Thanksgiving list

Thanksgiving.

I love this time of year. No, not the "commercialized" right-after-halloween-Christmas-time. But the holiday most stores forget! Thanksgiving. For one thing, it is really nice to have some days off of school before the last weeks of school for the semester. But also, it is the time to see family and friends, but it is a time that is specifically set aside to thank the Lord for His manifold blessings. I have so many things to be thankful for. So I decided this year to write down all of the "little" things that I am thankful for!

This year I am thankful for:

• my family


• long talks on the phone with my Mom


• texting my brothers


• getting letters from my sisters


• laughing with Aunt Teresa


• spending time with friends


• drinking coffee


• chocolate


• warm, soft blankets and fuzzy socks


• background music


• watching Christmas movies


• staying up late


• sleeping in


• good books to read


• warm and cozy house


• reliable car


• beautiful weather and sunshine


• doing housework (something a college student doesn't often get to do)


• Bible college


• music

In all this, I can be truly thankful!

Foggy Day List

When we were little, our mother's had long lists of things to keep their children occupied when the outdoors were unavailable.
There would be things like coloring pictures, reading books, playing cops and robbers, building forts/ships/castles in the living room, helping mom bake something, or playing a game. Then, there was always the lovely phrase, "saving for a rainy day!"

But no one ever says anything about a foggy day!

Well, today has turned out to be a very foggy, dreary, drizzly, and chilly day. I have woken up the past few mornings, half expecting to see snow on the lawn, only to be surprised by the pleasant temperature of the day. *remember, it's November!* Today was not an exception!

Anyway, there are just certain activities that are acceptable on foggy days. The first thing that comes to mind is reading a good book. Foggy days are wonderful for snuggling down in an overstuffed arm-chair with a large hot mug of coffee (or hot chocolate!), and cracking open that long-anticipated best seller. As you sit inside, you can watch the wispy fog roll by and feel warm and cozy on the inside.

Or if I was feeling particularly motivated, I would probably go into the kitchen and fire up the stove and do some baking. Everyone knows that there is just nothing quite like the smell of homemade bread or cookies. Combined with the weather outside, any person baking will probably have lots of help eating up the freshly baked food.

But, if reading or baking just doesn't "float your boat", then I say you should just start going upstream and do something unexpected. Something maybe like going for a walk! If it's not too cold--or even if it is--you can bundle up with coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and boots, and enjoy what the fog does to the world around us! It is amazing how the moisture refreshes the countryside and makes everything look so beautiful! I particularly love walking on foggy/dreary/drizzly days!!!

So if it's foggy at your house, or if it's a beautiful day, don't be afraid to make a "foggy day list" of all the things that you can do to make the most of the day that God has made!

Celebrate Everyday pt. 31 (the end)

Can you believe that the month of October is already over?! It seems like yesterday that I decided to start my ritualistic blogging everyday, and now I am almost done. After 31 days of blogging (+ or - a few days when I combined the days), I must say that I really like this habit. It has become a fun way to express the little things to look for everyday. It also is a great way to laugh about the everyday randomness! :)

Here is a recap...
1. yummy cookies
2. 3 cheers for janitors and teachers
3. oooohhhh, the leaves are sooo pretty
4. Happy Frugal Fun!
5. tell a story
6. garlic breath
7. flowers
8. the good ol' teddy bear
9. tennis shoes
10. early Thanksgiving Day
11. the Incredible, Edible Egg
12. aaaaaaahhhhhhh...Moment of frustration scream day!
13. is this 13? (sceptics)
14. lovely little lower case letters
15. poetry
16. increase your vocabulary
17. "go ahead, adjust that chair!"
18. no-shave November
19. evaluating your life
20. fruit
21. the babbling brook
22. PUMPKINS
23. *yawn* staying up late!
24. crazy day
25. pasta...(or talk in an Italian accent day)
26. sleep in day
27. peace, friendship, and goodwill
28. (do you hear the ethereal music playing) Chocolate Day
29. all for hermits
30. mischief awaits...
31. the end!

And so it is the end of my tail, but not the end of Bekah! I will continue my writing (but I'll not promise everyday!)
As I am writing this last installment, some people are indulging their sense of adventure (or whatever you call it) by celebrating the "holiday" of Halloween. I am not particularly fond of that holiday, or the connotations that are associated with it. But why not come up with another way to celebrate the end of October!
So for this last day...do something Brilliant, Ingenious, Creative!

Celebrate Everyday pt. 29 & 30

For a Lovely, Lazy Saturday...
Hermit Day!
For a second to last day of October...
Mischief Night!

One thing I always like about the weekend is when I can have a lazy Saturday. There is something that "puts the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae" when you can sleep in on a beautiful Saturday morning and just enjoy the rest of the day. This past Saturday was just lovely! I love hermit days. It is a great way to keep your sanity sometime. (but just *sometime...especially for people-oriented persons) There are many times in our lives when you just need to get away from people for a little while. Thus, the excuse for hermitting! :)

Now, we get to Sunday night. According to popular thought the night before halloween is called "mischief night". You ask, what kind of mischief? I say, I don't know! We will leave that up to your good discretion.

I hope that everyone enjoyed their weekend!

It is almost November!!!

