The Old Paths

I liked the old paths, when
Moms were at home.
Dads were at work.
Brothers went into the army.
And sisters got married BEFORE having children!
Crime did not pay;
Hard work did;
And people knew the difference.
Moms could cook;
Dads would work;
Children would behave.
Husbands were loving;
Wives were supportive;
And children were polite.
Women wore the jewelry;
And Men wore the pants.
Women looked like ladies;
Men looked like gentlemen;
And children looked decent.
People loved the truth,
And hated a lie;
They came to church to get IN,
Not to get OUT!
Hymns sounded Godly;
Sermons sounded helpful;
Rejoicing sounded normal;
And crying sounded sincere.
Cursing was wicked;
Drugs were for illness;
And divorce was unthinkable.
The flag was honored;
America was beautiful;
And God was welcome!
We read the Bible in public;
Prayed in school;
And preached from house to house
To be called an American was worth dying for;
To be called a Christian was worth living for;
To be called a traitor was a shame!
Preachers preached because they had a message;
And Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!
Preachers preached from the Bible;
Singers sang from the heart;
And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!
A new birth meant a new life;
Salvation meant a changed life;
Following Christ led to eternal life.
Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God;
Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord;
Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus;
And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!
Laws were based on the Bible;
Homes read the Bible;
And churches taught the Bible.
God was worshiped;
Christ was exalted;
And the Holy Spirit was respected.
Church was where you found Christians
on the Lord's day, rather than in the garden,
on the creek bank, on the golf course,
Or being entertained somewhere else.
I still like the old paths the best!
~~Author Unknown~~

Wish I'd wrote that because it's what I believe and wish for.

Weekend on the Couch

I wasn't prepared for what happened Saturday morning. A slight stretch before getting up turned into an extremely painful muscle spasm in my left leg that was so bad I cried out. Ray jumps up and runs over to my side of the bed to see what he could do for me. A quick rub and me standing up was all it took to ease the intensity of the pain, however the soreness remains even today. My weekend was spent on the couch, on the heating pad off and on. Trying to get to the bathroom was a chore and I looked like a pirate walking around with a peg leg. Not fun.

Ray did make us some peanut butter cookies that evening. Keep in mind that Ray doesn't like to cook, nor does he want to learn, but with my encouragement, he gave it a try. I have to say those cookies turned out great! I ate more of his cookies than I would have had I made them!

The cats took turns snoozing on the couch with me as the TV droned on from one show to another in the background.

Speaking of cats..."Penny" brought two more kittens with her onto the deck this weekend. They're two beautiful red, tabbies that look to be about six weeks old.


There's no way we're going to be able to keep them. They wouldn't be here if Penny hadn't disappeared before her spay appointment at the vet a few months back. But here they are and we're going to have to find homes for them too.

Busy Day

The snow has arrived but it's not all that bad. The hillsides are covered but the road has been scraped and salted. Looks rather clear for the moment.

I spent the morning making chunky chicken salad and chocolate cupcakes with bakery frosting. The dressing in the chicken salad gets better as it rests in the "fridge".
Ray's going to enjoy dinner tonight.

With the freezing temps, I keep a close eye on the cat's water bowls. Every two or three hours they're iced over. It's bad enough having to be outside in this weather. They don't need to have to worry about food and water too.
I've made them a nice warm shelter with blankets and comforters to keep out the chill. They've been spending a lot of time inside it too.

The seed catalogs have been arriving in a steady stream in the mailbox, but I think the only thing we're planting this year are tomato plants. I'm just not able to garden like years past. Two tumbles into the flower garden head first taught me that last year. I wasn't hurt, but I did have a good laugh at myself.

Let It Snow!

I made that little door banner last year. Shortly after it was hung we had some snow. While it's been on the door this season, all it has done is snow. We're expecting several inches here in the next day or so. I'm beginning to wonder about that banner. Perhaps I've sewn some snow wishes into that piece.

With the storm approaching, I thought a lasagna would be a warm and comforting meal for Ray when he gets home tonight.


I found a recipe we both enjoy and one that's become the standard around here. Once I find one we like, I can't see much use in messing with it.

Here's the recipe for our lasagna:

ITALIAN LASAGNA

One and one half pounds of ground chuck or beef
2 cloves minced garlic
1 medium chopped onion
2 tbsp brown sugar

Brown together drain fat and add:

1 29oz can diced tomatoes
1 - 6 oz can tomato sauce
1 - 6oz can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Mix together and let simmer. While this is simmering, boil 8 lasagna noodles for about 10-15 minutes or until soft.

In a separate bowl mix together:

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 pint ricotta cheese
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 eggs beaten

Place 1/2 of the lasagna noodles on the bottom of a greased 11 x 13 baking dish.
Spread 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture and then layer an 8oz bag of mozzarella cheese on top.
Then pour 1/2 of meat and sauce mixture all.
Repeat the next layer the same way with the noodles, ricotta cheese,adding an additional 8 oz bag of mozzarella cheese, ending with the meat and sauce and then sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
Let stand a few minutes before cutting.

Holly is growing like a weed and is always into some kind of trouble.


She's managed to warm the heart of every cat around here and thankfully Bella and Sarah watch over her for me from time to time.

Early Cleaning

With the new year underway I decided the guest room/sewing room was due a thorough tidying up and cleaning. I went through several boxes in the closet and managed to fill six large garbage bags with old clothes. Considering they were too worn to donate, I had planned to cut them up for doll clothes. I don't think I'll be making that many dolls though. I did save quite a few pairs of jeans that I plan turn into purses. After several hours of sorting and repacking, the room looked really nice again. I had to go to bed afterward as I was worn out. lol