Mountain Musings

Got Chocolate?

I L-O-V-E chocolate! And I would add that it's unfortunate that I like it so much...until I heard and read recently that chocolate (the dark variety) is actually good for you. Check it out:

"Hershey Special Dark and Dove Dark are good for your health as long as you are consuming it in moderation and it is not putting you over your daily calorie limit. The general guideline is up to about an ounce a day (the equivalent of about 6 dark Hershey's Kisses or 4 Dove Promises) and about 150 calories. So take your time with the 1 ounce and make it worth every dark moment - it's good for you. But you don't have to have the entire ounce. You can have less - if 2 or 3 Kisses or 1 or 2 Promises do it for you, you don't need to keep going. Sorry, milk chocolate and white (not) chocolate are NOT beneficial to your health."

"Activity for Today: Walk to the store and get a bag of dark chocolates. Then go around telling people that dark chocolate is good for them and give them a kiss or a promise (the ones you bought at the store, of course)."

Would you believe I had my first two dark chocolate Dove treats only a few weeks ago at our ladies' luncheon!? Our hostess had a bowl full of bright red dark chocolate Dove hearts to be passed around the table after our bag lunch. They were yummy...even though I prefer milk chocolate over the dark. Hmm, but I see from the article above that milk chocolate doesn't fall under the healthy-for-you category. Now that's unfortunate! We actually only buy candy around the Christmas or Valentine holidays to have out for company. Maybe I should keep some of those dark chocolate purple kisses on hand when a chocolate attack hits.

However, Sarah whips up quite a number of chocolate desserts around our house whenever the mood strikes her, which is often. Who needs Doves when we have Sarah? Our favorite is Chocolatetown Pie, and the recipe and accompanying picture were posted here in case you didn't see them when we served it recently.

This post was submitted to this week's Carnival of Beauty with the theme The Beauty of Chocolate and is hosted by MsEllen. Check her site tomorrow for the links of all participating chocolate-loving bloggers.

~Deb

The Sweet Aroma of Blogging

This week's theme in the Carnival of Beauty is The Beauty of Blogging and is being hosted by novelist Mary DeMuth in France at RelevantBlog. Be sure and visit her blog on Wednesday when she'll post the links to all the participants this week.

Blogging--whoever could have imagined such a thing a few years ago? For the past year-and-a-half, blogging has become an interesting part of our family's life. Two years ago I only knew one blogger, my sister, whom I knew sat in front of her computer and read and wrote "blogs," something I'd never heard of before! What the thrill was we didn't know, and why she would spend valuable time each day checking updated blogs written by people she didn't even know was something we couldn't fathom.

Well, she decided to let us in on the thrill and gave us a family Christmas present of a Typepad blog back in 2004. Since that long ago day, we've written 677 posts and received 2282 comments, and Jonathan even branched out with his own blog last year. As you regular readers know, Mountain Musings is a group blog written by different members of our family; the subject matter varies considerably depending on the blogger, so when folks check back here they never know what they'll find!

Being a keep-in-touch, letter-writing type of person, I have found that I absolutely love connecting with people via the blog! We've moved away from many friends throughout Virginia over the years; however, because of the blog, folks can keep up with the Girotti goings-on...almost daily. Friends across the country can dial up and read what the girls are making for supper, the latest on the rabbit invasion, or see our most recent quilt project.

My long-lost-friend, Tammy, found us one day when she decided to type in our name and surf the web. We connected after years of losing track of each other when her family moved overseas. We've shared prayer requests since and feel more a part of each other's lives.

I really enjoy reading blogs written from other countries, too; we can learn so much by bloggers' daily lives in a different environment than our normal one. It's a continuing geography education even though we've finished the homeschooling years.

Amanda at Following an Unknown Path has increased our awareness of serving in Taiwan. I love her blog! Check out where she eats! Sherrin at Small Things in Australia includes photos of Tasmania where she lives; it's been interesting because we have mutual friends in Texas who used to live in Tasmania so we're getting to see a part of their countryside! I've only been to Canada once for an overnight, but Susan has whetted my appetite with her beautiful scenery of Vancouver and the church they've planted there. It's a small blogging world out there!

Only within the last month have we personally met bloggers we knew just from reading about their families online...we connected with Carmon (from California!) of Buried Treasure Books and the Serven Clan (from Missouri!) at the History Conference recently! And now, since meeting them was such fun and a rousing success, I wouldn't mind having a blogging get-together with several Virginia bloggers and inviting everyone over for lunch! John, Lisa, Cindi, Susan P., Donna, and Mrs. Wilt...sound like a possible fun future event? (Although I think I might feel a little intimidated serving tea the proper way if Mrs. Wilt attended! Hmm, I'll have to work on my etiquette a little first.)

I know the Lord can use blogging to encourage and uplift others because I've benefitted from reading how He has worked in other families' lives, and we'd like to use our blog for His glory in whatever way we can.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;"  ~ II Cor. 2:14-15

~Deb

Coffee, Tea...For Me??

The Carnival of Beauty is back and in full swing after taking a few weeks' break, and this week's theme is "The Beauty of Coffee and Tea" hosted by Sallie at A Gracious Home. All the participating links are posted, so be sure to read all the entries.

Well, can I really participate this week and write on the beauty of coffee and tea when I don't like either? It really is awkward for both my husband and me to not like coffee or hot tea, especially when we're at someone's home and they offer it after a meal with dessert. The couple feels hesitant about going ahead and having their coffee without us drinking along. I admit that I love the smell of coffee beans on the grocery store aisle, and just the idea of "taking tea" or "going to a tea party" is sooo romantic. Sipping a hot cuppa 'round a fireplace in winter with friends makes such a cozy picture, don't you think? 

A beautiful blog I've been reading recently is all about homemaking and especially tea. Mrs. Wilt over at The Sparrow's Nest has been writing a series on Hostessing a Tea Party here and here and will continue soon with more posts on "a proper tea." I dutifully go check out her posts and ooh and aah over the lovely tablecloths and all the various flavored teas and sandwiches you can serve--it is definitely romantic and very old-fashioned, and I love the whole idea of it!

I even recently wrote to a lady asking for a tea cozy pattern--the one at Elizabeth's wedding luncheon at the spa--for my friend who loves teapots and tea parties. The lady ended up sending me an actual tea cozy, and I don't even own a teapot...yet. My girls each have several tea cups for their hope chests, and even I own one beautiful tea cup given to me by my sweet tea-party-loving friend.

Well, after writing this and seeing as I absolutely love hospitality and having friends over, I think I actually could get into the whole idea of it all. Do you think if I gave a tea party anyone would notice if I slipped Diet Coke into my tea cup?

~Deb

Come Again Another Day?

This week's Carnival of Beauty is being hosted by Allison over at Autumn Rain with the theme: The Beauty of Rainy Days. How appropriate! I visited Allison's blog this morning for the first time and found verses and quotes all about rain! Isn't it interesting how bloggers are all so different with their own unique focus? I'm amazed at how creative some folks can be! Here's the link for the list of bloggers who submitted posts this week. Check them out!

Actually the Carnival slipped up on me this week; after I blogged yesterday about the rainy Monday we had shopping and left a comment on Susan's blog about how rainy days and Mondays always pick me up (if I'm inside!), I never had a clue today was a rainy themed Carnival day! So, here's a rainy day story I've been meaning to write about...

Everyone called her "Grandma," even though her name was Louise. She was 85-ish when I first became acquainted with her, and we always shook hands during the greeting part of the church service because she sat in the same place right in front of me every week.

For a few months the Lord kept prompting me to ask her during one of those hand-shaking times if I could come visit her one day. I'd end up never mentioning it, and the moment would pass. Then one Sunday I finally asked if I could drop by her house one day, and oh, she was ecstatic! That wrinkled old face broke out into such a smile, you wouldn't believe it. I thought what a simple thing it was to make an old person happy.

She turned back around and whispered, "Do you like tea?" Well, it wasn't my favorite drink, but I said that would be fine. She gave me another smile and said, "You come visit, and we'll talk and have tea."

Later that same morning she asked, "Do you happen to like Scrabble?" I replied, "Why, that's my favorite game. I love Scrabble!" She said, "You come visit, we'll talk and have tea, and play Scrabble!"

And that's what we did...week after week, month after month. Fridays were the days I'd travel the thirty or so miles to her little house that was jammed packed with books. She loved to read, and I guess that's how she knew so many Scrabble words; she was a feisty surprise to me!

Rainy Fridays were the best. I'd knock on her door and head straight back to the  kitchen table where she'd have her deluxe game board and tiles all ready. One of us would make the popcorn, and the other would fix the ice in glasses. We were a team...except when we were playing. And then we were fierce competitors. After one game, we'd play another. After that one, we'd play yet another. I had never played more than one game of Scrabble in one sitting until I met Grandma. I think she wanted to keep me there as long as she could.

Sheltered inside her warm, cozy kitchen with the lights blazing and the rain splattering on the window panes, I enjoyed watching her have fun. She was an encouragement to me, and I valued her walk with the Lord and considered her a real prayer warrior as we shared prayer requests. She went to be with the Lord five years ago last month, and needless to say, there was a big void on those game afternoons I so enjoyed.

I still remember Grandma at the door each visit sadly bidding me good-bye and calling out, "Come again another day?"

~Deb

A Crown of Glory

This week's theme in the Carnival of Beauty is The Beauty of Aging Gracefully and is being hosted by Carol over at She Lives. Tomorrow she'll post the links to all who participated this week, so be sure and check back over at her site for some interesting reading.

How am I aging? Am I doing it gracefully? Am I giving the Lord the credit for allowing me to live longer to serve Him? Or am I grumbling about the aches and pains that inevitably show up once we're over the hill?

I remember as a teen I always wanted to be older...I'd answer the question, "And how old are you?" with "almost 18." It continued into my young adult life. You could hear me saying, "almost 25." I actually didn't mind turning 30. I'm not sure when I stopped longing to be older than I really was and started whispering my age, but somewhere along the way it happened.

Proverbs 16:31 tells us: "The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness."  Another version puts it this way: "Long life is the reward of the righteous; gray hair is a glorious crown."  I have this verse written on a small business-sized card and taped to my dresser mirror. I see it every day. A friend of mine mailed it to me long years ago--maybe it was back when the first gray hairs started appearing; she wanted to encourage me, and she did.

The Bible tells us we are to honor the aged and revere our elders, although the thinking in today's world is just the opposite. Leviticus 19:32 says, "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord."

I have had older friends, and I really enjoyed being around them. They seemed to have all the time in the world and loved having someone to talk to. I hope when I'm at that stage of life I will be a joy to be around because I will have trusted the Lord so much through the years that my countenance will reflect His glory. I pray that I will age gracefully, and my grandchildren will hear about all the great works the Lord has accomplished in our family.

"Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not until I have shown thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come."  ~ Psalms 71:18

~Deb

An Unforgettable Delivery

I love beautiful flowers! Mostly, I like the kind that are blooming in flower beds and around my garden fence rather than the expensive florist delivery ones. Don't get me wrong though--I'd love to have anyone bring me flowers, and if the doorbell rang right now, I'd accept them in a flash! But if it's my husband doing the buying, I'd rather he put the money towards a redbud tree or a hydrangea bush or a mum that will last a lot longer than a few days.

One day several years ago a beautiful bouquet was delivered to my home which I will never forget...

Her name was Salena, and she was a beautiful 60-something grandma. I, and several of her other friends, took turns spending afternoons helping with various chores around her home. My particular job was a fun one--helping her make a scrapbook of memories week after week. Those were sweet, sweet days of precious fellowship, and we made the most of every minute we had.

Salena was dying with Lou Gehrig's disease and gradually losing more and more muscle strength. Her one goal was finishing a scrapbook for her grandchild who would never have a chance to know and love her. One afternoon I was helping her with some personal needs and lost my strength lifting her. Ending up lying on the floor, she was unmoveable. There was nothing to do but hunt for a listing of neighbors' phone numbers and hope someone would be home to come over and help me. I still feel the embarrassment now as I write this--embarrassment for her lying there so vulnerable and embarrassment for me--a big blow to my pride in failing so miserably to help her.

Can you guess the end of the story?  The beautiful flowers Salena sent me the next day expressed what a classy lady she truly was. She was the one who should have gotten flowers for enduring so much, and yet she sent me flowers to encourage me and let me know everything was still alright with her world. The florist's card read..."To a real trooper."

Not me for sure--but Salena was a trooper of all troopers, and I expect she's adding fragrance to heaven right now with her wonderful personality!

This post was written for the Carnival of Beauty with the theme: the Beauty of Flowers. To read more on this subject, be sure and visit Amanda over at Following an Unknown Path on Wednesday, March 29, as she hosts the Carnival this week .

~Deb

Carnival of Beauty

This week's topic in the Carnival of Beauty is "Friendship," and it's being hosted by Michele over at Chasing Contentment. Be sure and check out all the very interesting entries--all the links are up! Enjoy.

~Deb

The Beauty of Friendship

"What made us friends in the long ago When we first met? Well, I think I know; The best in me and the best in you Hailed each other because they knew That always and always since life began Our being friends was part of God's plan."

Those words are written on a plaque that's been on our wall for years now. It was given to us by friends in a Colossians 2:7 Navigator bible study group Tom led when we lived in Newport News in the '80s. Whenever I pass by the plaque in the hallway, I think of those folks in that two-year study and the friendships that were formed. We still correspond with a couple of the families and delight in hearing how the Lord is working in their lives.

I think of friends, too, when I see my little gift bag I have that's crammed full of correspondence, some with whimsical stickers and others with hearts and beautiful envelopes--friends' love letters--how can I bear throwing any of them away! I began keeping letters and postcards many years ago...and some are so old the stamps on them are about a third of the price of what they are now!

From previous posts you already know I love cards, letters, postcards, emails--anything that speaks of keeping in touch. Friendship grows and deepens when you know what's going on in friends' lives. Heart ties strengthen when you know how to pray for friends and mention their name daily before the Father. Friends keep in touch so that praying specifically is possible.

I've had friends tell me they feel they get a personal letter from us every day when they read the family blog. Blogs are definitely a way of keeping in touch, but there's something extra special about a personal letter that comes winging its way to you from who knows where when you least expect it and when you need to know a friend is thinking of you at just that moment.

"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." ~Proverbs 25:25

I'd like to encourage you to take time out of your busy daily schedule to drop a note, card, or if you have time, a letter to a friend to show them the beauty of friendship in the written word.

"A friend is one to whom we may pour out the contents of our hearts, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away."  ~Arabian proverb

~Deb

Connoisseur...of Good Food

This week I'm participating in the Carnival of Beauty with the theme "Comfort Food." A special thank you to Heather for hosting this week's entries. Head over to her blog where she's given us a mini-cookbook of new dishes to try. You might just find some neat new recipes your family will enjoy!

I don't think I would have chosen a vegetable dish for my entry. After all, how comforting is corn and celery?! But Heather said vegetables were lacking at the potluck this week, so maybe I'll give it a shot.

My friend Jutta passed this recipe on to me many years ago. There's really no story behind it other than I know whenever I take it places I need to have the recipe copied ahead of time ready to pass out. It's usually that popular! But maybe folks are more intrigued with the title rather than with the recipe itself. You decide.

Connoisseur's Casserole

• 12 - 14 oz can shoe peg corn, drained
• 16 oz French style green beans, drained
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 jar chopped pimiento, drained
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 10 oz can cream of celery soup

Mix all together and place in 2-quart casserole dish. Top with this mixture:

• 1 cup Ritz cracker crumbs
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

[Note: Unfortunately, I have learned that this dish is probably not for husbands and sons...so just take it to an occasional gathering so you can be sure to enjoy it every now and then.]

~Deb