Mermaids of the Lake Blog

A lesson from nature...

Flowers do not force their way with great strife. Flowers open to perfection slowly in the sun.... Don't be in a hurry about spiritual matters. Go step by step, and be very sure.
~White Eagle

 

The colors of friendship

Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel.

All claimed that they were the best;
the most important,
the most useful,
the favorite

GREEN said: "Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would die. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority."
BLUE interrupted: "You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace, you would all be nothing."
YELLOW chuckled: "You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun."
ORANGE started next to blow her trumpet: "I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, and papayas. I don't hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you."
RED could stand it no longer, he shouted out: "I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood - life's blood! I bring fire into the blood. I am willing to fight for a cause. I am the color of danger and of bravery. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love, the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy."
PURPLE rose up to his full height, he was very tall and spoke with great pomp: "I am the color of royalty and power. Kings, cheifs, and bishops have always chosen me, for I am the sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me! They listen and obey."
Finally, INDIGO spoke, much more quietly than all the others, but with just as much determination: "Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast,  for prayer and inner peace."

So the colors went on boasting,
each convinced of his or her own superiority.
Their quarreling became louder and louder.
Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening.
Thunder rolled and boomed.
Rain started to pour down relentlessly.
The colors crouched down in fear,
drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor, rain began to speak:
"You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves,
each trying to dominate the rest.
Don't you know that you were each made
for a special purpose, unique and different?
Join hands with one another and come to me."

Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands.

The RAIN continued: "From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace. The rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow."

And so, whenever a good rain washes the world,
and a rainbow appears in the sky,
let us remember to appreciate one another.

by Unknown

Please visit our online women's magazine at www.mermaidsofthelake.com If you would like to sign up for our free newsletter it is quick and easy. Just follow this link!

Drink this to stay calm

Drinking Vitamin C- rich orange juice daily, not only gives your immune system a boost, keeping colds at bay, but it also appears to lower cortisol levels, therefore easing your body's response to tension, stress and strife!

One study showed that taking 500 mg. of Vitamin C twice daily can reduce cortisol levels by 30%. So drink up!

For more great tips, visit our Mermaids of the Lake online women's magazine Idea Directory.

Pink Poodle Cocktail

It's Saturday and it's time for some fun! How about a Pink Poodle Cocktail for a Pink Saturday?

Gather your girlfriends and get ready for some fun! This would be a perfect cocktail for the bride-to-be's shower or bachelorette party.

Pink coconut for rim
3 cups cracked ice or 12 ice cubes
1 1/4 cups dark rum
1 cup cream of coconut
2 cups half and half
3 ounces grenadine
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Rim 6 cocktail glasses with the pink coconut. Chill the glasses until ready to serve.

In a blender, combine half of the remaining ingredients. Blend until all the ice chunks are smooth. Divide the mixture evenly between 3 of the prepared glasses and serve.

Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients to create 3 additional drinks.

Pink coconut rim: Moisten the rim of the glass with a complementary liqueur. Mix 3 tablespoons dried unsweetened coconunt with 1 tablespoon powdered pink food coloring.

And for more pink fun visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound and see all of the awesome pinkness as 100's of people in blogland link up with posts about the color pink!

For more cocktail, mocktails and awesome food recipes visit our Mermaids of the Lake E-zine's recipe directory here: Featured Recipe Directory

Have you signed up for our newsletter? It's free and will only take you about 30 seconds! Sign up here: Mermaids of the Lake Newsletter sign-up

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please be with the people and animals in the path of Hurricane Irene. Please send multitudes of angels to guide and protect every living creature through the storm. Please surround the cities, towns, country-sides and shores with the bright, white light of the Holy Spirit. ~Amen

 

Creamy pineapple sorbet - YUM!!!

Our friend, Heather Scholten, of Farmgirl Gourmet decided to make some delicious, healthy changes to her amazing recipes. Follow her blog at: www.farmgirlgourmet.blogspot.com Heather provides mouth-watering recipes with beautiful photos and lots of personal touches.

Wow your friends and family with this gorgeous sorbet using only three wholesome ingredients!

Creamy pineapple sorbet

Ingredients:

1 whole pineapple, skin removed and cored, chopped into large chunks
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup fat-free half and half

Instructions
1 Add the pineapple chunks to a blender and blend until smooth.
2 Add the honey and half and half and blend until just combined. Pour the pineapple mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl, pressing on any solids. Place bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes.
3 Using an ice cream maker, freeze the cold pineapple mixture according to the manufacturers recommended instructions. Just before the mixture becomes solid, remove it to a freezer proof dish and freeze for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Yield 6 Servings

Colorful Quote: Orange

Try not thinking of peeling an orange. Try not imagining the juice running down your fingers, the soft inner part of the peel. The smell. Try and you can't. The brain doesn't process negatives. ~Doug Coupland

A very Special Pink Saturday!

It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

We, (Shelley and Debbie) are two best friends living our dream of working and playing together. We count our many blessings every single day! In good times we CELEBRATE them! In the midst of difficult times, even despair, we acknowlege them! The Mermaids are blessed and grateful!

Our friend, Beverly of How Sweet the Sound is our host every week for Pink Saturday. This Saturday is extra special, as Beverly is hosting a Miracle Makeover Pink Saturday.

Please view this inspiring video of Charlie, a sweet 8 year old boy with brain tumors. Get ready for some tears of JOY as you watch Kelee Katillac of Design Gives Back reveal Charlie's Miracle Makeover room.

Charlie Grady's Big, Happy Day!!! 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/OHrxLfwAdsk

Wasn't that wonderful? Now, here is the really awesome thing - you can help raise money for this and more Miracle Makeovers like this by simply leaving a comment! Not here, on our blog (although we would love for you to,) 

Simply go to How Sweet the Sound, and Design Gives Back and leave a comment on each! Design Gives Back will donate $ for each comment!!!! 

Also visit each of the blogs below and leave a comment for even more donations per comment! Yay!!! Your comments count! You can make a difference!

 Spiritual Sunday @ Spiritual Sunday /Charlotte & Ginger

Country Wings in Phoenix @ Country Wings in Phoenix/Sherry

Metamorphosis Monday comments on Monday Only

A great big, huge, grateful THANK YOU to everyone who helps by visiting these links and commenting for $$$'s!!!!

Be Excellent!

Excellence is the unlimited ability to improve the quality of what you have to offer. ~Rick Pitino

 

 

Challenge for today: Be excellent in every thing you do! Love your friends and family excellently, drive excellently, be excellent at work, give people your very best,
most excellent smile...
Striving for excellence in each moment makes you fully present in each moment!

HAVE AN EXCELLENT DAY!