Swinging!

Yes, Brooke and I have been taking swing dancing classes once per week!

We are learning East Coast Swing. Our goal is to advance and learn Lindy Hop as well. I cannot begin to tell you how much I absolutely LOVE doing this! It is so fun!!! During the lessons, everyone switches partners about every 45 seconds. Where we are attending, the 1/2 hour lessons are only $5.00 per person. That also admits you for 2 1/2 hours of dancing after the lesson is over. About 150 people attend. We look forward to doing this all week long! We took my granddaughter, Gracie (age 8) with us a few weeks ago. She loved it too and is looking forward to going with us again this week. It is for ages 5 to elderly.

I encourage anyone who has ever wanted to try this to pursue it. Google local swing dance clubs in your area. Also, swing dancing is huge on college campuses. If you live near a college campus, see if they have anything available for the public in the evenings on their campus.

Meet Bailey!

Sleeping Beauties - Aren't they just the cutest!
Bailey

The dog is our newest addition to the family. She found us / we found her over a month ago. Poor lost puppy. We estimate that she is about 7 or 8 months old now. She is a pure bred blue pit bull. She is absolutely the sweetest dog I've ever had or known and loves all people and other animals. Unfortunately our old cat is 'not' a kindred spirit!

I have been consistently trying to find her a home. Naturally, we did everything we could to find her owners first. We live in a tourist area and we think that she somehow separated from her owners who may have been in town for the weekend. Of course, we'll never know the real story. We have named her Bailey. It suits her well. The problem with trying to find her a home is everyone hears the words 'Pit Bull' and they are not interested. Pit Bull's have such a bad reputation. I am trying to work with a few Pit Bull Rescue organizations, but they are volunteer so it is a slow process. I also want her to go to an extremely good home.

Please pray that we find a good home. :)

Natural Remedy!

My husband and I have been so sick for over a week now with a horrible head / chest cold. It was actually more like a cross between the worse cold ever and a light flu. While we are feeling better this past 2 days, the horrendous 24 hour coughing is wiping us out. I can't handle it anymore. Yesterday a dear friend of mine reminded me about her 'natural remedy' for colds and flu. I promptly made it this morning. I have taken 4 doses so far and feel like it is really helping. I am sharing the recipe for anyone who may like to try it next time they have a cold or flu. Naturally, as with anything you would need to make sure that it wouldn't interfere with any prescription drugs you are taking or pre-existing health issues. I would not recommend this for small children.

2 Tbsp. honey

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 large cloves garlic

Mix the above ingredients.

Take 1/2 tsp. every 1/2 hour for up to 4 hours. Then take one dose right before bed time. Do not drink anything for 10 minutes after taking.

Update for this post: It is now evening, and I have hardly coughed at all. Hallelujah! I love this stuff!

I also wanted to add that you take natural remedies at your own risk. Off the top of my head, I know that eating or taking garlic might be a risk if you are taking blood thinning medications. Cayenne may or may not interfere with high blood pressure. Honey might be a problem for those with diabetes or candida, and on the list goes.

Donkey Season is Here Again!

My husband with the donkey

We begin each May with the opening of annual steam engine and logging shows. I always refer to it as the beginning of Donkey Season! This picture is from the first show of the season. Last weekend we took it to the second show; a logging show / festival. Children are fascinated by them and 'love' to pull the chain to blow the whistle! The whistle is deafening.

For those of you who don't know what a steam donkey is: They are a steam powered engine. They are hot and under pressure when fired up and all powerful. During the 1800's draft horses pulled (yarded) felled logs out of the woods. In the late 1800's, the modern invention of the steam donkey replaced the draft horses. Steam donkeys were used in logging until as late as the 1940's.

We have pictures of my husband's grandfather with the steam donkey's he worked with in the early 1900's. His grandfather was a camp superintendent. My husband's father and his siblings grew up in these logging camps. My late father in law took his sons (my husband being his oldest son) to find abandoned steam donkey's in the woods. They hauled them home to our shop and restored them. The one pictured is the one that we use for shows. It is a 9 x 10 Washington Steam Yarder. It is the largest one we have.

My father in law and the boys have done logging jobs with the donkey. There is talk of doing another logging job in the next few years. It is a lot of planning and extra work for my husband. But the boys really do enjoy the logging and it draws steam and old time logging buffs for miles around. Word travels quickly, "The Parsons are logging!"

If interested, here are some links to steam engines:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_donkey

http://www.pacificcohistory.org/steam.htm

Join Your National TEA Party tomorrow!

Just putting the word out to join your local branch of the National TEA PARTY. I pray there is a huge turnout in every city nationwide. I also pray that the mainstream media does in fact, 'widely' cover this issue.

http://www.teapartyday.com/

The Easter Story / Cookies!

Fra Angelico (Florentine painter, c. 1400-1455), "Jesus Appearing to the Magdalene" (Noli me tangere, 1440-41). fresco, Convent of San Marco, Florence.

I like to share this story with others every Easter. This is a wonderful project to do with the younger ones (Your children, grandchildren, neighbor children, etc.) in your life.

EASTER STORY COOKIES

(To be made the evening before Easter)
(Allow plenty of unhurried time for this)
Read Luke – Chapters 23 & 24

You need:

1 Cup Whole Pecans
1 teaspoon Vinegar
3 Egg Whites
Pinch Salt
1 Cup Sugar
Zipper Baggie
Wooden Spoon
Tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place pecans in zipper baggie, and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John. 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add the cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity of souls of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16: Verses 20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

On Easter evening, read Luke, Chapters 23 and 24 again.

My Running Route!

Our very quiet road

Once again, I've been an inconsistent blogger. *sigh*

These pics are my morning running route. Yes, I've been running, biking and walking. I only run till I can run no more, then walk until I catch my breath, then repeat the cycle for 1/2 hour. I have tripled my running distance and am doing this after riding the stationary bike for 1/2 hour. Brooke and I then walk downtown and back home. The trip down the hill to our waterfront and back is about 40 minutes. I'll try to remember the camera to take pics of the waterfront 'and' get them posted. I grew up there and it is indeed beautiful.