The serenity prayer

Many of you may be familiar with the serenity prayer. My girlfriend Laurie shared this slightly different version of the serenity prayer:

God, grant me patience with the changes that take time,
An appreciation for all that I have,
Tolerance for those with different struggles,
And the strength to get up and try again...one day at a time.

I LOVE THIS!

Melange

• Tried Art of Strength Firepower this weekend. FUN! Does anyone else do the AOS DVDs? If not, you've gotta try 'em. Firepower kicked my butt in 30 minutes. :)
• I was at an AA meeting last night, and the speaker said there are three questions she tries to ask herself before she speaks regarding what she's about to say: is it true? is it kind? is it necessary? Aren't those good questions?!?! And to think you can get that kinda advice for FREE at AA meetings!
• A great quote: "To the young at heart, everything is fun!" -- Charles Dickens
• I'm trying a new recipe for dinner tonight: Cheese Raviolis with Pumpkin Sage sauce. Found the recipe in an ad in a magazine. I'll let you know how it turns out.
• Speaking of cooking, in 1 week from today I will have an oven again! I've been oven-less for 3 months since the big lightening storm in early June. But my beautiful new KitchenAid oven will be installed next Monday. Let the cookies begin!!!
  
• And in a final note about food, last night I cooked a dinner that everyone liked! (Well, I wasn't home to eat it, but I'm sure I would have liked it too.) Here's the recipe:

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew
Recipe found online, serves 6

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices (I used more, cuz my family LOVES carrots)
1 28-oz can stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon celery seeds (I didn't have this so I left it out)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chicken broth

Combine everything in a slow cooker (crock pot). Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Have a wonderful week, friends!

Quick Tip from the Nutrition Diva

Quick Tip: Keep Produce Fresh Without Plastic Bags

Many of us are trying to cut down on our use of plastic. But do you end up filling your reusable grocery sacks with plastic produce bags? There's no need to bag most produce--simply put it loose into your bag or cart. To store lettuce and greens, rinse them with water when you get them home, shake off as much water as you can, and wrap them in a clean dish towel. (The non-terry cloth type work best.) Then tuck the bundle into your crisper drawer. Greens will stay crisp and fresh for a week or more. Wash all produce thoroughly before eating.

Thoughts...

• The 49er canyon run yesterday was fun but harder than last year. Well duh! I was in better shape last year. But hey, I finished it and had a great time. Today what's sore? QUADS from the relentless downhill that happens before Stagecoach -- a trail that I think goes almost 2 miles of solid UP!
• Decided NO to Boston and YES to Big Sur! Yes, I've finally decided on my next goal, and it's Big Sur in April!!!
• Alzheimer's meds work, but only when you take them! I'm just sayin... :)
• I've got the Vibram Five Finger bug, and may be sporting one of those funny pairs of shoes in the near future.
• Fall in Northern CA is the BEST! Actually, it's just Fall that's the best, in my opinion.
• Dancing with the Stars (OOPS -- I meant SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE) starts again tomorrow and I can't wait! Other shows I'm looking forward to include Criminal Minds, Glee, Modern Family, and ... well, I think that's it. Oh yeah, I do have laundry folding shows, but those are usually old Law & Order episodes that I watch in 10 minute segments. :)
• I'm getting gentler with myself. For YEARS I've felt I was too big. I'm 5 feet 5 inches tall and usually weigh between 135 and 140 pounds. And I've wanted to weigh in the 120s forever! So I walk around with this "I'm too big!" thought swirling around in my mind, and recently a new thought is there: TOO BIG FOR WHAT?!?!? To fit through doorways? To sit in airplane seats? To appeal to my husband? It's time to let that old crazy belief go. Why am I getting gentler? I dunno. Maybe it's being in my late 40s. Maybe it's just that enough is enough. But honestly, when I can just accept myself as I am, life is so much better!
• Regarding blogging and reading blogs: I'm catching up about once a week on both writing and reading, at least for now. Parents are requiring more help. Kids are crazy busy with activities (which means I'm crazy busy with transportation and attendance). And I'm still trying for that elusive thing called balance in life. My hope is that I can write more and read more soon. But for now, this is what I can do. So it's what I'm gonna do!

Have a great day, friends!

Today God Wants You To Know

There's a link on Facebook for "Today God Wants You To Know." I read it occasionally -- probably regular reading would be a good thing, right? Friday's message was particularly inspiring:

On this day of your life, Leslie, we believe God wants you to know...
... that humans learn only by trial and error, and that includes you.

You've got to live life, not think about it. Step into the midst of things, try and fail and learn and stand up again. The question is not whether you will or will not make mistakes - you will. The question is do you want to learn and grow, or do you want to shrink back and be stuck? Take that step you've been avoiding. You can succeed, or you can get feedback that it didn't work, but in either case you are sure to feel alive.

Have a wonderful Labor Day!

Reluctantly going down stairs

My parents are starting to have more health problems. Getting older is difficult under any circumstances. Getting older with chronic health problems is kinda like going down into a dark scary basement. You don't want to go down the stairs, but you have no choice. We're heading down those stairs once again. These are the thoughts I hang onto:

• God knows.
• God cares even more than I do.
• My job is to put one foot in front of the other and do the next right thing.
• And to be kind.