Happy Birthday Charles Dickens Unscramble Game

Born 200 years ago upon this date of February 7th, 1812, Charles John Huffam Dickens, was birthed to John & Elizabeth Dickens, his destiny to be the second in a row of eight children. He passed away on June 9th, 1870, mourned by many.

Mr. Dickens was an exceedingly influential writer of the 1800s, affecting everything from TV to our speech patterns (ie,What the Dickens! lol). I didn't begin reading his literature until I was in high school & I have admittedly not read as many of his works as I should have. I am in the process of slowly, but surely devouring his Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, an interesting array of tales that amuse with the satirical irony that seems to envelope much of the plot.

In honor of his birthday I have decided to do an Unscramble Game (Miss Laurie of Old-Fashioned Charm was the inspiration with her Unscramble Games of late). It will consist of characters from his books & book titles. The number of letters in each set denotes the amount in the answer.

Points: 5 points for every correct answer & an additional 2 points for every character you can name which book they are from.

Charles Dickens Unscramble Game:

Female Characters:

1. YLSN UNHAPDUHAP (2 words)
2. HNRI EATETMSIS SNPINUK (3 words)
3. TENT LELRN (2 words)
4. LVRED NALYOD (2 words)
5. HYEPKN CSICEFRFR (2 words)
6. TWOD OTBTE MSYSRSOI (3 words)

Male Characters:

7. DDGATF RUOLRE (2 words)
8. TMA LBEBUC SRHOSIR (3 words)
9. QLADNE IUPIL (2 words)
10. MONDAY ISALOS (2 words)
11. BSROGOEC ENEZEER (2 words)
12. THES FIFECPNSK (2 words)


Novels:

13. YARDEGB ABNRU (2 words)
14. MID EWNDOYO ST YEREH ROFDT (5 words)
15. POH OTL YTSHEDCUR SIOI (4 words)
16. ASOBED MYO NDN (3 words)
17. OTW FAISRTLIEV EN OESRUV TDEHT (5 words)
18. PLB ITEHCWKI KCCU (3 words)

Good luck to everyone!

God bless,
Sarah Grace

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a joyous & blessed holiday! I have been a bit under the weather with an upset stomach. I pray that the New Year will be rich with new memories & experiences.

God bless,
Sarah Grace

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart & lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him & He shall direct thy paths. Psalm 3:5-6

Happy 70th Anniversary Grandpa & Grandma

If my Grandma, Virginia, were still alive, today she & my Grandpa would be celebrating their 70th anniversary. They were married only 4 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I am certain that their marriage was happy yet somewhat sad occasion with such a national tragedy. They had loving marriage, filled with seven children, two of which unfortunately died before the age of two. My Grandma went on to be with Lord nearly 20 years ago, from kidney failure. We all miss her dearly, my Grandpa especially. We will be spending the anniversary with him so that the loneliness is not so difficult to bear. I can only say, please cherish your loved ones while they are here & never lose a chance to tell them how much you care.

God bless,
Sarah Grace

Remembering Pearl Harbor

It was 70 years ago on this very day in December that the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was perpetrated, mercilessly taking the lives of 2,390 Americans. The onslaught was the final straw that broke the camel's back & made it a certainty of our involvement in World War II. My own grandfather may have been there, if it had not been for a car accident that prevented his entering the service. We must always remember those who sacrifice their lives for our freedom.









God bless,
Sarah Grace

A Happy Thanksgiving & A Receipt

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
I hope that each & every one of you has had a memorable & pleasing day. Thanksgiving happens to be one of my favorite holidays of the year, what with the transitioning of the seasons & colors of God's wondrous creation.

My family & I enjoyed a lovely day for a gathering of the clan, albeit somewhat small of a gathering. We dined on the usually thought of fare: turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, & cranberry jelly. My grandfather & brother do not like turkey, so we have a dish of shredded beef, as well.

As of July, I began changing my eating habits towards a vegetarian way of dining. I have since been experimenting with many different receipts from varied cultures. In the process I began creating receipts that were inspired by something I had read or simply because a combination of certain ingredients seemed appealing.

I received a book from the interlibrary loan a few weeks ago called Veganomicon that contained a receipt for Sloppy Joes made from lentils. I was unable to remember what exactly went into said Sloppy Joes, so I used what my mother calls my great-grandmother's French cooking influence & winged it.

Below is my receipt for the Lentil Sloppy Joes, which by the by, are equally delicious over rice or mashed potatoes, as on a bun or slice of bread.


Lentil Sloppy Joes
3 cups brown lentils
4 cups water (for boiling lentils)

Sauce:
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup raisins (depending on how you like raisins)
2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 pinches mustard powder
2 pinches ginger powder
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses

The lentils are boiled covered for about 25-35 minutes, depending upon the age of the lentils. Most of the water is boiled off by the time that the lentils are tender with just a slight chew to them.
In a separate pot, simmer the tomato sauce, water, & ketchup for a couple minutes, stirring so that it doesn't burn. Then begin adding the rest of the ingredients. After the lentils are done, pour them into the sauce, stirring in lentils. Let everything simmer for a couple more minutes, then serve on as a sandwich or over rice, mashed potatoes, or as a side. Whatever you choose, it is a comforting dish.

God bless,
Sarah Grace

Halloween....Not So Harmless

I was raised to believe that Halloween was a day that glorified Satan, witchcraft, & sorcery. But as I have been gaining in years I see more & more people, even Christian, who allow their children to parade about in costumes of witches, wizards, demons, ghoul, ghosts, etc. saying it is only a fun diversion for the children & they will feel left out if they can not take part with their friends.
Halloween has been commercialized to make it feel like just another harmless holiday, but why should children be allowed to participate in a day that gives Satan & his evil spirits honor?
Why must parents be asleep to the truth of what they are really allowing their children to do?
Most parents would be appalled if their child wanted to smoke, drink, use drugs, or have intimacy before marriage because they are doing things that are harmful to their bodies.
Some of those same parents allow trick or treating on Halloween. Why should the parents care any less about their child's soul? I think people need to take a step back & reevaluate their decisions concerning Halloween.

Take today & celebrate Jesus Christ the giver of life, not Satan. My family calls today Hallelujah day & we use today to pray for others & against Satan & his demons.

Have a God blessed Hallelujah day,
Sarah Grace

He Is Always Near

Sometimes when everything around me seems to be falling apart at the seams, I tend to forget that I have a friend who will help me to repair those seams & put the pieces back together or just plain start anew.
When the day is long & I am worn through, my friend will be there to uplift me & give me strength to continue. My friend will stick by me closer than a brother ever could.
Who is this friend?
My loving Redeemer, Savior, & Friend, Jesus Christ. He will always be near my side through thick & through thin, for He said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. I know that my Lord never will lie & that His Word is true. So when I need a shoulder to lean on, He is always near.
My Mother loves the poem Footprints in the Sand, which I think is very true.




God bless & have wonderful weekend,
Sarah Grace