Bare pantry

My son cleaned out our pantry (dry goods) about 10 days or so ago. My son, who is 24, works in Retail/Grocery so he's the king of expiration dates. He went through and tossed anything that was expired. I had to fight to get him to leave some canned stuff alone. Mostly I let him do it because if we haven't eaten it by now, we aren't going to eat it.

I need to do the two basement freezers some Monday night during the winter. Trash day is Tuesday and I don't want the feral cats making a mess I have to clean up.

We have empty shelves..lol. There is a certain comfort level in having a full pantry. I'm trying to resist the urge to fill them up again just so they look like we have enough food.

Can you guess the oldest thing we had in the pantry?

Hold The Advice

I'll start by saying I know folks mean well. I know they are just trying to help.

Earlier this week, I dealt with some pretty severe headaches. My chiro and I were on top of the issue and things were on the mend. Unfortunately, I was getting oh so helpful (yes, that was sarcasm) advice from every direction and no one seemed to take the hint that I was not interested.

PSA: Just because you heard of this great cure-all from a friend of a friend of a friend, doesn't mean you need to share it. Heck, even if you know it works first hand, you still not *have* to share it.

Please just save it for a different conversation and a different time. Like when you are actually asked for advice or ideas.

Book Reviews on Amazon

I love, love, love to read book reviews, especially the 1,2, and 3 star reviews. I love a good critical review of a book. What I don't love is when a reviewer who absolutely hates a book just has to knock those who like the book. I get that you may hate the book and cannot believe anyone could like it. At this point, I just shut down and can't hear the constructive criticism from the reviewer who slams other reviewers. It's like a door slams shut.

Just a bit of advice to reviewers out there: 
Don't belittle or attack the character of other reviewers.
Don't attack the integrity of the author or publishing company.*

It's totally okay to say you don't understand how anyone could ever love, much less like, the book in question.

*Disclaimer: 
I am not saying that authors, publishers or their various agents never buy reviews. I know some do. It's just tacky to attack them without substantial proof.

Tip for Kindle Readers Who Like To Read Series Books

I love to read books that are in a series. Some of my series are quite long 15-30 or more books in series. I like to buy several of the books at a time. The problem is I am not always able to remember which book comes next. I solved that problem by creating a Word or Google document with the reading order, then e-mailed the document to my Kindle e-mail address. No matter where I am I can easily find the name of the next book and start reading.

1. Create a Word or Google document with the reading order for the series. PDF, RTF, TXT work as well.
2. Create a new e-mail.
3. Enter your personal Send-To-Kindle e-mail address; this ends in @kindle.com. 
4. Add document as an attachment
5. Put Convert in the Subject line if you want the document to read like a Kindle book. Leave blank, if you like the original form better. (Try it both ways to find out which is easier to read.)
6. Download to your device. I use Wi-Fi only to download my personal documents like this. If you have 3G or 4G, it could end up costing a Service Fee. I'm cheap and Wi-Fi is also faster :)

I tend to create a different Personal Document for each series. This why I am not having to thumb through several to find the series I am interested in reading. 


If you have never used the Personal Documents/Send-to-Kindle address, you can learn about it here:
http://amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200767340

If you need help, you an always call Amazon Kindle Support at 1-866-321-8851. Those folks love to help with this stuff!

Ephesians 2:19-20/NIV

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
Ephesians 2:19-20/NIV

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, they say.

I'm not sure that's true.  lol  I have been MIA for a while here.  I want to get back to posting semi regularly.  I'm just not sure what direction I want to go with this blog. 

Here's tonight's Facebook post:

Woo Hoo!!! Scored some great savings by purchasing my son's college books on Amazon.com. All new through the school bookstore would have been $264 with all used being $230. Combo of new and used ordered tonight from Amazon is $118.21 + Amazon Prime Shipping.

Okay, probably not exciting to anyone but me, but it's  start.  Hopefully, it won't be another year before I post again.   

Hebrews 12

Heb 12:1  The Lord's Discipline

    Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,1 we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us,
Heb 12:2  keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.2
Heb 12:3  Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.
Heb 12:4  You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed3 in your struggle against sin.
Heb 12:5  And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons?
    "My son, do not scorn4 the Lord's discipline
    or give up when he corrects5 you.
Heb 12:6  "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts."6
Heb 12:7  Endure your suffering7 as discipline;8 God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?
Heb 12:8  But if you do not experience discipline,9 something all sons10 have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons.
Heb 12:9  Besides, we have experienced discipline from11 our earthly fathers12 and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life?13
Heb 12:10  For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness.
Heb 12:11  Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful.14 But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness15 for those trained by it.
Heb 12:12  Therefore, strengthen 16 your listless hands and your weak knees,17
Heb 12:13  and make straight paths for your feet,18 so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.

Heb 12:14  Do Not Reject God's Warning 

    Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness,19 for without it no one will see the Lord.
Heb 12:15  See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up 20 and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled.
Heb 12:16  And see to it that no one becomes21 an immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.22
Heb 12:17  For you know that23 later when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, although he sought the blessing24 with tears.
Heb 12:18  For you have not come to something that can be touched,25 to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwind
Heb 12:19  and the blast of a trumpet and a voice uttering words26 such that those who heard begged to hear no more.27
Heb 12:20  For they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned."28
Heb 12:21  In fact, the scene29 was so terrifying that Moses said, "I shudder with fear."30
Heb 12:22  But you have come to Mount Zion, the city31 of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly
Heb 12:23  and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect,
Heb 12:24  and to Jesus, the mediator32 of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel's does.33
Heb 12:25  Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven?
Heb 12:26  Then his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven too."34
Heb 12:27  Now this phrase "once more" indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, of created things, so that what is unshaken may remain.
Heb 12:28  So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe.
Heb 12:29  For our God is indeed a devouring fire.35

Two verses for today

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

⁸ The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

 

1 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

¹⁶ Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
   He appeared in the flesh,
   was vindicated by the Spirit,^[a]
was seen by angels,
   was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
   was taken up in glory.

Interesting lists

Your Picks: Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books
https://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/139085843/your-picks-top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-books
And

Fantasy Worlds In Literature
http://www.cool-story.com/story/208/Fantasy-Worlds-In-Literature/

Today's Gratitude list

Sappy stuff:

1. I am grateful for my health.  I may have a few problems (Fibromyalgia, and 2 forms of arthritis), but I am relatively healthy.  I do not have cancer or heart problems.  I am blessed.
2. I am grateful for the health of my family members.  Most problems that they are incurring are relatively minor and well-handled ones at this point.  
3. I am grateful for the furry friends in my home.  My 2 cats and goofball dog are wonderful companions.  They just make me smile and see the good in a otherwise craptastic day.
4. Books (real and electronic), I love to read and love being surrounded by words, stories and knowledge.  

Silly stuff:

1. The stuffed eagle that sits on my desk.  It reminds me of how much God loves even the birds and how I am blessed to have been born in this nation.  
2. Tacos, my favorite food.
3. Caffeine free diet coke, the nectar of gods (bad cliché, I know).
4. My clipboard.  It holds all my transcribing forms for school and keeps me sane.  It's easy to move out of the way, yet it keeps things in check.
5. Air conditioning.  It's not super hot at the moment, but a/c keeps things on an even keel. It also keeps my allergies in check.

Gratitude List

I have decided to keep a gratitude list online. I hope to do it several days a week. I thought daily, but realized I might be setting myself up for failure that way.  I will try to list a minimum of three things I am grateful in a couple different areas:  Sappy and silly.  

Sappy gratitude list:

1. My family, even though they make me nuts sometimes
2. My Savior, Christ Jesus
3. My church family.  They rock, nuff said!
4. My dog who still acts super silly at 14 years of age.   
5. My nutty cats who think they own me.

Silly gratitude list

1. My computer.
2. My computer chair.
3. My ergonomic keyboard.
4. The finches that visit my feeders.  They are pretty and fierce at the same time.