Goodness all around...my many finds...and fat bombs...

"Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try." -unknown

I have a ritual each morning.  It all started when I was trying to figure out how to get into some consistent quiet time.  Something I know I could do the rest of my life rather than tuck it in where ever it fit into my day.  I am not an early riser, so I could not be like Beth Moore who goes daily in the wee hours of the morning to sit on her back porch to spend time with God.  I am one who likes to wake up gradually, and lie in bed awhile before my feet hit the floor.  I decided I would listen to my favorite preacher, Alistair Begg's, daily broadcast, truthforlife, while waking up.  I downloaded his app for my iPad, and that is how I do my quiet time each day.  It is about 20 minutes of the best preaching you will ever hear.  There is also a daily devotion, and Bible reading in the New and Old Testament.  They even have the Bible reading in audio, so you can play it while reading along. This is particularly nice when there are all those unpronounceable names that I usually skip over rather than try to figure them out.   This morning Alistair ended by reading an mini article someone sent to him.  I absolutely loved it...

"If a Christian would take the form of a flower, what would it be?  Some would say a rose, a tulip, and yet others would say a daffodil.  I, on the other hand, say a Christian is called to be a dandelion because a dandelion has all the attributes of a Christian witness.

• A dandelion is the first hope in the spring...
• A dandelion is the first expression of love, for it the first "flower" usually given to a mother by a small child...
• A dandelion makes itself known in the neighborhood quickly...
• A dandelion is not conscious of class, and equally casts itself on the rich and poor...
• A dandelion provides beauty, and color where nothing else will grow...
• A dandelion can be cut, trampled, dug up, or pulled up, and still bounces back with its witness as though nothing happened...
• A dandelion is a victim of slander, for some people call it a weed, but it pushes on undaunted to conqueror the world...
• A dandelion is very neighborly.

Wouldn't it be great if we would all act and witness like dandelions."

I just feel like God has been so good to me with all the beauty He has let me see in the things around me.  Here are a few examples of His blessings.

I went with my fellow photographers to try to get some wonderful shots of the "Supermoon" that happened on July 11th.  I have seen these amazing photos with trees, animals, homes, bridges, and cities silhouetted against the moon.   I wanted to get one.  This is what the moon is supposed to look like.  This is not my photo!  I wish it was though.

Our photos of the moon did not turn out like this.  My moon looked like this...and this is enlarged many, many, many, many times...it sort of looked like a dot in the original photo.

My moon looked so lonely, I added stars and a quote.

We were outside of town with all the jack pumps again.  Our intent was to photograph the moon beside the pump...the moon was supposed to be really big.  In this picture,  see that glow to the upper right of the pump? That is the moon...rather tiny.  Definitely not the super moon we were hoping to photograph.   If I zoomed in on the moon, then the only part of the pump I could get in the picture was maybe a screw.

If my pump jack was in focus,  then the moon was out of focus, and vice versa.  A still pump jack.

Then all of a sudden the still pump,  started pumping.  It about scared us to death.  Three ladies out in the middle of nowhere, and we are pretty much cowards.

The pumping pump jack.  I thought this was pretty cool.

The next pictures were taken on our (Warren and I went to see Mark and his wife) return trip from Denver.  Warren was so good to stop along the way when I spotted something I thought would make a good picture.  He even turned around, and did not complain about it.  I cannot spot these great photo opportunities in advance.  I see them as we are speeding by.  A figure of speech.  Warren and I do not speed.  We do not want tickets.  If my boys are reading this, pay attention to the last part, and do not speed.  Your father and I are good examples for you.

I thought these horses were lovely.  They thought I had something to feed them.  

These horses were expecting an apple, or two.  When I did not produce any thing good to eat, they turned their backs on me and ran off.  Hmmm.

Leaving me in the dust...no food, so photos.

If you look closely at this picture of barbed wire...which I saw a picture of just barbed wire one time in a museum piece with a price tag of $1500.  If anyone wants to buy this picture, I will sell it to you for $25.  It is a good investment...I am sure the price will only go up...Okay, back to my original thought...If you look closely at this picture, you can see the horses faintly in the background behind the barbed wire.  See now, I know you will want to buy this picture.  It is of barbed wire, and horses. Sure to become a collector's item.

See the horses?

Those of us who make the trip to Albuquerque from Roswell have seen this abandoned house on the left side of the road right before Vaughn.  I love this house...I finally got a picture of it.

Abandoned house

Since our moon pictures were such a bust, my friend and I decided to scout out a place to try another technique for photographing the moon.  Again...out in the middle of nowhere.  These cows were very curious about us.  Aren't this cute?   We had a storm that night.  We never got to go out.  The next super moon is August 10th.  Maybe I will get a better moon shot then.

Who are you, and what are you doing in my pasture?

lovely cow

We have tons of squirrels in our backyard.  This is not in our backyard.  I chase away the squirrels in our backyard, because they are destroying our trees.  This was at  friend's in Ruidoso who feeds them.  I think they are cute when they are somewhere other than in my yard.  When they are in my yard, I think of them as rodents.  I definitely do not feed them.

Squirrel or rodent?  Which do you have?

This sunflower was on the side of the road.  Yes, I made Warren stop, so I could get a picture.  I would like to have these in my backyard instead of squirrels.

Finally, I am on day 12 of my ketogenic diet.  It has been  hard getting in all the required fat.  I have had a visit to my cardiologist, and I just want to say those old diets of low fat, and more carbs, can kill you.  New studies have shown that a diet high in the good fats, moderate protein, and low carb are healthy, and better for you.  I have to stay on a ketogenic diet.  I have some health issues...maybe.  I have several tests in the next few weeks to determine exactly what is happening inside of my body.  I have found two amazing websites full of great information.  One my niece told me about...her twins are on a ketogenic diet.  It is the Charlie foundation.  It has all kinds of information, recipes, and videos.  The second one is the ketodietapp.com.  It has some equally great information.  Be sure to visit both of these websites.  Since I have trouble getting in all my fats, I started making  "fat bombs."    I found these on the keto diet blog.  I made the "leto coconut fat bombs."  Absolutely delicious.

I have the recipe with all the proportions and ingredients after all my pictures.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spread unsweetened flaked coconut on a baking sheet, and brown.  It takes about 5-8 minutes.

Transfer the toasted coconut into a blender, and pulse until smooth.  Depending on the oil content of your coconut, you will get a fine powder, or a runny consistency.  Runny is better, but mine did not turn out that way.  I used it anyway...there are better pictures on the website.

Add softened butter, and coconut oil. Add cinnamon or vanilla, stevia, and salt.  Mix well.  Pour into mini muffin forms or an ice tray.  I used the mini cupcake papers, and this recipe filled 12.  Place in the refrigerator.

 When firm, this is what they look like.  Try to resist eating them all.  They are so good.  Eat and enjoy.

These are so, so good

Here's the recipe:
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp. cinnamon or extract from 1 vanilla bean.  I did not have a vanilla bean so I used the cinnamon
1 or 2 packages of stevia...sweeten to your taste...if using stevia drops-20-25
pinch of salt.

I am linking up to Kim Klassen's Friday finds.  Pop on over and see what others have found.  I have found some wonderful blogs by doing this.

Be blessed.