Miscellany Monday...

Today I'm participating in Miscellany Monday, hosted by Lowercase Letters

I've often mentioned on this blog that I spent a couple of years in Beirut, Lebanon when I was a little girl (my parents were missionaries.) One of my favorite links to that era in my life is Edgar Feghaly and now his wife Roseann.  Edgar, or Eddie as we called him, was a teen-ager when I was a little girl in Lebanon.  Now he heads up an amazing ministry to people in Arab countries.  He was the special speaker at our church's missions conference this past week, so my husband and I were able to spend time with him and Roseann.  It was a wonderful time of reminiscing about two years that made a lasting impression on my life.  Edgar and Roseann have literally risked their lives to bring the good news of Christ's love to the Middle East.  I love and respect them deeply!

Edgar and Roseann Feghaly, me and my husband Doug

I believe I've found the best tea-bag tea I've ever tasted!  Doug and I were at Olive Garden one night when I decided to have a cup of tea.  It was Tetley Orange Peach tea, and it was incredible.  It only took one sip for me to realize that this tea was in a class by itself.  I looked in almost every Rockford grocery store to find it, and couldn't. So I ordered it online, and I don't regret it for a moment.  A cup of this tea is like a treat!

November is special for many things, but one of them is the birthday of my precious little grandson, Josiah. (We call him JD most of the time.)  He turned 3 on November 9th.  I wish I could have been at him Thomas the Tank-themed party, but I console myself that we're going to spend Thanksgiving with him and his family.

He is such a sunny little fellow...I love so much! Happy birthday, JD!

I love this little boy so much!

The last time I went to my doctor and had my A1C (a 3 month test of how my blood sugar is doing--I'm a Type 2 Diabetic), I did NOT like the trend I was seeing.  My blood sugar was still in the safe zone, but it was definitely rising.  While diabetes is a degenerative disease, I realized there were things I could do better in the areas of managing my eating and increasing my exercise.  

I resolved to do both, and a key component was joining the site, My Fitness Pal.  I've always kept track of what I was eating..but what I didn't realize was just how many calories I was consuming! My Fitness Pal has made me accountable in both eating and exercise.  I've lost 8 pounds so far (it's taken about a month, so I'm losing slowly and safely) and hope to lose a total of 20 by the time I visit my doc again in January. I can't say enough good things about this site.  What's great is that you can also use it as an app on your smartphone. I recommend it highly!

Happy Monday, everyone!

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Miscellany Monday: Things I'm loving right now

Linking up with Miscellany Monday with some things I've been loving lately:

Victorian mysteries: I can't remember just how I stumbled onto Anne Perry's Victorian mysteries, but I keep going to the library to get more!  I started with reading a couple of her Thomas and Charlotte Pitt books.  Then I discovered her William Monk series, and there's been no turning back.  Excellent storytelling, Victorian ambience, and vividly drawn characters.  So far, I'm loving them!

Interestingly enough, the writer herself was convicted of murder in 1954.  Complicated story, but I'm sure it gives a mystery writer a certain edge!

Bel Vita Breakfast Biscuits:  I am so loving these tasty, filling cookies.  They make a great breakfast on the go, or having a couple of them with coffee or tea for a snack.  They're very satisfying and nutritious!  Trouble is, I can't find them everywhere.

Getting together with friends:  Whenever I go for a while without a get-together with friends and/or loved ones, I feel it.  I NEED these times.  On Saturday, my husband and I went with our friends Tom and Kari, and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law Verlyn and Beth, for a late lunch at the wonderful Maggiano's restaurant in Schaumburg.

The food was delicious and the fellowship was wonderful.  Resolved: to make a point to get together with friends more often!

Kari, me, and Beth

Ross Dress for Less:   I had shopped at Ross in Texas, and was happy to see that a store finally opened where I live.

I am so impressed with the selection and the prices!  Recently I bought an awesome Levi denim skirt, which I will wear the heck out of all year long, for $19.99 (the suggested retail price was over 40 dollars.)

And you know how I've been wanting to wear a hat?  (Well, you know now!)  I found the cutest hat, that I'm going to wear for Easter, for $8.99!  Ross is awesome!

So those are just a few of the things I'm enjoying right now.  You can participate in Miscellany Monday too!

Easing Back into Blogging with Miscellany Monday

Wow, I feel like I haven't blogged in ages!  If there's anyone out there still reading this blog, well, I'm back after a wonderful week visiting loved ones in Texas.

I decided to ease back into the routine by participating in a bloghop I've enjoyed in the past...Miscellany Monday, hosted by Carissa at lowercase letters.

Texas was wonderful, as always.  I got to spend time with my family members who live there, including my two sons and daughter-in-law and precious grandsons, my mom, my sister and her family, and my brother and his family.

Thanks to an extremely wet winter, the bluebonnets were already in bloom, and beautifully so!  I had planned on taking some pictures of them but never got around to it.  The lovely purplish flowers brighten everything from fields to overpasses with their beauty.

Of course, one of the joys of being in Texas was spending time with my two precious little grandsons, Payton and Josiah.  They are so much fun and so adorable.  Really, they are my heart!

My grandson Payton shows off his "Mario" costume

A true Texan, Josiah enjoys chips and salsa at Chuy's

Me with my beautiful mom and sister Lisa

So now it's back to reality and work!  Hopefully I'll step up my blogging game too.  Have a great week, everyone!

I'm participating in Miscellany Monday:

National Lemonade Day! Homemade Lemonade

Today is National Lemonade Day! And what could be more appropriate that having National Lemonade Day on June 27, I ask you?

To be honest, I'm not crazy about canned lemonade. (Especially now that I have to avoid sugared drinks.)

I do have memories of my parents making juice when we were missionaries in Lebanon (when I was a little girl). I'm not sure if they made lemonade, but I can remember them making orange juice...squeezing the orange juice by hand on one of those little hand juicers. Nothing was more delicious, and I have a feeling the very best lemonade is the kind that's handmade.

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I've never made homemade lemonade, but I found this recipe at AllRecipes.com that looks like it might be wonderful...and couldn't be easier.

Says the author:

"Ah, the taste of summer. This classic lemonade recipe is the one my mom used to make for me when I was little. It's the perfect combination of sweet and tart! When using a clear pitcher, adding a few of the juiced lemon halves makes it look prettier."

Ingredients

6 lemons
1 cup white sugar
6 cups cold water

Directions

Juice the lemons to make 1 cup of juice. To make your labor easier, FIRMLY roll the lemons between your hand and counter top before cutting in half and juicing.

In a gallon pitcher combine 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, and 6 cups cold water. Stir. Adjust water to taste. Chill and serve over ice.

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Boil some of the sugar/water first?

This recipe suggests boiling the sugar and some of the water in a pan for two minutes before adding the lemon juice.

Sugar-Free Homemade Lemonade

For those like me that aren't supposed to have too much sugar, here's a lemonade recipe that uses Splenda. Interestingly, it also suggests heating one cup of the water before dissolving the Splenda in it, then adding the lemon juice and the rest of the water. I might try this one.

I also saw a recipe that uses stevia. Google "sugar-free lemonade" and you can take your pick.

Do you have a lemonade recipe that you love? Let me know!

I'm participating today in Miscellany Monday and Life Made Lovely. Click on either of the icons for more information!