An interesting discovery

Last evening I was playing around with the blog and trying to figure out templates, inserting pictures, etc.  In a nutshell- I really did not know what I was doing and nearly destroyed what I had.  Thus, I will just let it be for the time being until I figure it out.  I will have to live with the pink background!
This afternoon, I wanted the boys to change their sheets.  While they can do the assigned task, it sometimes seems like they need a little supervision.  Reeves wanted to put his flannel sheets on which have been in his closet probably close to 9 months.  When we were unfolding the top sheet,  two Vera Bradley place mats fell out. Ah-ha!  That is where they have been?  For months, I have been wondering what had happen to them.  We finished putting on the sheets and I had a a new task ahead of me.  It was time to clean out the buffet and get it organized.  


For those that know me, I am not a pack rat.  Any item has to have a strong case to stay with me.  I attribute this to moving a lot before getting married.  A little FYI:  this house is the longest I have lived in one place in my entire life.  Back to the buffet... I really can't remember the last time I even considered organizing it.  It has 2 drawers and 2 small cabinets.  I reunited the place mats and put the ones I don't use in the Goodwill pile.  I even found place mats that I didn't know existed.  In one cabinet I found a 3-ring notebook with my name on it.  I spent the rest of the afternoon going through it.  This was from back in the days of the "organized Shell".  I found articles I found interesting (before I had a writers notebook) about child rearing, recipes, menus, design ideas, etc.  It was almost like a time capsule.  My best estimate is that I last touched the notebook circa 2004.
All of this to tell you, I found a typewritten sheet that said:  "God's Handy Chart".  For the life of me, I do not remember where it came from.  I am guessing that it came from another nurse I used to work with- Laura.  There was a little group of us at the hospital (Laura, Cissy, and Carmen).  If we were on the same shift, we would get "prayered up" before our shift.  Laura was excellent at intercessional prayer.  That is one gift I do not have.  Laura would tell me that I needed to memorize scripture (something else I really need to work on).  Getting prayered up was essential because it literally was life and death at the hospital.
Back to the sheet:
It had things we say and what God says:
If I say:  "It's impossible"
God says:  "All things are possible" (Luke 18:27)


If I say:  "I can't manage"
God says:  "I will supply all your needs" (Philippians 4:19)


If I say:  " I'm afraid"
God says:  "I have not given you a spirit of fear" (Timothy II 1:7)


I'm going to put the sheet in a more visible spot.


Enjoy the last day of 2011! 


P.S.  I finished reading Steve Jobs.  I still think the man was not very nice and had a lot of social issues.  However, it was fascinating reading about how the man operated.  Jobs' next conquest was going to be the education textbook industry.  I believe he used the words that he was going to "crush" the textbook industry.  Jobs felt like Ipads should be in every school.  He had his cancer cells genomed (I'm really not sure if that is a word) and paid $100,000 to do it (pocket change for him).  But, by having his cells mapped out, a lot of research will be developed because of it.


Shell Blog A Lot

Christmas Recipes

Christmas Bark

Makes approximately 40 pieces

I cut this out of People magazine a few years ago

1 sleeve of saltine crackers

1 cup of butter

½ cup light brown sugar

12 oz. semisweet chocolate morsels

1 cup chopped pecans

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.     Place crackers in one layer on parchment- lined baking sheet

3.     Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan.  Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly

4.     Pour butter- sugar mixture over the crackers.  Spread evenly

5.     Bake for 15 minutes

6.     Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate morsels  When they start to melt, spread evenly over entire layer of crackers

7.     Sprinkle chopped pecans on top

8.     Refrigerate 1 hour

9.     Remove from refrigerator and crack into pieces.

Butterscotch Haystacks or Bites

1 bag of butterscotch morsels

¾ cup of creamy peanut butter

1 (8.5 oz) can of chow mein noodles OR peanuts OR potato sticks

1.     Line trays with waxed paper

2.     Microwave butterscotch and stir in peanut butter

3.     Add noodles, or peanuts, or potato sticks- stir until coated

4.     Drop by spoon to waxed paper

5.     Refrigerate until ready to serve

Shell Blog A Lot

Movie Time

As a really neat gift, the boys received movie gift cards.  They were ready to use the cards and I was game for a movie.  They decided on Mission Impossible.  I really enjoyed it.  It was rated PG-13.  I only remember one bad word (sh*t).  It wasn't too gory.  But, it did have the good versus evil plot of trying to save the world from nuclear disaster.  I liked the scenes from Dubai, Budapest, Mumbai, and Moscow and of course, San Francisco.

