The air is so fresh and sweet today!

We're enjoying the May temperatures;

 flowers in full bloom all around us;

and the vibrancy of the colors, especially the way the sun shines upon the newly cut green lawn!
 

We are spending time on the patio, in the parks and family barbeques.  The kids are collecting a few grass stains as they play touch football and the dog seems to be smiling, as she springs into the air to catch the frisbee! 

Of course there are a few negatives...

it's bug season again!

Fly’s  Last  Supper! 

Fly swatter in hand he sits

Jumping up with each buzz,

Head spinning, arms flailing in fits,

Then down again to wait…

It’s o.k. I’ve set a good bait!

Come on back,

Grab a snack,

I’ll give you a good whack!

I don’t have anywhere to go,

Soooooooo….

Keep taunting me,

You’ll be history!

Careful who you mess with,

I’ve been around the block,

I’ll fix your clock!

Fast little bugger…

Landing on one window then another,

Zipping by from light to light!

Trying to sneak up on me and take a bite?!

Come on in for a landing….It’s alright,

I’ll be your last supper…

GOTCHA….

Nighty night!!!

poem written by Lorraine Brown (c) 2012

More to remember

Occasionally, my dad's birthday would land on Mother's Day...


Which makes this Mother's Day even more special...


I miss him so...

but he and my mom both live on in the little things I do and say...
their mannerisms, voices, features...

his strength and determination, his love of nature & creativity,
and some say...

his eyes ~

Daddy's little girl



Although my mother is no longer on this earth,
I feel her love imprinted on my heart,

Dad and Mom ~ young love

her words still speak softly

to my soul,  

her grace and unconditional love,

forgiveness and friendship endure;                    

her humor lives on;

I can almost hear her laughter

and many times

I think I hear her voice...

She still holds my heart...



In...

 HER HANDS   
(I wanted to re-post this tribute to mom,
but thought I'd just link it up here)

All the more special this Mother's Day is.
All the more reason to celebrate
  two loving parents...both gifts from God. 

 

Bright and sunny days replace the gloom,

open windows softly bring

fresh warm breezes to the room

angelic birds begin to sing,

buds of flowers now in bloom...



The cardinal is inviting me outdoors











To enjoy the beauty of God's creation



The rain has stopped and the sun is shining…

So glad to open the windows,

Inviting the fresh spring breeze to enter…

Along with the fragrance of Lily Of The Valley…

They’ve arrived right on time…

 

For my favorite month…

May!

'Tis my faith that every flower

Enjoys the air it breathes!

~William Wordsworth

 



 

What a Hoot!

I was just about to end my afternoon stroll with my near to the ground sniffing four legged friend. As we approached a small ravine several yards from home, we were awed by massive wings fluttering above our heads exiting one of the lush old oaks nearby. It was one of our neighborhood owls! 

I'm so intrigued by owls and was thrilled to see one in the middle of the day!  I’ve spotted one or two during the several years we’ve lived here…usually at dusk and I’ve still not been able to grab my camera in time to capture them in a photo. Same goes for today!

As he landed in another towering oak, perched on one of the open limbs, staring back at me, I grabbed my antiquated flip phone and clicked on the camera (which of course has no zoom and if you don’t hit the save button, everything disappears)… no luck. One of these days I just know I’ll capture a good one. Until then, I’ll have to remain content with the sound of their night-time serenade, listening to their cooing as I drift peacefully off to sleep.


When we first moved to this neck of the woods, we were introduced rather quickly to sights and sounds we had not experienced since childhood, if ever. Coming from the city, where the nightlife is a different type of wild, we found this to be refreshing…until we heard the howling of coyotes in a marsh behind our neighbor’s lot. That was a sound that I had never heard before. I much prefer the peaceful sounds of nature.

A few months after we moved here was first time we heard our resident owl. I was excited to announce it to my husband who immediately replied, “how do you know it’s an owl? It could be someone hiding in the bushes making the sound of an owl as a decoy!”   Really? I replied…Really! ;)   I like to remind my city boy of that comment now and then.

Of course, I’m not innocent either because I did call the cops on a deer once!  It was dusk and I glanced out the window to see someone standing on a hilly area near our window. I could only make out the silhouette and I swear I saw a head and broad shoulders of someone wearing tan or dark grey…not moving…head pointed in my direction.

 

I panicked, closed all the blinds and called to report a peeping tom!

Fortunately, the police encouraged me to never resist calling, even for deer because “you just never know”!  Whew...glad they are close by!

They did locate the perp...the big guy was hiding with his accomplices behind the hedgerow...

