Hot Peppers

I was really craving hot peppers a couple of months ago and finally ended up buying some nice long, red chillies. They sell for 2$ a lb. Of course, you only need a few, definitely not 1 lb! We all enjoy that burning sensation, so I decided to plant the seeds. Now, several months later we are enjoying these little chillies from our own plants in our yard. It is exciting.
I already made some hot pepper vinegar and the kids practically drank it down. They pour it on everything, but especially EMPANADAS. The Canadians loved it, and Jason even asked me for the recipe…it’s just hot peppers (seeds and all), crushed garlic, oregano, a little bit of salt and vinegar. The first time I made my pepper-vinegar the “hotness” of the little chillies stayed on my hands for about a day. My fingernails were burning. I was afraid to touch Edson’s food or body. The next time I used gloves.
Well, personally, I prefer the fresh cuts. So, the other day, I cut up four little chillies for Oscar and me at lunch. We divided it up half and half and put it on our food. The first bite had us spitting out our food. These peppers were soooooo hot that I ended up scraping them off my food and separating them in a pile. Even with no peppers on our food, it was already way past the “picante” side. Our mouths were burning, we had tears in our eyes and nose started getting runny.
It was a wonderful experience for those of us who enjoy “mild” to “hot” … even though I think that this was “extra, extra hot”. Let us know when you’re coming; I’ll have some ready for you!

One Extra Degree

I got this in a newletter this week and thought it was interesting.

Enter 212°. The 212° concept is one of the most powerful communication ideas that I’ve experienced in my 30 years as an entrepreneur. A little over a year ago, Sam Parker and I wrote a Simple Truths’ gift book titled: 212°...The Extra Degree, and it has been successful beyond my wildest dreams!

Here’s the idea:
At 211 degrees...water is hot.
At 212 degrees...it boils.
And with boiling water, comes steam.
And steam can power a locomotive.
And, it’s that one extra degree that...
Makes all the difference.

And so many times it’s that one extra degree of effort in business and in life that separates the good from the great.
So simple...yet so versatile and so unforgettable.
212° can apply to almost any value that you wish to reinforce...212° attitude, 212° leadership, 212° respect, and of course, 212° service. Because, as we all know, it is that one extra degree that can make all the difference!
Live With Passion,
Mac Anderson
Founder, Simple Truths

Encouragement for YOU!

I’ve been taking a journey with the Israelites through Numbers and Deuteronomy (NIV) and these are some of the outstanding things I’ve found…
Dt. 1:8 – See I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore he would give to your fathers…
Dt. 1:29 – Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30. The Lord will fight for you as he did for you in Egypt before your very eyes. 31. and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son…
Dt. 2:7 – All these 40 years the Lord has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.
Dt. 2:31 – Now begin to conquer and possess this land.
Dt. 3:18 – The Lord your God has given you this land to take possession of it.
Dt. 3:22 – Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.
Dt. 4:9 – Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
Dt. 4:23 – Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you.
Dt. 4:31 – For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.
Dt. 4:39 – Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven and on the earth below. There is no other. 40. Keep his decrees and commands which I am giving you today, so that it may go will with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all times.
Dt. 5:32 So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33. Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
Dt. 6:5- Love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Dt. 6.13 – Fear the Lord your God and serve him only…
Dt. 6.25 – And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.

Have a GREAT day!

CROCODILE BARBEQUE!

The kids were looking forward to this day. They talked about it all week. Saturday, Pastor Pedro invited them to eat a CROCODILE BARBEQUE! Yikes!
Tio (Uncle) Wilfrido was going to be there, and some other of their braver friends. There was about 20 lbs of the stuff. I thought it was a good thing. They could have an interesting cultural experience. People EAT crocodile here. I never did, but Brandon ate crocodile empanadas. I think…maybe…I’m glad I wasn’t invited! Edson and I shared scrambled eggs at home. Oscar was in San Pedro. They say it taste like chicken…so do frogs legs...I heard. Right now I’ll stick with chicken or beef, thanks!
They came home saying how great it was! I'm glad they were so brave.
Oops, there was some left over and they were supposed to bring it home. Maybe next time!

Science Projects

Gaby came home the other day with an exciting science project. He has to make a skeleton model of the spinal column for Science class…its due in two weeks! He started to tell me his ideas and my eyes widened as I thought of all those little bones, ligaments and muscles we would have to pull together for those back bones! I asked him why the teacher assigned him the spinal column, and he said that HE actually picked it out. I said, “that is a very hard thing to copy, create and make work…you know, actually move with muscle pull and all.” He said, “Come on, Mom, why are you so negative. Why don’t you encourage me a little more?” I apologized for my pessimism and got to thinking, and thinking, and thinking, but I still doubted. Finally, I asked him if he could change his project to a knee joint or arm/elbow joint trying to explain all the while why the spine seemed so difficult to make. We decided on a leg/knee model. He checked with the teacher who also agreed.
One kid already did a head and shoulders skeleton model out of styrofoam. Gaby said it was great!
It’s gotta be done in two weeks…any suggestions?

Dial-up...AHHHH!

I haven’t been able to connect to internet for about a week. I can connect seconds or minutes to get my email, but then there seems to be too much interference and sometimes we can hear a radio or other people talking. So, that’s why my slow phone line won’t even open my blogger. I keep trying off and on and nothing happens, so if you haven’t heard from me for a while…it’s not that I don’t want to write, it’s just discouraging to sit down and write and then not be able to send what ever. So, I just don’t sit down to write since I have so much other stuff to do!
Like what? You ask…Three people have been asking me for Edson’s old clothes: two are expecting in April and one wants Edson’s old jeans so her crawler won’t scrape his knees on a cement floor while learning to crawl/walk. I have to clean up a few piles of unwanted papers, old calendars, receipts, etc. I have to reorganize shelves, closets, etc. I have to sweep away the cobwebs. You know the rest: cook, clean, sweep, and…EDSON.
Well, maybe it's a BLESSING that my telephone/dial-up doesn't work!
So, now that I connect at 29,2 Kbps…I’m sending this on!

More Birthday Surprises!
(This was supposed to be published on Friday, but I had problems with the dial-up connection until today, Monday. Computer problems always get me upset so I just didn't even get near it!)
FRIDAY: Oscar came home today with a HUGE bouquet of flowers from my mom and sisters! Wow! I wasn’t expecting that! See…the celebration lasts a week!
I wondered why Gabriel was talking to my sister so long yesterday! He did VERY well at giving out directions and keeping a secret!
Thanks Gals! I never got “INTERNATIONAL” flowers before!
I will send pictures when I get a better connection. If not, they will never up load at "21,6kbps".
More birthday news (written today, Monday)…
The Celebration Continues...All of Oscar’s relatives (and Jason) here in the Asuncion area came over on Sunday for a spaghetti meal…in honor of my birthday.
I think that THIS week…I am tired of the birthday celebration. It was great! Beautiful! Fun! Wonderful to be loved by so many people!
BUT....its a new week…a new month! Time to get focused!