My trip to the City

Ahhh the City! 

Just back from my quick trip to the City.

 I have to say it was just so nice to go home, even just for a day or two. It was wonderful to see some of my friends and my mom for her birthday.

I did realize something though, and I must say its kind of a shocker to me, here it is, don't laugh- I don't fit there any more.

I have changed.

Yep guess change is inevitable, but it took me going "home" to see.
I have turned into, Oh fiddlesticks...a frappin Country Girl!
There I said it, I am that Girl.
One of those people who love open spaces, the sound of wildlife, fresh air...
bother, how did THAT happen?

I really didn't like the traffic, the noise, or wondering if I should be taking the incontinent dog out to pee for the 100 Th time in my PJ's.

I also realized I really, really miss my friends.
Coming back was hard to do. I didn't get to see everyone.

But once I was here I was happy to be back, I was glad to see my big oaf of a dog. The crazy chickens and my tail waging ducks. Ah life is good.
Before you know it I will be a real live granola, for real, not kidding.

But then again I am allergic to granola so I can't really see that happening. Gulp!

Hebrews 13:8 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Fudge Pops

MAKES 8

  Yummmy!

 

I am craving chocolate fudgsicles, so I looked up this recipe and will be trying it tonight for sure. So no sad faces if this does not work for you because it has not been "Country Girl" tested yet! :-)
Hope you enjoy!

Celebrate summer with this revamped version of classic fudgsicles. They're easy to make and fun to eat. If you don’t have plastic Popsicle molds, use small paper cups and wooden sticks (sold in craft stores and online).
3 cups unsweetened lite coconut milk
½ cup honey or agavé nectar, extra to taste
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons arrowroot
    starch/powder or cornstarch
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsweetened baker’s chocolate,
    chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons coconut butter or nut butter or 1 tablespoon coconut oil
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1. Combine coconut milk, honey or agave nectar, arrowroot, cocoa powder and salt in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently. Continue to cook and whisk as mixture bubbles and thickens, about 6 minutes.
2. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, coconut butter or nut butter and vanilla and stir until completely melted and smooth. Taste and add additional honey or agave nectar, as desired.
3. Pour into 8 Popsicle molds or small paper cups. Allow to cool slightly and insert Popsicle lids. Or freeze briefly and insert wooden sticks. If using paper cups, cover with foil, poking the stick through the foil.
4. Freeze until solid. To unmold, hold the stick and warm the outside of the cup with warm water until pop loosens. Serve immediately.

This recipe is from  Living Without, thanks!

I just could not come up with a Bible verse for this one....any one want to try?? Hey No glutton ones OK!

soap, natural toothpaste sucks!

Well I did it.
I will not do it again trust me on that!

You are probably thinking what is she talking about right?
Well this country girl has been trying things here at home to improve your life in the city. In doing that I have sampled quite a few different facial and skin remedies, I have tried natural gardening. Which by the way does not work, just go and grab the round up and slug bait my friends.

I am sure you will have a garden if you do, because all I have is healthy green grass, and let me tell you the only good thing it is good for is making dogs throw up!

But back to my newest remedy healthy toothpaste.
I read last night that the toothpaste I have been using for my entire life is not healthy and can make your teeth recede. so I did what the "doctor" told me I used his idea....get ready...I did.... It was soap any old house hold bar soap it said and I thought well if I was going to put soap on my tooth brush and take the hit for my friends then it had better be natural soap so I used goat soap.
Oh my word ......
I put it on started brushing and thought well this is not so bad, until it hit my tongue.
 It tasted terrible.
You see I was a very good child I never had my mouth washed out with soap. It is punishment, indeed!

So after several rinses, some gagging and lots of not so happy comments I finally rinsed what I thought was the rest of the soap out.

 I still taste soap, and perfume.
I think I blew bubbles all night.

Hey I could be the newest country sideshow at the fair, country girl who blows bubbles...entertaining!

