Thankful Me

Recently, Ancestry.com launched a new DNA test . It covers the entire genome, and it is equally useful for women as well as men.  One of the very cool features of this test is its ability to accurately tell ethnic background.  Not only does this provide great family history clues, but it can be tremendously helpful for individuals who don't know much about their biological roots.  Regardless of how much information an individual chooses to share with others, it can be unsettling to not know the answer to a question that pops up everywhere: from the 2010 US Federal Census Questionnaire Someone I know, who has requested anonymity, but who agreed to share her experience, completed the test.  Once ordered, the test arrived via mail fairly quickly, and just required a small saliva sample.  After mailing it back, the wait began.  The Ancestry website says the results take six to eight weeks, but her results came in just one month.  R...

Years ago, I lost over 40 pounds on Weight Watchers.  (You know where this is going, don't you?) Over the years, I gained it back.  I'm ready to have it gone again, but I'm finding that my progress isn't so rapid this time.  Why not?  Because my efforts aren't as consistent as they were.  Instead of jumping in with both feet, I'm easing in to re-establishing the habits I need to succeed.  I've lost weight, but I've plateaued, so it's time to step up the commitment.  My exercise routine has been slipping the past couple of weeks, so I need to make sure to get back into that habit.  I like to walk, particularly with friends.  When I have someone who is expecting me to show up and walk, it's harder to cancel.  My walking partner has been out of town, but is now back, so we will start again.  I have been playing on the Wii a bit while she's been gone, but not nearly as often as I should.    And then, ...

Thanks today for Woof Hoofs.  1.

My son asked me if I would make a topper for the wedding cake.  I envisioned some ceramic figurines, and couldn't imagine how I could possibly accommodate the request.  However, once my son sent me a photo for inspiration, I realized what he was asking wasn't so impossible.  With wooden pegs and a bit of paint (Sharpie makes paint pens, by the way!), I was able to create a similar-enough replica.  (The glare on the groom's suitcoat is a photography issue.)  What new projects have you tackled this week? Thanks for the confidence children have in their parents, and for the courage that gives me. 

Remember last week's attempt at crockpot bread?  Lesson learned:  don't try to adjust too many things at once.  This week, I stuck with my favorite wheat bread recipe, and merely tried baking it in the crockpot.  Though I originally found the bread recipe online on the Pleasant Hill Grain website , I no longer see the recipe there.  The original recipe was written for 2, 4, or 6 loaves, made in a Bosch Universal Mixer.  I adapted the recipe to make 1 loaf, and I mixed it in a KitchenAid mixer. Whole Wheat Bread To bake in crockpot, first check to make sure your bread pan will fit in your crockpot.  I have a large oval crockpot, and my bread pan just fits.  Crumple up some aluminum foil and place in the bottom of the crockpot.  Place lid on crock, then turn crockpot on high to warm up.  Grease bread pan. Meanwhile, in mixer, put 1-1/4 c. hot water, 1 T. yeast, 1/8 c. oil, 1/8 c. honey, 1 T. vital wheat gluten, 1/2 T...

July's visiting teaching message is " Demonstrating Our Discipleship through Love and Service ." The lesson lists several different things we can do to become better visiting teachers.  For some reason I thought of the first lines of one of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poems:  "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." and decided to put the suggestions on a paper daisy.  Feel free to use it if you find it useful. FYI, when I printed this up on 4x6 photo paper, the frame did not print, but I think I like it better frameless anyway.  Thanks for the visiting teaching program, which allows us to build friendships and develop charity.   (I just added a pin button recently, and am not sure it works.  Let me know if there is a problem with it, OK?)

