WELCOME TO THANKFUL THURSDAY - JULY 29, 2010

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HELLO SWEET PEAS

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HOPE YOUR DAY IS GOING WELL.

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MINE IS GOING FAST, I KNOW THAT.....
BECAUSE I WOKE UP AT 4:30 A.M., WITH
MY NECJ HURTING AGAIN, AND COULDN'T 
GET BACK TO SLEEP, SO I GOT UP FOR AWHILE 
AND DIDN'T GET BACK TO SLEEP TILL
 ABOUT 7:30, SO I SLEPT LATE!!
  HATE WHEN I HAVE TO DO THAT..., SO IT
 HASN'T BEEN A REAL PRODUCTIVE DAY
IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!

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AMAZING THAT WHEN I WENT TO BED I
WAS MARVELING THAT I FELT LIKE MY NECK
 AND ARM WAS 98% BACK TO NORMAL AND
THOUGHT I CAN PUT THAT AS ONE OF MY 
THANKFUL'S TOMORROW.  SO EVEN THO 
IT IS STILL ACTING UP
 I AM THANKFUL 
#1
THAT THE LORD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING
EVEN WHEN I DON'T, AND EVEN THO IT IS A
BIT DISHEARTENING AT LEAST TYLENOL
AND COLD ICE COLLARS HELP GREATLY.
JUST TOOK MY ICE COLLAR OFF AND IT
FEELS BETTER ALREADY
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#2
I AM THANKFUL TO GOD

FOR SUNSHINE, IT GIVES US VITAMIN D
 AND BOOSTS OUR MELATONIN LEVELS.
I JUST CAME IN FROM SITTING IN THE
SUN, FOR 10 MINS. FOLKS, THAT IS ABOUT
ALL THIS WOMAN CAN TAKE AT ONCE.
BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT WHEN I GET
 KIND OF COLD SOAKED FROM THE A/C
THAT THE SUN JUST BECKONS TO ME
"COME AND SIT ASPELL"
AND WHEN I GIVE IN....... IT FEELS
 ABSOLUTELY GLORIOUS

FOR ABOUT THE FIRST 5 MINUTES!! LOL
IT JUST MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD
ALL OVER, SO WORTH THAT 10 MINUTES.
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#3

I AM THANKFUL

FOR CONTENTMENT.  I REALLY AM SO
CONTENT, HAPPY AND BLESSED WITH
MY LIFE.  ALBEIT, TOOK ME SOME TIME 
TO GET ADJUSTED TO AN EMPTY NEST,
I AM LOVING THIS SEASON OF LIFE.

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#4

I AM THANKFUL

FOR ANOTHER VISIT FROM THE ANIMAL

KINGDOM YESTERDAY.  THIS TIME IT WAS
 A CUTE LIL ARMADILLO OUTBACK DIGGING 
IN THE MULCH.  TRIED TO GET A PIC OF HIM
BUT SCARED HIM CAUSE I HAD TEMPORARY 
AMNESIA, FORGOT ALL ABOUT THE ZOOM!!
DUH!!!!

AND HE WAS SO ADORABLE.........

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#5

I AM THANKFUL

FOR SWEET UNEXPECTED SURPRISES.

THE YOUNG COUPLE WE HAVE BEEN WORKING

WITH WAS HERE AGAIN LAST NIGHT, AND WHEN

THEY WERE LEAVING THEY GAVE US A PRECIOUS

THANK YOU CARD ALONG WITH A CARABBA'S

GIFT CARD.  THAT WAS SO THOUGHTFUL AND

VERY SPECIAL TO US, BECAUSE THEY ARE SUCH

A JOY TO WORK WITH AND SUCH AN
 INSPIRATION TO US.

