Humans

We are really all the same. We all open up after we learn someone's name. It doesn't really matter if we live near or far. Where we live, our background, make-up, and views are just a piece of who we are. We long for knowledge of the unknown. We look for answers that cannot be …

Reading Adventures

I can't recall how many books I have read, but it is safe to say that I have read many... MaNy... MANY books! Do you read? If you do, I am sure that you have found more than one thing that you like about reading, which makes you keep doing it. Here are some of …

God is my Rock

This was me. A General Manager for the Olive Garden. I had my name on the wall... in stone. I had a big smile on my face and I was happy... until... I couldn't sleep, eat, and manage my stress enough to keep up with the heavy rock on the wall. I demoted myself back …

Creamy Chicken

Sauteed chicken breast and mushrooms in a sour cream sauce is very tasty and it is also very easy to make. The first thing is the seasoning, like I have mentioned in other posts, be sure to season the meat the night prior so that it has plenty of flavor. I use minced chicken flavoring …

Follow Him

🙏🎄 I pray that you all have a very Merry Christmas and 🥳 Happy New Year! 🙏🎄❄️☃️🥳🎉🥂🍾🙏 They said that I may not be able to walk or run They pretty much said that life as I knew it was done They said to take medications and to come in for MRIs twice a year …

Food Talk

In contuniation of our food safety dicussion let's talk about food restrictions & habits, which are a part of life that some of us will choose to ignore during the holiday season. This can be okay as long as we have practiced discipline on the days leading to and on the days after each holiday. There are so …

Something out of Nothing

I am finally ready to say that I am frugal, there I said it. I actually get excited to find something that I like in a thrift store because I get to give the item a new life while saving money! Win-win right? Maybe this is where my crafting cravings come in. Maybe this is …

Romania

Thank you Amy for asking me what life is like here in Romania. Your question inspired me to write down my thoughts. My husband, daughter, and I are happy here and we have enjoyed many of the changes that came along with our venture. Amy has a beautiful blog. Her love for God shines through her …

5 Tips for Food Safety

Welcome to Food Talk Wednesday! Naturally, there are plenty of cooking ideas and recipes circulating the air right now. I have read many wonderful food posts, and great recipes as of late, which are making me hungry! Today, however,  I want to talk about food safety. After working in a restaraunt for 20 years I picked …

Say You Can and You Will

When a situation gets tough, I get tougher, or at least I try to anyways! There is a saying from a book that I read to my daughter so many times which repeates often in my mind when I need it to the most....   "I think I can, I think I can... I thought I …

Mental Rest with God

This picture was taken a month ago from my small garden out back. I have always enjoyed looking up at the sky through a blanket of leaves. Do you enjoy this type of view also? What nature images are most appealing to you? There were traces of blue showing through, a blanket of green The …

Fall in the Fall?

Short StoryThe air was cool and the ground was wet from the rain earlier on in the day. The skies were bursting with bright colors of pastel blue, hints of orange and yellow, and there were a few lingering rain clouds above the old buildings which surround my neighborhood. Evidence of late autumn portrayed itself …

Positivity

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a rut? Have you felt like this was it? I sure have! When I do, I try to get my positive mood back because... What is life when we are thinking poorly? It is sad. It is a less than desirable way to live and... what …

How I lost Envy and Became Happy

I wanted to be “her” for such a long time. That girl who had her life all figured out. She always knew what she wanted to do, when, why, where, and even how she was going to do it. That “girl” varied from person to person for a long while in my life but eventually, …

Post Share: Vulnerability

Although this entire piece touched me, there are two lines which stood out for me the most: "We should be willing to open up if it helps one person." "I accept you as you are." Please take a moment to read this post on Vulnerability from The Eclectic Contrarian. theeclecticcontrarian.wordpress.com/2018/09/13/vulnerability/ I do hope that you …

Grilled or Schnitzel

How do you like your chicken strips? I enjoy them grilled and fried (schnitzel). I usually prepare some of both when we are having chicken so that we get the variety we like. Season the chicken strips, the night prior, with chicken flavoring and a little water. For the grilled strips simply apply a little …

