WE ARE ALL in this TOGETHER

Six months ago I didn't know what a blog was and honestly, I wasn't interested in knowing. How things have changed!


Blogging, for me, has become an international friendship --- a means of reaching out and helping one another. Sharing. Learning from one another.

It doesn't matter that our situations differ, our customs differ, our environment differs, and the way we worship differs. What matters is that we are all striving for the same fundamentals --- peace and safety, raising righteous children, having shelter and enough to eat, good health, and happiness. We all love and need to be loved. We all want to serve and to be served when the needs arise. Blogging allows us to connect and I hope we are.

We are all children of a Heavenly Father who also wants these things for all of us, even if our individual situations have us doubting at times. He is always there. We just need to prayerfully and sincerely seek Him. And live as best we can so we can hear Him when He reaches out to us. His is usually a still small voice, feeling or thought.

His help usually comes through others. I have mentioned before that I do not believe in coincidences. I have been taught that coincidences are helps from Him when "He wants to remain anonymous." As 2011 draws to a close, try to take a minute to reflect on all the good that has come to you --- even among the sorrows and the bad. When you do so, can you recall "coincidences?"

Before we say good-by to 2011 and hello to 2012 I want to take a minute to "tie up some loose ends."

• I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to make comments. I try to respond to all of them but some have come in the form of e-mails without easily identifiable-identification! and I haven't figured out how to respond. I answer personally when it is something I know how to do and until I learn, please know that I greatly appreciate your remarks.

• I welcome your input and suggestions.

• I was away from the computer for a few weeks in October and I prepared the posts ahead. It went smoothly and I was pleased with my accomplishment. When I was back posting on a daily basis I found I had forgotten how to do a couple of important things----what is amazing (at least to me) is I can't remember how I did the pre-posting!!! 

•  I also forgot how to add the recipes I put in the blog to the list on the right hand side resulting in a bold Pie: Eggnog Pie --- from December 5th --- and nothing since. They are listed below in case you want to find them. 

• I will work on how to list them correctly---all over again. I think it will also be helpful  if I can learn how to put them in categories also.

December 7th - Homemade Potpourri (simmering, dry, and price comparisons of spices

December 8th and 13th - Substituting one ingredient for another

December 12th - Four-layer, four-flavored "Rainbow" cake

December 14th - "Speciality" pancake syrups

December 16th - Cooking equivalents

When you reach my age, retention and memory are not what they used to be and while I have twice the amount of time I used to have---it takes me three times as long to do anything!!

What If . . .? Posts
I started the "What If . . .?" preparedness posts as Tuesday and Thursday regulars---13 of them! After the first of the year, I will just post them whenever they come up, not waiting for a specific day of the week.

Obviously this blog is a work in progress. Thanks for your patience.

                Simply, Gail