MAKING THE LIST - CHECKING IT TWICE!

SALAD FIXINS ELEMENTS

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I enjoyed a lovely day with my friend Alison yesterday - even set her up with her own BLOG! She is very talented in music and photography and her site should be a treat for the eye and ear as it develops. She made me the most AMAZING sandwhich for lunch, so good, in fact I encouraged her to take a pic for this blog, but I don't have it here yet, so I will post it tomorrow. Thank you sweet friend, it was special to 'break bread' with you. If your food was good, your company was awesome!

I am making the vacation list - checking it twice, thrice etc... Thing is, most things, if you forget them can be substituted or replaced inexpensively, but some things just cannot (like the lists of phone numbers of phone numbers and addresses of friends and family...) 'The List' always begins on one page and end up running onto several more by the time we leave.

Now is about the time we are firming up our vacation plans, deciding where exactly we are headed, while leaving it open ended so we don't HAVE to be somewhere. We made that mistake one year and ended up HAVING to rush to places to meet deadlines. Thats no vacation at all. That's just organized time off!

When we camp we use two great resources which have stood us in great stead. One is a copy of Don Wrights Guide to FREE campgrounds This book is amazing - it is very true and we've found many nice places to camp for very inexpensive. He gives good directions and descriptions. He puts out a version for the West and the East. The other resource we use is the Free Campgrounds Website I hope these help you to find that perfect place to camp - hey if you see us, come on over for a coffee round the campfire.

While saying that... I have a dear friend Sonya Johnston, fellow scrapper and yapper - we talk daily, who lives in California - only three hours from Yosemite it turns out. I've been leaving brochures and information 'bout the park around for my husband...hoping...Maybe..... yes, Son, I am workin' on it, giggle!

I have a prayer today, that the Lord keep me pure in this chaotic time of preparation. I find myself on edge a bit, expecting more of my husband in a time he needs more of me. I can feel how easily I might slip into bad habits, cut corners, 'make do' in my Christian walk... Its my prayer the Lord would hear my cry to help me be pure and holy and helpful in this time. Keep me strong and firm and grounded in Your Holy word.

Psalm 1

Psalms 1-41

1. Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

or sit in the seat of mockers.

2. But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

3. He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff

that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

BARB'S TIP # 45

Marshmallows - For More Than Roasting!

I figured I will give the marshmallow tips I found, keeping with the camping theme. Some of these are pretty funny, but they make sense at the same time, you know?

1. Separate your toes when you are painting your nails. (I'll be sure to blog THIS one when I do it, ok?)

2. Keep brown sugar soft. Toss a 'mallow in with your brown sugar overnight and the sugar will soften.

3. Stop dripping ice cream cones. Pop a 'mallow into the bottom of a cone before filling!

4. Keep wax off Birthday cakes. Put the candle into a marshmallow, PLACED onto the cake! Voila!

5. Quick cake frosting! Put a 'mallow on cupcakes a minute or two before they come out of the oven!