Street Taco Wednesday

Here’s the deal…Tacos are 2 for $1 on Wednesday from the street vendors.   It has become a ritual (really quirky routine) for awhile now!  Tonight I added a salad and a side dish of Fideo   How have I never heard of this dish before?   It was so easy to make and delicious as well.  (Got the recipe from one of my daughters friends!) Sharing the recipe I used so that I can make sure it is on the menu again and I will never be without all the ingredients to make this spur of the moment dish!

FIDEO

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons butter

1 small onion (minced fine)

8 ounces vermicelli pasta (Fideo)

4 cups chicken stock

2 cubes tomato-flavored bouillon

Directions:

1. Heat the butter in a large sauce pan until melted.  Cook and stir the onion in the butter until translucent.  Stir in the vermicelli and cook until golden brown, about 3 – 5 minutes.  Add the chicken stock and tomato bouillon cubes, stir to mix in well and cover.  Simmer until the vermicelli is tender, 10 – 12 minutes.   The liquid will be completely gone and the paste will be al dente!

Always Exhausted!

Tired is my way of life….and for some reason I have not only been tired….
I HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED!
I could make a very long list of complaints….but I don’t think that would cure how I feel, in fact it just zaps the energy from me even more.  Sometimes even blessings make me exhausted…like this handsome little guy who has energy beyond words!

When I became his mom I knew that life would not slow down around me…Laundry piles up, meals need to be prepared, dishes need to be washed, and of course shopping needs to be done. 
So how do I survive…I have gathered tips from a few of my best sources (THE GRANDMA, being #1) and the first one was to :
Pray Often – and know that I am not alone!

 
Here are 12 tips to follow…Not one of these ideas is earth shaking….in fact (said source has been giving me this advice for years!)

1.  Drink water

We drive several miles to get fresh water from an artesian well. and  I’ve learned (BEEN TOLD)that drinking a glass of water in the afternoon can give me an energy boost.  If I don’t intentionally drink a few glasses of water during the day, I get dehydrated without even know it…..problems that arise headache, dehydration, and KIDNEY STONES…not fun!

2.  Get dressed and ready first thing

Getting out of pj’s some days is a real fight. Staying in pajamas makes me feel like all I want to do is lay back down on the couch and sleep the day away.  On week days I always lay my clothes out the night before in order to save me the hassle of choosing what I will wear the next day…I need that in my weekend routine as well. 

3.  Find time to EXERCISE

I am not a gym rat by any means…….walking around the block with my little guy pedaling away on his bike has become an evening  event.   Not sure if that can be called an exercise program, but it is a start! 

4.  Eating a healthy diet

This should come easy for me…after years of Type 1 diabetes, I should understand the importance of a healthy diet.  A weekly menu is a great way to plan ahead.  Healthy food is fuel for the body to keep you energized.

5.  Drinking Tea

We love tea at our house…we have a shelf in the pantry dedicated to all kinds of flavors.  My favorite Lipton Honey Lemon is my go to drink in the morning for the drive to work.    Tea also sooths away those stomach aches that so often find their way to my body. 

6.  Turn off the electronics…

Yes, I am addicted to my electronic devices.   I know that it zaps the energy right out of me and it keeps me very disconnected from the important things in life….while keeping me connected to the important things in my life.  This will be a big challenge for me…starting small, turning them off for just 1 hour in the evenings will probably do amazing things for all of us!

7  Clean one area of the house

Several years ago I did a 40 day purge of my home….it was exhilarating and I loved how I felt after I had cleaned just one kitchen drawer.  With a new summer semester of school starting in May, I know I need to stay organized to keep my energy level up!  A cluttered house will drain the energy faster than anything, it destroys serenity.  I might not have the energy to do a big cleaning list, but I can leave every space a little better than the way I found it.  Even small accomplishments give a tiny energy surge to keep me rolling through the day.

8.  Get Outside

A breath of fresh air does great things for the body.  20 minutes in the sunshine will boost your energy levels to a new high.  Finding time at least once a day to get outside and take in the fresh air will change how I feel for the entire day.

9. Rest with Little Man

Watching a movie while cuddling on the coach is a great way to relax.  We all need a break once in a while.  During the summer, I love taking a nap the same time my little guy does.  20 minute cat naps also invigorate the body!   That’s what they do in Spain, Italy and Mexico every after noon, if it works for them….it works for me!

10.  Visit with a Friend

Being around little people all day can completely drain the life out of me.  I love having adult conversations once in awhile….even if it is just texting or chatting on Face Book.   Planning a once a month activity with friends is a great way to rev up the body!

11.  Listen to music

The sound of music through the house can do wonders for the attitude and energy level I feel.  If I need to do some cleaning I put on something with a fast beat which always gets me moving.   If I am over anxious I always put on a song of worship and praise and I instantly feel better. 

12.  Serve Others

Always be on the look out to provide value to someone, if you make this a habit you will never be drained. It will lift you up and give you even more energy then you had before.

Uncle Guido’s 80th Birthday Party

The Buffo men….Maverik, Guido, Steve, Steve, Frank

 

We had to beg beg beg  John to get in the picture………

Brothers  all are we…..Whatever happens in our lives, there is a gift for us in it, and each one of us must find this out for ourselves. No person can tell us what the gift is. It is our gift to unwrap and to marvel at.  These men have been a very special part of my life. 

The Buffo/Thompson boys…with Great Grandma Buffo in the background!

Rob and Liz

Frank and Nellie

Frank, Gloria, Nellie, and Guido

Steve, Frank Gloria, Nellie, and Guido

   

Rob and Nellie

Grandpa Buffo with his great grand children…Brevin, Kendry, and Halie

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Grandpa Buffo with his grandchildren – Jason and Ali

What  a very blessed day it was for all of us. The secret to fulfilling life’s journey lies in our ability to be grateful for everything we have been given, and I have truly been given much.

The Places Life Takes Us

Yesterday I decided to visit a very good friend who is in a Care Facility.   It was a difficult day, but one I knew I was suppose to address a long time ago.  After a very short visit with him (he cannot respond), I made my way back towards the front door.
This is the area where several ladies were sitting in a cluster near the entrance.  As I approached, one grabbed my arm and said, “She’s trying to get up.”  I saw none of them attempting to do that but said, “I’ll be glad to help her.”   She smiled and said Thank you.
Moving forward another said to me, “Hi, I’m Alice…but talk to her first.” pointing to the lady behind her.  I asked her name, she responded with only a smile.  Alice then said, “I really like your hair.”  That is about the kindest thing anyone can say to me ~ since I have a love hate relationship with my hair.  She then said, “My name is Alice J and will you please come visit again.”   Of course I will.  I spent less the 3 minutes with her and I already love her!

With tears in my eyes and heart, I drove home and thought about the cycles of life.  The care center was full of beautiful people who need love and kindness to sustain life for even just one more day.  There philosophy on care ~ At Rocky Mountain Care, we strongly believe that each of our patients is special and unique and deserve the highest respect and service possible. I don’t know enough about the facility to give you my opinion, but it did appear to be a very clean facility with lots of staff moving throughout the patients rooms.  I pray my friend is getting all the kindness he deserves.   I miss you my friend…

After my visit this web site popped up in my browser and it was just what I needed to read!  Funny how things like that happen. 
George Saunders gave the graduation speech at Syracuse University in 2013, and the New York Times published it for all of us to glean from his wisdom.   Below is a small portion of the speech that happened to touch base with me.  You can read the entire speech by following the highlighted link. 
Kindness………….
Now, one useful thing you can do with an old person, in addition to borrowing money from them, or asking them to do one of their old-time “dances,” so you can watch, while laughing, is ask: “Looking back, what do you regret?” And they’ll tell you....
Here’s something I know to be true, although it’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it: What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness.
Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded…sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly.
Or, to look at it from the other end of the telescope: Who, in your life, do you remember most fondly, with the most undeniable feelings of warmth?
Those who were kindest to you, I bet.
It’s a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement, but I’d say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder.

Snow Blossoms – Nicest Day Ever

Broken yet still beautiful………

The sidewalk covered with broken blossoms today is a blessings.  There are people who believe they are blessed, there are people who believe that the world is out to get them and God doesn’t care.   These petals could be circumstances that validate their beliefs as our attitude and beliefs are so very powerful. The way we view God, what he has given us and how we view ourselves determines our mindsets.
Today his love rained down on us with a snow blossom shower and Kiddo said, “Grandma, it’s the best day ever!”.




















Joy definition: the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 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.

Sidewalk Library

For many many years I have been a Booker…(I would go to DI or Savers and spend hours) browsing through used books to bring home to my library.  Thus I have shelves and shelves of books that are just waiting to be shared with others.   

Our April 2014 Newsletter from our city had this article:

‘Little Libraries’
Sprouting Up this Spring
You may have noticed what look like very large birdhouses popping
up around your neighborhood. Happily, looking inside the box, you’ll
find children’s books, rather than birds, and they are known as ‘little
libraries.’
The Davis Community Learning Center, 210 E. Center, has been working
with three Eagle Scouts, along with other volunteers, to make these little
neighborhood libraries a reality. According to Merri Ann Perkins, Davis
Community Learning Center Coordinator, children can visit any of these
boxes and pick out a book. When they are done with the book, they simply
return it and pick out another. Anyone can put children’s books in
the boxes that they no longer want.

The libraries are located at:                     
• 152 N. Terrace Dr.
• 140 S. Lindon St.
• 125 S. 350 E.
• 200 S. Locust St.,
Clearfield Community Church
South Parking Lot
• 162 Sycamore Circle
• 442 S. State Clearfield Mobile Home Park
• 538 E. 250 S.

There are still
some little libraries
available. If you would
like to have one to put
up on your property
call Sheena Evans at
the Davis Community
Learning Center,
(801) 402-8387
or email shevans@
dsdmail.net. They will
even provide some
books to get it started!   

We called, received,(with the help of Halie and Sheena carrying it to our car) and planted our Little Library in our parkway.

So excited to share with our neighbors….or anyone who drives by and wants to enjoy a book!

HIll Air Force Base Easter Hunt 2014

 Ready…..

GO GO GO……….

Cool Whip Eggs

Because of Christ

And he still looked upon them with love “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” Luke 23:34

Sometimes in those moments when I need the most grace, the most forgiveness, I see Jesus, I see the cup that he accepted.

Wondering if he gets tired of me putting him back on the cross each time I fall short and mess up.

So much grace he has offered to us. All we have to do is accept his forgiveness and that wonderful mercy that is new every morning.

It's time to start seeing Jesus not for who he is but for what He has done for each one of us.

That moment in time as he hung there on the cross between the two thieves? That was all for us!

One day we will see him again. All of his glory and goodness!

Christ the Lord is risen today….Hallelujah!