This is Halloween

 

 

  

The Witch

by Joan Ashurst

She sits upon a little stool and stirs her big black pot,

She places wood upon the fire to make it very hot.

Her nose is long and crooked, she wear a pointed hat,

By her side a broomstick and on her lap a cat.

Her home is just a hovel in the middle of a wood,

And from what they say about her, she isn’t very good.

Nor is she very friendly, and she lives there all alone,

except for that big pussy cat that’s only skin and bone.

A witch she is, and therefore she whisper magic spells,

But what it is she murmurs she never, never tells.

Hanging in a corner are bats with outstretched wings,

Rat and beetles, frogs and worms and other creepy things.

They all go in the mixture that she’s stirring night and day,

And I’ve never heard of any that ever got away.

I wouldn’t like to meet her, I might go in the pot,

And though I’m really very brave I think I’d rather not.

Whatever spell she whispers, and whatever she may cook,

I’m glad she’s just a story in my sister’s fairy book.

 

May you have many visitors at your door tonight…………..I’ll be back with goodies

Lemon & Honey ~ Dash of Cinnamon

 

We all know that if we feel good, we look good. Don’t we all want to stay healthy and fit in winter, spring, summer or fall?  Here's a tip that my mom has passed to me and I want to share it with all of you.  My daughter couldn’t stand tea, but she is a true believer now, even asking me to make her a cup quite often!

Simple, Easy, and Tasty:

Several of lemons

32 ounce jar of honey

In a medium sized container (roughly 7" in diameter and 5" deep). Slice the lemons thinly, about 1/8 inch. Discard the ends of the lemons and as many seeds as you have patience to pick out.

Layer the lemon slices in the container until full.

Next, pour the honey on top of the lemon slices. It takes several minutes for the sticky layers of honey to fill the spaces among the lemon slices. Once the container is filled with a solid mass of lemon slices and honey, seal tightly and place the container in the fridge. It takes 6 to 8 hours for a magical chemical process to completely turn the lemon slices and honey into the lemon concentrate.

After about 3 or 4 hours, flip the Tupperware container so that it's laying on its top. You can adjust the recipe to any quantity you want to make.

So if you are a tea lover like me, do yourself a favor and grab a few lemons and some honey. Slice the lemons up and pack them into a container or jar.  Pour the honey over the lemons. Close jar. Refrigerate. for several hours.  

When you are feeling a sore throat coming on, or the sniffles, or a bit on the chilly side, or just want a warm cup of bliss, grab that jar out of the fridge and fill yourself up.  I use about 1 teaspoon of the mixture, one green tea bag, a dash of cinnamon, and 8 oz of piping hot water.  It takes about 3 – 5 minutes to steep!  You don’t have to put the tea bag into it if you just want the nice honey lemon flavor. Stop by and I’ll have a cup ready for you.  Lemon, honey, cinnamon and hot water are a drink that can keep you healthy in all seasons. 

Enough is Enough Verse 9

To keep on filling

is not as good a stopping.

Over filled, the cupped hands drip,

better to stop pouring.

Sharpen a blade too much

and its edge will soon be lost.

Fill your house with jade and gold

and it brings insecurity.

Puff yourself with honor and pride

and no one can save you from a fall.

Retire when the work is done;

this is the way to heaven.

Once again I hear my name being called when I read this verse. You all know that I have been trying to change my eating habits for this year, several years….oh who knows how many now, and this verse and this picture remind me that healthy eating and weight loss go together….hand to mouth! It’s telling us to eat, but to stop when we’re full…..duh! Eat until our hunger is satisfied, and no more. That’s pretty good advice, but do I actually follow it?

It also tells us that we should seek joy and pleasure in our activities and our relationships. In order to do this, we need to slow down and enjoy our lives, our books, our children, our friends and our profession. Whenever I try to give out to much advice to my children it is ignored, whenever I eat to much I am uncomfortable, lucky for me I don’t drink…..so drinking to much is only a problem for those who do!

Today, I am thanking God because I know that what ever needs I have, He will meet my needs in His perfect timing and in His perfect way.

World Series Wednesday

vs

A Year By The Sea

Today I finished reading a true life story, A Year By the Sea by Joan Anderson. The story follows Joan during her year alone at her family's cottage on Cape Cod. This is the place she retreated to, when she chose not to accompany her husband after he accepted a new job out-of-state. It was here that she hoped to put the pieces of herself back together, pieces that she felt she had set aside while raising a family, maintaining a home and keeping her marriage alive.

Feeling frustrated and stagnant, Joan sees this year as an opportunity to re-evaluate and re-invigorate her own life! How many of us would like to be able to do just that.

The book is broken down into monthly accounts of Joan’s happenings, observations, and rejuvenations. She attempts new types of work and forces herself to go into unfamiliar social situations, all of which turn out to be very powerful growth experiences. She rediscovers herself as a capable and a can-do woman. The few visits that she shares with her husband and sons highlight the changes that she is going through; they are willing to now see her as someone who is taking risks and as a woman who has regained her own self image.

Those of you to know me well, know that I always read the last chapter of the book…….just because! So if you don’t want to know the ending…….stop reading! In the end, Joan and her husband find a place to start again: "We have endured, it would seem. A year ago in anger and despair I would have eagerly reached for divorce. But lethargy and exhaustion prevailed. Separation and solitude have healed us. It wasn't the marriage that needed to be terminated, rather the rote way in which we were existing within its walls."

I loved the story and can’t wait to start the next book as soon as it is delivered! What I really liked about the book wasn't her day to day existence but, her thoughts on life that are scatter throughout the book. This is a book which I have marked and tagged the margins and highlighted all those really great thoughts!

Until the next book arrives I will enjoy my hot tub….the closest I’ll get to a beach….my sea shell and star fish…….and half of this glass of grape juice!

Tasty Tuesday - Cream Cheese Toffee Dip

This has become my favorite fruit dip of the season. The Toffee Chips give it a great crunch. It is creamy, sweet, and way to addicting. I love to dip my apples in it or just eat it by the spoonful! Be careful.......you can eat your calories for the day in just a few seconds!

My parents have an beautiful old apple tree with the best apples you have ever tasted. Dad always has a bag ready for anyone who drops by their home.......washed and ready to eat! We had this at Halie's baptism and then again for our Halloween Extravaganza! Anthony is the lucky one who gets to take home any leftovers because he raves about how much he loves it.

You really could dip any kind of fruit with it and it's simple to whip together! Don't miss out on this dip while apples are in season!

Ingredients:
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 (8-oz.) package toffee bits
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:
Stir together all ingredients until well blended. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

A double batch is always a good idea!

A Thompson Halloween Extravaganza

Our Halloween Pumpkin Carving Party started 9 years ago??? We “NOW” always do the party the “Saturday” before Halloween. I honestly think it is one of our family’s most enjoyable annual amusements. This year I asked everyone to bring their own pumpkin for carving. I have found that there was always the proverbial haggling that took place when it was time to choose from the pumpkins I had purchased. Pumpkins never appear the way they do in the field once their are brought home. I truly looked for the most perfect, most plump, roundest, orangest….hear hear you say orangest isn’t a word….just ask the grandkids it is! Now the kids are ready to carve!

Full of good cheer and way to much food…..our party comes to a close with promises that we will do it again next year. We have already decided that we will have a barbecue with all the fixins’! Anthony brought some yummy meat that made us decide……….yes that is what we want next year!

Our Halloween party reminds me that the most potent and magical spell a parent can bless upon her children are memories of a good time!

Tonight is the night
When dead leaves fly
Like witches on switches
Across the sky,
When elf and sprite
Flit through the night
On a moony sheen.

Tonight is the night
When leaves make a sound
Like a gnome in his home
Under the ground,
When spooks and trolls
Creep out of holes
Mossy and green.

Tonight is the night
When pumpkins stare
Through sheaves and leaves everywhere,
When ghouls and ghost and goblin host
Dance round their queen.
It's Halloween

Thompson Halloween Party - 2009

Oh So Much Fun!

Living in the Flow Verse 8

The supreme good is like water,

which nourishes all things without trying to.

It flows to low places loathed by all men.

Therefore, it is like the Tao.

Live in accordance with the nature of things.

In dwelling, be close to the land.

In meditation, go deep in the heart.

In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.

Stand by your word.

Govern with equity.

Be timely in choosing the right moment.

One who lives in accordance with nature

does not go against the way of things.

He moves in harmony with the present moment,

always knowing the truth of just what to do.

The message so clear and simple, just like the flow of water………you can’t force things, they will always take their own path.   I all too often want to interfere with what is going on in the lives of those I love.   Sometime my interference is met with resistance.  As I read this verse I was able to see that if I  attempt to exert my will, I am becoming likely be a bolder in the stream that they will indeed try to go around.  What a AHA moment….I  realized that, in nature, when an obstruction impedes the flow of water in a river, the river simply cuts a new channel around it. While flowing through this new channel, the river is also slowly eroding the edges of the obstruction so that, in time, it melts away. So while I can give advice and counsel, it really is just an obstacle that they will flow over or go around.   

We all know, without question, that water is not always calm and peaceful. A river can have many lazy pools, a simple flowing current and just around the bend it can be filled white water rapids. I know there are times in my life when I become that white water rapid to those around me. Maybe it is because I think action needs to be taken.  I want to be a nourishment to others.   I want to live in harmony and kindness all the days of my life.  I want to flow like a river and when obstacles get in the way I need to learn to behave as a river, flowing around those obstacles, hopefully accomplishing more by learning to flow with or around challenges. 

Today I will drink water from the artesian well and say a pray of gratitude for this free flowing, life sustaining element!

Wordless Wednesday

Through the years.... Yes, It Really is Me!

Spanish Fork High School 1968..........................I really did look just like this...without the glasses!
By 1982 I was mother of 2, teaching school, and on a second marriage.........Nope never had that much hair in my life! ENVY

1996.........This kind of hair takes years to come by and miracles from heaven!

I certainly got a good laugh when I found this fun website to Yearbook yourself. I'm off to sunny Zona for the weekend with my daughter. Hope you all have a great weekend and I'll be back soon.........with a tan!

Chicken Bundles With Veloute Sauce

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Thursday evening I was one lucky girl…………..I was enrolled in a cooking class at Orson Gygi!

Here’s the Agenda:
-Demonstration of Stocks, step-by-step in conjunction with lecture
-Lecture “Soups”
-Demonstration of sweating vegetables and making soups
-Lecture “Thickening agents”
-Making Roux
-Lecture “Mother Sauces”
-Demonstration of Veloute, Bechamel, Hollandaise, Tomato
-Making Bechamel and Hollandaise
-Lecture “Compound/Small Sauces”
-Making Tomato and Alfredo
-Recap
-Dinner “Soup, Salad and Pasta and your choice of sauce. "

So today I put my new found knowledge to work!  I made “Chicken Bundles with Veloute Sauce” It was délicieux….delicious French style.  I know there are a million and “2” recipes on the internet, but I post here for my own benefit….I want to have a history of all the good things in life!

12 – 15 chicken tenders (pound thin so they are even)

1/2 c. bulk pork sausage

1/2 chopped onion

2 stalks chopped celery

1 cup herb seasoned croutons

1/3 cup water

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 cup herb-seasoned croutons  crushed to fine crumbs

Veloute Sauce:

2 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chicken broth or stock

1/3 cup milk or more!

Pound each chicken piece to 1/4 inch thickness, set aside.  Brown sausage in large fry pan over medium heat.  Remove sausage.  Set aside.  Reserve 2 tablespoons fat.  Cook onion and celery in reserved fat until tender.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sausage and croutons.  Add water, tossing lightly until croutons are moistened.  Portion tightly packed mounds on to each chicken piece, tucking edges under stuffing to form bundle. 
Brush chicken with melted butter.  Sprinkle evenly with crushed croutons.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden brown, tender and temperature of 170.  Serve with Veloute Sauce.

Veloute Sauce:   Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium to low heat.  Stir in flour and salt.  Gradually stir in chicken broth bringing to a boil.   Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Turn down the heat and slowly stir in milk.   Continue to cook while stirring constantly for 20 minutes adding milk as needed to get to a smooth consistency.

There was not a bundle left….next time I think I will try making this with chicken breasts.  Of course, the tenders cook quickly making this a quick dinner! 

Tao Verse 7

Heaven is eternal—the earth endures,

Why do heaven and earth last forever?

They do not live for themselves only.

This is the secret of their durability.

For this reason the sage puts himself last

and so ends up ahead.

He stays a witness to life,

so he endures.

Serve the needs of others, and all your own needs will be fulfilled.

Through selfless action, fulfillment is attained.

We are not in this world for ourselves. We came here to do some very specific work: to look past our own selfish desires and to share of ourselves with others. Our goal is to get to a place where we are acting in true service to one another, no matter what our circumstances might be. Our marriage would be a good place to start. My DH and I have been together for 26 years now. Each of us was in a former marriage we never anticipated would end, and we started a new life together traveling in what I thought was the same direction. We had both come to the end of a tragedy in our life….Divorce in my opinion is a tragedy……but it did give us both an opportunity to re-do. It forced us to start life over again along a different path, hopefully a happier path. Somewhere along that path I think “ego” stepped in. We both started going about our life in our own direction.

Giving of oneself is one of the hardest aspects of our marriage. I truly believe my tendency is to be self-focused: I want to make sure I’m happy; that I get my way; that I’m “usual” right. But happiness in our marriage won’t and cannot be achieved when one person puts their own selfish needs first. Just like being happy in my life, being happy in my marriage is a choice. I can choose to say unkind words or I can choose to hold my tongue. I can choose to be angry or I can choose to forgive. I can choose to work for a happy, healthy marriage or I can choose not to. The secret to an eternal marriage is to live for one another.

Today, I will choose to do one completely selfless act towards my marriage. I know it can make all the difference in the world, for without selfless service, no one ever receives the fruits of their rewards!

Wordless Wednesday

Cucumber Roasted Peanut Salad

    

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  pounds  cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 2  teaspoons  kosher salt
• 1/2  cup  rice vinegar
• 1/2  cup  water
• 3  tablespoons  sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 1/2 chopped  red onion
• 1 cup (or more) dry-roasted peanuts
• garnished with fresh cilantro

Preparation

Place the cucumber slices in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss well. Drain 1 hour. Place cucumber slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Rinse and pat dry.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove vinegar reduction from heat; cool. Stir in onion. Combine cucumbers and vinegar reduction in a medium bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

We made this salad for Sunday Night Dinner along with Perfect Party Chicken….I’ll share that recipe soon.  Absolutely delicious.  Salting and draining the cucumbers is a bit tedious, but it makes the them nice and crisp……kind of gives it some pop!   I could eat this salad every day and the calorie counts is under 100 per serving!

Thriller 2009

What a scream......all your favorite
Halloween characters, placed into a
very different tongue-in-cheek setting and there you have "THRILLER" some pretty twisted Halloween Fun with performances that were amazing! The Bride of Frankenstein couldn't have been better.........dead or alive!

Thanks to Starla we had tickets for Thursday nights performance.

Thoughts for Thursday

6th Verse

The spirit that never dies

is called the mysterious feminine.

Although she becomes the whole universe,

her immaculate purity is never lost.

Although she assumes countless forms,

her true identity remains intact.

The gateway to the mysterious female

is called the root of creation.

Listen to her voice,

hear it echo through creation.

Without fail, she reveals her presence.

Without fail, she brings us to our own perfection,

Although it is invisible, it endures;

it will never end.

 

Try as we might, we simply do not possess the capability to understand the source of all things. It doesn't matter what we call it or how we try to define it, it eludes our ability to grasp every single time.  A lot of people spend their lives trying to catch a glimpse of it, never realizing that it permeates everything, including each of us from within!

If we will but listen to the still small voice inside each of us, ignoring how others are trying to change our lives, and allow ourselves the opportunity to proclaim what we feel so strongly about within, we will be blessed with an awareness of our most precious talents and abilities.  Whatever your hearts desire…..do it with uniqueness to oneself.   Rather than lifting our eyes to the sky, we stand a much better chance of getting an inkling of the mystery by simply looking inside ourselves. There, in the silence removed from self and ego, is Tao.  Who are you?

Wordless Wednesday ---Take My Breathe Away Beautiful

Life is Good….with lots more to follow!

The weather today was a constant drizzle of rain, which made the grand kids pretty fidgety. We did breakfast, got in the hot tub, and watched a movie…..all before 10:00 AM. Time to break out of the doldrums' and head for an adventure! I really don’t enjoy driving in the rain, which might turn to snow at any minute in Utah, but we needed to get out of the house. So we head to Taggart’s Grill for lunch. It’s a drive …..and the “Are we almost thereS” started when we got to the mouth of the canyon! When we arrived I knew it was all worth it when the kids jumped out of the car and saw the peacocks coming towards us in the parking lot. Cool huh!

Taggart’s is a charming log cabin restaurant and the kids thought it was pretty cool that it looks a lot like their cabin. The peacocks run free on the grounds surrounding the restaurant….. nature and learning at it’s finest.

There’s plenty of outdoor eating, but it’s October and we live in Utah…..and you can’t trust the weather! So we found a table next to the window so the kids could watch the peacocks stroll by. I only wish they would have had the fireplace burning today! We enjoyed a hot dog for Halie, a pizza for Brevin, a salmon sandwich for Ali and I ate whatever they couldn’t. We also had an artichoke dip appetizer and I got my fair share!

Thanks for sharing the kids with us this weekend.

We had tons of fun! I will always cherish the times I get to spend with my family. Today we traveled through a storm and actually enjoyed dancing in the rain!

Life is Good!

Our Trip to Bridal Veil Falls

On Saturday I decided to take a day trip to visit my parents. We took Dad and early Christmas present ....leaf blower/vacuum. Their yard is huge and there will soon be leaves everywhere that need to be cleaned up. I hope the new Troy Built is useful! We had lunch at Chuck-A-Rama...my parents enjoy eating where they have many choices. I love Chuck's dressing and rice pudding! After lunch we took a drive up Provo Canyon. I wanted Ali to see Bridal Veil Falls.....can you believe I have never taken her to see this scenic attraction and she has lived in Utah since birth! I was also surprised that my parents said they would ride with us. They commented that they can't remember how long it has been since they have been in the canyon. Sad to say but the fall leaves have come and gone. I was hoping for some spectacular pictures ......but skies were grey and all the leaves are "Faded"...

Bridal Veil Falls has always brought a feeling of serenity when I'm near. The beauty of the unceasing cascades of water that falls over the craggy mountain side seems to speak "I will always be what I am and I will be forever present for the enjoyment of all.

   Looking through the trees The falls in all their glory!

The walking bridge over the Provo River.

Dad really wanted to have his fishing pool with him when we walked by the river.

It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I've got a really nice secret... and since I'm not very good at keeping them....I'm sharing a very nice restaurant with you today. Friday for lunch, my friend Nina and her Sister-in-law Julie, invited me to tag along with them to SLC. Of course there was a reason for the trip besides lunch.....we can get lunch just about anywhere. Gang Conference in Ogden....to busy for a quiet afternoon so off we go to The Marmalade District of SLC.

Salt Lake City's Marmalade Hill Historic District was named so because early street names reflected the fruit-bearing plants and trees imported and planted there by its early residents....Apricot, Quince, and Almond. Are you still reading for the secret?.......I'm getting there.

Our first stop was The Salt Lake Acting Company....we bought season tickets for the School Girls! This beautiful building was once an LDS Ward house....I know I couldn't believe it when I did my research! Doesn't look like an LDS Church does it! It was the center of the community in 1890 and it's the center of the community now with the diverse OFF BROADWAY Shows that we will be attending. I'm so excited....can't wait for a night out.

Okay here's the secret....it's Em's! Now that I've told you, please promise that you won't tell anyone else! Oh go ahead.....they will thank you for it.

