My Beloved's Birthday

This boy is celebrating his birthday.

This handsome young man

Grew up to marry me, become the father of my blessed babies, and to make me happy.

What a lucky girl I am!

Happy Birthday, Hub.

  Content copyright © 2011 by Jessa at Graceful Landing

Thoughts of You

In honor of the beauty that is love and marriage:

"As unto the bow the cord is,
So unto the man is woman,
Though she bends him, she obeys him,
Though she draws him, yet she follows,
Useless each without the other!"

~Song of Hiawatha, The Wooing of Hiawatha
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Carpe Diem!

Life is but a moment....Time is precious!
Live each day with meaning.

 

My Grandmother, Virginia,  with her little sister, Bonnie.

"Soon I will be an old, white-haired lady, into whose lap someone places a baby, saying, "Smile, Grandma!" - I, who myself so recently was photographed on my grandmother's lap.  ~ Live Ullmann 

                                                 

   My Grandmother, Virginia, with her sisters Arlene and Bonnie.

 
     My Grandmother, Virginia

"Our life is frittered away by detail... Simplify, simplify."
                                        -Henry David Thoreau 

 

My Great-great grandparents, Joseph Lingard and Susan Lecky

"Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience."
                                         -Ralph Waldo Emerson 

My great grandmother, Florence Lingard (left) with her sister and brother.

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory. "

~ Betty Smith

My Great-great Grandmother, Charlotte Florentine Blankenship

 And my Great-great Grandfather, Spencer Manly Lecky

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

 My Grandmother, Virginia, with her family...including my father, Daniel.

My father, Daniel (right), with his brother:

My father with me:

"There's something like a line of gold thread running through a man's words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself." ~John Gregory Brown

"You don't choose your family.  They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."  ~Desmond Tutu

 My great-grandmother, Ruth Mallory (above, right) and her daughters: Peggy (left) and my grandmother Faye (right) below.

"They... threw themselves into the interests of the rest, but each plowed his or her own furrow.  Their thoughts, their little passions and hopes and desires, all ran along separate lines.  Family life is like this - animated, but collateral."  ~Rose Macaulay

 My Grandfather, Clinton Logan (above,right).

 My mother with my grandfather, Clinton Logan and grandmother, Faye Mallory.

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. "

~ Ferris Bueller

 My mother with her brothers...

"I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer."  ~Jim Carrey

 My mother, Terry, with me.



"Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told:  "I am with you kid.  Let's go."  ~Maya Angelou

 With my brothers and sisters...

" A sibling may be the keeper of one's identity, the only person with the keys to one's unfettered, more fundamental self."  ~Marian Sandmaier

 "Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply...
~Jane Austen

 

My Grandpa  James Hamilton Cline and me...

With my grandmother, Faye.

"To succeed in life, you need three things:  a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone."  ~Reba McEntire

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on."  ~Havelock Ellis

"And there is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness and truth."
                                        -Leo Tolstoy 

" The history of our grandparents is remembered not with rose petals but in the laughter and tears of their children and their children's children.  It is into us that the lives of grandparents have gone.  It is in us that their history becomes a future."  ~ Charles and Ann Morse

Great Family Movie!

If you're like me, and missed this movie at the theaters...you're in for a DVD treat.

 

What I enjoyed about this film:

Good versus Evil and Good wins

It portrays Courage, Honor and Family Loyalty

These are so rarely found in movies for children today. 

Not only that, but this film was not full of 'bathroom humor' like so many are in order to get laughs from kids. 

The scenery was gorgeous, the characters too.

 

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

 Have a family movie night!

Sundry Items

I spent a lot of time yesterday finishing my blog post about my trip to Ireland.  Guilt was setting in that I hadn't yet completed it.  
The problem was my computer and the rate at which it uploaded photos.  
I was frustrated and exhausted...but it's done.  It's done!
I back dated it for October so if you'd like to read it you can... here!

 

Today, in honor of my new Valentine themed background, I want to share a bit of love.

As I sit here, eating my bowl of Raisin Bran in a quiet house, 

I'd like to share my recent  appreciation for things completely unrelated to one another.

Here they are in no order whatsoever:

 

Our young hens are beginning to lay eggs.

How fun it is for the girls- to find miniature eggs in the nest. 

The great thing about hens is that they leave you a gift in return for their care.

If only cows could leave paper-wrapped cuts of meat for us to collect!

Wouldn't that be nice?

 I so enjoy my Geraniums in winter!  

There is nothing like having cheerful, fresh blooms in your kitchen while it's snowing outside.

Speaking of snow...

I have to admit- I love winter.  

I love the view out my window.

Love the sun setting off the sparkles in the snow.

Love watching the deer play follow the leader over fences.

Love bundling up in warm clothes and wearing my fur-lined slippers.

Still, I can't wait for spring!

I guess I simply enjoy the cycle of seasons.

And the cycle of life:

Watching my daughter become a mother,

learning to care for her own daughter,

feeling the depth of that amazing love. 

It's true; good things do come in small packages.

Have a great day!

Liver Tonic

Eat a lot of junk or too much saturated fat? 
Taking  medications? 
Have hormones raging?

Because the liver's job is to clear toxins from the body, a liver cleanse can be very helpful for getting things back on track. 

This smoothie gently flushes the liver and gallbladder.  It can even flush gall stones.  And it really tastes great!

Seriously.

Drink this for breakfast or dinner every day for six consecutive days.  

Here's the simple, simple recipe:

Into a blender, place the following-

Juice of 1 lemon

3 chopped tablespoons of fresh parsley (I use more)

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger root

1 banana

1/4 apple with peel  (optional)

Blend well.
Add just enough water to thin to your liking (do this last) and add a little ice, if desired.
Blend well and serve.


This is truly refreshing and delicious...and good for the whole family!


Benefits of these amazing ingredients for those who want to know:


        Parsley- 

.
• Raw parsley cleanses the blood, keeping it clean
• It can lessen the deposits left on the veins
• Parsley allows the elasticity of the blood vessels to stay the way they are
• Parsley is said to treat temporary deafness and ear infections
• Chewing parsley can cure bad breath 

        Banana:

          *Reducing Depression

Bananas contain tryptophan, an aminoacid that can be converted to serotonin, leading to improved mood

          *Blood Pressure

Bananas are extremely high in potassium (about 4673mg), yet very low in sodium (1mg), thus having a perfect ratio for preventing high blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

          *Ulcers

This is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without ulcer distress.

          *Stress Relief

Bananas are high in potassium, which helps normalize the hearthbeat and regulate the body's water balance. 

Ginger:

1. Ginger has carminative properties (anti spasmic) and can be used to calm in upset stomach, providing relief for the relief of bloating and gas.
2. The intake of ginger helps stimulate the secretion of mucus, quieting your cough and soothing any scratchiness I your throat.
3. Ginger has been proven (in multiple studies) to treat feelings of nausea, particularly in the form of seasickness, morning sickness, motion sickness and as a side effect of chemotherapy.
4. Ginger contains anti viral, anti toxic, and anti fungal properties, and is used for the prevention of and treatment against the common cold.
5. Ginger acts as an antihistamine and aids in the treatment of allergies.
6. Ginger displays anti inflammatory properties and can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and various other muscular disorders. The chemical components of the root are instrumental in inhibiting the biosynthesis of prostaglandins which are responsible for causing inflammation. Thus the root has proven to be a highly effective form of treatment, in some cases, even more so than the NSAID's that are traditionally prescribed.
7. Ginger contains special enzymes responsible for catalyzing the proteins in your food, thus aiding in digestion and the prevention of cramps. The ancient Greeks used to eat ginger after a large meal in order to ease the digestion process.
8. Due to its promotion of mucus secretion, ginger protects against the development of ulcers, unwanted holes in the lining of your stomach.
9. Ginger has proven to help lower your cholesterol levels and prevent the formation of blood clots.
10. Ginger is often used to settle an upset stomach or treat severe stomach ailments such as dyspepsia or colic. It is frequently used today in developing countries to treat diarrhea.

Lemon:

           * Lemon act as blood purifier and improves the body’s ability to get rid of toxins.

          * Lemon fruit is full of vitamin C and excellent in fighting disease that's related to infection and eating some of the peel helps guard  against skin cancer.

             Olive Oil:

* Taken internally, olive oil stimulates metabolism, promotes digestion and lubricates mucous membranes. It can also be applied externally to treat dry skin. Warm olive oil applied to the skin and help relieve internal or external inflammation caused by injury or disease.

       Raw Apple:

1. Apples are a rich source of flavonoid and polyphenols both are powerful antioxidants.
2. Studies show that by eating 100g of apple can give an antioxidant effect that equal to taking about 1,500mg of vitamin C.
3. Apples contain a large amount of minerals and vitamins that can strengthen the blood.
4. Apples contain malic acid and tartaric acid, that can help prevent disturbances of the liver and digestion.
5. Raw Apple cider vinegar when used as beverage can help to prevent the formation of kidney stones.
6. The skin of Apples contain pectin that can help remove toxic substances from the system by supplying galacturonic acid. Pectin helps prevent protein matter in the intestine from spoiling.
7. Eating an apple daily can lower cholesterol and reduce skin diseases.

Here's to VIBRANT health!