Pictures of Stuff

Good morning and happy Friday to you! There isn't a lot going on right now and I have to work today, 12-8pm...but then I have the weekend and Monday off. Can I just say one more time how much I am LOOOVVINNNNG being part-time?

I thought today I'd share a few things around here that make me happy. 

First up is the artwork I bought last Friday at the At Home store. I had a big empty wall in the kids' room after giving a painting of a long ago neighbor's Dachshund to one of the residents at the nursing home. When I saw this painting of an (I think) Italian street I fell in love. The picture doesn't do justice to the richness of the colors, but I think you can still see how pretty the scene is. I just love the couple walking down the street. And it encompasses all the colors of the room it's in.

Then there is this little bunny and his lamb-y pal. I found them at the At Home store, too. Isn't he just the cutest thing?

This is my new desk chair. I had an antique wooden chair before it that got awfully hard if I sat at my desk for very long so I am really liking the soft, comfortable seating.

I created this corner of my office with a hooked rug I picked up at an auction for $3 and an antique Smith typewriter found in a junk shop for $20. Something about this little scene just speaks to my soul and brings me calmness.

Watching little Leah bounce and explore in her bouncy seat is so much fun. She has such a good time playing and making the things light up and play music. (I don't know why, but I don't have a picture of her actually IN it.)

This corner cupboard was found in a architectural salvage store. I fell in love the moment I saw it. The owner allowed me to put a few dollars down on it and Tim went back a couple of months later, paid for it, and brought it home as my Christmas present. It holds my Peter Rabbit figurines and all the other sentimental little things I can't let go of.

And that's it for now. I need to get a shower and do my hair for work. Have a blessed and happy Friday! I'll see you tomorrow for the Saturday 9.

Filling In Some Blanks

Welcome to Sunday Stealing! I'm sitting here relaxing on Saturday evening following our family Thanksgiving dinner today. It was a great day, but I am beat!

For those of you who asked about the turkey (I shared on my Saturday 9 post that I would be injecting the bird with herbed butter, slathering it all over with herbed butter, and pouring a bottle of champagne into the bottom of the roaster.), it was absolutely AMAZING!! It smelled sooooo good while it was cooking and you could smell it outside at least 2-3 houses away! When done it was so moist we couldn't cut it, it just fell apart...even the breast. The taste was divine and the champagne in the gravy added just a little bit of tang that was delicious. Here's the finished product.

One of today's highlights was also being able to snap a picture of 4 generations together. My mom, me, my kids, and the grands.

Stolen from Friday Fill-in

1. Right now I'm sitting on the sofa in my pj's watching Deck the Halls, and answering these questions.

2. Having to have the sheets perfectly neat while I sleep is my well known quirk.

3. Are you happy?

4. Ask first, then do!

5. That's why I do what I do.

6. The Andy Griffith Show is one of my favorite tv shows ever!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to just sitting here and relaxing, tomorrow my plans include cleaning, laundry, and hopefully more relaxing.

8. If I could go anywhere on a road trip, I'd go to the other side of the country. I've always wanted to take a driving trip across the U.S. on the Lincoln Highway.

9. All the hate and anger in today's world is something I don't understand.

10. Thanksgiving makes me think of times and people now gone.

11. A good book is the best way to relax!

12. It looks like Autumn is pretty much over.

13. An orange is one of my favorite healthy snacks.

14. The smell of Camay soap makes me think of my grandmother's house.

15. When I am feeling lazy I go with it.

16. When I look to the left, I see my Poodle, Daisy.

17. The living room and master bedroom are the room(s) that have the best view in my home.

18. A dirty deed was done dirt cheap!

19. Voting is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.

20. If you have any good advice/chocolate/piles of money lying around feel free to share it with me.

Black & White Memories

Today I'm joining in with Teri from Your Friend From Florida for her new blog hop, Black & White Memories. The idea is to share old black and white family photographs and the memories that go with them. I've only got one readily available today, but maybe I will find some more by next week.

