are obliged to fulfil, make yourself a cup of something, put your feet up on the sofa and watch it happen. Ahhh, this is entertainment in its richest form!

Having said all that, my boys do the work extremely well and quickly. It's just funny how they work out the logistics of it all...

Childhood memories...

Bed in Summer

 

 In winter I get up at night 

And dress by yellow candle - light.

In summer, quite the other way,

I have to go to bed by day. 

I have to go to bed and see 

The birds still hopping on the tree,

Or the grown-up people's feet

Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,

 When all the sky is clear and blue, 

And I should like so much to play, 

To have to go to bed by day?

Robert Louis Stephenson

Oh, this brings back memories of when I small and not so small and had to go to bed at 7:30. I used to lay awake listening to the blackbird singing in our garden, the neighbours busy in theirs and my friends playing ball on the green out the back. I have never understood why I had to go so early when I lay and fidgeted until my sister would come up at 10:00 pm. I always thought it was such an enormous waste of hours. Many was the day I had a book hidden under the bed...

Favourite quote

Silk worms

Looking after silk worms here is as normal as looking after tadpoles. This year we are going to be doing both. Last Wednesday I went into town to buy some for my hubby as a present for him, as some weeks ago he explained that this was one of his childhood frustrations - that he was never allowed to have any when a little boy. Frankly, I couldn't resist. This metamorphosis thing never ceases to fascinate me!

These little fellows grow fast so I will be updating often. In the photo they are about 12 mm long.

All we have to do to keep them happy is supply them with fresh mulberry leaves every day or two and clean them out at the same time. They are traditionally kept in a shoe box, which is where we have ours.

Our week

This is a recap of a very busy week. Not so busy so as to prevent some photos being taken, though!

Preparing the earth for spuds

Apple yoghurt cake

Clean and tidy kitchen - a rarity indeed!

Nice clean hob top

Lotsa laundry to fold

1st and 2nd grade English phonetics lessons

My grand-daughter came to see us with her Mum and Dad! And everyone loves Toryn the Teddy!

We are all enjoying the sun, the turtles more than anyone!

We also celebrated S.'s research project's marks. Yeah, they gave him a 10, the highest mark given. This is his favourite meal - Cuban rice, without the fried banana.

Of course these are not the only things I have done this week. I have also tried to reduce the ironing pile by ironing 10 items a day. We had an interview at school, extra lessons to give because it's exam time, I made banana bread and we celebrated our Xoc's 7th birthday with a delicious chocolate cake (see below), I have managed to keep to the cleaning routine and I also went out one day to take photos of almond trees in blossom. (More about this in a separate blog post.)

Ready, steady, blow

AAANNND I've been playing around a bit with my blog design. Haven't finished yet...

Dear Mama,

Your loving daughter.

Breakfast with love!

The other day my husband prepared my breakfast and it was one of the best I have ever had put before me... Aw

It is often the smallest details in life which make the biggest difference : )

New Year's Eve party

We do not celebrate Christmas but we do have a party on New Year's Eve. This year we were 20 people around our table. For the past couple of years we have had a contest.  This year's theme was "pets", so we all had to make one of our own. Here are some of the contenders:

Domino, a pipe cleaner panda

Rock

Tilly (left) and Esmeralda

Lady Fibblesnork

The swans - cut from red and green apples

Eusebio, a real fish with googly eyes.

Well, none of these won the contest and I wasn't able to take photos of the winner or the other contenders, but we certainly laughed a lot!

2014

Happy New Year to all my blog readers. May this year be a blessed year for you all. Keep Christ at the centre of your lives.

If you are not yet a believer, think about these few verses taken from God's word, the Bible:

Romans 3:10 and 23:

There is none righteous, no, not one [ ] for all have sinned.

John 3:16, 17

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

2 Corinthians 5:20

We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Munchy Monday #25: Profiteroles

A week ago today Hubby turned half a century old! We celebrated the occasion, due to circumstances, on the Saturday before.

Here is the menu:

1st course:
Tomato soup with crisps, peanuts, pistachio nuts, roasted broad beans and a green salad in the centre of the table

2nd course:
Roasted pork cheek served with steamed broccoli

Dessert: 
Profiterole birthday tower, made with 50 profiteroles!

Nobody thought of taking a photo of the whole meal, just the dessert.

Here is how to make them:

For the pastry:
50 g butter/margarine
150 ml water
65 g plain (all purpose) flour, sifted
2 medium eggs, beaten

Chocolate sauce:
175 g plain cooking chocolate
150 ml water
1 tsp. instant coffee granules
125 g sugar

Filling:
1 tblsp. icing sugar, sifted
2 - 3 drops vanilla essence
170 ml whipping cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 220º C.
Melt the fat in a large pan, add water and bring to boil. Add flour all at once and beat until the mixture leaves the side of the pan. Cool slightly, and add the eggs, a little at a time, beating vigorously. Put the mixture in a piping bag with 1 cm nozzle, and pipe small mounds on a dampened baking sheet. Gently press down the "crest" of each mound using a dampened knife.
Bake for 10 mins. and lower oven temp. to 190. Bake for a further 20 - 25 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, gently melt together the chocolate, instant coffee and 2 tblsps. of water in a small pan. Add remaining water and sugar and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 mins. and leave to cool.
To prepare the filling, just whisk the cream until stiff, adding icing sugar and vanilla drops. Pipe a small quantity of cream into the centre of each profiterole, pile them on a serving plate and pour chocolate sauce over the top.

This recipe will make 20 profiteroles.