Tuesday, March 30, 2010

In Memory Of My Mother

When I was a little girl I would cry myself to sleep whenever the thought of losing my mother would enter my mind while saying my prayers. I would have never thought that I could have gone on living one minute, one day without her there for me. It has now been 18 years since she passed on. She will always be right there for me, she is in my heart and in my soul. As a remarkable and loving mother she is ingrained in my whole being, and taught me to love unconditionally and to forgive without holding a grudge. She always lived by example. I try to live up to her teachings.












In Memory Of My Mother, Ruth Marie Dunwell On This Day March 30, 2010, The 18th Anniversary Of Her Passing.










This song in the background, There You'll Be reminds me of her. It is sung by Faith Hill,and written by Diane Warren. It was on the sound track for the movie Pearl Harbor.








There You'll Be

When I think back
On these times
And the dreams
We left behind
I’ll be glad 'cause
I was blessed to get
To have you in my life
When I look back
On these days
I’ll look and see your face
You were right there for me

In my dreams
I’ll always see your soar
Above the sky
In my heart
There always be a place
For you for all my life
I’ll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you’ll be

Well you showed me
How it feels
To feel the sky
Within my reach
And I always
Will remember all
The strength you
Gave to me
Your love made me
Make it through
Oh, I owe so much to you
You were right there for me

In my dreams
I’ll always see your soar
Above the sky
In my heart
There always be a place
For you for all my life
I’ll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you’ll be

'Cause I always saw in you
My light, my strength
And I want to thank you
Now for all the ways
You were right there for me
You were right there for me
For always

In my dreams
I’ll always see your soar
Above the sky
In my heart
There always be a place
For you for all my life
I’ll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you’ll be

Monday, March 22, 2010

Paper, Plastic, Paisley, and Disposable



The technologically-savvy 60’s turned us into a throwaway nation. We had disposable plastic plates, bottles, diapers, cutlery, curtains, and with the advent of the new paper dresses, even a wardrobe that could be chucked into the garbage after it was used.

One lovely late Spring day in 1968, Debbie Rose and I went shopping at the Woolworth Dept. Store in the Hillcrest Shopping Mall. We purchased the latest craze, a simple A-line/tent dress in a psychedelic paisley print, made out of a special, sturdy fiber paper for a measly $1.25 each. I didn't even realize at that time that these dresses were made by the Scott's toilet paper company, how funny is that????


We were so full of ourselves, and just couldn't wait to show them off at the newly renovated Hullabaloo Teen Night Club that was transformed from the then former Villa Roller Rink.

I learned about another new innovation that Saturday morning when Debbie set her long wavy hair in empty Campbell Soup cans, and sat under my portable hat box style hair dryer. She did this to help straighten her hair.

The outfit was made complete by our knee high patent leather go-go boots. We were trying to copy Goldie Hawn on the brand new TV show Rowan and Martin's Laugh In. Oh we were the cat's meow!!!!!

During the same time period my mother came home from shopping thrilled over her new inexpensive curtains, the latest rage, throw away drapes. They were made of two ply plastic, the under layer was white, the transparent outer layer was of a gray, pink, white lace paisley print. I always thought that they were hideous, and eventually convinced my mother to get rid of them.

Today we realize that all of those throw away goods were bad for our environment. We now know that we need to create items that are recyclable or reusable. The sixties were a fun and experimental time and I was so young, and so innocent.

I didn't have a worry in the world, and everything was brand new!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

A Meal Fit For A Saint...


St.Patrick's Day Potato Candy

2 tablespoons mashed cooked potatoes 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon milk 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1 cup peanut butter Mix together potatoes, butter or margarine, and milk. Add enough powdered sugar to make a stiff dough. Roll out on a flat surface sprinkled with powdered sugar. Spread on a layer of peanut butter and roll up. Chill and slice.


Oven Roasted Corn Beef and Cabbage

Prep 20 min
Cook 2 1/2 hours or until meat fork tender
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1-corn beef brisket (3 lbs)
8 small potatoes; peeled (leave whole)
8 carrots; peeled (leave whole)
1 large head cabbage; remove outer leaves and cut into 4 wedges
1 tablespoon of crushed garlic, sprinkle with onion powder
Water enough to cover corn beef brisket in a deep pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven 325 degrees
2. Place corn beef into center of pan fat side up, next arrange potatoes, carrots, and cabbage around brisket.
3. Sprinkle spice packet, garlic, dry onion powder over contents in pan. Next, pour water into pan covering brisket.
4. Cover with aluminum foil tightly around edges, place in oven at 325 degrees and bake 2 1/2 hours or until fork tender, remove foil return to oven to slightly brown about 10 minutes.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Tranquil Tuesday "A Woman's Worth"


The sounds of a Summer's night




Proverbs 14:1
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.


Proverbs 31:10-12 and 25-31
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

They may talk of a comet, or a burning mountain, or some such bagatelle; but to me a modest woman, dressed out in all her finery, is the most tremendous object of the whole creation. ~Oliver Goldsmith

There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.

WASHINGTON IRVING, The Sketch Book