Count Your Blessings!

Today is February 28th and we have had snow on the ground for 28+ days. That is uncommon for the Texas Panhandle. Today going to church I noticed the top of our neighbor's globe willow had a greenish tinge to it, so I know spring is coming. I am thankful we have been blessed with moisture and I am thankful we will be blessed with a beautiful spring! I read the following on a blog I follow and it made me thankful for all my blessings this morning; really extra thankful, because I am truly thankful every day. Thank you Jane for posting it.

Count Your Blessings

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your loses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.

Author Unknown



May you be blessed this coming week and may you be thankful for each and every blessing.

Be an Angel Today!

I saw this on a blog I check often by Tara. Thanks Tara.

Many people think angels are no longer here,
Like in the scriptures of old when they'd always appear.
Our angels today don't have halo's or wings,
They just go through their lives doing natural things.
They may take out the trash, and work long, hard hours,
But they listen with care or cheer others with flowers.
They may love to eat chocolate and sit down to relax,
But always help ease the burden on many weak backs.
They may like to play games and have fun with friends,
But are the type of a person on whom many depend.
We are all angels without halo's or wings
And we must realize we're capable of miraculous things.

Author unknown

Hope you are someone's Angel today.

Love the Sunshine!

After school today, I came home and noticed that the sun was melting off some of the snow around the yard. I just had to go out and check to see what was happening under that snow. Spring is truly coming! I see green! I can go outside without my heavy coat! I am so excited that my flower beds are coming alive.

When I decided to start a blog, I decided I needed a better camera. Since I am teaching myself how to use it by reading other photography blogs and trial and error, I decide to take it outside and take a few practice shots. Remember, I am still learning so if you have any suggestions please comment for me. I sneaked in a few of C3 helping me straighten the pantry this weekend. A Bannie needs all the help she can get!







And now for my little helper!





Have a wonderful evening with your family. Blessings!!

Just a Thought!

I usually listen to KLove when at school and in my suburban. Yesterday I was going into town to the dentist and I heard a random comment by a guest on their show. I was daydreaming, as usual, about what was for dinner, did I need to go to the grocery store, did I have time to got by the cell phone store to have them look at my piece of junk, etc. The comment was about spending time blogging and twittering. The person commented they didn't do it very often because who really cared. They were more concerned about the relationships with people in the same room, not across the Internet. At the time I just gave it a casual thought, but this morning it has come back to mind.

I am there for my family and friends; I really think I am. However, I also think of the enjoyment I have gotten from reading blogs. They make me laugh, they make me think, they make me cry.

Last fall I was spending some time looking around the Internet and came across "The Pioneer Woman" blog. My daughter had a blog and I sent her the link to look at some of the great recipes on Ree's page. Besides my daughter's page, this was my first experience with a blog. Since then I have subscriptions to many others and really enjoy visiting them. I may never meet these women, but they inspire me to cook, to create, to read more, to praise God often in a day, and yes, even to blog.

So my final conclusion is that blogging doesn't hamper my relationships with friends and family. When God whispers in my ear that I have my priorities out of alignment with him, I will stop and re-evaluate, but until then I will keep reading about my new friends and their life adventures, pray when I read a need, and for sure LOL at many comments and stories.

Day Fifteen!

Day 15 of the wellness challenge at school. All I can think about is food. At least 5-6 inches of snow have been on the ground now for over three weeks. Food is the only comforting thing I can think of. When it's cold outside hot creamy soups and cornbread and fried potatoes and....and.... sound so good. But I am trying to be a good girl, not, I just want to win the Wii fit! A few Sunday afternoons ago, M1 and M3 walked over for a visit. M3 and I were in the kitchen fixing a late lunch for Da-Da and I. We were just visiting, she's three years old, and she said, "Ohhh, I have had this headache since April." and made this really sad face. I wanted to laugh but I didn't want her to think I wasn't concerned. That is my feeling exactly about this diet thing! Have I been on this thing since April?? Friday I went into town and bought several cute T-shirts. They are a little snug so the diet continues!

Why is it when you are on a diet you come across some of the best recipes? We had a pot-luck lunch to celebrate a birthday at school several weeks ago. This salsa was brought and it is so good!! Thank you Mindy for bringing it and thank you Pam for getting me the recipe. I am planning on making it this coming week-end and limiting myself to 3 or 4 cups, because I am on a diet you know!!

(click to enlarge)

Day of Firsts!

Today has been a day of firsts for me. This morning about 3:40 am, I was awakened by an explosion sound. The patio furniture by my bedroom window rattled and shock a few seconds and then nothing. It sounded far away so I though there might have been an accident on I-40 or a pipeline explosion somewhere. When I got to school, I heard we had experienced an earthquake.

VEGA, TEXAS -- If you live in or near Vega then you may have felt a little rumbling Thursday morning. The US Geological Survey recorded a earthquake 12 miles north north east of Vega. According to the USGS the quake measured 3.8 on the Richter scale. We have a crew headed that way. Stay tuned to Pronews 7 and be sure to check back here at connectamarillo.com for an update.

Wow, I have never been in an earthquake and 3.8 is about all I want to ever experience. An Amarillo TV station sent out a reporter and he interviewed several people in town that felt the earthquake. I might be on TV for all of 2 seconds!

The second thing to happen for the first time is earlier in the year I wrote a grant for our school. We were notified in January that we had not been selected. I was a little down because it takes hours and hours to write one of these TEA grants. Oh well, better luck next year. Today they called and told our Superintendent that we would receive partial funding after all. I am so happy that Vega ISD has been selected in such a competitive process. Small rural schools are often over-shawdowed by the larger districts. Our students are just as smart and just as deserving as any students in the state, so Yea Vega!!!!

Even though it snowed again last night and the roads are terrible, I feel just a little bit better for all the firsts of the day! I hope you have a great day and may you be blessed in every thing you do today. We serve such an AWESOME GOD!!!