Forgive and Have Faith to Feel Free

God is always in our corner; we just have to stop worrying, pray and have faith in him. The following verse, quotes and writings were uplifting for me. I hope that they bless you also. Isaiah 58:11 New King James Version  11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You …

Miraculous Monday

Miraculous is defined as "of the nature of a miracle" in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. There are many times in life when we live miraculously. Maybe we beat a record that we thought we couldn't, follow a diet that we thought would be impossible, get into a relationship that we thought was out of our league, or …

I’m Selfish

This is a sad truth of mine, that I was not willing to admit to myself for such a long time. My problem is the fact that I worry about what the future brings and how it will affect me.... when I know that God's word says don't worry about yourself and simply focus your …

Fantastic Fun Friday

I hope that this finds you all happy, well, and ready for a great weekend! I do hope that your week went well also! Today, I am sharing two of my drawings with you.  This is one of the videos that I used to get myself started: https://youtu.be/twcFW0RyOO8 Why art? Drawing? Although I do not draw …

Stew, Goulash, or Fricassee

As the saying goes... "There is more than one way to skin a cat" which basically means that you can get to an end result even if you try it a multitude of ways. For cooking methods with meat, vegetables, and sauce the saying would go something like this... "There is more than one name …

The Best Summer Salad

Here we are , smack-dab in the middle of summer, a time when summer salads are on everyone's radar. There are so many kinds, color variations, and tastes that can satisfy anyone's palate. My favorite, the one that I call "The Best Summer Salad" is the Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Salad. Now, let me …

Zucchini Bites

This cooking style for vegetables is very popular here in Romania, and since Olive Garden had a similar recipe with 🍆 eggplant, I believe that it may also be popular throughout Europe as well. This colored zucchini is a bit blander, and it resembles the taste of squash. The darker green zucchini is skinnier and …

Multiple Sclerosis Exercise Tips

After watching two videos from Aaron Boster, MD I discovered that I like the way he talks about MS; I like the how he describes ways to make the best of living with it. At the end of the day... why not make the best of any situation that you are in? http://www.youtube.com/watch This video …

Amazing Grace

Yes, this song was written by John Newton. This hymn is one that I have known since I was a little girl; it was my Grandmother's favorite song. I am sure that many of you have heard this song more than once in your lifetime. My daughter and I recently read a religious book together, …

Tiramisu

Just in case you missed it on a previous post; I worked at Olive Garden for nearly 20 years, 17 and a half of which were when I worked there as a manager, so I have had plenty of Tiramisu "back in the day"! When I moved to Romania nearly one year ago, I decided …

Oops… I Forgot to Name This One!

With my numerous posts about exercise, you may begin to wonder whether or not I have any Multiple Sclerosis symptoms of my own. I can assure you that I am not immune; I join half of the MSers in the world today who have been faced with Cognitive Issues: Memory Attention & Concentration Word-finding Speed …

Chocolate and Nuts… Oh MY!!!

Jay Mentor's Pecan Day Post prompted me to share one of my all-time favorite pies! Now-a-days, I just taste it, and pass the rest along because I am "not supposed to"eat some of the ingredients listed below. However, in the past, I did eat this pie often and I enjoyed it immensely every single time! Thank-you …

Celebrities with Multiple Sclerosis

I feel  a bit more at ease when I see that others in the world are handling Multiple Sclerosis in a positive manner. It uplifts me, and it gives me the hope that I need to push forward and continue doing what I believe that I can do. The following videos have helped me. By …

Fasole Batuta Recipe

Fasole Batuta translates into Mashed Beans. The Romanian name for this dish sounds better to me so I use that name instead. Dried beans taste better, and they are healthier than canned, so following this method will give you a better meal. The beans cook with more ease if you soak them in a big …

