Memory Verse Monday and Prayers Needed

It's Memory Verse Monday and Karen at Karen's Ramblings is our host. If you would like to participate, just follow the link to find out how.

It's been a while since I participated in Memory Verse Monday, but finally I'm getting back on track. This week I've chosen the following verse:

Matthew 18:19 (Whole Chapter) Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

The reason for choosing this verse is because there are so many that are in need of being lifted up to the Lord in prayer. I often do prayer requests on my blog because I trust in God's Word and know how powerful prayer is. So let us pray together for those who are in need and lift them up. Miracles DO happen and I for one can attest to that. I have received miracles in my life and you can too. Just keep your eyes on God.

Please pray for the following people:

Deena at Can I Be Pretty in Pink.

Connie at Little Red Hearts from God.

Karen at Karen's Korner.

Grams at Talk to Grams.

Denise at Shortybear's Place.

Denise at Samaritan Women.

Mary at Isabella's Closet.

Tammy at The Pink Magnolia

My great-nephew Griffyn. He has the croup rather badly and is having trouble breathing. He is 7 months old today and is having a hard time. His Mom is pregnant again and is so tired from being up with him. Please also pray for his Mom, Melissa, my niece.

Thank you all for your prayers. I know there are some powerful prayer warriors out there and these people are all in need of prayer. If you would like to be added to my prayer list, just leave a comment and I will make sure that you are added. Have a great and blessed week. ~Blessings, Mary~

6 Things Meme

Deb at Riding Free with Deb has tagged me for a 6 things meme. This means that I am to tell 6 unimportant habits or quirks. Here are the rules:

1 Link to the person that tagged you.

2 Post the rules on your blog.

3 Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.

4 Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.

5 Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Okay, let's see if I can think of 6 quirky things about me. LOL

1. If I have a snack in the evening, it is usually a bowl of my favorite cereal. Mmm! Sounds good.

2. I hate brussel sprouts.

3. I love to chew gum and when I am anxious, I sometimes snap it, much to the irritation and disgust of my hubby. This quirk is the reason that I never chew gum in public.

4. My grandsons think I say some words in an odd manner. I blame it on my Irish heritage. Sometimes such sayings, as "tiny wee" sneak into my vocabulary. The boys think this is odd because tiny and wee mean the same thing. I also say didja in an excited voice when they tell me of an accomplishment instead of did you. Don't know where that one comes from. LOL

5. When I am hurt over something, I get angry instead of crying. I cry only when something touches me deeply.

6. When I was a kid, I loved pickle sandwiches. Mom makes the best icicle pickles and today I still enjoy a pickle sandwich if I have some of Mom's pickles on hand.

Well, that wraps it up. I hope you enjoyed learning these quirky things about me. Now to tag 6 people.

Peggy at Hidden Haven Homestead

Michele at Writing the Cyber Highway

BJ at Sweet Nothings

Denise at Shortybear's Place

Carole at Pea's Corner

Sharon at Rose of Sharon

Ladies, I look forward to reading your list. Enjoy!

I have been honored with some lovely awards.

The You Encourage Me to Follow in His Footsteps Award was presented to me by Denise at Shortybear's Place and also Carolyn at Talk to Grams. Thank you, my dear friends. You have touched my heart.

I would like to pass it on to the following people.

Deena at Can I Be Pretty in Pink? Deena is a wonderful friend who is fighting breast cancer. She has just found out she is in Stage 4 and the cancer is in her bones. Yet she keeps her eyes on God and inspires me to do the same.

Denise at Samaritan Women. Denise is a wonderful woman of God and a dear friend who always puts others before herself.

Connie at Little Red Hearts from God. I haven't known Connie long. She is a hospice nurse who just lost her father. She keeps her eyes heavenward even in her loss.

Sharon at Rose of Sharon. It is evident from Sharon's posts that her faith in God is constant and everlasting.

Kathleen Marie at The Open Window. Kathleen Marie always is also constant in her faith in God and inspires me to always look heavenward.

