Murraytalk

It's that time of a year again when people stop for a moment and actually reflect on what they are thankful for. It's unfortunate that most of us don't take the time each day to give thanks for all that we are blessed with. There's a lot going on in the lives of many of my close friends and family this year, Although I'm saddened by their struggles I'm extremely thankful that we're in each others lives. Give thanks!

Today is World Pasta Day - are you thinking spaghetti party? World Pasta Day is celebrated on October 25th every year. It is a day when the nutritional and culinary aspects of pasta is widespread. So get your pasta on tonight... and I'm not talking Spaghettios. Have a great Thursday!

This week I've had some clarity regarding certain people in my life. I have always been really good about moving on because when I'm done, I'm done. But this particular situation has had me so irritated I keep re-living it in my mind. So today when I woke up I decided not to have an agenda and just take some time out of the house, clear my mind, and enjoy a day with no schedule. I ended up spending most of the afternoon at the park with four of my grandchildren. I snapped pictures, spoke to a couple of moms, and entertained a 20 month old that decided she was going to be my best friend.                                                                                                                   ...

Today is World Food Day - World Food Day has been observed every year since 1979. http://www.worldfooddayusa.org/

Makenna and I are decorating pumpkins for my dining room table. Of course I had to make a tutu and put pearls on mine. We're also taking a trip to Hobby Lobby and the Dollar Store to pick up some items to make a Fall wreath for my front door. We'll stop at the park on the way home to collect some pine cones ...can't wait to start creating!  http://www.ehow.com/how_7827457_decorate-fall-outdoor-wreath.html Have a great Tuesday! Another word for creativity is courage. -- George Prince

Many years ago my good high school friend Terri suggested that I buy the land behind hers. She has cattle and horses - at that time I couldn't see me in the country, but I'm officially ready to trade the stilettos for boots and the traffic noise for the sound of nature. I'm ready for a change - I know where I want to grow old and it's not in the busy crazy world that I'm living in now. I was telling my niece when I saw her on Friday that I'm at a point in my life where I really want to enjoy Gods creation. I want to see wildlife, wake up to birds chirping and go to bed looking at the sunset. So I am diligently searching for my new venue. Yesterday Tom and I took a drive to do some shooting to get away and relax a bit... had a good time! Have a fabulous Monday! My profession is to always find God in nature.                                             ...

I woke up to an email this morning that reminded me how blessed I am to have faith and trust in God to lead and guide me in my life. I thought that a decision that I had made was through the guidance of God, but now I know it was a decision that I had made from my heart. I'm just thankful that I heard the correct message before I was in too deep. I have to admit that I'm feeling some disappointment and anger, but I do know that I will be where I need to be when the time is right. Have a blessed Sunday!

The plan for today was to drive to Camp Verde this morning for a get together for my father in law's birthday. He would have been 83 today. Tom took his car to emissions early this morning and had a flat on the way home. I picked him up and my car started making a strange sound. We made it home and it died. So needless to say we're staying home since we all can't fit on the motorcycle. So my Saturday will consist of laundry and cleaning. I did have a good day yesterday visiting my niece. Makenna loves playing with her cousins - it was an afternoon of painting pumpkins and running around the back yard. Have a great Saturday! If we are ever to enjoy life, now is the time, not tomorrow or next year ... Today should always be our most wonderful day. Thomas Dreier

Today is National Farmer's Day International Moment Of Frustration Scream Day & National Gumbo Day http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shrimp-gumbo-recipe/index.html?rsrc=sea I think I'm going to make Shrimp Gumbo in honor of National Gumbo Day. I guess I should of bought the shrimp from the little old man that knocked at my door yesterday trying to sell meat off of his truck. He said, "I have steaks, ribs, and burgers."  I said, " You picked the wrong doorbell to ring, I don't eat beef." So he had me follow him across the street to his truck - he pulled out a box of frozen shrimp. I was somewhat tempted until he told me it was $58, and me being neurotic about germs kind of killed the deal for me too. Today thank all the farmers that you know for all of their hard work. Make some Gumbo and scream! Happy Friday!

I woke up this morning feeling like it was Fall because it was cloudy and dark outside -  motivated me to go for a walk. Got Makenna in the stroller, plugged in the ipod, and Kelsey and I went for a 5 mile walk around the neighborhood. There was a time when I walked year round, but the older I get I can't seem to handle the heat, so I love the cooler weather! I had a great visit with Carol and Arlene yesterday morning. When you go to Carol's you can always expect to feel like your being pampered at a 5 star resort. She is so elegant and proper with exceptional hostess skills.... entertaining is her thing. The table was set beautifully as usual, and the coffee and danish - delicious!  She will be leaving Wednesday to go back to Hawaii to take care of her granddaughter - hoping to be back by February to stay.                                               ...

My craft day that I planned yesterday turned out to be Makenna making nail polish. Madison stood me up to go to Jump Street with a friend. I got a tip from my friend Deborah to have Makenna use white glue and glitter for her nail polish - that's what we did.  Great idea for the young ones! This morning I'm getting together with my friend Carol that's been in Hawaii since May watching her first grandchild. She's only here for a week and it's back to Hawaii, so we're doing coffee at her house for a quick catch up on life. "A Friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you anyway!!!"  -  Heather Tallent Have to run... Make the most of your best!

The kids are on Fall Break so I'm going to do some crafts today with Madison and Makenna. I found a mason jar lid pumpkin project that they can work on together. Makenna will be able to string the lids and Madison can spray paint and cut out the burlap. I think they'll make cute outdoor decorations.  http://sevenclowncircus.com/2012/09/mason-jar-lid-pumpkin-diy-craft.html I also found homemade nail polish which I know they'll both love to do. It might be a bit challenging for Makenna, but I'm going to let her give it a try anyway. http://sevenclowncircus.com/2012/08/homemade-nail-polish.html So as soon as they wake up we're off to Hobby Lobby for lids, glitter and spray paint; and the Dollar Store for clear polish. Happy Tuesday! "Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children."  Charles R. Swindoll

Happy Columbus Day! In fourteen hundred and ninety two Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Do you remember learning that little rhyme in elementary school?  Speaking of elementary school it's also American Touch Tag Day - You're it!  I think playing tag was one of my favorite things to play as a kid. It was the game that never ended - you dodged and ducked from the hand coming towards you never thinking about how long you had been running around. Fun, fun fun!  If you have Columbus Day off get some people together and get a good game of tag going. I didn't do much yesterday - Tom left early morning on his motorcycle for a business trip in Colorado. I took the day off from cleaning and cooking - did laundry, some shopping with Melissa, and relaxed the rest of the day. Today my plan is to clean out the pumpkin I bought and use it as a center piece. I saw this in Southern Living and love the look. http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/fall-decorating-i...

Last night the family came over for dinner to celebrate my daughter Melissa's Birthday. We made it simple and casual - grilled and had cupcakes and cake. One of my granddaughters, Litzy, came over and made cupcakes with my daughter Kelsey. They baked Melissa's cupcake in a terra cotta pot - they put a bow around the pot and put a cute plastic wand with a glitzy star on the cupcake - (which caught on fire and melted on the cupcake) it was really cute. When I purchased the pack of star wands the cashier said, "Oh a princess party. "  I said, " Yea, the princess is turning 32."  Crazy how quickly the years go by.                                                                                                         ...

I left early this morning to get some shopping done, and I have to be honest - not ready to be sold on Christmas  I know it's the way retail works - I put many years into that industry, but I truly hate how overly commercialized Christmas is. They brainwash people and kids into thinking they have to have the newest and best of everything, and most people buy into the lie.  But what about the kids that their parents can't fall into the trap because financially they just can't do it. Are they made fun of or shunned by their peers because they don't have the newest clothes, gadgets, or toys?  Do they feel inferior or not worthy enough to receive - according to the advertisers you have to have it. It's not fair or right and I hate it!                                                               I think we all need to ...

It seems lately that most of my emails and text messages are from friends asking for prayer. It's so easy to get wrapped up in our own life and forget that other people are hurting and need our prayers. My friend Eric was sharing with me that Saturday around 2 in the morning he suddenly woke up. He couldn't fall back to sleep so he started praying for friends and family. As he prayed he kept seeing his brother in law - he said he was on his knees praying for him for 45 minutes or so.                     Later that morning he sent him a text message telling him that God put on his heart for him to pray for him, and that he needed to be the bigger person and contact his daughter from his previous marriage that he had been wanting to have a relationship with. Eric received a text from his brother in law later that afternoon saying, "Guess where I'm at?" He was having lunch with his daughter. That was on Saturday and Sunday he pass...

A few weeks ago I bought a canvas at Big Lots for a couple of dollars - in the evening I doodled on it with a Sharpie marker. Today Makenna and I are going to color in the flowers for our art project. It's cheap and easy entertainment. I also have sidewalk chalk soaking in water so we can do chalk art this afternoon. I don't celebrate Halloween, but I've been looking for Fall craft ideas. We walked into Safeway yesterday and came home with a pumpkin. Here's some decorating ideas that I love. Time to get creative. If you have ideas for fun projects for a high strung toddler, please share. Happy Thursday! When I can no longer create anything, I’ll be done for.’ — Coco Chanel

I use to be a huge fan of all the Housewives Reality Shows, but I quit watching since each show turns out to have a cast of grown women fighting like high school girls. But, I decided to watch the reunion of The Real Housewives of New Jersey on Sunday. What I saw was the first 15 minutes and it was pretty calm. It aired again last night so I decided to finish watching, and as usual it was ridiculous.                         Once again it was an episode of jealous caddy women throwing jabs at each other on everything from appearance to she said he said crap. They're bullies. We have anti bullying campaigns to teach kids acceptance and respect for others, but these women are on television bullying and tearing families apart while earning an income and getting their 15 minutes of a fame. They're a horrible example of a mother, a sister, a daughter, a woman and a human being. They're grown up mean girls with no respect. Would...

Makenna had a great first day of preschool!                                                                                         My friend Denise has been teaching preschool since I first met her 1989 and probably before that. My son, one of my daughters, and 4 of my grandchildren have gone to her - she has a great Christian based program. I use to teach with her many many years ago, but left to teach at Mountain Ridge High School when they started their preschool program. Anyway, Makenna was apprehensive about going but did really well with the other kids and did well on following directions. She did come home saying a new word - fortunately it's a good one. Her new word for the day was Amen . When they all sat down for lunch and folded their hands, closed th...

Sunday ended up being a busy day for everyone in my house. We keep starting little house projects that involve making a mess, but once completed it's refreshing. Kelsey decided to paint her bedroom so the hallway became a danger zone for the majority of the day, but she completed her task and the room looks great. And I did tackle the jacuzzi room as planned and started a Goodwill bag and a throw away bag. I'm happy to say the Goodwill bag is fuller. I feel like I've been unloading my life at Goodwill the past few weeks, but I feel good about getting rid of stuff. I guess this is the season in my life where I need to purge. In between the cleaning Tom and I took a quick trip to the cemetery to visit his dad and my mom. It really is nice that they're at the same cemetery. Came home to a continuation of sorting and cleaning before my daughters and granddaughters started getting ready for a flash mob that they were doing for Breast Cancer... never a dull ...