Are you familiar with John McCutcheon's song, " Water from Another Time "? You can listen to a sample here .  (Actually, just go here  and listen to samples from the entire album, if you enjoy folk music.) Anyway, "Water from Another Time" reminds me of family reunions.  Generations connect in simple, fun routines. For years, the descendants of my great-great-grandpa would gather one weekend in June for a picnic.  Upon arrival, we met Uncle George, who would hand us our name tags and mark our attendance on a big family chart.  One family always brought cherries from their orchard.  Fried chicken, chocolate cake, and soda pop always appeared, too.  Someone sang grace, then we all feasted. Afterwards, the men would throw horseshoes; the women sat and chatted.  Children ran around, reacquainting themselves with distant cousins.  After a while, the accordion came out and the music floated over us all.  The three white-haired wome...

I've always enjoyed learning.  As a child, I did like school (and took it very seriously!), but now that I'm an adult, learning is even more meaningful.  Besides more "academic" topics, areas such as consumer reports, family history research, child-rearing tips, and vacation planning fall into the category of lifelong learning.  Oh, and let's not forget all the "how-to" information which comes in handy as a homeowner and homemaker.  Learning encompasses an infinite number of topics. Thanks to technology, a simple click of the mouse allows me to study just about anything.  Each summer, though, I have a chance to return to a classroom setting, when Brigham Young University holds Campus Education Week .  I love stepping back on campus; it feels like going home.  BYU posted the  class schedule today, and I feel like a kid in a candy shop.  How will I possibly choose which classes to take?  (The...

Thanks for an artichoke plant that produced enough and to spare, then rewarded me with beautiful blossoms!

After seeing so many pinterest posts about making tiered trays from plates and candlesticks, I decided I would try.  I found some interesting plates at garage sales and thrift stores, and also some glasses (in lieu of candlesticks).  According to directions I had read online, all I needed to do was superglue the glasses to the plates, and voila--a beautiful, one-of-a-kind functional item. While completing this project, I had flashbacks to junior high.  In seventh grade, we got to choose an elective each semester.  There were only 3 elective choices:  home economics, shop, and art.  I took home ec and shop because I did not want to take art.  I was convinced it would ruin my GPA.  Art frustrated me.  I equated art to drawing, and I knew my drawings didn't look realistic.  (It never dawned on me that maybe I could learn how to be artistic.)  Over the years, I've somewhat let go of my perfectionist tendencies. However, while supe...

I'm having some blogging troubles.  Apparently my domain name requires the www before it.  Someone has now registered thankfulme.net and my traffic is being sent there .  I'm working on a solution, but in the meantime, please be patient. If any of you have experience with this issue, please comment! UPDATE:  All is well.  The problem was a blogger glitch and everything is fixed now.  Whew!  I was pretty worried there for a while. Thanks for any help!

I feel guilty when I buy bread at the store.  I know I could make bread for less cost, and I could control the ingredients.  Fresh bread smells wonderful and tastes great.  The major downside to baking bread here in the summer is the heat.  I just don't feel like turning on an oven when it is nearly or already in the triple-digits outside.  Some day I might just invest in a solar oven, but until then, I want to try the next-best thing:  bread in a crock pot! (Of course, you could always use a bread machine, too.) The first time I tried to bake bread in the crock pot, the loaf rose up, up, up and cascaded in a waterfall pattern over the side of the bread pan. Not exactly appetizing.  So, for my second attempt I cut the recipe in half.  The bread stayed nicely in its pan; in fact, it collapsed into itself. Not exactly the look I was going for. So, now I am on a mission to adapt my tried-and-true recipe so that I can successfully make i...

Though most people say I look like my mom, sometimes I can see the resemblance my dad and I share. We've enjoyed sharing books and photographs.  (I wish I knew what we were looking at in this photo; I was clearly delighted!) Dad's done a great job of letting me know he loves me, and I've always adored him, too! " Father . . . is ever willing to sacrifice his own comfort for that of his children. Daily he toils to provide the necessities of life, never complaining, ever concerned for the well-being of his family. This love for children, this desire to see them well and happy, is a constant in a time of change."--Thomas S. Monson Thanks to all the wonderful dads in the world!