Earthquake!

Our house shook for a couple of seconds at 9:30 pm on Sunday night. 

It almost felt as though there had been an explosion nearby, but we immediately realized it must have been an earthquake. The Christmas tree did not topple and nothing fell off the walls or shelves, but there was no mistaking that we had just felt the ground shake.  I wondered if there would be any type of an aftershock, but we felt nothing.

Earthquakes do happen here in Montana once in a while, but I have only ever felt one or two of them, and those just felt like more of a bump. Curious, I got on Facebook and saw that other people we knew had experienced the shaking as well. According to the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, it was a 3.4 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter not too many miles from where we live. Not strong enough to do any damage, but significant enough that it did not go unnoticed.

This is a screenshot of the map on the USGS web page of recent earthquake activity.

Just hours after I had this experience, there was a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Tajikistan. That news prompted me to refresh my memory on how to prepare for an earthquake, and how to respond if one occurs. While our house was shaking, I had been too surprised to even move from the couch. When it ended, I simply went to find my family in other parts of the house to confirm that they had felt the quaking as well. Had the earthquake been more severe, I definitely should have acted differently.

The Earthquake County Alliance web page offers a lot of helpful information on how to prepare, survive, and recover from an earthquake. An earthquake can happen anywhere although some places have a higher percentage of seismic activity than others. It is always best to be prepared, so I encourage you click this link and educate yourself in case you ever feel the ground begin to rock and roll!

Have you ever experienced an earthquake?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

Saturday Suggestion: SnowMan - First the Song and Now A Novel.

How many times have you sung the song "Frosty the Snowman" or made a snow person?

Have you ever thought about how snowmen and the song originated? I really hadn't - but my friend Diane Stringam Tolley has. A lot.

Diane has written several books, and I finally had time to read one of them during my Thanksgiving travels. I have always loved snowmen, so naturally I chose SnowMan as the first of her books to read. It is a fairly short story - only 134 pages, but I am still thinking about it a week after I finished it. It made me both smile and cry, and I will never build another snowman without remembering Diane's inspiring story. Diane's engaging writing style and her account of the life of John Benjamin Frosst will transport you to a snowy winter decades ago, and leave you with a warm feeling. I highly recommend you treat yourself and read this book.

SnowMan is available in both paperback and Kindle format. You can learn more about it or even purchase it, just by clicking here. (As always, if you do make a purchase after visiting Amazon from one of my links, I will receive a small commission, but the price you pay will not be affected.)

Diane also writes the blog Across the Border where she tells fascinating stories of growing up on a ranch in Southern Alberta. I am keeping this post short today, so you have time to read some of her words instead of mine!

What sort of things have you used to build a snowman?

Have you ever given one an old silk hat, a corncob pipe, a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal?

I'm Glad to be Back: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week #23)

While taking a mini-blog vacation, I was only publishing here on Saturdays for the past few weeks so this is my first "Fabulous Finds" post in a while. During my blogging absence, I didn't get my photo collection as organized as I had hoped, but I did make a good dent in the project. 

Quite a bit happened while I was gone, however.  I managed to get our holiday lights up outside, took my son to get his cast off and his wisdom teeth out, and we went to Arizona for Thanksgiving.

In all, it was a busy couple of weeks, but I did miss blogging and I'm glad to be back.

I hope these "fabulous finds" I came across in the past few weeks will interest you.

~~*~~

This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ Roasted Garlic

I am definitely going to try roasting garlic this way!

• Easy way to roast garlic

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~ ~  Perfect Pie Crust

A beautiful pie is like a work of art. This video from King Arthur Flour takes all the mystery out of how to crimp the edges, and make a really pretty crust.

•  How to crimp a pie crust 

~~*~~

~ ~ A detector of Gluten

For people with Celiac Disease, ingesting even a small amount of gluten can be very harmful. I just read about a device that can test foods instantly to see if they are gluten-free. It should be available soon - and seems like it would be a wonderful tool.

• Nima, the food tester.

~~*~~

~ ~ Still Missing

When Malaysia airline MH370 went down in March 2014, I could not believe that it could just disappear. A year and a half later, sadly, it has still not been found. I just came across this update.

