THE BEAUTY OF OLD

 

My Christmas Wish for you

 My Christmas Wish To YOU 

By Catherine Pulsifer 

If I could wish a wish for you,
it would be for peace and happiness not only now,
but for the whole year through!
I wish that there always be food on your table.
And that you always remember those less fortunate.
May you always take time to share, and thank those who share with you.
I wish for time, so you may reflect
on the blessings that you have, and that you express your love
to those who are dear to you.
May you never feel lonely,
because there are those who care.
That you realize: you are special,
you are unique, you make a difference,
not only at Christmas, but all year!
I wish for your thoughts to be positive ones,
that you never quit, that you never give up,
and that you continue to learn.
I wish for the love, peace, and joy
of Christmas be yours always,


If Only

by Catherine Pulsifer 

If only every day
Held the spirit of Christmas day
To capture that feeling always
Year round would be the best way

 

 

 

HEALTH TIPS - 20 Fascinating Facts About the Natural Healing Power of Bananas

Here is a story that even a monkey would go ape about. A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain. When compared to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. No wonder monkeys are so happy all the time!

<sub>1. Energy Boost: Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

2. Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

3. PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

4. Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

5. Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

6. Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

7. Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

8. Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

9. Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

10. Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

11. Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

12. Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

13. Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

14. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

15. Quit Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

16. Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

17. Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

18. Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

19. Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

20. Overweight at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

BONUS: Shoe Poli</sub>sh - want a quick shine on your shoes? Take the inside of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe. Finish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. Perhaps it's time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

 

MY CERAMIC TEA SET THAT I PAINTED

ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL, GOD CREATED THEM ALL

 

Heavenly Apple Pie

250ml sugar

50ml butter

3 eggs

250 ml flour

5ml backing powder

2ml salt

125ml milk

1 large tin pie apple

Fresh cream

Optional – raisins, pecan nuts

Syrup:

250ml sugar

250ml cream

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then add eggs beating well after each addition. Sift dry ingredients and add to butter mixture alternately with milk.

Grease pie dish and turn batter, spoon pie apples over batter without braking pieces.

Bake at 180º  25-30 min.

Meanwhile, boil sugar and cream until thick and syrupy. Remove pie from oven and pour the syrup over, return to oven and bake for further 10 min.

Serve hot or cold

A MESSAGE FOR YOU

SOMETIMES WHEN THINGS ARE FALLING APART THEY MAY ACTUALLY BE FALLING IN PLACE.

THE MAGIC HAPPENS IN THE WAITING. TRUST AND SURRENDER.

INNER PEACE BEGINS THE MOMENT YOU CHOOSE NOT TO TO ALLOW ANOTHER PERSON OR EVENT TO CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS.

 

Cats Jokes.

 

1. Why don’t cats play poker in the jungle? Too many cheetahs.
2. What is a cat’s way of keeping law & order? Claw Enforcement.
3. Did you hear about the cat who swallowed a ball of wool? She had mittens.
4. What do you call the cat that was caught by the police? The purrpatrator.
5. Why is the cat so grouchy? Because he’s in a bad mewd.
6. What do cats like to eat for breakfast? Mice Krispies.
7. Where is one place that your cat can sit, but you can’t? Your lap.
8. Why did the cat run from the tree? Because it was afraid of the bark!
9. How many cats can you put into an empty box? Only one. After that, the box isn’t empty.
10. How do cats end a fight? They hiss and make up.
11. What does a cat like to eat on a hot day? A mice cream cone.
12. What do you get when you cross a chick with an alley cat? A peeping tom.
13. If lights run on electricity and cars run on gas, what do cats run on? Their paws.
14. What do you call a cat that lives in an igloo? An eskimew!
15. Did you hear about the cat who drank 5 bowls of water? He set a new lap record.
16. Did you hear about the cat who swallowed a ball of wool? She had mittens.
17. What is the difference between a cat and a comma? One has the paws before the claws and the other has the clause before the pause.
18. What do you get when you cross a chick with an alley cat? A peeping tom.
19. What is a cat’s favourite song? Three Blind Mice.
20. How did a cat take first prize at the bird show? He just jumped up to the cage, reached in, and took it.
21. Why did a person with an unspayed female cat have to go to court? For kitty littering.
22. Why are cats better than babies? Because you only have to change a litter box once a day.
23. What is the name of the unauthorized autobiography of the cat? Hiss and Tell.
24. What is a moggy’s favourite colour? Purrrrrrrple!
25. What do you use to comb a cat? A catacomb.
26. Why is it so hard for a leopard to hide? Because he’s always spotted.
27. Cats are like potato chips.  You can never have just one.
28. I got rid of my husband.  The cat was allergic.
29. For a man to truly understand rejection, he must first be ignored by a cat.
30. I haz a joke about a cat… Just kitt’en  

http://catnipsum.com

How to make beautiful patterns. - Moldes Moda por Medida:

 

http://www.pinterest.com/

THINK IT, WANT IT, GET IT.

THE FUNNY THING IS WHEN YOU START FEELING HAPPY ALONE, THAT IS WHEN EVERYONE DECIDES TO BE WITH YOU.

DON'T RUSH THINGS, WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT IT WILL HAPPEN.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF BEING OUTNUMBERED. EAGLES FLY ALONE. PIGEONS FLOCK TOGETHER.

CONFIDENCE ISN'T THINKING YOU ARE BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE, IT'S REALIZING THAT YOU HAVE NO REASON TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO ANYONE ELSE.

THE MORE YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU WANT, THE LESS YOU LET THINGS UPSET YOU.

 

ROJÕES COM CASTANHAS

 

1 Kg de carne de porco com alguma gordura; 500grs de castanhas; 2 cabeças de dentes de alho; Sal q.b.; Ervas aromáticas: 1 raminho de alecrim, 2 folhas de louro, 1 molhinho de salsa; 1 malagueta; 2 Cravinhos; 1 copo de vinho branco; 2 colheres de banha de porco; Sal e pimenta q.b.

Como fazer? Vá, calma, é fácil e não dá assim tanto trabalho! Ora vamos lá..

Com uma faca (um garfo não dá!) é só cortar a carne em pedaços, nem muito grandes nem muito pequenos. Derreter a banha num tacho e juntar a carne. Tapar e mexa de vez e quando (pode ir vendo a novela, mas cuidado para não esturricar a carne!). Juntar as castanhaas, ervas aromáticas e a malagueta, temperar de sal e pimenta. Adicionar os cravinhos os dentes de alho cortados ao meio. Deixar apurar uns 15 minutos. Juntar o vinho branco, pode ser um vinho daqueles que abriu, provou e não gostou... e tapar. Cozinhar durante mais 40 minutos, até o molho ficar bem reduzido e os rojões ganharem uma cor bem douradinha e um pouco tostadinhos. Para acompanhar os ditos, pode optar por batatinha cozida, uma salada ou com fatias de pão, centeio ou broa de milho.

MAÇA ASSADA NO FORNO COM VINHO DO PORTO

 

Uma delícia da gastronomia portuguesa, que permite sentir o sabor autêntico de dois produtos de excelência em Portugal, a maçã e o Vinho do Porto.

Como fazer? Primeiro deverá plantar uma macieira, não dá trabalho e daqui a uns anos terá maçãs para dar... e vender. Equanto isso, junto aí 10 maçãs, açúcar, canela em pó ou em pau e um bom Vinho do Porto.

Depois é muito simples. Na calma da manha prévia a um almoço de sábado, sinta o cheiro de uma boa maçã. Passe-as por água, de preferência tirada do poço, e com a ajuda de uma faca de cozinha retire o núcleo da maçã (caroços). Depois coloque as maçãs num recipiente que possa ir ao forno e no meio de cada uma das belas maçãs deverá, sem stress, colocar 1 colher pequena de açúcar com 1 de canela em pó ou, eu prefiro, colocar um pau de canela.

E agora vem a melhor parte! Vá, abra uma garrafa de um bom Vinho do Porto. ATENÇÃO: Não beber tudo! Guarde um bocadinho para a receita! Então, depois de abrir a garrafa e de beber um pouco (vá, ninguém vê...) é colocar um pouco de Vinho do Porto e levar ao forno durante 45 minutos a 180º.

Convém durante a cozedura ir deitando um olhito e já agora faça isto: abra o forno e irá ver que as ditas vão deitando um molho durante a cozedura, pelo que deverá deitar o mesmo em cima das maçãs, duas vezes pelo menos.

Depois? Depois é só servir quente ou frio! E se sobrou algum Vinho do Porto da garrafita, ponha-a em cima da mesa, com uns cálices... é que no fim de uma ou duas maçazitas normalmente o sabor fica na boca e um Portinho cai sempre bem!

BOM APETITE! :)


Receita: Zeza Cruz
Foto e texto: Paulo Costa

GOD IS NEVER WRONG AND IS NEVER LATE

                                                   

A king who did not believe in the goodness of God, had a slave who, in all

circumstances, said: My king, do not be discouraged, because everything God
does is perfect, no mistakes!

One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the
king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his
majesty losing a finger.

Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman
said
"Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my
finger."

The slave replied:
"My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good,
and he knows "why" of all these things. What God does is perfect. He is
never wrong!"

Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave.

Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who made human
sacrifices.

In the altar, ready to sacrifice the nobleman, the savages found that the
victim had not one of his fingers, so he was released. According to them,
it was not so complete to be offered to the gods.

Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave that
he received very affectionately.

"My dear, God was really good to me! I was almost killed by the wild men,
but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a question: if
God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?"

"My King, if I had gone with you in this hunt, I would have been sacrificed
for you, because I have no missing finger, therefore, remember everything
God does is perfect. He is never wrong."

Often we complain about life, and negative things that happen to us,
forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose.

Every morning, offer your day to God, don't be in a rush.

Ask God to inspire your thoughts, guide your actions, and ease your
feelings. And do not be afraid. God is never wrong!

You know why this message is for you? I do not know, but God knows, because
he never makes mistakes.......

The path of God and his word is perfect, without impurities. He is the way
of all those who trust in Him, as he says in 2 Samuel 22: 31

What you do with this message is up to you. May God put in your heart the
desire to send it to someone. God knows why He choose you to receive this
message. Please bless someone with it.

God is never wrong and He is never late.

MY RAKU

 

“Madame, it took me my entire life.”

                                                                 

Legend has it that Pablo Picasso was sketching in the park when a bold woman approached him.

“It’s you — Picasso, the great artist! Oh, you must sketch my portrait! I insist.”

So Picasso agreed to sketch her. After studying her for a moment, he used a single pencil stroke to create her portrait. He handed the women his work of art.

“It’s perfect!” she gushed. “You managed to capture my essence with one stroke, in one moment. Thank you! How much do I owe you?”

“Five thousand dollars,” the artist replied.

“But, what?” the woman sputtered. “How could you want so much money for this picture? It only took you a second to draw it!”

To which Picasso responded, “Madame, it took me my entire life.”

MR, MRS SANTA CLAUS PAPER DOLLS

GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS

 

“You know you’re getting old, when Santa starts looking younger.”

“Don’t expect too much of Christmas Day. You can’t crowd into it any arrears of unselfishness and kindliness that may have accrued during the past twelve months.”

“Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it. Deficits are when adults tell the government what they want and their kids pay for it.”

To your enemy, forgiveness. 

To an opponent, tolerance. 

To a friend, your heart. 

To a customer, service. 

To all, charity. 

To every child, a good example. 

To yourself, respect. 

Oren Arnold

 

Christmas is forever, not for just one day, 

for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away 

like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf. 

The good you do for others is good you do yourself. 

Norman W. Brooks

 At Christmas A man is at his finest towards the finish of the year; 

He is almost what he should be when the Christmas season's here; 

Then he's thinking more of others than he's thought the months before, 

And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for. 

He is less a selfish creature than at any other time; 

When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes close to the sublime. 

Edgar Guest

 May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope; 

The spirit of Christmas which is peace; 

The heart of Christmas which is love. 

Ada V. Hendricks

 

THE TWO CATS TALKING