Ladybug Ladybug…please leave my home. Wait, not how you learned it? Let me explain.

For those of you who aren’t plagued with these bugs, this time of year doesn’t have the same quality to it. Every year for us, thousands of them descend upon the house. They aren’t the “Ladybug Ladybug Fly Away Home” kind either. These are yellow, they stink really bad and they bite. Thus, I affectionately refer to them as Ninja Ladybugs. There’s hundreds of them. They hang out in doorways and windows. Crawl on ceiling and lamps.

Ruthie thinks they are delicious. She snacks on them as fast as she can catch them. Then she stands just out of my reach and gives me a wicked smile while I can smell her ladybug breath from across the space. Once I catch her I have her spit out the smelly ladybug pieces and scrape them off her tongue. While I’m occupied putting them into the trash she’s busy finding and snacking on the next one. Which is not a difficult thing to do. Usually she is chewing her next one before I turn back around. We did this little routine five or six times the other day. The Ninjas met their match in Ruth.

So let me just say, BRING ON WINTER and all things delicious, like pumpkin pie and fresh venison. I’m hopeful that by Christmas ladybug snacks will be gone.

pray for them 

Lord, teach (Name) how to live each breath by the Holy Spirit. May (he/she) be among “those who belong to Christ Jesus [and] have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” For “if [Name lives] by the Spirit, let [him/her] also keep in step with the Spirit.” In your name I pray, amen. –Galatians 5:24-25

Prayers taken from the daily prayer on the BiblicalPrayers mobile app. Download today on the App Store or Google Play store.

Balsamic Glaze

I am not sure where my mom found this delicious sauce, but Oh. My. Gosh. I wanted to drink it. We ladled it over a pork tenderloin. (I bet it would be divine over salmon too.)  It has since been in my recipe book as a staple. I am passing it to you.

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 1-2 tbs cornstarch

Mix b. sugar, vinegar, water & soy sauce. Bring to simmer. Combine cornstarch with small amount of water and add to simmering mixture until desired thickness.