Gratitude Journal Monday

Warning: starting a Gratitude Journal, and sticking to it, may very well, at some point during your journey, make you feel mega-guilty. I'm coming up on almost a year in starting this Gratitude Journal of mine and the surprises of good karma I've enjoyed along the way have been amazing and unbelievable. But there comes a day, it happens, so be prepared, when guilt starts to set in because becoming a truly grateful person involves conviction. Yes, that's right, conviction. You shy away from your thoughts of wanting a bigger house, a better car, an upgraded lifestyle, because it finally hits you that where you are is where your gratitude needs to reside. You begin to hold truth as important and realize how little you need to be happy. You uncover the excessiveness of how you've been living, and you don't feel so great about it. But, here's the good news: although you'll go through a period of conviction, you'll never, ever be condemned for wanting what you have or don't have. Condemnation bears no hope, but conviction does. Condemnation squashes you, but conviction raises you up. Condemnation doesn't give second chances, but conviction welcomes it and looks forward to seeing the possibilities. It's OK to feel a little guilty about what you used to want, or what you thought was so important. But practicing gratitude simplifies it all and clears the muddy waters of a fake-reality. The guilt you may feel is your conscience-meter working and it's saying you are changing your mindset and your attitude in a direction that promises fulfillment and personal growth. That's exciting and feeling a little conviction is worth the cost, don't you think?

Nothing is too big or too trivial to show gratitude towards, so thank away!

241. I am grateful we live in an area where the State Parks are amazing natural-treasures for everyone to enjoy.
242. I am grateful my parents help us out with all the mundane, back-breaking chores like staining the deck, spreading the mulch, I could go on and on.
243. I am thankful we have found a place of peace internally where we can finally live and enjoy the present instead of always pining for the future.
244. I am overwhelmed at the beauty that surrounds my daily living, where the ugliness of poverty, crime, and hunger are not part of my scenery.
245. I am grateful God has provided such variety in life where we can never be bored with living.


If you are interested in starting your own Gratitude Journal, click here and read what motivated my beginning.


Make it a great start to a great week, friends! Happy Monday.

Thank you, GrammaLuvlee, for awarding LOVD the Liebster Blog Award!

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 50.

My son's take on Cubism - a self-portrait

Goodbye clean, clutter-free home; I'll see you in the Fall when school starts back up.
Goodbye finding the perfect frame for an odd-size piece of artwork from my Picasso-son; so fabulous.
Goodbye getting lucky and finding Downton Abbey: Season 2 in the Summer Sizzler section at the library that Super Hubby couldn't snag fast-enough (you know what we'll be watching every night).
Goodbye first baseball game of the Junior League season and cheering on the A's and crossing fingers each time my son is at bat.
Goodbye surprise visit from the cutest little one-year old on the planet and having fun cuddling that curious, little firecracker - gosh I'm in love with those eyes and cheeks.

Super Hubby got out the old Nintendo 64 last night and raced our son in MarioKart. You'll notice only my feet. What you don't see is the book in my hand. This is my preferred participation when it comes to video games: casual observer.

Hello strawberry-picking: one for the basket, one for my mouth, one for the basket, two...
Hello thinking about power-washing the deck.
Hello thinking about re-staining the deck.
Hello thinking about ordering mulch.
Hello choosing fun over work this weekend and waiting until Monday to tackle the To-Do list.

This week's lesson learned is one where talk becomes action and what's right replaces what's wrong. My mother is in a wheelchair, has been for more than half her life at this point. Yet, like you and me, she must get an annual exam at her gynecologist's office. Every year when she goes for this exam it is a complete struggle for her because the examination table is too tall for her to climb onto. Why? Because she can't climb, she can't even bear any weight at all. She cannot stand. Period. So, the nurses, who are trained in this kind of thing, maneuver her to the table with the help of my father. For the purpose of this post I find it necessary to point out my mother is NOT a heavy-set woman, so bear this in mind as you read on.


My father can no longer be the bearer of most of the work to get my mother to the table as age has caught-up, as it will for us all. So imagine when you step up to the examination table at your doctor's office. I know you don't think about it, but from a sitting position, it might as well be a mile in distance.


Last year my mother cancelled her annual exam because the doctor's office receptionist told her the nurses could not lift my mother to the table any longer. Mind you, this doctor's office is located inside a very large hospital. It's not a dinky little doctor's office sharing a building with a Subway and dry cleaners. No, this office is inside the hospital. Discouraged and a little embarrassed, I think, my mother cancelled the appointment last year.


