Friday's Fave Five

As always, the Friday Fave Five is hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell -- thanks, Susanne!

Here are my five favorite things about this week:

1. Mother Nature responded to my fist shaking and gave us a beautiful evening yesterday and a beautiful morning today. Rain and snow are in the forcast for tomorrow. Just shoot me.  And we are very thankful for this morning's sun and will enjoy it while we have it.

2. Had coffee and a fun conversation last night with a friend. Along the way, we discovered a shared love of family history, which is truly wonderful to me -- too often I feel as though I'm an oddball among my friends because I find family history so very interesting.  It's really nice to find a "kindred spirit."

3. Finished two card making projects this week and sent them off in the mail.

4. Looking forward to a great evening with the girls tonight -- it's our church's annual February Fling, a night of games and fun finger food for the women. Can't wait!

5. Lovin' my new car. Well, it's new to us -- we only buy used cars, actually. I got a very nice trade-in amount on my old vehicle and am now happily driving my Ford Explorer. I feel more comfortable on the Interstate because it's larger than my old vehicle, and, with the much lower mileage of the Explorer (compared to my old RX300), I'm more at ease on the long drives to and from Salt Lake each week.

Have a great weekend!

- Catherine

Friday's Fave Five

Thanks once again to Susanne at Living to Tell for hosting this weekly attitude adjuster. If you'd like to play along, you can link up at Susanne's blog entry for today.

These are my five favorite things about the week that is now ending.

Drum roll, please......

1.  31 days until I get a hug from #4 (who has been in South Korea for the last 2 1/2 years).

2. #4 has been accepted to graduate school at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City -- a mere 2 1/2 hours away from where we live!  (True, I don't yet know if she will decide to accept their offer, but it's nice to think that she might!)

3. A fun Super Bowl Sunday with #7 and his friends, and having the opportunity to meet his friends' parents and get to know them. They are good folk and we hope to see them again soon.

4. I received a blog award from Angie!

5. Finally solved the Restless Leg Syndrome problem that has been completely plaguing me for the last 3 weeks! And it's all thanks to the nice lady in the video. Turns out the particular workout that I've chosen from her series is perfect to do before bedtime.  It works the muscles of the back, the core and the legs, thus quieting the Restless Leg problem for the night. Yay!  And thanks, Teresa Tapp!  (Once again, let me emphasize that I have no financial interest in the T-Tapp company.)

That's the Friday Fave Five. What about you?

- Catherine

Friday's Fave Five

'Twas the Friday before Super Bowl,
Snacks to be made,
Commercials to be laughed at,
And homage to be paid.

I like the Colts AND the Saints (although I didn't like the way the Saints went after Favre in the championship, I have to say). Basically, I'm just looking forward to a good football game.

Okay, on to the Friday Fave Five, hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell. If you'd like to play along, you can link your own post to Susanne's.

1. A fun and delicious dinner with my stepson (Don, who is #2) and his family last Saturday night. The pork chops were truly amazing -- tender, juicy, and with a scrumptious gravy that has to be tasted to be believed. After I've made them myself a couple of times, I'll post the recipe here (because, as we all know, recipes change a little bit according to the person who is doing the cooking). I think we laughed together all evening, and it was a very refreshing break for us.

2. The promise of a business trip that will take me to San Antonio in early March, and a reunion there with an old childhood friend. My hubby is going with me -- we bought his ticket this week -- so this will be a really fun time!

3. Laughter. I have had some very dark moments since my mother passed in November -- the cumulative effect of being orphaned, plus some unrelenting family stress that falls squarely on my husband and undermines his health. I cherish the moments when he and I laugh out loud together at something.

4. My niece, Mandee, for her unwavering support, good humor, and common sense. I love that gal!

5. Tax refund! Yeah!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

- Catherine

Friday's Fave Five

It's been a bit of a tough week here and my brain's not happy this morning (read: I am not capable of thinking my way out of a paper bag).

But, in the interest of showing up and participating, I offer these five favorite things from the week that is just about to expire:

1. my dog Hank - he makes me laugh every day. I've got a blog post about him waiting in my drafts folder -- I'll post it either this weekend or on Monday.

2. this headline from our local paper made me laugh -- and not for the first time has something like this been published. In Pocatello, the Holy Spirit is quite accomplished. (Holy Spirit is a local Catholic school, which I'm sure you've figured out by now.)

3. my husband's preliminary calculations show that we will probably get a tax refund this year instead of having to pay (last year the monthly deduction for my state income tax had been miscalculated, so we owed a chunk of change on April 15).

4. not having to travel this weekend. Given that my brain seems to have taken a holiday, I'm not sure I'd make it to my destination. I'll be very happy to stay home and watch the NFL playoffs.

5. a doctor's office that will bring you right in if you really need to see the doctor TODAY.

Thanks go to Susanne at Living to Tell for hosting this weekly meme.

- Catherine

Friday's Fave Five

It's the weekly roundup of highlights -- more importantly, it's the weekly reflection on what it is that has made me smile this week. I don't know about anyone else, but it's just too easy to fall into the rut of thinking negatively, so I am grateful to Susanne at Living to Tell for hosting this weekly meme.

1. Putting technology to good use by texting a charitable donation to the American Red Cross for their Haiti relief fund. Now THAT is cool. The word about the relief effort was spread via the Internet -- blogs, twitter, Facebook -- and giving the donation required only a quick and simple text message from one's cell phone. Being able to jump in and help immediately feels a lot better than sitting Stateside and wringing my hands. I send a shout-out to the cell carriers, too, for being willing to channel the funds through their accounting systems. Thank you!

2. Being able to get out of the cold of Idaho and experience a few days of the moderate temperature of San Francisco.

3. Spending about an hour out on the Bay yesterday, on a ferry ride that I took for fun and relaxation. Lovely!

4. Room service breakfast -- the ultimate luxury, but the only way to get ready on time for a morning meeting. I wonder if my husband would consider bringing breakfast on a tray to me at home????

5. Orthotics for my poor feet - they really do provide a level of comfort that I can no longer go without.

I'm in San Francisco until Sunday, and then home again.

Have a great weekend!

- Catherine

Friday Fave Five

Susanne at Living to Tell hosts this weekly meme. If you want to play along, you can link your own Friday Fave Five post to hers by using the Mr. Linky-thingy at the end of her blog post.

After a week of vacation and fun, re-entry to normal life is hard -- and seems to be getting harder as I get older. On top of that, I had a major proposal due yesterday -- no ifs, ands, or buts about the deadline. I made it with about 3 hours to spare.

But I really am endeavoring to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Participating in this weekly meme helps me do that, so here we go!

My five favorite things about this past week are:

1. I have a job. So many are looking for work and want to work, and there just isn't much out there -- at least, there isn't much available in our area. My own position looks to be set for at least another 5 years, and I am thanking God for that every day.

2. Our new bathroom (basement level) is almost done. Yay! (Okay, yes it means a third bathroom to clean, but it also means that the inside of our house is nearly finished -- just some cosmetic stuff left to do after this new bathroom is completed.)

3. It didn't snow much this week.

4. Just found out that my daughter, Abigail, is now a Facebook friend to her third cousin, also named Abigail. The girls have never met. (I've never met the other Abigail, either, actually.) But what fun!! I still think it's very interesting that my cousin, Karen, and I -- unknowingly -- both named our daughters Abigail.

5. Through someone else's blog (Joyce, I think?), I found an online "Read the Bible in a year" website -- and I'm going to do just that. Prior to this, I've been daunted by trying to take in and understand that much Scripture inside of a year. I tend to read small sections and think about them for a long time. But this year I'm not going to strive to understand each and every thing that I read. Instead I'm going to let it wash over me like water, and I'll get from it whatever God would have me get.

Have a great weekend!

- Catherine

Friday Fave Five

This weekly meme is hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell.

1. Today is New Year's Day and it is also the first Friday of the month. The women of our church will hold our monthly First Friday Lunch anyway, despite the holiday. (Actually, we expect a better turnout since many are not working today.) So, I'm looking forward to a fun lunch today.

2. My walk with the dog this morning was very, veeeerrrryyyy quiet. That was partly due to the softly falling snow, but I think a smidgen of it may be attributed to a gigantic, city-wide hangover. Whatever the reason, I really enjoyed the quiet.

3. Looking forward to dinner and a movie with my husband tonight to celebrate our anniversary.

4. Looking forward to participating in the Lucy Maud Montgomery reading challenge that Carrie is hosting over at Reading to Know. Surprisingly, I have never read any of Montgomery's books -- not even the famous Anne of Green Gables. Not sure how I managed to miss them when I was growing up, but miss them I did. I intend to make up for that, at least a little bit, by participating in the challenge. If you're interested, you can check it out by clicking on the link. (PS -- I'm starting with Anne of Green Gables.)

5. A good recipe for homemade barbecue sauce. Sounds silly, I know, but most commercial sauces contain ingredients that my husband can't eat -- and the ones that don't contain forbidden ingredients also don't taste all that good. I found an excellent recipe that I'll be able to tweak to our tastes, so that means we are back to eating BBQ pulled pork on a regular basis (one of our favorite dishes).

Happy New Year to one and all, and have a great weekend!

- Catherine

Friday's Fave Five

Hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell, this is the weekly meme where we reflect on the week that is past and look for five highlights.

So, this week has been and continues to be characterized by some complicated and difficult budget work for my job. In fact, the need to trim $700K from a 5-year budget is, at the moment, blocking out all other needs. I think I've removed any and all extraneous line items, but we are still projecting $700K over the allowed amount.

Sigh.

I've tried to hint to the powers-that-be, but I ain't gettin' anywhere.

ANYhooooo......

Here we are with this week's fave five:

1. The combination of my bread machine and Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Bread Mix. Bless you, Bob, wherever and whoever you are. Using the gluten free cycle on my bread machine, this bread is as close to the "real" thing as you can imagine. And if you are a celiac, you know how important that is!

2. Our new flatscreen TV (32"). Tim has ventured down to the family room on his own more than once since we bought it, without my trying to lure him. Score!

3. Warmer temperatures. After last week's below-zero blast, this week was a positive heat wave when temps climbed to.... wait for it..... 39 degrees.

4. The ability to concentrate -- my middle-aged, menopause-addled brain has been cooking on all four burners this week. Wow!

5. Carpoolqueen's blog post about Mistaken Identity. Very short, but laugh-out-loud funny. (Yes, I know I included it in an earlier blog post this week, but maybe you didn't see that one!)

Have a great weekend!

- Catherine

Friday's Fave Five

Truthfully, I'm going to have to dig deep here to find five faves from the week. And that's because yesterday I received a package in the mail from my stepfather -- it contained many cards that we'd sent to my mother over the years and it contained many letters that I wrote to her in the early years after she left my dad. As I write this Fave Five, I am still processing the emotions resulting from my perusal of those letters. But.. that's another blog post.

So, for now, my Fave Five for this past week:

1. The means to pay for car repairs when they come up.

2. A clean house (I've only just got caught up from the 4 weeks of traveling that I did this Fall).

3. The anticipation of decorating for Christmas -- we pulled the decorations out of storage yesterday and will put them up this Sunday.

4. Friends who respond in times of need.

5. Hobbies that can so completely absorb me that I feel like I've had a mini-vacation.

Have a great weekend! For more Fave Fives, or to play along yourself, go to Susanne's blog at Living to Tell and use the "Mr. Linky" button at the end of her post.

- Catherine

Friday's Fave Five

This weekly meme is hosted by Susanne at Living To Tell the Story.

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Can't believe it is Friday already. I'm looking forward to next week, spending time with the family and eating, eating, eating. Oh, and football games, shopping trips, eating, and my sister-in-law's wedding!

In no particular order, these are five favorite things from the past week.

1. Getting to spend a whole evening with my dearest friend in all the world. Every time I see her, I am reminded of how much her friendship has meant to me for the past 25 years.

2. Snagging a free upgrade to fly First Class home from Newark to Salt Lake City. Once again, it ain't about the meal -- it's the acreage.

3. Coming home from a trip to the comfort of my husband's arms. He really is the best!

4. A new chicken recipe that yields gravy To Die For! Oh, and the bird was mighty tasty, too.

5. A phone call from my stepdaughter on a really blue day.

AND, bonus....

6. Being able to cook away my blues. I like to cook, and I've discovered that, on the bad days, it helps me to prepare a good meal. That's how we ended up with an amazing Lemon Chicken dinner last night, and I ended a blue day in a pretty good mood. I'm thankful for a good kitchen and a nearby grocery store.

I've been away for five weekends straight -- the longest ever, I think. I cannot wait to have a normal, family-style weekend, starting tonight!! Have a great weekend everyone!

- Catherine

Addendum for those who are intrigued by the Lemon Chicken recipe (which I got from my friend, Sara, and which uses the cooking method of my cousin, Karen, -- so it's a little bit of a hybrid, and I thank both of you!).

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (the recipe calls for an Oven Stuffer Roaster type, but those are hard to come by in our town, so I used two plump fryers)
1-2 whole lemons (1 small-ish lemon for a plump fryer, probably two small-ish or one medium lemon for an Oven Stuffer Roaster)
Olive oil to brush on and in the chicken.

for the Rub:
1 T kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 T garlic powder

for the giblet broth:
chicken neck, liver, yukky stuff, etc.
1 onion, chopped coarsely
about 10 sprigs of fresh parsley (or dried equivalent)
2 garlic cloves minced
sage and/or poultry seasoning (or what-have-you - bay leaf, maybe?) to taste
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 250 degrees (TWO fifty -- it's a slow oven).

Remove the giblets from the chickens and reserve to make a broth that you will add to your pan drippings for gravy. (If you hate working with the giblets, then you could use canned chicken broth for that part of the gravy-making and skip the whole giblet thing.)

Brush the chicken(s) with olive oil.

Wash the lemons (do not peel), and prick each one all over with a fork (probably 8-10 times).

Combine the ingredients for the rub.
Rub inside the oiled chicken and under the skin of the breast.

Insert the whole lemon(s) into the cavity of the chicken and tie the legs closed, tucking the wings underneath as well.

Roast UNcovered until done, 5-6 hours at 250 degrees (yep, that is a SLOW oven).

In the meantime, combine giblets and the other broth ingredients with enough water to cover.
Simmer the giblets for at least 3 hours or more.

When the chicken is done:
Remove the chicken(s) to a cutting board and tent with foil to rest while you make the gravy. Remove the lemons and discard.

Gravy:
Pour pan drippings into a gravy separator
Reserve enough fat to make a roux with flour (ratio is 1:1). I used 2 T of each.
Cook the roux for a minute, then add all of the de-fatted pan drippings.
As it thickens, you can add giblet broth as needed to get to the right consistency. (I didn't use all my giblet broth last night -- will use it when I make more gravy tonight from the chicken broth I made today and the fat that I reserved.)
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The lemon oozes/sprays juice all over the inside of the chicken while it's cooking. The meat is very juicy and the dark meat in particular has a just a slight hint of lemon to it. What's so wonderful about the gravy is that it has this very, very subtle lemon flavor to it -- very fresh -- but it's also very chicken-y. My husband and our guest couldn't get enough of it.

Friday's Fave Five

It is Friday the 13th, it's so windy I think the roof might come off this hotel, and I am in New Jersey -- my home state and a land of people who use their cars as instruments of rage and frustration. I think if you can successfully get on and off the NJ Turnpike in North Jersey at rush hour, you should get a medal for bravery and sheer nerve.

Oh, but this is supposed to be a Fave Five, isn't it.....

Happy stuff.

Yeeeeeeees......

Well, in no particular order, here we go:

1. The prospect of seeing old friends while I'm here.

2. The fact that I got upgraded to First Class for the flight from Salt Lake City to Newark yesterday. It's not even about getting a real meal -- it's about the seat room and leg room. Ahhhhhhh.....

3. A cup of good, strong tea on a windy, stormy morning.

4. The remarkable progress toward recovery that my friend, Kelly, is showing -- the doctors were able to drain the tumor on her liver, and the liver is starting to show signs of life. She still needs a transplant, but this is miraculous, folks! She can actually go home for a while, they think.

5. The laughs I've had this week -- I so need them! (Today's laugh: If you're on Facebook, check this out: scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the link that says English on the lefthand side. In the resulting window, choose "English Pirate" as your language. Too funny!)

Happy weekend, everyone!

- Catherine

Friday Fave Five

1. My husband, who is a tower of strength when I am crumbling.

2. My stepfather's niece and her husband, who opened their home to me and also were towers of strength.

3. The beautiful Central Mountain region of Pennsylvania.

4. My family and friends (including fellow bloggers!) who cheered and prayed me through this marathon of my mother's final illness and passing.

5. The chance to do just a wee bit of sightseeing on our way back home across the country.

And, bonus -- but by no means last on my list:

6. God's amazing, amazing Grace -- the gift of eternal life.

Love and hugs to all,
Catherine

Friday Fave Five

I really needed to do this particular exercise this week -- it does the soul good to reflect on the positive during a challenging time of life.

So, once again, in no particular order:

1. A job that allows me the flexibility to work from the road.
2. The prayers of so many people across the country, moving me forward both on the drive and through this very difficult time in my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
3. The fact that when my mother's time here on earth ends, she will go home to be with her Lord and Savior.
4. My stepfather's niece and her husband, who are opening their home to me so that I can stay near my mother.
5. My wonderful husband, who is the most supportive human being on this planet.

And, for good measure:
6. Funny videos on YouTube -- like the video of the silent monks doing the Hallelujah Chorus. I nearly fell off my chair laughing. (Thank you, Pete, for sending it to me!)

- Catherine

Friday's Fave Five

Now that I'm participating in the Friday Fave Five, I do find myself looking out during the week for good things to mention on Friday. That's helped my outlook, I think -- so, thanks to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for creating this meme!

And so, without further adieu:

1. Hot, homemade scones right out of the oven. (I can make them gluten-free and they are really good!) Buttered while piping hot and served with a good cup of tea. Mmmmmm…..

2. Soft, warm, thick, cushy, real wool socks on a cold day. I get them at our CAL Ranch store -- a great farm/ranch supply store in our town (they are a chain in the West). CAL Ranch is also where I buy Christmas presents for the little boys in our family -- they stock some really cool John Deere toys and other stuff that boys love (and that you won't find at Toys R Us).

3. All the prayers that are said on behalf of my mother and me every day. I definitely can tell that we are being lifted up and supported by those prayers. It came home to me most significantly this week when a friend in Tennessee announced that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be having a double mastectomy very soon. My very, very, very first thought? I can pray for her and her young family – and it WILL make a difference in her life. I know that because it has made a difference in mine and my mother’s.

4. Inspector Lewis series on Masterpiece Mystery. I’ve managed to miss most of the episodes of the new season, but I’ll catch it next time around. I love the Oxford setting (I have fond memories of vacation time spent in Oxford), and the character of Sgt. Hathaway is just so cool!

5. Our church’s Women’s Retreat this weekend – can’t wait!! I'm doing the music and the Saturday afternoon discussion - and it's been amazing to see how God has guided and prompted and provided for it all.

Have a great weekend!

- Catherine

Friday's Fave Five

With a nod to Susanne, who hosts this particular meme....

Time to reflect on the good things.... (in no particular order)...

1. My dog, who makes me laugh at least once every day because he is so very, very comical. Yesterday's blog post was about yet another Hank Happening, and while I wasn't laughing at the time, I did laugh later. And my husband practically doubled over when I told him about the incident.

2. Button, button, who’s got the button…. Specifically, the magic “Skip” button on my satellite TV remote control that allows me to skip instantly through each commercial while I’m watching a program recorded on the DVR. I missed that button TERRIBLY during the year that we had cable instead of satellite. With cable I could fast forward through the commercials, but I couldn’t simply skip through them 1-2-3 and, in a couple of seconds, end up at the next part of the TV program.

3. A good massage therapist who finally located the area in my back that is causing a pinched nerve in my hand.

4. My husband, Tim, who loves me even when my middle-aged hormones are having a Really. Bad. Day.

5. A song entitled “Stubborn (Psalm 151).” I discovered this song (which is a few years old) only this past week and I LOVE it. When I first heard it, I thought, “Wow, this is a great illustration of the experience of coming to Christ.” But then the more I listened to it, the more I realized that it is also a perfect illustration of how we have to surrender our self will and find our faith in God anytime that we are in the midst of a difficult challenge. (I wanted to include a link to the song, but I don't seem to be able to. Bummer!)

Have a great weekend!

- Catherine

Friday Fave Five

I have tried to resist trends in my blog -- simply for the sake of resisting trends and not for any other good reason (although refraining from mindless copycat work IS a good reason). But last week I took part for the first time in the Random Dozen meme that is put together over at 2nd Cup of Coffee, and in so doing, I discovered a community of nice people with interesting and intelligent things to say. I discovered, also, people who will hold you up in prayer if you need it.

And THAT, my friends, is golden.

I also discovered the reason for another trend known as "Friday Fave Five" -- wherein you publish a list of five good things from the week just past. In this day and age of being bombarded by the negative most of the time, it is a Very Good Thing -- for your own emotional health -- to regularly pause and compile a list of the positives.

So, here's mine:

1. The aforementioned discovery of a new (to me) community of people in the blog-o-sphere.

2. After a year of searching, we found the perfect chairs/bar stools for the “breakfast bar” section of our kitchen. The biggest problem to surmount was the price – I simply couldn’t bring myself to pay $200+ per chair, and all the styles that I liked were at least that much. Last night we found two that were deeply discounted on clearance and were just exactly what I’d been looking for. They swivel just a little, have nicely padded seats in a quality, neutral fabric, and the chair backs are wrought iron-style with an oval tile inlay. They were worth the wait. I’m so glad we happened upon the last that the furniture store had in stock and really, really wanted to move out of their inventory.

3. The Fall weather has arrived – I LOVE this time of year! The foliage color in the West isn’t as vibrant as it is in the East, but this is still a very beautiful time in the mountains.

4. We are going camping, just the three of us and the dog, one last weekend (leaving today). We won’t stray too far from home, heading for Lava Hot Springs about 30 minutes away. Cool weather, Fall foliage, and warm springs – can’t wait!

5. Found some creative inspiration within myself this week and am actually working up a few Christmas projects.

And... because there's always room to recount one more blessing:

6. Tim is finally recovering from his bout with the flu. We didn’t have an official diagnosis, but the symptoms and timing were completely typical for H1N1. Happily, he is making good progress now.

Have a great weekend!

- Catherine