Em's Restaurant is absolutely a great lunch or dinner spot in Salt Lake- the prices are still very reasonable and the food and service is incredible! Our waiter was a delight, he served every table inside and out! What a guy! Em's is right in the heart of the Marmalade district, one of the cutest....did I just say "Cutest"..... areas in Salt Lake. Plus there is still time this fall to head out for lunch and enjoy patio seating and a light salad or sandwich. Their patio is still full of beautiful flower arrangements and it is surrounded by green vines everywhere. We didn't eat outside, it was a little on the cool side for us, but there were several couples enjoying the beautiful fall day.

Here is what I had for lunch: Turkey, Bacon, Lettuce & Avocado with sun dried tomato aioli on a ciabatta bun. Of course it's Italian....actually means "carpet slipper" because it's flat like a slipper. The sandwich was at the reasonable price of only $7.00!

What's lunch out without a sampling of the dessert special.....Fresh Fruit and Berry Grand Marnier Crepe. Squisito......that's delicious my friends! Thanks for inviting me along Nina and Julie. Let's do it again in LA.

Ant and The Grasshopper

On our walk Thursday afternoon we saw several grasshoppers that were struggling to even jump and it made me think back to my childhood days and the poem that I have shared with you below. I memorized this when I was much younger, now I can recite the first stanza! I loved the poem then and love it now. I couldn’t think of a better post than to share this will all of you. There were no ants to be found today, must be tucked away in their winter homes already enjoying the feast of their summer harvest.

The Ant And The Grasshopper

Joseph Crosby Lincoln

You know the story--it's centuries old--
How the Ant and the Grasshopper met, we're told,
On a blustering day, when the wind was cold
And the trees were bare and brown;
And the Grasshopper, being a careless blade,
Who all the summer had danced and played,
Now came to the rich old Ant for aid,
And the latter "turned him down."

It's only fancy, but I suppose
That the Grasshopper wore his summer clothes,
And stood there kicking his frozen toes
And shaking his bones apart;
And the Ant, with a sealskin coat and hat,
Commanded the Grasshopper, brusque and flat,
To "Dance through the winter," and things like that,
Which he thought were "cute" and "smart."

But, mind you, the Ant, all summer long,
Had heard the Grasshopper's merry song,
And had laughed with the rest of the happy throng
At the bubbling notes of glee;
And he said to himself, as his cash he lent,
Or started out to collect his rent,
"The shif'less fool do'n't charge a cent,--
I'm getting the whole show free."

I've never been told how the pair came out--
The Grasshopper starved to death, no doubt,
And the Ant grew richer, and had the gout,
As most of his brethren do;
I know that it's better to save one's self,
And the Ant is considered a wise old elf,
But I like the Grasshopper more myself,--
Though that is between we two.

5th Verse

Heaven and Earth are impartial;

they see the 10,000 things as straw dogs,

The sage is not sentimental;

he treats all his people as straw dogs.

The sage is like heaven and earth;

To him none are especially dear,

nor is there anyone he disfavors.

He gives and gives, without condition,

offering his treasures to everyone.

Between heaven and earth

is a space like a bellows;

empty and inexhaustible,

the more it is used, the more it produces.

Hold on to the center.

Man was made to sit quietly and find

the truth within.

For whatever reason, I had trouble focusing on this verse. Thus I have taken 9 months to come back to reading "Change Your Thoughts- Change Your Life". Maybe it is just the fact that a lot has been going on the past several months. It could have been retirement. It could have been summer and baseball. It could have been my life changing exercise and weight loss program. It could have been beautiful warm weather. It could have been the cold weather. Or maybe this is a verse that is telling me I need to understand more.

In life, it is not so easy to go through the day without running into a situation where anger raises its ugly head and a label then becomes the answer. The ego makes us the right one… the important one… the one that needs to have control of what is going on.

Everyone and everything is equal and special. The basic life needs of air, sunshine, and water are given to everyone for free.

So the plan is to take these 3 steps to live a more connected life:

1. Eliminate as many judgements as possible.

2. Remove the word "special" from your vocabulary....because we are all special, everyone and every thing.

3. Extend generosity to those around you.

There is such freedom in this verse ... without labels, we are free to be. That's when amazing things can begin to happen! Have a wonderful and blessed day!