This year, she had to get the annual exam so she called to confirm her appointment for June 18th. The receptionist said to my mother, "Our nurse has a bad back. Be sure to bring 2 people who can lift you onto the table." WHAT???? OK, I'm not an attorney but isn't that a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act? I only got this information after I coaxed it out of my mother yesterday. I called her and she sounded down so I kept poking to get it out of her and this is what she told me. My blood boiled. I asked for the office number and called to speak to the receptionist. She told me that is, indeed what she said! I responded with, "How is it our problem that their nurse has a bad back and can't lift my mother." She responded with something so unbelievable I won't even take the energy to type it here.


Long story short, I took this to the hospital's ombudsman and explained to her all the details. I also pointed out that my mother has been suggesting the doctor's office purchase a lifting examination table that goes up and down to various heights, similar to your dentist's chair. If the table could be lowered to the height of my mother's wheelchair, then she could transfer to the table all on her own by pivoting herself onto the table from the wheelchair using her arms. The office always responded with an explanation as to the outrageous expense that would be for the office. Well, not any more. The ombudsman took down all the information and stated she'd call me back after her examination. It only took 2 hours for her to get back to me, stating the lifting table has been ordered, will be fully installed by next Friday, and will be available by the day of my mother's appointment. Wow! I think I just lost out on some money;-) I think they figured purchasing the lifting table was cheaper than defending themselves in a court of law.


Just kidding about that last part (kind of) but now the situation has been righted. Now, my mother doesn't have to struggle to keep up with regular doctor's visits that help keep her healthy. My mother doesn't have to feel she's a burden to a staff of nurses who have forgotten this is part of their training. With such a huge aging population, I cannot believe this was even a battle to be fought.

Don't ever be afraid to speak out for what's right and take action to correct something that is just simply, blatantly wrong. And if that lifting table isn't in by June 18, they'll be hearing from me, again (and it won't be pretty). I'll keep you posted!


Thank you for reading my looong Lessons Learned this week and be sure to enjoy your lovely weekend!

Going Local: Sweet Moses Soda Fountain & Treat Shop

Imagine a time of soda fountains, ice cream parlors, handmade hard-candy, and old-fashioned root beers straight from the barrel. What I thought was an impossibility to experience in this 21st century I seem to have mistakenly been placed in has entered into my world. The moment you step foot into Sweet Moses you journey back to another time when real ingredients filled sundae cups, not unpronounceable multi-syllable words disguised as food, concocted in a lab surrounded by people in long white coats with embroidered letters "D" and "R" in front of their names. No, there is nothing fake about Sweet Moses; everything is real and authentic from food to fixtures. Have a seat at the Bastion-Blessings soda fountain topped with 16-feet of Tennessee marble. Or pull-up a fully-restored, historic wrought-iron ice cream parlor chair at one of the surrounding tables. The atmosphere is as sweet as the ice cream and goodies served and offers such a treat for the eyes as well as the palette.

Grab a few friends and treat yourselves to The Terminal Tower. It's 10 scoops of ice cream in each classic flavor. Then, it's topped with 5 toppings, almonds, pecans, sprinkles and more. Hey, if you can eat the whole thing by yourself I'm not judging, believe me! They also feature 15 different fountain syrup flavors, to be used with acid phosphate and ice-cold carbonated water. Mix any two to make your own unique phosphate! The hot fudge and caramel sauces are kettle-cooked right in their kitchen. Here's a complete menu, click here.

 While you take in the sights and smells, your taste buds get ready for the deliciousness of authenticity. And when you leave, you leave satisfied, happy, and a bit nostalgic for the good ol' days from a time you've never actually lived. But at Sweet Moses, you are back in that time before Facebook, iPhones, and Internet. Ahh, sweet, Sweet Moses; even your sign outside your shop beckons me from afar. See you soon!

Take a look at the menu and tell me what you would order?

Sweet Moses
Soda Fountain & Treat Shop
6800 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44102
216.651.2202

Summer hours
Sunday-Thursday Noon - 11pm
Friday & Saturday Noon - Midnight 

What I Made Wednesday {A Harry Potter Birthday Party: The Food}

Food is an important thread in our life's tapestry. It says a lot about who we are as a people, a culture, a society. So, when replicating the world of Harry Potter, the food, especially the candy at Honeydukes, helps to embroider the real world of make believe. There are many iconic foods in the Harry Potter Wizarding World and we were able to attach a certain taste, texture, and smell to many conjured foods that were once only words on a page or a prop in a movie. To catch up to this Series you can click on the following links: Invitations, Setting the Scene, Props.

The Drinks
The Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley was a first stop destination, serving Pumpkin Juice (not a favorite of the kids).

Pumpkin Juice
What You'll Need
1 cup Pumpkin Puree
2 cups Apple Juice
1/2 cup Pineapple Juice
1 teaspoon Honey
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Spice or Allspice


What You'll Do
Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.

What You'll Need to Know to Finish
I took an empty glass wine jug, removed the label, and replaced it with the Pumpkin Juice label. Each wizard was able to have a taste but none found it delectable. The Butterbeer, however, was another story!

Hagrid-Approved Butterbeer!

Butterbeer
The party's last stop is a trip to Hogsmeade where the guests partake in a delicious, ever-so-popular drink at The Three Broomsticks: Butterbeer. There are hundreds of recipes on the Internet, some very complicated. We tried our own approach and thought the results were absolutely FANTASTIC (and the kids just couldn't get enough).



What You'll Need

2 liter bottle of Cream Soda
LifeSaver's Butter Rum Hard Candy
Reddi-Wip (do not go generic - we tried a Wal-Mart brand with failing results!)

What You'll Do
Take 10 hard candies, remove them from the wrapper, and break the hard candies in half, enough to fit through the opening of the pop bottle. Put the halved hard candies into the pop bottle and place into the refrigerator. The hard candies will dissolve in a couple of hours. Super Hubby recommends releasing some of the carbonation pressure caused by adding the candy after a half hour.

What You'll Need to Know to Finish
We made Butterbeer growlers for the party and filled them with the cream soda, dissolved with the candies. To serve the Butterbeer, take the Reddi-Wip and squirt just a small amount (like a tablespoon) in the bottom of the glass. This will turn into your "beer foam" once you pour the soda over top the Reddi-Wip. YUM!!!  




The Feast




The Feast in The Great Hall
Pizza and chips was not going to cut it at this birthday party if we wanted to stay true to the legendary Hogwarts' dinner fare. Here's the menu, taken from a page from the Hogwarts textbook we created (see the Props post). We made the Great Hall in our living room and I was fearful about spills so we decided on Invisible Kool-Aide (yes, it does exist) which we called Enchanted GillyWater. It's just like regular Kool-Aide but without the coloring. And, yes, there was a spill - totally MY fault! Sorry, Noah.






The Birthday Cake

Movie Version

Our Version

Imagine my relief when my son requested his birthday cake be exactly like the one from the first Harry Potter movie when Harry receives it from Hagrid. The easiest cake ever! Honestly, the worse I made it look, the better it would be! Hagrid sat on it for goodness sake - awesome! I made the cake out of Funfetti box cake (my son's request) and placed both rounds in the freezer for several hours. Then, I frosted between layers and frosted a thin skin of frosting over the entire cake using whipped strawberry frosting. I placed the cake, now layered with frosting in-between and a thin, smooth covering of frosting all over, back into the freezer for about 20 minutes. I then frosted the entire cake with the regular Creamy Supreme strawberry tub-frosting from Pillsbury. DO NOT use the whipped on the outside of the cake because the pink color is too light. The regular strawberry frosting color is right on the money! Then, I used pre-made Cookie Icing (green icing) from Betty Crocker (equipped with writing frosting tip) to write the words, Hagrid-style! I think our version is spot on! I even placed it in a baker's box tied with purple ribbon, just like in the movie!

All the Marvelous Candy from Honeydukes
This part was probably the most fun we had as a family, coming up with candies from our world to represent the candy names in a wizarding world. We made some of the goodies ourselves, like the Candy Snitches, the Chocolate Frogs, and the Colored Kettle Corn. We visited a local mega-candy store called b.a. Sweetie and found some unique items, as well.

Candy Snitches made by gluing cut-out vellum wings onto Ferrero Rocher.

 The Chocolate Frogs were made from a mold I purchased at a local candy shop. Not shown here, but I added star and moon sprinkles on the bottom of each frog to give it an extra crunch. The boxes turned out amazing! The template can be found here, and the best instructions, if confused, can be found here. Super Hubby even made Collector's Cards for each box!

We also made the Colored Kettle Corn with our Whirley Pop. I'd love to share the recipe with you (it's the best), but not now. Look for it in a future What I Made Wednesday!

Our Interpretation of Candies From The Movie
Exploding BonBons = Warheads
Fizzing Whizbees = Zots
Jelly Slugs = Gummi Worms
Drooble's Best-Blowing Gum = really cool looking gum from bulk bin at candy store
Acid Pops = lollipops in shimmery, glimmering packaging over the pop
Fudge Flies = Sugar Babies
Choco Balls = chocolate-covered cherry cremes
Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans = combo of Jelly Belly jelly beans and package of actual Bertie Bott's Beans or Bean-Boozled (Jelly Belly product)
Licorice Wands = grape-flavored licorice
Sugar Quills = candy Slush Puppy Straws filled with strawberry cream
Chocolate Frogs = homemade
Dumbledore's Favorite Lemon Drops = regular lemon drops from the muggle world
Cauldron Cakes = mini devil's food cake rounds covered in chocolate
Canary Cremes =  cookie we found at the dollar store that had pink marshmallow covered with coconut atop a chocolate wafer

Our Interpretation of Candies Not From the Movie (we just made them up)

Candy Snitches = homemade using Ferrero Rocher
Candy Bats = literally hard candy bats from the bulk bin at the candy store
Snidget Poop - Skittles
Quidditch Poles = braided marshmallow candy
Boiled Dragon Eggs = Easter bubblegum eggs
Petrified Dragon Eggs = Easter Whopper eggs
Werewolf Fangs = Tangerine-flavored candy corn
Unicorn Horns = Twisted lollipop
Coackroach Clusters = foil-covered Easter chocolate eggs
Soul-Staining Gum = Paintz Bubblegum, gum that turns your mouth the color of the gum

All the leftovers...we've been eating candy for weeks!

