Get The Coffee Going - It's 4am

 Happy Thursday, my friends!

It's early and David and I have already been up for almost two hours. We are waking up at 4:00 am these days; sometimes by choice and other times out of habit. Occasionally we can force ourselves to fall back to sleep, but it doesn't last long. We usually just get up and get the coffee going. We hear from other friends our age, that they too are waking up in the wee hours of the morning, so I guess we are just at that age. 

This week I've done a bit of everything around here. Monday I prepped for Millie School. I cleaned out the school cabinet and got their worksheets ready. That takes me a few hours every Monday, which I don't mind. I asked the girls if they wanted to take a break in the summer and they all said in unison..."NO!" 😅 So I will be making plans for a lighter load for summer days, but enough to keep them learning. 

Summer is always one of my favorite seasons with kids. I love the days of them playing in the backyard, drinking lemonade and running through the sprinkler or playing in the little pool. I have such fun memories of those days with my own boys and now to do it with grandchildren is such a blessing.

Tuesday we had school, which went well (always does, actually). I then took the girls to a new library, which has a wonderful children's section. They found a stack of books to check out, but we had to stay even longer so they could play with all of the cool toys that were available. 

By the time I got home, after dropping them off, it was after 3pm and I was exhausted. I got a snack and watched tv for an hour or so, just to recover 😅

Yesterday I decided to have a full day at home and catch up on some office things, housework and cleaning up my computer. 

I've been researching this iCloud thing, (I can see my kids rolling their eyes right now). I'm sick of being harassed by the iCloud, saying I need to pay for more space! I didn't ask for the cloud and I'm determined to not use it, just because Apple says so. So anyway, I spent some much needed time deleting old pictures, downloads and anything else that gets collected on my computer over time. I made some progress, but still have a ways to go. 

I have so many pictures on my phone and computer (and in a cabinet, in boxes) Ugggg! Photos are overwhelming, aren't they? That's an entire project, in itself. I've tried to get better about only keeping those that are really special, but when you have 7 grandkids...it's hard! They are too cute 😀

Today I have some errands to run, as we are getting ready for an upcoming trip. We haven't had luggage in YEARS, and have been using duffle bags and totes anytime we would go anywhere. So we agreed that it was time to actually have proper suitcases, so that's on the agenda for today. 

I can't believe it's already the end of this week! That went by fast. 

Well, I hope all is well in your corner of the world. This week Texas has finally gotten the rain we've been asking for, in abundance, so everything is green once again. At least here in our area. 

Have a wonderful Thursday and may you get the rain or the sun; whichever you need today. 🌞

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Thrifting Isn't So Thrifty Anymore

 Happy Monday Everyone!

I hope you had a fun or restful weekend; whichever one you prefer. We had a busy weekend, but a good one.

Friday night we started out keeping the boys - Asa and Sunday.  Of course we had to go outside, which they love. Here they are trying to both fit in the jeep 😅 Yes, it's a pink jeep, but we found it on the side of the road, so free is free. 

Swings were swung, bubbles were blown and one baby tried to eat a leaf and a stick, but all was well. Big brother played with his fire truck and other big trucks and we played until it was time to clean up, then we headed inside for baths. We had a great time with them and we all slept good that night. They are precious. 

Saturday David and I had plans to go thrifting for a few things, so we headed to Goodwill first. Let me just say that I think Goodwill has forgotten what their mission is, which should be to supply items at a "thrifty" cost to consumers. However, they have now become more expensive than just buying some things new and I refuse to pay what they are asking, for stuff people no longer wanted. 

I couldn't believe the prices on some of the items! We were able to find a few toys for the backyard and grabbed those for reasonable prices, but much of the home goods were way overpriced. 

Our 2nd stop was to one of the libraries in Beaumont. A friend of mine works there and she had asked me to bring a set of my books there because they want to start a "Local Authors" shelf. Of course I was more than happy to donate a set. How exciting! 

Next we headed downtown to a resale shop, looking for a patio table. We did find a few, but they all needed lots of work and for the prices, we decided to check on new tables instead. Sure enough, we found a table and chair set at Walmart for the same price as those with rust and torn chair cushions at the thrift store. 

Are you seeing the theme here?

I miss the days of true thrifting, before it became trendy and now the stores think they are carrying gold. 

I always think that they could actually sell stuff if they priced it right (and fair), rather than mark everything so high, that it sits in the store and doesn't get sold. But what do I know? In fact, when we were selling items before we moved last summer, I sold a small table to a lady who works at one of the antique/junk stores here in town. When I was browsing in that store one day, I saw my old table, which she bought from me for $50 and it was priced at $275!! I felt sick knowing that she had marked it up so high and some poor soul would be duped into paying that ridiculous price. It was sickening. 

I think I need to start hitting garage sales instead of thrift stores. I hope they are still reasonable. 

Sunday we went to church and I have to mention something here and see if anyone can relate...

I can't stay awake in church. There. I said it out loud. 😏 I fight sleep as soon as the pastor starts his message, but it's not him, I promise. He's a great preacher, but for some reason, as soon as I sit down and the message starts, I start getting sleepy. I actually think it's the lighting. In churches that are darker or the lights are dim, I'm fine. But in our church, where the lights stay bright the entire hour, I fight sleep and I think it has to do with my eyes. 

Does anyone have this issue? 

But, back to the day...

After church we picked up a hamburger for lunch and then we went to visit David's mom for an hour or so. We came back home, I worked on some bills, we ate dinner and by 9:00 I was ready for bed. 

The weekend came to an end and I did too 😅

All in all, it was a great weekend. Nothing too exciting, but blessed, for sure. 

Today will be all about school prep for tomorrow's Millie School, figuring out the meals for this week, doing some household chores and hopefully sitting down to read this afternoon. We shall see.

I hope you have a wonderful Monday and that leads to a great week. Everyone's having cooler temps, so it's a great time to be outside.

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Happy Friday!

 Happy Friday, friends!

I didn't intend to be gone so long, but somehow I just never got around to writing this week. 

This week we had a family dinner to celebrate Ted turning 33. Alex fixed a delicious Italian meal and topped it off with banana pudding made with nutter butters. It was so good! 

We didn't have school this week, but the girls were busy getting stuff ready for their co-op market day they had yesterday. 

Every year all the kids make things to sell and they keep the money they make. They get so excited to see their friends come and buy things from them and then in turn, they visit their friend's tables and buy things from them. 

This year Emmy sold BBQ sandwiches, Ella (not pictured), sold iced tea, and Addie sold banana bread - plain and with chocolate chips. After two hours, they were pretty much sold out and it was time to pack things up for another year. 

It was their last day of co-op and they ended with a pizza party and some water slides. 

In other news...

I spent one entire day purging things in my office and straightening shelves, paper supplies, notebooks I no longer need and anything else that had been bothering me.  That felt good. I love to sit down in a clean space, don't you?

I also found a website that offers books for review and pays for each book, so I decided to try it and see if they really paid. They give a fairly large selection and once you choose the book you want, you download a copy, read it within a given timeframe and then submit an Amazon review. It's pretty simple.

As I searched through the books, I came across this one and decided to try it and I hit the jackpot.

As I started reading through the chapters, I loved the message so much that I ended up buying my own copy, which totally negates the small fee they paid me, but I couldn't help myself. 

I took so many notes in just the first three chapters and it made it super easy to write a positive review.

Today I will be busy with normal household things, such as paying bills, laundry, making a batch of cookies and figuring out what dinner will be. Tomorrow I think we will get out of the house for a few hours and have lunch out, buy some hardware we need and maybe visit a thrift store I've been wanting to go to. Oh, and I almost forgot...we will be keeping Asa and Sunday tonight while mommy and daddy have a dinner date. Fun!! I had better take my vitamins today 😅 They keep me running! 

And that's all the exciting news for today 😀 Now I'm off to get breakfast and catch up on the blogs I follow.

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Notes From A Writer's Heart - Coffee Can of Colors

Happy Wednesday, my friends!

I hope all of you had a special Easter with family or friends. We had a wonderful day with lots of good food and lots of babies running around. I can't think of anything better 💛

Today I want to share a story with you from my book Notes From A Writer's Heart. It's called Coffee Can of Colors and it's a true story about my grandmother and me.  

I hope you enjoy...

Coffee Can of Colors

If you drive down Hill Road, turn left onto the dirt drive

and through the aluminum gate, you’ll see the wooden house.

Worn and tattered from too many years of

fixing and not enough paint to make it shine.

If you walk up the back steps and through the screen door,

you’ll enter the dining room and kitchen

where a rifle stood in the corner

and meals were cooked day and night.

If you open the bottom cabinet, nearest the back door,

you’ll find a coffee can of colors,

several coloring books and a trail of sugar ants.

It was the first place I looked when I walked inside.

That cabinet full of crayons made me feel like she was

always waiting for me; knowing I’d come again.

I would take my place at the table, with MawMaw straight across.

I remember sugar cubes in her coffee and her red dress on.

I don’t remember what we talked about,

but I remember coloring as we sat.

MawMaw and me and a coffee can full of colors.

💙

I don't have many memories of my grandmother, but what I do remember is that she loved the color red. She wore red dresses, had red bath towels and red interior in her car. She loved to play the piano and cooked a huge meal every Sunday. 

I don't remember her being a warm and fuzzy kind of grandmother, but she spent time playing the piano when I asked her to and she sat with me when I colored. Maybe after raising 7 boys and 2 girls, that's all she had left to give. She was probably tired. 

But I did feel special when I walked into her house, opened that cabinet door and always found the coloring books and crayons there waiting for me. 

💙

If you would like to read more of these personal stories, you can purchase the book by clicking on the sidebar photo like the one below. 

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!

 

Enjoy this beautiful song and have a wonderful celebration of our savior today 💜

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

What Margin Does...

Happy Good Friday everyone 💛

I hope you've had a good week and are preparing for a special weekend with family or friends. 

I've had a great week hanging out with the family and have thoroughly enjoyed having some down time to get things done around the house. 

I finally cleaned out my closet. I took every piece of clothing out and laid it on the bed. Then I weeded out things I don't like or can't wear anymore and put the rest back in, nice and neat. This is always such a satisfying feeling, when you can see what you have and realize that you have plenty. 

I've cooked a few family favorites this week - Millie's One Pot Pasta on Tuesday and Taco Soup last night.  Both are so easy and only take a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand. (I'll put the recipes below).

I've started a new puzzle and work on it at night. I've also started a new book I've had hanging around...Theo of Golden. It came highly recommended. Have you read it? So far, I'm enjoying it. 

This week has been one that reminds me of how much we can do when we stay home. We can cook and clean and read and watch tv and get projects completed and feel totally satisfied in our work. I love and prefer those weeks, as opposed to the ones where life feels rushed and chaotic. I've never thrived in a rushed and chaotic lifestyle. Instead, I thrive when I have lots of margin in my days and can think clearly about what I want to spend my time on. Isn't it funny how we're all different and some do thrive on chaos and rushing here and there?

This week I've talked to my mom twice on the phone. I've texted with my baby sister. I've seen the whole family one night, the girls the next day and exchanged a few videos with Asa. This is another thing that margin allows...time to communicate. I've prayed for friends, prayed for family, talked with one of my boys when he called to tell me good news. I've exchanged Wordle stats with the other son and tried to explain to David what in the world Wordle was 😅

 And most of all...I've talked to the Lord throughout the days and read his word daily. I've prayed for clarity on some things and gotten peace about other things. I've played this song on repeat and enjoyed singing it while cooking, cleaning and going about my day. 

I didn't set out to write about "margin" today, but as I was walking through the week in my mind, I realized that margin was the star of the show this week. Having time to live life in meaningful ways. Not being dragged from task to task or obligation to obligation, but having time to choose with intention. 

This is how I want to live. This is the life I want to look back on - one filled with time to do all the important things that have meaning. 

And on that note, it's time for breakfast and another cup of coffee and catching up on all of your blogs, which I love to do.

I hope you have a wonderful Friday and take time to think about what today stands for. Jesus died on the cross and became the sacrifice you and I could never give. Today is significant and has meaning. Don't let that pass you by 💚

So...Until Next Time...

Blessings to you as you live today. What a gift you've been given. 

Here are the recipes I promised:

Millie's One Pot Pasta

1lb breakfast sausage (browned with chopped onion in olive oil)

1/2 box spaghetti noodles, broken in half

16 oz vegetable broth

1 can Rotel tomatoes

Onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

Sautee 1/2 cup chopped onion in 1 tbsp olive oil

Add sausage and cook until done.

Add pasta, broth and Rotel and make sure there is enough broth

to cover pasta.

Bring to a boil, then simmer until pasta is tender.

(I used the "hot" sausage and it was so good in this dish!)

Taco Soup

1 can of each:

Diced tomatoes

Corn

Black beans

Pinto beans (or Ranch style)

1 lb ground beef (cooked)

1 pk taco seasoning

16 oz vegetable broth

salt and pepper

Add all ingredients into a soup pot, bring to a boil, simmer until hot and bubbly.

A Fun and Relaxing Weekend

 Happy Monday, friends!

I hope you had a great weekend. Mine started on Friday with a visit from my friend Kim, who lives out of town now. We go months without seeing each other, but talk now and then by phone. But when we see each other it's like she never left. That's a nice friendship 💛

For the past few years, Kim and I would gather weekly and work on crafts together, always stopping to pick up food from our favorite restaurant. Then we would continue crafting, talking and solving all the world's problems while we worked.  It was time I looked forward to, every week.

So when she said she was coming into town, we decided to cram as much as we could into one day. 

Before she arrived, I ran up to the local coffee shop and bought these gigantic cinnamon rolls. Needless to say, we had to split one and saved the 2nd one for later, but they were delicious. We ate and caught up on a lot of life before we decided to drive down the road to a local thrift/antique store. 

We had fun reminiscing about all the "old" items we saw from our childhood years and finding a few fun things for ourselves. Afterwards we stopped into a restaurant where we ate chicken and sausage gumbo and potato salad for lunch. It was delicious. 

Back home, we started on our craft project for the day. Kim came equipped with palettes, paints, flowers and other goodies that we could quickly throw together and make something fun. This is what I made and later put a quote at the top (which I forgot to get a picture of). It made the perfect addition to one of my bookshelves near the fireplace. 

When it came time for Kim to leave, we hugged and were so thankful for the day we had together. We picked up right where we left off and those are the best friendships to have. (A fun tidbit...Kim went to school with my husband and they always have stories to swap too. Who knew we would become such great friends?) 

On Saturday I went to Kroger for a big stock up on groceries. I like to do that at the beginning of each new month. I spend a bit more, but most things will last me for weeks, so I only have to do small orders each week afterwards. 

After grocery shopping I spent time putting everything away, but only after pulling everything out of the pantry and putting it all back in, but in better form. Having to use cabinets for food, as opposed to an actual closet type pantry, is a challenge. Things that get piled in the back are hard to see and I forget what I have. 

The rest of the day was spent cooking and just working around the house. I worked on my puzzle a lot, which I'm really enjoying. David put up a ceiling fan and then moved the birdbath, which has been on the list for a while now. I wanted it just outside the living room window, so I could see it from my chair. 

But as I kept looking at it through the window, I decided to search Pinterest for ideas on decorating a birdbath. It just looked so plain and needed a little pick me up 😀

So Sunday we bought a few cheap items from Dollar Tree and I decorated the birdbath. How fun!

I hope the birds will feel welcomed there and that the squirrels don't destroy it 😅 But in the meantime, I'm loving it!

David and I spent the rest of the evening having a Dr. Blake Mystery marathon and just really took time to relax before the week started again. 

I love those kinds of weekends. The ones where there's no agenda, you don't have to be anywhere. You just casually work around the house, relax and eat good food. 

What about you? I hope you had a good weekend. I have a feeling it's going to be a busy week.

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

How Do You Schedule Your Week?

Happy Tuesday, friends!

 I've always been a curious person when it comes to how other women schedule their time or run their home.

 When I was a new homeschooling mom, many years back, my favorite books to read were the ones where other moms shared their daily schedules (now called "a day in the life"). I'm always looking for new ideas or new methods, whether in shopping, organization, scheduling, budgeting and all other things concerning the home. 

I remember keeping a planner in the early days of being a young mom. I would write important dates on the calendar and then write my list for the day or week, along with meal plans and shopping lists. Back then HOME PLANNING NOTEBOOKS were all the rage. These were 3-ring binders that contained everything you could think of to run your household. 

Actual picture of my notebook from many years ago

The notebooks would have lists of schedules, when to maintenance your car, change your air filter, do your chores, grocery lists, budget templates, notes to leave your babysitter and things I can't even remember right now. I kind of chuckle at the thought of how overwhelming that all sounds to me, all these years later. 

I remember watching an episode of Wife Swap back then and one of the wives calling her notebook "her brain" and thinking that was a great way to describe it, because it did all the thinking for you, if you set it up right. 

Nowadays I have one simple planner and an ongoing to-do list in the back of the planner. I write a daily list of things to do and throw it away when everything is done. In other words, I've simplified immensely. 

But one thing I have done that has helped me schedule my week is put a simple schedule together that tells me what each day should focus on. 

For instance:

Monday is for school prep, household chores, and groceries

Tuesday - Millie School

Wednesday - Office Day - used to write, learn something, get creative

Thursday - Millie School (or school prep if girls are at co-op)

Friday - Pay bills, day out to spend with a friend, shop, run errands, etc.

Saturday - cook, projects around the house or an outing with David

Sunday - church, meal plan and grocery list

This is just a suggestive schedule and always subject to change, but it gives me a good outline of what to do on what day. Of course, the usual tasks are taken care of as needed, such as cleaning, laundry, cooking, etc. I also leave room for last minute grandkid visits or invitations. 

What I like about this schedule is that it came out of my natural rhythm of what I was already doing. In other words, I didn't just create a schedule and then try to adjust to it. These were the tasks I was already doing on those days and so it feels doable and something I can stick with. 

So...the question is...how do you schedule your week? (I told you, I'm always curious 😀)

Do you have certain chores on certain days or are you willy-nilly and just wake up and go with the flow?

Did you ever have a household planner notebook? Apparently they are still a thing (according to Pinterest).

Well, I'm looking forward to hearing your answers. So...

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Happy Monday Morning!

 Good Monday Morning, my friends!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! We had a weekend at home, still trying to get over whatever this was that has had us both stopped up and coughing. 

In spite of not feeling great, we did manage to babysit some grandkids on Friday night. Five of them, to be exact 😅 We had pizza and I made peanut butter cookies. We played Yahtzee, Crazy 8's, Battle, had a Bluey dance party and just had a lot of fun. 

On Saturday it was back to taking it easy, with the exception of a grocery pick up I had to do. I had not been to the store all week, so it couldn't be put off any longer. 

David spent the afternoon painting the grout in one of the bathrooms. Did you know you could paint the grout? For less than $20 your tile can look brand new. We have tile in both bathrooms and the grout was horrible. So he has spent the past two weekends making our bathrooms look brand new. Normally this would not be "blog worthy,"  but who knows who might need to have a refresh and paint their grout? So I thought I would share 😀

Yesterday I stayed home, started a new puzzle, made some lunch and basically just rested. We did go for a little drive in the evening, just to get out of the house for 30 minutes. Then it was back to the puzzle and a few shows on tv before heading off to bed.

Thankfully I feel a lot better this morning, so the hope is that each day will be better and better. 

Today I will be working on lessons for tomorrow's school day. The girls will be here bright and early, ready for Millie School. 

Pork chops are on the menu for tonight's dinner. Kroger has a package of 5 pork chops for $5.00, which is a good deal! I've started keeping a few packs of these on hand. I sometimes like to bake these in the oven with brown sugar and pepper, which are delicious. But lately I've been simmering them on the stovetop in a skillet with a bit of oil and seasonings. They come out tender and delicious, as well. 

Well, I'm off to eat breakfast and start the day. I hope you have a great start to your week. I hope to check in with all of you in the next few days.

Many blessings to all of you, my friends 💛

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Just a Short Post to Say Hello

Good Morning, Friends!

Well, the cold winds have blown in the allergies and this time they've taken me out for a few days.  But not before I could teach the girls all about St. Patrick's Day during school this week. 

I had the table set with all the green things when they arrived on Tuesday morning.  Green drinks, green snacks, green plates, a green toy for recess and they each had a packet of papers to work on with activities pertaining to the holiday. 

For lunch I let them dye their mashed potatoes with green food coloring and we had a great day learning all about St. Patrick and what a great missionary he was. After lunch we watched a few videos about learning the Irish dance and gave it a try. It's not easy! 

 Teaching in themes, or known as unit studies, has always been one of my favorite ways to teach. We will be doing a lot of themes on our homeschooling days, in fact. The next one coming up will be all things Spring and of course, Easter.

Now...on to other things...

Like I said, the allergies are getting the best of me right now, so I've been moving kind of slow for the past few days. My to-do list is not getting checked off as quickly as I would like it to. I did manage to make it to the post office and to a hair appointment to get my hair trimmed. The hair dresser was sniffling too, so I wasn't the only one suffering. Then I came home and basically did nothing but clean the kitchen and feed myself a few times 😅 David and I watched one show together and then I was off to bed.

Today will be spent at home, working on school plans for next week, laundry and hopefully cooking a good meal for supper. 

And probably a lot of sniffling 😏

Take care everyone. See you soon.

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Without Him, Everything is Nothing

 Good morning friends!

I had every intention of writing here yesterday, but the day got away from me, so here I am today, sharing something that I just read in my morning Bible study. 

I recently started a book titled, Even Silence is Praise, by Rick Hamlin.  It's all about spending time with God by sitting in silence with him; also known as meditating. Not meditating in the yoga-ish type of way, but as in, sitting with the Lord in expectation, quieting your soul and focusing on God's still small voice. 

But that's not really what I wanted to share today. It was a quote in the book that touched me and had so much meaning, that I just wanted to share it in case anyone else could relate.

"Without him everything is nothing,

and with him nothing is everything."

(Jean Pierre de Caussade)

When I read those words, they stopped me and took me back to my years before I found Jesus, or actually before he found me. 

I was a few months shy of my 23rd birthday and my life was empty of anything that resembled a God-centered life. I had friends, a college path, family, but absolutely no hope of anything good. I was just going through the motions of life, without significance or purpose. Inside I could feel an emptiness that I couldn't explain, but I knew there had to be more. "Without him everything is nothing..."

It wouldn't have mattered if I was the CEO of my own company by then...it still would have been nothing compared to a life with him. 

But then, everything changed, all because Jesus was calling me to himself and I was moving toward him, day by day, until one night I understood what he had done for me and why my life had felt so empty, and I gave my life to him and never looked back. 

From that day forward, my life started looking like something. "... and with him nothing is everything."

All the "nothings" in my life, started to have meaning. I had a new outlook and new standards and new goals. Everything that felt empty, now felt like purpose. I gave up what needed to be given up and I embraced what mattered more and though I was not the CEO of anything, I had everything that I needed and it all meant more than it ever would have before. This is what happens when you meet the savior.

This is what is still happening 38 years later. All the little things mean everything and all the big things I used to think were something...mean nothing. 

"Without him everything is nothing, 

and with him nothing is everything."

I've heard it said that with God, the world seems upside down. What the world deems as good and worthy, is useless in eternity. People will sell their soul to be "somebody" (just look at Hollywood). But those whom the world would deem as "nothing" really have it all, in my opinion. The non-influencers. The regular people just trying to put food on the table and pay the bills. The moms in the trenches, the dads out making a living...these are the ones who have everything worth anything. 

Until Next Time...

Blessings!