So sorry to say this was so not worth it, don't care if I am a 50 year old with no teeth, I would rather brush with my sensitive teeth toothpaste any day, thank you very much!

So rest assured you now do not have to try this at home I took the hit for you!
If you need a bubble blowing side show I am available for the next couple of days any way. Hugs!


Here is the link if you don't believe me...... http://www.detailshere.com/dentalhealth.htm

John 15:13 

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. Or eat soap! :-)

How to treat a sunburn with tea!!

 

 

How to treat a sunburn

Ok so it is now finally summer and while browsing some cool sites I came across this post.

I am so going to try it tonight as I can feel a little burn on my back starting to tingle. Yep didn't apply the sunscreen on my self, did everyone else, but me. Silly silly girl!


But Oh, Oh, Oh it was such a lovely time of playing in the river today, I am loving it here now that it is summer! so here it is try it I am.
 I think I may have a nice cup of tea and just stick the tea bag right onto the burn, I am still a city girl at heart and easy is my thing, besides who wants to clean the bath tub!

If this works Its an extremly easy and effective method to treat a painful sunburn. Not to mention cheap, because I am such a cheapo!

Step 1:Gathering materials

You will need a total of five things.

1. A bathtub to do this in (preferably ceramic, so it wont stain)
2. A pitcher
3. A rag that you dont mind getting stained
4. Water
5. Three bags of black tea (I use Earl Grey)

Three Earl Grey tea bags,Old rag,Pitcher,Dirty ceramic bathtub

Step 2:Fill the pitcher

First things first, strip down, because you dont want to get any of your clothes wet. Fill the pitcher with warm water and soak the tea bags in it. When you have the water almost black, like the picture, then move on to step 3.


Almost black tea water

Step 3:Healing the wound

Dunk the rag into the tea, and dab it onto the sunburn. DO NOT WIPE IT OFF! Leave it on and let it be absorbed into your skin. Once its dry, re-apply as necessary, but never wash it off. If you do this process before bedtime, you can go to sleep and give it time to work its magic. In the morning you can wash it off in your shower. The sunburn should be substantially subsided or all gone, but remember: the sooner you can apply the tea after you get the burn, the quicker and more effective it will be.

Note: I had a severe sunburn and I also used the tea bags straight up, dabbing them directly onto my skin. You may use as many "coats" of tea as you want, but the more the better.

Posted to Instructables by drpepper8412 (The original poster)

The Bride Wore Blue- Mona Hodgson

The Bride Wore Blue

By Mona Hodgson

This book is book number three in the Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series. Although I didn’t read the first two books I found it easy to become acquainted with the characters and the personalities of each.

This book is an Intriguing historical novel based on the redemption for our sins. The book starts with the main character, Vivian Sinclair the youngest of three sisters arriving back home to Cripple Creek with a past that haunts her. Unbeknownst to her sisters Vivian has lived a secret life that is eating at her very soul.

Her new life at Cripple Creek is peppered with poor choices that hinge on her tendency to compare herself with her sister’s lives and her beliefs about herself.

Vivian’s spunk, resourcefulness and independence make her character well rounded and fun to follow. I enjoyed the close relationship shared between the sisters, despite their differences, and yearned for a “sister” relationship like this one in my own life.

I did find the story a tad predictable, but it is a romance novel after all! Some of the twists and turns of the story made me laugh right out loud, sending confused looks from my family members.

I enjoyed the biblical truths this book held fast to, in a world where immorality is expected and embraced it was refreshing to immerse my self in a good read that upheld my beliefs and values.

I recommend this book for a quick and enjoyable read; in fact pick up the first two books for even more enjoyment.

Thank you Mona Hodgson for a wonderful adventure!

I received this book from WaterBrook Multnomah press in exchange for my honest review, thank you for this opportunity it is a joy to read and review!  

About Mona

MONA HODGSON is the author of TWO BRIDES TOO MANY, TOO RICH FOR A BRIDE, THE BRIDE WORE BLUE, and TWICE A BRIDE, The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series published by WaterBrook Press. Her writing credits also include nearly thirty children’s books, contributions to eleven books for adults, and hundreds of short stories, articles, and poems in newspapers and magazines. One of Mona’s favorite things to do (besides writing or eating dark chocolate) is to speak at women's retreats and schools, and for women’s groups, librarians, and at writers’ conferences throughout the United States and Canada. Mona lives in Arizona with her husband, Bob.

The crazy life advetures of a country girl

What do country people do for fun you ask well let me fill you in on the crazy sorts of things we chicken growing, bear sighting, mosquito slapping happy people try.

We dress up giant teddy bears, and stick them in massage chairs for a little rub down....

We feed wild turkeys that wander into our yard. She was sooo cute we could have invited her into our house for supper. But she was way too tame and must have belonged to some one. so we bade her farewell and hoped to see her again, we have not so far.

We make our food fun!!

This is not even at the top, of the line. The first test trip.

We risk our lives in the name of adrenalin.

This is our today project to build and test our new zip line! This man was the fearless commando who risked his neck to test the strength of our VERY high zip line. The guys had the ladder on top of the bucket of the tractor to get to the perfect sweet spot to set this line up it was a whole day project and man did it look hard, scary and fun!

The moment my heart nearly leaped out of my ribcage was when Dear son #1 decided to get onto the tractor.
picture this bucket extended a fully extended ladder on top of the bucket and brave man at the top. Dear son knocks the leaver to the bucket, bucket starts to move and just about sends Mr. commando to his early death.....I just about upchucked!
Dear son felt so bad we didn't see him for nearly 2 hours, poor little gipper!
Mr Commando was not even shaken, nerves of steel!

Although I think Dear Husband was ready to quit right then and there.
This is the test run you see here. It worked fine, but I think the guys feel we need a better wheel thingy for more speed, yikes!

Next step a way to get to the zip line (other than a tractor) and a platform!

Here is the happy result!

So as you can see we are starting to embrace the country life with style with grace and delicacy....NOT!

Any time you feel the hankering to dress teddy s, feed the wild life, play with your food or risk your life in the name of some good Ol' fun come on down we would love to see you!


 No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. John 15: 13 

Glad this didn't happen but golly, I was scared!

Book Review: The Scent of Cherry Blossoms

Annie Martin loves the Plain ways of her Old Order Mennonite people, like those revered by her beloved grandfather. Retreating from a contentious relationship with her mother, Annie goes to live with her Daadi Moses in Apple Ridge.

But as spring moves into Pennsylvania and Annie spends time amongst the cherry trees with the handsome Aden Zook, she wishes she could forget how deeply the lines between the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite are drawn.

Can Annie and Aden find a place for their love to bloom in the midst of the brewing storm?

Annie and Aden’s journey into new love

 and the conflict it creates in their different faiths is all encompassing, affecting not only the couple but their families as well.

I am so intrigued about the lives of the Old Order Mennonites and the Old Order Amish, so when I had the opportunity to review the book written by Cindy Woodsmall I was thrilled, and could not wait to start flipping the pages!
I have recently become friends with an Old Order Mennonite and found this book gave me a better understanding about my dear friends life and faith.
I love the idea of living "simply" but the reality of this life is quite a bit harder than it looks.

This book is the perfect read for those lazy days of summer.

The characters and their struggles captured me within the pages of the book and didn’t release me until I turned the last page. I devoured this book within a couple of nights.

This book was a joy to read and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a great tale that is not only a love story but also an insight into the Old Order Amish and Mennonite worlds.

I received this complimentary copy of The Scent of Cherry Blossoms, for reviewing purposes from WaterBrook Multnomah, in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you!

About the Author

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author of nine works of fiction and one work of nonfiction, whose connection with the Amish community has been featured widely in national media and throughout Christian news outlets. She lives outside of Atlanta with her family.