Thursday, February 11, 2010

A HAPPY THURSDAY TO YOU!



BE MORE ORGANIZED…

Bedroom cleaned—Check

CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY HEALTH WITH...BODILY
NOURISHMENT…


Will do better tomorrow…:/

CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY HEALTH WITH EXERCISE…

Check

QUIT WHINING AND JUST DO!

Check

It has been such a lovely snow-covered winter…I am thoroughly enjoying it!



DINNER

Dinner tonight was chili in the crock pot…Mmmm mmmm good! There is nothing like a bowl of good hot soup or chili on a cold winter’s day…



You know, I was feeling a twang of the heart strings tonight and so thought to myself…Well, there must be some positives about him being gone and my nest being empty…Of course I am very happy for him…On this side, however, I really couldn’t think of any positives…The nest will be empty. I so enjoy our time together and just the conversation…Oh, my…The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.



Well…Since this is the month of love…Here are some things I love…



Barbie…



Memories…

Oh…The Mama Burger, Papa Burger, and Baby Burger…Do you remember? There was nothing quite like that foamy root bear in a chilled icy mug…



Puppies…



Now…A Happy Thursday To You All!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

ORGANIZATIONAL REPORT AND A FRUGAL OUTFIT



BE MORE ORGANIZED…

Last week didn’t go super well; in fact, I think that I only got one of my rooms cleaned for my night chores.

Every morning with the exception of one, however, found a neat and tidy bedroom.

I am ending my week with Saturdays from here on out. I actually started on a Wednesday, but traditional weeks are easier to keep track of.

So…This is week three, and it has gone quite well so far. Yesterday, I got my wash all done, and although I didn’t get it folded last night, I did so tonight and also did my ironing, which is Tuesday’s chore. So, we have 100% so far! What a great feeling!

Tomorrow is the weekly cleaning of my bedroom. I have noticed that it will be quite a bit easier to keep up doing things this way. For instance, laundry this week was a fraction of what it was last week, and I know that my bedroom will be easier tomorrow than before, which only makes sense.

MINI-GOAL FOR THE WEEK…

I will be organizing my jewelry. This can be the last frustrating item in the morning when I am all ready to leave, go to grab my earrings and possibly a necklace, only to find that they are all tangled up! This is not only a great frustration but a time waster as well.



CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY HEALTH WITH...BODILY
NOURISHMENT…


I have done pretty well in this area. There are always the muffins or licorice (or both ;), and there are the fast-food lunches here and there, which I need to cut back on.

On the healthy side, I have eaten my 14-grain a couple of days over the last few and a really yummy cod and veggie dinner as well. Hmmm, that was SO tasty! I seasoned it with real butter, Celtic sea salt, and dill…Divine



CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY HEALTH WITH EXERCISE…

Exercise hasn’t been great, but it hasn’t been horrible either. Pup and I have walked a couple of times…I always walk in the deep snow where possible to get that extra cardio and lower-body work out.



QUIT WHINING AND JUST DO!

Hmmmmmm…I guess that I have done alright in the non-whining category. I do still have a lot of room for improvement. What helps me is to actually take action on things that may not even seem possible. That way, I am doing something constructive and putting positive wheels in motion whether that particular thing comes to fruition or not.

FRUGALITY…

I dislike shopping. I blame my mom (in an endearing way, of course). She drug us kids around ALL the time to clothing stores, furniture stores, grocery stores, and any other kind of store that existed. This isn’t all bad, however. Because I detest shopping, I hardly every do it (clothes that is).

I NEVER go to the mall, and when I do clothes shop it is at second-hand stores generally. I love a good deal.

In the past, I was fortunate to inherit garments from Mom. She retired and no longer needed her dress clothes and so passed many on to me.

I also keep my clothes for a very long time. So, all in all, my clothing expenses are extremely low.

Here is an outfit that I wore one day last week…

My new camera doesn’t sit on its end, so I had to hold the camera, which didn’t allow for very good views, but you’ll get the basic idea.

The jacket was a mom hand-me-down…



I purchased this black skirt at a thrift shop for probably about $7.00…



The black under tee was purchased recently for $10. I got them to wear under my work tops. The store had a special going, wherein I was able to buy four and receive one free!



This gold star is such a treasure to me. It is the mother’s pin that I received when my son became an Eagle Scout…That was a great honor.



To continue the gold theme, I wore my one pair of gold earrings (I am usually a silver person)…These were given to me as a birthday present several years back by my mom and dad.



The last item of jewelry is the necklace. Hubby and I went on the Christmas Stroll, which is held every year down town at Christmas time. We stopped into a fun antique shop, and I spied this vintage necklace for $3.00.



Not shown are my boots. They are a full-length black leather boot, which I purchased at…gasp…the mall! Don’t ask me why I was there other than Penny’s has some pretty good sales and I probably needed some for work. I paid $30 and have had them probably since the winter of 2004 or so. So, they have only cost me about $5.00a year to wear.



TOTAL COST OF OUTFIT…

Jacket Free
Skirt $7.00
Under tee $10.00
Gold pin Free
Gold earrings Free
Necklace $3.00
Boots $5.00 (price for this year’s wear)

Total $25.00

Now, that is rather high. However, each year that I have the skirt and under tee will decrease their price points. Since these are both items that I have purchased within the last year, they are still at full value.

I have so much fun realizing that a woman can look put together for a little of nothing, and why not?!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

LOVING AND YEARNING



FEBRUARY is the month of love…



I am having such strong feelings of late directly related to love that this seemed an apropos time to post.

The feelings are of great love for my children and therefore GREAT sadness as the official end of my child nesting years arrives.

It is an ugly, terrible, and unfamiliar time of life…I am NOT at all enjoying it.

From the time I was a girl, I have always wanted to be a mother, and the Lord blessed me so. I asked for six or seven or eight children…He said that there would be three. So, I was blessed to raise two girls and one boy.



My son is now 20…unimaginable to me…and will be leaving for college in two months. So, though I was privileged to have him for an extra couple of years, it is now time for him to leave. Come April, this will be the FIRST time in 25 years and 8 months that I have been without my children in my nest. For those who cannot relate, please feel free to quietly dismiss yourself at this point. I don’t expect all to understand or to even read my seemingly melodramatic pinings, but these I must record, for they are so poignant, emotional, distressing and heartbreaking.



I don’t recall inviting this time of life into my door…it just entered…an unwelcome visitor…freely taking away the calling once given to me. I understand that, indeed, I will always be Mother. For this, I am so thankful. I too understand that life must move on. I am just so not ready for it to do so.

I love my children…my friends. My identity is that of mother and has been for over a quarter of a century now…That’s a long time! To have that suddenly taken away from me is just wrong! It is almost as if I have stepped into the next room…another world…and what on earth is that…the world of get-old-and-die? But, I don’t feel like it! I want my family around me…I want my little ones in their nest so that I may comfort them and hold them.



It is as if someone is ripping part of ME away...an avulsion...a fracture of the soul!

Then too, there are the yearnings…

The things that I wanted to do but didn’t...or couldn’t…

Would that I had been able to raise them up in a pure lifestyle of country living and home…Milking cows, sewing their own clothes, teaching them more of these ways…

Some skills were taught, yes, but fruition was not attained…And, one can never go back.



It is simply a very retrospective time of life where one turns quite introspective. Career woman was not my long-term goal…Mother was, and now that that work is through, I am lost and saddened. Indeed, and I feel quite alone in all of it…

And so, I turn to love…

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16




We should love…



We should love who we have…



And what we have…



Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7




As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. John 15:9




Let us all gain strength through love, one to another...



Blessings to you all…

Friday, February 5, 2010

POSITIVE THINKING IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS



BE MORE ORGANIZED...

I’m feeling rather like a failure on my chores for the week. All that I have gotten done are those for Monday, which was the laundry. I actually just finished folding everything tonight.



No ironing…



No Bedroom…



No Living room...



It’s very common for the failure fairies to show their depressing little heads.



I may need to revise my schedule, as Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days when I don’t get home until at least 8:30 if not quite a bit later sometimes. So, the night chores then don’t get started until pretty late. I’ll give it a few more weeks and see how I do. Then, if needed, I’ll do some rearranging.



I think that the hardest part of not accomplishing is the feeling that what was accomplished last week is now going down hill quickly.

I may use one day to finish everything…Possibly this weekend…Or…I do have quite a bit of work to do this weekend…So…

I may just pick up where I’m at and leave the undone chores as is until next week…We’ll see…



The POSITIVE NEWS... EVERY morning this week, I have left my bedroom in a lovely tidied stated! Oh, it feels so good! This was the challenge that I wasn’t successful at last week, so it feels extra good!



Another POSITIVE NEWS... I did a mini cleaning of my car this morning. It still really needs to be cleaned and washed, but just doing a wee bit really made a difference in how my day went!



CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY HEALTH WITH...BODILY
NOURISHMENT...


And yet Another POSITIVE NEWS…My nourishment…Though my sweet tooth still gets its treats every day, I have been MUCH more consistent with healthy eating AND getting back to exercising.



NOURISHMENT—FOOD INTAKE...

BREAKFAST #1…(4:00 a.m.)

Fourteen-grain cereal

BREAKFAST #2...(9:00 a.m.)

McSausage (Bad but just a little tiny amount ;)

LUNCH...

Veggie Sandwhich
Citrus slaw

DINNER

Squash soup…Very yummy
Pizza soup…Mmmmmm…



NOURISHMENT—KEEPING FIT

A walk with the dog
Ten minutes on the stairs at work

Don’t you just love to look at the positive side of things?!

Have a bless-ed and happy gingham Friday!



The lovely gingham aprons are from Stitch Through Time

Monday, February 1, 2010

SNOW FUN AND MONDAY'S CHORES



NOURISHMENT—FOOD INTAKE

Two Outta Three Ain’t Bad…

BREAKFAST…

Egg McMuffin
Hashbrown patty

From…

Well…You know where…


LUNCH

Green Salad

Mixed greens
Pear slices
Purple grapes—Halve
Bleu Cheese crumbled
Pecan bits (Roasted in oven then sprinkled on top)
Poppy seed dressing

From…Dear Daughter's House


DINNER

Acorn Squash—Oven cooked topped with real butter and pepper
Carrots—Steamed with butter and brown sugar

From…Me own house!


NOURISHMENT—KEEPING FIT

Dog and I went for a fun walk…I TRIED to park alongside a park…Well, I for CERTAIN would have gotten stuck…Once a day is enough!



So…I parked by one of my favorite stores...Went in and asked if I could park and

walk…

And, of course…They said “Yes”…

So…We walked...Or I walked...And he ran…

Ran through belly-high snow...

In and out of the drifts...

And across the road for even bigger banks…

He had so much fun!



That snow gives a great work-out!

One nice benny of parking at one of my favorite stores…Well…I wasn’t going to…But, I did…

I bought me a WONDERFULLY INTENSELY-FRAGRANCED Salt City candle…

Mountain Vineyard…It’s burning now and beautifully filling the room with its aroma…



MONDAY’S CHORES

Early Morning

Washing

The washing is now done…

Evening

Fold and put away wash. Prep ironing.

Let the folding begin!



So…Speaking of getting stuck…(As I was earlier)...



Yes...Once again...We got more last night...



As I was trying to make room for another car in the driveway…

I tried to park on the street…I KNEW I shouldn’t try it…Because of the last time(s)I parked there...Well...That didn't turn out so well!

But I had too…And…

Well…I’m back in the driveway! Ha! I’m tired of getting stuck, so that’s where I’m stayin’ for now.