Ah, the wild wild woods ~ A few adjustments here and there and a few years later, and I’m finally settled in…calm, cool and collected…keeping my eyes wide open and my camera nearby.

A Bowl of Sunshine

It's a gloomy day in April...

 damp from the storms we had last night...

the sun can't decide if it wants to make an appearance today...

after all it is Sunday...day of rest...

but not for the sun...

the sun always shines...somewhere!

well, if it IS shining on you today,

I hope you enjoy every moment...

every warm golden ray! 

may today be a gift you embrace...

whether the sun is shining or not...

and may this soup be one to warm you

from the inside out...

loaded with antioxidants

to bring you good health...

flavor to satisfy your taste buds...

warmth from the spice of ginger and garlic...

I like to call it

A BOWL OF SUNSHINE!

C a r r o t  -  G i n g e r   Soup

Ingredients:

Approx. 2 - 3 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Large yellow Onion, minced
3 - 4 Garlic cloves, minced (use more or less according to your taste for garlic)
2  - 3 tsp. grated fresh ginger (for more heat and if you love ginger, feel free to add more - I've been known to use quite a bit more - ;)
1 ½ lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 cups chicken stock (organic/all natural, no msg, lower sodium)
1 tsp. juice of fresh squeezed lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


~      ~      ~    ~
   
Steps:

Since I like to do as many steps in one pan, I use a large soup pot for this entire recipe...

Drizzle the olive oil into the soup pot and warm over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. (I chop all ingredients right into the pan - no extra plates, cutting boards or utensils needed). 


I press in the garlic, grate in the ginger and chop in the carrots and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, and then add the stock.  Cook the ingredients over medium heat until the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes (or when carrots are tender), remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.


Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and season with sea salt and pepper. (**You can also do this in a regular blender but wait until it is cool then re-heat in your soup pot, but of course, my immersion blender allows me to keep it all in the pot with less clean up)


Ladle hot soup into bowls (preferably warmed bowls). Garnish with a dollop of fat free sour cream or creme fraiche.. I like to use plain Greek yogurt.  Add a sprig of parsley or cilantro. Serve immediately.


Serves 4 to 6. 

I enjoy this soup with popovers!
click here  for my quick and easy popovers recipe ~

P.S... If by chance there is soup left over, sometimes I'll use it to prepare a unique pasta sauce:  Depending on how much soup is left, I like to stir in a tablespoon or so of plain Greek yogurt to the soup (just enough to thicken the soup into a sauce) and simmer over medium heat; add grated parmesan cheese and stir until bubbly and the consistency of a pasta sauce.  I ladle over my favorite pasta, sprinkle with toasted chopped walnuts, fresh grated parmesan cheese & fresh basil and serve!  I also love this sauce drizzled over a grilled chicken breast on a bed of quinoa or rice!)

WHAT'S  SO  GOOD  ABOUT  FRIDAY?

Friday came and went...a message sent...to every ear...

willing to hear...the message of tomorrow...

no more sorrow....Rejoice...

HE    IS    RISEN!!!



MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN WITH QUINOA !

I'M STILL ON CLOUD NINE AFTER A FUN DAY OF COOKING IN MY KITCHEN WITH JOEY FATONE!  

  

I HAD SUCH BLAST

AND I'M SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS EXPERIENCE!

THANKS AGAIN TO JOEY AND THE ENTIRE CREW OF

"MY FAMILY RECIPE ROCKS"

FOR BEING SO KIND

AND SO MUCH FUN TO BE WITH!!!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW MY RECIPE click here

AND TO VIEW MY EPISODE WITH JOEY click here

One Big Merry Go Round!

There are days when things might not seem
to be going great...

I know we all feel fatigued or challenged,
even afraid at times...

Or we might even be on top of the world,
joyfully enjoying the fruits of our labors...

Or celebrating a big event...
perhaps a milestone birthday...
anniversary...birth of a child...

"Life is like a merry go round...some days you're up....some days you're down"  (excerpted from a poem I wrote in  Jr. high school --

received an A minus but the teacher wrote in big red ink at the top...

"depressing!")    

Oh well!   ...  But isn't it true?!

So, today, I was merrily making the rounds, trying to get caught up on posts and came across this:  FOR JEREMIAH

Needless to say, my heart was instantly stirred.  I feel sad at the thought of a child's party and all the work the mom put into it and hardly anyone showing up.  It created a pit in my stomach and I wished I could just give them all a big hug.  Then to read about the generosity, compassion, dedication and desire of this couple to take not one, but two disabled children into their home and love them with the love only God could provide, made my heart cry out to God for His compassion to flood over them.  It also made me feel small.  In our day to day world, we can do what is put before us and hope to do it well.  But TamiJoy and her husband are heroes as far as I'm concerned! 

May God shine the brightest ray of sunshine upon their souls and bless them without measure.

Thanks Debby at Heavenly Humor for posting this and waking my spirit today! 

ABBY ...

                 IS...

                      QUITE  THE  POSER...




Photo by Nicole Marie @ Nicole Marie Photography




This is just one of the photos from Abby's recent photo shoot...oh, yes...she's a model now!  A super model as far as I'm concerned.  She was so good as our super talented photographer friend Nicole snapped away all afternoon. I'm told there are plenty more pics coming soon, but for now these captured our hearts.  If you notice in the pic above, I was trying to match her to our little pillow behind her!  The necklace she is wearing actually belonged to my mom! Who would have guessed it would fit our little tweeny doxie pup!  Well, she's not actually a pup anymore...you can see by the white around her nose and toes which used to be all tan. She'll be ten in April! 
She's a great companion and so patient...obviously! ;)





photo by Nicole Marie @ Nicole Marie Photography



She Waits  

                         

when I walk in the door, 

she greets me

with un-ending  kisses 

like a long lost love... 
                       
she showers me

with more adoration

than I deserve…

when I shed a tear

she wipes it away

with a soft, knowing kiss of compassion…

she comforts my soul

as she teaches me

what love should be!

she wants one thing…

she wants me!

she stays by my side every moment of the day, 

                                

as I seem to forget my companion's plea,

with her sweet love tap on my knee,

can we play?!  oh please, can we play?!

I reply, "not yet but pretty soon",

as she resigns...

with her head on my lap

 

photo by Nicole Marie @ Nicole Marie Photography

she takes me at my word,

hope reflected in her eyes...

a little sigh now and then

to remind me  

                  

my best friend waits by my side.  

(written by Lorraine Brown © 2011)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

You can find more pics of Abby, along with other adorable animals and pets and more incredible photos on Nicole's  blog:   http://www.nmarieblog.com/    

And we'll be adding a few more tricks to Abby's routine.  Just click here  if you want to see Abby's show.

INSPIRATION

I BELIEVE ...

 THOSE  WHO ARE THE MOST TALENTED 

ARE OFTEN THE BEST ENCOURAGERS ~

That's Charlotte...

A genuinely kind

and

compassionate

person!

I was fortunate to have met Charlotte Digregorio a couple of years ago through a reading group. She is a multi-talented, multi-lingual, award winning, internationally renowned writer/publisher/teacher. Her writing reaches around the globe and her resume extends almost that far!

When Charlotte requested an interview with me regarding my poetry, I was, needless to say...humbled and honored!

Here is the link to our interview:

Award winning-writer-delights-others-with-her-rhyming-poems/

THANK YOU CHARLOTTE!

Your encouragement

lifts me up 

and inspires me! 

Another "R" word...

"R e g r e t"

I arrived at the hospital just moments after my dear friend's father took his last breath.  She sat at the edge of the hospital bed, the winter air chilling the room from the slightly opened window.  It had been a long fight...a battle against a disease that only ravishes its victims...yet she felt as though there was something more she could have done.

Reality escaped her as her emotions carried her away.  She believed with all her heart that it wasn't time for her dad to die and that if she had been at the hospital when he took a turn for the worse, she may have been able to help him hang on a little longer.

I wondered...why my friend felt as though the responsibility to keep her dad alive had been placed solely upon her shoulders?  Why did she feel the need to keep him here instead of releasing him into the arms of God?  Her father was 85 years old and dying of incurable cancer, which despite progressive medicine and a good fight, didn't relent.  This man was suffering terribly, yet he fought to remain strong when his daughter was present.  I wondered if he pushed himself this way to show her that he was willing to fight to stay alive not for himself, but as a selfless act of love for the daughter who wasn't ready to let him go.  I wondered what, if anything had been left unsaid or unresolved between them.  I found it interesting that (although the daughter would have wanted to be by her dad's side until the very end) her dad slipped away when she wasn't there.  

Sometimes it's hard to let go.  Some of us are born fighters, and sometimes that is what keeps us going -- even keeps us getting up every day to conquer what lies ahead.  However, sometimes we fight and lose...we lose a battle...and we also lose sight of a bigger picture...a purpose...a plan.

Nobody knows just when their last breath on earth will be taken.  

God does!  

Sometimes things are out of our control.  Sometimes we need to accept the inevitable.  There truly was no way my friend could have saved her dad...it was time for her to let go.  We must let go and allow our loved ones to freely enter God's eternal home.  It is in His timing and as much as we might feel we have lost the fight, we haven't...a battle maybe...but the real fight has been won for us by Christ.  In Him we have victory.  

That last breath is not the end...it is the breath of eternity!  

It is only when we release those whom we've been fighting to keep here in our earthly grasp, will we truly exhale!


REGRET          
(written by Lorraine Brown/ (c) 3/15/06)


Walk away from the enemy,
Run if you can,
Just when you think he’s left you,
He’ll be back again.


He wants to make you worry,
He wants to make you sad,
He’ll remind you of mistakes you made,
He’ll make you feel so bad,
Walk Away -- That’s right, walk away!


If you stay there and listen,
He’s sure to make you pay,
For the sins you committed,
He’s sure to wreck your day.


Now turn your back on him,
He can’t hurt you though he’ll try,
But you’ve got the power,
To expel his dirty lie!


His name isn’t pretty,
Neither are his ways,
He sits on the sidelines
Tryin’ to wreck your days…
His name is Regret…
His mission is the same,
Regret! That’s him...Regret!


There’s a better name that waits for you,
A name you’ve heard a lot
He’s someone you can count on,
His name is God...
That’s right…it’s God…that’s right!


Walk away from regret,
He’s already lost,
A long time ago
When Jesus paid the cost,
Walk away! That’s right…walk away!


Hang on to the truth,
The truth won’t leave
If you grab the hand of God
If you really believe!

God will never leave you,
He will always be there,
He already forgave you,
He always cared!
That’s God…That’s right…That’s God!
Hold tight…to God…Hold tight…
So right…It’s God…So right!!!
 (written by Lorraine Brown (c) copyright 2006)



Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Well, it's never too late to start eating healthy!  As much as I avoid the word...."Resolutions"... I do admit that I have some personal "R" words tucked away in my heart. 

First... Rest:   Not only by getting more sleep, but also by Resting in the presence of God.  When I do, I feel Refreshed, Recharged, Renewed....and I Remember just how Real His love for me is!

By Remaining in Him, I can more easily hear His voice and Remember His word.  As I do, I make the choice to keep his word and I ask Him to keep me! 

As far as the physical...I'm hoping to eat less sugar and get back on track with the healthy diet I have always "tried" to maintain.  Not for vanity, but for health.  I believe in taking care of the body God gave me and remaining healthy starts with a good approach to eating clean.  

As you might remember, I...Love...Quinoa!  
(In addition to it's great taste, texture and versatility, it's packed with nutrients and a good source of protein, filled with amino acids, and it's gluten free).

I found this wonderful recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Peppers and loved it! This recipe was right on the box of  Ancient Harvest Quinoa ...but I've changed a few things (like adding more garlic) ;)

QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS

1 cup Traditional Quinoa

2 cups water

4 large or six medium green peppers

(slice off top and remove seeds; then rinse)

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp. Butter (I used Olive Oil Instead of butter)

1- 29 oz. can diced tomatoes (reserve juice)

2 garlic cloves, crushed (I used 4 garlic cloves)

1 - 12 oz. jar Mexican Salsa

(I used 1 can rotel with green chiles instead of salsa)

2 Tbsp. Dry Sherry

(I used White Wine instead of cooking Sherry because it has less additives)

10 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded (I left off the mozzarella, and added grated parmesan after baking)

Pre-heat oven to 325. 

Cook traditional quinoa as directed on package. 

(quinoa cooks  very easily like rice and is ready in approx. 15 - 20 minutes)

Steam the peppers until soft but not limp

In a large skillet, saute onion and mushrooms in olive oil

Add the diced tomatoes (reserve the juice for later)

Add the crushed garlic and the can of Rotel (or salsa)

Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes

Add the wine and simmer 10 more minutes

Fold in cooked quinoa

Place peppers in baking dish and fill with quinoa mixture. (this should take about half the mixture)

 

Thin remaining mixture with the reserved juice

and pour around peppers

(if you use mozzarella, sprinkle over peppers) and Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

After cooking, I removed them from the oven and sprinkled grated parmesan on top of individual servings.

My husband and I both enjoyed this meat free alternative to stuffed peppers.  Of course my mom's tried and true comforting stuffed peppers (with my healthy tweaks) is still my all time favorite but for those times when I'd

rather not have meat, I will reach for this recipe! 

Enjoy!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers