Tina The Storyteller

Today, I'm thankful for all the support I've been getting from friends regarding Walk the Blue Ridge . I'm also thankful for the fact that our pool is open and that it's not like swimming in ice water, which is normally the case this time of year. I'm thankful that even though I got some road debris in my tire, I was able to make it home safely before discovering it and that my husband helped me do one of the least painful tire changes of my life. I'm thankful for a wonderful church family, willing to ask questions and wait for answers. I'm thankful for thought provoking books that push me to grow beyond my slug zone. What are you thankful for?

If you're from the South, you probably already know how to make tea. And. If you aren't from the South, you probably don't drink enough iced tea to make it yourself. But let's say for the benefit of this post that you don't know how to make iced tea, okay? Get some family size tea bags. The key for good tea is to make sure it's fresh, so if the box you're buying from the store is dusty, just walk away. The box directions generally say four family size tea bags for a gallon, I heartily suggest using 5 or 6 for the best results. Boil a quart of water and let them steep for about ten minutes, longer if you like it bitter, if you want it stronger then add more tea bags not more steeping time. Take a gallon container and fill it half way with ice, pour water on top of the ice and then add the brewed tea. Stir with a wooden spoon, because it just feels better. Viola, iced tea! Now for the side of sweet. I don't drink sweet tea, but my daughter does so I make t...

I'm thankful for good work and good friends to work with. I'm thankful for a loving husband, who cares for me in unexpected ways. I'm thankful for a little girl that is curious. I'm thankful for unexpected game nights. What are you thankful for?

Get some turnips, peel, dice, boil. Use in place of potatoes in your favorite potato salad recipe. I found that they are tender much faster than potatoes so keep an eye on them. They also hold a bit more water than potatoes so I would not recommend rinsing after draining. I think you could do the same thing with rutabagas... What tasty treats have you made recently?

I just decided how to answer this! And that may sound weird to some of you, but let me explain my hesitancy on being definitive on this till this very moment. First of all we homeschool. That means I teach my daughter where she is and we move on as things are completed. Second, we're pretty much unschoolers and I like it that way. There's no beginning and end of our educational year, we just do stuff all year round. So there's no year end promotion. Third, two almost three years ago, my daughter was a young five. If we had done the public school option, we could have entered her the day after she turned five or the day after she turned six into kindergarten. But we weren't in public school and didn't have to decide at that moment how old she would be as she entered each grade. Fourth, we're starting to do more things in the big wide world and it's finally time to pick a grade and work with it, changing the number each end of May so that people can put us in ...

The very first full day that we stayed with my mom, I laid down with my daughter as she fell asleep. She said to me "It feels like our last day, cause the days are so long at Grandma's." She is right. Somehow this place where time stretched on forever as a child and I couldn't wait to be somewhere else now has the same magic, but it's full of joy and laughter and good times. Almost as if the very time and space of my childhood home has been redeemed just by adding more time and space. I love being here now and listening to my mom and daughter share secrets together. To see my daughter discover things that I feel that I've always known. It's beautiful.

 I Couldn't Love You More is a very sweet book written by Jason Ingram and Matt Hammitt. This book shares the same lyrics as the song by Sanctus Real. The story was born out of the heart ache that Matt Hammitt experienced when he discovered that his son suffered from a rare congenital defect. The wonderful thing about this book is that it captures a real truth about parenthood. As much as we love our children, God loves them even more. The artwork is just fantastic. The pictures are beautifully done and have a great touch of whimsy through out the book. There are various different animals and scenes used in the story, but they keep the continuity of the story by being in the same palette. I was reminded of one of our favorite books God Gave Us You . I really loved this book and was grateful to receive a copy from Tyndale for review purposes, but I am even more thankful that they have allowed me to give away another copy right here on HoHa! To enter to win a cop...

I'm thankful for time with my husband. I'm thankful that my daughter is starting to read random words when we're out and about. I'm thankful for an awesome church and amazing people that really desire to draw closer to God. I'm thankful for good books, warm coffee and knitting projects on rainy days. What are you thankful for?

This past week I think I've eaten out a little more than my fair share. But I wanted to let you know about a very tasty place to grab a bite. Sheesh in Livonia! There are some things that I'm going to tell you about that I didn't personally eat, but have it on my husbands authority that they are tasty. First of all when you're seated, out comes a red dip that reminded me of salsa. It's served with pita which are tasty. I ordered the chicken shawarma. It came with choice of rice or fries and soup or salad. I asked for my rice to be boxed up instead of being served, they were very gracious to do so. The salad was crisp and tasty. It came dressed with a nice vinaigrette. The chicken came out and it was a massive amount. I ate until I was full and still had leftovers. It was a great place to sit and visit. I highly recommend. The prices might seem a little high, but the dinner portion is easily enough for two people to share or to be eaten again for lunch the next day....

Do you know what a lord is? According to dictionary.com it is a person who has authority, control, or power over others; a master, chief, or ruler. In Romans chapter ten, scripture says that as Christians we are to confess Jesus is Lord. Which I guess also means that we live out the fact that Jesus is Lord. So how do we live out Jesus being the person who has authority, control and power over us? I can tell you that if you start down the road that I'm going to describe, which is my personal journey, it won't be a cake walk. In fact, it's been the hardest thing that I have ever done. About five years ago (if you know me, it seems like the entire world stood still and put a beat down on me about five years ago, but I survived) I was really interested in losing weight. I had tried WW, but never really had any success and so I took someone's advice and signed up for an online bible study called The Lord's Table. It changed my life. I started reading the bible every day ...

I recently read the book, Burchko by Bruce Olson. It's the story of a 19 year old who was called by God to serve the Motilone tribe of the South American jungles. It is an amazing story, I highly recommend reading it. One of the things that struck me was that the tribes would all live in big houses together, but never really interacted with one another. Bruce use the example of two families can live side by side, one can have so much food that they end up having to throw it away while another family right next to them starves to death. I thought it was quite barbaric. This morning during prayer time, that scene came to mind and I realized that I throw away food almost every night. And there may very well be people that I not only live near but interact with that might not be getting enough food of their own. I'm going to have to do something about this now that I realize that I too have a place that I can grow. What do you have in your life in excess? Are others in need where y...

I discovered this picture on my iPad. I'm obviously not the only one enjoying it!

I am so very thankful for my husband this week. He takes care of us in so many ways. I am thankful that my daughter seems to be picking up what I'm throwing down lately. I am thankful for an amazing church family that are interested in growing in Christ and spreading the good news. I am thankful for all the amazing books I was able to study with an awesome group of ladies this past year. If you're looking for a great bible study, check out www.communitybiblestudy.org to see if there's one in your area. I am thankful for a home to come to at the end of each day and food in the fridge. I am thankful for friends. I am thankful for work that brings me joy. What are you thankful for?