Mary at Isabella's Closet. Mary always keeps her eyes on God and puts others first, even when she is climbing mountains and walking through valleys herself.

Thank you, Ladies, for inspiring me to keep my eyes heavenward

Carolyn at Talk to Grams, also gave me the lovely You Cheer Me Up Award. Carolyn, I'm so glad that I bring brightness into your life. Nothing could make me happier than knowing that I bring cheer to you. I Love Lucy has always been one of my favorite shows and the show that this scene is from is my favorite episode. Thank you, my dear friend.

I would like to pass this award along to the following people.

Karen at Karen's Korner

Anni at Hootin' Anni's

Deena at Can I Be Pretty in Pink

Lady Di at Kitty Justice

As well as these ladies, I would like everyone on my sidebar to have this award. I visit your blogs often and you all brighten my day with your posts. ~Blessings, Mary~

Green Thumb Sunday

It's Green Thumb Sunday, hosted by Tricia at As the Garden Grows. If you'd like to participate, just click on the link to find out how.

This week I'm going to show another of the photos I took while we were on vacation in Florida. This one was taken at MGM Studios. The shrubs have been sculptured to look like Snow White and her favorite dwarf, Dopey. These shrubs give so much character to the gardens and though I didn't see as many of them as I have on other Disney trips, the ones that I did see were beautiful. All of the gardens at Disney are exquisite. Enjoy!

There's not much other news here today. It snowed most of the day yesterday and all night last night. We have about 6 inches of fluffy, white snow. When I took Meeko out last night, it sparkled like diamonds in the street light. There was no traffic and no people around. There was no wind and it wasn't cold. It was quiet and the world seemed at peace - a perfect night for taking a walk in the snow.

Take care, everyone and enjoy Sunday with your family. ~Blessings, Mary~

Prayer Requests and Disney MGM Parade

I ask all of my readers for prayers for the following people. There are many in need of prayer and we prayer warriors need to lift these people up to the Lord.

Deena at Can I Be Pretty in Pink. Deena is battling breast cancer and found out yesterday that she is in Stage 4 Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. Yesterday Deena had devastating news. This is what she says on her post:

I couldn't play chemo..as my white blood count is too high
somewhere there is an infection..so antibiotics
this week and back NeXT Friday..2/1 at 8:15 AM for
blood work and try it again.

The cancer is in stage 4..in more lymphs thru my body
my adrenal glands, another 1 cm node to the left of my aorta,
in my 9th rib..rib is breaking down..in my spine and
numerous areas of my skeleton (bones)

God's Word says that if any two shall agree in Jesus' name, it will be done for you. Let's all join in prayer and agree that Deena will find the strength for her journey and that God's Will be done.

Denise at Shortybear's Place Denise has diabetes. She is having much pain in her eyes as well as other health problems.

Mary at Isabella's Closet Mary needs prayer for both her health and her financial situation.

Denise at Samaritan Women Denise needs prayer for back problem and for her son, Chris.

Anna at Nature Trail. Anna is recovering from an ankle injury.

My mother was getting better but has once again relapsed. I'm not sure why this keeps occuring, but the doctors can't find out what's going on. She is to see a lung specialist on February 8th.

Michelle, my daughter, who believes the cyst on her ovary is growing. I'm not sure if this is a bad thing, but ask that you pray for her. She has been in more pain in the last week or so.

Please lift these women up in prayer. They all need a healing touch from our Father.

Now for a little fun. I'm going to take you along with me to Disney's MGM Studios. We visited there on January 3rd while on vacation.

When we arrived at the Park, we parked in Film. Jordan was tickled to death, as Goofy was on the sign. His favorite Disney character is Pluto, but Goofy runs a close second. He wanted me to take a photo.

When we got off the tram, the gates loomed in the distance. It has been years since hubby and I visited MGM.

Each Disney Park has a Christmas tree near the entrance. This is the one at MGM.

When we got in the gates and looked to the right, we saw the scene below. It was lovely.

We were only there a few minutes when Disney employees began pushing the crowd back for the MGM parade to start. Below is a photo of a woman who was near the head of the parade. She and I interacted and had a lot of fun. The boys thought I was being silly and I was. After all, what is life if you can't act silly once in a while. This woman was awesome.

While watching the parade we saw Chip & Dale. I can never remember which is which, but I do believe Dale has a black nose and Chip a red nose. The one with the black nose was my favorite when I was a child.

We could see a lot of vintage cars in the distance and then along came Milan.

Dopey is always a lot of fun and I got a great shot of him. He was interacting with the little kids very near to us.
A great contrast of good and evil. All of Disney's villians paraded by. This is Darth Vader. There were other villians but I couldn't get a decent photo. As they approached, they seemed to look to the opposite side of the street. I have a photo of Hook's back, but decided not to post it.
If you remember the post about the squeaking penguin stuffed toy from the Newport Aquarium, you will know why these penguins below were a hit with the boys. Jordan was ecstatic. LOL Who can blame him? They were very cute.
And who wouldn't want to see Buzz, Woody and all the gang from Toy Story? The boys are a little old for them, or they think they are. We all loved the vintage cars though.

And then who should come along but Ariel, a Disney Princess. Of course the boys are at the age when they think Disney Princesses are gross, but they really did enjoy seeing all of them. They just won't admit it. LOL

And Jordan's favorite Disney character - none other than Pluto himself. The crowd had a lot of fun interacting with him.

And what boy wouldn't love Pinnochio? He came right up to us. The boys enjoyed seeing him.
And of course no Disney Parade would be complete without Snow White. The evil stepmother was also in the parade.

And finally, the stars of the parade. Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Don't you love that vintage car?
Here is another shot of Mickey and Minnie. And Brandon's favorite Disney character, Donald Duck was in the car with him. Believe it or not, Goofy was driving.

I hope you have enjoyed the Disney MGM Studios Parade. I will post more about this day of our vacation in a few days.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe and warm. ~Blessings, Mary~

Friday Show and Tell

It's Show and Tell Friday and today I'd like to show you one of the headvases that I've collected over the years. I call her my southern belle. She is perfect in every way. The beautiful applied roses on her hat and dress set off her outfit. Her face is pleasant with painted eyelashes and a rosy glow to her cheeks. She has a beautiful rosebud mouth.

The inside of the vase is clean and I don't think she has ever been used for flowers. She is one of many headvases that I've collected over the years. The first was one that my grandmother gave me when I had my appendectomy in 1962. I fell in love with headvases and over the years have picked up ones that caught my eye.

Hubby and I have made a decision to get rid of some of the dust collectors in our home. Over 19 years together, we have accumulated way too much stuff. So my southern belle is now for sale in my Ebay store.

There is a time in our lives when we need to clear out the clutter from our homes and this is it for us. I will miss her in a way but whoever purchases her will get many years of enjoyment out of her, just as I have.

Show and Tell Friday is hosted by Kelli at There is No Place Like Home. If you'd like to participate, please follow the link to her site. It's fun and easy.

Michele at Writing the Cyber Highway has tagged me for a meme Procrastination Roadblocks and How to get Around Them. The meme originated at Rebecca Laffar-Smith, at Writer's Round About. Let's see if I can do this.

1. As far as my writing is concerned, there are times when I just do not feel like writing. Yet a deadline is always looming in the distance. Sometimes I get my writing done far ahead of time. At others, I just keep putting it off. For me the deadline is what finally pushes me to push procrastination to one side and get down to business.

2. I have several blogging friends who are a great inspiration to me. When something that I dislike doing needs to be done I visit their websites and read a post or two. The inspiration that I find on these blogs gets me moving and before I know it, the job is done.

3. Quiet time is something that I require in order to function at a normal level. Once I have my quiet time, I can usually tackle anything.

