RANDOM ACTS of KINDNESS WEEK....

Did you know that RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS week begins February 15th? I want to participate in this...how about you?


Some ideas to get us started...

Make a powerful yet simple gesture to a total stranger...

Pick up the tab for the car behind you in a drive-through (or) the person behind you at the drink machine.
Offer to babysit for new parents.
Help an elderly neighbor by shoveling snow or running an errand for them.
Smile at every person you meet for one day.

There is no denying that the world is brimming with brilliant minds. Talent, ingenuity, and skill abound as far as the eye can see. I see this in blogging, women of so many wonderful talents.

This is so inspiring...lets open our eyes to the work of these talented women around us, allow ourselves to experience awe without envy, and give sincere compliments and kindnesses, from our hearts.
The more freely we give of our hearts, expressing our admiration, the greater our capacity to give and do, becomes.

A few months ago, my husband and I were at a restaurant having dinner. When we asked for our check, the waitress explained that someone had already paid our bill, tip and all.

We were totally surprised and delighted by such a kind gesture which inspired us.
The following weekend, we did the same for some people who looked like they didn't get to go out for dinner very often.
This brought the greatest joy to us... joy that is hard to explain.

Sometimes I think I let HAPPINESS slip by me because I think of it as an event...
You know, I will be happy when...

When I arrive at a certain destination...
When I can be with a certain person or in a certain place...
When schooling is finished...
When I get a better job...
When I arrive at a certain income...
When I am married...
When the baby is born...When I recover from my illness...
When my bills are all paid...
When I own a new car...
When I move into a new home...
When some disagreeable task is finished...
When I can leave on that big trip...
When I am free from this trial...

Doubtless I shall be somewhat happier WHEN...but not as mush happier as I think. Life has a way of presenting new complications, I can come up with new wants as fast as old ones are satisfied.

But as giving-away becomes a habit as well as a hobby, something happens inside of me,
I feel a new sense of human warmth in all of my relations with people.

Friends and associates seem closer, neighbors and acquaintances become firm friends, and first contacts with strangers are often delightful adventures which lead to friendships.

It is never too late, nor is anyone too old, to take up " giving themselves away."
So this week of... RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS...
try it...try giving yourself away...follow those "warm-hearted impulses"... instantly!
You might find that happiness was right there at your finger tips!

Speaking of GIVING AWAY...I will post my GIVE-A-WAY
on this Saturday night...so watch for it.
~xxx's to all~

STRAWBERRIES ON MY MIND....(and in my tummy)

"Creamy Fruit Dip"


In a small bowl beat together until smooth;

1 cup marshmallow cream
1 (4-oz.) cream cheese, softened

Add;
1/2 cup strawberry-flavored ( fruit on the bottom yogurt )
1 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate, thawed
beat together til smooth.

Cover and refrigerate dip for 1 hour before
serving with fresh fruit.
(makes 1 1/2 cups)

I just melted a big package of milk chocolate chips in the microwave...
stirring every minute until it was all melted.

Dipped the strawberries, with stems on, set them on a tray to set up.

For some of them, I melted a bit of white chocolate chips to drizzle over the dipped strawberries, after they had set up.


I don't know about you but I LOVE chocolate dipped strawberries!

I feel like I can eat as many as I want to because they are less fattening than a box of chocolates...am I kidding myself?

Oh, who cares...they are so delicious...the fruit of the Gods!

My next post will be a ***GIVE A WAY***
Because it'll be my 100th post and my birthday...

So look for that my sweet friends..love ya!

YOU RAISE ME UP....

Oh my goodness.....You have totally amazed me....I am overwhelmed....blown away....
By the many friends.... and by the great amount of love.... that you have given to me.

I was trying my best to be a good follower of your blogs, but now you'll never get rid of me!
I am sticking to you like gum to the bed post...like honey to the hive...like jelly to her peanut butter!

I don't even know how to begin to thank all of you for the great kindness you have extended to me....I love each and everyone of you so much! Your kind remarks and good advise have filled my heart with such JOY....I can't stop smiling!

"When I was down and my soul felt weary;

When troubles came and my heart was burdened...

And I felt still and waited here in silence...

Then you all came and sat with me a bit...

And now...


You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders,
You raise me up...
To be more than I can be.

I will follow all your good advise...I have turned off anonymous comments. (I'm still just learning how to use the computer so I didn't know how to do that, but my daughter helped me with that)

I will go forward...being myself...and I know all who are good and true will be my friends.

I want to be someone who nurtures and builds. One who has an understanding and a forgiving heart, who looks for the best in people. Hopefully able to leave a bit of good everywhere I go.

I thank each of you sweet, dear ladies for being my friend.

For coming to hold my hand for a moment and warm my heart.

I feel so blessed to have connected with each and everyone of you...
you have shown me how to be a friend and I can't thank you enough for that.

May all that you have given to me, come right back to you.

I do believe that.... "What you give out comes back to you."

I have this quote on my fridge and I just love it...good words to live by I think.


People are unreasonable, illogical, and self centered...Love them anyway.

If you are good, people may accuse you of selfish motives...Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies...Succeed anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow...Do good anyway.

Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable...Be honest and transparent anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight...Build anyway.

People who really want help may attack you if you help them...Help them anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt...
Give the world your best anyway.

(Mother Teresa)


My 100th post is right around the corner....and my birthday...So...

I feel a ***GIVE A WAY***coming to you, from me...stay tuned.

With all my love...Julie

THIS GIRL , JUST WANTS TO HAVE FUN....

I can only be myself....is that good enough here in blog-land?

Or, do I need to hire someone to write my blog for me so that everything in it is perfect and will please everyone?

I guess I didn't know that everything about my blog, and me, has to be perfect... or I will receive a red check by my name...I will be in need of correction!

I can only be me...I am far, far from perfect, in fact I will never be perfect!
I make many mistakes with grammar and spelling... (I was a dreamy little girl in school and I think I missed a lot.)

I try to express the "feelings of my heart" more than anything, but apparently, that comes across wrong to some people.

As we enjoy our play time here in blog-land, I'm finding out that there are some who don't play very nice.

It's fun to have followers...just maybe not this kind of a follower!

I have been receiving a couple of "anonymous" comments that weren't very nice.

1. Telling me that; "Did you know that when you use all capitols, it's considered shouting?"

2. You need to stop saying, "Come say hi...you're just trying to rack up comments to your blog!

First off...I think to leave anonymous comments like this, is so very cowardly...My Mom taught me not to do things like that, didn't your Mom teach you the same thing?

Sometimes I do use all capitols...
I know, sometimes I'm just lazy and I like to just fly when I am typing and not hesitate to do it right...but thats MY CHOICE!

I love to sign off on my comments by saying; "Come say hi"...

To me, that just means...
"come on over"..."come on in"..."you are welcome at my house anytime!"

So if that bothers you... if you really hate that...just don't come say hi.
There are plenty of people out there who want to be friends,
and they are the ones I want to be friends with too.

I guess I am a little naive,
(I have been told that throughout my life) but I didn't know blogging was a competition!
Why didn't someone tell me that?! LOL

You know, it's all I can do to put a post out there, and then try to keep up with everyone's blogs by visiting and leaving them a comment. I can just barley keep up with that!

I am not trying to be one of those BIG blogs that I see out there. I would NEVER want that...I'm too busy with my own life and family for that! I am not trying to be anything but what I am...isn't that... good enough?

I think we are here blogging for the friendship, at least I know I am.

I have been so amazed at the many, many women in the world that I am learning about, and I am coming to love each and every one of them that I connect with.

I am so totally amazed at their talents...
for writing, for crafting, for photography, for creating, for cooking, for the ability to share their hearts and lives.
They have really opened my eyes to see the many, many great women in the world who are working hard, raising families, making the world a better place. I so admire them all!

~This is blogging to me~

We are each like flowers...each planted in different pots...to bloom together in love.

That is blogging to me, going to all the different people I have connected with and enjoying who the are.
Admiring their pot and their many beautiful blooms.

I am never there to criticize and tell them; "Oh look, you have a bloom out of place" (or) "Oh, look, you have a weed!" They are, each and everyone, beautiful to me!