Turkish People are Friendly

In my post "Vacation in Turkey" I mentioned that I had been pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the Turkish people. Since that post Ms Lab Rat has asked me to describe my first interaction with a Turkish person that made me realize they were friendly. I am not trying to get of track, but I will …

MSers Don’t Give Up

Chef Chris Holland is a two-time Chopped champion whose life was temporarily interrupted after his diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis. He thought that his life was over when he got MS so he became addicted to his opioid medication because of his hopeless thoughts and feelings. Luckily, he got the help that he needed, and he …

Turkey

Sunis Efes Royal Palace Resort & Spa http://efes.sunishotels.com/ This resort was one of the best that I have had the pleasure of staying in; the staff was friendly and accommodating and the amenities were superb. I especially enjoyed watching the entertainment crew gather people for various activities during the day and evening time functions, they …

Great Habits = Happiness

The featured image was once just a round, brown nut. After falling from its life support (the tree), it bloomed and dried over time, making itself a work of art. I saw many of its counterparts in the tree prior to taking a picture of this magnificent site. There were also some nuts which had fallen …

Vacation in Turkey

After visiting Turkey for the first time in my life, I have to say that it was definitely more than I had imagined it to be! The drive was simply amazing with the mountains, the sea, desert-like landscapes, sunflower and other agricultural fields, cities and so much more for the eye to feast itself upon …

Compliments = Happiness

Today I wanted to try something different so I went into my images, scrolled quickly, and clicked on a random picture. This is from a book that I read a while back, one of Joyce Meyer's. As for me, I am a firm believer of compliments, I give them as often as possible. I believe …

Enjoy Life without Excuses

After packing, cleaning the house, and driving a really long way... we came to a paradise that I am thoroughly enjoying! You see, I lived in Florida nearly my whole life, up until about 10 months ago. Now we live in a mountainous area which we love! However, returning to the sea 🌊 has been …

Run the Right Race

I just stumbled upon this video on Youtube and I wanted to share... The biggest and most important message you can ever hear and try to fulfill is - "Who'd you bring?" - I pray that this video inspires you to be "limitless with God". This is the verse that he quotes: Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) 11 For …

Sweet and Easy

We like to eat our pancakes/crepes a variety of different ways; fluffy or thin, sweet or not sweet (to add a topping), and also hot or cold. This is a go-to favorite of ours for breakfast time, mid-day or even for a dessert. While some areas of the world prefer pancakes and other areas prefer …

Exercise for better days with MS

Last night I was feeling tired and sore pretty much all over, my back was especially causing me some discomfort. Instead of just dealing with the pain, or taking medication, I decided to stretch with some of my favorite music. My stretching shortly turned into a yoga and dance session followed by an ab, upper …

A Bible Talk About Happiness

  Being happy isn't something that just happens; it is a result of things you do, say, feel, and think. We don't get to be happy all the time, and that is okay, so long as we push for our next moment of happiness. Don't get stuck in a slump and think it is alright …

Berry Cakes

To start, I want to show you the website to something I found when I was nearly ready to post this. https://cakebreak.org.uk/how-your-support-helps/ The MS Society, located in the UK, allows bakers to bake for a cause; the money saved from these baked goods go to MS research and development. I would like anyone reading this, who …

Hunedoara Castle

    Last week I had the pleasure of visiting this castle once again. Given its spectacular layout, I found it to be intriguing, despite the fact that I had visited it before. A castle with many names, that it is! This castle goes by three different names; Although Corvin Castle is its predominant name, it …

DIY Crafts

I am a huge fan of jean products! Now that I am no longer required to wear business casual attire for five days out of the week, I am usually found wearing either a pair of jeans, jean shorts, a jean skirt, a jean vest or a jean jacket. My fondness for "all things jean" inspired …

Nature Walk in Girliste

  Girliste is a small village twenty minutes away from our new home in Romania.  This village resides in an outdoor paradise; distant mountains surround the entrance way and the exit is a hiking trail which ventures through a forest and then into a clearing inside a valley nestled between more mountains. There is a river which flows …