Sunday, June 26, 2011

Fabulous Links!

From Office ClipArt
Here are some links from things I've enjoyed reading across the web this week. Enjoy! 

From Christian Personal Finance, a posting about actually saving money from through your bank.  Who would have thought that was possible?  I really like this blog for excellent money advice, from a Christian point of view.

And here's something from the blog called, "Organizing Junkie." She has a cupboard exactly like mine! In fact, I swear she snuck into  our kitchen, and took a quick pic. She shares how she cleaned out that infamous "container cupboard." You know which one ... with all those plastic containers.


And a great post about blueberries, from my favourite food website, "World's Healthiest Foods."

And lastly, from my favourite clutter buster, Brooks Palmer. He talks about "our relationship with our space."  Do we love our space, or hate it?  Being aware of our feelings helps us to get to a better place.


Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Writing Journey

Photo by Dolldalera on Flickr.com
I am excited about the writing journey I am on. What does writing mean to me? It means sharing. That is why I have chosen the name, "Sharilee Shares" for this blog. I want to share of my heart and mind. I want to teach, through the written word, some of the things that I have learned in life.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved books and loved words. I love the way books and the written word can reach out beyond the page, and touch another human being. Now, in the twenty-first century, much of our reading has been transferred to the computer. The truth still applies, though. Writing still reaches out to another human being. Reading still brings us together.


For over seven years, I taught reading and writing as a teacher in the classroom. I loved doing that. Now, I feel writing is a form of teaching, too.

For more about the writing journey, you might also want to read the article I wrote called, "Hope is Required for Writing."  I talk about the courage that a person needs to keep writing, in spite of fear and doubt.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Kitty Litter Woes

Our cat, Shiloh. One of three.
Well, this post is about cats and their litter. Did I mention we have three cats? I have been looking for ways to keep the cat boxes more clean. It turns out you have to empty them more often. Who knew? (I'm kidding!) So, my new goal for cleaning the boxes is three times a day. If you clean this often, it is supposed to cut down the smell down to nil. Now that I know this is possible, I am very motivated to try it.

I found a very informative site about cats tonight. The author, Lisa A. Pierson, who is a vet, says she cleans her boxes very often, and there is never a smell, and she never needs to clean out the whole box, because it's always so clean. Wow! She is my hero, and I want to be like her. She even did this cool little video (It's on Windows Media Player, so I can't show it) about her method of cleaning the box. One thing that was very different than our house was that the area around the box was very organized and tidy. The box had its own little area, set apart from the rest of the room. I want that!


Saturday, June 18, 2011

Dinner .. Scrambled Eggs Deluxe



Well, tonight's supper was scrambled eggs. I use my recipe, which has been perfected through years of experimentation. This time, I added bacon, which I cooked along with the vegetables. I then put bread in another pan, with margarine on both sides and pan-fried the bread until toasted. I then spread the eggs on top of the bread, and added shredded cheese on top.
These are the eggs right after adding the cheese.

Sound decandent? Well, yeah, it kinda is. But my gorgeous husband just worked twelve hours, and there's nothing he loves me more than a breakfast-supper. In other words, breakfast served at supper. In fact, when we go to Humpty's or Smitty's, what does he order? Some kind of decandent egg and bacon dish. And let's be honest ... the other reason I made eggs tonight, is that I need to buy groceries!

And for this recipe has plenty of vegetables, it's real food. Eggs are VERY healthy for you, contrary to what you may have heard. Taking some information from some of my favourite websites: World's Healthiest Foods, let me tell you a couple of things about eggs.

  • Eggs actually help your nerves by supplying your with choline, one of the main builders of nerve health. They can help combat fatigue and insomnia.
  • Choline deficiency is also associated with attention deficit disorder, Alzheimer's Disease, and memory problems, and cardiovascular problems. 
  • Although eggs do contain cholesterol, a person with heart problems can eat one or two eggs a day, and actually improve their cholesterol levels, because it is good cholesterol.
  • Some of the eggs used in the recipe. 
  • Good source of tryptophan, which helps the body to create serotonin, which regulates mood and sleep. Lack of serotonin has been linked to weight gain.
So there you have it. Some information about eggs, taken from the World's Healthiest Foods. If you don't believe me, look it up yourself, and see their sources and studies. 

What about you? Do you sometimes make breakfast for dinner? Is it a hit? Tell us what you make.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

I Love Walking in the Rain!

I love walking in the rain!

Last night, I walked. I hadn't been out lately, and it felt so good to walk! I somehow think that if I could just rediscover the joy of exercise, I would be well on my way back to  health. And it's funny how the joy of exercise is related to the joy of life. I KNOW this! Movement is what makes us alive! (It's basic biology -- dead things don't move!) And moving will make me come alive again. Last night, I felt such a joy!

We walked to the store, which was about 20 minutes away away, and then back, and it had just rained.  For me, that's good, because I haven't been exercising this year. One challenge, though! My feet are absolutely killing me! With the last twenty pounds I gained, my feet just get huge pains shooting through them when I walk. I have to admit, this has made it really hard to walk. I hope a really good pair of running shoes would help; last night I was wearing sandals. Wait! Comfortable shoes ... I feel old!

*Image by Clairity, Flickr.com

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Living Without Furniture

Working Towards My Dream House*







We have been living in our home now for 16 months, and still haven't been able to furnish it. Up until this month, we have been carrying two mortgages, and two households, with one paycheque. It's been crazy, and I had to put my dreams of a dream home, on hold. For the first year or so, I would sit in bed and fantasize about each room, decorating it carefully in my mind. But there was still no sale of the trailer, and still no full-time job for me. Thus, dreams had be postponed for a long time!


Living without furniture (we have some, but not enough to furnish it properly) has been a trial for me. I really had a hard time with it, but had to learn to surrender to the LORD, and let it go. I know it will come in time. And we are NOT going into debt! Yay! Most people today will go into debt to make everything so-so, and we are not. Therein lies the big difference, and the pinch that I feel. Very few of us do without anymore. It's very out of style. But we have been doing it: not racking up any more credit, even though we are broke. My head knows this is a good decision, but the girly side of me still protests. I want furniture!

The good news is that this summer we are going to start furnishing the rest of our home, and I will be able to decorate, slowly, the way that I want to. I would like to start posting some before and after shots, once I get started.

My gorgeous husband and I are both learning to be so disciplined with our money, something that neither one of us were in our twenties. It's tough, but good for character, ha ha!

Things were put into perspective, though, when my husband and I did a social justice challenge with our church a few months ago. We were challenged as a congregation to live as most of the world lives: on $3.00/day, or less. Doing this involved eating only rice and beans for a week. I will be honest: we didn't make it. I wrote about it here: Rice and Bean Challenge. There is a reason that Jesus talked so much about money. It's very important, and tough! It's hard to let go of our comforts, whatever those may be! 
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul" Matthew 16:26

*Image courtesy of Flickr.com, by The Shopping Sherpa.