food, crochet, merriment
You will need a sheet of tissue paper–any color, a pair of scissors and a glue stick.
Fold the tissue over on itself until it is about 3-4 inches wide. Cut a point shape about 3 inches up.
Unfold it and glue the two ends together with a glue stick.
Ta-Da!
According to legend, a young man while roaming the world came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher. After a four-day journey he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.
Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container. The student challenged his teacher: “Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it?”
The teacher replied, “You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of living-kindness and nothing could be sweeter.”
Self-motivation without gratitude is impossible. Our energy is “sapped” when our entire focus is on what’s wrong instead of what is right with our lives. One of our greatest challenges is to live and love in spite of pain and disappointment…to find gratitude in the midst of it all.
Reflect for a moment on this beautiful quote from Melody Beattie:
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
President Eyring’s talk about gratitude
If you plan on staying up to greet the New Year this Wednesday–here’s a little help. Whip up a couple of these make ahead recipes and give your family something great to nibble on. They’ll be glad they stayed awake for this!
If you’re looking for a quick and easy New Year’s snack–then give this one a try. Word of warning…you may just be making this well into March.
Just saying…
Caramel Corn Pops
1 box Corn Pops Cereal
2 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine cereal and nuts in a greased, shallow baking pan. Set aside. In a saucepan, bring butter, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and soda. Pour caramel mixture over cereal and nuts. Stir well until all are coated. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Pour onto waxed paper and break apart. Store in airtight container.