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IT’S THE UNWRAPPED PRESENTS THAT BRING THE MOST JOY

Unwrapped Christmas Gifts


Yes, I had gifts so prettily wrapped and I loved them all.
A lot of thought went into them for my joy to befall.
Throughout the celebration of Christ’s birth
The love was obviously shared in its true worth.
What came to me some presents weren’t tied up with a bow.
Gifts of love come in all kinds of ways that love can glow.
It’s those best wishes, kind acts, giggles through the phone from those who are alone.
The thank you for what you do, the smiles and laughter from your children that send love to your bone.
It’s the gentle stranger opening the door to a old lady, the patience shown for others and more.
Think back over the holidays and you will begin to think like me.
Sometimes the love of Jesus gifts are not under the tree.
They are unexpected acts of unselfish love that others may see.
The gifts we do for no reason but amplify the reason for the season.
Give of yourself and love like Jesus without any personal reason.

Written by Arline Lott Miller with hopes that your Christmas was filled with love of Christ with thanks for His Eternal Gift to Us. 2022

This Christmas time, instead of the usual huge family gathering with the big Christmas dinner and as many of the family members who can come, was different and we still have our upcoming time with one of the sons and his family in the next couple of days. We split time between the oldest son and his family with a BBQ sandwich some fixings and a big spread of desserts. It was so much fun but different that the usual gathering.

Then, Saturday Missy, my daughter came over for the weekend and we had a huge time in the kitchen as I told her I would be her Sous Chef so Saturday was our Mexican Cuisine theme with Missy’s homemade enchiladas, both cheese and chicken cheese filled and the enchilada sauce she made from scratch, Street Corn which I made, Missy’s famous guacamole and fresh mango and pomegranate salsa, and we made black beans and rice too.

I may have duplicated some slides as my mouth was drooling but onto Christmas day dinner. We bypassed the traditional dinner and went Surf and Turf with Greg grilling his famous ribeye steak that melts like butter, Missy pan seared Scallops with assistance from her Sous Chef in prep, Grandma’s cheesy green chilies bread (not really our Grandma but we would gladly adopt her), my pan sautéd green beans, Missy’s homemade Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and desserts Missy’s Blueberry Delight so if you think we missed traditional, no way.

After all the food, entertainment, gift exchanging, cleanup, yes that was part of it and then it was over. Our loved ones who had dropped in, visited and left, the poem you see at the beginning inspired me. I remembered all of the unwrapped gifts of love that were showered. They are too many small gestures of love given and received. Love for Jesus was shown in large quantities, understanding that we have to be flexible as life isn’t always about just us, and compassion for those who could use some love at this time. I will cherish this different kind of Christmas and this poem. I hope all of you had a great Christmas and we wish you a Wonderful New Year.

As a side note and a preface to a future blog post, my husband had a big surprise that is deserving of its own post as I feel a life lesson and it has inspired me to write it separately, but I will post it soon as it is a heartwarming story. Stay tuned my reader friends.

(C) Copyright 2012-2022 Arline Miller of Sipping Cups of Inspiration and Reinvention Queen with all rights and privileges reserved. Third party Material is sourced, if known, to original location/author for credit references.

My Birthday Present Is A Day In The Kitchen With My Daughter

Today, I am 73 and a happy 73 at that. I quit giving aging a thought years ago and just enjoy each day. One of the best things is my daughter who has lived across the country up until 2017 and we have learned we are different cooks but have a lot of similar traits. We will celebrate with my husband, my birthday, her birthday, and Father’s Day as well. We have worked on our menus, Greg and Missy have shopped for different ingredients. Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to Missy, and Happy Father’s Day to Greg. Here is a post that I made in 2020 and I am adding my latest salad delight, Watermelon Salad with no recipe for now, but this will be in a future cookbook that Missy and I are working on.

Arline’s Version of Watermelon Salad (recipe will be in cookbook)

Original Post: I have cooked since I was 12 or 13 in the kitchen since my Mom worked and on Saturdays, I began cooking for my family. It wasn’t sandwiches as those were the days when meals were meals. I could fry chicken or pork chops and there were side dishes. At that time, I didn’t bake anything but rolls. Looking back now, at age 71, I may have survived largely due to the time in the kitchen as my therapy sessions. I love to cook and bake and simply adore a post that someone used one of my recipes. For those of you who cringe at the thought, another type of hobby can do as much for you if it is something you love.

Here is the clincher. I have diabetes II and have had to monitor and watch what and when I eat. So, my cooking and baking is not necessarily for me but I love to spoil people with the dishes they love. One of the things that has helped me the most in managing my diabetes is I eat very small portions on a regular schedule. I don’t go long periods without a small piece of this or that and only indulge in a high carb or sugary dessert as a rarity. Over the years, I found that a spoonful of a dish can keep me from feeling I have been deprived. Some people do not have the will power to do this type of eating but it works for me and my A1C is dropping to a healthier level. My doctor said he was happy and I replied, if you are happy so am I.

I plan on sharing some of the meals/dishes I cook and believe me, they are mostly Southern dishes. I throw in some healthy dishes too but if you want more of them, watch my tab Healthy Bites at the top of my blog. I will try to add more of the yummy recipes there for the ones who love to eat healthier.

Another tip for all of you whether you are watching your weight, your health, or your happiness. Pretty food provides a mental ploy. When you see a plate that is “dressed up” your mind will be better convinced that it is also tasty. Look at this variety of salad photos for an example:

I show you these for a reason, as I found that making food a display of colors is more enticing that throwing it together without thought. Sure, it all goes to the same place but how you perceive it going down can be therapeutic and more satisfying. It is hard to imagine that you are sacrificing when you see the brilliant colors and taste the freshness. Are you beginning to understand how taking a little time, receiving satisfaction from the creation, and then tasting your reward can be a wonderful experience while at the same time filling your belly?

I hope you will try to become a food artist and while you are preparing your pretty plates of healthy choices, take photos and then look through them. I hope you see the art of eating instead of the indulgence. Good eating my readers!

(C) Copyright 2012-2022 Arline Miller of Sipping Cups of Inspiration with all rights and privileges reserved and to be used with permission. All third party material is sourced to original location if known for credit reference.

REINVENTION QUEEN HAS BEEN BUSY REINVENTING LEFTOVERS

While I played nurse to my husband who had a total knee replacement a month ago, we were homebound except for physical therapy and follow up visits. Since we work from home, I have cooked a lot for us and I love finding ways to reinvent a meal to eliminate that dreaded “leftover” syndrome. If it looks the same, we have a tendency to feel the Oh No, not that again. It has become a challenge, a fun one, to see what and if I can make it look new. Here are a few of my latest reinvention meals to share with you.

Remember, I am not trying to give you recipes but I want to encourage you to use what you have, try a few tricks of my trade, and waste not, want not. Open the door to your imagination, feel flavors, sense what will go with what, and experiment.

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS FROM LEFTOVER PORK AND RICE

My husband wanted to give me a break as I have cooked the three square meals while he recovered, and he made some awesome pork and rice in our InstaPot. He used cream of mushroom soup, can of mushrooms, chicken broth, salt and pepper. The rice, which I suggested he use Success Rice made in microwave and added at the last few minutes to prevent the rice from getting too soft or mushy. It was great but it made a lot so I thought what can I do to make a new dish.

Look at how great the InstaPot Pork and Rice made by Greg Miller looks and tasted.

I thought about some bell peppers I had in the fridge which needed to be used. Hmmm, remembering how a recipe I had created making stuffed peppers had rice and tomatoes and how could some yummy chopped pork not add flavors?

I cut the bell peppers in half, cleaned out the insides and coated with a small amount of EVOO and placed on the pan with a rack on top.

I mixed the pork and rice in a bowl. In my small chopper I combined a can of drained fire roasted tomatoes, garlic, chopped shallot, some leftover yellow onion pieces, chopped fresh garlic, seasonings and blended. This became the filling once mixed together with the chopped pork and rice. I added some grated Havarti cheese with dill too. Of course, I added some mirin, tamari sauce, and even a tsp of Worcestershire sauce. I added some goat cheese on top with fresh cilantro. I filled the peppers and baked on 350 degrees for 30 -40 minutes. See the photo for the results. For my summary, you could do this with leftover chicken and rice.

Here are the reinvented peppers I made.
Now, here is how I think when I make a dish, what can I do with the leftovers even from a reinvented meal….I placed the leftovers in one of our food saver bags and we sealed this for a future meal from our freezer. Free food…Love it.

Garden Peas with Leftover Spam Made Easy

I have made this easy breezy lunch all the way back when my daughter was in college. She makes it often without the meat, but this was my first time adding leftover Spam and it was delicious.

A quick summary as this is so easy, you don’t need a recipe: I can of Garden Sweet Peas, 1/2 macaroni, Spam which I had in fridge, butter 2 tsp., 1/4 cup half and half, Seasonings including Onion and Garlic Salt and enough chicken stock to cook macaroni. Saute’ Spam to give it a browned taste in pan, add butter and chicken stock and when hot, add macaroni. After about 4-6 minutes, add half and half, seasonings, and then add garden peas. Cook for same amount of time or until macaroni is cooked but don’t overcook macaroni. Cover and allow to sit for a few minutes and liquid will reduce into macaroni. This is cooked in less than 15 minutes. You can add boiled eggs, pimentos, and even cheese.

This doesn’t need a recipe. I seal leftovers such as small lima butterbeans cooked with leftover pieces of baked ham in our food saver bags and frozen. I had the cheese muffins leftover and thawed the butter beans and heated in pot. I added chopped shallots and chopped chives as a topper. This meal tasted fresh and took approximately 10 minutes.

I hope you will begin to experiment with leftovers by adding cheeses, meats, seasonings, make fritters from leftover veggies, and I am contemplating reinventing some of my great salmon patties into a breakfast dish with eggs so watch out for more from Reinvention Queen.

(C) Copyright, 2012-2022 Arline Miller of Sipping Cups of Inspiration and Reinvention Queen with all rights and privileges reserved. Third party material is sourced if known to original location and author for credit references.

REINVENTION QUEEN LOVES AIR FRYING/INSTAPOT RECIPES

I will say that I have cooked and baked my fair share of food especially since we both work from home. I can prep before I go back to my office and not have to worry about lunch and even dinner. This past week, I made country short ribs in the InstaPot. Once I pulled the ribs out to broil in the oven for 5 minutes, I looked at the broth. I had a package of frozen chicken thighs and wondered why not? I will confess my husband was a little hesitant when he heard me say I was going to cook the thighs in that broth, but later he admitted he was skeptical but the thighs were delicious and tasted the chicken. I thought I would share some recipes for both processes. Some of you may only have one of these time savers but would like the recipes.

InstaPot Country Ribs and/or Chicken Thighs (notes in bold are my changes) Original recipe is courtesy of saltymarshmallow.com

saltymarshmallow.ocm

Instant Pot Country Style Ribs

Instant Pot Country Style Ribs – These Instant Pot Country Style Ribs are so tender and flavorful!  They start with a simple dry rub, are smothered in bbq sauce, and cooked up in your Instant Pot pressure cooker for a delicious and easy meal!CourseMain CourseCuisineAmericanPrep Time5 minutesCook Time45 minutesTotal Time50 minutesServings4Calories273kcalAuthorNichole

Ingredients

  • 3 Pounds Country Style Pork Ribs (can used chicken thighs)

DRY RUB:

  • 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar (1/3 cup used)
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Pepper, Cumin. (I used a Sweet Preachers dry rub in place of all the separate seasonings except Salt and Pepper)
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, Optional
  • 3/4 Cup Beef Broth, Water can be substituted (used chicken broth)
  • 1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce, Plus more for serving
  • 3 splashes Liquid Smoke
  • 1 large red onion sliced and placed on rack in bottom of InstaPot

Instructions

  • In a small bowl mix together the dry rub ingredients until well combined.  Spread the dry rub evenly on both sides of the ribs and massage into the meat.
  • Pour the beef broth into the bottom of your Instant Pot.  Add the ribs to the Instant Pot and pour over the BBQ sauce.
  • Lock the lid on the pressure cooker.  Cook on manual, high pressure, for 45 minutes. After cooking is finished, use the natural release method.  This will take about 15-20 minutes.
  • Remove ribs and serve immediately with extra BBQ sauce as desired!

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal

This was mine with microwave green beans (drain liquids and place beans in microwavable dish with splashes of onion powder, garlic powder, several pats of butter, and 1/2 vegetable bouillon crushed. Microwave beans for 5 minutes and stir….So quick and easy while tasting delicious)

AIR FRYER – TWICE BAKED POTATOES

Pinterest is Source of many great Air Fryer Recipes. Check out other recipes.
Recipe for Twice Baked Potatoes in Air Fryer

I find a lot of recipes for the InstaPot and the Air Fryer. My next venture is Pork Tenderloin so I do what good cooks do is I will research both methods and seasonings and then what I love DO MY OWN THING! I will post as I move through more testing on my Power XL AirFryer Grill Oven 7 in 1 that so far I love it. Easy to use, to clean up, and I can broil, bake, air fry, grill, sear, and toast. It’s ideal to reheat and when you can make pizza too, it is a GO! Feel free to click on the ads on here to go to the original site for more information.

(C) Copyright, 2012-2022 Arline Miller of Sipping Cups of Inspiration and Reinvention Queen with all rights and privileges reserved. Third party material is sourced to original location/author for credit reference.

Cupid’s Calling All Chocoholics

Each year, as Valentines Day creeps closer, that urge to have chocolate increases. It’s not like we haven’t indulged during the holidays, but it pulls at our minds and tummies even more when it is associated with love and passion. I find myself saying it’s okay because it’s Valentines. I have been able to cut down on chocolates while on my mission to find better health. However….it will be Valentines Day soon! Here is my post from a few years ago for all Chocoholics.

FOR THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY 2021, I found a great post about the big event so I thought I would repost it on the first of February to whet our appetite.

Calling all Chocoholics (Chocolate Lovers who might need intervention)! Valentines Day is coming soon so excuses are not needed as it is the reason for the season but WHY? Let us consider the pros and cons of downing the chocolate, milk, white, dark, or mixed with nuts, fillings, or whatever form we can get it. Is there a link to Love? Is it a feel good reason we have to have it. Today, we enter the river of flowing chocolate and get our mouths drooling. Here is an enlightening article I found giving us the psychological reasons and we already know the real reason is “we can’t live without it.”

Why Do We Crave Chocolate So Much?

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Why Do We Crave Chocolate So Much?

The psychology behind why we love chocolate

Posted Feb 11, 2014

Source:Why do we crave chocolate so much? I consulted a professor of psychology and neuroscience, Dr. Amy Jo Stavnezer, to help us understand why we desire chocolate so much (just in time for Valentine’s Day!).

Dr. Albers: On a biological level, why do we crave chocolate?

Professor Stavnezer: We crave chocolate because it is good! It tastes good. It smells good. It feels good when it melts on our tongue. And all of those ‘feelings’ are the result of our brain releasing chemicals in response to each chocolate experience. The experience of eating chocolate results in feel good neurotransmitters (mainly dopamine) being released in particular brain regions (frontal lobe, hippocampus and hypothalamus—definitions a bit later).

Dopamine is released when you experience anything that you enjoy—sex, laughing, or watching your favorite Olympian claim the gold. This reward circuit is partially hard-wired by genetics, but it learns, changes and responds to your specific preferences based on your life experiences. This malleability of the brain is what makes each of us unique. In fact, there are supposedly people in the world who do not like chocolate.

By simply using one neurotransmitter system to associate rewards with actions, an efficient and powerful brain network evolved so that a positive outcome would be repeated. The dopamine signal sent through the reward circuit brings about positive feelings and assessments of the situation in the frontal lobe (just behind your eyes), creates a memory of the experience including where, who, what and why and links that to the positive experiences via the hippocampus (about an inch inside of each ear), and when food is involved, the hypothalamus (a few inches above the roof of your mouth) gathers information about the caloric and nutrient content for future hunger and satiety signals.

It was originally thought that chocolate contained compounds that could activate this dopamine system directly (like cigarettes and cocaine do). Chocolate does contain theobromine that can increase heart rate and bring about feelings of arousal, caffeine which can make us feel awake and increase our ability to work and focus, and fat and sugar which are preferred food sources for humans because they are calorie dense. However, elegant experiments in which the components of chocolate were separated out indicated that just ingesting the chemicals in chocolate without the mouth-feel and taste does not decrease craving.

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Photo courtesy of goodhousekeeping.com



Maybe this is why we eat chocolate?

I found an excerpt from an article on the history of how chocolate became the ruler of Valentines Day. It is from National Geographic and is titled Why We Want Chocolate for Valentines Day

THE PLATE

Why We Want Chocolate for Valentine’s Day

3 MINUTE READBY APRIL FULTON

So how did chocolate become the ultimate Valentine’s Day treat?

The origins of the historic combination are far from clear. Chocolate has been considered an aphrodisiac since the time of the Aztecs, and was once only available to the wealthy. Spanish conquistadors brought it back to Europe, and according to The Oxford Companion to Food, Italian chefs were shaving blocks over their risottos in the late 17th century. The French made pastilles in the 18th century, a favorite of the marquis de Sade. But it wasn’t until the cocoa butter extracted from the beans was processed into the rough form of a candy bar in England in 1847, according to Cadbury, and later rounded out with milk, that its appeal began to grow. Once candy became cheaper to produce, more people got to taste it. And once they tasted it, well, you know the rest.

Meanwhile, the origins of Valentine’s Day are even more complex. They can be traced to Roman times and Lupercalia, a Pagan festival that involved fertility and feasting in mid-February. The Romans “were drunk. They were naked,” Noel Lenski, a historian at the University of Colorado at Boulder, told NPR in 2011. Young women lined up for the men to hit them, Lenski says. They thought would make them fertile.

Not too romantic, was it? It gets crazier. The early Catholic Church martyred a rebel priest named Valentine and tried to take the nakedness out of the Lupercalia festival by declaring Feb. 14 as St. Valentine’s Day. Chaucer combined the essence of the pagan rituals with courtly ideas of love in one famous Valentine’s poem about bird sex: “And, Lord, the blisse and joye that they make! For ech of hem gan other in wynges take.” And then Shakespeare took the notion of romantic love even further in the sonnets.

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Hopefully, this will get your Valentine craving for chocolate flowing and from this Sipping Cup of Inspiration blogger, Happy Valentines Day and now it is official, you have a natural reason for loving chocolate. My deeper thought is to LIVE LIFE, LOVE LIFE, AND LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST by digesting all that life has to offer as long as you add to other’s lives and not make their lives unhappy. Eat chocolate or don’t, but love always.

(C) Copyright 2012-2022 Arline Miller of Sipping Cups of Inspiration and Reinvention Queen with all rights and privileges reserved. Third party material, if known, is sourced to original location for credit reference

Air Fryer/InstaPot Makes Life Easier

First, let me say, and some of you already know, I am an avid Southern style cook and baker. Born in Georgia, and a true Georgia Peach, I was taught to cook, fry, and bake at an early age. I stirred, mixed, separated, and whisked with the best of southern cuisine. Oh yes, I can roll out dumplings and bake a mile high cake. I love to plate pretty food using colorful combinations. While I can do this with a easy skillset, I have learned to use tools, appliances and ways to make my kitchen life easy. These methods don’t take away from taste at all. It’s in the seasoning my friends, use those herbs, spices, and broths to bring it all together……just simpler and easier. Does this mean I have stopped my southern style meals? Not hardly, I combine my styles and I am not always hovering over a hot stove every meal.

Yesterday, I took out ground chuck and also saw a pack of stew beef and took out that package too. When my husband called saying he was on his way home from his American Legion Leader Conference and it would be over an hour, I took a look at the package of stew beef and my InstaPot was calling my name. I grabbed the pot down from its place on the shelf. Here is how simple and in 35 minutes of pressuring, it was so tender and hot when Greg walked in the door.

  • InstaPot Stew Beef made entirely in 40 minutes from package to noodles:
  • 1 pkg of good quality stew beef (already in chunks so no chopping
  • 1 Large Onion (chopped in large chunks
  • 1 pkg Ranch Dressing Mix
  • 1 pkg. Lipton Dry Garlic & Herb Soup mix
  • 1/2 carton Beef Broth
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Directions: Saute the beef after sprinkling both pkgs of Dry Seasoning mixes with a Tablespoon of Olive Oil. Add chopped Onions and Salt and Pepper
  • Add small amount of Beef Broth to deglaze bottom. Once deglazed, add the rest of beef broth. If not adding other optional ingredients, close lid and follow instructions for Meat and Stews and locking procedures. Pressure for 35 minutes.
  • Optional add ingredients: Carrots, potatoes, peppers, mushrooms. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles (I used pre-cooked linguine, so easy for quick meals)
Photo courtesy of Google recipe search

Air Fryer Drumsticks

Before I go into this quick and easy way to make a lot of drumsticks (our grands love drumsticks), I think we are all watching our budgets as food costs are rising but you can use this recipe for thighs, and breasts. Remember that breasts are drier so don’t overcook them.

Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks

These Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks are so easy to make – brush them with BBQ sauce and broil in the oven for crispy chicken!Prep Time5 minsCook Time20 minsTotal Time25 minsCourse: Main CourseCuisine: AmericanKeyword: chicken drumsticks Servings: 4 servings Calories: 308kcal Author: Taylor Stinson

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 8 chicken drumsticks
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
This is my photo of placing seasoned drumsticks in InstaPot.
Ready to Pressure Drumsticks
So tender but tasty!
Placed on Broiler for a few minutes for crispy skin.

Instructions

  • Add water and trivet to the bottom of Instant Pot. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together spices then coat chicken in the mixture, rubbing well all over.
  • Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal. Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 10 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook for 10 minutes.
  • Let the Instant Pot do a natural pressure release. Meanwhile, set oven to broil on medium-high and adjust wrack to the second highest placement.
  • Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily. Carefully remove chicken with tongs, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Broil drumsticks for 1-2 minutes per side, watching closely so they don’t burn.
  • Add chicken to a large bowl then toss in BBQ sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Chicken in Air Fryer made so crispy and tasty.
Shrimp is so easy with the air fryer.

I will post more recipes using the InstaPot and the Power Air Fryer but check out my Pinterest Boards if you want to learn how to use these handy appliances. Go to: /https://www.pinterest.com/alm06/power-air-fryer-oven-cooking/

Go to my InstaPot board for more recipes: https://www.pinterest.com/alm06/instant-pot-recipes/

Cook smart, cook fast, but always cook tasty. Happy Meals….Until We Cook Again….Arline Miller, Reinvention Queen

Lessons from a Doggie’s Point of View

I had so many warm and receptive responses from Whisker’s post a few days ago, I thought I had one more to share that I would love to have a picture from that day, but I think if you use your imagination, you will get a visual impression when Whiskers went rogue and joined the ranks of the Oompa Loompa from the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

This was the last pictures of Whiskers along with Bandit, our rescued Yorkie. Even though Whiskers was sick, he would not give up and went along with the Christmas festivities.

Whiskers had a lot of terrier in his mixture of a schnauzer and if you know terriers, they are inherently diggers. It’s in their blood and Whiskers lived true to his heritage. Before we rescued him, he was infamous for digging out of his yard and visiting his neighbor’s Rottweiler who was huge, but that didn’t stop Whiskers. I am sure it was frustrating to his owners to have to fill in the holes only to have him dig new ones.

I think, looking back on our life with that rowdy fella, he would have made a trucker an ideal copilot as he would have jumped into any truck or car and rode. Greg and I joke about he is trying to get my Mom to take him for a ride in Heaven and if that were possible, he would tell her to speed up so his fur would blow for his “weasel” look. Or he would round up Greg’s Mom who drove like a speed demon as she definitely would get the fur blowing.

Several times in Augusta, we didn’t have a fenced in yard, we would be allowing Whiskers out to do his business in the back yard which looked like it was in the mountains with a stream flowing, Whiskers would be strolling around and it was like something came over him and off he would run. Of course, we would get all panicky and try to call him back while he so candidly looked back and seemed to laugh that he was free and off he would go. I won’t go into the many rides and tears of worry I went through only to find he had found a big girl doggie somewhere and was visiting her. One was a big Lab and one was even a chow that was chained which normally makes them unfriendly, but there was Whiskers acting the cool hand Luke and looking at us like “What?”

No matter what was going on, Whiskers had to be in the middle of the action.

When we moved to Kathleen, of course Whiskers loved the adventure of riding with Mommy and seeing places he hadn’t seen and then came that big wooden fenced in yard at our new home. All the years, we lived there, and each time he went out the doggie door, he patrolled “his” yard. Squirrels had to jump and run away from him as he was the Security Guard. We thought how nice we don’t have to worry about Whiskers running off. Right, you think? Wrong!!

On one side of the back yard, the fence had a slight opening along the bottom to keep the gate from dragging. I know that rascal probably saw that light in that opening while we were at the office working and thought why not? As it is common in Georgia where we live, we have a lot of red Georgia clay so you may begin to paint a picture. I am not sure how long he had to apply his claws to that mission, but apparently he broke through and dug out. We have no clue on where he went and how long he wandered.

At some point, and this is where the lesson came in, Whiskers had a life moment. Even as much as he loved wandering and exploring, he realized he had found humans who loved him, accepted him with his seizure condition, his scruffiness, his security, and care. We loved him when he was unwanted and we gave him a home, this home he had worked to escape to see what else was to see. When we came home, sitting at the garage door, with his famous thrown out back leg was Whiskers, totally orange from the clay covering, but wanting to go inside and never to dig out again. Whiskers had learned the lesson like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home.”

Whiskers was one of a kind and unforgettable. We love you!

A little side note: Greg did pour concrete in the ground at the gate and that might have been more of a solution but we like to think he learned how good he had it and chose to stay home.

Home is a valuable refuge from all of the worldly noise. We have a link to our childhood home or homes even as we move away and go in different directions. Take time to make memories to share with your children and grandchildren. I try to sit with our grandchildren and share my childhood memories and their eyes show interest and yes, they ask questions and that warms my heart. Don’t let those memories get lost. Savor those Whiskers moments by sharing them.

(C) Copyright 2012-2021 Arline Miller of Sipping Cups of Inspiration with all rights and privileges reserved. Third party material is sourced to original location/author, if known, for credit reference.

The Lessons We Can Learn From Our Pets

This post may not be interesting to the people who don’t own pets and even don’t like pets, but for the many of us who have pets who we consider family members, will get this and probably will want to comment. All of us who love our fur babies love to mention our babies and feel welcome to post pictures and stories.

Whiskers, our wonder rescue dog, who would tolerate being dressed in costume.

My husband and I have been blessed to have some “humanistic” rescued doggies since we have been together. Our first rescue was Whiskers, a schnauerrier (mix of schnauzer and terrier) and his name was perfect. We didn’t name him as we knew where he came from and he had his name. Here is Whisker’s story:

I was in insurance at the time and called on businesses for supplemental health insurance. My husband, Greg, knew of a auto repair shop, and actually set up the appointment with the owner. I drove over to the shop and the waiting room was full of customers and so I sat down to wait for the owner to discuss him offering his employees some coverage. While I sat there, I happened to notice a rough cardboard sign which read “Free puppy to a good home.” On the floor, there were two bowls, water and dry food. My curiosity was raised so I asked what the sign was about. I learned about Whiskers, who was owned by the shop owner’s neighbor. Whiskers was intrigued by his big Rottweiler, Zeus, and would dig out from his yard and visit Zeus. One day, they noticed a big moving truck in front of Whisker’s home early as he left for work and was shocked that afternoon they had completely moved out but left Whiskers in the yard with a handmade note saying “Please find Whiskers a good home.”

When I heard his story, my heart went out to Whiskers as I could only imagine him wondering where his little girl had gone as they usually played outside. I am not going to express the anger I felt from his abandonment. The guy who owned the business I was calling on brought Whiskers over to his house which seemed fine with Whiskers but Zeus, while accepting Whiskers as a visitor, was jealous of Whiskers as a potential resident. Here is where I felt a confused and almost angry response. Thinking Zeus might harm Whiskers, he decided to take Whiskers away and drove him 9 miles and put him out on the side of the road. Oh, I had to fight the inclination to be verbally loud at that moment of the story. What was incredible was Whiskers walked back the entire 9 miles to the only place he knew, he came back. This created the owner to take him to the shop and see if he could find Whiskers a good home. Now, here I enter the story. Greg and I had discussed having a dog as we are both dog lovers. What I want to interject at this time, I had not seen Whiskers and Greg was working.

As I listened to the story, my heart tugged. He, after telling me of the history, asked me would I like to see him? At the very second he asked me, he opened the door next to me and out came Whiskers. He was wagging his tail, looking around with excitement at him being let out to investigate all of us waiting. He went around the room, stopping with old people, young people, every race, every size, with the same amount of enthusiasm and friendliness. He didn’t judge or make a sound, but worked the room until he came to me. Our eyes met and he just knew. He sat down in front of me and waited. When I reached my hand down to his head, he let out a squeal, not a bark. Again, he knew he had a new owner, a new family, and he never looked back. We went out to my car after I had called Greg who didn’t have a clue what he looked like or anything else but immediately said, “Yes, bring him home.”

I am going to stop the story as we were so blessed and I have millions of stories of how smart he was and how much he meant to us. We both sigh at the memory of Whiskers who had seizures which was probably the reason he was abandoned, but not for long, as we had the blessing of the cute dog that chose us for a good life. The lesson from Whiskers is to never give up as happiness is a wag away if you keep finding your happiness.

Photo courtesy of Good Housekeeping.
  • Dogs accept their owners without any judgment of looks, wealth, personalities. If you are having a bad hair day, they are fine with it.
  • Dogs forgive easily. It may be that their memory span is shorter than humans. Maybe humans need to forget and forgive.
  • Dogs don’t need a lot of toys or entertainment sources to keep them happy and if you look around, dogs that are owned by poor families are usually as content as dogs who live in luxury.
  • Dogs will protect their families if threatened, to the death if necessary without thinking whether that is a good idea. It is a natural instinct.
  • A dog loves unconditionally and fully. A picture that breaks my heart is to see a dog that has been abandoned, with or without food or water, wait patiently or try to run after their owner’s vehicle. It doesn’t seem feasible in their mind they won’t come back for them.

I thought our love of animals who capture our hearts would be a good focus instead of all the serious and tragic events going on in our world. I will post some of the stories that make our memory bank full of the laughter filled moments and the emotional tugs. Whiskers lived 9 1/2 years which is great for a dog who had seizures since before we got him but if he could have talked, he would tell you he had a happy life full of adventure with us.

(C) Copyright 2012-2021 Arline Miller of Sipping Cups of Inspiration with all rights and privileges reserved. Third party material, if source is known, is referenced to original author/location for credit reference.

I Am Positive That I Am Positive.

Arline Lott Miller

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Being positive doesn’t mean we are happy, happy, happy all the time. When others hurt, when we hurt, it hurts period. Being positive means we trust that everything, even the sad and hurtful times, will work in a positive direction. Even failure can be a positive step in the direction of success. Times of sacrifice can build strength and character. Positive people lose, suffer, are tested, and the difference between negative people is the reaction. The little engine says it well, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!” That attitude is a perfect description of positivity. When I feel my positivity trying to leave my brain, I say to myself, I think I can!!!Do all of my meals turn out perfectly? No, and it is ironic, but sometimes when it fails, it tastes better. Not always, but sometimes. I think I can!Do all of my attempts to maintain my health work smoothly? Ask me on some mornings when I feel queasy, but my glucose numbers are starting to level out. I grab a cracker and some ginger ale and say “I think I can!”Do I always say the perfect thing? Oh I could go on about this one as my mouth will get ahead of my brain and the train goes off the track, but when I say something that actually encourages another, and they acknowledge how it helped, I say thank you for allowing me to have the blessing of positivity. I think I can!Do I know what I should do every minute of every day? Of course not, but I am positive that I can pray and search for answers. I know I can! God is the most positive Google search engine and I know He Can. Be Positive, Be Encouraging, and Be Faithful to Your Faith.

Here’s a thought to start our day off in a positive light:

Morning Thought: Enlighten Your Being by Seeking Those Things Which Are Given Freely.

1- A child’s laugh and giggles.

2- An old person’s story of a time when they were young.

3- Animals at play with each other or by themselves.

4-Nature in all forms can be soothing or exciting but always enlightening.

When we allow ourselves, what I like to call, gliding thoughts with no specific direction it produces creative results. Think light and breezy thoughts to get past any conflict blocking enlightenment. Enlighten by lightening the load in our heads.

Photo From Facebook.com

photo by Ian Hunt.jpeg

Positivity breeds productivity. At a young 72, I am optimistic for a long, healthy, productive, and creative life. I see more not less. I see good and not bad. You may ask how I can say that last statement in the midst of all of the chaos and confusion in the world. It is this simple. I can only control myself, not the world. I can focus on each good thing which allows me less time to focus on bad things. I am not naive at all. I CHOOSE how I react to negativity which at 72 years this is not my first rodeo and I CHOOSE to think I will survive the bad and thrive on the good. If you concentrate on life and not politics as one is a given as each breath and day is a blessing but politicians come and go. Wasted breath is what I refuse to spend my valuable day and time and I love cooking and baking. That is my therapy to avoid that back and forth chatter. Spend time in the yards, kitchen, writing, drawing, crafting, creating whatever hobby you love, sing, dance, walk, and any other healthy and wise activity you enjoy.

Photo Courtesy of Greg Miller

I encourage my husband who is a great amateur photographer to take photos. He does and it excites me to see his talent. It doesn’t matter what you are good at or even if you are not spectacular doing what you love…….Do It! Be Positive about Doing It! You will be surprised at how much more tolerant of all events in life when you see life in a positive light.

I want to spend a few lines on the biggest factor on being positive which is your faith. Faith is a mixture of a lot of things:

Faith in Our God and Higher Power

Faith in Ourselves as Acceptable to God and Our Fellow Person

Faith in Our Way of Life

Faith in Our Community

In all of these, we can build a positive link to enjoying the good parts in life and there is no room for negativity. It is a positive direction to remove negativity and build on what can be accomplished by trusting in God, Ourselves, Our Way of Life, and Our Fellow Human. May you find positive outlets to fulfill a happy life.

(C) Copyright 2012 – 2021 Arline Miller of Sipping Cups of Inspiration with all rights and privileges reserved. Third Party Material is sourced, if known, to original location if known.

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