I am going to remember the movie gift card for others- it was a great gift.  They even got to splurge at the concession stand without me complaining how expensive it is.
We finished off the day by going to Target and Barnes and Noble.  In Target, it looked like neanderthals attacked the post Christmas sale.  I did pick up some wrapping paper, bows, and paper holiday products.  I ran into an old teaching buddy from Beaufort.  He told me that he is no longer teaching which made me sad.  But, it was fun to catch up.  The boys told me that they could hear me all the way in the DVD's because I talk too loud.
Barnes and Noble graciously accepted our duplicate Christmas returns.  Santa Claus brought Risden a book he already had.  Santa Claus needs to get it together!  Of course, Barnes and Noble was having a great sale as well.  I picked up a few books that hopefully I'll read in the new year.

I haven't seen the movie or read the book.  But, it looks like I'll move through it pretty quickly.

  I'm always looking for motivational teaching books.  Ron Clark is known for his successful schools.
Stay tuned!
Have a nice day!

What I am Reading

I'm a fan on non-fiction which I didn't realize was odd until I enrolled in my master's program.  I especially like biographies.  Every now and then I will pick up Charles Martin, Nicholas Sparks, or John Grisham.  But, my true love is non-fiction.
Right now, I am reading the biography on Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.  I had seen an interview with Isaacson on Face the Nation.  I liked his southern background and accent.  I downloaded the book to my Kindle.


I had read prior to the book that Steve Jobs was Buddhist.  This bothered me and I wanted to see what he was all about. I am about 60% through the book. First of all, I think I would have worked for him for approximately 30 seconds.  He constantly berated his employees, held grudges, and took ideas from others.  I was especially bothered by how he treated his parents.  I keep reading to see if he has any redeeming qualities.  He did expect excellence from everyone.  There were A, B, and C employees.  Your only hope was to be an A employee.
I have enjoyed reading about the advent of the personal computer, the competition with Microsoft/Bill Gates, and the development of Pixar.  It is a miracle that Toy Story was ever brought to the big screen.
No doubt that our society has changed because of Apple.  There was a funny story about making the Ipod earbuds white versus any other color.  I love my Ipod and I have one of the orignal models.
Back to reading... or really, making dinner!

The 12 Days of Christmas

Nothing like a little time to slow down and remember the reason for the season.  I'm still trying to figure out how I became so busy that returning emails could be so challenging.  As much as I love Christmas, I also love the clean slate of a new year.  On television this week, a lot of shows are talking about the highlights of 2011.  It gives me food for thought.
One of my resolutions is to be consistent with my blog.  It seems as if I say this each year, but rejoin Weight Watchers AGAIN.  I can tell from the spring pictures to now that I've picked up a lot of weight.  Then again, I was on a fanatical schedule with finishing my masters and TOY duties.  And, oh yeah, be a wife and mom!  I also picked up an additional position at work which is interesting, but there is huge learning curve.
Once again, 2012 is time to wipe the slate clean and try again!
I named the blog the "12 Days of Christmas" because my mom was a true advocate for keeping the tree up until Epiphany. My mom would be furious with me knowing that I take the decorations down before the new year.  I usually do well on Christmas day but I miss her during the season.  As I get closer to the age she was when she passed, it gives me a sense of urgency.  I know to never to take anyone for granted.  I try to give my children the best memories and adventures possible because I know it can be gone tomorrow.
Well, I packed 4 months of blogging in one post!  I promise to do better!