Let’s see what type of party music I can curate at 61 years old, don’t expect current music because I don’t know any. Maybe we’ll call this an oldies music party. :)
Commodores – Brickhouse (Live)
Kool & The Gang – Get Down On It
Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (Official Video)
Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive (Official Music Video)
Rocky – Eye of The Tiger
Flashdance – What A Feeling (S.Martin Remix 2019)
Enjoy New Year’s Eve, have a great time but don’t drink and drive.
Melinda
Kwanzaa is an African American celebration of family, community, and culture. It’s a spiritual holiday and is not attached to any religion.
The graphic is from the African-American Cultural Center and can explain the holiday and its history.
I hope you are surrounded by friends and family to celebrate Kwanzaa.
Melinda
Melinda
The family cookbook contains recipes my Gramps and Granny used often. It is the type of food I grew up on: good ole Southern food, from my Gramps’ dumplings to Granny’s pecan pie.
This recipe is a keeper! My brother and I would beg Granny to make it.
1 can condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut chips
2 cups tiny marshmallows
2 cups chopped nuts
Stir and melt chips and milk over medium heat, don’t scorch
Stir all the time and fold in marshmallows and nuts
Spread on buttered oblong pan and cool.
It is worth forgetting about the calorie count.
Melinda
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I wish you happiness and health on this joyous occasion. I hope you have the pleasure of spending time with family and friends. Breathe in the sunshine of this special holiday.
Melinda
I pray you and your family have a blessed Christmas day. Christmas traditions like gathering with the family for a good meal and exchanging gifts are great memories. I hope you will take the time while the family is all together to count your blessing and be grateful for the help God has given your family in 2024. Remember Jesus is the reason for the season.
If you don’t celebrate Christmas, I wish you and your family the best leading up to the New Year. May 2025 bring you great joy.
Melinda
The family cookbook contains recipes, my Grandparents used often and is the type of food I grew up on. Good ole Southern food like dumplings, and pecan pie. Some recipes have been passed down or from other family members recipe.
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup quick oatmeal
1 egg
2 tb. vanilla
2 tsp. flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Cookie sheet
Cream butter and sugar until combined
Add egg, and vanilla, and blend.
Add oatmeal, flour, and nuts, and mix until combined
Use a teaspoon to measure with
Drop mixture 2 inches apart on a folded lined cookie sheet
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
Cool and slide off the foil
Store in an airtight container
This recipe was a favorite of Granny’s.
Melinda
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Tear Jerker! What can you say about a person who shows true kindness?
Melinda
The family cookbook contains recipes that my Grandparents used often and is the type of food I grew up on. Good ole Southern food like my Gramps dumplings, to Grannies pecan pie.
3 or 4 cups sugar
1 cup water
Half a stick of butter
Medium pot
Cook until butter is melted
Cook at 400 degrees until brown.
Pour over potatoes
Melinda
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Melinda
Her voice blows me away!
Melinda
I’m glad you joined me on Wordless Wednesday and I hope to see you soon.
These are a few of my favorite ornaments. The Santa in the first photo is made of sterling silver and I forgot who designed it. The other ornaments are made by hand with European glass by Christopher Radko.
Melinda
https://www.christopherradko.com/pages/how-we-make-our-ornaments
2024 has been a difficult year for David and me health-wise. There are still unresolved health issues from my visit to The Mayo Clinic for which I have several specialists to see in 2025. The most difficult has been that David was diagnosed with three types of cancer this year. The first was CLL Leukemia, Skin Cancer, and most recently Small Cell Lymphocytic Lymphoma. It is common for Skin Cancer to follow Leukemia but the Lymphoma was quite a surprise. Leukemia and Lymphoma are two different cancers and very alarming to me. We’re still waiting to see if radiation treatment is the next step.
We don’t focus on it or the future, we rarely talk about it except after doctor appointments. We focus on the blessings we have and live life for tomorrow.
We know God has a plan for each of us and we are cool with his plan.
Melinda
I’m glad you joined me on Wordless Wednesday and I hope to see you soon.
Melinda
There are soldiers from other countries fighting side by side with the Ukrainians and I want to say how much I appreciate your sacrifice. Many of you are fighting far away from your families and you yearn to see them. You are fighting for the freedom of the Ukrainian people and I can’t thank you enough for having the conviction of the heart. No doubt, you’ve made lifelong friends in the worst of situations, but the end will come and we can all celebrate.
I want to give a huge shout-out to the Americans who are helping support Ukraine, have a piece of pecan pie on me. You need to know you are not forgotten back home this Thanksgiving Day in fact I bet your families are praying for you and counting the days to see you.
Be safe and remember you’re in our hearts.
The Ukrainian flag colors.
Melinda
Thanksgiving at its core, is a celebration of the Pilgrims’ first harvest. The day was filled with joy for the achievements in the field and the opportunity to share a meal with others including Native Americans.
I’m having a commercially made Thanksgiving dinner for which the sweat equity is picking it up but there is so much to be grateful for. Regardless of the setbacks and we all have them, I’m thankful for each day I wake up with my husband and dogs surrounding me.
Many of you are traveling for the holiday, and the weather is atrocious on both coasts. Take your time and plan for delays, even cancellations. The holidays are a great time to see family, but the weather can play center stage. Be safe.
I’m also thankful for you, the conversations, and laughs we’ve had are priceless.
Melinda
The family cookbook contains recipes my Gramma and Grannies used often. It is the type of food I grew up on good ole Southern food, from Granny’s roast to my Gramp’s dumplings.
This is one of Gramp’s favorites. He loved them so much that he carried the recipe in his wallet.
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 ts baking powder
1/4 ts salt
1/4 cup shortening
Sift flour, baking, and salt together
Crumble in the shortening with your fingers
Add just enough milk to make a very stiff dough
Using a spoon to mix
Roll out the dough on a well-floured board until it’s very thin
Cut 1/8 thick
Cut into strips and lay into 3-quart post-medium chicken
1 1/2 broth into until boiling stock
Lower heat and cook slowly for almost 20 minutes
Do not take off the lid
Gramps loved dumplings
Melinda
I can’t think of a better way to bring awareness to the good work the Humane Society does every day, 365 days a year. You can help them save more animals’ lives even with the smallest donation, they all add up. Also, look for weeks this time of year where your donations are matched by 2 or 3 times.
Sixty-five years ago, four animal advocates, determined to fill “a great vacuum, at the national level, in American humane work,” came together in a Denver living room to found a new organization with a bold vision, a broad reach and a principled commitment to making the world better for animals—all animals.
The four borrowed money against their life insurance policies to fund the group’s first few months, recruited a representative group of peers for their board of directors, and made the decision that a national organization needed to be based in the nation’s capital. They resolved to build a national constituency and train their energies on the era’s greatest animal welfare challenges—the inhumane slaughter of animals raised for food, the unrestrained use of animals in research, testing and education and the tragedy of animal homelessness.
Just as importantly, the organization they sought to build, from the start, would confront cruelty to animals wherever it occurred, “no matter by whom committed and without concern for who might be offended or alienated.”
Today, the fruits of their labors are known to all those who have supported the mission of the Humane Society of the United States through the years, and this week, we acknowledge our founders, Larry Andrews, Marcia Glaser, Helen Jones and Fred Myers. Their selflessness, their realism, their inclusiveness and their deep devotion to the ideals of animal protection are the beacons and signposts of our contemporary campaigns. Succeeding generations of advocates, on staff and on our board, along with our volunteers and our supporters, have helped to make real on the promise and the boldness of those who first conceived of an organization that would take on the biggest fights and root out cruelty. Each day, our skilled and dedicated staff here in the United States and around the world works to implement their vision. Our affiliates have expanded our scope further, with Humane Society International taking on animal protection issues in more than 50 countries around the world, and the Humane Society Legislative Fund working to strengthen federal policy for animals stateside.
I admire the four founders for thinking about animal welfare 65 years ago and for the organization’s growth to include farm animals. Please help if you can.
Melinda
I didn’t know you when I was born but I’m the luckiest person alive to have you as a Grandfather. It’s funny, I didn’t realize you were my step-grandfather until I was nine years old. It never occurred to me Granny’s last name was different from Daddy’s. One day Granny and I were talking and I saw both names together, I asked her about the difference and she told me about her divorce and that she married you years later. I thought for a minute then said “Gramps is my Gramps.”
You taught me more than I could ever give you credit for. Some of the greatest gifts you gave me were values, integrity, giving your word, making good on your commitments, and doing each project the best you can. God broke the mold when he made you!
Happy birthday, I know you and Granny are celebrating in heaven. She probably made you a German Chocolate cake.
I also celebrate your valor in serving our country and fighting on the front lines in Germany. You were so young when you joined but you knew that was your path. Why you kept your Bronze Star in your toolbox is something I will never understand.
I miss your laugh, words of wisdom, hearing about your life, and eating your great homecooked food, I miss you every minute of every day.
Melinda
You need blood samples from a female and a male relative to see your complete DNA Genome. The trick here is that male DNA doesn’t pass down to women which means a female needs the help of a male relative to see your complete ancestral history.
Your DNA can reveal a lot about your ancestry-where your ancestors may have come from, when and where they may have migrated around the globe, and how you’re connected to populations worldwide.
European
Northwestern European 99.6%
Breakdown
British & Irish 81.1 %
French & German 16.1%
Finnish 0.4 %
Broadly Northeastern European 2%
Unassigned 0.1%
Trace Ancestry 0.3%
North African 0.3%
I belong to Haplogroup H which is dominant in the general European population and appears frequently in the continent’s royal houses. I’m a distant relative to Marie Antoinette, Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh, and famed 16th-century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.
The most exciting finding was that I am related to Neanderthals, the first modern humans before extension 40,000 years ago. I’m 2% Neanderthal. Cool, and I like having prehistoric ancestors.
I have 1510 relatives who have had their DNA tested at 23&Me, I’ve talked with a few but it hasn’t been of great interest to me.
Have you had your DNA tested and taken the trip your ancestors did?
Melinda
References:
On November 11th we celebrate all Military Veterans but we should not forget the bravery and sacrifice they made and make every day of the year. Be sure to thank a veteran today and give them a hug.
*We are long overdue for a memorial for the soldiers who fought in Afghanistan. Let’s make this happen! 20 years and thousands of lives lost. Let’s have a permanent memorial to celebrate their bravery.”
WordPress is jiggy today and won’t let write the names of the memorials. The first is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the second is the WWII memorial. That’s not trash you see on the ground at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, it’s flowers or notes to a loved one.
Melinda
I learned what The Day of the Dead meant by spending time in the New Orleans markets admiring the vignettes. It’s a huge celebration with family and friends welcoming back the souls of the dead.
The roots of the Day of the Dead, celebrated in contemporary Mexico and among those of Mexican heritage in the United States and around the world, go back some 3,000 years, to the rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The Aztecs and other Nahua people living in what is now central Mexico held a cyclical view of the universe, and saw death as an integral, ever-present part of life.
During contemporary Day of the Dead festivities, people commonly wear skull masks and eat sugar candy molded into the shape of skulls. The pan de ánimas of All Souls Day rituals in Spain is reflected in pan de muerto, the traditional sweet baked good of Day of the Dead celebrations today. Other food and drink associated with the holiday, but consumed year-round as well, include spicy dark chocolate and the corn-based drink called atole. You can wish someone a happy Day of the Dead by saying, “Feliz día de los Muertos.”
The Day of the Dead celebration sounds very interesting, having the soul of a loved one appear could be life-changing.
Enjoy the celebration!
Melinda
I hope your year is filled with love and light.
Melinda
When life flows in one direction for so long,
it’s a shock to the system when the current flows the other direction.
The transition can be difficult and painful,
but the only response is to change with the flow.
Life throws situations our way,
without control, there is only one way to play.
Accept and chart a new course.
Melinda
I always wanted everything my Gramps had, so when I was still in the bottle, he put a small amount of coffee in it. I slurped with joy and still do.
In high school, I was not interested in being popular or joining a sorority but somehow, I got talked into rushing for a sorority. During rush week we had to go a week without washing our hair. It nearly killed me, but one night we all spent the night at the so-called leader’s house and it was the last straw for me. They spent the night talking about their boyfriends, drinking, sex, and how they were popular at school. I couldn’t care less and left and turned the page on that experience.
I was naive in high school, thinking the cheerleaders were all goody-two-shoes and virgins. Not so much! One night while hanging out at the library, our hang spot, a cheerleader I only knew from class asked me if I would drive her around to smoke a joint. SURE! I hadn’t smoked a joint in years. We parked not far from the library and stoked away, the whole time she talked about how all her boyfriend wanted was sex. Sex and smoking a joint, wow my eyes were opened.
The high school football quarterback wouldn’t even speak to me, I was friends with almost everyone but not him. He was above mere mortals. At the 20-year high school reunion, I looked very different than in high school and all he wanted to do was dance and get me to leave with him. It was funny. I was there with my future husband. Men tend to think with the wrong head.
I’m keeping this post short since the other topics were too heavy for this one. You can look forward to topics like agoraphobia, dementia, driving my husband’s truck the size of an aircraft carrier, and forgetting how to drive.
Melinda
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a month that has received a great deal of attention over the years due to the tremendous donations to support new treatment options. That does not mean we should look the other way and think it has enough attention. The success rate of survival has increased but there is still so much to know about Breast Cancer.
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS)
Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC)
Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS)
Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)
Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC)
Breast Cancer During Pregnancy
Myth: Finding a lump in your breast means you have breast cancer
Myth: Men do not get breast cancer; it affects women only
Myth: A mammogram can cause breast cancer or spread it
Myth: If you have a family history of breast cancer, you are likely to develop breast cancer, too
Myth: Breast cancer is contagious
Myth: Antiperspirants and deodorants cause breast cancer
Myth: A breast injury can cause breast cancer
Myth: Breast cancer is more common in women with bigger breasts
Myth: Breast cancer only affects middle-aged or older women
Myth: Breast pain is a definite sign of breast cancer
Myth: Consuming sugar causes breast cancer
Myth: Carrying a phone in your bra can cause breast cancer
Myth: All breast cancers are the same
Myth: Bras with underwire can cause breast cancer
NBCF is dedicated to delivering comprehensive, educational information on breast health and healthy living. From understanding the importance of early detection, to knowing how to prepare for a mammogram, NBCF’s online resources and guides aim to empower women and men with useful information. View guides. Click here to learn more about breast self-examination steps.
National Mammography Program
NBCF provides grants to facilities across the United States that provide screening and diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds, clinical breast exam, and patient navigation to underserved individuals who qualify. Find a facility.
The Patient Navigator Program is a proactive approach to helping patients overcome the barriers of cost, fear, and misinformation surrounding a disease and its prevention. Find a facility.
In addition to the breast care services that NBCF provides to women in need, the following resources offer financial assistance for breast cancer patients.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides access to breast cancer screening services to underserved women in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 5 U.S. territories, and 12 tribal organizations.
Information about free or low-cost mammogram screening programs is available through NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1-800-422-6237.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) provides resource lists for free or low-cost mammograms and financial assitance based on your location. When you go to their website, Cancer.org, look for the “About Us” tab in the top right corner. When you click on that, select your state in the “Where We Help” menu to be directed to a list of local resources.
This state program is funded through Medicaid to provide underserved women free healthcare throughout treatment. The program is available in all 50 states. For the application process, contact your local hospital and ask to speak to a nurse or patient navigator regarding the program.
The PAN Foundation provides assistance to remove financial barriers for medications, treatment, and travel expenses for patients.
The CFAC is a coalition of organizations that help patients reduce financial barriers during cancer treatment. When you visit their website, select the type of assistance needed and enter your zip code to find resources near your area.
The Mammography Facility Database is updated periodically based on information received from the three FDA-approved accreditation bodies: the American College of Radiology (ACR), and the states of Arkansas and Texas to provide a list of facilities where mammography services are available based on your location.
Breast Cancer needs to be taken seriously by all and it starts with self-exams and reaching out at the first sign of trouble. You also need to keep your doctor aware of your family history because it can play a big role in whether to not you have the DNA makers for Breast Cancer. Always air on the cautious side.
Melinda
References:
https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/types-of-breast-cancer/
https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/about-breast-cancer/early-detection/breast-cancer-resources/
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Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a day-long fast, confession, and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services.
I pray your celebration is filled with love among family and friends.
Melinda
Losing a baby is a very personal matter and one that we don’t often hear or talk about unless you’re close to someone who has experienced that loss. At 19 I had a miscarriage at 4-5 months along and my then-husband didn’t even acknowledge the child or the death, we never talked about the entire night it happened. Instead, he went out of town with the guys the next morning and there was no conversation when he returned. I was devastated, had no ride home, and didn’t have anyone to help me with the pain. I was in shock seeing the baby in the toilet at the hospital but I never grieved.
I can’t imagine the grief of carrying a baby close to term or full term and then watching them die, it has to be gutwrenching. There are many children born with diseases or a defect and they fight for their lives, but it was not to be. The overwhelming pain can only be felt by the parents who lost their baby. Think about the pain felt when the parents get home to see the baby’s nursery they planned so carefully without their baby.
These are my thoughts on what Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month is, let’s see the official meaning of the day.
In 1988, President Ronald Regan proclaimed October Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day is observed on October 15th each year and includes the International Wave of Light.
In the United States, 1 out of every 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage and 1 and every 160 pregnancies end in stillbirth. These numbers do not include infant death from preterm labor, diagnosis of life-limiting conditions, or SIDS.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, observed every October, is dedicated to raising awareness about the grief and challenges faced by families who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of an infant. The month provides a platform for breaking the silence surrounding these often stigmatized and unspoken losses. Through various events, campaigns, and remembrance activities, it seeks to honor the lives lost, offer support to grieving parents, and educate the public on the impact of pregnancy and infant loss. It also encourages open conversations and fosters a sense of community among those affected.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day is observed on October 15th each year. It is a day dedicated to honoring and remembering babies who have passed away due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. Many people participate in the global “Wave of Light” by lighting candles at 7 PM in their local time zone to create a continuous wave of light across the world.
If you’ve lost a baby or know someone who has and wants to share their memory, consider setting up a memorial website on Ever Loved. Memorial websites are free, simple to use, and a beautiful place to share your baby’s obituary, event information, collect memories, and more.
What a beautiful way to memorialize your baby.
Melinda
References:
Pregnancy, Infant, and Child Loss Awareness Month – Because of You, My Child
Pardon the mess WordPress made out of the alignment. It looks fine in Editor but when reviewed it’s a complete mess. No surprise. Let’s put the frustration aside and enjoy reading about Ilze’s blog.
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight the blog A Day in the Life of a Latvian Mom. Ilze and I haven’t followed each other long but you would never know it. We became fast friends and now we talk almost every day. She is inspirational, logical with a touch of whimsy, and I can’t forget to say what a great photographer she is.
Hello! I’m Ilze, a mom of three wonderful kids who arrived in quick succession. This beautiful chaos led me to step away from my IT career to embrace motherhood fully.
Before becoming a mom, I built a career in IT, earning degrees in Programming and Computer Science. Almost two years ago, I accepted a position at a dream company after months of consideration, and I haven’t looked back since!
My blogging journey began with greeting card making, which eventually led to opening a photo studio to spend more time with my family. However, I soon realized I needed a change and discovered my love for making beeswax candles, experimenting with sweet aromas like green tea and lemon.
A couple of recent posts I particularly enjoyed:
One thing I admire about Ilze is she can multitask until bone tired and still find humor in the day. What a blessing. The greatest lesson I took away from the posts is there is Physics to everything and life is how we look at it. This is a photo of her husband on a Zoom call with colleagues in Canada while he’s holding the water over the outdoor shower so Ilze can take her shower. Life can’t get much funnier!
Ilze is a devoted cook and has an archive full of delicious recipes to try your hand at. I saw this post and had to stop, drool, and think of how good it tasted. As my backing skills improve I will definitely try this cake. She has the ingredients and instructions laid out nicely so it is easy to follow.
I asked Ilze two questions:
What type of music she likes, why, and how has it changed her life? Her reply.
A song that’s close to me is “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin. There’s something so powerful and soulful about the way she sings it. The song reminds me of the importance of authenticity and emotional connection, both in my personal life and in my work. It’s uplifting and grounding at the same time, and it always inspires me to embrace who I am and what I do. What a great song of liberty!
Tell me about your favorite job and what she learned from it, here’s her reply.
My favorite job is the one I’m currently in, which I started almost two years ago in client support. I enjoy it because it challenges me to think creatively and come up with solutions that aren’t always straightforward. I work with managers and stakeholders, helping them use the report-managing app eazyBI, which is a rewarding experience. What I’ve learned most from this job is how to assist with different management questions and how to build reports that are valuable for decision-making. Even when the work becomes overwhelming, I’m fortunate to have a great mentor and a supportive team, which has taught me the importance of collaboration and asking for guidance when needed.
Ilze is a multitasker to the nth degree, and she does it effortlessly, always with a good sense of humor, grounded in nature, and good manners, and being kind to all is not act! In her career, she’s been a professional photographer, had her own studio, and loves working in IT.
You are short-changing yourself if you don’t stop by and say hello, you’ll make a fast friend and her archives are a walk through nature, life, cooking, foraging, and remodeling an 1880 derelict house by hand.
Melinda
I had only heard of Ukraine a couple of times before Putin attacked Ukraine and knew nothing about Russia stealing Crimea away years prior. Since the war began, I think of Ukraine multiple times a day. The Ukrainian people are an example of community, love your neighbor, help one, help all, and they are strong to the core.
I’ve heard Ukrainians talk to reporters and talk about what happened to their house or how a family member was killed but one thing I DON”T hear is complaining. I believe in my heart that someone would share their last meal, true humanity.
I admire President Zelenski, he’s on the ground with the soldiers, and he talks about reality, he appears to be a humble man but with the strength of a million bulls. His determination and commitment to his country is why so many soldiers from other countries, including America came to fight in the war. He doesn’t put on airs, blow smoke, or play games. I love how he dresses the same regardless of who he meets, that tells me so much about him. He’s focused on the war, winning, and building a better life for all Ukrainians.
I have seen many interviews since the war started and I’m always struck by the resilience of the Ukrainian people. I see the sadness in their eyes yet I see hope. They have faith in a brighter day and make the best of every moment, and no doubt it’s much worse than what I see on television. To see neighbors taking care of a child who lost his mother while his father is on the front line is overwhelming heartbreaking and joyful, the child is not left aside, it’s loved and cared for. It’s a miracle.
I’ve gone out of my way to purchase items from Ukraine to help the few who can work continue to make a living. Etsy.com has a large community of Ukrainian sellers and they truly appreciate your business. The homemade wool items I’ve purchased from Woven Wool Art are high-quality and the seller will take custom orders. The extra cost of postage is nothing compared to helping someone who needs to work. Check Etsy out, if you order fast enough your items will get here by the holidays.
I’m sending hugs to all the Ukrainian people. :)
America would be a great place to live if we had leadership like President Zelenski.
Melinda
lookingforthelight.blog 