• Australia still optimistic that it will be found

~~*~~

~ ~  Holiday Lights

I managed to get our holiday lights up just before the weather turned really cold and snowy this year. If you haven't put yours up yet, you might find reading my article from last year helpful:

• The Easy Way to Hang Christmas Lights

I was glad I got these lights up before Thanksgiving. It snowed and temperatures dropped to subzero just before we left for Arizona.

~~*~~

~ ~ A possible step forward in the fight against MS

A recent study looks at a promising approach to helping patients with Multiple Sclerosis, a disease which affects millions of people. While more work needs to be done, it would be wonderful if this research leads towards developing a cure.

• MS research

~~*~~

Have you ever tried roasting garlic using the method linked above?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

In the spirit of full disclosure, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of them, the price you pay will not be affected but I may receive some small compensation. All opinions expressed, however, are entirely honest and my own.

A Christmas Tree and a Menorah

It's time for another chapter of "The Mindy Story!"  I haven't written one for a while, so this week I took on the added challenge of incorporating all the options offered in the last two Words for Wednesday word prompt challenges. I used a total of 18 words and two phrases, supplied by two different bloggers - and it was a lot of fun to see what I could do with them all!

I hope you enjoy this segment ... Mindy certainly can get herself worked up!

~ ~ * ~ ~

If you missed some of the story so far, or just need a refresher, here are the links to all of the previous chapters so far:

To catch up with "The Mindy Story" so far, here are links to all the previous segments: 

• Part 1, Cleaning Products Don't Work Unless You Use Them
• Part 2, A Perfect Match
• Part 3, Fiction, Sangria, Roasted Red Pepper Spread and a Picnic
• Part 4, Stitches and an Uncomfortable Surprise
• Part 5, A Banana Relapse will Require a Repair
• Part 6, Capturing Fruit Flies & Wine Glasses for Two
• Part 7, A Coffee Date and Cathedral Windows
• Part 8, Chicken Broth and Walnuts - - Oops!
• Part 9, A Mystery and a Secret
• Part 10, Blue Bird - Blue Bell - - Blue Bonnet!
• Part 11, Lemonade and a Pleasant Conversation
• Part 12, A Photo Album, a Lunar Event, and a Furry Friend
• Part 13, France and a Friendship

When you are ready, here is Part 14  ...

Another chapter in the unpredictable life of Mindy ...

~ ~ * ~ ~

A Christmas Tree and a Menorah

"Mindy!! Only you could extrapolate so poorly," Barb said, admonished Mindy gently. "Why on earth do you choose to jump to these unfounded conclusions?"

Countdown to Christmas: December Always Sneaks Up on Me!

December 1st.  This month always sort of sneaks up on me and I am seldom ready to begin the Christmas season.


The color scheme in my home is well-suited to autumn decorations - perhaps that is the reason I am never in a hurry to put those fall-colored things away. It is usually at least a day or two into December when I pack up the last of the pumpkins and the pilgrims, and remember to put up the Advent Calendar.

When my children were very young, I purchased a felt wall-hanging of a Nativity scene. Small cloth camels, stars, sheep, Wise Men, and so forth reside in numbered pockets at the bottom of it all year long.  For each of the first 24 days of December, one of these is supposed to be adhered to a Velcro spot in or near the stable, creating a complete Nativity scene by Christmas day. The task of placing these figures used to be taken very seriously by my kids - so much so, that at the end of the holiday season I would record whose turn it would be the following year to place baby Jesus in the manger.  Every parent knows how important it is to be sure that life is fair!

Saturday Suggestion: Creamy Tomato and Bunny Pasta Soup

This post is about a product I received complimentary for testing purposes, but my review is an honest appraisal of my opinion of this product.

I hope all of my American readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving! You might be starting to get tired of turkey leftovers, so today I'm suggesting a product I recently tried and would definitely buy again.

Quite a while ago, I received a "Comfort Voxbox" from Influenster, with a variety of products to review.  At least, I should have received it quite a while ago.  Actually, I was never notified that it was available for pickup, so it was undelivered for considerably longer than it should have been. In any event, I finally received it!

The timing turned out to be quite perfect! My son had his wisdom teeth extracted just over a week ago.  All four were impacted and it was a complicated case. He has done extremely well post-surgically, but the first few days it was challenging to think of foods that he could eat. Ice cream, pudding, and macaroni-and-cheese were all good choices and things I had on hand. When he tired of these, however, I offered him one of the things I received in the VoxBox: Annie's Creamy Tomato and Bunny Pasta Soup.

