If you are suffering from sweltering summer temps…here are a few pics from the end of winter–just a few short months ago. These are my daughters photos. It was a long, LONG, hard winter. I think some heat is maybe ok for a while longer!
Every year she starts out with a new pair of silk long underwear….best thing to survive winter with. Well that and coffee!
Gotta love Dennis Swanberg! This is hilarious!
In the cave…snickering!
Blessings,
Brenda
The Intentional Mom’s ezine topic this week was : So…How’s your ‘Mom Groove’? Did you read it? If not you need to be on the mailing list, which you can do right HERE.
My oldest daughter makes us breakfast every Sunday morning, and we always look forward to what she serves! This last Sunday she made the most DELICIOUS Quiches, and in honor of how I love the movie “The Emperor’s New Groove”, she calls these: Kronk’s Spinach Puffs Seriously, they melt in your mouth!
I’m not only going to share the recipe with you, but am also posting the clip from the movie that feature’s Kronk & his Spinach Puffs!!
1. Heat oven to 350*. Spray 16 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Separate each can of crescent dough into 8 triangles. Press 1 triangle on bottom & up the side of each muffin cup.
3. In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed til smooth. Add eggs, beating well after adding each. Stir in onion, spinach, salt & pepper until well mixed. Fold in cheese. Fill each cup to the top with the egg mixture. Don’t overfill!
4. Bake 15-20 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean and edges of rolls are golden brown. Serve Warm.
(High altitude–bake 18-23 min)
Here is the clip from the movie. The actual dinner scene starts at the 3:00 minute marker.
Ok.
I’m a bit confused. Men & women giving their lives for this county somehow means I should save money on buying CDs & bedding? For days its been ads for “Big Memorial Day Savings” on everything from furniture, to cars to fried chicken. This is a day of heartfelt thanks for those who sacrificed their lives for the freedoms I enjoy. So the connection between that and 20% off memorial day savings on TVs is…….
Seriously!! If anyone has a right to save money on this occasion, I should think it should be Veterans & their families.Am I the only one who thinks its a shame to use this day to gain sales?
This is a day that we have a wonderful opportunity to show our children what Patriotism is all about and why its important to us. Its an opportunity to tell them stories about family members who served their country as far back as you can remember. Tell them everything you can remember about these men & women. This is your chance to tell them what a REAL hero looks like!
Ok. Stepping off my soapbox….
Off to tell my children about all the heroes in their family’s heritage!
Have a great week,
Proudly flying the American flag in front of our cave every day!
I remember his show…it was absolutely priceless!! I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did.
Brrr…one of those days that I cannot get warmed 
up to save myself! Don’t you hate that? Started when I was outside and it was drizzly and windy–&, of course, cold.
But, as I was hurrying to the car I noticed a robin in the yard! She was gathering nesting materials, and had far far too much to get done to be concerned about me standing not far from her. I was racing around getting my day under control, and so was she! But she seemed much more focused than me, and far less frazzled.
We as women have that same nesting instinct. Its associated a lot with the latter stages of pregnancy, but its at other times too. Kind of hard to explain, but like the little robin, we feel driven to get things ‘in order’. Sometimes there is a reason, sometimes its just Mother Nature. I always enjoy that feeling—not being list driven, but rather heart driven to have things around us in place so that we have a settled, more content feeling.
Ive been feeling the nesting urge recently. Maybe its coming out of the long winter (see post below!), maybe its the faint hint of spring in the air…but there is a definite urge to get things under control physically, but also spiritually & emotionally. A time of getting ready for some great thing to come!
Better get back at it…the cave is FAR from being ready!
To nesting!
Brenda
As we went through yet another cold snap, and more snow, it seems that winter will never ever leave.
My oldest daughter, who is taking her pre-nursing classes at the college, was studying in her room, I brought her in a snack & some hot cocoa. We were discussing the winter that wont go away….& she offered proof….she showed me the state of her silk longjohns!! They were brand new when she started wearing them in October!!! So had to take photos of that!
Then a few days later I was needing to take my car into the shop, and she was following to pick me up. There was a foot of snow on my car
& she was helping me clear it off….& I saw her poor scraper…..also was new last fall…with its missing tooth. Also had to be included in the post!
Spring,,,where art thou?
Come quickly–
Spring Fever is running rampant in the Cave!!
