A Friend that Loves at all times

Dear Readers:

I have one of those friends that actually thinks my jokes are funny and I think hers are hilarious. Our friendship came out of the blue and was totally unexpected. And yet, we can talk about God, what’s happening in our lives or what we hope to happen in the future for hours. When we leave one another, we both walk away feeling encouraged and uplifted.

She’s embraced the good, the bad, the ugly in my life and has loved me regardless. She even loves me when I’m in the middle of Crossfit and super stinky.

We enjoy doing a lot of the same things together, but also just enjoy watching the world hurriedly pass by as we sip a cup of coffee.

She’s always got my back, never undermines or gossips about me. What I tell her is locked up in her vault and I know I can trust her.
But, she is no pushover. She’s told me like it is more than once. I love all of these things about her. She is definitely the “…friend that loves at all times…” Proverbs 17:17.

Do you have one of these friends? If so, how did your friendship form and what do you love about her?

Ever get nervous about entertaining “the Unknowns”?

Dear Readers:
I thoroughly enjoy welcoming people into my home. If you are ever in the Oklahoma area, look me up. I will put a pot of coffee on, grab some chocolate zucchini muffins out of the freezer and set my Pandora to Ella Fitzgerald.

The house may not be perfectly clean, I may not have the fanciest furniture and my cats may leave a few white hairs on your clothing. But, if you are up for those few inconveniences, I am up to stuffing you full of food and then sending you merrily on your way.

However, I know my shortcomings. I am a work in progress and there are those rare occasions when I wonder if my “hostessing is the most-essing”. It’s silly, I know. But when guests are “the Unknowns” to me and also co-workers of Biceps, my crazy meter skyrockets.

“Men are simple”, I tell myself. “Throw some meat on a paper plate, place a beer in the other hand, and they will think you rule as a hostess.”

Although, I don’t think men use the term hostess.

I tell myself the above theory over and over, and yet I’ll spend 10 hours cleaning, 5 hours cooking, 3 hours grocery shopping and at least 2 hours getting ready…

And then they’ll eat everything in 10 minutes and not care if the toilet is clean, as long as there is one-or at least a tree they can stand behind.

So, dear readers-does anyone else get nervous about entertaining “the Unknowns” or is it just my weird paranoia of not measuring up to what I think people think of me?

(Which is ridiculous and not at all a Godly thing to do, but yet, here I am doing it…I am definitely a work in progress.)

Sweet Iced Coffee-No Calorie

It’s so hot here I don’t even want to talk about it. To combat the heat and to avoid increasing the waistline, I’ve started experimenting with several iced drinks that are either no calorie or low calorie. I’ve already shared with you my No Calorie Sweet Green Tea and Skinny Orange Julius.

Today, I’d like to share with you a No Calorie Sweetened Iced Coffee.

A few things that I’ve found out about Iced Coffee are:
1) If you brew coffee and then cool it down in the fridge, it will only be good for about 4 hours (often it may take that long to cool it down). After that it goes rancid. Ew.
2) If you rely on Starbucks to make you Iced Coffee, you will spend $3 or more and you have to request it unsweetened. Otherwise, they will slather on the syrup.
3) If you are like me and want just a cup of iced coffee here or there, you stress out over using a filter, waiting for the brew time, waiting for the coffee to cool down, etc.

What’s a girl to do?

Make her own. One sweet cup at a time, on a whim, at her own bidding.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your very own Sweetened Iced Coffee (it’s so easy, it’s silly):
2 TBS Decaf/Caffeinated NesCafe-more or less depending on how strong you like your coffee
8 drops Liquid Stevia-more or less depending on how sweet you like it
Milk
Water

Fill a tall glass of water (heh) with the 2 TBS of NesCafe. Stir and add ice.

Add the 8 drops of Liquid Stevia.

Add milk depending on your taste.

Stick a cute straw in the glass and enjoy! I told you it was so simple, it is silly.

Linking up here, along with other parties:



(My Repurposed Life)
Between Naps on the Front Porch

Celebrate our Freedom!

Happy Fourth of July! Light the fireworks, grill the dogs, grab the suits and get all patriotic “up in har”.

I love to brush up on the Constitution about this time of year. Here are some of my favorite excerpts from our beloved Constitution.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Amendment 1 – Freedom of Religion: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment 2 – Right to Bear Arms: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Notice my bare arms? Heh.

Amendment 19 – Women’s Suffrage: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Amendment 26 – Voting Age Set to 18 Years: The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

God bless America.