Tag: a2z

Guatemala Mission

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Going to Guatemala 

a2z is for ‘G’

Only some people are meant to go on mission trips–I’m not one of them. 
Two of our members went to Guatemala to help build stoves and teach Vacation Bible School. 
So what’s that got to do with me? 
Or you, if you don’t feel called to leave the comforts of home?
LOTS!
This is Dorinda.

She planned on building stoves when she arrived in Guatemala. A few days before leaving, she received a phone call asking her to do the crafts for Vacation Bible School. 
Dorinda does a lot of things but crafts is not on her list.
That’s where others came in to help.
This is something I could do! I’m in the middle of two fun women and we were a bit crazy by the time the photo was taken.. People came and went all afternoon punching holes in paper plates, sticking stickers on Popsicle sticks and assembling over 200 craft kits to be used.
Then there was the fear of not being able to stick them all in Dorinda’s suitcase! 
Not a problem as I never travel light, I sent Ed home for my suitcase. The one I take to conferences and bring back loaded with books.
That’s a strong young man to pull that heavy thing up the street! Good thing Dorinda found him. 
These are a few of the kids who put together the crafts assembled in Illinois by women who couldn’t go to Guatemala. 
Mission trips like this one to Guatemala need more than one kind of person to make things happen. Dorinda may not have been crafty, but she didn’t have to be. God provided hands and materials for her to use with the Guatemala children. I may not take a far away mission trip but God has people who function well without Diet Dr Pepper and 24 hour internet, like Dorinda.
I’m so glad I had a very small part in the joy. Plus I can say my suitcase has traveled out of the USA.
Have you ever been on a mission trip? Will you go again? Would you like to go or are you more like me willing to  help from home?
Diana

Easy Meal Planning

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Can You make a Meal Plan Every Week?

a2z: the Letter ‘E’

Are you good at making weekly meal plans? 
I’m envious of those who write their weeks worth of meals on a blackboard. It’s not that I can’t plan a menu, more that I forget to do it. 
A friend, Jennifer Tiszai told me about EMEALS. I was skeptical about signing up, having someone plan my gluten free meals. 
EMEALS has several plans, from low carb to gluten free. You even get to pick the store you shop at the most.
I’ve been using the gluten free meal plan any-store since March. It has saved us a lot of money. The meals for the week tend to use the same ingredients. Which means that container of sour cream you bought for one meal gets used in several instead of it being tossed in the trash in a few weeks. 
Even Dave Ramsey has approved of this system. 
I asked if I could share one of my favorite recipes and they said yes.
Home-Style Skillet
1 lb red potatoes, cubed
(3T water)
1 lb smoked turkey kielbassa, cut into 1/4″ slices
1/2 cup chopped onions
(1 T Olive Oil)
(2Tcider vinegar)
(2 T brown sugar)
(2 T Dijon Mustard)
(1/2 t thyme)
(1/4 t pepper)
(4 cups baby spinach)
Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until tender, draining. 

chopped kielasa and onionIn a large skillet, sauté kielbasa and onion in oil until onion is tender. 

Add potatoes; sauté 3-5 minutes more or until kielbasa  and potatoes are lightly browned.
keilbasa and potaoes
Combine brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, time and pepper, stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; summer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through add spinach; 
spinach in skillet 
 I know! It looks like it won’t fit!
 Cook and stir until wilted.
home style skillet dinner
Home Style Skillet

Can you see that yummy glaze? 

This dish is going to become one of our favorite comfort foods. It’s a perfect fall/winter/early spring meal.
EMEALS doesn’t just provide you with the main dish, they also give you a side dish and shopping list. On holidays they provide special meal plans. Those aren’t emailed to you so remember to check the site if you decide you want to try this service.
Here’s the recipe without photos to make it easier for you to try.
Home-Style Skillet
1 lb red potatoes, cubed
(3T water)
1 lb smoked turkey kielbassa, cut into 1/4″ slices
1/2 cup chopped onions
(1 T Olive Oil)
(2Tcider vinegar)
(2 T brown sugar)
(2 T Dijon Mustard)
(1/2 t thyme)
(1/4 t pepper)
(4 cups baby spinach)
Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until tender, draining. 

In a large skillet, sauté kielbasa and onion in oil until onion is tender.
Add potatoes; sauté 3-5 minutes more or until kielbasa  and potatoes are lightly browned.

Combine brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, time and pepper, stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; summer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through add spinach; cook and stir until wilted.

SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH EMEALS MEAL PLANS

I’m providing a link for you to check out EMEALS. I am an affiliate seller of EMEALS. If you click my link I will get paid. I only recommend what I’ve tried and think is worth the money.

Diana

SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH EMEALS MEAL PLANS

Detour

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Missing the Signs

a2z: ‘D’ is for Detour

Blured detour sign
Most of us see this sign when we are driving and know we need to take a different route.
But how many times does God put a big old DETOUR sign in our lives and we pass by seeing only a blur?
I’d like to say, “That never happens to me.” or “God needed to be a little louder or sent me a bigger sign.” 
Lately, I’ve been trying to push God away when opportunities to speak about the We’re Not Blended, We’re Pureed, A Survivors Guide are offered.
I wrote the book, exposed our family to the public, isn’t that enough? Why do I need to be filmed or participate in workshops? I’m done, right? It’s time to concentrate on what I want to write.  Fiction.
Well, how about this sign?
Digital road sign, message reads Yes,the road is closed.
That’s it exactly what I want to say back to God, but He’s not having any of that.  
He’s sent more opportunities my way–not all for the Blended book–but they involve me speaking to people, even being on a video panel. 
My fiction writing seems to be stalling, is it because I’m choosing my own detour and not His?
I think I’m going to start following His detours before He closes the road to my fiction writing. 
What detour has God put in your life? How did it turn out? I need encouragement so please share.
Diana

The Blurred Line of Creativity and Need

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

a2z is for Creativity

Why does anyone create?