You have all experienced this to some level while shopping. You go in and choose what you ‘think’ is a functional cart. One that you can actually maneuver through the store and not lose your mind.
I went in and chose what looked like a newer cart..didn’t have debris left over from the previous shopper, and it actually detached from the other carts with ease. That was the only easy part of the whole experience. The wheels on shopping carts must come from the pit of hell. They start out fine. But once you are far enough away from the cart rack for it to be a hassle to go back, it shows its true intent: to make your shopping experience a nightmare. They use all forms of irritation…wheels squeal & howl, carts that aren’t level so you have to hold up one side of the handle to help it along, wheels that don’t turn at all, wheels that only turn one direction, which is handy if you only want to go in circles. Wheels that roll along fine, then suddenly stop completely, nearly giving you whiplash.
And then, if you manage to get through the store without completely losing your mind….here in the frozen tundra you get to try and steer the beast out in the snow to your car!! The same cart that cannot function properly on waxed linoleum, is now supposed to go through snow?? With no chains??? Yeah right.
If at all possible I will carry all my bags—loaded up like a beast of burden to avoid this, but sometimes Ive no choice. If the snow is packed down its not too bad. But if there is a lot of snow, or semi-slushy snow… it is a true test of the strength of your arms to not only push the cart through the snow, but hopefully also head in a direction that is somewhere close to where you are parked…the cart has a mind of its own.
I am convinced that part of hell will be those poor souls chained to one of these hellacious shopping carts and forced to push it for eternity.
Im thinking of ordering all my groceries online…to be delivered directly to the cave…
Thats right…only 3 ingredients!
I made these a LOT when the kids were little! Fast, easy and when they got a bit older they could mix them up all by themselves!
Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup of peanut butter (I think crunchy is best!)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
(thats right –NO flour!!)
Mix well, drop by spoonsful onto cookie sheet.
Bake @ 350 for 8-10 minutes.
WATCH CLOSELY!
Let them cool a bit before you take them off the cookie sheet or they’ll fall apart!
These will melt in your mouth….a FAST after school snack!!
Captivating
I just finished reading this for the 2nd time. “Captivating” is written by John & Stasi Eldredge (John wrote Wild at Heart).
We as woman are created to be SO totally relational, and it comes through in everything we feel, do & say. All these emotions we experience that we cant quite pinpoint, the longings & that deep ache are all based on how God created us to be as women. We were His final creation…His crowning glory!!
In reading this book, it helped me realize WHY I feel like I do, and that no, I’m not crazy, that these desires are God created! In his perfect plan part of these desires can only be met with a relationship with Him. Part are meant to be filled by our husbands…which they can ONLY do by having a relationship with the Father also. It all is meant to intertwine together.
But we live in a fallen world. We are sinners, who marry sinners, and have little sinnerlings! Things don’t work out they way its supposed to. But how we are created to feel still exists. Deep inside we are still the little girl who longs wto be swept away by romance, rescued and protected by the knight, and chosen over all others to be the princess of his dreams. We want to know we are beautiful, that they need us to complete & fill their hearts, that we are worth fighting for!!
But how many of us feel like that? I dont. At least not by any male on this earth! God does though. In spite of all my flaws, he has chosen me. He longs for my company & to be in an intimate relationship with me…that I am worth everything to him and worth fighting, even dying for.
It is a difficult concept for me to get my heart & head around, but I’m working on it.
I feel this is a book that every woman should read…more than once! I felt it was written as though they were writing about me!! Highly HIGHLY recommended reading!!
We enjoyed a couple days of temps in the mid 30’s…it was heavenly after a seemingly endless winter! Of course, its early February, and winter has a ways to go yet..and all the slushy-ness froze. So now I have to deal with the ice that is everywhere. The sidewalk in front, all around the house to the garage, the driveway and the steps. I put salt over it and that helped, but around the garage it was too thick for salt to work. No problem…that’s where an ice chopper is great. It is sort of like a hoe, but is a flat blade…..and I needed one…badly! So I head to where the shovels, salt etc etc is in Target and stopped dead in my tracks! Was this some kind of cruel joke??
Where there had been ice scrapers and necessities to survive winter a week before, now the entire department was filled with pools, pool supplies, swimming accessories like flippers & toy snorkels, air mattresses. Oh and yard decor….like solar lights you insert into the ground, and decorative fencing….and gardening items.
So. Who on earth the beginning of February in the frozen tundra is going to buy these things? Seriously!!! How can this possibly be a good marketing strategy to put out items that there is no possible use for for at LEAST another 4-5 months? Who makes these ridiculous decisions??? Does someone think there will be no more snow? No ice? No slush? That the weather goes along with someones marketing plan?
I was NOT happy. Finally….over by the pots & pans (oh so logical) there is a small section of clearance items. Shovels, scrapers & salt. No choppers. The item I needed most was deemed by some one who obviously lives somewhere warm as unimportant and not necessary inventory.
It is a pet peeve that the powers that be in stores are so greedy that they push down our throats what we are not ready to buy. I’m sorry, but I don’t feel like looking at Halloween costumes in August, or Christmas stuff in October, Easter in December…or pools in February. I don’t need, nor do I want to shop for yard decor for a yard I’ve not even seen for months and is presently buried under 3′ of snow….& we’ll get more yet.
In February I **NEED** an ice chopper.
They’ve not the sense God gave a goat.
Be careful….the path to the cave is treacherous yet.
Now you if you have not read this book to yourself, or to your kids…go get it NOW! This is definitely a favorite!
I first read this when it was published a gazillion years ago in “Redbook” magazine, and that was when I first heard of the author, Judith Viorst. She is the mother of 3 boys- Anthony, Nicholas & Alexander. The book is based on some the the ‘bad day’ experiences of her youngest son Alexander.
As soon as Alexander gets out of bed he finds he has gum in his hair…and his day goes from bad to worse from there. His sweater falls in the sink, both is brothers find super cool toys in their boxes of cereal. Alexander has just cereal. In school the teacher doesnt find his drawing of an invisible castle amusing, and his mom forgot to put dessert in his lunchbox. His mom takes
the boys sneaker shopping, and the brothers got the shoes they picked, but Alexanders choice wasnt in his size. He finds he has a cavity at the dentist, he forgets about not touch the copier at Dads office. He has to eat lima beans for supper, has to wear the hated railroad pajamas……. & he threatens to move to Australia.
Well, you get the idea. It is an absolutely delightful book!! You & I have both had ‘those’ kinds of days where it seems to spin out of control and there is NOTHING that goes right the entire day….& we too are tempted to move someplace where no one can find us!! Or, we at least hide out in the Mom-Cave for an escape for a bit!
Now. A few weeks ago, I had my oldest daughter (24) crawl into bed with my youngest daugher (18), and I read them this book!! We all had a good laugh and thoroughly enjoyed the story….as well as some bonding time!! They are never too old for bedtime stories!!!
Time to turn out the lights in the cave…
Yawn…. Nite!
Brenda
There is a nasty cold wind howling outside the cave door tonight. I have to head out in a bit for a meeting…& I dread heading out. Its so nice & cozy here in the cave!
As I was making supper (yes, its ‘supper’, not dinner!), I was thinking about God so intricately weaves Himself into my life that I dont even see His hand til a bit down the road. I am a single mom, with 4 children. In spite of all the statistics of how my children should have turned out growing up in a single parent home….& moving 11 times in 10 years, changing neighborhoods & friends, our seeminly never ending financial struggles, I can look back and see God’s protection. All 4 of my children have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If I never had another good thing happen to me the rest of my life, that alone is the greatest joy I could experience!
There is a time when Moses is in the cleft of a rock, and God passes by, but Moses doesnt see his face, but sees after he has passed by. That is SO what we have experienced over and over. Things seem thier darkest, then things change…and in that change I see where God has passed by…& has set people, opportunities, etc in the path that I blindly walked. Only once I get to a certain point do I seem to be able to actually “see” God’s hand.
In a future post, I will write about my “Hotdish Testimony”….the most awesome, amazing story of provision for us~!!!
OH…for those of you who dont live in ‘supper’ territory…you may not know what ‘hotdish’ is either! Its a catch-all phrase for a casserole…here in the scandiavian neck of the woods!
I have to head out, but there’s making for hot cocoa w/marshmellows in the butlers pantry… help your self! But watch the kittens….they will steal the marshmellows in a heartbeat!!
Blessings,
Brenda
Ninja Mom
It is COLD outside the cave, and has been for a few weeks now. Not just normal winter cold, but brutal, extreme, life-threatening cold. Of the last 52 days, 33 have been below zero…and many of those days the high for the day was still below zero. And we’ve had windchills of -47* !!
At this point what is “warm” is totally relative. We actually get excited when it reaches -2*, and you hear phrases like ” Its not that bad out there right now”. -2*…Not bad. Or if its -20*,but no wind…its “pretty decent”. See? Totally relative. And it is true! I always look forward to the January thaw…which this year was part of 1 day. You weathermen take note….that does NOT count! We want this made up in February!! Anyway, when we had our little ‘thaw’….meaning 31*….I walked home from work with no hat, I went in & out of the house with a hoodie…and also thought…this is really nice!
So, how do you dress to be out & about in this extreme cold? Layers! On the extreme low temp days, school has been cancelled, and most activities in the area…and warnings are issued to not be out unless you need to be. Well, yes, I have to go to work…cant hardly call in “freezing day” when I live this close!
When it is colder than -10*…here is what I wear:
16 layers!! One does not look (nor feel) attractive in the least with all these layers. I look like Ninja Mom. The only thing that is exposed to the elements is around my eyes. I walk slower with a hint of waddling I think. Honestly, If I fell over with all these layers, I don’t know that I would get back up, and would only hope some kind Samaritan would come along to put me upright!
I have to allow extra time to ninja-up to leave, and to de-layer once I get to work.
But you know what? For all our complaining, we still stay here. Why? Because we know that spring will come. It is the mantra that keeps us from going absolutely insane. It might take way out into April, but spring WILL come! We are optimists at its best!
Kinda reminds me of the verse: ” “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen .” (Hebrews 11:1). To look outside, everything is frozen, no leaves on the trees, it all appears dead. There is nothing to suggest that things will change. It all appears desolate. But when the snow melts & the sun comes out, it is simply magical to see the transformation! Everyone comes out of their houses to start working in yards, going for walks and bike rides. We don’t take for granted the fact that in about 6 months Old Man Winter will come visiting ….& we enjoy spring, summer & fall as much as possible.
I wish that I could just stay in the cave & hibernate (between coffee & projects!) , and not have to come out til spring. But then Id miss the transformation.
So, tonights forcast is for -18*…last cold night…or so they say. Ive got my pile of layers. When it ‘warms’ up to -10*, I’ll do 2 layers. And when it reallllly warms up to the 20’s…then I can wear a jacket, hat & mittens. What a concept!
Keep warm,
Brenda, who is enjoying warm radiators, hot chocolate in the cave tonight… and is glad both girls are home safe & sound.
Yes, you can make your own “Play-dough” from scratch! It is easy, and fun to do with your kids.
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
Mix together in saucepan & add:
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup cold water
food coloring to your desired color
Cook over med heat, stirring constantly until mixture follows the spoon….approximately 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool enough that you can handle it, but its still warm. Knead until smooth.
Store in an airtight container.
If you are wanting to do a couple colors, you can just do 1/2 of the recipe for each color. Doesn’t take long at all to have 4 colors ready to go!
Note: It will not keep for as long as purchased playdough.
It is very early, & the coffee is brewing as I open the cupboard to look at all the various coffee mugs. Every morning, what one I choose is based on my mood, and it somehow sets the tone for the coffee experience. Its a very important choice! And is an important trait Ive passed on to my oldest daughter!
Hard decision…really wanted the earthy sage-y green hand thrown pottery looking mug but didnt see it, so choose the next best mug….a large Starbucks mug. Pour my hot coffee and head to the computer to see what has transpired in the email/twitter/facebook world while I slept. This is a morning that I really NEED a strong cup of coffee as for whatever reason I had a hard time sleeping. The coffee is simply amazing this morning–like heaven in a cup!
Its not long and I realize my coffee needs a warmup…so back to the kitchen..add some hot coffee, but it needs just a little ‘bump’ to get it to the right temp. I put it in the microwave and go upstairs to wake up my daughter….well make the first attempt to anyway!
Come down, grab my coffee and back to the computer. Im busy taking care of emails, tweets etc and glance at my mug. Hmmm. Dont really remember that mug. Yet…it does have hot coffee ..& I AM the only one up. I dont remember choosing the earthy sagey green hand thrown pottery looking mug, but who knows in my fatigue what I did.
Little later, I warm up my coffee, put in the microwave–go up to tell daughter that it really is time to get up. Head back down…grab coffee and go back to the computer. Gracious this coffee is good this morning! Nice and strong…yes, the Tim Horton’s was definitly a good choice. As I set the mug down, Im a little taken back…..as gosh darn…its the Starbucks mug.
Could have sworn Id been using the earthy sage-y green hand thrown pottery looking one, but then again I do remember taking the Starbuck mug…or did I just think I did??? Am I losing my mind or what?
I glance at the clock and head back to pull all “night-support” from youngest daughter—this is serious when it gets to this stage….this means the light goes on, fan goes off, blinds are opened….blankets pulled off…and yes…..even Hobbs, the tiger, is taken from her arms!!!
I come down and my oldest daughter is standing there with a cup of coffee for me.
I gasp. It is the earthy sage-y green hand thrown pottery looking mug! I dont hardly even dare take it for fear of slipping totally off the edge of sanity.
She says “by the way, I was melting some butter in the microwave, and when I went to take it out I found this in there….yours I assume?” Now, why she would just ‘assume’ its mine is beyond me. But I did figure out the dark secret of the twilight zone….Whatever one puts in the front of the microwave, ends up at the back at the end of the cycle. So if perhaps there was a mug of coffee in there previously (like WHO would have done that???) then that mug ended up in front.
I decided that I did need another cup of coffee….but chose the black mug with “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail” words on it
Your morning mug choice may seem totally unimportant….unless you are about to enter the Twilight Zone.
Have you all seen Marley & Me? If not…GO!! I almost didn’t as I thought it was going to be like a “Beethoven” type dog movie, but it was totally different. It is based on the true life stories of a dog named Marley…written by his columnist Dad…& these columns were later put into a book, which the movie is based on.
By the way….bring kleenix! I think the entire theatre needed them!
Anyway, if you haven’t seen it, but intend to…then maybe you should read this part later. Dont want to be ruining part of the story for you! Ok? Fair warning has been given!!
In the movie Jennifer Anniston plays the wife/mom. And there is another evolving story here about how her life changes through the course of going from driven career minded, every detail of life planned out woman– to mom of 3. After their first son is born she continues to work as a reporter, tho it is clearly difficult juggling both worlds. She decides that she wants to stay at home full time as she doenst want to miss out on anything with their son.
Fast forwarding here…..now she has 3 children. With baby # 3 she is really struggling with lack of sleep, hormones, life being out of control, possibly some depression. I think we all know how this feels at some point!!
There is a conversation she has with her husband saying how she misses the things of the career world, but that it was worth giving all that up for being a Mom.
So now enters me into this scenario. The entire scene was very touching, but perhaps there is something wrong with me. I have never wanted the career world. EVER. I am a single mom, and yes, I am working now….but out of necessity. My daughter had to have surgery and we had no insurance. Financially life spun out of control with this huge hospital bill. That is the ONLY reason I am out there working. I like what I do, but would I miss it to be back home full time?? No way.
Since I was a little girl, all I wanted to be was a mom. (or a farmer like my dad!). So does this make me not driven? Less of a woman in todays world? A slacker? Unmotivated?
Many many women I know have gone back to work after their baby/babies were born…..and many say they were going nuts being at home. I always feel a little uncomfortable when they say that, as I never felt that. Ive always wanted to create income…but by being at home.
I had 4 babies in 6 years. And as overwhelmed as that could be, and how chaotic life has been…esp being a single mom for the last 7 years…..I would not trade one crazy moment of all that to be out at a “real job”.
Does anyone one else feel like this? I cannot wait til this hospital bill is paid off so I can come home, which makes me want to cry as I’ll be home…but by then my kids will be gone. It makes my heart ache. And it makes my heart ache that tho other moms are out doing what they feel called to do…and I am NOT faulting that one iota as we are created uniquely….why does it sometimes make me feel “less”?
It shouldn’t, but it does. My heart is 100% Mom-shaped. I dont have a career ‘hole’ in my heart at all. I suppose my yearning to be home full time is not unlike anothers yearning to go back to work. Both ache terribly. Both make life feel out of balance, that there should be more. Both makes us women feel crazy & that life is torn into 2 worlds.
So, Im in the cave this morning…absolutely loving having my coffee, hearing the girls stirring around, missing the 2 kids who are out on their own terribly.
SIGH.
Planning to not step foot out of the cave today, after being out 5 days in a row! Today I dont want to think about the j-o-b.
I just want to be home.
In the Cave.
With the kids.
Being Mom.
Seriously…how can it be 200NINE?? The week between Christmas & NewYears is always a favorite time of year..its like a ‘no-time-zone’ as I still have the tree up & enjoy sitting at night basking in the soft glow of the tree lights. The hustle & bustle of Christmas is over, and Brittany, my daughter who lives in California is still home on vacation…so life has kind of a sureal feel. Lifes schedule isnt the norm due to Christmas & New Years…few extra days off work.
And then it hits me like a train…we are in 2009. Honestly, if I were to close my eyes, Im mentally back in early 2008…at best! How does this happen?
This last year time has been a blur. I bought a house, and between settling in and working on it, rather intense year at work, being single mom of 4 kids and 4 cats, getting my son settled into his own apartment, losing 3 grandparents in 9 months……..well its just been a bit chaotic!
This year I want to focus on living in the moment more. Not be anxious about the tomorrows, and not re-live any regrets of the yesterdays. As my oldest daughter pointed out “Mom, in 2 more days today will be yesterday!”
So…if I focus on making today an INTENTIONAL day….paying attention to what is really important..not just urgent. Slow down. Worry less. Then 2 days from now, I can look back at today and give it a thumbs up…job well done!
I put on paper what my goals are for this year….and did it by the month. So they are broken down. In January I have one goal. complete it and move on to February’s goal. So by year end I will have accomplished 12 goals, instead of failing at 6 huge ones! 
My goal for January is to organize the cave…at least achieve some organized chaos! 🙂
So if you stop by the cave, you may have to step around some bins….but the coffee is on, and I’ll even share my stash of Godiva chocolates. Have a seat and relax.
Just move Hazel to the side….
Blessings,
Brenda, who is on a mission to eliminate all cave clutter!
The cave is so quiet this morning. I’m savoring my coffee, and for right now…the silence is nice. One daughter is at work…working a double shift today, and no one else is up yet.
Christmas was wonderful! None of us had much to spend this year…but you know, I think that is partly why its so wonderful. Of course Id love to have the means to buy them really awesome gifts, but with my single mom income that doesn’t happen. However, we each had to put a lot of thought into what we’d be able to get each person with the few dollars we had to spend. And it was simply amazing what wonderful gifts result from that!
Id not be honest if I didn’t say there is an ache in my heart wishing I could have given them so much more. But as I sit here this morning and think back over the last few days, I’m reminded of all the gifts that didnt come wrapped in pretty paper & bows.
All 4 of my kids were here, that was a huge gift! My daughter who lives in San Diego was able to come home for a long visit in spite of starting a new job right after she’d bought her tickets. We have spent hours laughing & reminiscing–cant put a price on that! The girls put together a list of everything they want to do before she goes home….and the list warms my heart as many of the to-dos are traditions the kids & I have done over the years. They don’t want to miss them!
All 3 of my Grandparents passed away this last year–within about 9 months in fact. So it was the first Christmas with none of them here. The empty feeling was overwhelming. As I pulled out Christmas decor that had been theirs, or made Christmas goodies with the Grandmas recipes I was flooded with memories, and there is no doubt they were all here with me this Christmas.
Part of processing Christmas this morning is on how I could so easily make next Christmas so much less stressful! Gee..how about I buy just 1 gift a month through out the year? I would then have 3 gifts for each of the kids hidden away come December! What a concept! Also if I’d set aside even $10 a month for Christmas…that’s $120 that I don’t have to carve out of my budget right at Christmas when heating bills start.
These few days between Christmas & New Years I love. There is this aura in the air that will soon dissipate, but for now I’m loving every minute of it!
If you are one to take your decor down right away…and life gets hectic…The tree (tho only 1/2 lit up due to the kittens doings!) will stay up in the Mom Cave well into January so that I can savor sitting in the LR at night with just the tree lights on. Makes life seem a little softer and a little calmer.
Feel free to come by and sit. The cave door will be open, the fire going, and the tree lights on. And if the tree moves, please take the kittens out of the tree. Thanks.
Blessings,
Brenda
Maisie & Hazel
Well,..its a Christmas tree, and the 2 kittens think its a climbing gym. Maisie & Hazel are our 7 month old sibling calico kittens. The photo here is of them when we brought them home in June–hiding under the couch–back when they were quiet and innocent. Now they are all over the place…including the Christmas tree!
We set the tree up and once we assumed (wrongly) that the novelty had worn off , we added lights–thinking we were safe. Ha! Immediately, Maisie was fascinated by the lights and chewed the bottom string so now we have only 1/2 the tree lit. Nice. I think this year we’ll not use ornaments as I’m quite certain they’d be far more temptation than the kittens could stand for more than 3 seconds. So far the bows on the gifts are intact, but the tree periodically shudders madly, and when we holler their names –the tree stands still, then they bolt out from behind and quickly sit down and look at us innocent as can be. And if they are being totally defiant, then I have to go pick a kitten out of the tree. Meanwhile the 2 older, more mature ( aka lazy) cats- Zeke & Harley(complete with official Harley-Davidson collar!) just lay on the couch…and grin.
Exploring the wild!
So. The tree is 1/2 lit, the garland is in a different pattern everytime I walk in the room. Im thinking this year our ornaments will an occasional furry sighting instead of our usual tree decor!
Wishing you a purr-fect Christmas from the Cave!
Brenda & family…including Maisie, Hazel, Zeke & Harley!
hey….catch that wonderful aroma coming from the cave this morning? Well, it is only the easiest, most delicious oven baked french toast recipe EVER! I have made this hundreds of times for my kids and when we have overnight guests….and it is always always a huge hit!
SO..with Christmas coming…I thought Id help YOU out by sharing this recipe! It makes a large pan–so you can feed a bunch of people at once!
It is kind of carmel-ly (is that a word?) on the bottom…so when you flip it out onto the plates, its delicious even with no syrup added! Its also made with NO MILK–uses orange juice!
Here you go:
BEST EVER FRENCH TOAST
I use a ‘jelly roll’ pan..which is a large cookie sheet (about 12″x17.5″)
Melt 1/2 cup butter and pour into the pan and spread around. Then sprinkle about 1/2 cup of cinnamon sugar over the melted butter.
Cut up a large loaf of French Bread into slices approx 1″ thick.
Mix well:
4 eggs
1 cup orange juice
Dip the slices of bread into this mixture, and put into the pan. I put as many pieces as I can get into the pan!
Bake at 325* for 20 minutes…..do NOT flip while baking!!!
Turn pieces over when placing onto platter to show the yummy glazed side.
Serve with syrup and butter if desired.
Have fresh fruit & hot coffee…..& you are the breakfast queen~!
Hope you enjoy this…& share with friends!
I’d love to hear your comments…
Brenda, who is going back for a 2nd helping in the cave!
Somehow I think a lot of you will identify with this!
Before I was a Mom…
I had quiet conversations on the phone. I brushed my hair & teeth everyday. I never thought about immunizations. I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
Before I was a Mom…
I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, chewed on, peed on, or pinched by tiny fingers. I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests or give shots.
Before I was a Mom…
I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put it down. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
Before I was a Mom…
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
Before I was a Mom…
I didn’t know that bond between a Mother and her child. I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much…
Before I was a Mom.
—Author Unknown
Blessings,
Brenda, who is very nostalgic in the cave tonight.
Shhhh….maybe if you are realllly quiet…..they wont find you.
Yeah right.
As Moms….especially Moms of toddlers…it is impossible to sneak even a few minutes of solitude in the cave. When my kids were little, they’d be very quiet, but I’d see lots of little fingers trying to reach under the door of the cave (bathrooms are caves incognito!) …just making sure that I come back out!
As long as we have kids at home, no matter what their ages….we need a mom cave. A place to go & regroup, a place to focus on the true priorities of being a Mom—and to know its just fine to have a pile of laundry that can be folded later, as a snuggle & a story was more important. That vacuuming didn’t get done because the living room has been taken over by sheet & blankets making tents. And no, the world is not going to cease turning because sledding & snowman making was a priority over dishes. Cold cereal & a hot dog for supper is ok!! The cave is a place to fall on your knees and pray for patience. You dont have to explain!! Moms understand!!
So, welcome to the cave! We are all at different stages of this journey, but we all have so much to bless others with. There are so many moments that make being a mom worth every single sacrifice! Share the memorable moments that make you laugh out loud! Bring sunshine & laughter into someone else’s cave…& also be there to hug & encourage when the cave is dark& deep.
So grab that cup of lukewarm coffee, and that half eaten piece of toast….& come on in & share whats new in your cave.
Though you may have to kick past a pile of socks & shoes, step around a couple cats—the cave door is open! (I’ll get you fresh coffee even!)
Blessings,
Brenda
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