Looking Forward....

It is that time of year where one often takes a moment to reflect on the past year while planning for 2014.  Yes, I do plan on making some resolutions, but nothing too crazy.  So, without further delay, here is (surprise, surprise) a list of my resolutions. The entire year will be utilized to accomplish these goals (no crazy idea of abandoning something after one month).

1.      Train myself to wake up at 5:00 a.m. during the work week to help with prayer and exercise time.

2.      Build up to a healthy exercise routine by the end of the year.

3.      Read 12 books.

4.      Work on learning Spanish.

5.      Balance out my home, work, volunteer, church life. This one will be tough but I am going to try and not spread my time so thin on all these activities.

6.      Consistency on prayers throughout the day which will help with my spiritual progress.

7.      Improve on reading/understanding music as well as my singing in general.

8.      Curtail superfluous spending.

What about you?

My Mama Showed Me....

I cooked most of the meal for our Christmas dinner. As I was cooking, my mind kept repeating, "My mama showed me how to make this, and this, and this."

Now, the recipe below may not be exactly what my mama made, but it is what I remember. What I remember from my mama makes up almost all of the recipes I cook today.

Thanks, little mama!

Spices:

Pepper

Salt

Ingredients:

Olive oil  or avocado oil to coat dish and cook the zuchinni/peppers/onions

1 can creamed corn

1 can regular corn kernels

6 Zuchinni

½ Onion

2 Jalapenos and/or red peppers (optional)

16 ounces Monterey jack cheese or a good melting cheese of your choice

Prep work:

Ready a casserole dish of your desire and lightly spread oil at the bottom and edges.

Ready a pan with a little oil  to saute’

Wash all fresh vegetables

Dice onions and peppers

Partially skin zuchinnis and slice. These shouldn’t be too thin.

Shred cheese

Cooking:

Saute’ onions and peppers- set aside

Place  zuchinni in the same pan I used for the onions and peppers.

You want each side of the zuchinni to brown.

Layering:

Zuchinni

1 spoon of creamed corn

1 spoon of regular corn

Onions/peppers (sprinkled)

Just enough cheese to cover the other ingredients

A dash of spices of your choice after each layer

The final layer should be the cheese and I would make sure this is a nice helping.

Throw this into the oven at 350 degrees (Fahrenheit) until the top cheese is melted and you can see a little browning around the edges.

ENJOY!

Christmas Decorations

Thanks to my mom for her idea!

Poinsettias

Hubby and I purchased the poinsettias for reduced cost at Lowe's. The larger poinsettias were $3.00 and the smaller were $.62. There were other sizes in between these two prices and most of the poinsettias were in good health.

If you decorate just before Christmas or need additional decorations for Church- you may want to check our your local Lowe's.

Dread the Tread

So, my in-laws gave Hubby and me their old treadmill. I love a good walk outdoors, but I loathe people staring at me as I venture around the neighborhood.  I am hoping this machine does the trick in fulfilling my body's excercise needs while keeping me out of sight from stalkers who long for my glorious curves. Now... here is a list of things you cannot or should not do while on a treadmill. The emphasis is on should, but that is all relative.. isn't it? 

1. Do not jump on and off the treadmill while it is running at a fast pace.

 2. Do not jump on and off the treadmill at any pace.

 3. Do not knit while walking on a treadmill.. knitting needles are sharp. 

4. Do not wear anything longer than you on a treadmill.

 5. Do not cut up old mail on a treadmill using scissors. 

I am sure there will be additional "do not" items in the future, but this is all for now.Please note that my husband is never around during these events.... but he has seen the aftermath (which included not being able to breathe/swallow and then eventually throwing up). He does not condone my behaviour... that is all... for now... I'm funny... and a mermaid... the end.. or is it?

The Belgian Senate voted today 50-17 to extend euthanasia to children with disabilities

Euthanize Children

The Belgian Senate voted today 50-17 to extend euthanasia to children with disabilities, in a move pro-life advocates worldwide had been fearing would come and expand an already much-abused euthanasia law even further.

The vote today in the full Senate comes after a Senate committee voted 13-4 to allow minors to seek euthanasia under certain conditions and the measure also would extend the right to request euthanasia to adults with dementia. The bill still has legislative votes to clear before it becomes law and it now heads to the Senate , where it will be debated in a plenary meeting by all senators.

“Currently the Belgian euthanasia law limits euthanasia to people who are at least 18 years old. This unprecedented bill would extend euthanasia to children with disabilities,” says Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. “The Belgian Socialist government is adamant that the euthanasia law needs to extend to minors and people with dementia even though there is significant examples of how the current law is being abused and the bracket creep of acceptable reasons for euthanasia continues to grow. The current practice of euthanasia in Belgium appears to have become an easy way to cover-up medical errors.”

There is still a chance to stop the bill in the House of Representatives, though pro-life campaigners fear it will become law.

“Regardless of disability, life should be valued. To pass legislation that allows termination of life for people with disabilities who are minors is unacceptable,” he added. “Instead we must make every effort to use the research provided to us to provide attentive care to relieve their physical suffering in a moral way.”

Dr Paul Saba of Physicians for Social Justice, is very concerned about the situation in Belgium.

“They are already euthanising people who are depressed or tired of life because they have taken the interpretations of saying physical and/or psychological suffering – you don’t have to have both, if you have one, why is that not enough? If you are suffering, it’s a personal experience and it would be discriminatory for someone to judge what a person is suffering,” he says. “What this teaches us is that despite the government’s assurances that they will set very strict criteria, that won’t work.”

Meanwhile, according to Schadenberg:

The number of euthanasia deaths in Belgium is skyrocketing with an increase of 25% in 2012. Recent studies indicate that up to 47% of all assisted deaths are not being reported,32% of all assisted deaths are being done without request and nurses are killing their patients, even though the law restricts euthanasia to doctors.

Some Belgian experts are supporting the extension of euthanasia to children with disabilities because they say that it is being done already. The same medical experts suggest that the extension of euthanasia will result in an increase of 10 to 100 euthanasia deaths each year.

The Belgian euthanasia law appears out-of-control. The Belgian Euthanasia Control and Evaluation Commission appear to be in a conflict of interest. The Commission supported the euthanasia deaths of: Nathan Verhelst (44) who was born as Nancy, Ann G who had Anorexia Nervosa and was sexually exploited by her psychiatrist, Mark & Eddy Verbessem, and at least one depressed woman. These are only the cases that we know about.

Dr Wim Distelmans, who is the leading euthanasia doctor in Belgium has also been the chairman of the Belgium euthanasia commission for more than 10 years, and the commission has been stacked with supporters of the euthanasia lobby.

The Netherlands already allows children over the age of 12 to request euthanasia with the consent of their parents.

Random Stuff

Husband: You should make Francis draw Aloysius (Francis is a friend and Aloysius is our fish).

Me: Francis is too busy to draw our fish… don’t you think?

Husband: I don’t care. Too bad we aren’t good artists in that aspect --- the adventures of Aloysius would make a great children’s book --- and a colorful one at that.

Me: I am a fantastic artist. I have been asked to illustrate a book

Husband: What book? And when did you become a fantastic artist? Is this when you became a mermaid?

Me: Have you ever seen any of my art work?

Husband: I’ve seen doodles, which aren’t horrendous, but not what I had in mind concerning a picture of my son. And I saw your illustrated *book* about the boy who wanted to dance, but that was when you were a kid.

Me: I’m going to have that book professionally published. I’m a mermaid.