4. Hobbies are a great inspiration. If I am procrastinating, sometimes I will take an hour to do a hobby. Right now I'm making the boys a scrapbook of our vacation. Just an hour of working on the scrapbooks can inspire me to tackle tasks I'd rather not do.

5. Take a few minutes to enjoy a cup of tea. Green tea or a cup of herbal tea is definitely relaxing. After a refreshing cup of tea I seem to have more energy to take on tasks that need to be done.

6. Spend time with the grandsons. The boys can get Grandma moving. When I look at the world through their eyes, it gives me a different and more positive outlook on life. My grandsons are often a source of my inspiration.

7. Read the Bible or pray for someone in need. God's Word is a great way to become inspired and praying for those who are in need inspires me to do the best that I can do.

Now I am to tag some people. Here are my choices:

Karen at Karen's Korner

Mama Bear at Bears in Exile

Lori at Pink Faded Roses

That is enough tagging. If anyone else would like to do the meme, you are most welcome. If you decide to participate, please leave a comment so I can read your list.

Have a wonderful weekend and be safe on the roads and enjoy time with your family.

~Blessings, Mary~

National Tea Month and Presenting of Awards

Did you know that January is National Tea Month in the USA? I had no clue until I read it on several blogs. Since I'm a tea lover, this got me thinking about tea and it's healing properties, so I did a search on Go*ogle and what I found was most interesting.

First of all, we all know tea is a diuretic. Yes, it removes the excess water from your body. But there were other facts that were quite fascinating.

If you suffer from Type 2 diabetes, you might be interested to know that green tea can help control blood glucose levels. If your blood glucose levels have high peaks and low dips, green tea can aid in leveling them out, as can cinnamon. Green tea is also known for its cancer fighting capabilities and is believed to aid in weight loss.

For centuries different types of tea has been used for medicinal purposes. Centuries ago, tea was also a status symbol. Only the rich and wealthy were able to afford tea. In 1666, tea sold in Holland for $80 a pound, and of course we've all heard of the Boston Tea Party that took place in Boston Harbor prior to the American Revolution.

I hope you have enjoyed learning a bit about tea. One word of caution! Before using tea medicinally, be sure to contact your doctor.

And now to hand out a couple of awards. The Make My Day Award was presented to me by both Deena of Can I Be Pretty in Pink and Virginia of Small Reflections. Thank you so much, Ladies. You certainly did make my day with this beautiful award and you make my day everyday with your lovely comments and cheerful attitudes. I am honored that I bring brightness into your lives.

I would like to present the Make My Day Award to the following people:

Lori at Pink Faded Roses

Carolyn at Talk to Grams

Anni at Hootin' Anni's

Lady Di at Kitty Justice

Betty at Country Charm

Thank you, Ladies, for bringing brightness and cheer into my lives as I visit you. Your blogs are beautiful and bring such a positive attitude into the world.

The award below was presented to me by Hootin' Anni. She is such a dear. We visit each other on almost a daily basis. Anni's blog always brings a smile to my face. She has such a positive outlook on life. Thank you, Anni. I'm honored.

I would like to present this award to the following people:

Marcel at Sitka Daily Photo

Willow at Willow's Cottage

Pea at Pea's Corner

Mary at Isabella's Closet

Deena at Can I Be Pretty in Pink?

All of the people above go out of their way to make their blogs unique in a special way. Thanks to all of you. I always enjoy visiting.

I could go on and on with the people whose blogs I love to visit, but I limit myself to five recipients of every award that I pass on. Sometimes I chose to give an award to everyone. However, this time I wanted to mention these people who make the blogging world a great experience for their readers.

Have a great weekend and stay safe. ~Blessings, Mary~

Giveaway Winner, Book Review and Other News

And the winner of the Valentine/200th post giveaway is.....................

Well, before I tell you, let's take a look at all the names that were entered in the draw. As people posted, I wrote their names down on three-ring paper - every other line. There were a lot of you and I was so happy that so many had entered. Thank you!

Then I cut them up and at 6am this morning, I asked hubby to draw a name. First he mixed them up really well..........

