"Even when the rainbow seems to pass right by me....I'm still finding Gold in the clouds....."

02 March 2018

OLD AND NEW FAVES


It's Friday and the first work week after Winter Break is done AND all the schools in the greater capital region are closed because we are in the midst of a Nor'Easter.  But......

The preschoolers all did great coming back to school on Monday and we just had one little guy out all week due to a serious infection. If you think of it, please keep 5 yr old "J" in your prayers as he is still in the hospital.

Let's take some time to share with others in the FFF and look for FIVE blessings from the past week.  You can find the guidelines and link up here.


  •  OLD HYMNS!  I love this  old hymn and it was one of my dad's favorites.  We sang it in church and it moved me to tears as usual.  The lyrics, the music, the 500+ voices raised in song........I'm thankful for our Great God. We also sang part of "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"...another fave!  (It was also a kind of tribute to Billy Graham....our pastor and his wife received a personal invite for the private funeral down in NC today as our pastor used to be on the Billy Graham team!)




  • NEW TEA!  I discovered a new-to-me herbal tea and I love it!  I don't like a lot of teas but this makes my 3rd herbal tea I've tried this winter that I like. We have about 7 different varieties of tea in the cupboard (my oldest daughter buys different kinds) and so far I only like the 3 I've mentioned in past weeks.  The licorice in this tea is also somewhat medicinal if you have a sore throat.  It is a very calming tea with just a hint of sweetness...no sugar needed!  I'm thankful I found a 3rd tea I can drink on a chilly evening.


  • New Recipe:  I experimented with various ingredients from 4 different "buddha bowl" recipes and came up with my own this past week! I marinated boneless, skinless chicken cut into cubes with Asian Sesame Ginger dressing.  I sauteed a sweet potato with black pepper and a dash of ground ginger and crushed garlic.  I steamed some peas.  I made jasmine and brown rice and combined them.  While everything was cooking (you bake the chicken for 30 min after marinating for 30), I sliced up an avocado.  Then when everything was done, I just layered the rice, chicken, veggies, and avocado in a bowl and you drizzle warmed up dressing over the top.  It was a hit!  I served this with a fruit salad of blueberries, banana slices and pomegranate arils.  It was so good!



Our youngest daughter Claire dancing a pointe solo "Giselle"
(click on the video to play)
  • OLD VIDEOS:  I was missing my ballerina girl this past week so I plugged in my laptop and watched some old dance show videos of her performing ballet and lyrical ballet.  I particularly like this one (on pointe) which is her senior solo last June (2017).  She is dancing the part of Giselle in Giselle.  Look for the 32 hops!!  (this is a famous choreographed piece).  If you don't know the ballet Giselle, here is the story. You might need to turn up the sound to hear the music.  The lighting wasn't great either as we were recording with an iPad.
a view of the Mohawk River as seen from the biking/hiking path
28 February

  • NEW ROUTINE:  So I have a new routine:  on Wednesdays, after work, I head to the biking/hiking trail along the river in my town.  There's one section I'm particularly fond of...it is actually in 2 different towns but is the same path! ( you can actually go all the way to Buffalo, NY on this path!!) I usually go for just 2 miles as that's all I have time for before it gets dark.  I leave the parking area and go west for a half mile, turn around and go east for a mile.  Then I turn around.  It's awesome.  As soon as the time change occurs I will have a goal of 3 miles.  Wednesdays is the perfect day for this because even though I don't get to leave the school until 3 and I arrive at the path by 3:30, I don't have to rush to cook dinner...Dave heads from work to youth group where he volunteers so I can take my time!  I love it!  I'm thankful I live near some great hiking trails.  Here are a few more photos from my afternoon.  It was a mild 58 degrees (F) and I just loved the sunshine!
I loved watching the ducks, geese, and red-winged blackbirds

biking/hiking path heading west
from the North Colonie side 

That wraps up my week!

 I hope that you have a wonderful weekend, relaxing and enjoying some down time.





7 comments:

Wendy said...

How lovely to have that video to look back on. And that's a great hiking trail. I'm looking forward to having the clocks change and get more daylight!

aspiritofsimplicity said...

I love that hymn as well. Your Buddha bowl sounds delicious. I like that kind of food. We are getting a nor'easter right now. Crazy winds are shaking my house, tides are higher than they've been since 1978 and the rain won't stop.

Barbara H. said...

I love old hymns, too. I bought some decaf teas to try, but just haven't yet. I've never been a hot tea drinker but have been wanting to find some alternative warm decaf drinks (have to have decaf due to heart rhythm issues). How neat to have videos of Claire's ballet performances!

Willow said...

Hikes: you do live in a hiking rich region. And I love the idea of your hiking the same place once a week.
I love hymns, too. I played the piano at our little church when I was a teenager and I still love playing and singing those hymns.
Watching Claire's ballet solo was beautiful!

Willow said...

PS: I hope you are staying safe and warm in the snow and wind.

Gattina said...

We also had snow here today what a welcome from the Egyptian heat ! If you like Egyptian tea the one which is the best is "Karkade" made out of Hibiscus flowers but the Hibiscus is not like ours. It is good against everything o for everything and you get a welcome cup in each shop ! I brought leaves back because you can drink it hot or cold.

Susanne said...

I've never seen that tea. My hubby likes licorice tea but they are definitely not all the same. Some we've had to throw out they were so bad. I'm beginning to like "bowl" meals. How Great Thou Art is one of my favorites!