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#6

I AM THANKFUL  

FOR A NEW DEVOTIONAL BOOK I AM

READING.  IT WAS WRITTEN BY A YOUNG 

LADY WHO IS BETWEEN THE AGE OF
 30-33 YRS OLD. SHE USED TO BE IN A
 COLLEGE/CAREER GROUP WE USED TO HELP 
LEAD.  THIS LIL GAL HAS BEEN THRU SO 
MANY PHYSICAL TRIALS IN THE PAST

4-5 YEARS OR SO, AND I MEAN DEBILATATING

 STUFF.  SHE HAS WHAT THEY CALL AN

 ENVIRIONMENTAL ILLNESS, AND SHE IS

 ALLERGIC TO EVERYTHING IMAGINABLE,

BUT SHE HAS WRITTEN A TREMENDOUS BOOK,

AND IS WORKING ON A 2ND ONE AT PRESENT.

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THIS LIL GIRL IS WISE BEYOND HER YEARS,

SHE IS A MISSIONARY KID, AS WELL.  GOD

IS REALLY USING HER IN SPITE OF HER

SICKNESS, IN FACT, HER DEVOTIONALS

ARE AN HONEST LOOK AT HOW SHE HAS 

FELT AND WHAT SHE HAS HAD TO DEAL

WITH, BUT WITHOUT A SHREAD OF "OH

POOR ME", AND WITH A VERY STRONG

LEANING ON HER LORD.  I HIGHLY

RECOMMEND IT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU

HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS, BUT TRULY

IT IS GREAT FOR ANYONE.

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IT IS CALLED "GRACE IN TIME OF NEED"
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE
SUFFERING

BY JOANNA HARRIS

YOU CAN PURCHASE IT ONLINE FOR $10

 CLICK HERE

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BELIEVE ME, YOU WANT REGRET IT!!

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#7

I AM THANKFUL

FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO BETTER

KNOW A COUPLE FROM OUR CHURCH AS

WE WENT TO DINNER AT THEIR HOME LAST 

WEEKEND.  WE HAVE KNOWN THEM MOSTLY

FROM BEING IN SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES

 WE HAVE TAUGHT.  SO IT WAS NEAT TO REALLY

GET A CHANCE TO TALK AT LENGTH AND

GREAT TO SEE HOW WELL GROUNDED

 THEY ARE IN GOD'S WORD.  THEY ARE REAL

SWEETIES, AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME

WITH THEM.

#8

I AM THANKFUL
FOR ANOTHER NEAT  AND FUN SURPRISE.

WE DISCOVERED THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY

WATCH EPISODES OF HGTV ON THE COMPUTER.

I LOVE HGTV BUT WE DON'T HAVE CABLE,

SO IT IS A BIG TREAT WHEN WE GO SOMEWHERE
THAT HAS CABLE AND GET TO WATCH IT.
THAT IS MOSTLY WHEN WE ARE ABLE 
TO GO TO THE BEACH FOR A WEEK,
WE LOVE WATCHING HGTV,ANIMAL
 PLANET, AND DISCOVER CHANEL  . 
 NOW THIS STAYCATION 
WILL DEFINTELY 
 FEEL MORE LIKE VACATION!!  LOL

#9

I AM THANKFUL
FOR THE COMPUTER.  NOW I HAVE TO SAY
I HAVEN'T ALWAYS FELT THAT WAY, UP UNTIL
 ABOUT THE LAST 10 YEARS I REALLY DIDN'T LIKE
 IT MUCH, I FOUND IT SCARY.  BEGAN TO LIKE IT
WHEN MY HUBBY HAD TO BE IN GERMANY OFF
AND ON, ONE SUMMER, BECAUSE I COULD EMAIL
HIM ANYTIME OF THE DAY I WANTED WHILE HE
WAS AT WORK, THEN ABOUT 5-6 YEARS AGO I 
STARTED TO LEARN TO MAKE GREETING CARDS 
TO SEND MY MOM WHO HAD TO BE IN A 
NURSING HOME UP IN N.W. FLORIDA., THEN
I LEARNED TO USE PHOTOSHOP TO MAKE
GRAPHICS FOR MY CARDS, STILL LEARNING,
THEN I FOUND I COULD GET THESE NEAT
 EMAILS FROM BETTER HOMES AND
 GARDENS AND RECIPES FROM KRAFT FOODS,
THEN OUR SWEET FRIEND BECKY FROM
OVER AT HOLIDAY IN THE SUN INTRODUCED
ME TO BLOGGING, (HUBBY HAD ALREADY
MENTIONED IT BUT I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT IT WAS).  I STARTED READING BECKY'S 
BLOG AND SHE WAS TELLING ME ALL THE
 FUN SHE WAS HAVING AND ALL THE NEAT
LADIES SHE WAS MEETING, SO I DECIDED TO 
GIVE IT A TRY TOO.  WHAT AN AWESOME
AND SWEET SURPRISE AND BLESSING IT
HAS BEEN TO MY LIFE.

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#10
I AM THANKFUL
WE ARE GOING OUT TONIGHT TO DO SOME
 FOOD SHOPPING AND TO DINNER.  IT HAS
 BEEN AWHILE, SO I AM REALLY LOOKING
 FORWARD TO IT.
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#11
I AM THANKFUL
THAT WE CAN DO OUR WALKING EXERCISE
IN THE MALL WHERE IT IS NICE AND COOL.
IT IS JUST ANOTHER DIFFERENT WAY
TO GET HER DONE,  THAT MAKES IT FUN!!
HEY, I AM A POET AND DIDN'T KNOW IT!! LOL
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#12
I AM THANKFUL
THAT HUBBY FOUND 3 MORE JOBS TO APPLY
FOR THAT ARE CLOSE TO HOME.
WHO KNOWS ONE OF THESE MIGHT BE HIS!!
YA NEVER KNOW!!
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WELL, SWEET ENCOURAGERS
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HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND,
SEE YA ON SUNDAY............
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LOVE, BLESSINGS, HUGS AND
LOADS OF SUMMER FUN TO YOU!!
NELLIE


OH.............
AND WHAT ARE YOU 
THANKFUL FOR 
TODAY!!!

Cran/raspberry Chicken Salad recipe with poppy seed dressing

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Evening Sweeties, 

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Does that opening pic make you hungry??

  It does me and I just ate not to long ago.

That's because I know what a scrumptiously

 delicious salad it is!!

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Thought you might like to know too!!

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Sure hope you have had a great day!!

our's was cloudy and rainy,  but our

yard so needed that quick but heavy

downpour,  it looks sooooo happy now!!

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Our couple will be here soon,  so figured

I would try to get a lil typing in before they

arrived.  So guess I will get on with the

recipe.

Cran/Raspberry Chicken Salad recipe

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Romaine lettuce

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Purple onion (or white)

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Mozzarella cheese shredded

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dried cranberries

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Chicken breast slivers

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fresh raspberries

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pecans, coarsely chopped

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This is like a whole dinner salad that you

would maybe have crackers or rolls with and

a beverage.  It is wonderful for summer.

Easy,  no heat in the kitchen,  and

did I mention yummy yum!!

Anyway, after preparing and cutting or

tearing the lettuce,  I put it on, however

many dinner plates of salad you want

 to make.  Then I add all the rest of the

ingredients in the order in which they

are listed above.

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Now you will need to make some poppy seed dressing.

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Poppy Seed Dressings Recipe

click here for Poppy Seed Dressing recipe

I know it says Country French Chicken,

and that recipe is on there too,  but scroll

all the way to the bottom and you will

find the Poppy Seed Dressing recipe.

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The salad that I modeled this after was

a salad from Bob Evans called a cranberry

Chicken salad with feta cheese,  they used

a sweet Italian Dressing, and it was delicious

but since I already had a poppy seed dressing

recipe I just decided to use that,  and we

loved it!!

Well,  Hope you enjoy this recipe,  I will

be totally shocked if you don't!!

Course,  you have to like fruit and some

sweetness to your salad or you might

not like it.

See ya tomorrow!!

Blessings and Hugs,

Nellie

It's Table Top Tuesday

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Hello there Sweet Friends

and 

Welcome to Table Top Tuesday.

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Hope this day finds you well and happy!!
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Thought it was time for a fun day!
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 The above picture is my before shot, 

 rather simple and unexciting,  but worked in
 between times, of other table centerpieces
 that have been there this spring.

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Decided to switch a few things around

 for Summer,  so this is what I did in the 

dining room.

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The 2 end pitchers were on the hearth of

the fireplace,  but I had seen on someone
else's blog where they had 3 beautiful
pitchers  on their table with nothing else.
So loved how it looked and decided to
give it a try.
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At first I had them on top of a large

square of fabric that matched my
curtains,  but the square was not
big enough and the pitchers were
too close together and just didn't
look good.
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Then I decided they needed to be spread

out to look nice but didn't want to put them
on the glass top because it could scratch
the glass but didn't have a table runner
that would go,  so took the existing table
cloth and turned it upside down and then
folded it.  then had hubby help me turn
it over, and wellah........an extra long
table runner.  Works for me!!
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The pitchers look so much nicer spread out.
Then I have been wanting to add some shells
for summer,  so I broke out all my shells and
looked for my largest and prettiest.
Which you have seen already..........

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Loved this shot with a photoshop gradient affect.

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Decided the one shell  on the left was just

not quite large enough so decided to

swap it out for this one below.

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Think it  looks better because it is larger
and you can see it easier.
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The  pic has a posterized affect.

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Then I decided to take the roses out
cause I know some of you like a much
simpler look,  so thought I would let  you
see it like that as well.
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It looks nice that way too,  but  with our
decor the romance and elegance
 of the roses in out!!
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Don't you just love starfish,  they are
so cute!!
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Just an extra shot with a photoshop affect,
this is equalized and posterized.
I love that it made the pitchers have that
irredescent look.
Be sure to click on the pic and enlarge
 it cause you can see the affect so much
better
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Well Sweet Folks,
See ya tomorrow!!
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Also, Please forgive me.... but, I totally
 forgot  yesterday,  
For those of you who are following the
pray for our nation challenge
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our scripture reading for this week
is Psalm 73,  and we are to pray for
God to open the eyes of our fellow
Americans.
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Hope you have a Wonderful Tuesday,
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Blessings Abundant,
Nellie


Oh my goodness.......... Here it is 11 p.m. and
I realized forgot to tell you to go over and
 visit Marty at a stroll thru life to see all the
 other creative table top vignettes.
Click here

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If I get anymore forgetful I just don't know
what might happen !!  lol

Even with all the aggravation, It really is a Happy Monday!!

(From Better Homes and Gardens)

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Happy Monday

Dear Hearts.............

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Hope you all had a delightful and restful

weekend,  and that your Monday has

been good as well.

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Our weekend was fun,  but my today has

been a lil annoying!! lol

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You see I had a bone density test in Feb.

of 2009,  and it was supposed to be paid

at 100% because it was part of my annual

physical,  well,  because of the way the

imaging place coded it,  they keep trying

to charge us for it.  If I only had a $l.00 for

all the time I have spent on the phone with

the imaging place and the Insurance company,

I wouldn't be rich,  but I think I could probably

buy a few dinners out or maybe a few outfits.

Seriously!!  

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The last 2 times I have thought it was all

resolved well it reared it's ugly head again,

this time they sent it to a collection agency,

I was just a tad aggravated about that since

I have been working with them all this time.

We had been notified by our Insurance

that they were paying it and much to our

happiness we thought it was over until

we got this letter on Saturday.

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Anyway, the plan of attack was to get ahold

of the Imaging place to check to see if it

was paid, and then to call the Collection

Agency.  So you might know I could not

locate the last paper I rec'd from the Ins.

Company saying they paid it,  and I didn't

want to call without it,  but as I was looking

for it I was praying and hubby said remember

you moved something somewhere a few

weeks back,  and I thought oh yea,  so I

went and looked and there it was right

on top.   Yeah!!

That made me feel better,  Shew!

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But Frankly,  I was not wanting to tackle it today, 

 I just did not feel like it, 

 cause I am soooooooo over it!!

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So I prayed and then  I called..........

the Imaging Place said I had a zero balance,

Praise His name!!

So they are suppose to call off the Collection

dogs,  and I called the Collection agency as

well to tell them to make a note that I called

and said we had a zero balance per the

Imaging place, and that they were suppose

to call them to clear it up!!

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Now if this sleeping dog will just lay down

and die!! It would make me an

 even happier woman!!  lol

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But Friday if I don't hear anything back

I will check to see for sure if he......

 is really dead this time!!

I'll be sure to let you know when the

funeral is!!  lol

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But we also got another new Insurance

woe to deal with as well,  so I called

the Dr. office about it,  and it seems

like it might go easy,  oh,  pray for easy!!

Please!!  lol

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I am really becoming good friends with

the automated phone system,  since I

spend so much time with it!!  lol

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Anyway,  our weekend was great,  we

had a lot of fun,  watching a movie and

playing cards, and we went to someones

house for din din on Sat. night and I

took this for dessert!!

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Now this is what it was supposed to look like........

and I have made it a number of times before and

it did look like that,  but as life would have it

since I was taking it somewhere,  it looked like

a mess,  should have taken a pic but I was too

busy trying to figure out what I could do to 

keep it from looking so awful!

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This is called berry upside down cake.

So when I turned it upside down on the

platter it looked great at first,  but a lil

while later I came back to put the frosting

on and it had sunk in the middle like a crater!!

Great!!

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I thought that maybe I had turned it onto

the platter too soon,  and then the platter

kind of slopes so that was what did it.

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I put the drizzle frosting on,  then tried to

cover the crater as much as possible,

by putting the fresh fruit over it,  and

it didn't look too bad.

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  When it came out

of the oven it was a lovely golden brown

and you could see the edges were done

good but when we cut into it,  the middle

was not done and kind of goey.  Never

had that happen before,  but I had never

used frozen berries before either.  At 

least that is what I think might have happened.

I did rinse them in hot water and dry them

off before I put them in the bottom of the

pan,  but we think that maybe because they

were still a lil cold it inhibited the heat or

something..... who knows!!

What a disaster cake!!  

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I used to apologize for that stuff but guess

I am growing up,  I thought so what......

.everybody makes something bad at times.

And this was my time!!

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I seriously do think I am cursed in this

cake making stuff cause my cakes just

never seem to rise the way other peoples

do,  but this is the one cake that usually

works for me.

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I may just give up on cakes all together,

or at least I will definitely test it the next

time,  it looked so golden brown and

all  and it has always come out perfect

before so didn't think I needed to, learned

a valuable lesson...........always test the

cake for doneness!!  lol

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Wonder if the Lord is testing me for

doneness!!  Ya Think??  

Hope I am thoroughly done,  complete

and lacking nothing,  oh wouldn't that

be great!!  lol

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Sunday was a fun day too,  Sunday 

school and church talking with friends

after,  our  weekly indulgence,  a chocolate

Elvis,  had lunch,  read the paper some,

took a long nap,  and went back to

church for an ice cream social send off

for a young lady that is in her late 20's

who is going to Iraq as a missionary

nurse.  Then after we ran to Target

to get a couple of things and to Kohl's

 to look around.  I have 2 gift cards

I can use,  but I can never find anything

I want really.  Well, I did get a pair

of sandals for $8.00. last week.

They were nice.

It was just fun to do something different!!

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Hopefully I will get to share that salad

I was telling you about on Thankful

Thursday probably on Wednesday!!

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We just had another new one for dinner

tonight,  it was really good too,

so maybe I will share it next week.

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Have a truly blessed evening Dearies,

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Make someone smile!!

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Blessings and Hugs,

Nellie

Have a Hopeful Sunday!!

(from a Better homes and garden mag,  I think)

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Sweet Sunday Morning

to you, Dear Hearts,

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Hi,  hope you are having a good weekend

so far.  Ours has been fun!!  Will tell you 

about it on Monday,  since it is now 12:13 P.M.

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Hubby and I came across this wonderfully

encouraging scripture this week in our reading

so he suggested I use it for my post today

in case there is a parent who might be in

need of some encouragement.

Good Idea!!

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It is found in Jeremiah 31:16-17

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 Stop your crying and wipe away your tears.

 All that you have done for your children will not

 go unrewarded;

  they will return from the enemy's land.

 There is hope for your future; your children

 will come back home. I, the Lord, have spoken.

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You have a hopeful Sunday Dear Friends!!

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Love, Blessings and Hugs Abundant,

Nellie