Then he drew the name of the winner. And the winner is ....... drum roll, please......

Brandy at Mommy's Quiet Spot. Please drop in and congratulate Brandy for winning her first ever giveaway. Brandy, I will need your name and mailing address as soon as possible so you will receive this beautiful pink box before Valentine's Day.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter by commenting on my post. I always enjoy hearing from my friends and readers.

Our weather yesterday was nasty and dangerous. Highway 401 was littered with cars that had run into whiteouts while going too fast. At Woodstock, Ontario, about an hour and a half drive from Toronto, over 40 cars were in a pile up and east of Toronto at Belleville, there was another accident that involved cars and tractor trailers. Whiteout conditions were at their worst and part of the 401 was closed for hours.

Here, we couldn't see across the street. I haven't seen such bad conditions for years. The roads were covered in snow and were very slippery. Black ice was a danger to motorists. I have no statistics on injuries or fatalities, but I do know that at least one person was airlifted to hospital. Another man was trapped in his car for a half hour and many motorists were standing beside their cars in the frigid temperature.

Remember, if you're traveling in a snow storm, be alert and keep your speed down. The Ontario Provincial Police are blaming the accidents on speed and inclement weather. Arrive Alive! Reduce your speed in adverse weather conditions.

I have just finished reading Danielle Steel's Echoes. I used to be a big Danielle Steel fan, but had drifted away from her stories. Since I am taking part in the history reading challenge for 2008, I thought this one looked interesting. Though it wasn't on my list, I wanted to read it and checked it out of the library.

In the book, the guns of WWI boom in the distance for the Wittgenstein family during the summer of 1915. The oldest daughter, Beata, a Jewish beauty, travels to Geneva with her family and falls in love with a young French officer by the sparkling waters of Lake Geneva.

Beata's family is strongly against the young couple being together as her love is a French officer. Not only is he not Jewish, but he is Catholic. Beata follows her heart and leaves home to marry her love, which causes her to be banned by her family. They sit shiva for her, as to them she is essentially dead.

The young newlyweds create a life of their own and hide the fact that Beata is Jewish from everyone, including their daughters. But the guns of war loom again and Beata is frightened for her family. Even her daughter, Amadea, a Catholic nun, is in danger because of her Jewish ancestry.

As her mother, sister and friends vanish into the death camps, Amadea goes into hiding. Found by the Nazis and taken to a concentration camp, Amadea begins a horrifying journey of survival when she escapes from the camp and is found by the French Resistance.

The story of Amadea and her family is set against a vivid backdrop of history and the horrors of being Jewish in Europe during WWII. This is the harrowing story of betrayal, love and war that will keep you turning pages to find out if Amadea survives.

On a much lighter note, my friend, Tammy, let me know that today was National Pie Day. How delicious. Grandma could make the best pie in the world. She made every kind of pie - date, raisin, apple, blueberry, cherry, lemon and more. So here is Grandma's recipe for apple pie, only I will give you the recipe that I use.

Grandma made her own pie crust from scratch. For some reason I never was able to make it come out right and it was very frustrating. I don't make pie often, but once in a while for hubby. I have diabetes, so unless I use Spl*nda or some other artificial sweetner, I can't eat much of it. So this is what I do.

Grandma always used Tenderflake lard to make her pies and Tenderflake pre-made pie crusts are available at the grocery store, so I buy those. I know it's cheating but it's so much faster and I don't have to go through the frustration with the crust.

Grandma Mary's Apple Pie

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

Mix brown sugar and flour together. Place half of the mixture in a pie crust.

Wash, peel and slice Spy apples, or another type of baking apple until the pie plate is heaping.

When you have the apples sliced into the crust, add the remaining brown sugar/flour mixture.

Loosen the other pie crust from the tin plate and carefully place it on top of the apples.

Use a pastry wheel and a bit of warm water to seal the crusts together.

Trim.

Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the apples are tender when you insert a knife. Serve piping hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Mouth watering delicious.