 Only two more installments of this Harry Potter Party and we'll return to our regularly scheduled What I Made Wednesday programming. See you next week!

BlogHer's 2012 Voices of the Year Honoree

Pinch me, pinch me, pinch me. This can't be real, but it is! Over 1,700 submissions world-wide, all read by the BlogHer 2012 reader's committee, and they selected this LOVD post as 2012 BlogHer's Voices of the Year Honoree in the category of Identity. LOVD is one of sixteen Honorees chosen in this category and I can't tell you how elated I am to have my writing recognized by such a professional, respectable, and impactful organization in the blogging community (they are like the McDonald's of blogland, people!).

What I love is this award wasn't predicated on some kind of "popularity contest". They didn't choose my blog post because I had the most readership votes (that was another category). They looked at content and composition, not commonness. I can only speculate they chose my blog post because they liked the way it spoke to the hearts of so many (always a goal of each post written here). It resonated with all of us who are trying to find our way, our place in the world, figuring out ourselves as we simultaneously figure out the week's family dinner menu.

BlogHer, thank you for bestowing such an honor on this blogger as it ignites a passion when words and ideas sometimes fizzle out. Congratulations to my fellow Honorees. I'll be visiting your blogs very shortly and look forward to your insights! My sadness is not being able to join my fellow bloggers on stage at this year's BlogHer 2012 Conference in New York City and be honored properly and in-person. Any regret, however, is not due to missing out on the recognition, but rather the camaraderie with my fellow bloggers. I'll be there in spirit!


If you would like to get the full scoop, click here.
For a list of all the selected Honorees for each category, click here.

To God be the Glory!

Gratitude Journal Monday

"Ask and You Shall Receive" is the promise, but receiving when not asking is a miracle. That's what happened to me at the beginning of this school year. My son started a new school and I was thrilled he was there. We had left behind a school where my fingerprint was left, helping at events, taking on the role of a teacher's aide in the classroom, and creating and leading book clubs for the children. I was involved.

This planter was signed by all the students and given to me as a thank you!

When my son began attending his new school, my time was my own and I wasn't quite used to the freedom each day brought. I found my laundry was getting done, my house was sparkling, my blog posts were written with care and detail, and family dinners approached gourmet. Being new to the school, I wasn't sure what the protocol was for parents helping in the classroom so I was riding low under the radar. Imagine my surprise when at the first parent/teacher conference I was asked to help in the classroom during Writing, twice a week! I wasn't looking for this opportunity, it literally fell into my lap. Sometimes, Spirit knows what you need even if you don't and the Universe provides.

236. I am grateful He knows and provides what I need even before I know myself.
237. I am grateful my son's teacher had enough confidence and trust in me (a new parent to the school) to ask me to aide in the classroom during Writing time.
238. I am grateful all the students were so sharing with their writing pieces, and so eager to learn and grow in their own writing abilities.
239. I am grateful the school librarian put me to work before Writing time began in the classroom, utilizing my wait. (Those were my best mornings of the week as this school's library is the most beautiful I have ever seen and it made for a great start to the day!)
240. I am grateful I had the opportunity to help make my family's first year at a new school comfortable and memorable.

Good things happen when you release gratitude. I hope you begin your own gratitude journal so the Universe can prove its effects to you, too! Not sure where or why to begin? Click here.

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 49.

Every morning when we'd drive into the school lot my son and I would shout "Blue One!"

Goodbye fabulous 4th grade year.
Goodbye memorable May.
Goodbye to filling up the gas tank every 5 days to keep up with the school drive.
Goodbye homework, homework, homework.
Goodbye incredible growth in one little boy.

Hello June and hot-summer fun.
Hello summer pool pass.
Hello endless possibilities for more growth and discovery.
Hello numerous summer reading programs like this one from Barnes & Noble.
Hello open windows, wispy linens dancing in the breeze, and fresh summer scents tickling my senses.

My son's portfolio box holding work he discussed with us during his student-led conference.

The lesson I learned this week is how much I enjoy seeing my son grow-up. As time continues forward, I do not look back with wishful thinking to rewind the clock to a younger age. Go forth, young man! Keep growing in the right direction, love!

Happy weekend, friends! What are your plans?