Lessons from Onions

The post on how to braid onions was the fastest one I ever did. While braiding onions the idea hit. Photographing the steps was easy and posting them with a few tips was quick.

Then as I finished the job next morning, I began musing.

The way I braid onions is probably not the best. So I checked online for how to braid onions. Oh, others use string throughout the braid to give it more stability. But that looks more difficult to me.

It works to just keep adding onions to make longer braids.

Then my musings took a different twist.

How do the onions feel that are discarded and not used for the braid?  I know, I know! Onions don't feel. But if they did?

The ones discarded had these problems- long stem missing, rotting or rotten, long stem too hard, too tiny. Most of them are still useful but can't be used in the braid. Rotten ones are, of course, discarded.

Do I ever feel discarded in the daily thing called life? Why?

Because I don't have talents that stand head and shoulders above the crowd (Long stem) and I won't be seen in the beautiful braid?

Maybe you feel rotten or rotting? I think about a comment I made recently about choosing to love the unlovable. A church sister challenged me, Who am I to say who's unlovable? True. I am unlovable to someone else. But we all have those people in our lives who seem like rotten onions.

Loud. Controlling. Mean. Negative. Those are the kinds I find hard to love. Maybe yours are quiet. Positive. Too nice. 

Whatever the case we are all needed and useful in the kingdom. Those who seem unlovable to me are necessary for my refining. 

The long stem that's too hard... What would that be like? Physical deformity. I can rise above this or allow it to define who I am. Hearts are the same the world around. We, like Samuel the prophet, want to judge a person by their appearance. That makes it difficult for the "deformed" one.

A new girl showed up at Kid's Club. She is really short and has some other physical deformities. But she is really sweet. At twelve years old she could focus on her appearance but she's just jolly. Fun to be around. (She has Turner Syndrome.)

The Lord made each of us for a purpose. What is His purpose for YOU?

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. 

1 Samuel 16:7

Water App

This is for you if you have a smart phone and if you forget to drink water as you go about your life.   

Water Time Pro is the App I use.

To start out, program in your sex, weight, what time you are awake, how often you want reminders, what kind of reminders you want, & etc.

Reminders will then pop up when it's time to drink water.

You drink and record what you drank.

There are sections to record amounts you drink of water,

tea,

milk,

juice,

and coffee.

The App will tally up the amount of hydration you are receiving and let you know when you reach your goal. Here you can see that 8 oz of coffee only adds 1 oz  to the tally. Because coffee isn't very hydrating.

It also gets alarmed if you drink too much.

I love the little water bubble icon with all it's expressions. The one above is about to burst. In most of the photos above it is quite happy. Below it's kind of okay.

The one below is really sad about it's hydration level.

And below is one in real distress.

The bubble below depicts my programmed sleepy time.

And the next morning the app will tell you if you reached or missed your goal the previous day.

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone believed in us like this? 😃

What methods do you use to keep yourself hydrated?

Makeshift

The smell of propane was in the air when the oven was turned on. And sometimes when it was not. This led Mama to wonder if the tank was nearly empty. A quick check revealed the truth. The needle was in the black line below the 5. With a prayer that the four pies for market would still bake before the supply of propane was totally gone, the outage was reported to the "man in charge". 

The pies did get baked! PTL

He made an immediate call to Southern States requesting a refill. They assured him they would tend to the matter. But when? The family used no more propane. No cooking with the range. No baking. The crock pots and electric griddle were put to good use. Then the outdoor cook stove was remembered. It made life easier.

Getting green beans ready for the freezer

Cooking beets and frying burger

For three days the family lived a makeshift lifestyle. Sponge baths and smell good showers (powder, deodorant, etc) were getting tiresome. When the propane tank was refilled a few days later, everyone (except boys who haven't learned to love such things) was ready for a good hot shower. 

Sometimes a gas water heater isn't handy. But only when people are forgetful and don't keep tabs on the level of propane in the tank. Or when the wind blows out the fire that heats the water. That actually happened a few times on very windy days.

Do you enjoy occasional makeshift situations?

Do they stress you? 

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Philippians 4:11

Crickets

What does the word bring to your mind? A Cricket in Times Square? Melodic sounds? A cricket on the hearth? 

A cricket chirping. A sound to love. Or hate. One cricket in the woods as you sit watching nature is a lovely sound.

But...We live in a ground level apartment and the crickets abound. The noise abounds too. Like a chicken house that houses roosters and hens. Or the morning song of birds in spring and early summer. You can't pick out one individual sound.

I found a video on YouTube that had a multitude of crickets chirping, slowed way down so that it sounded like a choir. A human choir. Maybe that's the sound God hears? 

Interestingly, while cats are allowed in the house, the cricket population decreases. Cats or crickets. Take your pick. I'm not sure which is worse. 

A bunch of crickets in the room can about drive you mad after awhile. Sorry, my ears don't have a slow-mo setting and it's a racket to me.

I caught one on video for just a short time. It's amazing how long one cricket can chirp. He or she continued the sound for a long time. 

Click here to watch the video. (The white, moving thing is a spider web between me and the cricket.)

You know, maybe allowing the cats inside for a night or two wouldn't be such a bad option.... It might help to retain my sanity.

Crickets? Or no?

Why? Or why not?

Unique

Melvin added greenery and a squirrel tail to the decor, then lighted the candles. He cut some sprigs from the holly bush and from another bush that has lavender berries. These berries, like holly berries, stay on the bush during the winter. Do you know what they are?

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Recipe for Canned Salsa

1/2 bushel of tomatoes, peeled, diced (or chopped with a Kwik Cut) and drained in a colander.
8 large bell peppers, diced or chopped with a food processor.
3 (or more if desired) jalapeno peppers, diced. Leave the seeds in for more heat. Be sure to use gloves to cut these up.
6 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed.
4 large onions, diced or chopped with a food processor.
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 Tablespoon of each of the following ingredients-

Morton's seasoned salt
celery salt
onion salt
garlic salt

Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil down to desired consistency, or thicken as desired with cornstarch, dissolved in water. Fill canning jars, clean the rims, put lids on and boil for 20 minutes in a hot water bath. Turn off the heat, remove the jars from the water and allow to cool. 

You can reuse jars from the grocery store,
that you have emptied. 

What is your favorite canned salsa recipe?

What do you use salsa for?

Thank God for lots of tomatoes this year! And peppers! And onions!

Benefit Supper

The benefit supper was a total success. They planned on feeding 350 people. It's always a gamble, knowing how to figure. We may have fed 400 and some of the food items were completely cleaned up. No one went hungry though.

This is the welcome table where donations go in the can and the display tells where the money will go. To Hampshire County's Warm the Children Program and to hurricane victims (through CAM)

 The girls in charge of decor did an excellent job!

The base holding the bouquet is a hollowed out and painted pumpkin. An idea from Pinterest.

Lots of homemade dinner rolls (above) and the signature Amish Peanut Butter Spread (below).

 Tables of whole pies and a table of ready-to-go slices.

My lemon meringue pies turned out nice looking. But if you look at the table above you can see how they kind of "slid". Not sure why.... They tasted good anyway.

The menu was grilled chicken, pulled pork, red potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, broccoli/cauliflower salad, dinner rolls and pie.

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 

Matthew 25:40