I would rather live in a tent than place my 5 or 6 year-old in all-day kindergarten. Forfeiting the sweetest days of childhood with our innocent, wide-eyed wonders in order to pursue a bigger paycheck will be something many, many parents regret one day.

These folks in Washington were lining up like teens at a rock concert for the privilege of dumping their youngsters for 40 hours every week. Wonder if this shot will end up in the baby book?

The only true remedy for all things ‘cloudy’ and dismal is God’s Word. Oh to feast upon His Truth, the timeless elixir of the universe! The secret of happiness and contentment! Sneak a coffee break and ponder this most necessary of all nourishments….here are a couple of passages I’m chewing on…

Later in the week when I came across this blurb in USA Today, it brought Hollywood’s (that’s Holllywood, CALIFORNIA, ahem!) offerings to mind. I doubt if this ‘no-cussing’ declaration is having much of an impact here in the ‘Golden State’ this week, but it was a sincere and virtuous gesture by Mr. Hatch, age 16. Let’s hope he continues to embrace his high ideals in spite of the odds against them…

Everywhere I turned there was someone with superior features. Delicious outfits, shoes, make-up, fit bodies, hair color…I imagined the investments of time and money made in coloring, exercise, plastic surgery, pricey clothing…so much effort to grab the eye of observers. It’s exhausting to try to keep up with trends and literally impossible to maintain the glow of youth forever.

Piles of magazines scream at passersby, promising more, better, at last the secret to everything a woman wants and a man could desire in female appearance. If only we could lift the veil of deception that shrouds the entire industry.

Thanks to this YouTube from Dove, we can! Enjoy…

Click here to view the embedded video.

What is it I’m doing? I am playing ‘dietitian’ and feverishly counting grams, cups, calories, fat, sodium and monounsaturated fatty oils among other things, I’m sure. Sometimes ya’ gotta make some changes and now is the time for hubby and I.

I knew I needed a PLAN. It’s easy to say “let’s cut back and adjust our eating,” but without a clear plan, all of our best intentions can go awry. I hate diets for the most part because they only work temporarily. I have been on so many diets in years gone by, that I completely lost all grace for ’stringent eating rules’ to abide by. So… I knew I needed a PLAN that is a life-plan, not a 3-week, fit-into-that-pair-of-pants-temporarily PLAN.

These are the tools of my trade. Yes, I am measuring and counting, contrary to my personal preference, because, for a period of time I thought it would be wise to assess portions in order to honestly see the amount being consumed. It’s easy to think, “I only ate one plate,” but it’s easy to kid ourselves, close one eye and add another scoop to that ‘one portion.’ As you can see, I’m an expert at estimating portions because I love my food! (And, for any of you wondering if my Saturday morning breakfast – February 27th Blog Post – was ‘on the PLAN’ it most definitely was! I’m workin’ it, folks…)

When we see precisely how much pasta one serving really is, well, it’s an eye-opener! My hubby really wanted my assistance because spring is on the way and he just needed a morale booster to get rolling in the right direction. So the pressure’s on because I want to make absolutely sure I’m giving him good advice and proper nutrition, along with keeping him filled up and at the same time, seeing some health gains. (pardon the pun )

At the same time that I’m studying 3 ‘diet’ books – yes, three, not counting internet searches – I’m also studying my personality – which makes me wanna go eat more chocolate. We all have annoying habits and one of mine is called, plain and simple: overkill. (And all my children said, “amen.”) My personality is always gathering new information to improve any situation, so less is never more, more is always more! It’s like this. Tonight I whipped up a ’simple’ tuna mornay. (Fancy for tuna casserole. I learned that word while living in Australia, where tuna mornay is a staple. It actually refers to a white sauce with cheese, only I go 5-10 better and also add sauteed onion, garlic, sweet yellow bell pepper, fresh sliced mushrooms if I have them, stir in the piles of grated cheese and a good lug of sour cream, sliced black olives, tuna of course, and top it all with fresh ground pepper once I’ve stirred in the imported Italian pasta noodles. Now that’s a proper tuna casserole!)

So I served this to my two sons who are not on a diet because if I put them on a diet, CPS would certainly knock on my door, haul them away and take them to the nearest In-N-Out for rehab. These boys of mine are, uh, fit and lean. They would prefer to gain some weight, rather than lose. (I’ve never known that predicament.) So my fifthborn says, “oh, mama, ya’ know what would be good on this? [besides the 12 ingredients I already used?] Some fresh diced tomato and basil. I can imagine if you took….” Yep, he’s got my gift, too. Always thinking of what could make it even better! Which makes for a very messy kitchen during an often very long preparation time…

If my husband ran the kitchen it would be like this: lunch: meat and cheese and mustard slapped on two slices of bread. Done. Dinner? The same. He is very streamlined about food preparation if he’s the one in charge. But he’s not the one in charge in the kitchen for this diet! It’s me and I can’t possibly stop gathering new information about super delicious lean mean ways of cooking.

Pesto, olives, spices, yogurt, fresh herbs, salt-free seasoning….my mind is at work on this night and day. I began a Victory Meal Plan notebook detailing every morsel of food consumed in the last 12 days. Sick, I know. Hubby says, ‘keep it simple, Babe,’ but it’s almost more work for me to think simple than complex?!?! If I keep it simple, it might be bland, boring….and unsuccessful.

Well, now you know what I’m up to. Besides the usual mothering, home schooling, homemaking, exercising, God-seeking, book business stuff, writing….yawn. Nite nite.

To Be Continued…

Fresh ground coffee, eggs, bacon bagel melt and baked beans!

YUM!

And yes, it’s universal…every kid still loves getting drenched in the downpour while fully clothed! At my age, that just doesn’t sound like fun anymore…

Denise’s Definition: Serendipity – “Happy surprises from God!”

Katie wrote me to say:

“So, I’ve stumbled upon your site by accident this morning, searching for an *artist…. and I read this post (“Keeper At Home.” Titus 2:5 February 15, 2010) and it brought tears to my eyes.  It’s so true that you did have an awesome day and while your to-do list was left untouched, you did SO much!!!  Aside from all the things around your house that you did, in fact, do, you also did so much for everyone around you.  It goes unnoticed, sometimes, by others (and by ourselves, too) that I think this is a great reminder of all that we do during the day that may or may not be on our to-do list!!”

"Laundry...always begging to be a part of every day!"

And Marti, also, was searching for a sculptor. She writes, “Hi Denise, Some time ago I connected with you, hoping to reach your brother, David, regarding one of his metal artworks, which now hangs in our home.  Having heard from him, it’s been a delight to further discover what all was behind this particular piece … and, too, to share with him my side of the story.  Anyway, many thanks for your help. In addition, I enjoyed your blog … an awesome site!  Being a former homeschool mother, it amazes me to see what all you accomplish in one day … bringing back memories of how full my days were!  Coming across two of your recipes, they’re now on my hard drive:  Runzas … looking oh so yummy!!! … and your Ambrosia Salad.  I’ve searched for that recipe before, but it never seemed to be like the one my mama made years ago.  If not the same, this one comes close to it!  So, thanks, too, for your recipes.  Blogging … a great way to journal one’s life!   Perhaps I’ll give it a try some day. God bless!!! Marti, Omaha, Nebraska

I love God’s happy surprises! He leads us to people, places and, yes, blogs, to be encouraged and to encourage others. Fun stuff!

(*The artist they were both searching for is David Belitz, my brother, who is featured in the March 21st, 2008 post entitled “David Belitz-Master Sculptor”

)

My son darted down today to start his math, shivered and said “I gotta get a sweatshirt – I’M FREEZIN’”! Then my husband’s voice bellows down a flight of stairs, “Turn up the heat!” I started to laugh and said to my son, “I always forget to turn up the heat in the morning because my robe is just so warm and cozy!

All my adult life I’ve read that an easy way to save on heating bills is to simply put on a sweater and it is SO TRUE!”

“Well” he says, “Yeah, but who wants to wear all this stuff? It’s like I’m in the Arctic Tundra!”

"ALL BUNDLED UP FOR BREAKFAST!"

"A ROBE WITH ATTITUDE!"