Spring Cleaning

I love spring cleaning I think it purges the drudgery of the winter and cleans the soul and the spirit. I am in the the mood to clean and have been preparing for my annual pierce cleaningapalooza the kids groan when they hear that word of course its my own made up word but oh how it has such meaning to those that live in my house!

My all time favorite website is organized home I have visited this site for years with their printable planner pages and forms. If there is one thing you should know about me me more than anything, is that I am a Virgo and a true Virgo at that!

Virgo Traits
Modest and shy
Meticulous and reliable
Practical and diligent
Intelligent and analytical

On the dark side....
Fussy and a worrier
Overcritical and harsh
Perfectionist and conservative

Well thats ME in a nutshell! I like things to be neat and clean and tidy and everything has a place, but after a long winter things get put here and put there and well by spring I'm going nuts and it all has to be sorted!

Having a home, working and raising children is a lot to undertake for someone that is as fussy as I am. But, I do make it work even though I must admit sometimes it drives me absolutely bonkers!
I think the first thing is that everyone must clean up after themselves even down to the smallest child. There is always something that needs to be put in its place. The next thing is to make sure that everyone does their fair share. I hear all the time it's not mine or I didn't do it. Well that doesn't work at my house and my kids, even though they try it, know it doesn't mean a thing to me when I am telling them to pick something up or put something away. It's very hard when most families are spoiled and they rely so much on the mom. So, Spring time is a renewal a rebirth and from the seasonal changes to the bulbs popping from their wintry sleep for another cycle so does the cleaning.

Another great website I have found is the 21 tips on keeping a simple home. Its got great ideas to use and keep as well.

Another favorite thing for me and my family in the spring is shopping. I'm a sucker for new towels, curtains and rugs. I love getting new fresh linens that brighten up the bedrooms and make you feel that you are blooming. Of course, by now the kids have out grown most of the clothes I bought for the first of the school year, so its usually time to replenish shorts and summer wear. My boys love Vans shoes its the only shoe that ALL of the males in my house will wear. It could be because they are all flat footed and they are comfortable but I get so frustrated when they won't wear a different brand. My favorite thing right now is keeping my eye on a few places I know will have great clearance sales, such as Goodys, Kohls and some other local places like The Gap and Old Navy My daughter is nine and she does love to shop. She is as frantic about shoes as she is clothes and thank heavens she likes payless shoes and Adidas. I can't leave out the fact that its time to get the pets ready for summer as well.

Flea Away - Dog Food Additive Recipe

• 1/4 Cup Cottage Cheese
• Vitamin E 1001 IU
• 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Bacon Grease

.Mix all the ingredients and add to food daily.

Flea control and frequent bathes for the dachshunds. And new toys too, smoochie has torn up all the doxies beds and they need new toys for all their outdoor playtime. And, its that time of year that I would worry, but I started them all on a new heart worm prevention that handles all worms as well including tapeworms. Now when they are outdoors eating dirt I don't panic! Our aquarium needs a full overhaul and new plants and hiding places for the fish. We have a bunny too, and of course he's eaten through his edible house and needs a new one and some new chew toys for a change of pace.

Another great thing about Spring is the rain! We sure do need it here in Georgia! The rain has been coming down all day today, and I am very thankful for that! The ground needs it and so do the lakes and rivers. I know the fish and birds and all animals are thankful for the water. It was sad to see the areas around where livestock had full ponds and then see them with just barely any water this past summer. I know I didn't get to really water my trees, shrubs and grass often once they set the restrictions. I do hope that it continues to rain so that we see a positive ending to the drought.

Marching into March!

I can’t believe it’s March already! Did you know that March is National Kidney month? Being diabetic and always concerned with my kidneys, I like to keep up with information with the National Kidney foundation. Would you like to know other holidays in the month of March? There are some unique ones, thats for sure!

I am beginning to feel the twinges of spring fever and the

need to plant and cultivate
the ground.

I love the spring, the smell the sounds of the birds chirping outside, watching the squirrels eat

and of course the cooler mornings and the pleasant afternoons and lets not forget the

wonderful evenings sitting on the front porch and watching the sun set.

My kids love the spring as well and thats when they start feeling the desire to do more family activities. We are finally getting back into our routine after our jaunt down to Florida. They all had so much fun and can’t wait to go again. I have been looking at things for us to do on our next activity and I think we will be making a trip up to North Carolina sometime this month. I have a friend there and we are going to make a quick weekend trip up to visit. Nothing fancy, no major activities but a night or two in a hotel and of course eating somewhere good. My family does enjoy eating out. But, what American family doesn’t enjoy eating out these days! Speaking of eating in North Carolina, we lived there a few years back for a couple of years, and a common social gathering was a pig pickin’ which was quite fun, if you have never been to one you should try it! I think we are all yammering for a bit of coastal seafood though, we can’t go anywhere near a coast and not crave seafood, and the Calabash seafood in North Carolina is the best!

Our family heritage is of Irish and Scotish descent and of course St. Patrick’s Day is a big deal in our house. It’s March and the excitement is beginning.
Wee Bit O’ Irish

You’re the flash and sparkle in dark Irish eyes.

You’re the whimsey and charm of leprechaun guise.

You’re the treasured gold at the rainbow’s end.

You’re the beauty and mystery of emerald glens.

You’re the top o’ the mornin’ - my cup of tea.

