# 50

In honor of my 50th post on this blog, I decided to make a list of 50 things that I love, in no particular order. my family 

Brunstad 

traveling 

the first snowfall of the year 

good friends (esp. old ones!) 

cooking 

my camera 

the first daffodils in spring 

newly sharpened pencils 

having fellowship over a cup of tea 

a good game of scrabble 

the smell of freshly cut grass and wood 

baking bread 

my awesome computer speakers (and even better system at home!) 

a good book you can't put down 

canoeing 

making and decorating cakes 

painting (or trying to) 

singing in a good choir 

a freshly made bed 

sunsets over the beach (I miss Delaware's!!) 

flip-flops 

finding hidden cash 

getting letters in the mail 

Christmas at home 

thunderstorms 

babies falling asleep in your arms (I miss Madison!!) 

bran muffins (recipe to follow) 

fishing on the bay 

a good musical 

going out to Applebees with a bunch of girls after a youth meeting (because a. there is one within 250 miles and b. it's still open after 8:00 p.m.!) 

IKEA 

being pummeled by a hurricane 

all-fruit smoothies 

huge oak trees 

home-grown veggies (especially tomatoes!) 

lightening bugs 

getting my hair cut (I just did today - thanks Andrea!!) 

reading the Bible (and seeing it become alive) 

having a car to drive 

good music 

tulips 

having friends all over the world 

quoting movies with my sisters (and Sarah!) 

pole building work-parties (I miss them!!) 

jamming with the music after a meeting (miss that too!) 

a good laugh 

rearranging/painting a room 

volley ball 

trying new recipes from all over the world 

I thought maybe it might take me awhile to come up with 50, but I think I could have done double that! It was kind of fun to take a step back and think about the good stuff, and how to arrange getting a bit more of that incorporated into the daily routine.

"Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." Fabulous Bran Muffins (makes 12)

Ingredients:  1 1/2 cups wheat bran 1/4 cup ground flax seed 3/4 cup flour 1/3 cup honey or 1/2 sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 cup milk 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 shredded carrot 2 apples, peeled, shredded 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease muffin pan.
2.	In a small bowl, melt butter and pour over raisins. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together bran, milk, eggs, vanilla, oil, carrots and apples. Let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in raisins and honey. Add remaining ingredients and mix until just blended. Fill muffin cups to the top, using all the batter for 12 muffins.
3.	Bake at 350 F (175 degrees C) for 12 - 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Muffins freeze well.

Hello March! I'm sure glad to see you! It has gone above freezing every day for the past week so there has been some considerable MELTING going on, transforming everything into a pool of slush by day and a sheet of ice by night! It makes for an interesting walk, at any rate! Today: I NEED to go to the mall as I didn't get there yesterday, but it won't be today either. Maybe one of these decades they will catch on over here how very convenient it is to be able to shop on the weekend! I'm going to get out of the apartment, at any rate, and take a walk, then have some good friends over in the evening. ONLY TEN DAYS until Mom and Delores come!! YES!!