'Oprah's Big Give' ---Woman Suing

TV News says the big lady is getting sued. Can you believe it? American is so sue happy, do you think?

A woman named Darlene Tracy is suing Oprah over her new reality series 'Oprah's Big Give,' claiming she gave Winfrey the idea, the New York Daily News reports.

The report goes like this:

Tracy, a mother of four from Boston with no TV experience, contends she pitched a show called 'The Philanthropist,' where people would compete by helping others, to the executive producer of Winfrey's talk show in 2005.On the 'Big Give,' contestants are provided with money and told to give it away to strangers.

If you even care - read the rest of this crazy story here.

'Oprah's Big Give' ---Woman Suing

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/oprahs-big-give-woman-suing.html

Lemonade and Grandkiddos

Do you ever remember making lemonade as a kid? And, then of course setting up a lemonade stand thinking you'll make a million dollars? I do and so have our grandkiddos.

Recently, our grandkids have had two lemonade stands. Quite the entrepreneurs!

Each season our amazing neighbors call us to come pick the lemons from their prolific trees. And, we do. And each season we squeeze and squeeze and then put the lemon juice in ice cube trays, freeze them and when we need fresh lemon juice - we have it.

Simon, Garden Guy (aka Poppie) and The Poppa (aka Gerald) picked boxes full this past week. Simon, Mimi (aka Luellen - the other grandma) and Pop pop (aka Gerald - the other grandpa) proceeded to squeeze all the lemons.

The Mama (aka Jenni) made this recipe for The Best Lemonade and then three grandkiddos got the little red wagon, loaded up all their supplies and headed to the corner - just in time for school kids and moms to stop and buy a deeee----li----cious glass of lemonade. How fun is that? Simon made about $8 in about 40 minutes. Not bad!

How to Make Really Good Lemonade

Things You’ll Need:
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 large lemon
16 - 20 oz
Ice
Step 1:Make sugar syrup by mixing the sugar and water into a saucepan and boil.
Step 2:Remove from heat and stir. This will dissolve sugar COMPLETELY. Allow to cool.
Step 3:For each serving, combine the juice of half of a lemon, two tablespoons of the sugar syrup, and 8 - 10 oz. of the cold water and pour into glass.
Step 4:Add ice and serve immediately.

Lemonade and Grandkiddos

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/lemonade-and-grandkiddos.html

Crossing Cultures - Lunch and The Temple

Ambika and yours truly.

Recently Michael and I along with Candace and a three of our grandkiddos spent the afternoon with our beautiful "sons and daughters" from India. Sowmya, Bindu, Ambika, Vidya (and our sons Vinay and Sri) invited us to a wonderful lunch (amazing Indian food) at their apartment and then a trip to their Temple to experience their expression of worship.

Vidya showing the boys some super cool stuff on the computer -
bugs and birds and life things created. See Vidya's super cool blog.

Her photograpy is incredible.

These young people are some of God's best. The more we spend time with them, the more we love them. Our relationship won't end when they finish their education and return to India or wherever their jobs and life take them. It will continue - because we carry them in our hearts.

Together, we're bridge builders - learning, loving and living. Bridge builders enter in to understand each other's worlds. This Sunday some of our "kids" will come into our world and experience more of what our life is like - with our family.

Ivana (with a Bindi) and Vinay.

Vinay explaining to Michael.

Crossing Cultures - Lunch and The Temple

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/crossing-cultures-lunch-and-temple.html

The Easiest Lemon Cake Recipe

I just found this on sk*rt. We've got a box full of lemons. . . hmmm gives me another idea for Easter Brunch. I think we'll make one from scratch.

The Easiest Lemon Cake Recipe

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/easiest-lemon-cake-recipe.html

Hostess Help for Easter

I love looking through Real Simple magazine. They've got the coolest ideas. Who'd have thought that olives in a glass would look so cute? For more pink and green springy ideas check it out here.

We're serving Easter Brunch at our home this Sunday. I'm excited about it because I love opening our home to serve others. I'm also excited because Garden Guy gets to show off his garden.

I have some lists of different menu ideas like red rosemary roasted potatoes, mexican quiche, apple stuffed french toast, fruit salad and yummy blueberry muffins, but in my search I noted that Real Simple has some great suggestions for an Easter Brunch along with super cool ideas for kids Easter Baskets.

Hostess Help for Easter

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/hostess-help-for-easter.html

Lady Bug Oh Lady Bug

I didn't know that a Lady Bug could eat so much. They can eat about 90 aphids a day. Wow. Gross. Super cool. Grandkiddos were super excited to watch Poppie unleash the mighty little bad bug eaters. As I type I feel a bit creepy thinking that one is crawling on me.

For some reason you've got to let the little sweeties out to do their work when it's dusk. So it was dusk when I took these pictures tonight.

Oh, note the little yellow dump truck. Isn't it cute? Garden Guy's still creating in his garden. He's in the process of adding the brick edging and I'm having fun filling in the spaces that he creates. Hmmm . . . I wonder if that's not what marriage is supposed to be about?

The man visions - then creates the space where his partner fills it in with some color? Let me know what you think.

Lady Bug Oh Lady Bug

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/lady-bug-oh-lady-bug.html

Garden Guy's Little Girl Helper

Garden Guy has shadows. They're called Little Princesses. This one's new on the scene. She just came back from Spain and the other one is here. Not only do they dance and jump on the "bump" (that's the trampoline), but they help their Poppie build garden boxes and dig dirt.

Ta da - aren't I cute?

Garden Guy's Little Girl Helper

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/garden-guys-little-girl-helper.html

Garden Guy's Guy Helpers

Check out the muscles on this kid. Eight years old and such a hard worker. He even sweats too. Note Garden Guy's cool looking pathway that's still taking shape. I've just started adding some "filler" to the left of the pathway. I thought I'd add the little yellow dump truck for some extra color.
Phew! Garden Guy's quite the guy. My husband is such a hard worker. I've put Swiss chard in all the wine barrels. Because the desert sun will soon be too hot, Garden Guy's going to add some sun shade. He's so amazing. I just sit around, fetch his tools, wipe his brow, serve him lemonade, kiss his sweaty lips and tell him I love him.

This gardening project is teaching me so much about my husband and men in general. First, it's therapeutic for a man to work hard. Back in the day, men worked with their hands and they worked hard. God even said that it's good for a man to earn his keep by the sweat of his brow. My husband keeps commenting how good this is for him. He's so proud of his work. He'll step back and look at his work and as he does it seems to give him impetus for more creative ideas within the garden.

I'm learning that my role is really to be by his side. Just my presence is a gift to him. Men really like it when their wives just watch them work. It's huge. It's what's talked about in the book Love and Respect. It's what the author calls shoulder to shoulder time.




I'm so thankful for The Home Grown Revolution and for Patti - The Garden Girl whose Urban Sustainable Living video's inspired Michael in making our garden boxes.

Garden Guy's Guy Helpers

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/check-out-muscles-on-this-kid.html

Garden is Taking Shape

Garden Guy (aka my husband, my pastor, musician man, dad or poppie) worked on figuring out how to add a drip system to all our garden boxes. What joy! He did it. We have water to all the plants. This is Box 1 loaded with lettuce, a tomato plant in the middle, and a little bit of color with some purple petunias.

Gerald modeled for Simon that it's good for men to work hard and sweat as they took load after load to fill a 4x4 and a 10x4. Check out this dump load of 4 tons of great soil.

Garden Guy's adding the irrigation system to Box 3 as son-in-law Gerald (and grandson Simon) add the organic soil to Box 3 and then Box 4. It's so awesome to see the garden take shape. I think I need a "name that garden contest" or something.

Garden is Taking Shape

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/garden-is-taking-shape.html

Shopping for the Garden

Garden shopping to fill our garden boxes can be tons of fun - especially when you give your three year old granddaughter your camera. "Nana, smile."

Ivana also took this picture of her cousin, Miriam. Isn't it adorable? I think there's just something about the way a child can capture his world that no adult can. Zane, Ivana's brother's pics are here at Zane's Lane.

Shopping for the Garden

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/shopping-for-garden.html

Desert Beauty by Zane

My five year old grandson, Zane, actually took this picture. Can you believe it? What a picture of beauty. Wow. Good job Zane! Zane's Lane Photo's are here.

Desert Beauty by Zane

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/desert-beauty-by-zane.html

Happy Anniversary Dad and Mom

Today is my parents anniversary. Fifty - four years - through good times and hard times. Today, I honor them and want the world to know how special they are to me. Love you Dad and Mom. Mom's poem is here and her chili recipe is here.

Happy Anniversary Dad and Mom

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/happy-anniversary-dad-and-mom.html

Family Wizard Night

We sure love to spend time together and playing games can be a Ledner, Griffin, Staples hoot. Mark introduced to Wizard tonight. Great fun!

Family Wizard Night

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/family-wizard-night.html

Garden Guy Hard at Work

Michael's hard at work leveling and re-leveling the sandstone pathway. It'll look "lovely" in our sanctuary garden. I'm so excited to have you all over when it's finished.

Garden Guy Hard at Work

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/garden-guy-hard-at-work.html

Garden, Garden - How Are You Growing?

I'm so jazzed to begin planting my garden boxes. Each box, made out of untreated wood is a 4'x4' and 20" high. This first box is filled with lettuce and a tomatoe plant. The one on right has cucumbers, dill, and some herbs. Slowly, I can see that Michael's creativity is turning into beauty and perhaps together we're creating sanctuary in the garden. We had delivered (and dumped in our driveway) 4 tons of good, organic soil.

Here Michael's begun to lay down a garden pathway, using these flagstone pieces from another area in the yard. Previous pis are here and here.

Garden, Garden - How Are You Growing?

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/garden-garden-how-are-you-growing.html

Garden - It's Happening

Michael completed these two garden boxes and then . . .

had vision to continue along side the pool fence . . .

. . . with these two boxes. Mark (our older son-in-law) helped design this bigger box (10'x4') engineering it to accomodate the sloping yard.

I'm plant shopping at Berridge Nursery. This gal that helped me was amazing. I so appreciated her personal touch in explaining many things to me. It was a bit crazy, though, as I towed along Zane and Ivana who thought it was a great place to "play."

Garden - It's Happening

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/garden-its-happening.html

Adorable Grandkids

Adorable Grandkids

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/adorable-grandkids.html

Mom's Cake Plate & Easter Idea

Mom loves Nora's cake plate - and until she places her order, she found this one and decked it out for Easter. It's sweet!

Mom's Cake Plate & Easter Idea

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/moms-cake-plate-easter-idea.html

March 17, 1954

My parents will celebrate 54 years of marriage. As my dear Mom reminisces this sweet poem poured from her heart today.

March 17,1954, is gone, Memories linger.
when the Judge hurt his index finger.

Back then when we were young, and ran away,
Never wondering what Dad & Mom would say,

He was dressed in his sailor hat and Navy blues,
Soon bells rang at noon, and we said the two words, "I Do"

Then we drove back to the Navy Base,
ready to look to rent a special place.

As I look back through these many years,
Memories of laughter and some tears,

We were young and I had to learn to cook,
Soon my days were reading Dr. Spock's Baby book.

Life give us many ups and downs along the way,
But now am thankful for another St. Patrick's Day.

Love all of you, MoM
March 16,2008

March 17, 1954

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/march-17-1954.html

Heart*Heart*Heart

Unless you hear a heart ~ you can't carry one in your heart. (Lylah's Kingdom Musings)

Heart*Heart*Heart

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/heartheartheart.html

Sweet Easter Brunch Dishes

Martha's got her dishes on sale here. I think this pattern would make for a fun Easter Brunch table setting.

Sweet Easter Brunch Dishes

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/sweet-easter-brunch-dishes.html