When I invite you or except you into my blog, it is like...Come on into my home!

Would you think it is alright to go into someone's home and start telling them what looks awful... what must be changed? I would never dream of doing such a thing!

I love to visit other women's blogs...to connect heart to heart with them, to enjoy them and the things they are brave enough to share.
I love each of them for... who they are and what they give out to all of us.

Maybe some of those "Mean Girls" just grew up to be mean women!
Maybe thats how the mean girl thing keeps on going... they are taught by their mothers to be critical of others!


I just want to have fun here in blog-land,
to love and enjoy other women and their lives,
so...
if you are one of those who like to spoil the fun by being critical...please,
don't choose me!
I promise, my feelings won't be hurt at all by not being chosen!

Lets just "live and let live"...except and love each other for who we are.

As little girl, I just couldn't understand why people just couldn't get along with each other, and just be nice. Now here I am... still wondering the same thing!

What do you think about these kind of things?

Have you experienced the same kind of thing?

What did you do?


"Say little, But when you speak,
utter gentle words that touch the heart,
Be truthful. Express kindness.
Abstain from vanity, This is the way."

Daniel Levin

~This is the way for me~

TIME TO PUCKER UP.....

This is our new little doggie....we have named him "Zak"
He was found running on main street, dodging cars, on a very cold winter night. No coat or identification on him. Every attempt was made to find his owner but no one turned up to claim him.
So he has come to our home, we just love him, he is so sweet, quiet and loving, and fits right in. I'd never thought of having a Chihuahua before, they have such big batty ears...but we love him and our Mr. Bo Jangles likes him too.

" Unconditional Surrender"

This picture was taken August 14th, 1945
of a young nurse and sailor's kiss in Times Square, NYC

This statue is in San Diego...it is 25 feet high...it replicates the famous picture.

This is my daughter and her husband copying the statue...
I think they did a pretty good job of it too..Perfect for Valentines Day!
~~~~~~~~~

Thought you might like this for Valentines Day too...delicious cookies~

CHOCOLATE MINT CANDY COOKIES

3/4 Cup Butter
1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 T. Water
Put all the above in a sauce pan over medium heat.
Cook til melted, remove from heat and stir in ;

2 Cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Pour chocolate mix in a bowl and
beat in 2 Eggs

Combine: 2 1/2 Cups of flour
1 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
Combine all together

Cover and put in fridge for 1 hour

Spray cookie sheet with Pam
Roll dough into walnut size pieces,
Place 2" apart on cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes

When you take them out of the oven,
Press one mint wafer into top of each cookie
(Use 3 (4oz.) packages of Chocolate covered thin mints)
Let mint set on hot cookie 1 minute
When soft, swirl with a toothpick to frost cookie.

I hope you will like this recipe...it's an easy one and so delicious!
~~~~~~~~~~~

Some Bunny Loves you....that would be me...

and I'm wishing you a very, very Happy Valentines Day!

I hope you'll love the recipe....Have fun Puckering up with your sweet heart!

I'm taking this weekend off but will catch up with each of you, my sweet friends.

Have a very wonderful Valentines Day

WE CAN EACH BE A HOLY WOMAN....

I believe that if we really are going to do what we came here to do, and that the Lord is counting on us to do... that we need to seek in every way we can to be more holy, to invite more holiness into our lives so that we really can... as the forces around us are increasing in intensity, have an equal and opposite reaction to those forces.
Whatever it took in the past years to have a strong marriage, great family, and a great life, would not be sufficient now.

What was enough last year won't be enough for this year, not as the forces around us are increasing in intensity. If individuals could look at who they were in the premortal life and see the commitments and covenants they have made and who they stood by...meaning the Savior...all of their problems would fall away.

If you could gaze five minutes into your pre-mortal DVD, you would know more about yourself, more about your problems than if you took a lifetime to study it.There is great importance in being holy and inviting the Holy Ghost into one's life.

