Some new products to recommend

I recently had a stroke. It left me with just a lingering numbness in my fingertips. I was fortunate that it was a mini one and that the after-effects will not require any physical therapy. However, I was concerned about the tingling sensation and discussed it with my neurosurgeon. Because of the type and location of my stroke, it effects the sensation nerves running from my brain to my fingers and toes. It will eventually go away, and I can train the brain to “reconnect”. I just did not like that constant feeling in my hand and fingers. Imagine my dismay when my doctor, a well-known neurosurgeon around town, told me he cannot recommend a prescription for it, but he can tell me that many of his patients have great success with healing using CBD products.

The following week, I was scheduled to go to the USA CBD Expo Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. I went with my friend, Aaron, who owns his own company and was going to carry CBD and Delta 8 products. So, we not only went with the intent to look for products to carry, but to do some research on the different types of products. I had many people give me samples to try for my hand and am happy to announce they work. But I want to tell you about the line of products we narrowed it down to in deciding what we wanted to carry.

PureKana was one that made a huge impression on both of us. Aaron suffers from bad back pains due to an incident injuring his back when he was in the Air Force. Add that to my recent health scare and we were so glad to find that this company had many different products that could help with pain. We both found that the PureKana Topical CBD Ointment provided the best, long-lasting pain relief we have been able to find. 

All of the PureKana CBD is non-GMO and contains no pesticides, solvents, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers. They have all their products tested by third-party laboratories, so everything is completely safe for consumption.

Please visit our shop, Toke Lyf Nation, to see what we have so far. More items will be added as we go. Each item has a great description so you can find what you need to fit your circumstances. Let me know what you think.

I will post our link in the side bar so you can come back to it whenever you need to. We are a relatively new small business and we appreciate all your support.

A Blessing for Women

This was written by someone named Heather and shared on Facebook by multiple people. It touched my heart in ways you will never know. I decided that every woman needs to read it so I am sharing for you today.

Have you ever noticed how in the scriptures men are always going up into the mountains to commune with the Lord? Yet in the scriptures we hardly ever hear of women going to the mountains. But we know why — right?

Because the women were too busy keeping life going; they couldn’t abandon babies, meals, homes, fires, gardens, and a thousand responsibilities to make the climb into the mountains!

I was talking to a friend the other day, saying that as modern womanI feel like I’m never “free” enough from my responsibilities, never in a quiet enough space I want with God.

Her response floored me, “That is why God comes to women. Men have to climb the mountain to meet God, but God comes to women whereever they are.” I have been pondering on her words for weeks and have searched my scriptures to see that what she said is true.

God does indeed come to women where they are, when they are doing their ordinary, everyday work. He meets them at the wells where they draw water for their families, in their homes, in their kitchens, in their gardens. He comes to them as they sit beside sickbeds, as they give birth, care for the elderly, and perform necessary mourning and burial rites.

Even at the empty tomb, Mary was the first to witness Christ’s resurrection, She was there because she was doing the womanly chore of properly preparing Christ’s body for burial.

In these seemingly mundane and ordinary tasks, these women of the scriptures found themselves face to face with divinity.

So if — like me — you ever start to bemoan the fact that you don’t have as much time to spend in the mountains with God as you would like. Remember, God comes to women. He knows where we are and the burdens we carry. He sees us, and if we open our eyes and our hearts we will see Him, even in the most ordinary places and in the most ordinary things.

He lives. And he’s using a time such as this to speak to women around the world.

Pizza Time

Many years ago, by experimenting with different combinations and my picky eating habits, my hubby came up with the perfect combo for me to enjoy homemade open face pizza bread. We used Cobblestone Mill white sub rolls, Ragu traditonal pizza quik sauce, pork sausage and Colby Jack cheese. It was a huge immediate success.

Over time, we would try different combos like pizza dough instead of pizza bread.

 

One time I was out of subrolls and my 9 year old grandson Caleb wanted pizza so he experimented with a little help in fixing it like a grilled cheese sandwich with all the same ingrediants betweed bread and grilled.

The subrolls for the open face have always been my favorite.

But if I can find the subrolls, I also love it on flat bread. It makes for a really good pizza. 

After finding all these pictures from older posts today, it made me crave pizza. So tonight I celebrated by making it on pizza dough and it was divined.

Let's Get a Little Crafty

  If Spring is when a young girl's fancy turns to thoughts of love,  Then summer is when an old girl's fancy turns to thoughts of fall crafts. I am so in love with these jars. Simple, but very fall feel to them. 

And I am sure I can get Lowe's to cut me wood in the length I need for these. Little roughness looks good. I can tell that's not bows. That is actually homespun fabric that they have ripped the fabric to keep the rustic feel.

Love these. I would image you could get the pumpkins at Michaels or Hobby Lobby and do your own painting and design. And I would spray paint little plates and candle sticks and use hot glue to create the pedestals. 

I love these rolling pins. You can get them unfinished at Hobby Lobby, 3 for $3.99. A little paint and a piece of scrabbook paper should do the trick. 

Now this is the cutest idea ever. Spray paint plastic Easter eggs and wrap jute to make acorns. I actually have a tone of eggs from previous Easter crafts. Guess who is goiong to go get paint today?

These are some more acorns in case you don't like the idea of paint. This is a little out of my comfort zone with all that stitchery by hand. But they are adorable. I may try a couple of these, but no promises.

These are so adorable. They just bought cheap flannels at Goodwill. I actually have one of my husband's flannels in fall colors. I may try this. I will practice with a Goodwill one first before I cut up his shirt.

Love this. Love the fact that it has a real cinnamon stick for the stem. Just assorted fall ribbon wrapped around jar rings and tied together. Watched the video from Pinterest and it looks super simple.

I posted these last year and then forgot to do them. I would probably not do the witch or the monster because my drawing talents are not that great. The spider web might be doable for me. But I do love the ghost and pumpkin.

Of course when I was looking up the jar crafts, it showed me a Christmas set I love. Then that took me down the rabbit hold of ideas on Pinterest for Christmas.

So if I get a box of jars, I can take the left over lids and rings and put fabric or scrapbook paper in the lide and glue some embellishments and wah-lah. Tree ornaments.

Funny story: I searched yarn crafts for Christmas ornaments on Pinterest and pulled up these cute little wreaths. They are simply crochet a chain stitch and loop it three loops and glue or stitch together and add a bow. What makes it funny is these were on MY Pinterest board where I made several years ago to put on Christmas presents instead of a bow. Need to make some more.

My kitchen has red and aqua at Christmas so I had to make one from this varigated yarn. 

And the last thing was this cute wreath with jar lids and either fabric or scrapbook paper. If I do this, I am investing in a scrapbook punch that make the perfect size circle.

I think I see a trip to the Scrapbook Superstore, Hobby Lobby and the Dollar Tree in my future.

Some good quotes

 

My fear of the Instant Pot

 I have certain foods I love that require a pressure cooker. But I haven't had a pressure cooker for years. So I decided I needed an Instant Pot last year. I wanted a brand name because I knew I could find a lot of recipes. But it was $100 for the Instant Pot. I put it on my Christmas wish list and started stalking the ads. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Walmart issued online pre-Black Friday deals and I just happened to be online and was able to get one....for $49. SCORE! It was an early birthday present and I couldn't wait to use it for shredded chicken to make barbecue chicken sandwiches by using the homemade barbecue sauce recipe belonging to my mother-in-law. Fast forward from December to this past Friday. I have never used it. Not one time. Oh I wanted to. Even read the directions back to front. But the truth is, I realized I was afraid of it. So many buttons. Friends would tell me how easy and one friend even showed me what buttons to use. We had made chicken in one at his house last year and that was why I wanted it. But the fear was overwhelming. So Friday, I decided to brave it and try to conquer my fear. I bought 4# of boneless, skinless breasts and set everything up and turned it on.

While it was doing its thing, I chopped onions using a hack I saw on FB. I hate the way you cry slicing onions. Well it turns out that onions draw moisture to them. Since you eyes have moisture, they draw it out and hence the crying. Some lady said put a wet paper towell on your cutting board before cutting up onions. I did and enjoyed a tear free onion moment. This really works. 

I made the sauce using the onions in one bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce, then 1 and 1/2 bottles of water (using the chili sauce bottle), 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 1/2 tablespoons of ketchup, 1 stick of Parkay margarine (cut up in chunks like in the picture below so it melts faster), 1/2 of a small onion chopped like above, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoons sugar. Put this on and cook over medium heat till butter is melted and everything is mixed good then turn to simmer.

Low and behold, 20 minutes after I started the whole process my chicken was done. I had covered the chicken with 2/3 cup of water and set it for 15 minutes and it was perfect. Literally fell apart as I shredded it with 2 forks.

I then put the shredded chicken in the barbecue sauce and stirred it really good and let it simmer about 30 minutes to get the juices soaked in the chicken.

Then I enjoyed a couple of really tangy (vinegar free) barbecue chicken with some Lays chips and a dill pickle. 

Now I am in love with my Instant Pot and ready to try new recipes. Hope you try this some day and come back to comment on what you thought of it.

Why I need Jesus

 

This really spoke to me. It is one of those oxymoron situations in my mind. If you are a Christian who believes they are perfect, who wants to show the world that you do everything right, then I wonder how well you really study your bible, because we are told that no one is perfect. 

I am not a theologian nor do I want to get into biblical debates. The only reason for this post is simply this is something I have been dealing with for a few months and I am really struggling with it. 

I know this person who tries to appear perfect. You know the ones. Always saying kind things, always doing right, always remembering to pray and always reading the bible. And always making sure to point out to people how they always do these things. I try to do all that. But I fail. I am human. I get mad, I get upset, I get hurt. I fall down daily and have to pick myself back up. 

When someone comes at me with their "perfection" and tries to encourage me to be more like them, it rubs me the wrong way. Because they forget that I know them. I know how they really feel about certain things and how they act when there is no one to see the true them. 

I admire people who are able to do the right thing and be a good Christian. But I am inspired by the people like me who fall short daily. Who have to ask God to pick them back up, dust them back off, and put them back on track. Who can stand up and announce their shortcomings and praise God for keeping them going.

Tell me your faults, tell me your failures and then tell me how God got you through them. THAT is what makes me admire you. That is what makes me see what a true Christian is like.