Comments

Today I received an email about people following my blog.

Who follows my blog, I don't even write on my blog anymore!

Do I still have a blog?

Well of course I still have a blog, and turns out I had comments awaiting my approval.
A while back, a long while back I changed the settings for comments on blog to be approved first because I was getting a lot of spam comments...only I forgot that I did that.
Sorry
I thought you had forgotten me.
You hadn't.
I miss our routine.
I wish life was like it used to be.  I would read your blog, comment and write my blog and we would encourage each other, spur one another on with good deeds and all that jazz.
Now I pinterest and it just isn't the same, but I can do that on my phone and that is so much easier than fooling with a slow computer and trying to figure out how to get the pictures off my phone to put on my blog.

This is my favorite eyeliner right now...it is only a dollar!

Hopefully I will start this book with Susan and Tracy this week but I don't think Susan will order it in time to start.  Tracy already has it because she is on the ball like that.  Tracy celebrates her 40th birthday this Saturday.

For the last couple of months I've been spraying this on our clothes to get stains out....Last week I noticed it was carpet cleaner. It works great as a stain getter outer for clothes.  I picked it up on clearance at Publix so I probably won't shell out full price for it now that I used the last of it up today.  Thankful that Pinterest has taught me about Hydrogen peroxide and dawn.

Alright, I really should do my dishes, they won't wash themself.  I don't mind starting my laundry,sorting and folding but all the rest of the household duties I really have to ramp myself up for.  Maybe I'll get on pinterest for a minute.  Have a great day!

Focus

This week has been a hard week and a relaxing week all in one.
Hard because I've had a cold, relaxing because I've only had one job outside the home to go to.

I gave up "candy" for Lent.   Quotations,.... because I didn't count peppermints...because I can eat just one and stop.  My co-workers leave bags of candy on the desk and when I'm there by myself on Saturday and Sunday I finish off their candy and then have ended up buying replacements.  So Lent helped me focus on not starting in the first place.  I didn't buy any Easter candy to eat before Easter and only bought Robin Eggs and the mini Cadbury hard shell eggs to eat after Easter. I've had a few jelly beans but nothing like I've had in the past.

My neighbor and I ran for the first time since our half marathon on Monday but then didn't on Wednesday because of the smoke.
Friday we ran but I couldn't turn off the "I don't want to do this" recording in my head so I asked if we could walk at mile 4.

 Less than two weeks before my birthday cruise.  Last year Tracy and Susan wanted to do something special for my 40th so they proposed going on a cruise.  I found one on my birthday that Josh and I were willing to save for.
Elise said she wanted to go.
I said, "You'll have to talk to Grandaddy about that."
No sooner had I finished speaking than she was on the phone talking to my dad.
So now the whole family is going.
Susan and Tracy decided not to.
My sister Cathron and her family decided to.
My step-sister also decided to join us.

With so much focus on me turning 40 I need to not forget someone turning 42 in eight days.

Happy Birthday

I wasn't planning on posting today but when I ran across this blog and all the lovely Anthropologie knock off necklaces she had made I wanted to share the love.
Today is Josh's birthday, Good Friday and Earth Day.
I have heard all week that it is Holy Week but the impact of that fact has not been felt deeply.
Why? All week when I realize that the importance of this special week was lost on my soul I tried to figure out why. Besides saying that I was backslidden I chocked it up to this crazy season in my life. Fortunately last Sunday when I excused myself from the K-2 Sunday School Class and hid out in another room with a friend I was encouraged to find out I was not alone in this season... evidently she is on the same rotation of the earth.
It's not time to pack up the winter clothes yet...may have to run to the store for added layers.
This week I find out my straight A honor student is getting a D and he was hiding it from me and I was offered another job.
Can anyone say, Thermal Time?
The second job would only be three 6 week engagements overseeing the Prime Time Family Reading Time for the Jacksonville Public Library. If I took it, I might get to go to New Orleans for training.

I finished Jane Eyre this week and would love to do a Bible Study based on the book and discuss the theological components of the book. There are some neat discussions here. Susan, Tracy and I wanted to go see the movie but thought it would be fun to read it first...unfortunately the movie isn't playing in Jacksonville...What's up with That?

Last night on FB I saw that Amazon had Third Day's newest album Move on sale for $5 and after I went to Amazon I looked at the

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

and this album looked like something I might like so I clicked on it and there was a song that has moved me to tears when I heard it on the radio. So of course I went to YouTube and teared up some more.

You Make Beautiful Things

You make Beautiful Things out of Dust

You make Beautiful things out of Us.

And that will end my Holy Week.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Colossians 3 : 15

Twisted Tuesday

The good camera has no batteries in it.
Picture Project, the photo editor I LOVED is no longer available and so I don't know how to turn my photos or clean them up and make them look pretty.
There's my disclaimer for the day.

I'm going to make bread today.
This bread.
Two weeks ago I made this bread. It's an easy bread and turned out the best ever, but I still think it has too much cinnamon for my tastes.
I'm hopeful about today's endeavor.
I should be purging in my room, Gloria's post got me jazzed about the stuff I've noticed lately that really could be trashed. Why am I holding onto computer stationary that hasn't been used in at least 7 years. Maybe I'll do that after I get the bread started.

Stewart had a 104 fever yesterday. The second time in less than three weeks. The first time he tested positive for H1N1 but yesterday he tested positive for the all purpose no hype kind. I bleached all the surfaces in the house yesterday. Josh turned on the ceiling fan because the fumes were getting to him. Stewart is feeling better today, gotta love the $60 Tamiflu prescription. His cough sounds like pneumonia but I will do my best to believe the doctor that his lungs sounded fine.

Elise's teacher stopped me in the hall today to tell me who she decided Elise reminded her of....
Panic, Junie B. Jones, Ramona, Matilda?, there was endless array of crazy characters that I was sure she was going to say.
But, no.
"An American Girl doll. Wholesome, pretty clothes, hair fixed cute, good manners."
Ahhhh, said my heart.
Not at home, was my next thought.
I'm glad she's a blessing to her teacher was the next one.
It took her going to school to reveal those qualities, maybe this wasn't so bad after all.
She's still coming home next year.

I haven't started on verse 4 yet.
Still thinking and trying to work on verse 3.
Since this isn't an official verse memorization program and there is no chart on the wall where I'm going to see a star missing I think I may postpone verse #4 till March. Since I'm so slow on the memorization thing, I may have to just pick one a month. Been thinking about that too.
Some may say lazy.
But really, my name does mean diligent so there.
Silliness, sorry if that sounded snarky.
You all are such an encouragement in all you do, even my sneaky friends and sister who read and don't post comments, I love you anyway and it fills my inside basket to overflowing that you come to check out my crazy thoughts.

Keep On

Wow,
can't believe I didn't do one post last week.
Wish I could tell you I was busy gardening, or sewing or cleaning but the week flew by and I really don't have much to show for it. The boys were gone all week and I only had Elise so you think that I would have skads of stuff to share but no...partly because I was fighting a cold/maybe allergies all week.
I went to the Y only once, but did walk with my neighbor as well.
I sewed a little with Elise, and made test pattern for the arm rest cover on my club chair.
I ran a few errands and dropped off some school papers but still have a few more to run before school starts.
Delivered the outgrown clothes to the Foster Closet but ran across some more later in the week. I had my Magnolia pictures in the car to take to Goodwill but Tammy said one of the foster girls going out on her own could use them so she got those as well...which reminds me I have the matching curtains that I still haven't delivered.
I started decluttering my room but didn't finish...hmmm...that was ambitious of me to think that will ever be finished.
Kinda like Christ's work in me...will never be done until Glory.
Feel like a hymn is in order here but I'm tired and really just want to go to bed.
God bless ya'll and keep on keeping on.

FYI

Across the street from a beach access, this house is for sale. Just in case you are in the market for that type of thing and not married to someone who espouses "neither poverty nor riches."

It was beautiful from the street and from the beach.
It isn't the beach we normally go to, unfortunately I forgot to take my camera yesterday. There is a lovely house for sale at the Third Street Beach Access in Atlantic Beach as well. Normally we get to the beach by 9 and leave by 12, yesterday though, I had to drag the kids back to the car at 4. We kept our faces sufficiently smoothered in sunscreen but of course there were spots that we missed.
Isn't that the case with our Christian Walk? We think we are sufficiently grounded in God's word and then He allows us to see the ugliness of sin that still burns us.
Another little FYI...
Overheard in the showers this morning at the Y were two Irish ladies talking about how bad American Butter is and one can't make a good scone unless you have some Irish Butter. Huh..didn't know that.
Then they said that KerriGold Butter was almost as good and could do in a pinch. One of the ladies said she even brought some Irish butter back to America last time she went home to Ireland.
The only scones I have made have been from mixes but after overhearing that conversation it makes me want to run over to Publix and grab some KerriGold.

Routine

As soon as I start a routine and become established in it....the waves come and crash into my lovely castle made of sand. For the last couple of months, I have had very little routine but not this month!
We are off to a rip roaring start...well kind of. Every morning me and the kids are at the Y not later than 9:30 and by 11 we are at a pool (it is a neighborhood pool that is almost always empty...how wonderful is that?Thanks to a Wonderful friend)
We come home, eat lunch and then I fool around on the computer and do dishes and then make dinner. Very Simple. Haven't done too much cleaning and haven't hit a thrift store in almost a month.
Soooo, yesterday Elise, Emmett and I hit 3 thrift stores and made some great finds at every one.
First stop was the Humane Society....$5 ice skates for Emmett
$10 J & G Meakin Renaissance Creamer and Sugar
(do you remember I broke the knobby thing off a the very same creamer a while back...if I labeled my posts correctly then here would be a nice little link back to that post...but I digress)
$1 platter with a red transfer pattern
Also got some other odds and ends, tapestry needs, balloons etc...random right?
Then we stopped at Hubbard House Thrift and picked up some shoes and ball cap for Elise and shirt for me...$2 total
Then we stopped at THE Thrift Store and we got Bloco...it was a box of foam shapes that you join togeather. Most of the pieces had never even been punch out and all the pieces were there...the reciept was in the box and it was origionally $27....never would have paid that much...we paid $1.95!
Today it was Clean, Clean, Clean. Another thing that has been missing from my routine.
Cleaned the top of the fridge and behind it.
Wiped down All my pantry shelves and organized them.
With the help of the boys, all the book shelves in their room were straightened and sorted back right. (all non-fiction together/classics/comic books) and took off the shelf all the books Emmett has read and set them aside for Elise. Also tidied up Elise's shelves.
I have a whole box of stuff to donate to a rummage sale our innercity mission group is having next weekend.
Now its off to a Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Dinner....which....truth be told ....Josh and I don't feel the need to be appreciated BUT, one must make the appearance. Why can't we just be the hermits we want to be? Nothing's routine really is it?

Taking Flight

statue in the Bloomington, IN town square

On the flight home from Indiana I finished Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. Josh's step-mom, Anne, has talked about it for years and since I read Brighty a few weeks ago I moved on to her next famous book that we just happened to have around the house. It was a lovely quick read, I love a good children's book.
With that said, I thought I ought to read an adult classic next and John-Thomas recommended Travels with Charley by Steinbeck. I started it yesterday and have really enjoyed it so far...
But today we went to the Library and the latest Sisters Grimm book that I put on hold last time we were there was ready to be picked up! Looks like my summer reading is taking flight! I am excited for the kids that Lifeway Christian Stores is having a summer reading race. It will be wonderful to have a reward for something they love doing. What is on your reading list for this summer?

What Next?

I just read on the Motherload Friday Freebies that July 11 is National Cow day at Chik-Fil-A and if you dress up as a cow you can get a combo meal. Maybe that will be our next summer art project. Not too long ago I picked up some white Hanes t-shirts for super cheap at K-Mart, add some black spots and Voila!
My mom has worked some more with the boys creating felt friends over the weekend. I still haven't finished mine, but she has given me all the supplies...no excuses now.
After weeding at the church for over two hours this morning, Josh took me to LaNapolera
for lunch. One mini chicken nacho salad and one mini beef and a cheese quesadilla for under $5. Yummo!
Now, I'm going walking with Susan on the beach.

Turning the Page

In February we joined the YMCA and Josh I would walk on the treadmill together...it became a contest who could burn the most calories and walk the furthest etc.. He always won. (But I lost the most weight) When he would add hills to our treadmill challenge my heart rate would go into the danger section. Last month I had my first physical since Elise was born and I mentioned exercising to her and asked if that was normal. She sent me to a cardiologist. After listening to my heart he told me I was out of shape, nothing was wrong but just to be sure he wanted me to come back and have a stress test done. Did the stress test Tuesday and the tech monitoring me said I was in really good shape, it took me a long time to get up to the stress range. Whatever. Tuesday I tried the jump rope for the first time and could only do 39 steps, today I did two sets of 39...man my lungs burn. I didn't weigh last night but when I went for the stress test I weighed less than the last time I was in there so who knows. I got my ceiling fans all cleaned today. Tuesday I got the dryer cleaned off, turning pages, checking off my items on my to do list.

Still to do:

put away suitcases from our N.C. trip

re-hem Elise's dress that got ripped at church :)

finish table runners

start the notepad covers

make arm rest covers for couch and chair

make curtain side panels