Recently Wendy Nelson e-mailed six women...ages 25-65 and asked them to try an experiment to do with holiness. She asked them if for three days, they would be willing to, just once a day, purposefully choose one activity a day and try to be more holy while doing it or to do it as a holy woman.
For example, you might try welcoming your husband home, or making dinner, or reading to a child, or exercising, or eating one meal, or talking with a friend, or shopping, or praying, or doing laundry as a holy woman would do it.
How would a holy woman do it? See what difference a desire to be holy can make.

One woman wrote about her experience with the most troublesome task she usually had during the day...brushing her 4 year old's teeth. She said that she pictured the Savior in the room with her and felt an immense difference.
Suddenly, I felt more patience. I didn't bark orders. I felt I had more influence over the situation. I could step back and almost see, well, how a holy woman would handle this situation.

Many women expressed that, after the experiment, that being holy was not such an unreachable goal.
They noticed how the desire to be holy affected their lives and wanted to continue to improve being more holy in their everyday lives.
Maybe we ought to try this experiment as well...if we desire to do this, to have this...we must recognize that the desire to remove anything anything and everything unholy from our lives, hearts and homes is absolutely a part of wanting to increase the holiness.

There is a great need to be holy in these times of turmoil.
It is time to pray for the Lord to help us to be holy.
The Lord is counting on his daughters...
we are the crowning glory of all his creations.

The hand that rocks the cradle truly does rule the world.
May we all desire to be a holy woman for our sakes and for the sakes of our families.

Expressing all my love and respect to each of you...I find there are so many good women out there in this world...being good women...even holy women.
I know that you are so loved by your Heavenly Father and he is proud of you for all that you do. And I know God and Jesus Christ are there for each of us, as we strive to be holy women.

A SUNNY DAY and a SNOWY WALK....

It was such a pretty morning...
just begging me to leave the treadmill behind and come outside for a walk...

At first it was all foggy and misty like...the sun was playing games with me...

We hardly ever have frost on the trees...everything looked so pretty!

So off I went with my little walking buddies...

these guys are the best motivation to "get out and go!"

Cougar LOVES the snow...

he lives and breaths snow...he romps and dives...
and rolls and lays...in the snow.

Suddenly a rabbit runs across our path...

silly rabbit, right in front of two dogs?!

Must be a very brave or fast rabbit!

(this picture from the web...real rabbit wouldn't let me take his picture!)

This little half pint...Mr. Bo Jangles went crazy...

he ran as fast as he could...but he did not want to go out into the snow,

so he watched it go until.... it was out of sight.

We walked to town (about two miles away from our home)...

this is where we go to church on Sundays.
This little town is set right up against the surrounding hills,
like it sits in a pocket.

All the way to and back home,

I am surrounded by beautiful red rock mountains~

The air is crystal clear...the sun is bright and warm...
I'm having so much fun watching the dogs having fun...

I am shedding my coat...this is so much better than the dreadmill.

Cougar beats me to the gate...telling me to hurry along!
Smiling to thank me for taking him out for a walk...
but I am thanking him for such a great time!

Home again...our 4 mile walk...so good for me, so good for the dogs.

I am renewed and feeling so alive and grateful for my little corner of Heaven!

The mountains around our home covered with snow on one side...

And melting off on the other side now.

The snow doesn't usually stick around for long with our sunny days.

Cougar...having happy dreams...perhaps dreaming of that rabbit that got away!

I love to get out of the house on a sunny clear day and go for a long walk. It is so good for my mind and body.

I have been walking for nearly 30 years now at least 4-5 days a week. I love that "good feeling" that kicks in not long after the walk and carries me through the day.

I'm really not any skinnier but I am strong. It is the best part of my day and I hope I can continue to go for my walks everyday until I'm an old lady.

Hopefully, I'll always have a "Golden" by my side, and hopefully they won't have to go looking for me cause I can't find my way home! LOL

Ahhhhhh......LOVE

WISHING YOU A FRIEND TO LOVE AND PLAY WITH

AND THAT EVERY DAISY WILL BE A ...LOVES ME

MAY YOU SEE ONLY LOVE IN THIS WORLD...MAY YOU BE FILLED WITH LOVE

MAY LOVE BE AT YOUR SIDE...ALWAYS



HAVE A GREAT DAY MY FRIENDS
I SEND ALL MY LOVE TO EACH OF YOU
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO