My Listening Heart

For Today - Wednesday - November 2, 2011

2011-11-02T19:01:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window. . .it is dark; there are freshly planted white pansies; a baby calf is bawling, desperately missing his mama.

I Am Thinking. . .that I need to get up and start making pear sauce. I'll use the method found here.

I Am Grateful. . . that I've run into my daughter twice in two days - all very serendipitous. She always brightens my day.

In The Kitchen . . . is a 5 gallon bucket of pears given to us. . . that's why I need to get busy making pear sauce and maybe a pear pie.

I Am Going. . .to upset the cat when I move her from my denim jacket, which is on the bed. She looks so cute and picturesque. If it were daylight in here, I'd be taking pix of her. . . all so cozy and snug on the denim jacket w/black collar. In spite of that she must move or I'll be wearing that jacket all covered w/fur!

I Am Reading . . .everything by Dr. Caroline Leaf about how the brain works and affects (effects?) our health. Fascinating stuff.

I Am Hoping . . .that my youngest son has a successful move. He and his wife are moving into a ginormous house in Norway. Moving is such a chore and they both have serious health issues.

I Am Hearing . . .the bawling calf. He is really missing his mama!

Around The House . . .of course those pears I've mentioned several times.

40 paperwhite bulbs, waiting for me to plant them.

A $1 bamboo steamer I bought at Goodwill

and gobs of other stuff.

I Am Wearing. . . an oversized man's blue shirt. Blue flannel pajama bottoms and bare feet. It's suppose to get chilly tonight and I want to go barefooted one more time before socks/shoes are necessary!

I Am Thinking. . . that I wish I'd been blogging more. I've been very negligent indeed.

I Am Wondering . . . if my van will need any serious repairs. The "check engine" light keeps coming on so we're taking it to our favorite mechanic in the morning.

One Of My Favorite Things. . . the sound of silence! Not all the time, of course; there is a time for everything. But sometimes at the end of the day it is nice to enjoy the quietness.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I wear jeggings! Yep - in my 60s and wearing jeggings!

About Today's Photo. . . it speaks for itself!

For Today - Wednesday - August 24, 2011

2011-08-24T17:42:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window. . .it is 79 degrees with straight-line winds, rain and cloud to ground lightning.

I Am Thinking. . .I'll shouldn't have swept, vacuumed and mopped the floors today! I didn't get to finish vacuuming though; the belt broke and I don't have another one and WalMart doesn't have any either :(

I Am Grateful . . .that several years ago we bought a generator so we have electricity to operate some of the more necessary things!

And oh so grateful that the birth certificate finally arrived to my son in Norway.

In The Kitchen . . . are lots of lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Yep - I'm doing the Master Cleanse. I'm on day 3 of the 10 day cleanse/fast. So far I've felt great!

I Am Going. . .to take a shower. Hubby rigged up an utility light in the bathroom!

I Am Reading . . .everything I can get my hands on by Bob Burg.

I Am Hoping . . .that the electricity soon comes back on. There are thousands, in 9 counties in east TX, without electricity.

I Am Hearing . . .the generator roaring! It is a lovely sound. For real - I'm not being sarcastic.

And thunder.

Around The House . . .are lots and lots of electrical cords! And flashlights and lanterns!

I Am Wearing. . . white shorts and blue chambray shirt.

I Am Thinking. . . I need to get into the tub while there is still some warm water!

I Am Wondering . . . what the impact of Hurricane Irene will be. The east coast doesn't normally have to deal with hurricanes.

One Of My Favorite Things. . . having air conditioning.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I mop floors barefoot; never wearing shoes. How else can I tell if they're really clean? Bare feet don't lie!

About Today's Photo. . .I think there is no explanation necessary!

For Today - Monday - August 22, 2011

2011-08-22T08:45:00.008-05:00

Outside My Window. . . It is 79 degrees and sunny. Today's forecast is the same as its been for over 50 days: Over 100 degrees and no rain. Texas is in the worst heatwave and drought in over 100 years.

I Am Thinking. . .that most people are hypocritical and judgmental. Sorry - that's just how it appears to me right now.

I Am Grateful. . . that Tim, of Tim and Christiy fame, helped my hubby get the HUGE branch off the roof. We had a freak little storm come through Friday with lots of wind and very little rain. For a while the strong winds came from one side of the house and then they came from the other side. Looking at the damage and stuff that got blown around in the area we're thinking it was a little twister, though thankfully not a full-blown tornado.

We have a metal roof and when that branch came down it made quite a lot of noise! The dog and cat got very nervous and I went outside to make sure it hadn't come down on a power line. It has been so very dry and I wanted to make sure there were no sparks. And blessedly nothing like that happened, although we were without electricity for about 3 hours.

I guess that's another thing I'm grateful for: the generator and hubby who hooked up so we could have cool air!!!!!

In The Kitchen . . . is a refrigerator full of produce and here I am - deciding to go on a fast. I hope hubby will eat a lot of it!

I Am Going. . . into town to check GS post office box for mail and make bank deposits. When I get home I'm going to tidy and clean house.

I Am Reading . . .The Master Cleanse by Tom Woloshyn

I Am Hoping . . . that my youngest son very soon receives the Birth Certificate I mailed him. He needs it very badly!

I Am Hearing . . .The water distiller and the A/C humming.

Around The House . . . is paperwork to file; and a tray full of red potatoes. Don't ask!

I Am Wearing. . .khaki shorts and a blue shirt and I'm wearing my walking shoes! It was only 79 degrees when I woke up so I was able to take a walk this morning.

I Am Thinking . . . that I get to spend most of the day at home.

I Am Wondering . . .that some people either think way too highly of themselves or else they don't think at all. Maybe at the same time?

One Of My Favorite Things. . .being listened to instead of being interrupted.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I have a hammer toe.

About Today's Photo. . . my hubby who never "needs" help. Don't ask if he needs help because the answer is always "no". Offer to help. Just pitch in and help. But never, ever ask if he needs help!

And a shot of the tree branch in the yard. . . I didn't take any of it while on the roof.

Tim and hubby making great progress in the heat of the day.

Hubby was done with the yard pickup by 11:30. . .

BUT never turns down an offer to help - even if in the heat of the day.

God bless them both!

Participating in The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today - Saturday - July 9, 2011

2011-07-09T19:31:00.003-05:00

Outside My Window. . . The sun is going down and a squirrel is visiting the "water hole", a hollow in the tree that holds water. Birds and squirrels have been visiting. . . . and God-made waterer/bird bath!

I Am Thinking. . . I need to charge my camera batter and tidy up dining room and bedroom

I Am Grateful. . . that my hubby got to visit his dearest of guy friends, Aqeel. They don't get to visit with one another nearly often enough. . .

In The Kitchen . . . there are LOTS of Zipper peas in the fridge. Hubby picked a bushel full and BL shelled them for free!

I Am Creating. . . a real appetite for peas! LOL

I Am Going. . . to tidy up and go to bed early.

I Am Reading . . . everything at Dr. McDougall's website.

I Am Hoping . . . . to wake up early enough to paint my toenails before getting ready for church in the morning.

I Am Hearing . . .A fan humming; a clock ticking and a car driving by.

Around The House . . . is the aroma of Young Living Essential Oils. . . . especially oregano. I gave my daughter a Raindrop, and oregano is the prevalent smell, undertones of peppermint and Wintergreen and seven other oils!

I Am Wearing. . .khaki shorts and a blue shirt.

I Am Thinking . . . that hubby should be home before much longer.

I Am Wondering . . . what caused daughter's back to start acting up again? :(

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Good health! Mine, my husband's, my mom's, my children and my grandchildren!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .I don't have a dish washer. We wash dishes by hand and it doesn't really bother me. There's only the two of us and when we have company there is always someone who volunteers to help do dishes. . . . and once we're done - we're done!

About Today's Photo... Dishes in the drainer!

Morning Dishes, originally uploaded by Vera*Smith.

For Today - Sunday - July 3, 2011

2011-07-03T16:31:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . . It is hot and sunny. The new hydrangeas and double impatiens are doing well. They are in deep shade and are surviving the heat wave.

I Am Thinking. . .many folks don't understand the meaning of Independence Day. You can read the Declaration of Independence here http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html. . . . Powerful words. Even more powerful ideas!

I Am Grateful. . . that my 90 year old mama spent the night with us last night.

In The Kitchen . . . it's all neat and tidy after making a big breakfast this morning. Mom is used to big breakfasts. Hubby is not. He was glad she was here!

I Am Creating. . . nada. I'm not feeling creative at all. No current projects I'm working on.

I Am Going. . . to take a Sunday afternoon nap.

I Am Reading . . . everything at Dr. McDougall's website.

I Am Hoping . . . .to relax this afternoon.

I Am Hearing . . .A fan humming and the TV in the background.

Around The House . . . is a sense of orderliness. Yes, floors need mopping and furniture needs dusting. . . but all is n order.

I Am Wearing. . . white capri pants and a red v-neck tee shirt. And bare feet.

I Am Thinking . . . how much I enjoy serendipity. Hubby and I went to the movie yesterday. We hadn't been to a movie since Christmas Day. And we sat down right in front of old friends whom we later had dinner with! What joy!

I Am Wondering . . . what news youngest son will get when he goes for doctor follow-up this week.

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Quiet Sunday afternoons!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .Aw - I don't think there is anything!

About Today's Photo... My90 year old mother's residence lost electricity yesterday. After 6 hours without air conditioning, hubby brought her home to spend the night with us. She did well. . . . considering we called her about 10 PM! She was already asleep, but was VERY hot. This is a picture of her loving on youngest son's cat. They really enjoyed each other's company.

photo take w/ce

ll phone, w/out flash

I Choose. . . . .

2011-07-01T15:15:00.003-05:00

I Choose Love. . . No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I Choose Joy. . . I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical, the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I Choose Peace. . . I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I Choose Patience . . . I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I Choose Kindness . . . I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the right, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I Choose Goodness. . . I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse, I choose goodness.

I Choose Faithfulness . . . Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My husband will not question my love. And my children will not fear their Mother will not come home.

I Choose Gentleness . . . Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.

I Choose Self-Control . . .I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love,joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when the day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Max Lucado from When God Whispers Your Name.

Please note. . . none of these are attributes I posses. . . but they are what I wish to choose. . .

For Today - Friday - July 1, 2011

2011-07-01T12:16:00.002-05:00

Outside My Window. . . There are two new hydrangeas and a pink double impatien along the wooded edge. . . .

I Am Thinking. . .that since our County has issued a Fire Ban, it makes no sense to allow fireworks.

I Am Grateful. . . to have this day to piddle around the house.

In The Kitchen . . .3 quarts of fresh Purple Hull Peas simmering on the stove and new red potatoes waiting for me to do something with them. . . . hubby is hoping for hash browns. I'm leaning toward potato salad.

I Am Creating. . . a pretty photographic outdoor spot with the hydrangeas, impatiens, bench and "English Conservatory". I have no idea what it's called. . . but it's pretty. I guess I need to take photos!

I Am Going. . . to check on the hydrangeas and give them a good, long drink of water.

I Am Reading . . . everything at Dr. McDougall's website.

I Am Hoping . . . .to rewrite some notes, rearrange my tiny home office which is now in the Nature Room and edit some photos.

I Am Hearing . . .The air conditioner humming; the peas simmering; the clock ticking and a ceiling fan going around!

Around The House . . . there is lots of dog hairs. We dog-sat for dear daughter while she was on vacation. Our big Golden Retriever, plus hers and her Black Lab. They all shed. . . . it's a hot summer in TX, and I can't blame them!

I Am Wearing. . . white capri pants and a cantaloupe colored sleeveless Tee-shirt

I Am Thinking . . .my life is so very, very blessed.

I Am Wondering . . . if hubby and I will feel up to rearranging our bedroom this weekend.

One Of My Favorite Things. . . fresh fruit and veggies. Many recent suppers have consisted of Purple Hull Peas and FRESH corn on the cob! Very lip smacking good!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .I've lost 8 pounds in 8 days, following Dr. John McDougall's plan!

About Today's Photo...This is a huge original painting that is one of many displayed on the courthouse square at Christmas! All are painted by inmates. . . .

Linking to The Simple Woman's Daybook. . .

Some Mornings. . . .

2011-05-24T10:40:00.001-05:00

Some Mornings. . . ., originally uploaded by Vera*Smith.

The lighting is so vibrant and soft and dreamy all at the same time.

Always new.

Always illusive.

This is the most recent attempt to capture it. . . .

One day I will.

For Today - Monday - March 21, 2011

2011-03-21T11:20:00.002-05:00

Outside My Window. . . There is the smell of smoke, from all the leaf burning on Saturday & Sunday. Redbud trees are blooming. Dogwoods are, too. Most of the trees have budded out. And the funny old oak trees are pushing out the last of their dried, brown leaves in preparation for the new buds!

I Am Thinking. . . How very much I love Spring! And how very much I love having the windows open. I wish east TX climate was such that we could keep them open year round.

I Am Grateful. . .that my husband is not suffering from allergies this Spring. He usually does a lot of sneezing, especially when the everything is covered in that yellow pine pollen. But not this year. We figured it's because he has a nightly ritual of rubbing therapeutic grade lavender in/around his nostrils every night to keep him from snoring. And it works like a charm - no more snoring!!!! We didn't realize, though, that one of the positive side effects would be no allergy symptoms! But since lavender is a natural anti-histamine, it makes perfect sense!

In The Kitchen . . .Fruit, veggies, a dishes in the sink, waiting to be washed. And within the hour my hubby. He gets to come home every day for lunch. Again - almost heaven!

I Am Creating. . . .a very aromatic home! Diffusing a blend which includes spearmint, sage, geranium, myrtle, chamomile, nutmeg, orange, tangerine, jasmine, ylang ylang, sandalwood, spruce, lemongrass and neroli. Fantastic! Great, great, uplifting aromas that also disinfect the air. . .

I Am Going. . . to check the load of jeans and wash a load of whites. Then I need to sweep/vacuum and mop the floors. It's a busy day of blessing my home!

I Am Reading . . . oh my. . . . several books. . . and too lazy to get up to get the correct titles!

I Am Hoping . . . .to get home blessing done and then play w/my camera.

I Am Hearing . . . Birds. Probably 8 -9 species of birds. A mild day in east TX w/the windows opened, birds calling, and sweet, sweet smell of natural fragrances in about as close to heaven as I can get.

Around The House . . . Yellow pine pollen and dog hair. Yep - the furniture needs dusting and the floors need cleaning!

And Shiloh needs a haircut!

I Am Wearing. . . plaid pajama pants, gray t-shirt & walking shoes! It's a comfy, stay-at-home look!

I Am Thinking . . .my life is so very, very blessed.

I Am Wondering . . . when we're REALLY going to start landscaping. We still don't have any ideas about this piece of land.

One Of My Favorite Things. . .not having to get dressed and leave the house!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . my youngest son got married on March 14!

About Today's Photo...Youngest son & his bride, a few months before getting married.

Daily Journal - Special Christmas Edition

2010-12-19T08:26:00.011-06:00

Yesterday was a simply wonderful day. It started off with a quick trip to pick up a couple of gift cards, but not any old gift cards! These gift cards are each worth a one hour massage from our favorite therapist, Renita! Dearest daughter because of her back injury 7 years ago, can really use a massage every now and again. Her hubby, who is trying to beat a PhD deadline, is sometimes stressed & he too can really use an hour of pampering. So - one hour massages are the perfect gifts that don't add clutter to their lives!

After getting the cards I picked up my 89 year old mama. Yep - I'm 60. She's 89. I still call her mama! I'm a southern girl. Yes, I am.

Anyway - back to my story & why it deserves a special edition of its own. My daughter had us & her older brother & his family over for dinner yesterday because it's gonna' be impossible to all get together on Christmas day. She had a wonderful lunch of meatballs, mashed potatoes, green beans & cranberry sauce. I brought Maxine's fabulous homemade sourdough bread & my son brought two yummy desserts. {note to self: the family's favorite seems to be cheesecake!} Afterward we watched, "While You Were Sleeping". . . actually only some of us watched it & some of us napped! :) When it was over, shortly after 4, there was a hustle & bustle of son's family getting coats on, gathering things & hopping into their vehicle, to make a 4:30 appointment with the Realtor to look at the land that's for sale across the street from us!

Now - I could write an entire blog completely devoted to the wonderfulness of having my son & his wife willing and eager to live across the street from his dad & me. It really does humble us. First Amanda & David moved just 15 minutes away from us & now our son is considering moving nearby. We are blessed. . . & we know it. These are the things we ponder in our hearts. These are reasons we live lives of gratefulness and joy.

Back to the story. Hubby & I & mama tagged behind a bit, but we showed up in time for me to walk to the back of the 10 acres & admire the gorgeous piece of property. Mama & hubby stayed across the street in our cozy little cabin.

Once they were through looking, no decisions nor offers were made but it sure would be nice if there was some clear indication this is what God has next for them. . . (just as he did for us) - we gathered at the cozy little cabin for a campfire & wienie roast. Boy! What a run-on sentence! Oh - never mind!

The campfire area is really beautiful. . . hubby has stacked rocks around it & there's a concrete bench near it along with several outdoor chairs. The fire area is really lovely & I really am sorry I don't have any pics of it! We deliberately built it in a relatively cleared area outside the viewing area of the dining room, which is mostly windows! This was done so my my mom & other friends & family who may not want to get into the actual camping area, have a chance to watch the fire from the cozy inside!

While sitting in there, watching the campfire getting lit, mama asked if I thought she could go out there. I explained we'd have to go around the house, because the steps from the kitchen are way too steep. Instead of her cashmere dress coat we put her in one of hubby's heavy work jackets. And a pink hat to keep her ears warm. And a hand-knitted scarf tucked in around her neck. She was READY!

I had a flashlight with us & carefully held on to her hand. While walking to the back of the cabin we admired the moon, which was almost full, & her face lit up as we approached the roaring campfire! My son gave up his seat for her & we got her settled in. She looked around at everyone. . . . my hubby, her great grandchildren (ages 8-19) & their friend, her grandson & his wife, her grandson-in-law, etc.

And she. . . .

Smiled!

And.

She.

Said.

"I Don't Feel 89!"

I almost started crying. What better Christmas gift could she receive than to feel younger than her almost 9 decades of life? She ate a hot-dog & chips & even ate a roasted/toasted marshmallow & she basked in the warmth of the fire & the warmth of her family.

Is her life perfect? No.

Are our lives perfect? No.

But for a little while mama seemed to be completely at ease. You see, she has macular degeneration & doesn't see well at all. She's completely deaf in her right ear & has very little hearing in her left. Even with a lot of people around she lives a life of isolation.

But none of that mattered around the campfire: she could see that!

And while she couldn't understand any of the conversations going on, she could hear they were happy ones without any arguing or politicking or snarkiness. Just her family laughing & having a good time.

The best Christmas of all is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up with one another.

So Merry Christmas, Mama. I'm guessing that soft, fuzzy fleece blanket I got you isn't going to compare at all to feeling younger for a couple of hours!

With love & gratefulness,

Merry Christmas to all!

For Today - December 20, 2010

2010-12-19T07:27:00.000-06:00

Outside My Window. . . it is getting light outside. I've been up since 6AM. . . snapped some pix of the Christmas tree, etc., before camera battery went dead. It is also very chilly - but that is okay. After all, it's almost winter!

I Am Thinking. . . that unintended consequences oftentimes turn out simply wonderful!

I Am Grateful. . .that I got to spend yesterday w/most of my family.

In The Kitchen . . . is a bag of marshmallows & bags of chips. Something that doesn't appear too often in my kitchen unless kids/grand-kids are expected!

I Am Creating. . . .a special posting about my mama.

I Am Going. . . to church, then make a quick visit to a dear friend before he departs for an overseas trip.

I Am Reading . . .nada.

I Am Hoping . . . .for an uneventful day.

I Am Hearing . . . the EdenPURE humming & Shiloh snoring. And a bird chirping outside.

Around The House . . . are leaves on the floor & throws waiting to be folded on backs of couches & chairs. Evidence there were people here. People snuggling on couches. :)

I Am Wearing. . .flannel pajamas & a deep red maroon robe.

I Am Thinking . . . that my mama received the best Christmas present she could ever have!

I Am Wondering . . .if my oldest son & his family made it safely home. No matter how old they are (40), I still wonder.

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Getting together w/family w/o a lot of *agenda*. I'm not overly fond of having every moment of a gathering choreographed & scheduled. I like impromptu!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .Christmas is one of my least favorite holidays. I'm not Scrooge about it. . . . but I'm happy to have others take over the dinners & plays & holiday merry-making.

About Today's Photo. . .Mama -

For Today - December 9, 2010

2010-12-09T07:29:00.000-06:00

Outside My Window. . . It is just getting light. . . . and it is cold! But not as cold as Oslo, Norway, where my youngest son is visiting until the end of January!

I Am Thinking. . . I need to tidy up the house. I've been gone since Monday, getting home last evening.

I Am Grateful. . .that I got to spend the last couple of days w/my daughter-in-law & grand-kids. They are the best! I'm also grateful for having much of the Christmas shopping done.

In The Kitchen . . . I am smelling meat pies and franincense! I bet that is indeed an original sentence. . . one arethat's not been spoken before! LOL

Meat are pies in the oven for breakfast because there are no eggs nor oatmeal. Nothing else hot to eat!!!! So out from the freezer came a meat pie from Lasyone's Meat Pie Restaurant in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Hubby made a run there not too long ago to buy some to have for Christmas. He bought enough to have a few extra ahead of time! The kitchen is getting warm from heating them up in the oven!

There is also the aroma of frankincense. I bought some resin & burned some in the kitchen this morning. A wonderful, wonderful fragrance!

I Am Creating. . . .a place I like to be! I love being at home. I love tweaking the decor. I love cooking & baking & laughing & loving here in this little home!

I Am Going. . . to call mama, do some laundry, tidy house, & vacuum. And have the 7th of 8th Bible study sessions here today.

I Am Reading . . . my Bible lesson.

I Am Hoping . . . .my son can survive the Oslo winter! Current time there: 2 PM. Current temps: 5 degrees F.!

I Am Hearing . . . the EdenPURE humming & the oven cycling on/off as it heats my breakfast.

Around The House . . . Frankincense, Christmas decor, and a cat. We're cat-sitting for youngest son. She is the sweetest cat there ever was. Content to travel across country w/son, she seems to be adapting well to the cozy little cabin. This is not her home of origin - the old house was - but she seems to be just fine. Even w/our bear of a dog: Shiloh!

I Am Wearing. . . two pairs of socks, Cuddle Duds, velour pants, turtleneck & velour robe. It's chilly in here!

I Am Thinking . . . there's no place like home!

I Am Wondering . . . how son is enjoying Norway in winter!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Getting & staying warm! I don't like it hot - I don't like it cold. Warm/cool work best for me!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . My least favorite Christmas song is "Frosty the Snowman". I think I was hearing it in stores/restaurants while it was still October!

About Today's Photo. . .My son after a whirlwind drive from Oregon to Texas; a quick shower, 1.5 hour nap, and on the way to the airport, 3 hours away!

For Today - November 28, 2010 - Sunday

2010-11-28T23:50:00.002-06:00

Outside My Window. . . It is dark. I usually blog in the morning but I'm waiting to do a wee bit of Cyber Monday shopping. I would have thought it would be 11 PM Central time. . . . but I think I'm wrong.

Anyway - it's dark outside & it's been cold. It seems to me we have an entirely too long summer and way too short autumn. Sometimes it seems as if we go straight from summer to winter!

I Am Thinking. . . that it's been a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with lots of family here.

The little cabin did just fine with a total of 13 folks here. That's not as many as we've had in the past, but since this was our first year here, I guess that's a good thing.

Setting up the buffet in the Nature Room was a good idea. . . . I think it worked out just fine.

Setting up a card table in the dining room wasn't such a good idea. With wing-backed chairs it was too crowded . . . . . & the chairs sat way too low. Next year we'll have tray tables for in there & move the card table to the living room.

But all-in-all it worked out fine. . . . with a delicious dinner consisting of fried turkey (great job, Simon!), ham, mashed potatoes, homemade mac/cheese, dressing, broccoli/rice casserole, Maxine's homemade bread!, green bean casserole, cranberries and, are you ready for this? A steady supply of HIPPIE TEA! I don't know all what is in it, but it seems that Hibiscus flowers are a main ingredient. My son & several grandchildren really like it! And of course DESSERTS! Lots of yummy desserts. Friends joined us in the evening & brought lots of desserts, too. I think I've had enough sweets for quite a while!

I Am Grateful. . . that my daughter & daughter-in-law convinced our friends to leave their twin boys with us for the evening. I was taking my mom back home when our friends from west Africa stopped by. Unfortunately they had to leave before I got back, but like I said, were convinced to leave the boys at our house! Oh - they are so much fun, although they pretty much wore out the 8 adults who watched them! LOL

In The Kitchen . . . lots of turkey, broth & soup! Come over - I'll share some with you!

I Am Creating. . . .a December calendar..

I Am Going. . . to bed as soon as I make my online purchase. This is late for me!

I Am Reading . . . nada.

I Am Hoping . . . .my daughter & her beloved dog, Promise both start feeling better. Daughter is run down w/a cold & sore throat & Promise had surgery for a twisted stomach. She is 13 & the best of companions & came through the surgery just fine. . . . I'm hoping she makes a quick & complete recovery.

I Am Hearing . . . the EdenPURE humming. It's a wonderful little heater. . . .

Around The House . . .it's just me. Hubby goes to work tomorrow so he's already in bed. It's just me & the dog in the computer room.

But speaking of my dog - - - - he ate some of my son's dog's dog food...dog food that was spilled onto the pea gravel path. Apparently my dog does NOT chew his food as he hurled up almost 1/2 cup of gravel! HE's the one who should have a twisted stomach!

I Am Wearing. . . black velour pants & a red turtleneck.

I Am Thinking . . .that the 10 foot, 3 inch church pew is the very best curbside find I've ever made!

I went to pick up mama Thanksgiving morning & bring her to our house. As I drove through town I saw it sitting on the curb, next to a giant trash can & two bags of trash: an old, long church pew! A perfectly wonderful church pew! A real treasure of a church pew. A really, really long church pew!

As soon as I got home, hubby went back into town to see if it would fit in our van = nope, not a chance. And not in any of the other vehicles that were already here. I called my daughter, but they had already left their house and were NOT in the truck.

Well, there was no use crying over it & I quickly got side-tracked with all the last minute preparations.

Later in the evening when I came back from taking mama back home, my son-in-law was leaving to go back to his house to get the truck to bring me the pew! Isn't he just the best? I didn't have to ask him again to do it - - - apparently he remembered on his own! Once he arrived in town with the truck my hubby & grandson joined him to help load it up.

That pew already has some very good memories to it. . . . a fabulous *find*, my daughter's fabulous hubby going after it for me & my hubby & grandson going out in the bad weather to help load it up! What a treasure!

I Am Wondering . . . if my daughter is getting a good night's sleep & if my coupon code will work 13 minutes from now!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Finding great stuff on the side of the road!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . It's November 28 & I heard "Frosty the Snowman" twice while at lunch today. I do not particularly care for that song. I especially don't care for it when it's still November.

About Today's Photo. . .My husband & one of the twins. Aren't they both adorable?

179/365 ~ The Two of Them, originally uploaded by Vera*Smith.

For Today - November 24, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-11-24T14:28:00.000-06:00

Outside My Window. . . It is cool & breezy & the leaves of autumn are falling & swirling & piling up on the ground. It s perfect.

I Am Thinking. . . I have never been this content in any home, at least not the day before Thanksgiving. You see, the other house had flowers. Lots of flowers. Oh how I have mourned not having any perennials or roses at this house. Something was blooming almost year round. But usually nothing on Thanksgiving Day. Why? Because we most often had a frost w/in the Thanksgiving week & the beautiful gardens turned to mush. They usually looked just horrible.

But that's not a problem here because there are very blessed few flowers! Just a scraggly lantana & ruellia. I'm not certain if the azaleas & hydrangeas we planted survived the summer. They sure don't look like they have! NOTE TO SELF: Never do any landscaping until you've been in a place for at least one year!

The point being is that there is no fear of the flowers being ruined at Thanksgiving.

There is something better at this house than autumn flowers. Oh yes - I've bought some mums & pansies - but the real stars of the show are the trees! Sweet gums, winged oak, sassafras & I don't know all what else!

I may miss the flowers again next summer . . . . but not at all this autumn. The trees are enough. They are more than enough. They are beautiful.

I Am Grateful. . . that I took the time to go on a short walk this morning. I had my clippers with me just in case the Yaupon Holly was still holding on to its bright red berries as I wanted to bring some more into the house to use in a table arrangement along w/some branches of colorful leaves.

As I said earlier the air was crisp & cool & breezy. The side road next to our house is covered w/colorful leaves. Covered! Instead of a wintry day blanket of snow it's a blanket of leaves! An old red pickup truck came by, kicking up the leaves behind it just like you see in a car commercial!

I was so enjoying the falling leaves & the breeze & the birds singing when spied the holly & yes!, the red berries are still covering it! I impulsively threw my arms out into the air & spun around! Yes! Like a child I spun around w/glee!

And then it hit me . . . I haven't felt that sort of freedom since I was a little girl. I ran to the holly w/my arms outstretched like a kid pretending to be an airplane! Like seeing an old friend!

And I was overwhelmed with such contentment. And joy.

Now don't get me wrong. . . . I am most often very contented: sleeping on my husband's chest; spending time w/my children & grandchildren; having God reveal something to me through His word. Contentment is a regular part of my life. But there are lots of ways to experience contentment.

At the old house I experienced it outdoors with my flowers & today I experienced it outdoors w/the trees & berries & leaves! And the birds chirping! It was like Disney movie, except so much better! It was real!

Ah - I've been glowing ever since! It's a very nice day.

From The Kitchen . . . pumpkin seeds roasting; & all the ingredients to make pecan tarts & broccoli/rice casserole. Oh! And 4 loaves of Maxine's fabulous sourdough bread!

I Am Creating. . . .an abundant life. An abundant life filled with love.

I Am Going. . . . .to get off the computer & more progress on my to-do list.

I Am Reading . . . my to-do list! ;)

I Am Hoping . . . . to hold on to this sublime feeling.

I Am Hearing . . . the wind through the trees. A car passing by. And those acorns hitting the roof!

Around The House . . .Busy-ness. The busy-ness of getting ready for a holiday. Since Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday I don't mind it at all!

I Am Wearing. . . Capris, lightweight denim shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking . . .if I make it through my list I must go out & take picture this evening. Before I know it all the leaves will be off the trees!

I Am Wondering . . . about nothing. Not really. All of life is wonder-ful. So either I'm wondering about nothing. Or else about everything!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Sublime contentment!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . My given middle name is Mae.

About Today's Photo. . .Isn't this a crazy way to make a to-do list? Does yours look so "mappy"?

I am happy to say that a great many of the jobs have been checked off the list!

For Today - November 17, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-11-17T07:10:00.000-06:00

Please pray for the family of of Michael Loua. A former student at Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, TX and dedicated missionary, Michael chose the service of his Lord over the things of this world. Sunday, November 14, he paid the ultimate price for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray that God will raise up others to take his place.

He leaves behind a wife, 8 months pregnant, & 3 children. Please pray for them & all involved.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM7CslYfNGk

For Today - November 16, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-11-16T09:37:00.000-06:00

Outside My Window. . . Cool! Sunny! Crisp leaves! Lots of little acorns!

I Am Thinking. . . .I know how to make inexpensive meals. For instance, when I bake potatoes, I bake extra & store in the refrigerator (not in the foil, though. My friend told me not to). Then when I need a quick meal I dice them, toss into iron skillet with a bit of heated olive oil or butter, add some minced onion & there you have it: homemade hash-browns! Poach a couple of eggs & there you have it: an easy, peasy breakfast or as it will be tonight: breakfast for dinner!

I Am Grateful. . . that yesterday was a very lazy day for me. The last several weeks have been go, go, go & it was nice to have a lazy day.

From The Kitchen . . . A teapot on the stove. I love my hot tea!

I Am Creating. . . .a neat house . . . didn't do it yesterday.

I Am Going. . . . .to get mama & then we'll both get our hair cut. I'm in the process of growing it out. . . . I can't stand it on my neck in the summer & keep it short. . . . in the winter I can't stand cold air on my neck & need it longer. So. . . . it's at that awkward stage.

I Am Reading . . .Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple: God's Love Manifest in Molecules by Dr. David Stewart.

I Am Hoping . . . . to speed through the household chores.

I Am Hearing . . . clocks ticking & the Eden Pure humming, the washing machine spinning & acorns & branches falling on the metal roof. I don't worry about it, though. The metal is tough & the walls are even tougher. I think I've mentioned that the walls appear to be petrified. For real. Isn't that something?

Around The House . . .A bed to make, dishes to put away & dog hair to eliminate!

I Am Wearing. . . Oh. You don't want to know. Really. You don't.

I Am Thinking . . .today might be a good day to take pix of the beautiful foliage.

I Am Wondering . . . if I should take pix or clean house!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Cool, crisp, sunny days.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I used to love lots of color. The other house had red walls, gold walls & gray walls. This house has more neutral walls. And I've removed most of the colored dishes from the open upper kitchen cabinets & replaced them with white ironstone. There is still plenty of color - - - don't get me wrong! Not at all minimalist or completely neutral. I's just now I'd rather see the light & its effect on neutral surfaces. Light & shadows are taking a more important role than color.

