These times are bringing about changes, to be sure. While some of the changes seem to “happen to us”, there are many changes that we can, do and will make for ourselves. Good can come from adverse circumstances. You know, the proverbial “make lemons into lemonade”. That’s exactly what many people are choosing to do. …
Picante Sauce
While we love fresh, homemade salsas there’s nothing like a handy jar of ready-to-use picante sauce. It’s a must have in our refrigerator and pantry. I’m very selective about prepared foods and the ingredients they contain, so there was one particular store brand that was our go-to. That is, until one day when Jesse decided …
April Fools Day Joke
Article by Anna McFie April starts out ahem… shall we say rather foolishly? Fortunately, after everyone exhibits a little (or sometimes a lot🤭) of their inner fool, bouncing back to normal seems to come naturally to the sane. Unfortunately some people never seem to acquire this knack. Shhh…don’t name names!🤫 On this day pranks come …
Progressive Dinners
We had four children, age 6 and under. And the calendar said the birth of our 5th child was just a few weeks away. Tom had been putting in some long hours on a fix-n-flip project. And I felt like our family needed to do something a little “extra” special. Mid-August weather was steamy with humidity. …
Coconut Cream Pie
When you’re repeatedly asked to bring a certain dish to family celebrations and gatherings, you know you have a winner. And that’s exactly the case with this pie. I top this pie with slightly sweetened whipped cream. Rich? Yes. Perhaps we shall call it Coconut Dream Pie because it’s like a sweet dream, topped …
Paper Dolls!
Want to do something fun and creative with your children? Make paper dolls. After the doll is made, the fun has just began! Next come clothes, more clothes and countless hours of fun spent dressing and playing with the dolls.
Disappointment
The year of 2020 is progressing as none of us expected. Who would have ever thought that the word quarantine would become such a common phrase in our everyday vocabulary? We’ve never seen anything like it in our lifetime. But here we are. Flights are cancelled. Cruises are cancelled. Sporting events are cancelled. Schools are …
Making Beds
Making your bed is important. Here’s what Special Operations Commander, Admiral Bill McRaven had to say about soldiers making their beds: “If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another …
Porcupine Meatballs
My grandparents came to stay with my three younger siblings and 11-year-old me while our parents were out of town for a few days on business. Weren’t we surprised when my grandma announced that we were having Porcupine Meatballs for dinner! Wow, with a name like that, what kid wouldn’t be intrigued! Dinner, of course, …
Sibling Rivalry
What is sibling rivalry? It’s jealousy, competition and fighting that occurs between brothers and sisters. But when you think about it, you’ll notice that jealousy, competition and fighting is not unique to siblings. Rivalry occurs among all subgroups of the population: relatives, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, competitors, political candidates, etc. Anywhere there are human beings, you’re …
Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day can be an uncomfortable day if your child attends school or other groups where Valentine’s messages are exchanged. Even as an adult, we’re bombarded with advertising that tells us what we should expect from Valentine’s Day. Ads for restaurants, florists, candy shops, car dealers and jewelers are in abundance. Many people put together …
Preventing Dementia
In November of 2017, my mother was hospitalized for a urinary tract infection and the medications prescribed to combat the infection accelerated her dementia, and she is now living full time in an assisted living facility. Nearly at the same time, Michele’s father was hospitalized for a heart arrhythmia and was prescribed medications that caused …