Six Feet

 A friend of mine shared this on her FB page. I have borrowed it to save it here. 

Read. Understand.

Stop cutting 6 feet off your parenting. 

By Shannon Sedam

A few years ago we were at soccer practice- I have never forgotten this  moment. The kids were told to run around the field, go to the corner and make their way back to the center. The first few kids did it correctly, but they all quickly started cutting the corner. When my son got to the point where kids were cutting, I yelled out "all the way to the corner! Do it right! We aren't cheaters!" 

One of the kids fathers looked at me and goes "geez, it's only 6 feet." 

I didn't say anything at the time. I shrugged it off and sat back down. But his comment has literally stuck with me for years now and I've always wondered "would you cut 6' off a wall if you were building a house? 6 inches? 6 centimeters?" 

No. You wouldn't. You're going to do your best to build that house exactly to spec. You aren't going to say "oh, well, this board is 6 feet short, too bad-we'll make it work." You're going to go out and get another board. Why? Because cutting corners on that home causes structural integrity issues. Cutting corners means you end up with a lopsided house that can't be trusted to provide you shelter in storms. 

I've been volunteering at the school on Monday's. There are 45 kids in the club I work with. It's terrible. Absolutely horrible. I love volunteering, I love working with my sons class, but I've never seen anything like this before. These kids are mean, nasty, and disrespectful. They have zero accountability. They scream, they run, they don't listen, they don't follow directions. They aren't quiet when the teacher talks. They have no respect whatsoever. 

The problem is the lack of parenting. The problem is, these parents think it's ok to cut 6 feet off their job. Do you realize you are raising an adult? Not a child? We don't raise children, we raise adults. It is your job to teach them to be decent people. It's your job to teach them what is right and what is wrong. It's your job to teach respect and responsibility. (Don't even get me started on the kids that have zero idea how to clean up after themselves.) 

When you choose to take a short cut on parenting, you are choosing to cut that 6' off that wall. You are messing up the integrity of your child. You are teaching them that it is ok to be lopsided and not put in full effort. 

As a society we need to stop cutting that 6'. Don't let your child cut 6', because then the next one thinks it's ok, and then the next. Then we have an even bigger problem. 

Stop cutting 6'. Stop letting your child cut 6'. The era of children being raised right now is not a good one. Something needs to change. 

I could go on further, I could write an entire book. But I know most people don't even read this much at all (that's another thing, bring back books!), so I'll stop here. Just please, stop cutting 6' off your parenting. Your child needs a solid foundation, solid walls, a solid roof if you expect them to become decent people.

Time ticks on…

 I cannot believe that it is almost New Years! I had every intention of writing here for Christmas, but that didn’t happen. I got involved with a bunch of other things. Shocking, I know… 

Let me catch you all up. 

LLB arrived on Christmas Eve with her pie pans and her pie recipes. She made two amazing pies: Chocolate mocha mousse pie with Kahlua whipped cream - amazing as always and Angel-food pie - light and fluffy and it tasted like angel food cake only lighter! 

We went to church that night and sang in the choir - we all did a fine job even if we weren’t as angelic sounding as we’d have liked. 

The next morning brought pie for breakfast and presents! Santa was very good to all of us - we certainly are blessed. We got to chat with #1 and Yellow Rose for a few minutes. Her family spent time with them at their house and it seems they enjoyed what we sent. 

LLB got a wooden submarine model in puzzle form which we attempted to put together while drinking Bloody Mary’s and mimosas. The submarine is adorable and we did an admirable job considering we didn’t realize glue was required and how many thousands of pieces the thing actually had! 

This week has been relatively quiet. We helped our new priest get and stack some firewood and clear some fallen trees from his yard. It was fun to spend time and help a friend. Yesterday I did some laundry, and helped a different friend work on organizing her craft space. Today I made some biscotti, made a meatloaf for dinner, made some cheese crisps for tomorrow night, and I started a lap blanket. 

Tomorrow we are spending the day with the wood splitter and chainsaw taking care of some of the fallen trees down by the street. It is supposed to be 60 degrees - perfect weather to be out in the yard. Then for New Year’s Eve, we will head to a friend’s home to celebrate - no worries, I suspect we won’t make midnight and will be home and in our feet pajamas before the ball drops! 

As the New Year approaches, we are thankful for all the blessings we receive, our health, our family, and our dear friends. We pray for a healthy and safe new year for all. 

The Ordinary….

Do ordinary with your children because they will become extraordinary! I know this. I have two extraordinary children who focused on the present, the normal, the seemingly mundane… 

I found this on a friend’s FB page and needed to save it.

 

This!

I don’t know who needs to see this, but… 

Ready!

Write it down! I’m ready for Christmas! Well, I’m as ready as I’m going to be. 

The tree is up. The presents are wrapped. The stockings are stuffed. The menu is planned. I can’t wait to set the table, pour the champagne, and see my family open the gifts I’ve chosen for them. 

I am going to make some caramel coffee syrup and some biscotti next week. That’s fun and easy - and really, it’s for me. I like a caramel latte and biscotti for breakfast. (Wow! That sounds so bougie, but it’s really not. 🤣) 

Cards

Mr wanted to get the Christmas cards done today. Please note that we have been married for 32 years and this is the first year he helped me get them out. Now he does help me write the letter - if we send one with the cards, but we were too busy to do that this year! (He is working almost 24/7 at the moment.) He asked what goes into getting the cards out - umm… I start with updating the mailing labels and printing… he went to make sure we had enough gas for the chainsaw and propane for the grill… so, I did that. 

Next we find out if we have enough cards. He was still checking propane or email or something… Umm… I need to get more, but for this year, we had just enough - some people are getting the ASPCA free cards that come in the mail… Please note: If we see you on FB or in person - sorry, no card for you this year. We love you, but desperate times call for desperate measures! I’ll restock the cards after Christmas and if postage isn’t even higher than it is this year, you might get a card next year.

He returned from his chores and asked what he could do to help get the cards out - he signed each and every one of them. No hand cramps for me this year! Woo! I addressed them, stamped them, and sealed them. He will deposit them in the mailbox tomorrow morning. 

Well, 32 years and we can say we’ve finally done the cards together… I hope he decides to help next year, too! We had some laughs, some fun chatting, and neither of us got a paper cut. I’d call that a success. Spending time with each other is our favorite thing to do. Being productive while spending time is fun, too! Being productive while spending time that doesn’t involve hard labor - now that’s my kind of fun! As much as I love splitting wood, addressing cards is far less taxing.

The Green News

I subscribe to a newsletter written by a local gentleman, John Green. What he says makes sense! 

Read. Understand. 

ALL  I  SEE  IS  CONFUSION                      

THE  GREEN  NEWS                                        

DECEMBER 2021   ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Trying to understand this world and what’s going on in America is confusing to say the least. Where are we headed? All I can sayis we have reached the end of normal. Nothing appears normal anymore. Nothing makes sense any more. Take the word “family”. It once meant a man and a woman getting married and raising children together. They call it the nuclear family. It’s out of style today. Now anything goes. 

It makes no sense.​​​​​​

All nations have borders. America has borders too but refuses to control our border with Mexico. Our own government refuses to enforce our laws on immigration. Millions of people have crossed our Southern Border illegally. Our government pays no attention. 

This makes no sense.​​​​​​​​​

On his first day in office Pres. Biden started undoing EVERYTHING Pres. Trump had done. It was like watching a mad kid get back at his playmate. Pres. Trump made America energy independent. Pres. Biden made America energy dependent. We don’t control the price anymore. 

Does this make sense?​​​​​​​​

The Biden Administration offers their “Green New Deal” to save the world from Climate Change. We have 15 coal-fired power plants. They are all planned for shutdown. Europe has 468 coal-fired power plants and plans 27 more. India has 589 coal-fired power plants and plans to build 446 more. Japan has 90 and plans 45 more. China has 2363 coal-fired power plants and plans 1,171 more. 

Does the “Green New Deal” make sense without the rest of the world joining in? And science has not proven that climate change is caused by man.​​​​​​​

We are a socially confused country. The Wokeism movement seeks to cancel history. They literally want to erase all knowledge of history. Then we would never see the failures of communism and socialism. Also there is Critical Race Theory (CRT). It states all whites are racist. And everyone else is oppressed. We have Deep Equity Process. Here our schools work to have equal outcomes for everyone. I wonder if this applies to NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball players? 

It makes no sense.​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Another program in vogue is transgenderism. It eliminates sex, sort of. According to this we are not born male or female. The gear we carry doesn’t matter. What matters is how you feel. You decide if you are male or female or something else. And you can change that anytime you want. The boy in Northern Virginia was born a boy, decided he was a girl and was allowed to use the girl’s bathroom. Then he decided he was a boy when he sees a girl in the girl’s bathroom and raped her. 

This whole thing makes no sense.​​​​​​​​​​

How did we get to this state of confusion? Let me offer my thoughts: Our Founding Fathers believed in God and the Judeo-Christian value systems. They believed in a God who Created all things. And that we are responsible to God who gave us Commandments to live by. He also gave us Free Will to accept or reject Him. And we have a Conscience, a sense of right and wrong. We have been running away from God. We are replacing God with man’s imperfect government. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

We have lost our values, the values that worked so well for us.Man’s wisdom cannot come close to God’s wisdom. By rejecting God we put ourselves into a constant state of confusion. This confusion will continue until we rediscover God. Christmas is a good time to rediscover God and His plan for us.  

John Green

Bells will be ringing

Today - two performances - at 3pm and 7pm! Trinity Lutheran - be there! 

BRAVA, the community group we ring with, is having our Christmas concerts today. The music is great! Mr and I are also singing (with others, of course). Yep, that’s a scary thought. It’s good that we have some really good singers, because Mr and I are far more parrot than Pavarotti… 

In between concerts, we are having a pot luck. It seems not everyone is staying. I’m a little sad about that, but they live close, so… That’s fine. They will miss my yummy Brunswick Stew. 

I made a blanket for one of the ringers who is getting married in a couple of weeks. I hope she likes it. It’s one of my best! 

Projects!

Christmas is my busiest season. Between bells and decorating and making special things for special people - time is fleeting! I’m currently playing yarn chicken with a scarf. Will I have to go upstairs and find a matching skein of yarn? Probably… ok, yes. I did have to get another skein. The recipient will love this gem. Heck, I love this gem and I might have to make a few more for friends if they see this. I think I have enough yarn to make 3 more… so, if you want one, message me. 

I finished this little lovely for a new friend who is getting married in a couple of weeks. I hope she likes it. 

I’ve made some hand lotion. I’ve got ingredients for my homemade biscotti. I need to make a couple pair of mittens, and I’ll be done… for Christmas… maybe… But before any of that can happen, I need to finish the project at the top so I can mail it today, get through a rehearsal tonight, survive 3 handbell performances this weekend, and enjoy brunch and a tree trimming with my LLB. 

I will get back to projects on Monday. That should leave me plenty of time to get it all done before Christmas… right??

That moment

That moment when you decide to make a blanket for a new friend who is getting married… and the gift giving is in less than two weeks… and you discover that you don’t have enough yarn - even though you suspected you didn’t… and it’s the day before Thanksgiving… and there’s no way you can wait to get the yarn, so you get up early to run to the store… so you can get back and spend the day crocheting in front of the fire instead of cleaning the house… 

Yep… that’s it in a nutshell. 

I’ll post a picture when it’s finished. 

Moving towards….

Thanksgiving… 

Around here we are thankful for all the blessings we have received. We are thankful for the home we have, the family we love, and all the good things that make up our life out here in the boonies. The list is long and when we contemplate that list, we smile. 

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on that, but around here Thanksgiving very quickly leads to Christmas… that means that things need to be done and in place for Thursday. This year dinner is easy - steak on the grill to be served with all kinds of yummy veggies. Dessert is to be provided by LLB - one of her famous lemon meringue pies and one oh so yummy chocolate mousse pie. Oh I cannot even wait! It’s a good thing she arrives Thursday because if she arrived with those pies on Wednesday, I’d eat every bit of them and she’d have to make more for Thursday. I have zero self control around pie - especially LLB’s pie. 

Today I’m going to be moving things around and putting things in place for Christmas deployment after dinner on Thursday. At the moment, I’m typing here. No worries! I got this! I’ll run around like a chicken and get it all done. But first, I need to futz with the laundry, run the dishwasher, clean out the wood stove, dust, and vacuum… then I’ll get things moved around, out, and ready to go. 

I’d best get to it! 

Remember - count your blessings - you’ll be amazed at how many there are.

The Rittenhouse Case

Read… Understand… By Douglas Andrews of The Patriot Post The fate of 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse is now in the hands of a 12-person jury — a jury that spent all day Tuesday in deliberations and will pick up today where it left off. Ultimately, we believe it’ll do the right thing, the legal thing, and acquit him. As Rittenhouse’s onetime lawyer, John Pierce, made clear: “He was legally entitled to have that firearm with him. And it’s just clear as day from the evidence, most powerfully from the hundreds of angles of video evidence, that it was absolute perfect self-defense.” Absolute perfect self-defense. Pierce, who heads the National Constitutional Law Union — which he calls “the ACLU for the rest of us” — says: “This case should have never been brought. In my view, this is blatant prosecutorial misconduct. It’s malicious prosecution.” The man responsible for this travesty, Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, saw his case fall apart all around him, as one state’s witness after another wound up helping the defense during cross-examination. Binger, perhaps seeing his career dissipation light begin to flicker, decided to bring lesser charges at the last moment, and to claim that Rittenhouse provoked his attackers. Here’s hoping the jury sees through it. During closing arguments, Binger kept calling Kyle Rittenhouse an “active shooter.” We don’t think that word means what Binger thinks it means. If so, then Rittenhouse was the first “active shooter” in history to bypass dozens of human targets as he defended himself against a relatively small and very specific group of attackers. Binger, though, isn’t just a menace in the courtroom; he’s a menace with a firearm as well. As everyone who watched Monday’s closing arguments saw, the state’s smarmy, out-of-control prosecutor violated the most basic rules of gun safety when he grabbed Rittenhouse’s AR-15 and pointed it into the crowded courtroom gallery with his finger on the trigger. Those on the Left who’ve rushed to Binger’s defense by claiming that he knew it wasn’t loaded should remember Alec Baldwin’s infamous utterance: “Why was I handed a hot gun?” As Power Line’s John Hinderaker rightly noted, “The world is a safer place with a gun in Kyle Rittenhouse’s hands than in Thomas Binger’s.” Suffice it to say: This hack prosecutor belongs neither in a courtroom nor anywhere near a deadly weapon. And so, after he wins an acquittal, we hope young Mr. Rittenhouse finds a good attorney and sues the hell out of Joe Biden for defamation. Because not even a cognitively challenged president should be allowed to call a young man a “white supremacist” without so much as a shred of evidence. Not even his paid liar, Jen Psaki, can defend him on this front. And then, after suing the president for his clearly defamatory tweet, we hope Rittenhouse goes after the media, Covington Catholic style. Because these agenda-driven leftists clearly haven’t learned their lesson. “He should be acquitted,” said Harvard Law emeritus professor and constitutional scholar Alan Dershowitz. “If I were a juror, I would vote that there was reasonable doubt that he did act in self-defense, and then he’ll bring lawsuits and that’s the way to answer. I’ve sued CNN, the Covington people have sued CNN. You know, the idea is to make the media accountable for deliberate and willful lies, and that is consistent with the First Amendment.” What willful lies are we talking about? Rittenhouse wasn’t a militia member, as the media regularly reported. Nor did he fire “60 rounds,” as MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough said — not even close. Even the “fact-checkers” at PolitiFact lied about Rittenhouse, writing, “It is against the law in Wisconsin for someone younger than 18 to possess a dangerous weapon.” Wrong. Wisconsin state law says 17-year-olds are allowed to carry rifles as long as their barrels meet a minimum length requirement, which Rittenhouse’s AR-15 did. That’s why the state had to drop its gun charge against him on Monday, just before closing arguments began. Nor did Rittenhouse “drive across state lines with a deadly weapon.” The weapon was always in Wisconsin. It’s true that he lives in Antioch, Illinois, just across the border from Kenosha. But his dad, his grandmother, and other relatives live in Kenosha, and that’s also where Rittenhouse worked as a lifeguard, as his defense attorney pointed out. He wasn’t an outsider or a “chaos tourist” or a “vigilante,” as mainstream media organizations kept telling us. Kenosha was Kyle Rittenhouse’s community, and he was trying to protect it from the mob when it became clear during two prior nights of rioting that the adults weren’t willing to do so. Remember: Kyle Rittenhouse was attacked by the mob — specifically, by three men with criminal records and histories of violent behavior — and he was rightly in fear for his life or of great bodily harm. The shameless Binger called them “a crowd full of heroes.” Indeed, we were told repeatedly by the state that Gaige Grosskreutz, its star witness, was a paramedic. But what we weren’t told, as The Daily Mail points out, is that Grosskreutz is also a violent career criminal with a laundry list of priors stretching back more than a decade. “These include domestic abuse, prowling, trespass, two DUIs, felony burglary and two charges of carrying a firearm while intoxicated — one of which took place when he was banned as a felon from carrying a firearm.” Too bad, said the state. Kyle Rittenhouse should’ve just taken his medicine. “Everybody takes a beating sometimes, right?” said Kenosha County’s disgraceful assistant DA, James Kraus, who managed to stoop even lower than Binger. “He brought a gun to a fistfight, and he was too cowardly to use his own fists to fight his way out.” If only Kraus had been there that night. If only Kraus had been set upon by that mob. Perhaps then we’d have seen what real cowardice looks like. What Kyle Rittenhouse did in Kenosha that night was many things, but it wasn’t cowardice. It was self-defense. His acquittal can’t come soon enough.

Current situation

I love fall because it means the return of fuzzy sweaters and fires in the wood stove. Mini loves the fire, too and spends most of her time curled up in the couch enjoying the warmth. 

I’ve been crocheting like a crazy person. I’m currently working on a lovely green blanket-shawl while I enjoy the warm emanating from the wood stove. You can see the finished product from the thick gray yarn in the background behind Mini. That blanket is fantastic! 

Yummy Yarn

I got this wonderful thick yarn as a gift from a friend a while back. I debated what to do with it for months because the skeins are large, but don’t have measurements on them. 

I decided to take a chance that I could make a blanket with the 3 skeins I have. So far so good. I am more than half way through the lighter 2 skeins. I think I  have enough to make a lapghan. I think that the recipient of this wonderful thick lapghan will get years of warm snuggles out of it! 

Done!

That moment when you finish writing up the very last minutes you’ll ever take for your HOA. Yep! Celebration time! I will not do that again - ever. It is a thankless job. The position is not appreciated - except by those who have done it. I was the secretary. My dear friend was the president. We served together for many years. We saw the neighborhood through a lot of crazy issues. We did the best we could. We gave hours and hours of time - willingly - for the benefit of the community. 

Today all we heard were complaints. We suggested that those who were complaining the loudest get involved and serve. Yep - you guessed it - no dice. 

Do you know that we got not one public thank you for the years of volunteer service we gave. We got a few lightly veiled (very public) nasty swipes from a couple of people who stayed on. Nothing like being tossed under the bus for something we didn’t do.  They revealed their true colors. 

My dear friend and I are honorable people who try hard, put others first, and are good stewards. A couple of our neighbors came over and told us that we were appreciated, but for the most part I’m pretty disappointed. It will be a long time before we serve in any formal capacity. That said, we will keep on top of things, attend the meetings, and make sure they serve the community properly. 

Making time

Today I had a leisurely lunch with a friend. It was nice to sit and enjoy her company. Earlier this week, I spent some time with another friend sharing stories over fancy coffee in my kitchen. Tomorrow, Mr and I are headed to our local cemetery to place flags on the graves of soldiers. Tomorrow night is supper club! I am spending time doing things with family and friends. I am purposefully making time to do the things I enjoy with people I enjoy. 

I am currently curled up in my bed listening to Mini purr. She is warming my feet and telling me it’s time to sleep. We have a busy day ahead! 

Busy…

I want to write every day. Heck, I want to crochet, read, cross stitch, and sit on my porch with friends every day. Alas, time is fleeting. Groceries, laundry, bells, and other commitments keep me running. Today I remembered that my inspection sticker said “October 21”. Yes, it is November…oops!  Yes, I went to Toyota this afternoon and remedied that little situation. I could have worked on my crochet project while I was there, but instead, I updated the apps on my phone. Why? Excellent internet connection, of course! 

I am a bit behind on Christmas gift making, but I will catch up. The weather is getting colder, the fire will be on in the wood stove, and I’ll be curled up with my crochet and TV. 

As for writing? I’ll keep trying to find things to write about… I have lots to say, but some of it is whining and some of it is kvetching - and I know you don’t want to read about that! Or maybe you do? Eh- I’ll think about it! 

Happy Halloween!

Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday, but around here, Halloween means peak leaf peeping season. I caught this from inside the church this week. 

Simply gorgeous! 

Interesting, albeit not surprising, read…

 Read… understand…

https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/essays-and-commentaries/how-deadly-is-covid-19-really/

Coffee Syrup - perfection!

I have perfected my Carmel Coffee Syrup. It is yummy! I think some of you will be receiving this for Christmas. My latest batch is currently cooling on the counter. 

We received another order of our Nespresso coffee pods. We keep trying new things to see what we like best. This morning I had a caramel cookie. It was divine! My late night indulgence is the de-caffeinated  Melozio. I have never been much of a coffee drinker, but I think I have been missing out. 

Ok! I’m off to set up for tonight’s bell choir rehearsal. It’s amazing how much energy one receives from that morning cup of coffee! 

I’ll catch you all later.

Good Day!

LLB came and had lunch today. We so enjoy her company! 

We got to talk with #1 and Yellow Rose - today is #1’s 29th birthday! It seems like just yesterday he was a wee one in a bassinet. He looks good and they looked happy. This makes us happy, too…

We went to choir practice for Brava this afternoon. They didn’t kick us out, so I guess we did ok. 🤪🙃

We have a good life, we are blessed, and we are thankful. 

 

On the mend

My friend from college, RC and his family are on the mend health wise, but could still use a little financial help. If you need a speaker, he’s your guy. He is faithful. He is a good man. If you know of someone who needs a speaker or even an editor, please reach out to him. 

His update is here: https://rcsprouljr.com/how-are-you-doing/

Hat making…

Today I spent the day working on a hat to match a scarf that was given to me with a bag of yarn to donate. Hats are not my forte. I’m almost done. 

This picture will give you a sense of what I’m attempting. Baby bonnets? Yep, maybe I’ll make one of those again, but a full fledged grownup sized hat? Eh… 

That cat!

I went up to bed last night and found this:

Mini ensconced next to my pillow all comfy and warm. Was she moving? No. Did she want to just push over and give me space? No. Did she want me to go away and find another place to lay my head for the night? Yes, yes she did.  

Did I oblige her? Oh, hell no! 

Did she move? Begrudgingly… to the spot down by my feet. And then she purred me to sleep - as she is known to do… because eep under that attitude is a really sweet cat. Just don’t tell her I know, ok? 

A friend in need…

I went to a small Christian college in western PA. When I arrived - the only one from my area of Massachusetts - there was excitement about some kid whose dad was a famous preacher being in our class. That kid turned out to be the fun loving religion and Econ major named RC Sproul Junior. 

I didn’t know him well, but what I knew was that he was very fun, had a wicked sense of humor, was pretty smart, and was and still is a genuinely nice guy. 

Fast forward to today… RC is still a fun loving nice guy. He grew up to be a preacher - and a good one!  He’s had some setbacks, but so have a lot of people. It’s hard being a famous preacher’s kid with the same name as your dad. People expect more and when you make a mistake, the vultures come out of every corner. If he were a Hollywood celebrity or a senator, nobody would bat an eye. Now he needs help. If you can, pray. Please read his blog. Listen to his podcasts. If you feel so moved, give. 

https://rcsprouljr.com/risk-and-vulnerability/

RC is a good guy who loves God and his family. His sins are forgiven by God - but not the Christian community he wants to serve. That’s really sad…

Whoops!

I forgot to blog yesterday, but in my defense, I was running all day. I sopped long enough to have a birthday lunch with a dear friend. She gave me the most awesome gifts including a new “magic” puzzle - which I intend to start today. I’ll let you know how it goes. I suspect it will take a while - 1000 pieces and lots of the same color! 

She also gave me a wine thermos to use while I sit on the porch and some cute sox that say “if you can read this, bring me wine!” I love that! 

The new church linens arrived yesterday, so I ironed up the purificators. For the price, they are fantastic! The fair linen had a smudge on it, so I washed it this morning and it is hanging to dry. I’ll iron it later. If 10 years ago you’d have told me I’d be ironing fair linen and making communion hosts, I’d have told you you were nuts! Alas, I have the time and the organizational skills for this, so why not?! 

Ok. I’m off to set up for bells. I’ll catch you all tomorrow! 

Coffee Syrups!

I got a Nespresso for my birthday. 

This morning I ventured into the world of home made coffee syrups. I made salted caramel and chocolate. The chocolate - which is pretty darned tasty - can be used over ice cream as well as in coffee, so I suspect some of my friends will be receiving this for Christmas with an ice cream scoop. 

I have made the caramel before, but this batch is better. Once I perfect it, my dear friends, you are welcome to some of that as well. So - want a salted caramel macchiato? I can do that! Give me a jingle, come sit on my porch, and sit and sip. The fall is beautiful here and I’ve got fuzzy blankets to go along with your favorite coffee concoction. 

Craziness!

The world seems to have been rocked on its axis. The progressives have lost their minds! The college campus - a place to learn - is not what it used to be. Want to see what is happening? Read this! 

https://www.newsweek.com/diversity-problem-campus-opinion-1618419

We need to get back to basics. Colleges need to accept those who work hard, get good grades, and are willing to work. We need to get back to hiring those who are most qualified. Does this opinion make me racist? I think not. I don’t much care what color you are, where you’re from, or who your daddy is. I care that you are the best person you can be. Nothing more. 

Ringing with my LLB!

Today LLB’s choir was ringing bells at their church in town. They were short a ringer and LLB told the director I’d be happy to help out. What a great time! We rang a version of Kingsfold I’ve not played in a long time.  It was so much fun! 

After that we had a quick brunch and headed home. It was nice to spend time with our girly - even if it was just a short time. 

Wine with friends!

Today we spent the day at a local winery with friends. The skies were ominous, but the rain held off. We ate like kings! We laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. 

Prepping for wine…

Today I spent the day preparing for a trip to a local winery with friends. I cooked. I baked. I packed. 

Tomorrow we wine and dine! 

Pictures? Nope… I forgot. 

Making Music

We had a bell rehearsal tonight and everyone was back! It was so good to see all of my ringers in one place and have them make music together. 

I have a couple small adjustments to make, but I think the end result will be awesome! Mr is going to swap places with another ringer for a few pieces to give her a chance to ring more and give him a chance to move around like we do with Brava. 

Tomorrow I’ll be cooking and baking. We are headed to the winery with friends on Saturday and we need stuff to munch on! 

Mini is ready for her midnight snack… I’d best get it for her before she starts typing on this blog herself! 🤪

Presents!

I love presents! My birthday was a few days ago and I got some really lovely gifts including but not limited to a Dr. Seuss book, gold earrings, a Nespresso, and a new under cabinet trashcan. 

Today a surprise package arrived from Lillian. She didn’t know my birthday was a few days ago. She sent  this ladybug picture! I love it so much! 

I love the muted colors and the floating frame makes it! The picture works beautifully with the wall color! (I couldn’t take a picture head on because the light was bouncing off the glass.) 

Lillian said she saw it and knew I had to have it! I am so thankful.  

Two on Tuesday

Two things today…

1.  I am really close to finishing a lap blanket. Unfortunately, it’s 10pm and I’m too pooped to finish it tonight. Maybe tomorrow morning… then I can drop it off with the Prayer Shawl ladies. 

(I finished the blanket and turned it in!)

2. Once I finish the lap blanket, I’ll get back to the shawl and the baby sweater. 

(They gave me new yarn for another lap blanket. The shawl will wait…)

It’s bed time… I have the munchies… I am going to go to bed and ignore the munchies! 

Monday musings

Figuring out what to write about every day is hard. 

I finished a blanket and am in the midst of a shawl. Next up is a baby sweater to match the blanket and if I have enough, I’ll make a bonnet too. I’ve got a list of gifts I need to make and deadlines are looming. 

My prayer shawl group is making lap robes. I’ve got yarn for two. I don’t think we need those until December, so I’ve got a little time. 

Laundry is forever. I’ve got one load headed to the dryer and another in line for the washer. 

Duty calls! 

See you

Stay on your own side!

Mr and I were out and about - a Costco run and dinner. On the way home, part of our drive was on a two lane highway. The speed limit is 45mph. There are some places where you’re allowed to pass - providing nobody is coming… key words: nobody and coming. 

I drive this road a lot and have not had any issues with crazy drivers until these past two times. Some asshat decided that he could pass a long line of traffic - it didn’t matter that I was coming towards him… I understand that it’s the tail end of rush hour, but I’d like to get home, too. I would like to get home in one piece with my car intact. I know… I am so demanding and needy! 

The first time this nonsense happened, I slowed down and stayed in my lane. The oncoming car ended up in the breakdown lane on my side of the road. It was crazy! This time I slowed, but scooted to the right and he slid into a spot on his side of the road just in time. Really?? I don’t need more gray hair! 

So… if you’re out and about, please please do me a favor and stay in your lane. My guardian Angel is busy enough without shenanigans like this! 

Goodies for Supper Club

I spent yesterday cooking. 

I made cheese crisps.

I made cupcakes.

I made a birthday cake.

I made a breakfast casserole that Mr took to Men’s Breakfast this morning. Sorry, no picture because he took it out of here before I thought to snap a quick picture. 

This morning, I made a chili to go with the mini corn muffins I made.

All that’s left to make is the Chicken Brunswick Stew. I’ll make that shortly! 

It’s going to be a great time! 

Blogtober!

It’s Blogtober! The challenge is to write something every day. 

I’ll do my best! 

Today I’m particularly busy cooking and prepping for Supper Club tomorrow. Pictures tomorrow… I promise! 

Tooth Fairy Time?

Does the tooth fairy come for cat teeth? It seems Mini has lost a tooth. We took her to the vet today because she was a little oozy around the mouth. She had a tooth just hanging there and the vet plucked it out. Mini needs to step up her game in the oral hygiene department. Maybe I’ll get her a water pick! 

Here she is after the vet finished with her.

Mini was so upset with me that she refused to face the crate door. She loosened up on the way home after I put her in the front with me. She did tell me that she wanted “home” and “out” - frequently during our drive. I encouraged her to sing with the radio, but she wasn’t having it - those aren’t the songs of her people, don’t you know?! 

We are home. She is a bit high on pain meds. She has made the rounds, checked on her bowls, and is currently trying to decide where she wants to be. 

A Chair For Mr

Mr has been at his company for 30 years this year. He had a choice of a lot of different gifts he could receive from his company. He chose the chair! 

When I graduated from Grove City College, mom and dad bought me a college chair. Ditto for my sister when she graduated from UMass. Mom has one from her alma mater - the New England Baptist Hospital School of Nursing - that I got for her. Dad got a chair from his company when he retired. When LLB and #1 graduated from VMI, they both got their college chairs from Gram and Grandpa. It’s a thing. It’s what we do. We have a chair fetish. 

Over the years, mom tried desperately to get a chair for Mr from McGill and Concordia to no avail. So, Mr was the only one without a chair. Those days are now gone! He has his own chair! Yippee! Believe me, if I can get him a chair from McGill or Concordia, I will, but this will do. He and Grandpa have company chairs! That’s pretty cool! 

One more “Not Yoda”

As cute as they are, I have probably made too many of these. That said, I love the new yarn I found for the jacket! I could probably be persuaded to make a couple more if anyone wants one. Email me and we can chat.

It’s back to bells time!

Mr and I started back to ringing with Brava, our community group a couple of weeks ago. We both enjoy that rehearsal so very much. It’s hard work, but it is so much fun! The best part is we just show up and ring. We don’t have to check the music, make sure the bells are out, or have any real actual responsibility. 

This week our church group will be back at it. This group is also a lot of fun, except I’m the responsible entity. I choose the music, set up the bells, maintain the bells, and generally do it all except ring - unless someone is missing. This year, though, I have a very large group with a couple of spots being doubled because of the ringing schedule conflicts. I might even have a new ringer starting at the end of October! How cool is that?! 

So, it’s back to bells and back to making music! For this we are thankful! 

Drenched!

Today is Wednesday. I spend Wednesdays in town running errands, grocery shopping, going to prayer shawl and more depending on the schedule. 

Today when I got ready to head to town, I loaded up the trash and recycling, made a list of places I needed to go and checked things I needed to get done. It wasn’t raining when I left… it was supposed to rain today. Yes, rain - not pour buckets. 

I headed south towards town and the sky brightened. I went to the UPS store. I did my quick run in and out. It started to sprinkle as I headed to get my shingles shot and got a little worse on the way to my porch pickup. After that, I headed to the dump. I watched the dark clouds roll in as I drove. By the time I got there, it was actually raining. I quickly dumped the household trash and headed to the recycling. The rain came down harder. I pulled up in front of the cardboard recycling. I opened the tailgate… the wind whipped up, and the rain came down… harder…I scooted into the cardboard container… as I exited, the sky opened up and poured sheets of water. Yes, on me. I looked and felt like a drowned rat. I promptly finished dumping the rest of the recycling and jumped back into the car… which was now almost as soggy inside and out as I was. Because I had to do the grocery shopping, I didn’t just throw my hands up and head home. I went to Walmart. My shoes squished. My pants were dripping. My hair looked like I’d just come out of the shower. Wet? Why yes, yes I was! Soaked thru! I was most attractive. The only saving Grace was that most of the other shoppers looked just like I did! Misery loves company!

I did the shopping, purchased a pair of shorts and a shirt, and headed for the car. I changed out of my pants and into the shorts in the car. Please note that the drivers side floor was a puddle… fortunately, my feet were already wet, so it wasn’t too shocking when I put my feet down… ok.. it was. 😏 I decided to change the rest at church. So when I arrived at prayer shawl, I changed my top in the bathroom. 

Upon arrival at home, I did yet another load of laundry - my clothes were still soggy and the hamper was pretty full. Fun times, I tell you! The bonus - my car is clean, the laundry is done, and my hair is really soft!

Monday musings

It’s Monday! Monday = Bells! 

I love ringing so much! 

I finished a shawl this afternoon. I need to make one more Yoda… I’ll start it tomorrow. 😁

#1 and Yellow Rose are moving to another apartment in 3 weeks. A 2 bedroom. Larger, more spacious, first floor, and in the building next door. They are very excited! They considered buying a house, but the inventory is lacking and the prices are inflated… and they don’t know how much longer they’ll be in Texas. 

Bible study tomorrow morning and tomorrow night! I’m presenting on Mary Magdalene tomorrow night. I’d best get my act together, huh?  

Gray Day

Today is a gray day. I’m staying in. 

I’ve finished the laundry. I should vacuum. I think I’m going to spend the day crocheting, instead. Doesn’t that sound far more enjoyable? I’m in the process of making a shawl for a friend. I started a blanket, but the shawl needs to get finished first. 

It’s a lovely purple color in a yarn I love - that, of course, has been discontinued. So be it! I’ll just have to use what I have and go find something else. I’m sure I can find something wonderful to work with! 🤣

Too Fast!

 Our visit with #1 and Yellow Rose went way too fast! We got to spend Friday with LLB and her beau. We had a great time - brunch, cupcakes, coffee, and her cats! What more could we want?

We left there and headed to a neighborhood party. More fun and food! 

Saturday was a quiet day at home - which after Friday’s excitement, was definitely needed. 

Sunday brought LLB back home and long time family friends in for a visit. Sunday also brought the invoices for the plumbing crises last week. Yep… there will be no more spending for a while. It was a very expensive week! That said, we are blessed to have saved for a rainy day such as this, so we are able to simply write the check. Not that it isn’t painful to see all those hard earned pennies leave the bank account, it is… but running water is important. 🚽🚿🚰🛁🧺

This morning, it was back to the grind with a very early trip to the airport, laundry, and general cleaning up. They left us and headed to Florida for a quick vacation on the beach. 

Tonight brought us our first Brava Community Bell Choir rehearsal of the fall. It really is the fastest hour of the week! I do love it so much! Mr did great, too! 

Today is the day!

#1 and Yellow Rose will be here tonight! I’m so incredibly excited!

The ducts were cleaned.  The water heater at Gram’s was fixed. The mosquito curtains are finally here and are up on the porch. All that’s left is a little vacuuming. 

It looks like we will be meeting up with old friends on Saturday. I’ve got a pork ready to cook! 

Such fun times and blessings are ahead! 

Scarves and mittens

I needed a break, so I decided to do some easy things. The pencil scarf is simply adorable! The creamy set is a silk blend - oh so yummy! 

Goes into.. goes out of…

Water goes in and water goes out… that’s how it is supposed to work. Last week the “goes into” wasn’t right… so we ended up with a new well pump. Yep… not looking forward to that bill. 

While they were here, they thought my “goes out of” was fine. Somehow in the back of my mind, I knew something was “off”. Note: always trust your gut. Well, fast forward to party preparations on Saturday morning… and the toilet wasn’t “going out” like it should. As a matter of fact, it was going out in the guest room shower. This, my friends, is not a good thing. Thus, party canceled. You cannot tell your guests to “find a tree”. 

Today, the sweetest drain cleaner on the planet - Monica - arrived and fixed the “goes out of”! She checked everything. The septic is good. The drain lines are clear. Please note, if you stay over, you’ll be asked to double or triple flush to ensure that your “goes out of” exits all the way from the far end of the house to the septic tank. You’ll be asked to take long showers, brush your teeth for as long as you need to with the water running, and to wash your hands for a full minute or more. It’s a long run from one end of the house to another and with no laundry running over there, there’s not a whole lot to push your “goes out of” out of the pipes. 

Just when you think you’re all set, you’re not. We needed to clean the shower… and we discovered no hot water over there on the far side.   The plumber has been notified and I am assured that we will have hot water by the time #1 and Yellow Rose arrive for their visit on Thursday. 

You remember the mouse from a few posts back? Yeah… well we caught the rest of his family… and the duct cleaner is arriving on Wednesday. One cannot be breathing mouse poo remnants! 

Oh, and one more thing. The chlorine feeder lid had a part blow off during Ida’s visit… new lid ordered and replaced. That was a cheap fix - $18. 

We have also had to deal with 5 fallen trees in the last 4 weeks. We cut them up enough to get them out of the way. Once it cools down, those trees will become firewood - which we always need, but really? At this point, we could use a little break. 

It’s been a very busy, rough, poop filled, and expensive couple of weeks. Let’s hope this is the last of the “disasters” for a while. 

Rocking it!

The rocking chairs arrived and I put them together… during the hurricane. Yes, I do live large! Once I got the first one together, the rest were easy. I will admit that they are easy, but it’s still a lot of work. Getting them together is cool, but dealing with the boxes and the packing material (times 4) is exhausting! 

We are very pleased with them! We sat outside on them for a brief moment when the rain was stopped and the wind hadn’t started yet. The wind is gusting to 25mph and the rain is off and on… it will be on most of the night - or until Ida blows herself out of here. 

Looking good…

 Baby steps! More furniture is on the way! 

Benches

We are making progress. The benches arrived and I put them together tonight. I’ll put them out tomorrow and take better pix! 

Decorating

I found a welcome sign for the front porch. 

I love the blue and I remembered that my grandmother made some blue and white blankets. I dug around in a closet and found them. I put one on the swing. 

I’ll put the other on one of the new rockers we ordered. They should be here on Friday. I also ordered two benches. Those are due here tomorrow. Oh, and I ordered some mosquito netting curtains. We have the rods and I’ll hang those with command hooks to keep it simple. (If that doesn’t work, I’ll find a more permanent solution…)

I’m hoping to have everything here, put together, and in place by Saturday - we are having supper club that day. I have a very busy week ahead, but if I use my time wisely, I think I can get everything done. I’ll keep you posted… 

Porch Swinging

The porch swing is up and adjusted! 

I’m looking forward to having LLB home this weekend to help me decorate the porch. It’s a matter of putting things out there and making it look homey. 

Once it’s all pretty, we can do some serious porch sitting. 

I Love My Painted Door!

They finished painting at about 7:30pm last night. We are pleased with the results. There are a couple of places that need touch-ups, but I can do that another day. If they had done the door first, I might not have needed to do the touch ups, but it is what it is! 

Check it out! 

Porch Paint

The porch ceiling is getting painted today, as is the new front door. 

I’m very excited about this door. It’s a Dutch door! We had one in our old house and I loved it. Our contractor found me a Dutch door that looks like a real front door. It’s gorgeous! I cannot wait to see it finished! He put wide trim inside. It’s lovely! The outside trim is plain. It’s fine… once it’s all painted, I’ll decide if it needs more… 

I pushed for ceiling trim and he will put that up.  Heck, I want it to look finished. Don’t cheap out on the good pretty stuff, right?