The Life of Mrs. Miles

(thanks Olivia)


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That 'ol Olivia... she's keeping me so busy that I roped her into sharing another goodie with you. We were having fun making sparkly, glittery stuff for another (she says hopefully...) Valentines/Love kit for sale at the SHOPPE. But because she is consuming so much of my valuable time I'm making her share the love – by sharing her elements with me and you. If she keeps taking up my time like this she will have to take over creating all my elements too! Don't be surprized to see our Sparkly Hearts included in her newest kit. These hearts are about 3 inches tall but could be shrunk and scattered all over the place to glitz up your layouts. Please enjoy, but notice that Olivia has included her TOU, so don't be pirating them off.

Speaking of Valentines kits, you are truly missing out if you haven't scooped Amy W.'s Love Letters kit (photo below in last day's entry) My SIL and I joined in at the DBD chat last night and had an absolute hoot. Besides that there was a sweet giveaway I'm dying to use. That clever Amy – she comes up with such inspiring ideas! I'm waiting with baited breath for her next Bingo Chat... I sort of find them a little easier because for me, trying to actually put together a layout AND chat... well does not really work. My head is swivellin back and forth at light speed just trying to keep track in the chat. So, sometimes I just come to chat and pick on people, right Amy? Don't forget to stop by her blog tomorrow for her next freebie update!

Also, I've got Kim B's newest Forgotten Not Kit downloaded and it is BEAUTIFUL and touching. As usual, Kim is giving you all a small taste of it – her generosity is amazing. You truly must buy this kit – it's also a tribute for a Mom in memory of her son, Andrew. What a sweet way to keep his memory alive. So 'Gwan over there and you may even find some more awesome giveaways there too. Leave LOVE when you visit these talented ladies - it makes their day, trust me!

turnovers made with my homemade Ruff Puff Pastry

I had SUCH fun making these turnovers on Monday. My dear friend Rose came for a very rare visit - and we ended up visiting from lunch till supper! I can't sit still - just ask anyone, so while we gabbed I tried out a recipe for Ruff Puff Pastry that I found on the net. It turned out awesomely - I highly recommend you take the plunge and try it for yourself. Its not near as scary as the tv chefs make it seem. You can find the recipe by clicking HERE. I did not have a pastry scraper, so I fashioned a crude one out of a plastic cutting matt I had, just sliced it to size.

all by myself - king of the tree!

As you can see, I had some visitors outside my window yesterday. Firstly, it was the young eagle who came to perch on this Ponderosa, a grand viewpoint to overlook the lake. He wasn't there long before another, mature eagle came and intimidated him into leaving. Not five minutes later, this eagle was joined by another, and the two stayed there for at least ½ hour. They're very majestic looking, aren't they?

along comes the big fella

I said "scram kid!!"

We'll just hang here and wait for something to pique our appetite...

I've been watching them down on the ice – too far away to get any sort of a photo. There is a small opening in the ice, way out toward the middle. There are some smaller birds (not sure what kind) – and quite a few of them, who are hanging around for the open water. Well, those two eagles fly over there, then land about 50 feet away... and just sit there... waiting. One wonders why they don't just dive in and get one of those silly birds.

*****

In my daily bible study, I've just been reading in Genesis and I have come away sort of chuckling. Whats set me off is this passage (Gen. 45:24 NIV) “Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don't quarrel on the way!”

Now if you're not a reader then I will give you a brief recap of Joseph's trials with his brothers. Joseph was a favored child in his family. As a favored child he once recieved a coat of many colors as a gift and he had dreams that he would rule over his brothers and his brothers were pretty jealous about that. They were so jealous that when Joseph was sent out by their father, to meet them one day as they were out grazing the flocks, they decided this would be the perfect chance to 'ditch' him' – make him disappear. (Gen. 37:20 "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams.") Well, they throw him in a pit but rather than leave him there, they sell him to some transient merchants heading for Egypt and they figure thats the last they will hear of him.

'Course they took that nice coat before they were finished. They have to think up an alabi between them so they kill a goat and mess the coat up a bit. And they go home and show Dad and let him make his own conclusion. Dad is pretty broken up about all this.

Time goes on. Meanwhile, to make a long story short, Joseph gets tossed in prison, somehow gets an opportunity to use his gift of deciphering dreams – for the king, no less. The king is so impressed he not only frees Joseph but elevates him to star status. Joseph eventually has amassed power and riches and the support of the king – but he misses his Dad and family and longs to meet his youngest brother he has heard about. So he gets an opportunity to make the brothers come to him without them knowing 'him' is their brother they sold.

See, there's been a famine in the land, and the brothers are starving and come begging. So, Joseph uses this opportunity and (even tho the story is even more involved and interesting, but you'll just have to read that yourself) he gets the brothers to tell him his father is still alive and then extracts a promise they will get 'stuff' when they bring the youngest brother back to see him. They get back with the brother and then Joseph sets it up they are all alone together then does a '”Surprise, its really ME! Me, who you threw in a pit and then sold. But I'm not mad anymore.”

And he wept. He VERY loud. Everyone heard him. He wept on his brothers shoulders – how must that have felt, hey? And he tells them not to stress – he's not like them, he's got good intentions for them. So, he tells them to go home and get Dad – tell Dad how well I've done, and bring him back and we'll all live happily ever after.

And right before the end of the chapter, when he sends them back, he says “ Don't quarrel on the way!”

How well he knows these guys – what a perfectly funny thing to slip in before sending them on their way. Good one, Joseph.

*****

STRESS

I am not sure exactly how it works, but this is amazingly accurate. Read the full description before looking at the picture.

The picture below has 2 identical dolphins in it. It was used in a case study on stress levels at Mayo Clinic .

Look at both dolphins jumping out of the water. The dolphins are identical. A closely monitored, scientific study revealed that , in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical , a person under stress would find differences in the two dolphins . The more differences a person finds between the dolphins, the more stress that person is experiencing.

Look at the photograph and if you find more than one or two differences you may want to take a vacation.