It’s HOT!

Today is the first day of the heat wave. I’m staying in.
I’m working on moving stuff out of our upstairs rooms to get ready for the renovation. If you need me, I’m sure I’ll either have my head in a closet or I’ll be running the stairs.

Saying it...

There have been a lot of deaths in the extended family in the last month or so. We’ve lost grandmothers, mothers, grandfathers and other special people. We will miss them all. I’ve found that people might not say how they really feel out loud or in so many words, but an angry outburst or a sigh often says more about their feelings than they care to admit. Recently, I heard from an extended family member. In 3 angry sentences aimed at me, yet not aimed at me, that person told me how much their loved one meant to them, how much they missed them, and how they were struggling. So, they might not have said, “I really miss my loved one”, but they said it - more than once.

Next time you talk with someone and they say something mean or harsh or unwarranted, remember that they might be dealing with stuff...

Dad died in 2015 and Mom passed away in February. My sister and I have always said that their deaths were a blessing, but that doesn’t mean we don’t miss them both. That said, I know my sister and I have each other.  Our respective spouses are extremely supportive - of us and of all the crazy ideas we have.  They understand our odd sense of humor. They made a difficult time not so difficult. We are lucky. We know it.

Happy Father’s Day!

My Dad and my husband are two of the most amazing dads I have ever known. My sister and I  are very lucky girls to have the dad we did. He loved us unconditionally and would do anything for us. My Mr is absolutely devoted to our children. He never missed a game, a party or a performance. The children are both grown and flown, but he still asks about them every day. My children are still so blessed!

Paint, etc...

We are finally going to renovate our house.

Did you know that when you renovate your house, you practically have to move out if it - especially if you are installing hardwood floors. Hardwood? You ask... yes... the carpet on the stairs and upstairs is original to the house - circa 1986. Yes, it is the color of dirt. Yes, I hate it. Yes, I have hated it since the day we moved in back in 2004. I’m really looking forward to hardwood floors. I am not, however looking forward to moving everything that is upstairs out of there. Every.little.thing.

So, since we are doing that, we may as well redo the bathrooms that are also circa 1986. I’m going for white subway tiles in the shower and tub areas. I’m considering gray on the floors, but I may go white and black... I need a timeless look. I’ve got some time, so I’ll think about it some more.

Paint... oh paint... picking wall colors is hard. I thought I’d go gray in the laundry room. And white in the kitchen... and then I thought maybe a creamy taupey something everywhere else... I’m still thinking...

You got ideas?
Comment below!

Yarn!

A couple of days ago I scored a bunch of sale yarn at Hobby Lobby! I picked up a whole bunch for me and a bigger bunch for the prayer shawl group I’m a member of. Today I dropped off the Prayer Shawl Haul! It was so much fun to see the ladies’ faces when we emptied the bags into the table! Everybody loves a bargain, but these ladies love love love a yarn bargain like nobody’s business! They’ve already put most of it away and taken some to make some shawls. I can’t wait to see what lovely things they end up making. I took some “shawl in a ball” in gray to make a road trip shawl... I’ll let you know how it turns out.

It’s good to be back to blogging... it’s sure been a while...

Pork Chops in the crockpot

I found a recipe that is simply amazing!

Put porkchops in the bottom of the lined crockpot. Crockpot liners are the best invention ever!
Then I mix the following in a measuring cup and dump over the chops:
1 can chicken broth
1/4 C olive oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic (2 cloves if you’re using fresh)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp poultry seasoning

Cook 5 hours on high.
Serve over rice.

An aha moment...

I was sitting in church today while our priest described what Jesus was like. I’m paraphrasing but basically she said Jesus was different, an outsider, and certainly not ordinary. He went out and performed miracles on the sabbath and did what he did for the benefit of all. He didn’t care what people thought about him, he had a job to do and he did it because he was called to do it... his family supported him, but often thought he’d lost his mind.

And as I sat there, I thought... wow! That description sounds a lot like our own President. I’m not saying that Trump is the next coming of Christ, but I am saying that he has a lot of Christ like qualities. Trump is an outsider and is definitely not ordinary. He is a little rough around the edges. The establishment thinks he is crazy. He didn’t think he’d ever be a politician. He is a businessman. He works for the good of every American. He believes that he can help our great nation become even greater. He might not toss tables in the temple, but his twitter feed is definitely making waves! He tells it like it is. Jesus had deciples, President Trump has his advisors. As for miracles - the job report, the booming economy, my retirement fund, and the extra cash in my paycheck each week could be considered miraculous.
We, as a nation, are blessed that Mr Trump is willing to take the crap from the media and those who disagree with him and poo poo his work day in and day out because he believes in what he is doing and that he was called to serve. That, my friends, is a true gift.
It is time for those who disagree to stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and remember that the Office of President is one that needs to be respected regardless of what you think of the guy who holds it. He has accomplished so much already. Focus on the good. Life here in the USA is good. It can be better. Listen to the man - I mean really listen. Don’t “yeah, but”. Listen.