AMANDA'S BASKETS: HOPE AND PRESENCE

Thursday, January 2, 2020

HOPE AND PRESENCE

I was telling a friend a couple days ago that I am ready for spring and it isn't even January...well, it wasn't at the time. I wonder how I will react to the next snow storm because, believe me, there will be one sooner or later!!!

So, yesterday, I watched the Rose Parade. I love the theme for this year: The Power of Hope. Isn't that a fantastic theme to hold on to during these troubled times. The Power of Hope! Because there is power in that statement. Doctors will tell you that many patients hold on to that mantra and many become well surprising everyone including the doctors.

The Power of Hope for a better tomorrow...heck, for a better today. I think I will adopt that for my morning mantra. Because that hope will lead to action. And action will lead to getting things done. Things I want to do. Things I have to do. And things I hope to do.

A circle! The Power of Hope with lead to things I hope to do.

As you have probably noticed, I have changed my word for the year. For 2020 my word is PRESENCE. I have always understood that life is only lived now...this very minute...this very second. Not a month or a year or even a few minutes ago when I typed that the past sentence, but now.

I don't know about you, but I find myself concentrating on either the past or the future but forget that all I really have is now. The deaths of two friends last month brought that home to me. Yes, we can't forget about the concerns about the future, nor the continuing troubles that began in the past. But, and it's a big BUT, we only live in the present, this moment.

So, my word is to remind me to live in the now...in the present. And to be attentive to that present of presence.

Well, that's all for today...
Talk with you tomorrow...

CRAFTING IDEAS

I am always looking for a small piece of paper to write down something which will later be disposed of. I decided to use some of the scrap paper of which I have a ton. I mostly use the paper for glueing projects. I decided to cut the paper into a small size. (Six pieces from a piece of copy paper.). But just having them sitting on my desk would get messy without a container. So, using a cardboard box, I cut it down to size and using a hot glue gun I glued the ends together. Using a picture from a magazine cut into pieces and stick craft glue, I glued the pieces to the box inside and out. I also used some decorative tape for the outside edges. And to finish the top corners which were not covered, I used straight pins with colorful tops. Looks nice and works well.

MAGAZINE IDEAS

(New) One article in the Farmer's Almanac 2024 is a list of trends. One I knew about is the trend to downsize in just about every area. Another trend that I was surprised about was called ''The Human Library' which offers people on loan to talk about specific subjects. Finally, more folks are adding pets to their family and as a result, stores are adding more pet food, toys and medication to their offerings. There's also a nice garden article which suggests mixing vegetables and flowers together for success.

RECIPE IDEAS

Have you every made Cherry Dump Cake. It calls for 2 cans of Cherry Pie Filling (21 ounces), a white cake mix, 1/4 -1/2 cup butter, melted & 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans. In a 9 by 13 pan, spread both cans of cherry pie filling. Add the melted butter to the cake mix and break apart the resulting mixture and crumble it evenly over the pie filling. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 - 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Fast, easy and very delicious.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

What if you want to establish better habits, then decide what habit you want to work on. Again, try an easier one first for that good feeling of success. Let's consider more exercise. Start small. Don't try to run a marathon right away. Set the amount of time, the type of exercise and when to do it to begin making sure that it is within your reach. If it works for you each week add a bit more. Walking is one of the best ways to get good overall movement but there are many exercise videos on YouTube of varying lengths and difficulty to check out. Change your exercise routines to eliminate getting bored. For hardcore exercise with weights, give yourself a day in-between to recover. Even on days you would rather not exercise, do it and see if you feel better. It takes an average of 66 days to establish a habit. Just think 66 days to establish a good habit for a lifetime. Sounds like a good thing to me...how about you?