About Today's Photo. . .There's nothing like the fragrance of fresh towels. . . . . Here - take a deep breath!

For Today - November 15, 2010 - Monday

2010-11-15T10:54:00.007-06:00

Outside My Window. . . Cool, damp & cloudy. The lighting has been horrible for the last 3 days, with the sun peeking out very infrequently. Even though the autumn foliage is the best it has been in years. . . . I haven't taken any shots yet. I'm waiting for the sun & camera to have to have a convergence! :)

I Am Thinking. . . .My mama is happiest going to the doctor every 2 or 3 months. . . apparently just to have him tell her she's doing fine. She's 89 & gets around on her own, so I guess it's a plan that works for her!

I Am Grateful. . . for a very blessed Sunday. Yesterday was son-in-law's birthday. My daughter made his favorite, White Chili & a scrumptious cake! Friends were there to celebrate & we ate, David opened presents, we halfheartedly watched football & played a rousing game of Uno!

From The Kitchen . . . A couple of leftover baked potatoes, a pan of cornbread, some chili brought home from my daughter's. Supper is going to be easy tonight!

I Am Creating. . . .a plan for this week that includes a trip to mama's doctor.

I Am Going. . . . .to hang shutters, sweep/vacuum & do a bit of laundry.

I Am Reading . . .Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple: God's Love Manifest in Molecules by Dr. David Stewart.

I Am Hoping . . . . To edit a few photos.

I Am Hearing . . . clocks ticking & the Eden Pure humming.

Around The House . . .A tiny bit of tidying up. . . . main culprit being dog hairs!

I Am Wearing. . . Oh. My. Now you must remember - one of my most favorite things is to be able to stay home & not get dressed, etc. So - at 10:38 I'm still in quite a get-up. Plaid flannel sleep pants, a black turtleneck, gray sweatshirt, hot pink leg warmers (but you can't see them unless I pull up the pant legs!) & big & thick house socks! I am a sight! But I'm toasty warm & oh-so-very-comfortable!

I Am Thinking . . . I really want a pistol. And Concealed Handgun classes.

I Am Wondering . . . why, even though mama's test came back negative for an UTI, her doctor wrote her a prescription for an antibiotic? This really frustrates & irritates me. Antibiotics are wonderful life saving drugs when not misused!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Apparently staying home & looking completely tacky!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I am a huge Big Bang Theory fan. Those boys make me laugh!

About Today's Photo. . . Amanda & A# with the delicious Heat Bar Cake! I've tried adding some more pix, but blogger will post them only on their side, even though I've saved them right-side-up. If anyone can tell me how to correct this, I'll post them.

2010 11 14 018, originally uploaded by Vera*Smith.

For Today - November 10, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-11-10T11:04:00.003-06:00

Outside My Window. . . bright sunshine, & very moderate temps, with a predicted high of 75 degrees. And those acorns are still falling from the trees, onto the metal roof.

I Am Thinking. . . .I've done a lot of blogging these last two days!

I Am Grateful. . . for a very blessed evening last night. Daughter & hubby, & Christy & hubby, both who need to update their blogs, came over for a lasagna dinner, which was followed up with me giving the girls Raindrop massages.

From The Kitchen . . . Leftover lasagna, and lots of organic fruit & veggies.

I Am Creating. . . .my November & December schedule/calendar. It fills up so fast!

I Am Going. . . . .to wash massage linens and towels.

I Am Reading . . This will stay the same for quite a long while . . . Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple: God's Love Manifest in Molecules by Dr. David Stewart. And "Healing, God's Forgotten Gift" for tomorrow's Bible study

I Am Hoping . . . . Mama's doctor will just write her a script for antibiotics.

I Am Hearing . . . two clocks ticking. . .

Around The House . . .The aroma of last night's massages.

I Am Wearing. . . That poor, pitiful chenille robe. It really now qualifies as a rag!

I Am Thinking . . . I need to continue on w/the laundry.

I Am Wondering . . . when her doctor will call?

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Autumn. Especially when it feels like autumn. But 75 is definitely much better than 95 or 105 degrees!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . I have NO family photos in our bedroom except for hubby & me.

About Today's Photo. ..

I don't drink coffee. It's tea for me: Earl Grey, Lemon Ginger, Jasmine. . . . always tea. . . . haven't drank coffee for months & months.

For Today - November 9, 2010 - Monday

2010-11-09T11:04:00.000-06:00

SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK

Outside My Window. . . bright sunshine, & very moderate temps.

Acorns falling onto the tin roof. Oh my! What wonderful noise!

I Am Thinking. . . .I am glad I'm through with today's errands: dry cleaning dropped off; loaf of bread bought to make garlic bread tonight; my bank deposit; Good Sam's bank deposit; Good Sam board meeting; Post Office visit; & picked up pattern flier from Rachel on way home; stopped by by the CPA's office AND made several phone calls.

I Am Grateful. . . for a very productive morning.

From The Kitchen . . . All the fixins' for a lasagna dinner tonight to celebrate Tim's birthday (since I wasn't here Friday when they all celebrated) & to celebrate his new position at one of the Baptist churches in our town.

I Am Creating. . . .order in my house. I was out of town this past weekend, did lots of computer work yesterday, & want to catch up today.

I Am Going. . . . .finish laundry, tidy house, vacuum/sweep floors & make fabulous lasagna!

I Am Reading . . . Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple: God's Love Manifest in Molecules by Dr. David Stewart. It is AMAZING!

I Am Hoping . . . . to make quick progress w/the house!

I Am Hearing . . . acorns falling on the metal roof, a clock ticking & some type of heavy machinery.

Around The House . . .Lots of fresh produce. Dog hair. And an unmade bed.

I Am Wearing. . . Khaki cargo pants; turquoise 3/4 sleeve, V-neck t-shirt; brown suede-like jacket; wondrful scarf I bough ages ago from a thrift store: made in Italy...beautiful colors & soft as can be.

I Am Thinking . . I need to start browning veggies & ground beef for the lasagna sauce.

I Am Wondering . . . if I have water. Some of the noise I'm hearing is coming from across the street where there was a Water Dept truck.

One Of My Favorite Things. . .The house all opened up. . . . fresh air. . . . a breeze. . . . birds chirping. . . cattle mooing. . . . It's the best

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .I almost never set down my glasses where they can be stepped on or sat upon!

About Today's Photo. . .An updated, albeit blurry, photo of me!

For Today - November 1, 2010 - Monday

2010-11-01T10:04:00.007-05:00

SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK

Outside My Window. . .it is warm & muggy & foggy.

I Am Thinking. . . .I am the ~~luckiest~~ most blessed woman I know!

I Am Grateful. . . for a safe trip yesterday & the chance to visit w/both my hubby & sweetest of all daughters while on the road.

From The Kitchen . . . Cinnamon Toast. And dishes that need to be washed!

I Am Creating. . . . a life that I love, love, love!

I Am Going. . . . .to make a bank deposit, stop by Good Samaritan & take a check to John, to buy cases of oil to hand out to our clients.

I Am Reading . . . the bright pink booklet, explaining how to work the polls.

I Am Hoping . . . . to get the house into shape & start on my Project Display. I ended up not working on it at all this past weekend as hubby & I were asked to walk in a parade & toss ~~poison~~ candy to the children.

I Am Hearing . . . acorns falling on the metal roof & the washing machine spinning.

Around The House . . . Stuff. . . . just ordinary weekend stuff to be put away & tidy up. Nothing remarkably messy. . . .

I Am Wearing. . . Oh - you're not going to believe this! Turquoise 3/4 sleeved v-neck T, walking shoes AND red plaid flannel pajama pants! Yep - you heard right! I am SO stylin' this morning!

Hubby, daughter & I made a quick day-trip yesterday & I ended up spending the night @ DD's house. I didn't have pajamas w/me so I borrowed the plaid pajama pants. We had to hit the road very early this morning & I didn't feel like putting my khakis back on, so she drove me home in this outrageous combo!

I Am Thinking . . that the load of whites is probably ready to go into the dryer.

I Am Wondering . . . how productive today will be. I'm not a big fan of cloudy weather. Not when I need to get things done.

One Of My Favorite Things. . .A clean kitchen. And I was happy to bless my daughter & wash, dry & put away all her dishes & have her start her week w/a relatively clean kitchen.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .When it's hubby, daughter & myself traveling. . . . I let my daughter ride in the front with my husband. I use the excuse of her bad back. . . . but really it's because they don't get to spend as much time together as she & I do, & I know they especially enjoy the time together in the front!

About Today's Photo. . . Sweetest & youngest granddaughter in the prairie costume I made her. Isn't she adorable? This fantastic photo was taken by my son (on his cell phone, no less!) - edited by me.

For Today - October 30, 2010 - Saturday

2010-10-30T18:36:00.000-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It's chilly & the sun has almost completely set. Bright yellow mums are watered. A few of the brightly colored leaves & acorns are swept from the sidewalk. The rug has been shaken out & is back down in front of the door.

I Am Hearing . . . the football game that my hubby is watching in the next room.

I Am Wearing. . . white jeans, red turtleneck, black fleece vest & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking . . that I need to go wash dishes & tidy the kitchen before making supper!

I Am Wondering . . . how much I will get done tonight. There is *stuff* on the dining room table. *Stuff* I need to work on a project. I was *suppose* to work on that project today, but instead I walked in a parade w/my hubby throwing out candy to the kidlets & then visited w/my daughter for longer than I intended. But my hubby wasn't going to be home & her hubby was gone, so it was just us two girls & we had a great, great visit.

I Am Grateful. . . for a fun & low-key kind of day.

From The Kitchen . . . Since we had Mexican food for lunch, supper is going to be meager: Chicken Soup.

I Am Reading . . . The bright pink booklet, explaining how to work the polls.

I Am Hoping. . .to get ideas for my project so I can work on them Monday morning.

Around The House . . . Really nothing much except a project in progress & a few dishes to wash.

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Hearing my hubby relaxing in the next room.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .I once was an Election Judge. . . . maybe you didn't know that.

About Today's Photo. . . Me. . . . this is about as *costumed* as I get! :)

For Today - October 29, 2010 - Friday

2010-10-29T08:08:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . .Chilly willy outside! Very cool. . . almost cold. . . . but it's suppose to get up to 70 so I'm a-okay. Still lots of acorns & Sweet-gum balls on the ground. . . .And bright yellow mums near the porch! Yay for sun-shiny, yellow mums!

I Am Hearing . . . a car in the distance, crows caw-ing, & a clock ticking.

I Am Wearing. . . the softest blue plaid knit sleep pants & a sweat shirt!

I Am Thinking . . we're not getting new flooring any time soon in the dining room.

I Am Wondering . . .What we're doing this weekend.

I Am Grateful. . . for my health.

From The Kitchen . . . Old-fashioned oatmeal w/chopped organic apples & cinnamon & Lemon - Ginger tea.

I Am Reading . . . Nothing much at all.

I Am Hoping. . .to take my sewing machine to the repair shop. The man on the phone said they can fix anything that sews. Mine is a Swiss made Elna hubby bought for me about 36 years ago. We paid $1200 for it in 1974 & according to an inflation calculator it would be worth $5162.42 in 2009. Since it's had only one tune-up in all these years, I think I'm gonna' keep it!!!!

Around The House . . .It's cool & the house is clean & the dining/computer/sitting room is full of morning sunlight! Anyone want to come over to have their pix taken? It's the perfect time of day for natural light photography!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .Crunchy leaves.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .Hmmm? Have I told you I hate dusting & dusty furniture doesn't really bother me. I think it probably should bother me. . . .but it really doesn't. Clutter drives me batty & I'm usually pretty good about putting things back where they belong. But dust? It's a-okay w/me! Shameful, I know.

About Today's Photo. . . The little cabin is on a corner, surrounded by cattle, pastures & woods. This was seen on the little side road while walking the dog yesterday. . .

For Today - October 26, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-10-26T07:17:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It's cool, damp & breezy w/a chance of rain this morning. Last chance for this week.

Lots of acorns & Sweet-gum balls on the ground. . . .

I Am Hearing . . . the wind blowing, crickets chirping & Shiloh snoring.

I Am Wearing. . . the softest blue plaid knit sleep pants & a T-shirt

I Am Thinking . . that as much as I want new flooring in the dining room, it's a bit of an undertaking to have it done by Thanksgiving. Hubby will do the job himself. . . . he's just that kind of guy. . . and more than capable. . . . but a lot to do before Thanksgiving.

I Am Wondering . . .if we'll be able to do a controlled burn this weekend, as planned. I need to call the Fire Station today & find out if they think it's safe enough. I'm guessing the answer will be "no".

I Am Grateful. . . that the house is clean.

From The Kitchen . . . organic banana & pear. Planning to have a super protein drink for breakfast 'cause I'm not really hungry for anything else. And it's still warm enough for smoothies. I don't care for them during cold weather, so might as well enjoy while I can!

I Am Reading . . . current issue of Texas Monthly.

I Am Hoping. . .to buy some pumpkins and mums!

Around The House . . .Clean sheets with that wonderful clean smell! Freshly swept & vacuumed floors. Tidiness abounds!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .is a house that doesn't need much work done to it.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .I am usually reading several books at one time. And I don't read fiction. I used to. But now I find it much more interesting to read up about photography or Essential Oils or gardening or. . . . .

About Today's Photo. . . Grandson & Anolis Carolinensis @ Texas Fresh Water Fisheries.

For Today - October 25, 2010 - Monday

2010-10-25T09:05:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It is cool, damp, & breezy & branches & twigs are down. . . but that's not really new. East TX had horrible weather over the weekend & we drove through some if it: trees down across the highway & a transformer *blew* as we drove by. But we are safe. The house is safe. And it appears we got enough rain to settle the dust. . . . but that's all. No significant rainfall at all for us. Bummer! And with it being so breezy today, I'm guessing everything will be dry & brittle before long.

I Am Hearing . . The wind blowing through the trees & a couple of birds chittering away. Acorns, gumballs, & pine cones landing on the metal roof. Yep - it sounds like the little cabin is under attack! ;)

I Am Wearing. . . a red 3/4 sleeved, v-necked T & khaki pants.

I Am Thinking . . I want to go back to bed. I've been up since 3AM; it's cloudy outside & it seems like a nice thing to do.

I Am Wondering . . .about nothing. . . . really. Nothing at all. Some days are like that . . . .

I Am Grateful. . . that I went to church yesterday & even though I worked the nursery & didn't get to hear the sermon, it's been reported that my son-in-law gave a wonderful message. I *did* get to hear Amanda & Christiy sing a duet, but missed their solos. I wish I could have heard them both, especially this one Amanda sang. . . . it's a new one for me. She wants it sung at her funeral.

From The Kitchen . . . Leftover Jambalaya & leftovers from Applebees. We went out into that horrible weather on Saturday! Saw the movie, Red, & ate at Applebees. It's been years since I've eaten there. . . I didn't much care for it. Blech! But the movie was a lot of fun & made me laugh. A lot! And plenty of action for the men, too!

I Am Reading . . Still - nada!

I Am Hoping. . .to catch up on rest? I don't know. No real plans for today.

Around The House . . .oh - I should probably wash the sheets. . . . .

One Of My Favorite Things. . .is a house that doesn't need much work done to it.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .I started wearing contact lenses when I was 13. They were big, round & hard.

About Today's Photo...

For Today - October 25, 2010 - Monday

2010-10-25T08:56:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It is cool, damp, & breezy & branches & twigs are down. . . but that's not really new. East TX had horrible weather over the weekend & we drove through some if it: trees down across the highway & a transformer *blew* as we drove by. But we are safe. The house is safe. And it appears we got enough rain to settle the dust. . . . but that's all. No significant rainfall at all for us. Bummer! And with it being so breezy today, I'm guessing everything will be dry & brittle before long.

I Am Hearing . . The wind blowing through the trees & a couple of birds chittering away. Acorns, gumballs, & pine cones landing on the metal roof. Yep - it sounds like the little cabin is under attack! ;)

I Am Wearing. . . a red 3/4 sleeved, v-necked T & khaki pants.

I Am Thinking . . I want to go back to bed. I've been up since 3AM; it's cloudy outside & it seems like a nice thing to do.

I Am Wondering . . .about nothing. . . . really. Nothing at all. Some days are like that . . . .

I Am Grateful. . . that I went to church yesterday & even though I worked the nursery & didn't get to hear the sermon, it's been reported that my son-in-law gave a wonderful message. I *did* get to hear Amanda & Christiy sing a duet, but missed their solos. I wish I could have heard them both, especially this one Amanda sang. . . . it's a new one for me. She wants it sung at her funeral.

From The Kitchen . . . Leftover Jambalaya & leftovers from Applebees. We went out into that horrible weather on Saturday! Saw the movie, Red, & ate at Applebees. It's been years since I've eaten there. . . I didn't much care for it. Blech! But the movie was a lot of fun & made me laugh. A lot! And plenty of action for the men, too!

I Am Reading . . Still - nada!

I Am Hoping. . .to catch up on rest? I don't know. No real plans for today.

Around The House . . .oh - I should probably wash the sheets. . . . .

One Of My Favorite Things. . .is a house that doesn't need much work done to it.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .I started wearing contact lenses when I was 13. They were big, round & hard.

About Today's Photo...Autumn in east TX

For Today - October 23, 2010 - Saturday

2010-10-23T16:08:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . It is clear & cool & breezy. But the weatherman says to prepare for some storms. I'm looking forward to that - - - we so desperately need the rain.

I Am Hearing . . Cicadas doing their thing & a crow. And as suddenly as they start, they fall silent. And I hear nothing. No thing. Maybe a storm is heading this way after all? Usually we hear the birds.

Now I hear the wind.

And the cicadas are starting back up again!

And acorns, gum balls, & pine cones are falling on the metal roof of this cozy little cabin.

It's just that kind of a day!

I Am Wearing...a pink nightgown. Yep - it's almost 4 PM & I'm still in my gown although I've been up since 6:30.

No shoes either, although I have been productive: made a triple batch of jambalaya, washed 3 loads of clothes, edited some photos & updated my other blog, The Cozy Little Cabin, . All-in-all a lazy kind of day.

I Am Thinking . . I need to mend mama's coat & take my 35+ year old Elna sewing machine for a tuneup!

I Am Wondering . . .why, oh why, mama cannot understand that it's not her cell phone - but *operator error*. Maybe we should just get her a land-line & be done w/it!

I Am Grateful. . . that I saw my daughter-in-law & two youngest grandchildren yesterday. And oh-so-grateful we all caught some catfish! Grandson caught 6 or 7 of them himself! And he learned how to get catfish off the hook w/o injuring himself! Yee haw!

And I'm very grateful that the Prairie dress & pinafore perfectly fit granddaughter! It looked so very long, hanging up. . . . but the length is perfect. I think she's grown a great deal since July when I saw her last.

From The Kitchen . . . A triple batch of Jambalaya! And fresh organic pears, bananas, lettuce, spinach, peppers, etc.

I Am Reading . . Nothing at the moment. A rarity, I know!

I Am Hoping. . .to get mama's coat mended.

Around The House . . .Hubby snoozing on the couch. A load of whites waiting to be folded. The windows are open & the smell of autumn is in the air & in the house. In other words: perfection!

One Of My Favorite Things. . .is a lazy day.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .For a short while I was a midwife's assistant.

About Today's Photo...Lotuses from yesterday's trip to Texas Fresh Water Fisheries

For Today - October 18, 2010 - Monday

2010-10-18T10:58:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . It is cloudy & cool w/a predicted high of 85. In October. Yeah - what's up w/that?

I Am Hearing . . .Dogs panting. I have my dog & my daughter's two. We just came in from the porch. Apparently lounging around outside wore them out!

I Am Wearing...black velour pants &red v-neck, 3/4 sleeve T & bare feet.

I Am Thinking . . I need to finish decorating the porch & put out some bird seed. Also need to fold a load of jeans.

I Am Wondering . . .if mom's cell phone miseries are now over . . . . she has a new number. . . . hopefully the nuisance calls will cease. At least for a while.

I Am Grateful. . . that my hubby dealt w/the cell phone issue. I've done it every other time & was in no mood to mess w/it again. He handled it. Thank you, Honey. I owe you!

From The Kitchen . . . Soapy water w/morning dishes waiting to be washed.

I Am Reading . . .Max Lucado from When God Whispers Your Name.

"It is quiet, It is early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black, the world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race.

The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the days demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I am free to choose.... And so I choose…

I choose Love…No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose Joy…I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical, the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose Peace…I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose Patience…I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose Kindness…I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose Goodness…I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse, I choose goodness.

I choose Faithfulness…Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My husband will not question my love. And my children will not fear their Mother will not come home.

I choose Gentleness…Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.

I choose Self-Control…I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when the day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest."

I Am Hoping. . .to finish decorating the porch! Glory! How nice it will be to have the whole thing livable!

Around The House . . .3 dogs. Need I say more?

One Of My Favorite Things. . .is a homey home.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .I have not put out very much birdseed since we've moved here. I used to put out pounds per week. Now we have lots of trees. And lots of squirrels. I am not fond of rodents of any variety. They eat birdseed. While enjoying the newly rearranged porch this morning, the Titmice, Chickadees & Cardinals came to accuse me. Accusing me of lying to them. While at the old house I told them about our move, 2 miles as the crow flies &amp that I'd continue feeding them if they followed me here. They know that's not true. They know I lie.

I need to do as my brother did & buy one of those funky squirrel feeders that are off balance &amp as a result the squirrels flip off - flying through the air. I might as well get some enjoyment - right?

About Today's Photo...This photo is from Tara Dillard's blog. I love, love this structure. . . which is in Douglasville, Georgia. Supposedly built from a lot of *found* materials, it is perfect...just perfect! Don't you love the metal culvert over the doorway? I so want this conservatory!

I almost covet it. Except..except....except for our dreaded mosquitoes. And snakes. And what is to keep mice from setting up house in the bed? Or the dresser drawers? Not to mention having to drag everything into the house when rains come. But. . . . . if I lived in Eden - this is the shelter I'd want!

For Today - October 17, 2010 - Sunday

2010-10-17T12:20:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . It is sunny & cool w/out a cloud in t he sky & lots & lots of crunchy leaves.

I Am Hearing . . .Birds & traffic

I Am Wearing...black velour pants & eggplant colored v-neck, 3/4 sleeve T, walking shoes & a soft Italian made scarf around my neck. I bought it for pennies from the thrift store about a dozen years ago. I still love it.

I Am Thinking . . I need to finish cleaning off the porch.

I Am Wondering . . .if Kevin will really go visit Norway this winter!

I Am Grateful. . . that 5 drops of Young Living lavender on a piece of bread got rid of all my allergy symptoms: watery eyes, running nose, sneezing, sore throat & "blah" feeling. All symptoms gone in less than an hour!

From The Kitchen . . . Homemade chicken noodle soup.

I Am Reading . . am not currently reading anything. Yeah - I know - there must be a crack in the matrix! :)

I Am Hoping. . .to finish clearing off porch, wash some laundry, & tidy guest room.

Around The House . . Heritage photos waiting to go into upper cupboard; floors crying out to be swept/vacuumed & an ironing board set up in the dining room, waiting for me to continue sewing grand daughter's pinafore.

One Of My Favorite Things. . .is a day like today!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . .I keep a crock-pot in my bedroom. I've recently started giving massages & one of the last things is to put a hot, damp towel on the person's back. It's easier for me to prepare ahead of time & keep it warm in the crock-pot. So - - - when I'm looking for it this Thanksgiving - please remind me to look in my bedroom!

About Today's Photo...I miss our chickens.

For Today - October 4, 2010, Monday

2010-10-04T14:56:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . It is sunny & cool w/out a cloud in t he sky & lots & lots of crunchy leaves.

I Am Hearing . . .Birds & a clock ticking.

I Am Wearing...black velour pants & red v-neck, 3/4 sleeve T.

I Am Thinking . . I need to go walking as soon as I'm finished w/lunch.

I Am Wondering . . .if I have enough paint to finish painting frames. I have a photo shoot tomorrow & we will possibly have frame the student council! ;)

I Am Grateful. . . for Kwabena coming over last evening to encourage me & pray with me. What a wonderful surprise! What a guy!

From The Kitchen . . . Pot roast w/carrots & potatoes in the oven.

I Am Reading . . Feng Shui God's Way by Janet McBride

I Am Hoping. . .that hubby wears the strip to keep him from snoring. I didn't get much sleep last night!

Around The House . . .a quilt waiting to be folded & some stuff in the bedroom to put away. Oh yeah - & I guess it's time to sort through the cold-weather clothing.

One Of My Favorite Things. . .is a day like today!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . My two favorite salad dressing: olive oil w/salt & pepper. And, are you ready for this one? Carlson's lemon-flavored cod liver oil + a few drops of YL lemon oil + salt + pepper. Yep - those are my most favoritist!

About Today's Photo...I seldom get headaches, but this one (a couple of months ago) was a doozy!

For Today - September 30, 2010 - Thursday

2010-09-30T07:35:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It's cool, but not as cool as it has been.

I Am Hearing . . .Birds chirping, cars. For not having any neighbors we sure do hear lots of road noise, which is my least favorite thing about this cozy little cabin. And the chain link fence. Horrible things. I don't have neighbors. . .I don't need a chain link fence. I can't wait until the whole thing is removed.

I Am Wearing...white capris & blue chambray shirt. And sock.

I Am Thinking . . I really should get a lot done today since I got about 7 hours sleep. Yay for me!

I Am Wondering . . .if my couch, which is listed on craiglist, is gonna' sell. I've had one inquiry! That's good! Right?

I Am Grateful. . . for that good night's sleep.

From The Kitchen . . . Old-fashioned oatmeal w/a cut up apple & lots of antioxidant cinnamon! Tulsi eta: Lemon/Ginger! Yummy!

I Am Reading . . God's Forgotten Gift . I am viewing the DVD's and plan to invite some ladies for an 8 week Bible study.

I Am Hoping. . .The person who inquired about the couch, which did get posted to craigslist, will buy it!

Around The House . . .Those floors still need sweeping & vacuuming. I spent most of yesterday editing theater photos.

One Of My Favorites. . .A good night's sleep. I feel good most of the time. . . . but it's really nice to wake up feeling super, duper great, with a whole lot of energy!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I do not keep a bathroom rug down at all times. . . I only put one down when taking bath/shower. It creeps me out to think of nasty, dirty, who knows where they've been shoes on my bathroom rug. And then I'm suppose to step on it barefoot getting in/out of the tub? Creeps me out. It really does. I have all sort of imaginings. . . . men standing at public urinal, then visiting my bathroom & standing on my rug. Uh - NO - it ain't gonna' happen.

About Today's Photo...Scene from Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory produced at our local civic theater.

Today - September 28, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-09-28T07:57:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It is cool. . . . oh so cool outside. Cool & crisp. Currently 55 with a predicted high of 83. Perfect weather for walking & working outside without working up a sweat! Yay!

I Am Hearing . . .Chickadees fussing in the trees & a few cars on the road. I also hear leaves crunching outside the open windows. . .squirrels running around.

I Am Wearing...a blue denim shirt & that worn out chenille robe.

I Am Thinking . . that most Christians don't really care about the lost.

I Am Wondering . . .how the 3 teenage boys from Sunday are doing.

I Am Grateful. . . people who walk their talk.

From The Kitchen . . . Oatmeal dishes are washed. . .drying in the drainer, waiting for me to put away.

I Am Reading . . .Oils Of The Bible by Dr. David Stewart

I Am Hoping. . .To get our couch listed on Craigslist & organize Young Living paperwork.

Around The House . . .Prairie dress for youngest grand daughter hanging on armoire. Bed waiting to be made. Floors needing sweeping & vacuuming.

One Of My Favorites. . .I've said it once & I'll say it again - - - people who are real. . . who walk their talk.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I do not like long fingernails! I filed them down pretty short.

About Today's Photo. .One sign of autumn arriving in east TX

For Today - August 25, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-08-25T11:44:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It is sunny and thankfully not as hot as yesterday. The weatherman says he thinks the triple digit temps are a thing of the past! Yay!

I Am Hearing . . .A/C humming.

I Am Wearing...a blue chambray nightshirt

I Am Thinking . . .I'd rather be praying & editing photos.

I Am Wondering . . .How my grandson is doing at college.

I Am Grateful. . . for a hubby who loves me just as I am.

From The Kitchen . . . Dishes in the dish drainer, waiting to be put away. I had a yummy breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, jam & Earl Gray tea.

I Am Reading . . .everything by Debra Raybern. . . .

I Am Hoping. . . to finish tidying house.

Around The House . . . Even smaller bits of messes than yesterday! .

One Of My Favorites. . . Friends!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . For the first time in my life I have fingernails that do not easily peel & tear!

About Today's Photo. .A happy little guy at the pool on Sunday .. . .

For Today - August 24, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-08-24T14:35:00.002-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It is sunny. And hot, hot, hot.

I Am Hearing . . .A/C humming & a car just drove by.

I Am Thinking . . .Within the past 4 years the number of people being serviced by the east Texas Food Bank has increased by 90%. 90%.

Don't forget to donate & volunteer at YOUR local food bank. They need you.

I Am Wondering . . .How to go about utilizing the etsy account I set up some time ago. I would like to offer some of my photos for sale . . . .

I Am Grateful. . . for being contacted by KBJS to furnish them w/photos for their website.

From The Kitchen . . . The need for me to tidy up. Dearest friend Debby was here for 10 days & we played & organized, but there is now a need to sweep & mop. . . . you know . . . all those not-so-fun things that need to be done.

I Am Reading . . .everything by Debra Raybern. . . .

I Am Hoping. . . to tidy house.

Around The House . . . Little bits of messes. . . . nothing that a couple of hours can't take care of. . . . maybe even less.

One Of My Favorites. . . Family, photography, friends, organized drawers!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . have a new photography website . . . .

About Today's Photo. . .From the new website & hopefully will be able to soon offer as greeting cards.

For Today - August 5, 2010 - Thursday

2010-08-05T10:59:00.001-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It is sunny. Yesterday's heat index was 115 degrees. I heard on news that the South is better off than Chicago or NYC because we have air conditioners! Of course not everyone can afford A/C, but the middle class & rich have air conditioning. I'm guessing that the middle class in other areas of the country don't bother installing a/c because 1) it's usually not so extremely hot & 2) their hot weather doesn't last more than several weeks. But when it's hot - it's HOT! And I know upstate NY gets HOT!

Although I don't see them right this minute, it appears we have two Barred Owls hanging around the property. We saw them again the other night. I'm guessing it's a pair, but we don't know for certain. Owen, the first one we saw weeks ago, even escorted me about a quarter of a mile on my morning walk one day last week! How fun, since the owl has been associated with not only wisdom, but protection, too!

I Am Hearing . . .Cicadas & air conditioning.

I Am Wearing . . .red chambray nightshirt & white shorts.

I Am Thinking . . . the economy is not doing better. We know two men, in their fifties, who got laid off from work; one in east TX & the other in Houston metro.

And when I volunteered at Good Sam yesterday, we had 3 more families sign up for food. There were a lot of them waiting when I arrived at 8:55AM.

I Am Wondering . . .if I, or any of my friends, would have waited hours in Tuesday's heat, for a big bag of carrots, a huge head of cabbage & a loaf of bread. Actually, I'm not wondering - I know I wouldn't!

One lady passed out. It's a wonder it was only one. Heat index got up to 108 that day.

I Am Grateful. . . for a good night's sleep! I slept straight through 8 1/2 hours! This is unheard of for me, as I normally get 3 - 4 hours sleep. This is how I did it. I hate to bore you & feel free to skip, but I want to be able to come back to this to try the formula again! And again!

I went for an almost 2 mile walk in the evening. The side road is in the shade & even though I got all sweaty, it wasn't terribly bad. I came home & bathed, adding salts to the tub. I then ate a very light supper, since it was now after 8 PM. A great big salad! I then rubbed lavender oil on the bottom of my feet, drank my magnesium & took a lot of my supplements that are suppose to be taken before bed. I went to bed a little after 9 PM, read for a while & lights out by 9:30. I woke about 5:45 AM. . . . went back to sleep & got up at 8. I feel wonderful!

From The Kitchen . . . Pork in the slow cooker! This is the best pulled pork ever! It's Hungry Girl's recipe.

I Am Reading . . . nada

I Am Hoping. . . to finish editing & burning CDs.

Around The House . . . Laundry is sorted but can't wash as hubby disconnected the water in that area of the house. He took out the sink & tore all awful wall board from the guest bath & since the laundry is nearby, it too has no water!

One Of My Favorites. . . Well, apparently a good night's sleep!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I have a plan to tear down & relocate all the out-buildings within the next couple of years!

About Today's Photo. . .

Little orange bowl is what my grandparents kept bacon grease in! I don't think many do that anymore. Blue Fiesta plate was a thrift find for a dime. Red mug holds hot peppermint *tea* (really just hot water & peppermint oil!) was bought w/a friend on a rare shopping trip. She lives in Florida. Pears were part of photo shoot payment!

It was a happy, albeit slow morning. A gentle reminder to pray for family & friends. Amen.

For Today - August 2, 2010 - Monday

2010-08-02T10:27:00.008-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It's sunny, without a cloud in the sky. At 10:30 it's almost 90 degrees. It's hard to keep the hydrangeas & azaleas from wilting. :( In the evening there are bats & cicadas. And Owen the owl. He even accompanied Shiloh & me on our morning walk one day. . . :)

I Am Hearing . . .Cicadas.

I Am Wearing . . .blue chambray nightshirt.

I Am Thinking . . . that I very much miss my flowers from the old house. There were lots of aromatic Antique Roses, Sunflowers, Black-eyed Susans, Cannas, Yarrow, Buddleaia, & Milkweed.

And there was the blooming Vitex, always full, so very full, of feral honey bees. The sound of their humming was reassuring. I'm grateful I took a couple of naps beneath those trees. I wish there were photos.

It goes without saying I miss the Buick-sized Rosemary. And the mint & figs.

And the small kitchen garden that gave us plenty of tomatoes, peppers, & basil this time of year.

I miss the yard a lot.

I don't know how to grow anything in this yard. There's an awful lot of shade - - - and we don't know a thing about this soil. It is foreign soil to us.

We knew the other soil. It was full of vitality. We composted & mulched & layered & fed it good healthy stuff. It was alive with earthworms. It was alive.

We don't know this soil. We have lots to learn about it.Last year's summer bouquet

I Am Wondering . . .how long it will take to be at home with this spot of land? The house feels like home, although I think we should have gone with my initial idea of painting all the interior white. I think this house can do white. Maybe it's because of all the surrounding trees? I don't know - - - but I'm guessing when it's time to repaint we'll repaint a lot of it white.

I'm also wondering if the exterior would be better off white? Right now it's red. I'm thinking white with black trim.

I Am Grateful. . . for 41 years of marriage. We've had ups and downs, joys and sorrows, good times and not-so-good times. But I am his. And he is mine.

And I wouldn't change that for anything.

From The Kitchen . . . the refrigerator is full of fruit & veggies, although none of it grown my us. That seems strange to me - to have to buy/trade every last morsel that goes into our mouths. This is not how it's suppose to be!

I Am Reading . . . nada

I Am Hoping. . .to edit a few more pix for Samantha & burn her a CD of them.

Around The House . . . A store-bought bouquet. How strange it seems...almost some type of alien. I've always told hubby he doesn't need to buy me flowers for any special occasion because I have plenty outside. Now that I don't. . . . he bought me a bouquet. And while I very much appreciate the gesture. . . . they're are not nearly as beautiful as the homegrown variety!

One Of My Favorites. . . My husband!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I seldom lack inspiration . . . . it's motivation I run short of!

About Today's Photo. . . Wedding day 1969.

For Today - July 19, 2010 - Monday

2010-07-19T15:56:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window. . .it's partly sunny. Squirrels are playing in the trees & are running on the fences.

And a snake is underneath house. Apparently one did not get the memo that don't want any snakes near the house. There was one 2' - 3' long sunning on a shelf near the kitchen steps. He was fairly skinny, and dark. He was lumpy so I'm guessing he had been snacking on skinks? I showed him mercy & merely attempted to sweep him off but he didn't cooperate as he simply crawled down a shelf support & then went underneath the house. There is at least one snake under my house. I am not happy about that.

Snakes never were very good at following rules, were they?

I Am Hearing . . .A Jim Palmer podcast & the water hitting the house from the water sprinkler. I have one of those old-fashioned ones made of brass, with 3 or 4 *arms* that spin around, slinging out water. I like the sound.

I Am Wearing . . .white capris, red shirt, black flip/flops

I Am Thinking . . . I need to call my snake friend who lives in the country & isn't one bit scared of snakes. I need her advice about keeping them out from underneath the house.

I Am Wondering . . .if there is any possible way that snake can get into the house? I wish they would just stay on the ground. Then all I'd have to concern myself with would be grass & leaves. I don't like the idea they can climb. They can climb anything. At the other house we had one who climbed the brick wall & onto the glass window. I really was buggered up over that!

I Am Grateful. . . that God is a God of love, not of fear, regardless of what "religionanity" may say.

From The Kitchen . . . oddly enough, a pot of chicken and rice soup. You see, there was leftover chicken & chicken bones. And leftover rice. And since I had onion & carrots, etc, it was just too easy to make soup. Never mind it's 108 w/the heat index!

I Am Reading . . . an email from an online friend who is a fabulous photographer. I contacted her about an upcoming photo shoot, asking her advice & she was gracious enough to share her experiences with me. You can see some of her photos here. . . .

I Am Hoping. . .to learn more and more about my camera & develop the skills to take great photos.

Around The House . . . folded laundry to put away & a bit of a mess in the Nature Room. I changed a few things. . . & need to get rid of what I'm not going to use or find a place for it.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is Love. Not fear. Not *should*. Not a religious *to do* list. But Love. God is love.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I plan to roast a turkey this week! My daughter has been storing one in her freezer for us & it's time for it to turn into a bunch of meals. This is part of my goal to not spend any grocery money this week.

About Today's Photo. . . a detail of the water sprinkler. I thought it appropriate since it also resembles a snake!

For Today - July 8, 2010 - Thursday

2010-07-08T15:35:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window. . .it's sunny right now. Of course that may change at any moment as we've been having the wettest June/July I can remember! Thy hydrangeas & azaleas are very happy with this turn in the weather.

I Am Hearing . . .the A/C. It's the middle of the day & is necessary to have it on.

I Am Wearing . . .khaki shorts, blue chambray shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking . . . I need to move more stuff around.

I Am Wondering . . .if I'm gonna' want to move the armoire into the Nature Room. I won't do it this week. . . maybe next week? Once I empty it & put it on sliders, I really think I could move it by myself but hubby said no . . . So I'll live w/the rearranged dining room through the weekend & then decide.

I Am Grateful. . . for Young Living therapeutic grade essential oils & supplements. As you may know, I have osteoporosis & do not take any of the drugs for it. I take plenty of supplements though & have added a couple of items from Young Living. I moved the dining room table yesterday (twice!), the overstuffed chairs (also twice) and a second table into the Nature Room & woke up this morning with no pain.

I am grateful.

From The Kitchen . . . same as yesterday, only not as much meat since Amanda & her hubby came for a delightful visit & dinner last night. You can go to her blog & read about our Independence Day festivities. . . . just scroll down a bit & you'll find several entries about our wonderful weekend!

I Am Going. . . to move some stuff out of the dining room. There's one little area I'm not too certain about what to do & it will be easier to get the visual distraction out of here!

I Am (still) Reading . . . You know what it is: "Essential Oils Desk Reference". I have much to learn! In fact, if you sign up w/me, you'll get a free copy ($39.99 - 49.99) value, depending on where you buy it!

I Am Hoping. . .to finally get the dining room the way I like it!

Around The House . . . hmmm - today it's just a house. There's nothing spectacularly tidy nor messy about it. I guess if you came over you could tell I'm rearranging stuff . . . but nothing special about it.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is helping people find vitality & health! If you have skype, I can have someone much more knowledgeable than myself answer your questions regarding your particular health issues!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I've drank almost no caffeine for several months!

About Today's Photo. . . one of my favorite pix from the weekend.

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.

Ronald Reagan
40th president of US (1911 - 2004)

For Today - July 6, 2010

2010-07-06T07:33:00.006-05:00

Outside My Window. . .Very, very warm & sunny & muggy. We had rain off & all all weekend. . . . and we need it! We always need rain in the summer. We seldom have rain in the summer, so I dare not fuss about it.

It worked out very well, though. When we had outside activities or traveling to do, there was no rain. And it mostly rained when we were inside or sleeping, etc.

Sitting on the porch was a pleasure except for those darn mosquitoes that much have hatched from all the rain? I'm going to have to find a non-toxic way to get rid of them! But I think I may have some help as my oldest grand daughter was the first to discover we have bats around the house! They were flying around the mercury vapor light that's in the driveway. Without it would make it very difficult to find the house in the dark or to get from the car to the porch, so we leave it here. . . . It might be a good thing - attracting food for the bats!

I think I wrote about that big old owl w/in the last week & he was out front too. I haven't identified him, but he is big: I'm guessing 18 -24" tall! I hope he's not planning to eat the bats!? After all, they are small mammals!

I Am Hearing . . .Crickets & cicadas.

I Am Wearing . . .white capris & blue shirt.

I Am Thinking . . . I need to mop floors.

I Am Wondering . . .if I will actually get around to mopping floors. . . . it's hard to get back into the swing of things.

I Am Grateful. . . for the wonderful weekend full of family & activities

for small town parades

and firemen competitions

for the pulled pork being such a big hit

for going geocaching

for big (there were 12 of us) get together w/my mom @ assisted living facility. They put out a great spread of wonderful food!

for daughter's neighbors inviting us over for big firework show @ their house. It was the biggest private fireworks show I've ever been to!

for grandkids fishing

for Apple to Apple game

for James Bond movie

for fireworks @ home

and the poppers too

for bats in my yard

& the owl, too

for my family getting safely back home.

For my hubby. When everyone is gone & the house is empty - I'm glad he's here to listen to the quiet with me.

From The Kitchen . . . lots of grilled meat & a watermelon.

I Am Going. . . to catch up on reading blogs & tidy house; move two pieces of furniture & two rugs; & mop floors.

I Am (still) Reading . . . There's no way to change this up - - - I have much to learn & will continue reading "Essential Oils Desk Reference"

I Am Hoping. . .to make steady progress

Around The House . . . the evidence of a houseful of people having been here. And I love it!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .family get togethers.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I have almost always in the past used real china, glasses, silverware & cloth napkins. It's been an idiosyncrasy of mine. But not this weekend. . . . not for the big meals. Oh breakfast did get eaten from real bowls - but the other meals were from paper plates, plastic cups & forks & paper napkins! Scandalous!

Today's Photo. . . .the last of the sparklers - - - the last of the fireworks - - - the last of the holiday.

For Today - June 27, 2010 - Sunday

2010-06-27T15:41:00.005-05:00

Outside My Window. . .Hot & sunny.

The potting bench area is all nice & tidy. I spent all yesterday making sense of all the clay pots, enamel pots & pans & signs...although I haven't yet hung the signs as I'm concerned the area might look too busy. But the area looks much neater, that's for sure.

I Am Hearing . . .Country/western music coming from the living room TV. No one is in there watching. . . . I have no idea what the show is. . . but there is a definite C/W twang going on in there!

I Am Wearing . . .pink nightgown. I wrenched my back yesterday, hauling yard *stuff*, including a few concrete pieces & I've been very extremely lazy today, not bothering to get dressed.

I Am Thinking . . . I need to wash dishes. We don't have a dish washer & since my back is feeling better this afternoon, I really ought to go do them. They're not going to wash themselves & no one else is going to wash them, that's for sure!

I Am Wondering . . .why a person would think that just because a woman is a keeper at home (Titus2: 4-5), that person doesn't have a life. And odd position for a Christian person to have, in my opinion.

I Am Grateful. . . my hubby picked up my little bottle of Pan-Away & gave me a short back massage w/just 3-4 drops & wow, I sure do feel a lot better. And I didn't have to take any Tylenol, or any ibuprofen products. I realize this may not always be the case - but I am grateful the Essential Oil plus an old fashioned soak in Epsom salt have given significant relief.

From The Kitchen . . . sausage kolaches. We cleaned out the freezer & found a package. Hubby is happy.

I Am Going. . . to clean the kitchen.

I Am (still) Reading . . . There's no way to change this up - - - I have much to learn & will continue reading "Essential Oils Desk Reference"

I Am Hoping. . .back continues to feel A-okay.

Around The House . . . floors desperately need sweeping/vacuuming.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .no pain!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I seldom, if ever, take medication. If I die or complicate a physical ailment it will be because of what I chose not to do. So far my choices have proven, over time, to be for the better. This may not always be true. . . . but for now it is.

Today's Photo. . . .How can daisies look so fresh in this horrible heat???? Today's predicted high is 97 degrees & with the heat index will feel well over 100!!!!

For Today - June 25, 2010 - Friday

2010-06-25T17:11:00.005-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It's once again very, very warm. The hydrangeas are nice & perky because we got a good amount of rain Wednesday night & Thursday.

I Am Hearing . . .Cars - but let me tell you about last night. It was dark after we came home from having dinner w/dear daughter & her dear hubby. Oh. My. The cicadas & crickets & maybe some bullfrogs were so very, very loud! We had to yell to one another while outside in order to be heard!

I Am Wearing . . .chambray shirt & white Capri pants. Barefoot w/pale pink polish.

I Am Thinking . . . about that owl that was in the tree Wednesday. A huge owl, which I think was a screech owl. He watched hubby burn trash & watched me putter around the potting bench.

I Am Wondering . . .if we're gonna' get more rain. It's very overcast & we certainly can use it.

I Am Grateful. . . to have spent last evening w/daughter & her hubby. We had a nice meal at Jalepeno Tree & a very nice visit too.

From The Kitchen . . . apricots & grapes waiting to be eaten.

I Am Going. . . to be lazy tonight.

I Am (still) Reading . . . "Essential Oils Desk Reference" Nope - I don't think I'll ever get finished with it!

I Am Hoping. . .hubby will soon be home.

Around The House . . . contented me & contented Shiloh.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .contentment.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I seldom, if ever, wear dresses or skirts.

Today's Photo... Self portrait.

For Today - June 18, 2010 - Friday

2010-06-18T08:44:00.008-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It's warmed up nicely! LOL This is my husband's traditional summer-time response to weather discussions, "It's warmed up nicely". . . . no matter if it's 100 degrees - that's his response!

I Am Hearing . . .A couple of birds chirping & the A/C humming. They are very vocal for me to hear them through closed windows!

I Am Wearing . . .a blue chambray nightshirt.

I Am Thinking . . . I need to feed the dogs. I have two extra as my daughter & her hubby are off celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary. It's a bit of a juggling act as 2 of the dogs are real chow hounds & the other is a real *diner* - - - taking her sweet time!

I Am Wondering . . .how yesterday's elderly gentleman is doing.

Since I was going to the nearby town, I decided to pay a bill in person instead of mailing, seeing as how we're friends with the ophthalmologist. A very elderly man was laying flat on his back at the back of his SUV with his HoverRound chair partly in/partly out of the vehicle. He was conscious, but looked to be in pretty bad shape. I told him I'd get help & I ran inside declaring there was an elderly gentleman needing help - & I told Lee, from the optical department, to go try to help; the receptionists got in touch with another male employee & I ran to the back to get a bottle of cold water.

The employees said he'd left the building quite some time ago, but no one knew for sure how long.

Anyway - the men got him in the passenger side of the car & his wife, who was getting her eyes checked, came out & I guess they were going home. Or maybe to the ER? I don't know.

I am wondering if he is okay. Even 5 minutes on the pavement in the heat can do horrible things to one's health!

I Am Grateful. . . that I was there yesterday. Most of the time we don't see the reasoning behind changes in our schedule, etc., but it was very clear why I decided to pay in person.

From The Kitchen . . . fresh produce: organic broccoli, cabbage, lettuces, onions, apricots, strawberries & cherries. Mmmmm.

I Am Going. . . to feed the dogs, get dressed, wash laundry & clean the floors.

I Am (still) Reading . . . "Essential Oils Desk Reference"

I Am Hoping. . .my daughter & her hubby are having a very special 5th anniversary celebration.

Around The House . . . are nice smells!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .fresh flowers in the house.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . A post from my other blogs was featured here at The Stir

Today's Photo... Click here to read about David & Amanda. 5 years ago today!Photo by Donna Cummings

For Today - June 16, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-06-16T11:31:00.003-05:00

Outside My Window. . .See yesterday's post. And the day before. It will most likely remain *ditto* all summer long ;)

I Am Hearing . . .A bird, high in the trees, calling. No one is calling back. But he is persistent!

I Am Wearing . . .khaki shorts & brown tee-shirt. And those bare feet!

I Am Thinking . . . I need to get off the computer & rehang a picture in the Nature Room. And maybe wash a load of clothes.

I Am Wondering . . .how boring it must be to be weatherman in east TX during the summer. Nothing much ever changes . . . unless there's a hurricane in the Gulf.

I Am Grateful. . . that supper is all taken care of!

From The Kitchen . . . and supper is all taken care of because the pot roast is in the crock-pot. Mmmm - smells so good!

I Am Going. . . piddle in the Nature Room & continue reading. . . .

I Am (still) Reading . . . "Essential Oils Desk Reference" Do you know there's documented research that some essential oils are better at curing a staph infection than some antibiotics? Fascinating reading!

I Am Hoping. . .to hear soon from our youngest son. It's been a while. And I miss him. Yes, this is the same as yesterday.

Around The House . . . are nice smells!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is the solid, loving relationships my married children have with their spouses.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I dislike the term *mate* when referring to ones spouse. I know it's PC - but I much prefer spouse. *Mate* makes me think of dogs.

Today's Photo. . . a corner of the Nature Room.

For Today - June 15, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-06-15T07:44:00.006-05:00

Outside My Window. . .Are blooming hydrangeas & Black-eyed Susans. It's warm & muggy, a rather typical east Texas June morning. Yes, this is exactly what I posted yesterday. . . I can most likely cut & paste this for the rest of the Summer!

And speaking of the hydrangeas - they are looking rather wilted - I need to go out & water them. They would love some rain!

I Am Hearing . . .I live in Texas & like most Texans this time of year, am listening to the air conditioner humming. The opened windows of Spring are a thing of the past. Of course it's not officially yet Summer. But temperature-wise, it most definitely is!

I Am Wearing . . .white cargo pants w/turquoise t-shirt. And bare feet with nails needing a fresh paint job! Just to let you know - I buy clothes in multiples. If something fits & the price is right, I buy at least one more. So - - - these are not the same pair of white cargo pants! Last year I found the perfect t-shirt for me, from JC Penney. And lucky, lucky me - they're on sale! I bought two of every color that I wear!

I Am Thinking . . . I need to make a trip into town today, even though I didn't have any plans to do so. Hubby has the infuriating habit of paying the utility bills on their due date. In person. Today is the day. He is already at work. Don't ask me why he insists on doing it this way - he has no answer. It is just his quirky ways of doing things!

I Am Wondering . . .How the neighboring cowboy is doing today.

Derek, 23, works the cattle for Steve, & he came by the cabin yesterday morning asking my assistance. He had gotten his boss's pickup stuck near the creek & wanted me to pull him out! I explained that my Nissan Quest wasn't made for pulling & towing, but I offered him the use of the phone and some boards to put beneath the wheels to get some traction.

A bit later he came back to let me know the boards didn't work, so I offered to drive him to his bosses house (just a few miles away) so he could get his truck to pull out the boss's truck.

All should be well. . . . right?

After a while, he came back to the house, all embarrassed because *his* truck had run out of diesel while driving down to the creek! So, I offered to take him into town to buy some diesel, but he explained that unlike a gas engine (where all you have to do is add some fuel) there is more to the diesel engine because you have to *prime* it first.

And then he kept standing on the porch. Just shuffling from one foot to the other. Looking at me. Looking to me. It was then I realized he was expecting me to solve the problem for him. He was looking to me as if I were his mother - - - & I was going to make all things better. Hmmm. What to do?

Call my hubby - that's what! He suggested I take Derek up the road to a farm that has lots of goats, cattle, an emu & lots, & lots of tractors & farm equipment. I don't know the people who live there. Hubby doesn't really know them, either. But that's what good-hearted people do: help one another. So - that's what we did.

And of course no one answered the door. And of course they were cutting hay in a field far from the house. And so we waved & made a ruckus & carried on & the man in his air-conditioned tractor drove up to us & after explaining Derek's situation, got jumped into his truck met us at the gate to the pasture with the stuck truck. Oh. And left his air-conditioned tractor running!?

So - I'm wondering if Derek will have a better day today. Yesterday was a real M O N D A Y for him!

I Am Grateful. . . that hubby came by on his way to a job to go pay the bills himself. I guess he thought about our little saying, "Do you want it done? Or do you want it done your way?" And if it has to be done a particular way, then that person has to do it him/herself.

Don't get me wrong - I'm willing to pay those bills. After all, I pay all the other bills - but not in person on the day they are due!

From The Kitchen . . . is Earl Gray tea & cinnamon toast.

I Am Going. . . to hang a couple of pictures & scrub down the main bathroom. . . which is very, very small. It won't take long at all!

I Am (still) Reading . . . "Essential Oils Desk Reference" Yeah - I'm that geeky! But since we don't use pharmaceuticals - essential oils, vitamins, herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture, etc., are our first line of medicine.

I Am Hoping. . .to hear soon from our youngest son. It's been a while. And I miss him.

Around The House . . . there are still pictures & mirrors to hang & I'm ready to hang some of them today.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is my very good health. And the very good health of my hubby. We are blessed & we know it full well!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I'm participating in a flickr group of submitting a self-portrait a week. For 52 weeks. I don't like having my picture taken. This is a stretch for me.

Today's Photo. . . this week's SP...I've been told it's *dreamy*! :)

For Today - June 14, 2010 - Monday

2010-06-14T07:31:00.012-05:00

Outside My Window. . .Are blooming hydrangeas & Black-eyed Susans. It's warm & muggy, a rather typical east Texas June morning.

I Am Hearing . . .The A/C humming, some birds chirping outside & that's about it. It's a very quiet morning, isn't it?

I Am Wearing . . .white cargo pants w/brown t-shirt. And bare feet w/nicely polished toenails! :)

I Am Thinking . . . I need to update my blogs, tweak a couple of photos taken yesterday & tidy up around the house.

I Am Wondering . . .How did my youngest grandson get to be 10 years old! Happy birthday, JSS!!!!

I Am Grateful. . . for this past weekend! Hubby went on a Boy Scout camp-out with our youngest grandson; I got to spend time with my grand daughters (ages 16 & almost 8); oldest grandson got all registered for college; & we got to make it back home & have a small birthday dinner for my awesome 89 year old mom!

Oh! I forgot to mention - the FEMA money for GS finally came in!!! Very, very grateful -

From The Kitchen . . . It's all clean although there is the lingering aroma of fried chicken from yesterday's birthday dinner! I hadn't made fried chicken in decades! I'm so glad it's like riding a bicycle - - - one doesn't forget!

Oh - and there are lots of pancakes in the freezer as I quadrupled the recipe & now we have our own stash of *fast food* hidden away in the freezer!

I Am Going. . . to do some laundry, paperwork & plan out my week.

I Am Reading . . . "Essential Oils Desk Reference" Yeah - I'm that geeky! But since we don't use pharmaceuticals - essential oils, vitamins, herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture, etc., are our first line of medicine.

I Am Hoping. . .to do paperwork for my mom & Good Samaritan.

Around The House . . . There's some laundry to fold, floors to sweep & furniture to dust. I may (or may not) hang come pics in the dining room.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is my husband reaching for me in his sleep. :)

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I've been married 2/3 of my life. Yeah! It's a real good thing!

Today's Photos . . .pix from mama's birthday. Mama, my daughter, her hubby & my hubby - the one who still reaches for me in his sleep :)

Mosaic Monday @
http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2010/06/mosaic-monday-summer-bouquet.html

Just for Today

2010-06-11T04:36:00.001-05:00

Just for Today - go here to read what's up w/me

Wahhhhhhhh!

For Today - June 10, 2010 - Thursday

2010-06-10T14:18:00.003-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It is raining. It's been raining off & on for over 24 hours. Blessed rain. We really needed it.

I Am Hearing . . .Rain on the metal roof & thunder in the distance; Shiloh, the pony-sized Golden Retriever snoring; the A/C humming & the clicking of the keyboard as I type.

I Am Wearing . . .khaki cargo pants w/brown t-shirt. And bare feet w/nicely polished toenails! :)

I Am Thinking . . . that because of all the rain, I'm in a rather lazy mood.

I Am Wondering . . .How my son-in-law's sweet Tansy is doing? She is a sweetheart of a Golden Retriever who had a huge mass removed on Monday. It appeared very rapidly & increased in size very quickly. In a week's time it was about 6" in diameter & the vet had to remove some muscle tissue to get all of the tumor.

I Am Grateful. . . that my daughter just called with a Tansy update. How's that for being serendipitous? Perfect, perfect timing.

And I can hardly beleive it. The tumor is NOT cancerous! It's necrotic lipoma. Apparently it grew & died very quickly, but no cancer! The vet hadn't heard of this before. Well - let me tell you there is much rejoicing is going on here in front of the computer. My daughter's pets are her children. . . for the time being . . . & even though life is filled with sorrow & they will have their share of it. . . I'm glad today is not the day.

From The Kitchen . . . watermelon.

I Am Going. . . to be lazy today.

I Am Reading . . . blogs of very creative women.

I Am Hoping. . .to make pancakes & vegetarian sausage links for supper tonight.

Around The House . . . There's an Amazon box on the dining room table w/hubby's Father's Day gift & a package from JCP w/my favorite 3/4 length, v-neck t-shirts in the living room. While I despise, abhor & loathe shopping in real life - I love online shopping!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .good news!

Today's Photo. . .a mosaic of my first geocache which was only 6/10 mile from the house!

For Today - June 1, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-06-01T14:39:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It is hot & sunny! Hydrangeas are blooming and so are gardenias, although not many at all.

I Am Hearing . . .a car drive by. . . & the A/C humming.

I Am Wearing . . .white capris, red blouse, black flip/flops.

I Am Thinking . . . that it's not yet officially summer & the predicted high is 96! What's up w/that????

I Am Wondering . . .Why, back in March/April, so many people were complaining about the cold & wondering if summer would ever get here? It's here! At least the heat is, although the season is not!

I Am Grateful. . . I got to stay home today. Well, one quick trip into town doesn't really count, does it? And dil & kidlets made it safely back home.

From The Kitchen . . . leftovers!

I Am Going. . . to do a load of clothes & maybe paint the corner cabinet in the Nature Room.

I Am Reading . . . about geocaching here. Can you believe it? There's caches w/in a mile from the cabin!

I Am Hoping. . .to walk to one of the caches this evening.

Around The House . . . Laundry needing to be done & of course the floors need sweeping. And it wouldn't hurt to give the bathroom a swish & a swipe.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .a day at home. I know no other way to be a "keeper @ home" than to spend a lot of time here, tending to it.

Today's Photo. . . Mama, yesterday at AME's house, loving on Frankie

For Today - May 31, 2010 - Monday

2010-05-31T07:46:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window. . .The sun is shining, the birds are singing & the porch is ready for breakfast to be served!

I Am Hearing . . .Shiloh crunching his chew bone! And birds chirping outside & an occasional car driving by.

I Am Wearing . . .pink gown & slippers

I Am Thinking . . . that we have the *perfect* name for the separate guest room/bath. Youngest grandson proclaimed "This is the smallest hotel room I've ever seen". Youngest grand daughter noticed "And the ceiling is shaped like an 'L'".

My dearest hubby & EOS said it simultaneously, & it shall now & forever be known as. . . . .

L'Hotel

I like that!

I Am Wondering . . . When the rest of the family will be getting up.

I Am Grateful. . . that EOS & some of the grandkids are here for the weekend! What joy! AND I'm glad my daughter is no longer in such intense pain!

And the men & women who helped make & keep my country, and me, free.

It is the VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN who
salutes the Flag,

It is the VETERAN
who serves under the Flag,

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON
THEM.

From The Kitchen . . . Lots of fruit & fruity dip. . . .and tea.

I Am Going. . . to get dressed, put on makeup & go wake up my grandkids if they're still asleep in L'Hotel!

I Am Reading . . . nada

I Am Hoping. . .for a safe, relaxed, family-filled Memorial Day. And shrimp. :)

Around The House . . . Tell tale signs of kidlets being here: little shoes, puzzles, a doll, crayons, cards, etc. Pretty, pretty sights. . .. every one is a still-life that touches my heart. Quick! I need to grab the camera!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is spending time w/me family.

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I used to have thick hair. Thick and curly.

Today's Photo. . . Front porch taken in Jacson, MS, some years ago.

For Today - May 19, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-05-19T11:11:00.003-05:00

Outside My Window. . .The sun keeps peeking out from clouds . . . . going in and out. . . in and out. Hydrangeas are blooming!!!!!

I Am Hearing . . .Birds chirping, clock ticking & what sounds like crickets.

I Am Wearing . . .white capris, orange t-shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking . . . That I need to finish the *center hall*, *mirror room*, *green room*. Heck - I'm thinking we need to decide on a name for that room!

I Am Wondering . . . how much longer my daughter will suffer with pain.

I Am Grateful. . . that it appears she's going to be okay.

From The Kitchen . . . Dishes waiting to be put away; and portobello mushrooms waiting to become lunch. And pork chops waiting to become dinner!

I Am Going. . . to continue going through *stuff*. Stuff, stuff & more stuff.

I Am Reading . . . decorating blogs.

I Am Hoping. . .mama's aching tooth doesn't result in lots of expensive work.

Around The House . . . The nature table is finished; bed is made; floors are clean. There's the air of quiet domesticity.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .having my family healthy!

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I hve an 18 year old grandson who has successfully graduated homeschool highschool!

Today's Photo. . . JDS @ graduation

For Today - May 10, 2010 - Monday

2010-05-10T08:12:00.005-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It is very, very humid. And breezy.

I Am Hearing . . .Birds chirping, clock ticking & wind blowing through the trees.

I Am Wearing . . .chenille robe & pink scarf around neck.

I Am Thinking . . . I need to hurry & get dressed!

I Am Wondering . . . If Good Samaritan will get any funding from United Way.

I Am Grateful. . . that the cheese cake turned out well. You can read about it here.

From The Kitchen . . . Nothing. No food prep going on. No dishes to wash. Nothing. Although I should fix something for breakfast!

I Am Going. . . to make a trip into town today.

I Am Reading . . . nothing.

I Am Hoping. . .The meeting with United Way goes well.

Around The House . . . Dog hair. Shiloh really needs a haircut.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .A family get together!

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I can't think of anything. I'm not particulary mysterious or coy.

Today's Photo. . . 3 generations. . . Mother's Day, May 9, 2010.

For Today - May 8, 2010 - Saturday

2010-05-08T15:23:00.003-05:00

Outside My Window. . .Washer & dryer off the porch! Hubby making new attic door.

I Am Hearing . . ."It's 5 o'clock Somewhere" by Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffet. And now "Chattahoochee" by Alan Jackson. "Small Town Southern Man" , "She Don't Know She's Beautiful", "Pop A Top Again", "Midnight in Montgomery" - all by AJ.

And birds outside.

I Am Wearing . . .khaki cargo pants w/denim shirt & walking shoes. Oh, and an apron.

I Am Thinking . . . It's 3:25 & I need to eat lunch.

I Am Wondering . . . If Cayla is going to have her baby tomorrow? Wouldn't that be cool? She got married on our anniversary - - - & may have her little girl tomorrow, May 9, Mother's Day. The same as my daughter. That would be so cool!

I Am Grateful. . . an oven that bakes evenly. Here's hoping the homemade cheesecake turns out! It's the first I've ever made from scratch. Amanda requested it for her birthday cake. We'll see!

From The Kitchen . . . Homemade cheesecake in the oven & dirty dishes in the sink.

I Am Going. . . to wash those dishes!

I Am Reading . . . a photography book about exposure.

I Am Hoping. . .The cheesecake turns out!

Around The House . . . Laundry done. Floors swept & vacuumed. Birthday gifts for tomorrow. Cards, too!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .A sunny, cool day with the windows open. Hubby piddling outside. Me cooking inside. Going back and forth. Listening to music.

That's more than one, isn't it? No, not really - it's one perfect day!

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I don't watch Friday night TV.

Today's Photo. . . Playing around w/a favorite blouse & camera settings.

For Today - April 7, 2010 - Friday

2010-05-07T14:02:00.005-05:00

Outside My Window. . .Warm & breezy. Kinda' balmy-feeling. The breeze is nice

I Am Hearing . . .Birds chirping & wind blowing through the trees.

I Am Wearing . . .shorts & t-shirt

I Am Thinking . . . My friend Linda W. is one mighty strong, feisty woman.

I Am Wondering . . . How long her husband will live. He's been sick for a very long time. The nurses are guessing he'll be gone before Father's Day. It's gotta' be tough for all of them. Especially their 17 year old son.

I Am Grateful. . . for the long, long chat with Linda. It was fun talking about the old days.

I'm also grateful that mama's flowers arrived on time. And looking good. After bad experiences with other florists, I am happy to say that the two times I've used proflowers.com have been wonderful! Beautiful flowers - just what I ordered & delivered when they said they would be delivered! Yay!

From The Kitchen . . . All the fixins' for a homemade NY cheesecake.

DD was born on Mother's Day & her birthday falls on it again this year. Her hubby is grilling steaks & I offered to make her a birthday cake. She asked for cheesecake, so I have all the stuff in the kitchen to make one tomorrow. I hope it turns out to be all she's hoping it to be. And I hope I remember to take pix of it!

I Am Going. . . to lay down for a while. I have a light case of Poison Ivy & I want it to stay that way. I'm starting to get hot. I need to lie down & cool off.

I Am Reading . . . nada

I Am Hoping. . .The poison ivy doesn't get any worse. I'm really sensitive to it & usually get sick: vomiting & running a fever. Here's hoping this is & will remain a very light case.

Around The House . . . Nothing special.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .A lazy day.

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I earned my gray hair.

About Today's Photo . . (Click on photo).

For Today - May 3, 2010 - Monday

2010-05-03T15:15:00.003-05:00

Outside My Window. . .Hydrangeas almost ready to bloom. And fragrant honeysuckle. And a mighty fine crop of poison ivy :(

I Am Hearing . . .Baby birds chirping.

I Am Wearing . . .Cargo pants, t-shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking . . . Shiloh needs to go pee more often. My cousin said that dog urine deters snakes. I guess I'll quit fussing at Shiloh for peeing in the flower beds!

I Am Wondering . . . About this morning. I woke up at 3 & got up for a while, but then went back to bed. I don't know what time it was but it became a rather magical time. There had been a bird singing. I don't know for certain what it was, but some night-time singing bird. There was a light breeze. Just a gentle time of night.

And then n o t h i n g. I mean not a sound. No bird chirping. No coyote howling. No dogs barking. No possums walking on the porch. Nothing crunching on the leaves. No car in the distance. Not a sound. Not a breeze. Just stillness. Complete. Total. Magical. Quiet stillness.

Is there a special time between night & morning? Is there a shift change within nature? It was amazing.

I fell back to sleep & woke up later to the sound of a multitude of birds chirping, singing, calling & greeting. And it too was magical. But in the wee hours of the morning I experienced for the first time in the cabin, the magic of silence.

I Am Grateful. . . for yesterday's mini family reunion.

From The Kitchen . . . Leftovers!

I Am Going. . . walking. I need to get back into the habit of walking.

I Am Reading . . . everything at Junk Sophisticate. What a creative lady!

I Am Hoping. . .The snakes & I can live amicably together.

Around The House . . . Nothing special.

One Of My Favorite Things . . . Volunteering at Good Samaritan. The other volunteers are inspiring people. They are what's best about the little town.

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I can't think of a thing!

Today's Photo . . . Even though we are prime habitat for snakes, we didn't find any. We did, however, find this little lady hiding beneath some boards.

For Today - May 1, 2010 - Saturday

2010-05-01T06:20:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It is just beginning to get light. It is very muggy & has been threatening to rain for 24 hours. But still no rain. Just stillness & mugginess.

The azaleas are through blooming for now.

The honeysuckle outside the kitchen window is just beginning to bloom. Sweet honeysuckle fragrance is hanging in the warm, muggy air. Sounds like the beginnings of a novel that takes place in the South! :)

I Am Hearing . . .Woodland birds waking up. I wish I was better at identifying them by their sound. There is a very large variety greeting one another. And me.

I Am Wearing . . .Shorts, t-shirt & sox.

I Am Thinking . . .I really am going to like the porch, once it's done. 2/3 is painted. . . just waiting for Mark to come get the appliances from one end. Hopefully he can get them this weekend or next. He's the one who lost everything in a house fire & is having a hard time finding financing for a new home :(

Once the last of it is painted we can move stuff out of the guest room, storing it where the appliances are now, & get to work in the guest room! The ceiling & inside of the closet are painted, but the walls & trim have been patiently waiting.

I Am Wondering . . . If the little dog got homesick & went back to her pack. She ate some of the canned dog food . . . then hung around for another day, staying away from the cabin. She would look happy when we went to her. Her eyes were bright, ears & tail perky, but she no longer came on the porch or around us. Mama thinks she got homesick for her family. Maybe so. . . we haven't seen her since last Tuesday.

I Am Grateful. . . hubby had no objection to me buying a different color for the porch ceiling. Martha Stewart's "Porch Ceiling Blue" - C26 is SO much better. Perfect!

From The Kitchen . . . Stuff for tomorrow's lunch. My cousin, the Snake Expert is coming over tomorrow, bringing his wife & daughter with him for a snake hunt! We have no desire to eradicate all snakes from the property as we appreciate & respect them for the contribution they make to all our lives. But I don't want them in the attic (although Clint says that 70% of Texas homes have/had snakes there), beneath the house, on the porch or in the house! Our landscaping plans can best be called, "State Park" style. Which means we'll remove the brush/underbrush nearest the cabin, but leave a lot of it around the perimeter. It means lots of gravel pathways, some edged w/fallen logs. It means mulching the beds with leaf mulch. It means an almost perfect habitat for snakes! I just don't want to be surprised by them.

I Am Going. . . to do some laundry, clean house & piddle in the yard & on the porch.

I Am Reading . . . nada

I Am Hoping. . .that it rains. It's been too, too muggy.

Around The House . . . Pretty much the same as last time as I spent the time painting instead of hanging & sorting, etc.

One Of My Favorite Things . . . A family gathering & the anticipation!

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I got my hair cut. Short. Real short. The shortest I've ever had it. I think I like it. . . just hoping I can get it to spike the way I want it to! I like spiky hair.

Today's Photo . . . Blankets Wrap You In Warmth, Quilts Wrap You In Love Top quilt made for me from my dearest of friends Debby. Middle quilt given to me for my 50th birthday. Bottom quilt made by my maternal grandmother for my parent' wedding. they would have been married 68 years this August.

For Today - April 27, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-04-27T08:25:00.006-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It is once again sunny & cool. Cowboys next to us are rounding up some cattle to *go for a ride* in the back of a trailer.

I Am Hearing . . .Lots of yee-hawing going on! And cows mooing. And birds chirping.

I Am Wearing . . .Chenille robe, sox, overcoat & knitted scarf around me neck. I'll just stay in these until it warms up a bit. If I got dressed now, I'd have to change before long anyway!

I Am Thinking . . .I really don't like "Robin's Egg" blue on the porch ceiling. I requested "Crystal Palace". Hubby thought it was too light & brought home the other.

I Am Wondering . . . If hubby will come home w/some white paint to tone down the intensity of what we have.

I Am Grateful. . . that the little dog started eating again. True - it's canned dog food instead of dry, but at least she's eating.

From The Kitchen . . . Oatmeal w/cinnamon & apples; buttered toast & hot tea.

I Am Going. . . to explain about the porch paint. Yesterday I wrote I was going to the store to buy some. BUT the paint master wasn't there, so later in the day I IM'ed hubby to bring home some "Crystal Palace". I'm pretty sure I said it was his decision as to what size can he brought home: either a sample size or gallon. He thought I said it was his decision to choose the color.

I Am Reading . . . nada

I Am Hoping. . .that I can paint today. . .

Around The House . . . There is a mirror to hang in the dining room. And *stuff* for me to go through in the center hall. We really need to think of another name for it, but haven't come up with one!

One Of My Favorite Things . . . A stay-at-home day!

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . Yesterday I wrote, "I have no idea what color to paint the front doors." Well sheesh, if we're gonna' keep the ceiling "Robin Egg's Blue" we might as well paint the doors pumpkin orange to go w/the red walls! Yeah - I'm being sarcastic. How could you tell?

Today's Photo . . . An accidental kitchen window olfactory still life: big juicy, citrusy smelling fresh lemon, old fashioned, aromatic rose that got moved by youngest son in January, & Palmolive dish detergent in blue bottle. My mom used Palmolive when I was growing up. It has a nice, clean memory-filled fragrance! And it was the cheapest at the Dollar Store.

The brain cannot accurately remember color - but it's perfect at recalling smells.

For Today - April 26, 2010 - Monday

2010-04-26T07:05:00.003-05:00

Outside My Window. . .Sunny & very cool!!!! The porch is clean & waiting for me to start painting.

I Am Hearing . . .Birds chirping. They are very vocal this morning.

I Am Wearing . . .Velour pants, cuddle dud shirt, turtleneck shirt, velou vest, faux leather jacket, waling shoes, and knitted scarf. Yes, it's cold. Yes - I'm getting ready to leave the house.

I Am Thinking . . .My mom probably misses humor. She was here yesterday & did a lot of teasing. It makes sense - she was the youngest of a very large family. Only 3 girls & a lot of brothers. I'm thinking she misses good-natured kidding.

I Am Wondering . . . that the little dog is sick? Or jealous? She's not eaten her last two meals. Is she pouting because we don't let her in the house? We really need an outdoor dog & she looks mighty comfy sleeping on the wicker love-seat out on the porch! Or is she sick?

I Am Grateful. . . that mama is so enraptured with my husband. Apparently he can do no wrong. Better than complaining about him, I guess!

From The Kitchen . . . A warm teapot & lots of leftovers in the fridge. Maybe the kids will come for supper tonight?

I Am Going . . . to the store to buy porch paint. A very light blue...a cross between Robin's egg & Sky blues. This is a very traditional porch ceiling color on old houses. It also keeps the wasps from building nests on the ceiling. Of course it doesn't keep them from getting into the attic.

I Am Reading . . . The Southern Living Garden Book & "Southern Shade"

I Am Hoping. . .that my back & neck don't *give out* on me while painting the ceiling. I have osteoporosis in my neck & several bones are completely dissolved. Combine that with the fact that most women don't have a lot of upper body strength & - - - well, it might take me quite a while to get it painted!

Around The House . . . There's a load of laundry waiting for me to take to the laundry room!

One Of My Favorite Things . . . Clean laundry. I forgot to mention that yesterday when I talked about the smell of *clean*. Add clean laundry to the list!

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I have no idea what color to paint the front doors.

Today's Photo . . .is not my photo. I wish I knew who to give credit to. Anyway - I first saw this at a nearby hamburger joint, Legends. It made me smile years ago & it still makes me smile! I'm halfway tempted to laminate a copy of this & post it to the front gate. :) Not really. . . .

For Today - April 25, 2010 - Sunday

2010-04-25T05:00:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It's still dark 'cause it's only 5 AM. The porch is CLEAN. Hubby power-washed it yesterday & *oh my* what a difference it makes. The most exciting part to me is that the 7 porch posts, which were painted dark brown, are now their lovely wood selves. We're no experts at identifying woods but are guessing one is cedar & the others are pine? Son-in-law is much better at this type of thing, so we'll ask him next time he comes. Tomorrow or Tuesday we'll seal the posts w/a low luster sealer & I'll get busy painting the porch...no more pink!

I Am Hearing . . .Clocks ticking

I Am Wearing . . .Velour robe

I Am Thinking . . .that way too many people are more than willing to turn their backs on USA citizens and their rights and are more interested in the perceived rights of criminals.

I Am Wondering . . . how they become that way? How does a person become more interested in the welfare of people who knowingly, deliberately break the law than in the right of good, honest, hard-working Americans? Hmmm?

I Am Grateful. . . that dearest daughter and her hubby are safely home.

From The Kitchen . . . There's a fantastic pot roast, carrots & potatoes waiting to go into the oven for Sunday afternoon dinner, when we get home from church.

I Am Going . . . to enjoy today.

I Am Reading . . . Texas Code

I Am Hoping . . .For a snit-free day!

Around The House . . . Quiet.

One Of My Favorite Things . . . The smell of clean in all its forms. Not soap, not perfume, not fabric softener. Clean. Just clean. Clean hubby, clean bathroom, clean floors, clean air after a rain, & clean clean babies! I like the smell of *clean*.

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I haven't seen "Titanic", at all, nor "Avatar", and no desire to

Today's Photo . . .is a crinum bloom. My dear hubby moved the plant to the new home. This photo was taken years ago. And it will be years before it blooms again because it really likes to be buried deep. Rally deep & the bulbs & root mass are huge. I hope I get to see it bloom again!

For Today - April 23, 2010 - Friday

2010-04-23T11:54:00.003-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It's cloudy.

I Am Hearing . . .Cars driving by & birds chirping. The Chickadees are particularly vocal today!

I Am Wearing . . .Khaki Cargo pants, orange t-shirt & sox.

I Am Thinking . . .that my headache/pressure is caused because of changing barometric pressure? We are in a tornado watch through Saturday!

I Am Wondering . . . If the little black dog will be happy being mainly an outdoor dog? of course not during tornadoes!

I Am Grateful. . . That she is still here!

From The Kitchen . . . Lots of grapefruit & different teas. I went to the health food store yesterday since it was produce day & picked up several teas.

I Am Going . . . to do stay home today! I might even iron some clothes. What's up w/that?

I Am Reading . . Once again - nada.

I Am Hoping . . .My head/eyes start feeling better.

Around The House . . . The smell of citrus and roses! Might as well bring in the blossoms before strong winds blow the away!

One Of My Favorite Things . . . To be schedule free!

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . At night I think of that one thing I haven't yet written about - - - but now can't remember it!

Today's Photo . . .A shelf in the living room, filled with things special to us.

For Today - April 22. 2010 - Thursday

2010-04-22T08:46:00.005-05:00

Outside My Window. . .It's once again chilly & cloudy, with the sun peeking out! Yay!

I Am Hearing . . .Cars driving by & birds chirping...a cacophony of birds.

I Am Wearing . . .Pants, shirt, sox & a heavy knitted scarf around my neck.

I Am Thinking . . .That I would like to do as my friends Vici & Susan have suggested & at least one time do unto a human as they have done to dogs: dump them!! "...People who do this ought to be abandoned out in the middle of nowhere with nothing to help them." "Just one time I'd like for a dog to be driving the truck and dump the human out in the middle of nowhere and see how they liked it!! Poor dogs" Yes, once again we have stray dogs. This is five since December :(

I Am Wondering . . . If the little black dog with white *boots* will stay. It's appearing she may be in the process of adopting us!

I Am Grateful. . . That she gets along well with Shiloh.

From The Kitchen . . . Hot tea.

I Am Going . . . to do errands today: bank deposits; a tiny bit of shopping @ the dollar store & health food store; take hubby's glasses to the optical shop; & stop by mama's for a visit.

I Am Reading . . Once again - nada.

I Am Hoping . . .That if the little dog is not going to be ours - - - that she would just leave. Now. Her two sibs came into the yard today. . . . I shooed them away, opened the house door & Shiloh & the female scooted right in. Maybe this was her choice? Maybe she has chosen us for her new pack? Maybe it's too early. We'll gie it a week or two before spending much money on her.

Around The House . . . Floors are clean; two bedroom pix are finally hung; and my girlie (lavender) tool kit got cleaned out!

One Of My Favorite Things . . . To be schedule free!
Something You May Not Know About Me . . . Although I live in the country & have no nearby neighbors, I do live on a busy road. Real busy.

Today's Photo . . .

For Today - April 21, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-04-21T07:47:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window. . .Little blue chips of Rubbermaid on the porch. Yes - the squirrel has discovered where we store the bird seed. :(

I am hearing. . .Clocks ticking & morning traffic & birds chirping & Shiloh sighing.

I Am Wearing . . .Pants, shirt, sweat shirt, house slippers & a scarf around my neck. Yep - it's that cool!

I Am Thinking . . .It's I Don't Wanna Wednesday. I don't wanna' go into town to run errands.

I am wondering . . . How Cayla is doing. . .?

I Am Grateful. . . That daughter & her hubby are having a grand time.

From the kitchen . . . Hot tea & shadows

I am going . . . to sort through the things in the center hall. The dining room is just about done. I think I'm going to redo a framed mirror. . . it's way too gold. Just smearing on some flat white paint on it might do the trick. There's still things to put away in there but I don't have any inspiration right now. . . . so the few remaining things will just sit until I know where they go. They will tell me. They always do.

I am reading . . about squirrel proof feeders at Wild Birds Unlimited

I am hoping . . .That Cayla is doing well.

Around the house . . . There is no sense in sweeping the floors late in the day, as hubby, dog & I bring in plenty of dirt! In fact, I'm beginning to think it doesn't make any sense at all to EVER sweep the floors!

One of my favorite things . . . Cool mornings & warm days!

Today's Photo: Good Kitchen Morning

For Today - April 20, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-04-20T16:58:00.003-05:00

Outside My Window. . .Sunny & cool/warm. It's warm outside & cool inside ;)

I am hearing. . .Clocks ticking & evening traffic which consists of cars, tractors, logging trucks & diesel pickup trucks & school buses.

I Am Wearing . . .Velour pants, sweatshirt over a t-shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking . . .That my goal is to live a simple life, according to my values.

I am wondering . . . What I'm gonna' do w/all this stuff, once the rooms are set-up & decorated? I think there will be much left over.

I Am Grateful. . . That knee is back to normal.

From the kitchen . . . Soft fried potatoes & poached eggs. We didn't eat them last night because I forgot to first bake the potatoes!

I am going . . . to fold two loads of clothes & pot up an azalea & hydrangea.

I am reading . . And article about suffering.

I am hoping . . .to be prepared for suffering when it comes. "In the world you will have tribulation" is the one promise we all are sure to experience.

Around the house . . . It always needs a good, hard sweeping!

One of my favorite things . . . Living a simple life of contentment.

Something you may not know about me . . . I make really good ice tea!

Today's Photo. ... One end of the dining/computer/reading room.

For Today - April 29, 2010 - Monday

2010-04-19T17:14:00.005-05:00

Outside My Window. . .30+ feet of gravel & brick pathway! It is chilly today. And dreary.

I am hearing. . .Clocks ticking & me typing

I Am Wearing . . .jeans & shirt.

I Am Thinking . . . that at least I still recover/heal quickly!

I am wondering . . . When I will finish this dining/computer/reading room????

I Am Grateful. . . That the right knee is 85% better than yesterday.

From the kitchen . . . Plans for soft fried potatoes & poached eggs. I wish Judy would call me with her fabulous potato soup recipe 'cause I'd fix that instead!

I am going . . . fix supper & continue in the dining room.

I am reading . . .Tara Dillard's books! I own them all & go over them time & time again.

I am hoping . . .for an uneventful evening.

Around the house . . . Needing a good sweeping/vacuuming.

One of my favorite things . . . Stray dogs staying out of my yard! We have 3 that have been coming into the yard. Two very little cute & perky black ones & one not-so-cute mangy black one who walks with his tail tucked & looks very scared & insecure. He's the one who ran beneath the kitchen steps last evening. All three of them finally left . . .but came back today. I am not pleased.

Something you may not know about me . . . I'm not fond of squirrels & am not humored by their antics.

Today's Photo. .Paths of Love

Yes, I am married to a Super Hero! This 30-35' stretch of path is 2" deep & about 4' wide & equals 1 ton (2000#) of gravel. He shoveled it, hauled it & spread it. And dug up the bricks from around the property. In 6 - 7 hours. And was able to move the next morning! And will be 60 this year!

For Today - April 18, 2010 - Sunday

2010-04-18T16:48:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window. . .The beginnings of a gravel pathway. About 30 feet are already done & all it took was a ton, yes 2000 pounds, of gravel! It is edged w/old brick that is on the property. . . lots and lots of old brick. We're doing it Tara Dillard's way. . .The 30 or so feet already look as if it's been here forever.

There's also white azaleas blooming, irises & roses. Remember those roses we moved back in January? Most of them are blooming or have buds on them!

I am hearing. . .Birds: songbirds & a crow. Ad go barking in the distance. And the faint sound of TV golf. Which means one thing - it's Sunday afternoon & hubby is napping in front of the TV. Nothing can lull us to sleep faster than a round of golf! :)

I Am Wearing . .Flannel pajamas & a velour robe. It is Sunday afternoon & I wrecked my knee yesterday. It's chilly outside, so I'm dressed for bed. At 5 PM. :)

I Am Thinking . . . that 60 is not the new 40. I don't care what they say - at best it's 60!

I am wondering . . . If knee will be better tomorrow. I've always healed/recovered pretty quickly. I hope that's still true. You wonder what happened to my knee? While it's true hubby shoveled & hauled all 2000 pounds of gravel by himself, I decided to help by carrying heavy pot plants by myself. I was careful to use my legs . . . & apparently used my knees more than hips & thighs!

I Am Grateful. . . For slow steady rain today. It makes it much easier to stay inside & stay off my feed, giving that knee a chance to mend. And gives the gravel pathway a chance to "settle in"

From the kitchen . . . Roasted chicken, potato salad, green beans, deviled eggs, crescent rolls & ice tea. Everything except the chicken was made yesterday & hubby picked up chicken from the store on his way home from church.

I am going . . . to putter in the dining/computer/ready room. Nothing serious - just *piddle*.

I am reading . . .Tara Dillard's books! I own them all & go over them time & time again.

I am hoping . . .that knee quickly mends.

Around the house . . . The telltale signs that we did yard work yesterday. Yep - leaves & dirt. In the house. In. The. House.

One of my favorite things . . . The blending/blurring of indoors/outdoors.

Something you may not know about me . . . I still haven't unpacked summer clothes. A darn good thing as it's plum chilly today!

Today's Photo. . .

Above my stove. No exhaust fan, just treasures & necessities. If we need to air out the kitchen we open the kitchen windows & door!

For Today - April 16, 2010 - Friday

2010-04-16T08:41:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window . . . Cool & damp, w/20% chance of rain.

I am hearing. . .Birds & squirrel eating from the bird feeder posted right outside the window.

I Am Wearing . .Robe

I Am Thinking . . . I don't want UPS to just drop off packages today. One is from target.com....& I'm refusing it. A very long story . . . but I am unhappy w/them right now.

I am wondering . . . If there's any way to get rid of squirrels w/o scaring off the birds?

I Am Grateful. . . I get to stay home today.

From the kitchen . . . Perfection. The kitchen is clean . . . not a dish in the drainer or a thing out of place.

I am going . . . To redo some of the dining/computer/reading room. Amanda & an online friend have made a couple of suggestions & I'm going to try them today.

I am reading . . .Nothing!

I am hoping . . .to play house (dining/computer/reading room) & play in the dirt (outside). Oh & do one load of clothes.

Around the house . . . A feeling of home. . . this house really feels like home

One of my favorite things . . . Birds chirping & cows mooing.

Something you may not know about me . . . I seldom turn on the TV or radio and never in the morning. I like to hear the birds & cows! :)

About Today's Photo. . . It's been suggested that I get rid of the file boxes from the top of the wardrobe. Will replace w/nature stuff. . . .

For Today - April 15, 2010 - Thursday

2010-04-15T10:12:00.005-05:00

Outside My Window . . . Cool & damp, w/sun peeking out from the clouds every now & again.

I am hearing. . .Cars, birds, squirrels eating at the platform feeder.

I Am Wearing . .Pants, denim shirt, neck scarf & shoes!

I Am Thinking . . . I have lots of errands today. This is a pain in the patootie. . . I am a home body & running around town is not my cup of tea.

I am wondering . . . what's up w/mama's phone. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. But not when I'm around. Intermittently acts up, but not when I can maybe help.

I Am Grateful. . . Daughter & her hubby stopped by last night.

From the kitchen . . . Hot tea, and lots of citrus. Lots - ten pounds worth!

I am going . . . To run errands. Some for Good Samaritan (several in fact); some for mom; & some for me.

I am reading . . .Nothing - am too busy to read!
I am hoping . . .to play outside today when I get home.

Around the house . . . Basic orderliness & tidiness. Could stand to be dusted. And the floors need tending to again. Leaves & tassels come in w/dogs & people
One of my favorite things . . . Having my daughter & her hubby live close enough to stop by.

Something you may not know about me . . . I still haven't unpacked my summer clothes.

Today's Photo. . . Before/After pix of the cabin's kitchen. You can read more about it here

For Today - April 14, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-04-14T07:33:00.002-05:00

Outside My Window . . . It is chilly, the sun is coming up & it's an all-around beautiful morning!

I am hearing. . .Birds. . . & more birds! "jimmy, jimmy, jimmy, jimmy, jimmy" (always 5) & "judy, judy, judy" (always a3) I *think* it's the Tufted Titmouse.

I Am Wearing . .Pants, denim shirt, neck scarf & shoes!

I Am Thinking . . . I really want to get the smaller azaleas potted up today.

I am wondering . . . If I will ever be able to identify the birds here by their call . . .

I Am Grateful. . . For birds, sunshine & crickets chirping in the evening.

From the kitchen . . . Hot tea, sunshine & shadows!

I am going . . . To tend to the floors, inside and on porch! And work outside today. Yes, there's much to do inside - - - but I'll worry about that tomorrow.

I am reading . . .Birding websites.

I am hoping . . .to play outside today!

Around the house . . . Floors need tending to & much to still put away from the move. . . .

One of my favorite things . . . The sounds of nature. Birds, crickets, cattle lowing at night. Even coyotes howling. Even squirrels scampering in the yard. I'm not a big fan of rodents, but I enjoy hearing the squirrels.

I love it all. Oh - and listening to leaves rustling because of the wind blowing through the trees.

Something you may not know about me . . . I'm thinking of buying a bat house. Did you know they can eat 600 mosquitoes per hour? Impressive!

Today's Photo. . . There isn't one - but here is where you can see more of my Cub Scouting 60th birthday weekend!

For Today - April 13, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-04-13T07:17:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window . . . It is chilly, the sun is coming up & it's an all-around beautiful morning!

I am hearing. . .Birds & cars. And acorns and/or gumballs falling on the metal roof.

I Am Wearing. . . Chenille robe & neck scarf. It is chilly in the house. We slept w/all the windows open. I will soon close them, to trap the cold air in the house. At least that's the plan.

I Am Thinking . . . That I really like the lighting in the cabin. Right now there's a shadow of the chair on the window screen & on the window sill are shadows from lace table cloth! Light, shadows & reflections abound in the morning. How cool is that? No - not getting up to snap a pix. Not today.
I am wondering . . . When friend Debby will be out of surgery. She is having complete knee replacement surgery today. In one knee. Her hubby is to text or call when she is out of surgery. . .

I Am Grateful. . . for paint! And flowers! And Spring time in Texas! And open windows! And slamming screen doors. And a washer & a dryer not in the kitchen!

From the kitchen . . . Hot tea.

I am going . . . to finish unpacking & continue w/laundry. Maybe paint some of the exterior trim. It was a peachy beige. . . now will be crisp white against the red cabin. Gonna' love it!

I am reading . . .Nada.

I am hoping . . . Debby will be fine & has a quick recovery.

Around the house . . . Still some gentle reminders of the past weekend. Others might call them messes!

One of my favorite things . . . Sleeping w/open windows & waking up with/to the birds singing.

Something you may not know about me . . . Oh - just ask 'cause I can't think of a thing!

Today's Photo. . . A shot of the fancy shmancy camper. At night. Still practicing that night-time, no flash thingey.

2010-04-12T13:57:00.003-05:00

Outside My Window . . . White azaleas & blue hydrangeas waiting to be put into the ground. Sunny w/the slightest of breezes.

I am hearing. . .Birds chirping, squirrels scampering. And a car driving by every now & again.

I Am Wearing. . . pants, t-shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking. . . . how much I love Springtime in east Texas

I am wondering . . . How much I'll get done today.

I Am Grateful. . . for this past weekend. I celebrated my 60th birthday camping with my daughter-in-law, the two youngest grandchildren, & hubby. Oh. . . and lots and lots of Cub Scouts! My daughter & her hubby were able to come up for the day. I so very much love my family & love nature so this was the perfect birthday celebration for me!

From the kitchen . . . A few dishes in the sink.

I am going . . . to finish unpacking & do some laundry.

I am reading . . .about Engless summer Hydrangea & Autumn Moonlight Azales. This is the first time I've had enough shade to grow either!

I am hoping . . . It won't be too difficult planting them where I'm pretty sure there are tree roots. :(

Around the house . . . Gentle reminders of the past weekend. Others might call them messes!

One of my favorite things . . . Family & nature. It's the best!

Something you may not know about me . . . I got to sleep in a fancy smancy camper this weekend!

Today's Photo Forrest, the Den Chief of grandson's Weblo den. He did a marvelous job. A real self-motivated 17 year old, who has read the Federalist Papers. I didn't know there even was a 17 year old who's read them! And he whittles too!

For Today - April 7, 2010 - Wednesday

2010-04-07T12:28:00.004-05:00

Outside My Window . . . It's cloudy & still. Kinda' cool,too. Forecast for rain. Oh! And oak tree tassels, or whatever they're called. They are everywhere!

I am hearing. . .Birds. A variety of birds. They're not singing & wildly chirping . . . just a quiet little chortle.

I Am Wearing. . . pants, t-shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking. . . . If it rains, I might take a nap.

I am wondering . . . Who, what, when, where & how.

I Am Grateful. . . for the volunteers & donations from individuals & churches to Good Sam.

From the kitchen . . . A few dishes in the sink.

I am going . . . to sweep & vacuum. Those oak leaf tassels are all over the floors!

I am reading . . . The insurance policy for Good Sam.

I am hoping . . . to get a lot of little things done today. You know how they can eat at you. . .?

Around the house . . . Those darn old oak tassels, thingies!

One of my favorite things . . . Solitude. Plus the internet!

Something you may not know about me . . . I haven't yet unpacked my warm weather clothes. I'm not quite sure where they are!

Today's Photo Autumn Angel Encore azalea. Will they really grow only 3'? At the other house, everything grew monster size.

To fine out about Encore Azaleas go to their website. How wonderful to have them bloom several times a year instead of those measly 3 weeks in the Spring like most other Azaleas! http://www.encoreazalea.com/

For Today - April 6, 2010 - Tuesday

2010-04-06T15:55:00.005-05:00

Outside My Window . . . It is sunny & breezy. . . as it's almost 4 PM!

I am hearing. . .Wind blowing through the trees; wind chimes ringing & birds chirping.

I Am Wearing. . . fleece pants, t-shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking. . . . It's too late to take a nap. I didn't get much sleep last night. Maybe I'll just go ahead a sleep 11 hours every other day?

I am wondering . . . What I'm going to fix for supper.

I Am Grateful. . . to have taken the time to take mama to the Azalea Trail. It was a nice visit together and I also got to run some errands while in the city.

From the kitchen . . . It is clean. Not much else to say about it.

I am going . . . to post a photo of Amanda & David, since she mentioned she hopes I post some pix from Easter.

I am reading . . . Nothing right now, but I did reread a book about Tasha Tudor last night. Her gardens are inspiring & the photography is enviable!

I am hoping . . . to faithfully blog at cozylittlecabin.blogspot.com. It's about discovering, down-sizing & decorating our dream home: a cozy little cabin! At first I thought it was a cottage, but then I looked at cottage blogs & they are way to "frou-frou" for us. We are far from being minimalists as we do like our home to reflect our interests, and we have many, but we don't care for every nook & cranny to be filled with stuff. I'm not yet certain there's an interest out there for our type of life/living. I'll try it for a while and see what happens.

Around the house . . . A breeze blowing through the house. Azaleas waiting for me to pot them up.

One of my favorite things . . . A Godly, loving, undemanding husband!

Something you may not know about me . . . I collect picture frames. I am obsessive about frames & have an excessive amount of them. Whenever I find an old frame @ a resale store, I buy it, regardless of the picture or the size. I have a reason for this: framed mirrors are usually rather expensive, especially the large ones. So - I buy nice frames, knowing I can always fit it with a mirror. It's so much less expensive, doing it this way. But I have too many. Way, way too many. I'll have to count them . . . and I've already gotten rid of some :)

Today's Photos Amanda & David; Amanda & my Mom.

For Today - April 5, 2010 - Monday

2010-04-05T04:32:00.007-05:00

Outside My Window . . . It's cool & damp, which is nothing new - I do live in east TX & the closest major city to me is in Louisiana, not in Texas!

I am hearing. . . Two clocks ticking & crickets chirping. Oh, and a chorus of coyotes. Nearby. Really close. I don't like it...at all. Not at all. Can you believe it? I just let Shiloh out, as he was barking up a storm at the coyotes. They shut up! All of them! Our lazy old bear of a dog quieted a pack of coyotes! Impressive, Shiloh!

I Am Wearing. . . pajama bottoms & a t-shirt.

I Am Thinking. . . . I am blessed among women. Even though oldest son and his family were unable to come & we missed them immensely, yesterday was a good, good Easter. My mom, only daughter & her hubby, and two friends from the seminary were here to help celebrate. But it would have been more fun with the others here. . . we didn't do an egg hunt without them!

I am wondering . . . What I would be like if I always got a good night's sleep! I slept for about almost 11 hours last night. I laid down for a nap about 4:30 PM & woke up at 4 AM. This is quite a phenomenal event in my life as I usually get 3 - 6 hours sleep per night.

I Am Grateful. . . that I get to celebrate Easter everyday! Not just one day a year.

From the kitchen . . . It is clean. Dear hubby washed, by hand, all the dirty dishes from Easter dinner. Of course the sweets & potato pot, etc., were washed on Saturday. I'm learning to cook more & more like my mom: doing as much the day before as possible. Even so, there were a lot of dishes to wash & he did them! I've already put them all away this morning. . .

I am going . . . to do some paperwork for Good Samaritan, regarding FEMA, & straighten out my own paperwork!

I am reading . . . My camera's manual. I've had the camera about 5 years & have never ready the manual from cover to cover. I've only read snippets at a time.

I am hoping . . . to learn how to photograph a black & a white person together. Either one or the other is properly exposed . . . I can't do both at the same time.

Around the house . . . Quietness, now that Shiloh has hushed the pack of coyotes. This is so hilarious to me as he is such a lazy dog. I guess he ran outside barking, ticked off that they were disturbing his sleep? Funny old dog!

One of my favorite things . . . My life. I'm glad I don't have to live anyone else's life. Mine is just fine. For me. Most likely not too good for you! ;)

Something you may not know about me . . . I live in a house made entirely of wood...even the walls. Some are so old we believe they are petrified. Really. I'm not joking - we think the oldest walls in the house may be petrified!

Today's photo
At first I thought this photo was a technical dud, but a photography friend said, and I quote him, "there is something very cinematic about it......I like that the action is blurry and the foreground is focused.....very compelling" Anyway - it makes me smile, whether it's a dud or if it's compelling. The man with his head thrown back in laughter is KI, who is from Ghana & is attending seminary in east TX. We were laughing about the fact that he & his wife, also from Ghana, were driven to the hospital by his Czech friend, to have their twin boys delivered by an Egyptian doctor.

It's a small world, isn't it???