Post – Page 124 – hugsnblessings

cause i’m happy!

Published on February 8, 2016 by Dawn Marie8 Comments

it’s the monday giggles….

Ahem….

It may be a tad pre-mature, but the weather is so wonderfully unseasonable I’ve decided it’s officially time for my (drumroll…) Annual Spring joke!

(giggle.)

What is invisible and smells like worms?

(giggle…giggle.)

BIRD FARTS!!!!

(giggles!!!)

“I’ve told you a hundred times Dawn…you’re FUN, not FUNNY.” Thunder

Okay, so admittedly I’m not very good at telling jokes.

HOWEVER…

I AM HAPPIER THAN I DESERVE

AND

I DON’T CARE

HOW MUCH I SHOW IT!

AND i do always hope-ity hope everyone will join in the joy right beside me!

(giggle…giggle…& giggle.)

“Have the courage to be happy!”

Pope Francis at World Youth Day 2012

In what has been tagged ‘Pope Francis’ 10 Commandments for a Happy Life,’ he stressed his motto of ‘Live and let live’ as the main ingredient for a happy life!

Here’s the list of the Pope’s guidelines to happiness, according to a Catholic News Service translation of his interview:

1. “Live and let live.”

2. “Be giving of yourself to others…If you withdraw into yourself, you run the risk of becoming egocentric…And stagnant water becomes putrid.”

3. “Proceed calmly [in life].”

4. “A healthy sense of leisure…Consumerism has brought us anxiety, [causing us to lose a] healthy culture of leisure.” [At this point, the pope also urged families to turn off the TV when they’re eating together.]

5. “Sunday is for family.”

6. “We need to be creative with young people. If they have no opportunities, they will get into drugs.”

7. “[Environmental degradation] is one of the biggest challenges we have. I think a question that we’re not asking ourselves is: ‘Isn’t humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate and tyrannical use of nature?”

8. “Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. That means, ‘I feel so low that instead of picking myself up I have to cut others down.’ Letting go of negative things quickly is healthy.”

9. “We can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in communicating. But the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes: ‘I am talking to you in order to persuade you.’ No. Each person dialogues, starting with his and her own identity. The church grows by attraction, not proselytizing.”

10. “We are living in a time of many wars, [and] the call for peace must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive.”

(giggles.)

I just love our Papa!

And through Sacred Scripture, I believe God affirms what Pope Francis is saying! Here are a few of my personal favorites, which take me to my happy place.

(giggle.)

John 16:33 – I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Revelation 21:4 – And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things have passed away.

1 John 4:8 – He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things in him who strengthens me.

Exodus 14:14 – The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be still.

Romans 8:28 – We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are the called according to his purpose.

Lots to smile about!

Lots to be happy for!

Praise, praise, praising Him,

all the more!!

And then of course there’s this little blessing to be happy & giggly over!

hugs n’ blessings to all those “courageous enough to be happy!!”

*Music by Pharrell Williams.

i will ‘to-do’ it!

Published on February 1, 2016February 1, 2016 by Dawn Marie5 Comments

it’s the monday giggles…

Our daughter is getting married this year.

Hence, Emily Post (the queen of etiquette,) has become my new BFF.

And even though we have never met…

I love Emily!

She keeps me on track. She keeps me motivated.

She answers my questions when I do not know what to do!

And even when I may decide not to follow her sound advice (which is often,) she continues to applaud my efforts in this mother-of-the-bride role.

Yes, I love Emily!

Because she approves of our daughter’s glitter and sparkle and most definately understands the important etiquette of bedazzling one’s straight-jacket too!

Here is the first piece of wisdom she shared with me:

“Great news: Your daughter or son is getting married!

Before you do anything else, take a moment to savor the thrill of this great news.

Finished? Good. Now roll up your sleeves—because whether you are deeply involved in every aspect of planning the wedding or the bride and groom prefer to rely on you as a sounding board while making the major decisions themselves, it’s likely that you’re going to find yourself juggling the roles of adviser, therapist, communications hub, and trouble-shooter. You’ll need to be able to:

Keep the planning process on track without nagging.
Offer guidance without being pushy.
And be a rock of supportive encouragement—even if you disagree with the couple on a particular decision.

All this, of course, is in addition to any specific parental responsibilities that you take on, such as throwing an engagement party, spreading the word about gift registries, contributing to the guest list, bonding with your daughter or son’s new in-laws, arranging a bridal shower, negotiating sticky family situations, and welcoming guests at the big event itself.”

Now…if I could simply get my new BFF Emily “to actually to-do-it-too!”

We watched her play in the sandbox,

lose her first tooth,

go on her first date,

graduate from high school

and

live on her own for the very first time.

Now our little girl isn’t so little anymore — and she’s getting married!

And so we’ve been reliving the memorable moments in her life with fondness and looking forward to the days ahead as our daughter becomes a wife …

and maybe one day, God willing, even a mother.

I hopity-hope Emily still approves of glitter for that too!

hugs n’ blessings filled with the kind of fondness that sticks to your heart

like glitter on paper!

january’s last bite!

Published on January 26, 2016February 7, 2016 by Dawn Marie10 Comments

Yes Helen,

now we can bake.

January’s Cookie will be:

The Pepparkakor!

The Pepparkakor is a Swedish Cookie we learned to bake when our daughter, like many other young girls her age, was an admirer of The American Girl Doll Collection. Always inquisitive our daughter was more obsessed with trying to learn as much as she could about each of the dolls in the collection, than her desire to own one! (Although she did, after two years of deciding which was the ‘one for her,’ place Samantha on her birthday wish list.) Through her searches in libraries, book stores, and The American Girl Doll Catalog she discovered so many wonderful historical and cultural things, even the foods they would have eaten in their time period and world location. And this is exactly how we discovered the Pepparkakor cookie, where the recipe was tucked into a cookbook of an American Girl doll!

Pepparkakor Cookies

1 cup butter, 3 1/4 cups flour, 2 tea baking soda, 2 tea cinnamon, 1 tea ginger, 1/2 tea ground cloves, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 egg, 2 tab maple syrup, 1 tab water

Soften the butter. Measure the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves into a sifter. Sift ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Set the bowl aside.
Put the sugar and softened butter into a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to press together & stir. Add the egg, maple syrup, and water to the butter & sugar mixture. Beat until fluffy.
Stir the dry ingredients into the mixture 1 cup at a time. Mix well after each cup.
Cover the bowl with a plate, and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour to make the dough easier to roll out and handle.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Have ungreased cookie sheets ready to use.
Sprinkle flour onto a table or counter. Divide the dough into 2 balls. Try to make the piece about 1/8 inch thick.
Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes . Put the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are lightly browned on the bottom. Watch the cookies carefully. They burn easily!