Celebrate Everyday pt. 28

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!! IT'S THE DAY THAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! OVER THE PAST MONTH, WE HAVE CELEBRATED SO MANY THINGS, BUT NOTHING COMPARES TO WHAT WE ARE CELEBRATING TODAY! IT'S THE WONDERFUL...THE IRRESISTIBLE...THE DELECTABLE...

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY!

Imagine with me for a moment. You have just come home from a long day. It is kind of chilly outside and there is a soft fall breeze. You enter the house, dragging your tired feet behind you. All you want is to sit down for a quiet moment and let your mind rest! You drop your bag on the floor by the door and head for the table. You plop down in the chair and lower your head into your arms. As you are resting there, a curious smell hits your nostrils. Something about it is familiar and good. Curiosity gets the better of you and you decided to look up to see where the fragrance is originating from. Then you see it! Right in front of you on the table. You wonder why you didn't notice it before. With an unusual feeling of energy you reach out and grab on of the delightful morsels. Slowly, you unwrap the shiny foil wrapping, that wonderful fragrance coming on stronger and stronger. Without hesitation, you put it into your mouth and let the rich dark chocolate slowly melt in your mouth. All of a sudden instead of feeling tired and discouraged, you are filled with senses of pleasure, joy, and exhilaration. Oh, what wonderful chocolate!

Now, if you are anything like me--a true chocolate lover--this description probably made your mouth water or you are looking in every nook and cranny for a piece of chocolate! :)

Recently, I gave an informative speech on some of the physical and emotional benefits of chocolate. Did you know that dark chocolate is good for you heart. Some research has shown that is regular dose of dark chocolate has the same blood thinning and anti-clotting activity as aspirin! Dark chocolate is also full of heart healthy antioxidants and also many different vitamins and minerals. Emotionally, chocolate is good for releasing pleasurable endorphins into our bodies, leaving us feeling delighted and satisfied. Chocolate can also work as an anti-depressant or a stimulant!

So as you can see, today is really worth celebrating! With all the physical and emotional benefits, why wouldn't you want to indulge a little today?

Celebrate Everyday pt. 26 & 27

Yes, yes...I know! But I have a really good excuse for not updating my blog yesterday!

You see, yesterday we were celebrating "Sleep In Day". It was such a great holiday, that I decided to be lazy and not write anything all day (except of course writing for homework, etc.). Other than that, I wasn't able to celebrate the day because it was a Wednesday.

*They really should think about which day is Sleep-In Day the next time we celebrate that holiday!*

Anyway...this week we are celebrating

Peace, Friendship and Goodwill!

Now, you may ask what does Sleep-In Day and Peace, Friendship and Goodwill have to do with one another. I am hear to tell you that with out the sleep, the peace is not as likely to happen! :)

I have been blessed with so many wonderful friends throughout my life. They are all very different people that God has allowed me to get to know for the purpose of growing in my walk with Him. Most of my fondest memories come from times that I was spending with close friends! Probably the best (and even worst) times of my life involved my friends.

Friends are so precious! Fellow believers in Christ are even more precious, because of the bond that we have in the Body of Christ!

Just last night, I spent over 3 hours on the phone with my mom and another really good friend of mine! It was such a joy to hear about the different things going on in their lives, and to share what God has been teaching me.

So in the spirit of Peace, Friendship, and Goodwill, why not do something kind/considerate to a random person today (or a good friend). Honestly, as Christians, we don't need to be motivated by a holiday to be kind, but it never hurts to be reminded!

Or, maybe...you should just let someone sleep in...:)

Celebrate Everyday pt. 25

spaghetti... macaroni... linguine... fettuccine... manicotti... ravioli... tortellini... lasagne... penne... rigatoni...

It's World Pasta Day!

It's a day for celebrating the "inner Italian",

bursting out in a love song, and talking with an accent!

Pasta is a world renown Italian food. It has been used as a staple in their cuisine for centuries. The pasta is made out of flour, water, and sometimes eggs. Traditionally, pasta is used as a base for any number of kinds of sauces and toppings. Pasta includes a variety of shapes and sizes, from the large cyclical manicotti to the delicately thin angel hair past.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasta
Here are some fun facts about pasta:

• Thomas Jefferson is credited with introducing macaroni to the United States. It seems that he fell in love with a certain dish he sampled in Naples, while serving as the U.S. Ambassador to France. In fact, he promptly ordered crates of "macaroni," along with a pasta-making machine, sent back to the States.



• The first American pasta factory was opened in Brooklyn, New York, in 1848, by a Frenchman named Antoine Zerega. Mr. Zerega managed the entire operation with just one horse in his basement to power the machinery. To dry his spaghetti, he placed strands of the pasta on the roof to dry in the sunshine.



• During the 1980s, macaroni, which was traditionally considered a "blue-collar" down-home meal, was transformed into the more upscale "pasta." As more and more people began to have fun with it and romanticize it throughout the '60s and '70s, its image began to change along with its name.



• There are more than 600 pasta shapes produced worldwide.



• Pasta is found in the will of Ponzio Baestone, a Genoan soldier who requested "bariscella peina de macarone" - a small basket of macaroni

http://www.kitchenhelpfulhints.com/pasta/pasta-facts.htm

Enjoy your pasta today!