Are we driven by some great need to make something never made before?
Use the back of a bus to create more storage
BussShed or ShedBuss?

Or
Is creativity driven by need?

In this case someone needed more storage than the shed could hold. Creative solution? Cut an opening in the wall and add the back of a buss.

In 1929 Laura Ingalls Wilder’s family suffered financially from the stock market crash. She began writing biographical stories which became the Little House on the Prairie books. Would she have written them if the need hadn’t been great? Was it creativity or need for Laura? 

My son, Andy is an artist. He’s painted some amazing stuff and paints what he enjoys, but that line becomes blurred when bills are higher than expected. Then he paints smaller canvases which sell faster. Those are the ones I can afford!

Painting of Foreset Park by Andrew Brandmeyer
Forest Park by Andrew Brandmeyer

I create but not out of need–right now.
I write what I love, and if all goes well I get published.  There may come a time when I must use that creativity in a way I don’t love–the worst thing I can think of is writing an article for a math magazine.

Do those exist? Shudder. I can’t imagine what kind of chaos I could create between the covers.

How have you blurred the line of creativity and need?

Diana

Caps for Sale or Poky Little Puppy #row80

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Favorite Childhood Books a2z: “B” is for Books!

This weekend I attended a baby shower. I haven’t been to one like this. It was a book shower!
How fun is that?
We were asked to bring a book for the new baby –yet unnamed, but suggestions were made, Finn, Jillian, Logan. The mom-t- be just laughed and said wait and see.
Back to the books…

There were probably close to 50 books filling the basket by the time the last piece of paper had been smoothed an saved.

What made this a special shower was the comments made as books were unwrapped. Stories of babies (who are now married and having their own!) favorite books. Some books were new to some of us and of courses we needed to look at them.

It brought up discussions of what our favorite books were as kids. I’d forgotten about Mr. Pudgins by Ruth Christopher Carlsen. I read it often and saved it to read to my children. 

What’s it about?
Here’s the back cover copy:
Wild and wacky things happen when Mr. Pudgins comes to sit for John, Pete, and Jane. Strangely enough, they happen only when Mr. Pudgins smokes his pipe.

Faucets run soda pop instead of water. The old Model T suddenly rides on the lake like a speedboad. And playmates step right out of the mirror!

Life with Mr. Pudgins–well, it’s almost like magic. Maybe it is!

As I was leaving the shower there were a few college/highschool girls curled up on the couch reading picture books. One of them was reading Caps for Sale. That was another favorite of mine. She said it was hers too. Her grandmother read it to her.

What was your favorite childhood book?

Changing Attitudes

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

A2Z Challenge Redo

It’s time for another Round of a2z, Patty Wysong’s meme.
cat on swing
It’s all in how you look at life

A is for Attitude

Just so you know this is a note to me–not so much to you–my readers, though you might find yourself in what I write. This post is all about me and my attitude.
I’ve been grumpy, worried, cranky and annoying these past few months. I can blame it on a myriad of things–sick kids, politics, aching neck, things aren’t going the way I want– pick anything and I can develop  a showstopping diva attitude in under 20 seconds. 
The thing is, I don’t care much for myself when I’m wearing “that attitude” you know the one that got you sent to your room as a teenager? That ugly personality that flashes to the surface screaming life is all about me and the rest of you better get used to it?
So I’m shifting my attitude. I want to go back to the kinder me. How am I going to do that? 
I’m not doing it alone. I’m picking up my bible and reading through Mark. I can learn from Jesus how to accept things, let God be in charge and focus on the good.

My other plan? Listen to this video by Jason Gray. Remind me who I am.

Stick with me, I think it might be a bumpy ride because it’s easier to have a wrong attitude.
Diana
*Row80
Finished the proposal for Seeking Normal–my crit partner has it.

a 2 z meme with Patty Wysong at Patterings.

a2z: The letter is “P’ for Piecing

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

I often wonder why everyone isn’t excited about piecing  a lot of small pieces of fabric into a quilt. It’s much like life-something happens and you pick up the scattered hurts and patch them into something a bit different and useful.

And then I spend a few hours on a Saturday ripping out what I put together the night before and realize this is why everyone isn’t piecing! It’s often painful and no fun at all.

Spiral Tree Skirt someday



This tree skirt may not get finished in time for Christmas. I’ve had to take it apart at least 20 times.

Lutheran World Relief Quilt

 This one will get finished. I belong to a small but might group of quilters at my church. We piece together quilts that are collected and used during disaster relief and for the homeless. The idea is to use the fabric donated and just sew the blocks together. I can’t. I must try and make them someone pretty. This is the one I’m working on now. It will get finished soon, but I did make it a diagonal pattern so I might be ripping it out too. 


I have a great ripper. Surgical sharp. I know. I’ve caught my finger with it a few times.


I like piecing and I got my love of it from my grandmother Pauline! Yep, she’s a “P” and her photo is on my shelf. When I get discouraged about ripping and starting over I see her smiling face and know I’m not the first to rip, but I have a feeling she was more patient than I.

Pauline



 And because I enjoy torturing myself with small pieces of fabric my next project is going to be a Dear Jane quilt. The finished blocks are 5″ and the entire quilt has over 5000 pieces.

Dear Jane Block



I may need another seam ripper.

*Laury–I visit your posts, but can’t seem to get my comments to work. 

for more a2z posts visit Patty Wysong!

posted by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer