CCH 2010 Family Camp

It is so wonderful to be able to go to the same camp with your grand kids that you took your kids to! Here's a little collage of some of the fun we had at this year's family camp! And did I meantion....I won a ribbon!


Woo Hoo!

Matthew 28:19-20

We have a dear couple from our Church who is on staff with YWAM. They recently went to China and brought us back a prize! It is a handwritten Tibetan scroll. It is really something to see. Kind of makes me think of what it must have been like to have a rabbi open a scroll and read from it

It unrolls quite far and is stunningly beautiful!

As I look at it, I think....wonder why our writing can't look that amazing?

So what does it say?

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Thanks so much Mike and Aleesha! We love it!

A door step surprise!

What a wonderful surprise! We've been walking the the mornings instead of the evenings. We are trying to avoid the dogs that people have out without their leads. Why do people do that? We were charged the other morning by a boxer. Before we knew it, he had our little shiba on the ground by her neck. All of that is not important right now. While we were walking a friend stopped by and left this surprise on our doorstep! How sweet! Thank you Lathan family! It was wonderful to be remembered on your vacation! You are the best!

Making tomato sauce

We have a secret sister program at our church and mine gave me a Roma Tomato plant. It has been producing tomatoes for weeks! I decided to try my hand at tomato sauce. I found a recipe on line that didn't make you take the skins off, so I went for it. Here is my report. First take 4 pounds of tomatoes.

Take 5 ounces of extra virgin olive oil and put into pan.

Heat the oil on a low -med setting until it just begins to simmer. If you heat it too long and it begins to smoke, throw it away and start over.

Add 5 cloves of garlic, sliced to the size of your pinky fingernail. I used some locally grown garlic given to me by a friend from our church.

Add garlic to the hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes. If garlic turns brown throw out and start over.

Add tomatoes, which were cut into quarters. Mash with potato masher. Turn the flame or burner setting to high and cook for 10 minutes.

Add 12 basil leaves. I used my own basil! Also add 1/2 tsp. salt.

Allow to cool to room temp. Then blend.

What I love about this recipe beside the fact that you don't have to take the skin off the tomatoes is that you can freeze it! I used it in Marti's Arroz Con Pollo recipe and froze the rest. Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!
Made 40 ounces

Little surprises!

A few Sunday's ago someone left this on the podium. It is so small! Who can fold something like this? It makes me smile! Thanks!

M.S. Update...

It's been a while since I did a M.S. update, or LDN Update, so here it is. Last weekend we went to family camp. I did something there I never dared to do or even try before (at least not since M.S.). I got in a row boat to fish! It was very hot on the lake and they made you wear a life vest. If I wasn't a role model, I would have taken it off. I mean...I can swim and it isn't the ocean or anything. I wanted to take it off because the added heat is not so great for my M.S. But I dutifully kept it on-mostly because I didn't want the lifeguard to yell at me! The point here is that I was able to get in the boat! (not so pretty getting in or out but I was able to do it!) So, I'm proud of myself!

As far as MS goes. Everything is about the same. I do have bad spacisity (which makes getting into the boat a big milestone!). I so far have not found anything to work. I have talked about it before, you can read by clicking here. It is hard for me to sit for extended periods of time and my legs become numb. I have Tizanidine for this but it makes me so sleepy and my eyes so dry that I really hate using it. I decided to try ibuprofen at a 800mg dosage. And I was amazed that it helped! I thought I found my answer! I'll just take ibuprofen and I will be able to sit like other people. Then on Sunday Fox News had a story about how long term ibuprofen use is linked to strokes and heart attack. That's just great! I can't explain how bummed out I was. Years ago I took Vioxx and Bextra and they worked wonderfully. But then they were taken off the market for the same thing. So, now I am at square zero. What I love about the Fox News report is that they say doctors are now thinking opioids are safer for long term use. I'm thinking....right, like a doctor in my area wants to do that! I can't take that with LDN anyway so I guess I have to struggle along. So now I'm not sure what to do. I go to my neurologist this week so I hope she will have some ideas for me. I found out last visit the reason I can't adjust to temperature changes is from the damage in my brain. I can't seem to go from hot to cold. I get cold under the air-conditioner and hot outside. I know I drive my husband crazy, first I'm hot then I'm cold.

Another thing was the refilling of my LDN. I usually use a pharmacy in Florida. This time when I called they said they can't send to California. I was under the impression that their license had run out or was not renewed for some reason. So, we called another pharmacy in New York and they said "you're in California? We can't ship to California". Apparently there has been some change in the law! Are you kidding me? What's up with that? We found a great pharmacy here in California that knows how to compound the LDN. So if you need a recommendation for a pharmacy located in California -McGuff Compounding Pharmacy is your bet. They got the LDN to me quickly and seems to be fine. I never did find out what law had changed or what the big deal was, but I'm happy to have the medication for the next year. One day at a time, I guess.

As far as LDN goes, I have had no new areas of attack or any serious attacks. I have the spacisity, which is my major problem. I'm so happy to have switched from Betaseron. Do I wish my legs were not cold and numb while sitting? YES, of coarse but I understand that I have a disease and that is the way it goes.

We are planning a trip to Disneyworld at the end of September. Whattt??? I'm hoping knowing I can do it! I may need to embrace the wheelchair.
All in all, a favorable report. Thanks for reading!

What does a winner look like?

Every Grandma Coco thinks her grand child is the cutest, amazing child there ever was! Am I right? But really, look at him! He is now a "Le Baby" baby! Here is the tale...
A couple of weeks ago I received a twitter about a give-a-way on a great blog called Tiki Tiki. When I read the post I thought...hey, my grand kids could use that!

So, I commented-"I’d love to try this on my grandkids! Count me in!"

I really didn't expect to win. Then I received a text that told me I did win! SHUT UP, I know! It came Saturday and I finally gave it to Gene and Kelly to try and you see the result!

Basically, the world's cutest child!

I think the world would be better if everyone who blogged had a give-a-way every now and then, don't you? I did one a little while ago and am trying to think of another fun give-a-way...any ideas?

In the mean time, check out Le Baby Hair Gel! I don't think you will be disappointed! Here is some info about it:

• Le Baby Hair Gel is made especially
  for babies, kids and anyone with
  sensitive skin.
  
• Hypoallergenic
  
• No harsh chemicals
  
• No parabens
  
• No sulfates
• Not tested on animals
  
• Fragrance-free
  
• Thickens baby-fine hair
  
• Tames frizzies and fly-aways
  
• Moisturizes
  
• Softly holds curls
  
• Keeps hairstyles in place
  
• Never leaves hair stiff or sticky
  
• Rinses easily

Click HERE to order!

Momo

My sweetie Momo is still here and doing pretty good. She's an old girl now. She is 13 this year! She can't jump up on lots of things anymore, but she can get on our bed (because of stairs). She is the best dog we have ever had. She is related to the famous Shiba Puppy cam dogs. I don't know if we will ever have another dog as wonderful as her. Makes me sad to think her days ahead may be less than behind. I don't know why I am feeling so melancholy this morning but as I look at her I realize she has been the best Friend, companion and dog I will ever have/had. We all love you Momo! Stay healthy!

Birthday MONTH? Hummmm.....

I've been a little down lately (don't know why). So what do I do? I complain to my BFF about it! She is so amazing and listens nicely to me. Marti, I really appreciate that! She mentioned she had picked up my birthday gift the other day. Well....you can't just say that...am I right people? I needled her and convinced her that it would be cruel and unusual punishment for me to have to wait 6 weeks to get it! I mean after all, she could displace it or forget where she put it! I mean..it could get lost! And having the name Pandora, you understand, I can't really handle waiting for things, not to mention unopened boxes! So yesterday I received a text from her that said "anything yet?" I had to say "I'm not home" and she promptly said "go home!"

When I got home a package was waiting for me and when I opened it, all those amazing things were in it! First of all, the Pineapple drawing from her daughter Amy! I love it! Ever since I found out Psych (T.V. show) hides a pineapple in every episode, I get fascinated with the pineapple! Not fascinated, but obsessed. Which was why it was so cool when a good friend named Leigh brought me a pineapple back from Hawaii...

I guess that is not important right now! But it was cool that she brought that back for me and didn't even know how I feel about the pineapple. Not to mention the PINEAPPLE WHIP at Disneyland....but that is another post topic!

Amy had drawn that picture of a pineapple and I just loved it. (you know I will frame it!) So how sweet are they to send it to me?

Then, the card! I just can't express how wonderful reading the card made me feel. We have been BFF for as long as I can remember. (well...like 34 years! YIKES) The card would have been enough (right-LOL, no really!). Especially the to "Pam, my BFF" part! Isn't it just wonderful to be loved?

So what was inside the box????

Only this amazing bracelet! She said she got it from the Sawdust Festival, read about her Sawdust Festival experiences here! I remember those days! I wished I lived closer to go with her! I remember (ahem...30+ years ago!) when it was a little arts festival off the side of the road. I got one of my oldest Christmas ornaments there.

I know this is not important right now...but I spent a long time looking for a picture of it...it is in the middle to the right of Tinkerbell. It's an amazing little A frame house with a little mouse made out of a pussy willow and other "natural" things like seed pods. It is truly amazing...really SMALL! I remember it was an elderly lady who was selling them. But, this is not what the post is about!

It's about that! Or, that is the one Marti has! Mine looks like this:

It takes my breath away! Thank you dear friend for raising my spirits and always being there! Thank you for understanding and never judging! I love you MORE!

If you'd like to know more about these awesome bracelets...click here! And, why the title? Well, my sweet Daughter-in-Love (seems weird to say in-law) started a tradition of celebrating birthdays for a week! I'm thinking about making it a month! What do you think? LOL, I crack myself up!