You’re springtime adornin’…blessings on thee.

Graciously donated by Judith A.Lindberg

The kids mouthes are already watering for corned beef and cabbage and my middle son is already wearing his kiss me I’m Irish pin. I am adding some great authentic Irish recipes to have for dinner on March 17th. Maybe we can do something special that night.

The history of St. Patrick’s Day is a great story, do you know it?

How about a recipe for Irish Cream compared to Bailey’s Irish Cream?

      Bailey's Original Irish Cream

Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
1      cup           Light cream
1                    14-oz can Eagle sweetened
               Condensed milk
1 2/3  cups          Irish Whiskey
1      teaspoon      Instant coffee
2      tablespoons   Hershey's chocolate syrup
1      teaspoon      Vanilla
1      teaspoon      Almond extract

Combine all the ingredients in a blender set on high speed for 30 seconds.
Bottle in a tightly sealed container and refrigerate.
The liqueur will keep for at least 2 months if kept cool.
Be sure to shake the bottle well before serving.  Makes 4 cups.     Irish Scones

Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
1      cup           white flour
1/2  teaspoon      baking powder
1/4  pound         butter -- softened
2      ounces        sugar
1                    egg -- slightly beaten
2      ounces        milk
               Sultanas (white raisins) optional
               Walnut halves (optional)

Mix flour and baking powder.  Add butter, blending until mixture is
butter-colored. Add sugar and continue to mix well.  Add half the  beaten
egg and all the milk.  Add raisins or some nuts,  if desired,   mixing
well to make a sticky dough.  Turn dough  onto floured board and knead at
least 5 minutes or longer.  Cut dough into rounds and place on greased
baking sheet or hot frying pan. Brush tops of scones with remainder of
beaten egg.  Place walnut halves on top,  if desired. Bake at 350 to 375
degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until brown. If preparing over an open
fire, heat frying  pan till very hot.  Place scones in pan and cook 7 to
8 minutes. Turn and cook 7 to 8 minutes more. Makes 6 scones.
 We at the Pierce clan wish everyone a HAPPY St. Patrick’s Day!

Headaches and Learning Curves

I started out with another blog in another spot and found out it wasn't where I wanted to be so I'm bringing it all to my view from the cheap seats. I am looking forward to building something here learning how to use all the buttons and doodads on this blog and I hope making it great !
I have been thinking about all the things that I would enjoy writing about and I am looking forward to being able to do that! So, lets get acquainted and as I learn you can learn along side me!



Our Trip to Florida:

Florida

We just got back from our trip to Florida and we had a great time. We ate at a wonderful restaurant called Clawdaddy’s in Crystal River, Florida.
We went to see a movie and we saw the film Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. I like Martin Lawrence a lot but the film was just okay. I have to say the end where the credits roll is what made me laugh more than anything really! The kids had the same review. We are all looking forward to his next film the College Road Trip. We also went to the Wildlife Park and the kids enjoyed all the animals. It was the perfect weather, the kids even got a chance to swim it was warm enough for them, of course not for me to get into a swimming pool!

The trip went better than expected in the car with the kids. My oldest son drove and I read a great book by John Grisham called The Innocent Man. I have always had concerns about wrongful convictions and this book left me feeling numb and sick to my stomach with what happened to the men in the story. I have to say I was not shocked when I read the book. But, it did leave me wanting to do something more to get involved. I found a great website called Truth in Justice. If you want to read about all the wrongful convictions and the exonerations of people please visit. I think that there needs to be more done when there is a crime from the beginning of the investigation down to the trial where the juries are given ALL the information and things aren’t left out. How can a person get a fair trial when things are left out and the jury makes their decision only to walk out the door of the courtroom to find out all the information they were denied. That would leave me sick and cold for the rest of my life thinking that I had made a judgment against my fellow man and possibly convicted them for a crime they may not have committed. What a nightmare and its sad and scary that it happens a lot and there are innocent people in prison for crimes they did not commit. I think its due time that people start thinking about the fact that it could happen to ANYONE at any time. We need to pay more attention to who we elect and put into positions of power and control. I think that there is a loss of ethics once a person gets enough power in their belt that they lose sight of what they are there to do in the first place!

Diabetic to carb or not to carb

I am a diabetic and at first it was hard to admit that I had to give in and do what I could to make myself as healthy as possible. Denial is hard to get past! I finally watched my blood sugar go up and down into dangerous numbers before I finally succumbed to the reality that I was a diabetic.

Next, I jumped head first into what I was told the best thing would be for me to do and that is to eat this and not eat that and follow the ADA rules. Well, that didn't work for me at all. I finally found a doctor that said go low carb and you will be fine. Well, at first I fought that theory because if the bad press of eating all that bacon and meat and cheese but when I started to research the way of eating I found out that it's quite healthy.

Now I have my blood sugar under control, I'm finally losing weight that I gained from all the insulin spikes in my body and I'm on the way to a healthier me. Now I want to be able to share that with others and to walk this path with those who need a friend.

I am a mother of 3 and a wife of 20 years and for me to be healthy is very important to me. It's an uphill battle everyday and it's hard but I feel like if I attack it with knowledge and all the research I can have I have a better chance of succeeding.

This journey is new to me but I hope that I can share everything with those who are in the same boat. Looking for information, recipes and humor to carry us through to the next finger stick, the next meal the next day and always leading us to a better A1C result!