I was very close to my mother's parents, known to me as Pappy and Nana, while I was growing up. My mom was a college student and not married when I was born. That was still a big deal, and not in a good way, in small town America in 1964.

Pappy & Nana on their wedding day.

From things my mom has mentioned, it was not a happy time for her and Pappy and Nana, perhaps, didn't handle the pregnancy well and kept Mom a virtual prisoner. She was not allowed to leave the house except to go to medical appointments.

Everything turned around after my birth. Pappy and Nana kept me and raised me for the first three years of my life so my mom could return to school and get her degree.

They may have made a lot of mistakes as parents, but they were the most wonderful grandparents a child could ever ask for.

Rather than rewrite things I've written before, I'm leaving you with links to previous posts on old blogs where you can read about Pappy and Nana if you choose to.

• Read here about the lovely way Nana began her days.
• And here is a tribute to them written for a writing challenge.

Saturday 9: Who Can Turn the World on with Her Smile

I'm answering the Saturday 9 questions way ahead of time this week (Friday afternoon), because my daughter talked me into having a garage sale and I'll hanging out at that for most of the day again tomorrow.  

Saturday 9: Love Is All Around (1970)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This week's song is the theme from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a sitcom that originally aired from 1970 to 1977. Were you a fan?

I remember watching it and liking it, but I don't know that I was a fan. I was probably too young to understand most of it since I was only 12 when it went off the air.

2) The song tells us that Mary Richards can turn the world on with her smile. Yet the real-life Mary Tyler Moore said she was uncomfortable with her "wide mouth." If you could improve on one of your facial features, which would you choose? 

My eyes. I've always had "heavy" eyelids, but as I've aged they've really lost any pretense of being there so there's no reason for eye shadow. None at all. If I win the lottery I'm getting them lifted.

3) We also hear that Mary can "take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile." What do you think makes a day "a nothing day?"

My mood. I believe in the old saying that people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be and short of really horrific circumstances (death, diagnosis of terminal illness, missing loved one, etc.) I believe I can choose to be happy, content, at peace, fulfilled...

4) Mary works in the newsroom at WJM. Her desk is neat as a pin. Are you neat? Or do you lean to the sloppy side?

I don't know that I'm sloppy. I always kind of take sloppy to include dirty and I'm not dirty. Can we call it messy instead? I'm more cluttered.

5) Mary's best friend, Rhoda, worked as a window dresser at Hempel's department store. What department store did you most recently shop at? What did you buy?

Does Walmart count?  Because other than that I can't remember the last time I was in a department store. Maybe last year before Christmas? What I might have bought is a mystery.

6) Mary Richards lived in Minneapolis. What city is nearest to where you are right now?

Technically, the little town I live in is a city.  They reincorporated it into one a few years ago...not sure why they felt the need to go from a borough to a city.  It's a city only in the city council's dreams. So, the nearest real city is Pittsburgh.

7) Originally the part of Mary Richards was written as a divorcee, but in 1970, there were no TV shows that centered around a divorced woman. Think about the women in your life. Are most of them married, divorced, single or widowed?

Most of them are married, a few are widowed, there's one single woman, and my aunts are holding up the divorced category by themselves (they've gone through a lot of husbands)

8) The MTM production company logo featured a mewing kitten. The cat was found in a Minneapolis shelter, and, after her sequence was shot, she was adopted by a crew member who named her Mimsie. What's the name of the last cat -- or dog or hamster or rabbit -- that you petted?  

It would have to be my Poodle, Daisy, when I came home from the garage sale. The award for who I petted the most today goes to my grandpuppy, Hank.

Daisy being needy and annoying
when my daughter still lived at home.

Grandpuppy Hank. Isn't he handsome?

9) Random question -- Would you rather have a job that kept you seated on your fanny or standing on your feet?

Back in the day I would have said on my feet, but I have so much trouble with my feet and ankles that it really isn't a choice because I can't do it.

In the Garden

What a beautiful morning it is around here! We had lots of rain (again) through the night so today is cool and wet. I'll take it. That's much better than hot and humid in my book. The wetness meant I couldn't have my quiet time on the deck, but I did snap some photos when I took Daisy out.

The Toby (Catalpa) tree is in full bloom. It will have lots of "beans" this year.
It sure is a messy tree, but I'll forgive it for the excellent shade it provides.

My former boss and her husband have a sign company.
As a sideline they've started making all kinds of plasma
cut signs. I love my cow jumping over the moon!
That's Tim's flag honoring the Marines hiding behind the tree.

We had to fill the second raised bed yesterday and by the time we got done with that, we didn't
get the plants in the ground before the rain started. I have cucumbers, zucchini, and peppers.

The rain is sure good for my potted flowers. I don't
know what that hot pink flower is called,
but isn't it fabulous?!

A peek at the shade garden from the road side.

One of my "Neil Diamond" roses.
They have a heavenly smell.

This rose is call "Ketchup & Mustard" because each
bloom is yellow on the underside and red on top.

It was a pretty good weekend around here. I got to spend lots of time with our youngest grandson. He and his momma went shopping with me on Friday.

(Word of advice: If you ever have the chance to push your grandchild in one of those carts that looks like a truck...SKIP IT! It was like trying to maneuver a coal barge on dry land. Sheesh...I came close to taking out several displays and a couple of senior citizens!)

Yesterday Tim and I kept him while his parents did some more packing. This is their last week in their apartment. They have to be out by Friday. They are going to stay 4 days in a hotel and then come here next Tuesday for what will be, we are hoping, only a 3 or 4 day stay. Closing is supposed to take place on the 15th. Since they've finally gone public with the news, I can show you pictures.

I'm not sure how to post videos that I've taken. So, here's a link to one on Facebook, that I hope you can see. Colton latched on to this patriotic fellow at Walmart yesterday and would not let him be quiet even for a moment. We had a continuous loop of the Macarena playing the whole time we were shopping. To the other customers, "I'm sorry!"

A lot of Saturday was spent catching up on my Bible study homework and preparing for this week's Beth Moore lesson on the fruit of the Spirit. We are on patience this week...a trait that is not naturally my strong suit, so it's been a good lesson for me. I hope I can help the other women understand all the excellent truths revealed.

A happy Monday to you and may you have a blessed week! I am off to Oakgrove to pick up my paycheck because they goofed and didn't mail it. Oh well.

Easter & the April Challenge

Good morning! I have been up for quite a while...not at all what I was hoping for on this last day of my Easter break, but eh, life happens.  And speaking of things that just "happen...."  As I was stumbling out to the backdoor to take the dog out this morning, Tim casually mentioned I might want to put my boots on. Huh? Why? Because a quick peek out the door showed that we'd gotten a good 3-4 inches of heavy wet snow and it was still coming down. Good grief!! Spring, where are you?

We enjoyed a nice family Easter yesterday.  Mom, John, our son and his family, Tim and I all went to our daughter's home for Easter. I cooked most of the dinner, but everyone contributed something.

The grandkids hit their Easter baskets before dinner and I'd say they were pleased.

After dinner we took them outside for an Easter egg hunt.  Each of them had a specific type of egg to hunt and then there were plain colored ones that any of them could find.  We only had a big, open area to work with so no eggs were actually "hidden." Still, we laughed that they seemed to have more trouble finding eggs lying out in the open than they did when we hid them. 

Poor little Colton was exhausted and could hardly keep his little legs going. He was trying to keep up with his bigger cousins, but was stumbling and wobbling like a drunken sailor! He finally just gave up and sat down and let his mommy put his eggs in his bucket.

Back inside, we visited a while longer and the kids had a great time playing. Colton was so excited. He doesn't get to see his cousins very often and he just adores them.

Late in the afternoon everyone piled into their cars and came over to our house.  We unveiled the jungle gym. It was a big hit! I can only imagine when they see it with sand in the sandbox and a slide attached. Aeden was heard at one point to say that it was "the best day ever!" 

The kids were all gone by 6:00 and Mom and John walked down for some leftovers. They sat and visited a bit, but by a little after 7:00 Easter was officially over and we could relax.

It was a wonderful day. The only thing missing was going to church. I miss that, but there is a church I'm planning to visit and Tim has said he thinks he will go with me to check it out (that is a huge deal!), so maybe next year will include a service. 

I hope you all had blessed days, too.

April Challenge #2

Your earliest memory.

There are two brief flashes of memory that are my absolute earliest memories. One is of being in my crib at my grandmother's house. It's dark, I'm yelling or crying, and someone opens the nursery door and looked in at me. They are backlit by the light from the hallway so I don't know who it is. 

The second memory is of being held and looking over the shoulder of whomever is holding me. We are in a parking lot and it's raining so we are under an umbrella.

Other than those two, I have many more detailed memories, but I'm not sure how they line up time-wise. They are all at my grandparent's home and involve doing something with my Nana...usually out in nature.

* If you'd like to join in the April Challenge visit Kwizgiver for the prompts and to sign up.

Random Journal Day Reunion

A long time ago, in another blogging life, I met a blogger named Dawn who loved journals, diaries, and planners as much as I do.  She also loved God and the beach.  We became fast blog buddies.  

Over the years, Dawn's blogging and passion for journaling evolved into something much bigger.  While my own blogging stagnated, she began reviewing journals (you really should watch her cute YouTube videos), hosting giveaways, writing great poems and having them published, leading how-to journaling boot camps, and this past November her first book, Journaling for Discovery and Delight, went on sale!    

Along the way Dawn united other journalers she had met and created a community.  That group of journaling bloggers met up under the name of Random Journal Day.  Each month Dawn featured a different journal keeper. You can view my month here.  Along with the featured journal keeper, others linked up and shared a post from an archived journal. Eventually, life and busyness took everyone in different directions and RJD fell by the wayside.

This month Dawn invited all of us to an RJD reunion.  She has provided links to many of the group's past posts and provided a place to link up to share about our journaling journeys.  I had forgotten what wonderful writers these ladies are and I'm honored to be included among them.

I'm not sure where this post is going, so I thought I'd begin by answering the prompts Dawn gave us.

How many journals do you have in your archives? Do you harvest your journals? How often?  

I have 5 journals in my "archives." That's not much to show for a lifetime of journaling.  It is, however, 5 more journals than I had back in the days of RJD. The reason why I didn't keep my journals can be found in the same post I mentioned above.  It's a pretty big deal that I'm saving them again. 

Thought you might like to see where I do most of my journaling.
I do love this spot. It's filled with all my favorite things.

This is my summer journaling spot.  Because I don't work
during the summer, I begin most days here with my
Bible, my journal, and my camera.

As for harvesting my journals for writing ideas, I don't.  I do go back and read them again fairly often, but I don't use them to fuel my blogging.  I never have.

How has journaling brought delight into your life?

It's the one place I feel completely free to be myself, to let it all hang out so to speak.  It's also where God and I spend a lot of time hashing things out and all my time with God is pure delight!

What have you discovered through journaling about yourself, others, life etc?

Only everything! Seriously, my journals are where I work through things and admit things and stress over things.  My journals have always been my emotional dump, that place to unload stuff and sort through what's really important and what's just my emotions getting the best of me.  Journaling about a situation helps me see it more clearly and consider it from all sides and that helps me to see where others are coming from, to consider their motives and feelings.

Over the years as my faith has grown, my journals have changed, too. At first I kept separate journals for life and for prayer or Bible study. Then I started keeping it all in the same journal but distinct entries. These days it's all happily blended and muddled up together just like life.

As for what I've learned about myself, I don't know where to start. I often write about what I'm studying in the Bible and as I start writing words begin to flow and thoughts begin to form. God is a tough task master and he has shown me many areas over the years that I need to work on and then we work.

This was last year's journal.
God was a particularly stern taskmaster
last summer and I had much to work on.

The entry on the left side is a list of do's and don'ts
of the Christian life from Romans 12.

Some bright, happy pages.

This page with a picture of a jewelry box filled with
sparkling gems was an entry about choosing
our treasures with wisdom and maturity.

IN what ways has journaling enriched your : daily life, career, mental or physical health, spiritual life, and relationships?

Let me get the career question out of the way first.  It hasn't enriched my career since I don't have one.  I have a job.  There's a difference.  I'm not seeking a career, either.  There was a time when I wanted to be a journalist or maybe even a writer of books and articles, but the door has never opened and I don't desire it these days.  It doesn't seem to be God's leading for me and I'm okay with that.

As for my daily life, I believe I'm a calmer, more patient, and thoughtful person than I used to be.  Journaling helps me settle down and get centered.  It helps me to think through things and organize things and often shows me where I am off track or way out of line.  All of that has been a balm to my mental state.  These days I am much happier and filled with the joy of the Lord.

My physical health surely benefits from the release of stress and pent up emotions and I like to think, well...I hope, my relationships are better because I process irritations and hurts on paper and then forgive, rather than let them fester or blow up at the one I'm irritated with.

We've already covered spiritual benefits, I think.  All that work God and I do on the journal pages has sure made me grow.  Often, when it was the last thing I wanted to do.

This is my current journal. Isn't it pretty?
It's leather and ties shut. I found it in
a clearance bin at Barnes & Noble
for a mere $9! Can you believe it?

Here's a peek inside.

Others use their journals to jot brief bits of inspiration, beautiful poetry, a scripture that speaks to them, or a bit of revelation from God.  Me?  Like Forest Gump and his box of chocolates, I never know what I'm going to get. I just start writing and God takes it from there. It's rambling and free-form and often full of run-on sentences that would make my college journalism professors cringe.  It can be messy (I'm dangerous with a glue stick) and I've been known to fall asleep while writing, leaving an ink trail running off the page.  It's really a lot like me...messy, imperfect, but trying to get better and loving the journey.

The Simple Woman's Daybook, March 2018

I'm joining up with Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook, because it seems like a good thing to do on a cold, snowy day that finds me at home and sick.

For today....

Looking out my window...is a cold, windy, and snowy day.  Going outside (as I occasionally must for the dog) is surreal as the air is alive with the sounds of the spring birds lured back too soon by February saying goodbye with a gentle kiss of warm weather.

I am thinking...about what it means to live in Appalachia and the Rust Belt as I read Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance.  He defines them as two separate regions with lots of ties. I live in an area that is defined by both.

I am thankful...the remodeling of our main bathroom will soon be done. It was torn out far too long ago, leaving us with just the bathroom in our bedroom. Work and health issues have prevented my husband from working on it in any sort of timely manner.  At Christmas we purchased all the tile, grout, lights, etc., and it has been sitting in the spare bedroom ever since. This week we bought the vanity and basin "knowing" he would be taking a 3-day weekend to work like crazy on it. 

Then work said, HA! The hotel project is nearing its end and there are a lot of little details to be ironed out before it can be turned over to the owners. One of those details is inspections for all sorts of things...and several ended up being scheduled for today and there was no one who could cover.  I was upset, but my husband promises that he will have 3 days next weekend. Guaranteed.

I guess I can live with the vanity box in the kitchen for another week.

One of my favorite things...is this little man. He is growing so fast and his personality is developing. This nanny is glad he's still got some cuddles in him.

I am creating...my journal. I've always kept journals, but for some reason never decorated the pages or got creative with them. Now I am. I enjoy it and I guess the thought is there that maybe they will be something my family will cherish one day when I am no longer here.

I am wearing...the sweatpants, long-sleeve shirt, and fuzzy socks that I slept in. I am home sick, so I don't have to look good!

I am reading...Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. It's interesting to see how much I recognize of the world he describes in my own. I just finished reading Bear Town by J.D. Vance. I enjoyed it so much I ordered his book A Man Called Ove to read next.

I am hoping...that this will be the year we finally don't get pummeled by taxes. We've had a LOT of extra taken from our paychecks and now there's President Trump's little tax cut. Hopefully, it will be enough that we don't owe.

I am learning...to take one day at a time, live in the moment, and be content with the "now" of things.

In my kitchen...there are a lot more fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods than there used to be. We are both trying to lose weight and I am trying to make us healthy, too, rather than my husband's method of just not eating much until he reaches his goal. I know what would happen if I did that...I'd hit goal and it would be back to regular eating. I want to change how we eat. Some recipes go over better than others, as do some changes. I want to do the Whole 30 diet, but he refuses to give up certain things like dairy and some grains.

In my garden...I noticed something had been digging in one of the raised beds the other day. I'm guessing a squirrel must have buried some of his nuts in it and came back.  I wish he would dig down in there and pull out the Trumpet vine roots I know are lurking in there.  I need to pay a visit to the local nursery for advice on getting rid of them...if there is a way without completely emptying the beds to dig them out or contaminating the soil with poison.

Shared quote...“Religion is something between you and other people; it’s full of interpretations and theories and opinions. But faith . . . that’s just between you and God.”  - Fredrik Backman, Bear Town.

Closing note...It seems that maybe the rash of violent threats at schools is winding down. I only heard of one or two school closings due to it this week. I still can't get over there being close to 700 incidents in my state alone following the Florida shooting. A few were credible threats, but most were perpetrated by kids trying to get a day off school or just to be "funny."  It's a crazy world we are living in.  I hope this trend of fake threats is a wake up call for all of us.  Our culture is seriously off track.

Sunday Stealing: Artsy-Fartsy

Thank you, Bev, for finding us some interesting questions to answer again this week.



Some Art Historic questions

Classical: If you were an Olympian god, what would you be known for?  Probably for surrendering my "godness." I don't think I would like to wield that much power.

Byzantine: Do you prefer gold or silver accessories?  Silver. I don't think gold looks good against my pale, freckled skin.

Medieval: Are you religious?  I am a Christian. I believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I'm not religious. Religions are created by men, operate heavily on the traditions of man, and tend to be very legalistic. I got caught up in all of that when I first became a believer.  I went through some pretty hurtful stuff in churches, but came out the other side having learned that all God wants from us is to have a relationship with us. He wants us to love him.

Gothic: What is your favourite historic building?  The old Allegheny County Courthouse and Prison in Pittsburgh.  The architecture is just amazing.

The old Allegheny County Courthouse.

The old Allegheny County Prison

Renaissance: Have you ever had a time in your life when you felt enlightened or changed?  When I became a Christian, but that process continues. I'm always studying and trying to learn to be more like Jesus.

Baroque: Do you enjoy the finer things in life?  Well, of course I do if they are there. Who wouldn't? They aren't so important to me that I pursue them. Except for books.  I always need books and they are one of the finer things in life to me.

Rococo: Is your bedroom full of trinkets and pictures? If so, which pictures adorn your walls?  There are lots of little dust catchers around in there, but only a couple of pictures (I'm taking that to mean photos), the biggest one is a huge old Glamour Shot photo of me from back in '93.  I took my mom to get our portraits done a couple of months after my dad died hoping to cheer her up a bit.

Neoclassicism: If something came back into fashion, what do you hope it would be?  Manners, common courtesy, respect for each other, kindness, unselfishness...I could come up with a whole lot of things.

Romanticism: Do you often see things in a positive light?  I think so. I don't think I romanticize them, though, just look for the positive. I haven't always been that way, but I am working to retrain my mind to think that way.

Pre-Raphaelite: Which book would you like to see turned into a film?  Any of James Rollins' Sigma Force novels. They would make amazing action/adventure films.

Impressionism: Do you look for details or take everything in at once?  Everything at once and then go back for details.

Art Nouveau: When were you last at the theatre?  For a movie?  It's probably been close to a year.  For a play or musical?  It's been several years.

Surrealism: Why does the porcupine think it's a duck?  I don't know. Why does the cow bark like a dog?

Pop Art: Do you enjoy pop culture?  Some aspects of it, but in recent years I enjoy less and less about pop culture.

Contemporary: What did you do today?  Went with my daughter and grandson to have his Easter photos taken with a real live little black lamb. Colton was NOT a fan of the lamb so I ended up holding the lamb. What a cute little thing! It wasn't very old and just snuggled right up in my arms with it's head nuzzled into my neck. I did eventually get Colton to like the lamb, but by then his patience with holding still for photos was long gone so the photographer will photoshop the two together.  We went out for lunch after that.  What a handsome little lunch date I had!

Enjoy a blessed Sunday!

The Simple Woman's Daybook: January 2018

I'm linking up to The Simple Woman's Daybook today. You can find the host site here as well as links to posts by other bloggers and the format and rules (just in case you'd like to join in). I like the homey feel of it and getting a peek into everyone's lives...there are some very creative ladies participating and some wonderful photographs.

For Today...

Looking out my window...It's 10 degrees, cloudy, and there's about 4 inches of snow on the ground. Pretty typical weather for southwestern PA in January.

I am thinking...That I really should get ready to go to my appointment at the doctor's office. Nothing is wrong, just a check up since I am taking the Adipex-P appetite control pill. I have to go monthly and pass with flying colors in order to get the next month's prescription.

I am thankful...for so many things right now. We have so far missed the flu and all other bugs and viruses floating around, we have been nice and warm during all this extremely cold weather, my husband is getting serious about losing weight and eating healthy (it makes it easier for me!), my new Living Well planner, lots of books waiting to be read, and my God who never tires of loving me or teaching me new things.

One of my favorite things...is the newly discovered luxury of ordering groceries online and then just having to pull up at the store and they are brought out and put in the car for me.

I am creating...goals for myself, for the day, for the week, for the month, for the year. All in that new planner. I want to get a handle on our finances this year. It's harder than you'd think.

I am wearing...the granny nightgown covered with cardinals that Mom gave me for Christmas, red plaid leggings, fuzzy socks, and warm winter slippers...an outfit I really need to change out of to go to that appointment. LOL

I am reading/watching/listening to...On the Edge by Parker Hudson. A friend brought it to my attention and I am so glad she did! It is a story about spiritual warfare, of what goes on in the spirit realm beyond what we can see. It's about the battle for our souls. It's really different in that it's two books in one. One shows what one family's lives would be like without the presence of God and the second shows what their lives would be like if they were saved by Jesus and had a relationship with God and the influence of godly friends. There's nothing new, really, but Hudson has such a talent for putting things out there plainly and really making you think. It's an older book, from 1994...I wish I had known about it and read it years ago as a young Christian. It would have maybe saved me a lot of heartache.

I am hoping...to avoid the flu (or any bug). It's beginning to hit our area hard and with me being around kids every day, it's a concern. I keep up on my vitamins, wash my hands a lot, and the bus is stocked with Lysol spray and wipes, as well as hand sanitizer.

I am learning...to live more in the moment, to reach out rather than keep to myself, and to be more bold in my faith.

In my kitchen...I'm doing more cooking from scratch. I enjoy cooking, but at the end of the day I am usually tired and don't want to put the effort into cooking. I recently signed up for a meal plan program where there are a month's worth of meals to choose from in several categories and most of them are quite easy to make. It even has shopping lists I can download. I chose several recipes this past week, ordered the needed items online from Walmart (which eliminates those impulse temptations at the store), and then just had to pick them up at the store. I tried to pick recipes with foods I know my husband will eat, but that are prepared in a new way. So far it's been a hit.

In my garden...nothing is happening since we are once again in the deep freeze and covered by snow.

Post script...I am just beginning to explore The Spruce. It's a website with tips and advice on virtually anything home and family related.

Shared quote... 

Closing notes...A pot of soup is simmering on the stove and it is snowing again. My husband is battling icy roads to come home. On a good day he has a 2-hour drive. Bible study at my teacher's home has been cancelled for tomorrow night. Today was a day off work due to the MLK holiday. I wonder if tomorrow will be called a snow day or delayed due to the weather?