I was a little worried that my 18-year old son might balk a little at the bunny-shaped pasta noodles, but quite the opposite! He said the soup was really very good, and the noodles were soft enough to offer no discomfort for his sore mouth. He commented that since all you have to do to prepare it is heat the contents of the cardboard container, it would be a good meal to take backpacking.

I have never been very fond of tomato soup, but I felt like I should have a taste of this complimentary product, and I was very pleasantly surprised! Its creamy texture had just the amount of tomato flavor, and I thought it was very good. In addition to being delicious, I was impressed to learn from the package that this soup:

•  is certified as organic
•  contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives
•  contains no high fructose corn syrup.
• contains 1/2 cup of vegetables per serving.

I can recommend this soup as a good thing to eat after dental work, to take on a camping trip, or just for an everyday lunch! In fact, it would be perfect served with grilled cheese sandwiches and some crackers.

Have you ever tried any of Annie's Homegrown Products?

In the spirit of full disclosure, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of them, the price you pay will not be affected but I may receive some small compensation. All opinions expressed, however, are entirely honest and my own.

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

Saturday Suggestion: Share Your Favorite Recipes

"Sorry, it's a secret family recipe."  "Well, I'd share it with you, but I've been sworn to secrecy." Have you ever received this sort of response when you've requested a recipe from someone?

 

Family recipes

Flawed Logic.

When I was in my teens and early 20's, I was reluctant to share my favorite recipes with friends and family. If they loved something I cooked or baked, then I wanted to be the person who could make them happy by creating it for them again. I reasoned that once they had the recipe, then they would be able to prepare it for themselves or someone else, and I would no longer have the power to bring them that joy. 

Fortunately, it didn't take me long to understand that this logic was silly. If I really wanted them to be happy, then it wouldn't matter who made the recipe, as long as they got to eat or serve that particular dish or dessert!

A Reason to Share.

Now, whenever I've made a recipe that turns out well, I always welcome a time or place to share it. While I am partially motivated by wanting to spread the enjoyment of a good thing, I must admit I also have a selfish reason. I have realized that recipes can quite easily become lost or even destroyed, as in the case of (heaven forbid) a fire or a flood. I find it comforting to know that other people have copies of my recipes, and that I could obtain a duplicate from someone if I was ever missing mine.  

Every time I share a recipe on this blog it is for my readers benefit, but I'm also happy knowing that it has just become a little safer for my family and friends and future generations to enjoy.

Part of a Legacy.

Many cooks are known within their family for the special dishes that they make. Those recipes may even become named after them. Aunt Blanche's Dump Salad, Aunt Ginny's Sweet Potato Casserole, Grandma's Chocolate Chip Brownies, and Aunt Audrey's Christmas Trifle are just a few of the headings on recipe cards to which I frequently refer. 

Sometimes we remember and long for a particular item, but no one has the recipe. The baked chicken my grandmother often served when we would have a Sunday dinner with her is one such recipe. I would truly love to go back in time and ask her to write down the method with which she used to make it. 

Memories of a person or event are often passed from generation-to-generation by the sharing of a recipe. I think that is a very lovely gift indeed, and I hope my own legacy is richly endowed with delicious recipes.

My Saturday Suggestion for today is to Share Your Recipes! 

Do you agree that this is a good idea?

Wishing for World Peace

In my last post, I stated that except for publishing on Saturdays, I would be taking a blog vacation this month. In light of the events of this past weekend, however, I feel like I need to express my sympathies here.

My heart is heavy for the victims of the recent terrorist acts in Paris, and I am as shocked and horrified as anyone else. The thing is, though, I am not just sorrowful for Paris, I am sad for all of us ... every person on this earth.  

I am sad that we have not yet figured out how to all live in peace. Can you imagine how wonderful our world would be, if we solved everything with words and learned to get along?

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

Mahatma Gandhi

Saturday Suggestion: Spend Time to Save Time

Some of you may remember this photo from my blog post on May 19, 2014, An Organized Photo Collection: I WISH! 

When I wrote that post, I committed to getting my photo collection more organized before my son graduates from high school this year. Sadly, in the months that have transpired since the post was published, I have made no progress with this.

This week I spent a considerable amount of time looking for a photo I had hoped to use on this blog. I knew

Politics and Entertaining: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 22)

Another Veteran's Day has come and gone, and Thanksgiving is coming up.

I put the Halloween decorations away and decorated the house for Thanksgiving in record time this year. The snow we got here in Montana last week never completely melted, and more has been added to it. Our bodies have begun to adjust to day-light saving time, although those dark mornings and early night falls are something I will never like. 

We seem to have made the leap from fall to winter, even though that season doesn't officially begin until December 21st. 

A busy time of year

Many people consider this to be the busiest time of year. Calendars are full with plans to visit family or

Remembering Life-Changing Moments on Remembrance Day

We all have periods of time in our lives upon which we look back and think, "Wow. If that event had not happened, how different my life would be." 

November 10th marks one of those life-changing dates for me. My quest to "make the most - - of every moment" and the subsequent creation of this blog may have originated from a major lifestyle change that occured for me on that date.

Why November 10th is a significant date for me:
Forty-some years ago my father, a petroleum engineer, accepted an overseas position. On November 10th, my family left our rural home just outside Calgary, Alberta, Canada to move to Spain. I remember my hesitancy to leave my friends, and my life as I had always know it.  I can still recall the excitement and wonder I felt, however, when we arrived in Europe and settled in there. Within a few months, I realized what a lucky opportunity I had been granted. That move across the globe heavily influenced the person whom I was to become, and the life that I would live. Every year on November 10th, I have thoughts of gratitude for the adventure my parents choose for us all to embark upon.

Newly arrived in Europe - weren't we quite the tourists? Check out those plaid pants!
These were the days before selfies - my dad is not pictured because he took the photo.

In mid-November, I also celebrate the anniversary of another major milestone, and a few minor ones, as well.  

Of major importance: 

Just over two decades ago this week, I acquired my most treasured role - - I became a mom! ❤️

Less significant, but hopefully the start of many years of fulfillment: 

Two years ago on November 13th, my first piece of freelance writing was published on-line. I have written something nearly every day since then.

Another milestone from years ago, that has had influence upon this blog: 

I have always loved to cook, but I might not have the confidence to blog about my recipes if it had not been for some successful Thanksgiving challenges. One example of this would be the time I offered to bake the pumpkin pies for a large Thanksgiving family gathering when I was still in college, when I was still in college, and the pumpkin pie recipe I developed then and have been making ever since. 

Of course, not all of anyone's important milestones in life occur in just one month of the year. For me, however, the second week in November and coincidentally Remembrance Day (Veteran's Day in the US) seems to be a time when I stop and appreciate the moments of my past which have shaped my future.  

November 11th. 

November 11th is Remembrance Day (Armistice Day or Veteran's Day as it is also called, depending on where you live) and it is a date designated for us to remember that our freedom has come at a price. Without the efforts of many soldiers, our lives would all be different. 

My memory of leaving Canada and arriving in London (where we stayed for a week while my dad did some work at the home office of his new company) is jumbled with flashbacks of people wearing red poppies on their lapels -  in both the country that I left, and the one to which I arrived. From this observation, I gained a global perspective I didn't have before. The 11th of November has been a day for me ever since to think about all of the lives lost to all the wars, in every country of the world.

Beyond the comfort zone.

Our first instinct as human beings is to resist and dislike change. Looking back, however, I realize that some of the scariest and at times even the least appealing moments in my life have been the ones to take me in the best directions.  This reflection provides me with a good reminder that it is important to take some risks, and get out of my comfort zone once in a while.

One year ago today,  I wrote a different post about November being a month for memories.  A number of readers shared their November remembrances in the comments. 

What memories has this triggered for you?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

The Challenges of Blogging

I am often asked how long it takes me to write a blog post. For me, this is the often the easiest part of blogging. Today I'm offering a glimpse of some other ways large chunks of time can be spent blogging.

Have you ever gotten confident with a skill, only to be immediately humbled by it?

This weekend I was playing around again with the design of my blog. I added a new title heading to the search bar to make it easier to spot, and I updated my Recipe and Fiction indexes. Things were going well, but just when I was starting to feel confident in my blog designing skills I made a huge mistake. I wasn’t