The Pearl Anniversary

Today my husband and I celebrate the Pearl Anniversary, or thirty years together. Someone said to me once that if they made it to thirty years with their
spouse it would be an accomplishment. I guess in some ways it is, but for me, it is more about sticking to a promise to tough it out in good times and bad.

Leading up to this day for the past week, I have thought about advice I'd give a couple just starting out. There are so many important things I could tell a young couple about all the good things that will come their way. And marriage is just that and more, as it is full of many good things and good times. It is full of great accomplishments, goals met, job promotions, new houses purchased, families being started and all the joys life can bring your way with your life partner. These truly are the best of times in a married couples life and they shine like the stars in your bank of memories of years together. I think every one expects that it is in these moments that will keep their married life fresh and together for the long haul. But just how true is that statement?

While marriage is a wonderful thing between two people, it is also not easy to say the least. Couples grow together when the tough times creep into their lives. It is in the not so pretty times that you know what your relationship is made of when you can weather the storm with a person and still like them on the other side. There may be periods that you might not even like the other person very much, but underneath all of that, there is a mutual love that you know you can not live without. It is in the hard to get through, toughest moments in a couples life that cements their relationship and once they see past all the hard, there is an easy, comfortable existence that compares to none.

I myself, could not have read how each chapter in our lives would have turned out all those years ago. I certainly like most, expected rainbows and flowers for the rest of my days and forgot to even think about the storms that would surely come before all the beautiful days. I have learned that to have one, you certainly have to have the other. I don't think thirty years ago, I truly had an appreciation of the character of the man I promised to love forever and always. It took all of those not so easy times to see and appreciate all the qualities that I would admire in the years to come. It is in the middle of the hard and difficult days that come into your life that you realize who you want by your side, who you want to hold you up when you can't hold yourself up any longer, who you can trust to always catch you when you fall.

Is it easy? No...it is not. I don't believe there is ever a perfect anything, and if you want to strive for perfect it takes so much work, so much forgiveness, so much turning the other cheek, so much giving in to things when you want to hold on to resistance, so much letting go of how you think things should be and accept how they actually are and finding your happiness in the middle of all of that.

A little over thirty years ago, I happened to find myself in front of the most incredible man, and at the time, I could not even imagine how that chance meeting would have been the one thing my heart was searching for. Thirty years ago today, in front of a hand full of people, we promised to love each other in the good and the bad, we promised to not give up and keep loving each other and to stick it out. A simple promise.....but it takes a lot of commitment to keep it.

It's hard to believe where thirty years have taken us, we have had so many wonderful times and celebrations in our lives as well as so many brokenhearted and sad times. Have things always gone the way we thought they would? I'd have to surely say, no they have not. But I can't think of where my life would be or what road I would have taken had it not been for the one I chose all those years ago with my husband. In the last thirty years, we have lived life...just the way it is intended to be lived, with in your face moments of grief and also over the top joys of the heart. I find it hard to believe it has only been thirty years. Where has the time gone? It seems it has slipped away in a blink of an eye.

Steve and I have built a life for ourselves in the midst of the hard, the not so pretty and maybe in the middle of not liking each other at times. That is the normal things the pick at the heartstrings of couples, it is in the wading through all of that when you can appreciate that there is something more deeper and meaningful than all the hard times that come. It is in knowing that plans change, people change and sometimes lives change but when you have the one person who is your best friend, it lightens the load and calms your spirit.

Thank you Steve for thirty years of your life! We have a great life, great family and we have worked ever so hard to be where we are today. We have made it through tough times that we thought we surely would not walk away from. Together we follow the road of life's journey and hold each other up if need be. I consider it an honor to be by your side each and every day. Where one might be weak, the other is strong, and where one might not be wanting to start something, the other is there to give a nudge.....firmly if need be. Thank you for putting up with all my insecurities, frustrations and trying to keep quiet when I drag stuff home you think I don't need. Thanks for being my partner, today and always.

........and if your reading this and you are looking for the perfect partner in life, I am not sure there is a perfect one out there. You can try and find them, but truthfully, no one is perfect all the time. You have to make up your mind that working hard, loving when it is hard, and moving forward on days you feel like giving up will all be worth it down the road. Life is intended to be lived with someone by your side, someone you can trust, and someone who makes each day a little bit better. Thankfully, I happened to find myself in front of that very person all those years ago, and to this day, am incredibly thankful and happy I had the good since to grab hold tight and not let them go. Happy Anniversary, Steve. Thank you for thirty incredible years....I expect thirty more, so get ready!

I told Steve I wanted to plant a tree for our celebration of thirty years. We are planting a pine tree at our new home. I think about what that tree will be like thirty years from now, how large it will have grown, and what we will be like if we are able to stand under the canopy of that very tree in thirty years. It makes my heart smile thinking of this day thirty years from now, and what the days in between now and then will hold.

The New Year Came and Went....

My last post in 2015 was in regards to moving day for us and moving forward. I am sure some of you followed along on my most painful and stressful journey on selling our home and moving. Thank you for all the encouragement and support, as I appreciate each and every comment, email, message of encouragement and sympathy on how I was struggling with all of it. Sometimes good decisions are hard and sometimes they are harder to move forward with.

We did get moved into our new home, a week later it was Christmas and then it was all over. It was a good holiday, the kids were here with their special friends and we had a wonderful holiday and then it was time to decide what was going to be my "word" for the new year. Twenty-fifteen was rapidly ending and the new year was just around the corner.

My words for 2015 were "letting go" and to be honest, I could have never imagined what those two words would actually mean and ultimately how they would impact my life as the year unfolded. Absolutely Never. Words have a power like no other when spoken aloud. I reread my post for January of 2015 and was astounded at how things changed and the turns some things took and in ways I never would have dreamed.

The major turn of events during 2015 which lead us on as journey of selling our home were certainly unexpected. The home for me, was one that love built in more ways than one and the only home I have lived in all of my "real" adult life. Thirty one years to be exact, and forty one for my husband. The roots run deep there and the memories embedded even more so. There were so many wonderful memories created inside those walls and also a lot of not so wonderful memories, which we as a family somehow managed to over come. There were memories that were really not significant but when they come to mind, they spark a feeling of fullness and home between the walls of that house. Yes, I know we take our memories with us and that is true enough, but it has been very hard to leave the place where all of those memories were born. I never would have dreamed this past year would lead us to letting go of all things precious to my heart and deciding it was time to move on and into a new house. It has been something that has sparked so many emotions. I still find myself pining for "home" and probably more than I should. I don't think I have ever in my life understood fully what it meant to be "homesick" and I am here to tell you, I have felt that feeling so profoundly and to the depths of my soul. As I type these words, the thought came to mind that my last letting go for last year surly must be these feelings of homesick and focus on looking forward to what all is to come and just hold all that has been so dear to me close to my heart.

I thought at the beginning of the year that "letting go" would apply to me downsizing many of my collections and possibly not buying more to bring into my home. Well, that surely did happen as I had to scale down in a big way before we moved. I sold, and re-homed so many of my treasures that if I think about it all now and the magnitude of what I let go of I find it hard to believe. We lived in a small house, but the house had been remodeled a couple of times in the past, and the house was made to hold all of my collections and treasures. The sheer magnitude of all that was inside the walls of that house was overwhelming when I had to really look at it all. I will say that the powers to be sent the right people to buy my beloved treasures and they all went to good homes. It was really amazing to hear the stories when I had a sale at my home as to how many people had the same affection for the things I have loved for so many years. I honestly thought I'd feel sad when I sold so much of my things, but it somehow was freeing to let a lot of those things go. They served a purpose at another time in my life, but it was time to let those things go and in doing so, things sure felt lighter.

I would have never thought that letting go in 2015 would take me to a place I never thought I would go. Due to many of the complications of selling our home and buying the new house I was forced to make a decision I never in my heart wanted to make. The people who purchased our house in the contract requested we leave "The Chicken Resort" with the sale of the house. I agreed and we signed the contract, never thinking for one minute that in doing so, that things would soon unfold in a way that it would create a hardship of not being able to move the birds with us. The reality of having to make a decision and make a good decision for my beloved flock and their welfare was one that broke my heart into tiny pieces. In the end, I gave them to the people that purchased our house. They were every bit as excited and happy as I was devastated and sad. However, in my mind, that was my chickens home and the only home they had known, and surly they would be happier there in their own home than any other temporary housing I could come up with for them. The having to let go of my chickens is such a sadness that I can hardly type the words. I miss Benny the rooster more than I care to admit and I spent the last two weeks leaving for work early and driving by my old house and parking in front, just so I could hear him crow. The very idea that I can't walk back into the coops and scoop them all up and hug them and sing to them still breaks my heart. I miss them, and of all the letting go I had to do in 2015, this very one is the hardest of all. I have to put on a happy front, but inside, my heart hurts each and every day when I think of my chickens and not having them here with me. I never knew how a flocks of birds could have such a hold on my heart.

And finally, in moving forward into the new year, I am reminded of all the things I had to let go of in order to propel me into making the decisions we made about our future. I had to let go of thoughts that had been responsible for some negative impacts of my life. Things that for years had me believing I'd never go back to the place where we would end up moving to. Things that if I allowed myself to think about, would cause panic attacks and dread and allowed me only to feel a total since of safety from it all, at our old home, my safe haven. It's funny how it has taken almost a lifetime to over come some of those feelings of fear and dread, and enough so that I moved back to a place I said I'd never return. It is also not so funny how on my very first day back, I was unexpectedly reminded of why I felt that way in the first place for all of my adult life. Some things I guess are never the same, but then again, they never change at all. I now know, I still have a bit of letting go to work on as this new year unfolds, remnants of 2015 if you will, are still around. But I know now, I am at a place in my life that I can do that, I just need a little more time with all of the emotions and newness of what all twenty-fifteen brought about in our lives.

So what are my words for the new year? Well, to be frank, I decided I'd not pick any words for this year. In all honestly, I was afraid to do so after discovering the power of those two words had in my life last year. No matter how hard the letting go was, it will all be for the best as this year unfolds, that I know, but forgive me if I say that I was a little afraid to chose words for this year.

So instead....I am working my way through twenty-sixteen a little differently. I read online about a gratitude/joy jar for each and every day of the new year and knew right away that was something that would benefit me in a huge way. You can see the facebook  post that inspired me HERE. I have added a new button on my sidebar as a reminder to keep adding to the jar, even on days I may find it hard to do so. I expect there to be lessons in this process to learn, and maybe, just maybe ease into this new year feeling a little more positive from all that I let go of in 2015.  Maybe, just maybe this will be a jumping board to eagerly anticipate all that is to come in twenty-sixteen and look forward to it all in a positive and joyful way. 

Happy New Year my friends, be kind to those you encounter either by chance or day to day. You truly never know what kind of inner battle someone may be fighting on the inside, no matter how happy they seem on the outside. Show gratitude and joy in all things....that is my mantra for the new year.

In Five Days...........

Neighbors.....the longtime, lifetime neighbors. The neighbors who know your every habit and routine and you pretty much know theirs. The neighbors who are dubbed "those neighbors" who do things that make you just shake your head. It takes all types to make up a neighborhood, some better than others, some a little more crazy than the next, but all are memorable in one way or the other.

The neighbor across the street who has lived here all her life. Bless her heart, she calls me regularly to just see "what I know" and shares magazines and flowers with me. We share a love for roses and she loves to sit in her chair by the big front window and look at all my beautiful roses, and then question her daughter as why my roses look better than her own. She knows our every move and watches our house when we are gone to work. I will miss that sweet lady most of all.

The neighbor down the street who thinks he has the whole neighborhood buffaloed into believing he is a code blue citizen. Which, by the way he is not..but he tells the story that he is. Truth be told, he is most likely the one who is the most scared of anything and everything. Heck, I protect the street far better than he thinks he can. Truth.

The neighbor down the street who every morning used to pick up my father-in-law's newspaper from the yard and put it on his porch, because it was the right thing to do and she was there any way. The one who we have a connection with all the way back when our kids were in the same class in school.

The fairly new to the street neighbor who we call "the neighbor" who moved in next door and transformed a run down dilapidated house into a really nice home. When he moved in, I was the crazy nosy neighbor that stuck my nose where it did not belong, but we became fast friends. He is the neighbor who purchased Betty, my first hen and brought her home to Benny when he still lived in the field. The neighbor who is sad we are leaving and was worried he had not been a good neighbor and might have been the cause for us to want to move. The neighbor who brings me food from his family functions because he knows I have a love for authentic mexican food. I will miss "the neighbor" an awful lot!

Year after year, you form bonds with the ones who live just on the outside of your day to day life. They are the ones who come out of their respective houses when there is a crisis on the street or someone is in need. They all know what the other is doing and keeps a vigil watch most of the time. I will miss these good neighbors and I hope my impact on their lives has meant as much to them as theirs has to me. Its rather ironic that the ones you take for granted when they pass in and around your daily life become pretty special when you think of not seeing them every day.

In a few short days, the pesky, nosy neighbor who resides in the house in the middle of the street will not reside there any more. The one that watches out the windows to see what is going on or what isn't. The one who will boldly walk into the yard of her neighbors and question a stranger as to why they are there and what they are doing if she does not think they belong there. The one who notices when the little lady across the streets light is not own at dark and can't get her to answer the phone and will call the police to come check on her. The one who boldly puts herself into the lives of her neighbors in one way or another and cheerfully does so. The one who keeps watch on the street will drive away and a new set of neighbors will move into that little house in the middle of the street. They will become the new neighbors to all of my old neighbors......in just five days.
~ my heart is heavy at the very thought.

Happy New Year......Welcome Twenty-fifteen

Happy New Year!! The first day of a brand new year.......what will be different? What will be the same? How do you feel about that? What can you do to make things in your life better? Lots of questions spinning in my head the dawn of this day.


I find myself with lots of questions about these things on the beginning of a whole new year. It occurred to me that many years I have faced the prospect of a new year and hopeful some things will be different. However, when it is time to see the year out, I discover that as so many times before, things are still the same. Nothing has changed at all. Then, I play the blame game...and the only one responsible for that was myself.

Twenty-fourteen was not one of the best years in the record books, but it certainly was not the worst one either. There was lots of sadness and a huge share of unrest during the past year. That is normal on the grand scheme of things, but when looking back over the year and there are stand out moments that pierce your soul....sometimes, like it or not, there has to be a common factor for those types of stand out memories, good or bad.

Twenty-fourteen did however, have some wonderful, joyful and totally unexpected stand out moments for me as well. It's the little things that surprisingly enough make the largest impact on your day. I found that very thing this past year when a young rooster wandered into the field behind my house. A rooster of all things. I never liked birds, never wanted chickens, never had an interest in them at all, and never, and I mean never had a desire for fresh eggs. That one little rooster wrapped his feathers around my heart and I found myself to be a backyard chicken keeper. I have never looked back." The Chicken Resort" was born....I have shared a lot of this journey on facebook, but will share more here on my blog this next year. The lesson for me was don't over look the little things, because those are the things that become big things. I can attest to that..joy was surely found in my back yard and I would never have imagined it to be so. The Chicken Resort is really a stand out moment and was certainly unexpected.

Twenty-fifteen is here.....the dawn of a new year. This year I have adopted two words that I will most definitely apply to my life throughout the year. The last part of twenty-fourteen opened my eyes to a lot of things and one of them was the fact I can not keep holding on to things that do not bring happiness or make my life better.  I have held on to many things for far too many years in the hopes of all of this will make my life happier, better, or complete. I have learned finally, that just is not the case. It is now time to let go of it all. It is time to focus on what I need to do to get where I want to end up. It may very well mean changing how I think, feel or react to things things, but letting go of all the negativity that surrounds an unrealistic way of thinking should be a positive start in the right direction.

"Letting go" will certainly be the running anthem for the new year in every aspect of my life. I have decided that by doing that....I will be freeing myself from facing a new year with the same unrealistic hope that things will just change on their own. If change is to come, I have to make the changes. It will be like a breath of fresh air. Hanging on to things...and I have lots of things is first and foremost in the letting go part of my new year. Hanging on to unrealistic ideals and opinions of people in my life will go as well. If they don't bring joy or appreciate the joy I try to bring to the relationships, then they will be let go of as well or the very least scaled down.


I am hopeful for a new year that the right changes will have the most impact  in my life. For me, I get stuck in a rut and wait for someone, something to make it better. I have not lived up to my potential for several years and for the first time in my life, I see what has, or what I have allowed to hold me back. I am going to "Let Go" of all of those things, and I am looking ahead at Twenty-fifteen with a heart wide open for what is to come.

Blogging friends...I am back! Thank you one and all who certainly impacted my life during December in a huge way. You truly, TRULY have no idea of the impact you made on my heart and thoughts in the last couple of weeks. I am forever thankful for my wonderful friends from afar! My heart sisters!!

Now....stop and think about what your words will be for the New Year....no resolutions...just actions!!   Letting Go!!

Looking Ahead for Twenty-Fourteen and Fondly Saying Goodbye to Twenty-Thirteen

Saying goodbye to twenty-thirteen is kinda bittersweet. It was a year of first on a lot of levels, some good, others not so good. One thing it did provide was a new outlook on things in my life and a new found gratitude for the things I often take for granted.

Both my husband and I had minor issues with our health, but that being said, he was in ICU the beginning of the year and I had surgery in the summer, and if that wasn't enough, we finished December with another minor surgery for my husband. I learned a lot from all of these health experiences. The major ones were neither he or myself make a great patient and we are both about as chicken as chicken can be. If you could only imagine the sights of the two of us trying to take care of the other.....I like to rule with the iron fist when I am the nurse taking care of the patient and I like to rule with a iron fist when I am the patient, and not too sure the nurse is competent. Yes....it's all about lessons learned.

Above all the lessons learned this year, the one of taking care of your health is first and foremost. I took that lesson seriously, and decided to try and lose some weight this fall. I was able to drop 21 pounds, but then the hustle and bustle of the holidays rolled around, and I sorta just stopped obsessing about losing any more weight. I decided to hop on the scale the other day and was thrilled I had not gained any of that lost weight back, so I am confident to jump back on the band wagon and keep working towards my goal.

I learned that its ok to not be able to do all I think I should be doing, whether it be housework, cooking, cleaning, sewing or just surviving the day. I may need to work on not being so lenient with myself in 2014 as I am thinking my word for the new year will be "simplify." I seriously have come to a point where I am sure less is totally more....and this next year, I plan on trying to downsize and pass on some of the things I have told myself I have to keep for so many years. I know it will be a challenge, but I am up for it.

I also learned, that the most amazing experiences can turn into moments you will never forget. This fall, I casually mentioned to my brother of an event in Dallas coming up and I had thought about going. I never dreamed he would have taken that to heart, but he did. He purchased tickets for us to go. I could hardly believe it. I don't recall ever in my adult life spending an evening with my brother..just me and him. It truly, in all it could be, was the highlight of twenty-thirteen from start to finish.

He picked me up and we were off to Dallas to see Theresa from Long Island Medium. I could hardly contain myself as I expected that show to be the highlight of the evening. I expected a reading and to hear from a family member who is no longer here. Sadly, it was sort of a let down when that did not happen, but in all actuality, that was not the lasting memory of the evening.

True to Dallas fashion, the traffic was starting to back up as we made our way into Dallas, so my brother got off the freeway and took an alternate route, which happened to take us over the new Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, which of course I had never seen or been on......Dallas and myself are not often two words in the same sentence!  I expected the road across that bridge to be packed with cars, but the most amazing thing was, there was no cars AT ALL on that bridge but one. As we started across the bridge, we noticed a car stopped on the side of the road. There was a girl standing beside the car and a guy on one knee, and he obviously had just proposed to his girlfriend, and we saw the tail end of that event. My brother honked his horn and said they would always remember someone honking at them at that very moment, I have to agree, I believe they surly will.  It was sort of a magical moment to the start the evening.

We had plenty of time before we needed to be at SMU for the event, so my brother drove me to where Klyde Warren Park sets over a busy freeway in Dallas. I have heard about this park and always wanted to go, but had no idea where it was. My husband and I have talked about going there, but as things go, we just never had done it. The park was enchanting and I really enjoyed that part of Dallas and all the buildings surrounding that area. It was amazing seeing a part of Dallas I had no idea even existed, I loved it.

Once we made it to SMU and parked, we still had plenty of time and we walked across the road and ate tacos from a little taco place called Diggs Taco Shop. It was good and I enjoyed our meal....I enjoyed it so much I almost choked on my taco, but that is another story!

It was truly an enjoyable evening spent with my brother. I never would have thought it would have been marked as my most memorable moment from the year, but it was. I will always treasure that evening...even if I did not get the reading from Teresa that I was so sure I was going to get. The event was exactly what Teresa said it would be at the beginning, which was that it was entertainment, she was enchanting and funny just as you see her on television. Some of the things she talked about have stuck with me and I won't soon forget them. I appreciate the fact my brother wanted to take me to see her, as words can never really explain how much that has and does mean to me. I am so glad that it was in the other things we did that night that proved to be the front runner of the evening as far as memories go.  It was a enchanting night from start to finish.

Twenty-thirteen provided an opportunity to reconnect with family members whom I have not seen or heard from in all of my adult life. Once again, facebook provides a great outlet for that very thing. It has been heartwarming to reconnect with people I remember so fondly from my childhood and whom are still around to share bits of my life with and share bits of theirs. Family is family no matter how old we get or how long it has been since we looked at each other face to face. I am grateful for "finding" my relatives this year, they add a lot to my every day life and I am thankful for that.

I don't know what twenty-fourteen holds, but I am looking forward to whatever it may be. I plan on simplifying so many things this next year, I have a list of things I want to get done, and plan to check them off the list one by one.

Quilting will still be a front runner, and as this year starts, I am already staring behind the ball on several things that need to be finished or started. I try and not put so much pressure on myself, but it is a hard thing for me to do. I have set goals for my family, and intend to see them met. I pray I have the patience to deal with any adversity that may come in the process of meeting these said goals.

May we all find peace within ourselves, find joy in every day things, be optimistic about the future and get as much enjoyment as we can out of the new year. May we learn to appreciate the things we often take for granted and never forget we could lose it all in a blink of an eye.

Wishing us all peace and happiness for twenty-fourteen.

 Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.
- John Wayne

What's on the Horizon?? Back To A Routine

After a lengthy recuperating period this summer from surgery, today I will venture back to work. I am ready, as ready as I ever will be, but worried how ready I will be to crash when I get home. Baby steps...I keep telling myself that.

I have really counted my blessings in all my wonderful friends who made these last few weeks bearable. Thank you is just not adequate enough. Friends really are the family we can choose for ourselves. They are the ones who are there when no one else is looking, they lend a hand, and keep your spirits up. Friends..... where would you be without them?!

Have a great week everyone....lend a hand to someone in need, randomly do something nice for someone, look around you and you will find inspiration on your daily walk and more times than not, an opportunity to make a difference will present itself. Be a blessing to someone else instead of waiting for someone to bless you. You won't believe the difference it will make in your own life when you do that. It is the easiest thing ever.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have been slack for far too many weeks, I think I hear my old routine calling....just can't make up my mind if I am ready to answer it just yet!

I have lots of emails I am in the process of answering...if you have sent one lately and asked a question about something...I am working on those. I seem to be behind in everything, but I will get to your emails...hopefully within the next couple of weeks. ~ Take care!

" What You Don't Know, Can't Hurt You"

I don't know about you, but I tend to be one who suffers and endures things for long periods of time. I tend to do that instead of reaching deep within myself to gather the courage to do something about the issue.

Aside from blaming my problem on procrastination when it comes to health issues, most of the time the real culprit is plain ole fear of facing the truth. Or, perhaps it is the truth of the unknown or what could be discovered that cause me to endure the inconveniences that certain health problems create.

Far too long, I chose to live with the motto "what you don't know can't hurt you" and still, even today, I tend to carry that as my life anthem. That is what fear does to you folks, sad but true.

What do you think happens when you have endured all you can for months and months and it causes your life to be completely non-existent? The struggles of day to day life get so heavy, it is all you can do to make it through one day at a time.

 Likewise, ultimately, while dealing with one's own inner health struggles, slowly but surely, those around you don't get there is anything wrong. You are suddenly, and are falsely accused of not putting your family first. These same family members don't really care to look closer and even wonder if there could be a problem other than the false accusations they hurl your way. Is it a six sense that causes close relatives to turn their back on you? Never call? Funny, after months and months of that sort of treatment, you realize you really are not that important anyway to those individuals.

Finally one day, you wake up and realize the only person you are responsible for is yourself....and if you need fixing, than it is your own responsibility to get yourself fixed up and back on the road to enjoying life.  I don't always feel the need to "tell" anyone what is going on or what is wrong, simply because I carry things on my own and deal with them accordingly. One thing I have sadly learned is those that care, related to you or not, will be there even when you are not doing or acting in a way they feel they deserve from you.

A few weeks ago, I did what I knew needed to be done for a long time. I made the step into taking care of some personal health problems. I told no one, with the exception of my husband and kids and a few close friends...there was really no need, as I was worried enough for everyone. I went into that experience with the attitude, "what you don't know can't hurt you", kept it to myself and pushed myself to get it taken care of.

You had better know there is more to this story, and well, like any good storyteller, I intend to tell it in hopes of bringing a chuckle or two.

First thing to remember is this...the doctors are so very quick to tell you that your discomfort will be minimum and you will feel fine very quickly. They insist this procedure you are having has been done hundreds of times and the bounce back time is nothing. They insist in all honesty you will be back to work in less than two weeks. They say these things because they are not the ones going through any of it. That is the truth and you won't convince me otherwise. Luckily for me, my husband agrees 100% with me. Doctors promise you the moon and then shake their heads when your rocket never reaches the moon they promised to begin with.

Stay tuned for later in the week when I continue with this story and tell you how my discomfort was compared to a couple of cats by my very own doctor. I. Kid. You. Not.

Confessions of a Cook in the Kitchen

Everyone has a secret or two, don't you agree? The problem may not be in the secret itself but in the fact you forgot you never confessed the secret until...oh....about twenty-eight years later.

Let me start off by giving you a little background to the truth: When my husband and I first started dating I wanted to impress him with my home cooking. Because we all know the way to a man's heart is through food.....yea, whatever. Oh, I could cook a few things at that time in my life, but I quickly ran out of ideas on cooking great dishes that were not repeats. Unfortunately for me, I did not grow up with the convenience of internet to search recipes online. No, I had to search my brain for friends who could cook great dishes and ask them how or would they make it. Yes, I so did that.

Now, my best friend's mother made some of my favorite dishes. One of my favorites was her lasagna. Oh, she made the best lasagna. So one day, I shamefully called her up and asked her if I purchased all the ingredients for her lasagna, would she make it for me. She quickly offered to give me the recipe (which she did and I still make it today) but I was afraid I'd mess it up since I had never made it before. I explained that to her and I remember she just laughed but agreed to make it. It was a huge relief. Seriously.

So the day my then boyfriend/now husband was coming over for dinner, I dropped all the ingredients off at my friend's house before I went to work, and picked it up on my way home. If I tell you that I flew like the wind to get home so I could pop that pan of lasagna in the oven (so it would appear I had cooked it) would you believe me?? Wait...don't answer that! The results however, were exactly what I wanted...he loved the lasagna, and I assume, he thought I was a magnificent cook with that meal and some of the other things I felt confident in cooking...he married me after all ;-)

I am sure you are wondering if I felt bad for that little indiscretion and letting him assume I had made that dinner. I really did not, no sire. I mean after all, I did learn to make that wonderful lasagna myself, and well, no harm was done.I had forgotten that little secret of mine from long ago until a one night this weekend.

My daughter wanted to do something nice for a boyfriend who lives out of town. She very cleverly got him to confess to her what his favorite cookies were and she made a plan to make some and send them to him in the mail as a surprise. They were well received and he loved them. He loved them so much that he told my daughter that they were much better than the cookies his very own mother made him.

He told her that his mothers cookies sometimes tended to by dry..and hers were perfect and wonderful. Now, that would be the conclusion to a happy ending, all except for one small little problem. He assumed my daughter had made those cookies from scratch and he thought they were better than his own mothers...and the fact of the matter was she purchased the cookie dough at the store. Ahem.

I am here to report that my daughter, just like her mother, did not say anything to her friend. She did not confess about the cookies.....but after about three weeks of him bringing the subject up, she decided enough was enough. She could not, with a clear conscience hear him say how great she was and how wonderful she was in making him those cookies, and how great they tasted one more time. She had stood all she could stand and one night she replied..."yea....about that"....and she came clean.

She told him that she had purchased the cookie dough from the store and they were not made from scratch...not really homemade. Luckily, he did not care about that and was more concerned with the sweet gesture made by my daughter. Her conscience bothered her in the fact he assumed she had made them from scratch....She is so unlike her mother!

Last week as my husband and I were talking over dinner, I had told him about her and the cookies. He laughed, but really did not pay me too much attention as he was in the middle of enjoying his grilled steak and potatoes. I continued on with my story and compared it to when I served him lasagna long ago before we were married and how I had not even made it.

There sat my husband, with his fork stabbed into a piece of steak suspended in mid air, just mere inches from his mouth and he stopped mid stream, tilted his head to the side and asked, "What did you say???" 

 I threw my head up from looking at my own plate and when I looked at him I knew right away this was clearly news to him. Likewise,what do you say when you have let the cat and the kittens out of the bag with your big mouth. I guess I thought I had told him that little story earlier in our marriage. Nope. Clearly it was a surprise.

He did not say it, but I know he secretly thanked his lucky stars that our daughter could not keep a secret like that for twenty-eight years. In fact, she could not keep it three weeks.

Moral of this story: Always raise your kids to be better than you consider yourself to be and if you have something to confess....just tell it and get it over with, because you will get to a point you won't remember if they know the truth or not and telling on yourself is not always how you want the story to end! Luckily, I learned to cook rather well even if I started out rather slow and a little dishonest!

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Love and Faith

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

Time certainly marches on, it waits for no one. I have found myself very busy these days with lots of things I need to get done. Am I making progress?? I would say not so much. I find myself preoccupied and that keeps me from being productive.

This is a wall plaque that is one of two that came in a set during the 1970's from Home Interiors. I had both, one said Love the other Faith. I remember when I thought I had out grown these and I am sure we sold them in  a garage sale, but if you remember, I have been on a spree of buying back my childhood one object at a time. Guess some would say the cause is entering your second childhood. I am not sure exactly what to call it. 

With current events that have occurred recently for me, these hold a particular reminder of how matters of the heart that cut deep into our soul, always involve love. Matters of the heart can and most always tip the balance between disappointment and joyous acceptance of things we can not control. It is difficult when walking that thin line to ignore the pain in your heart, especially when you feel it is breaking but knowing in your mind, things will be the way they were meant to be. I don't do well with letting it go and getting over things. I acknowledge the pain, I cry - even if it means tears for days, and then I struggle for my heart to feel better. I will get to the feel better....just not yet, even if acceptance is granted,  it takes a bit for my heart to heal.

It  takes a lot of faith to know the pain will ease and it will be easier to be completely happy in the midst of the pain. It is hard to describe or understand how you can be thrilled and happy about something, but at the same time, a sadness so great, that is hard to describe. Love and Faith always sees us through.

I write things here on my blog that may not make a lot of sense to some, but the words written down seem to help me in a small way. I could be referencing one thing or several things that are going on all at once, the meanings are clear to me and that is what matters. Some who personally know me may try to connect the dots, but don't assume you know the topics of my writings. Even if it is written down, I usually just skim the surface of my meanings.

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday......glad you stopped by today!

Menopause Should Come With Instructions

Do you ever feel like you have experienced most of the unpleasant things surrounding womanhood and fully expect all of those types of things to end when you approach or experience menopause? If you are like me, you will quickly agree that pre-menopause or menopause certainly don't come with a list of instructions. Fifty million women across North America are approaching or experiencing menopause and most have an average of five menopausal symptoms. But no two experiences are exactly alike. I would be interested to see how many of those fifty million women go through it alone and do not consult their doctor to ease some of the discomfort of this stage in life. I can honestly say that because if I am honest here, I would fall under that category myself. I certainly don't recommend going through menopause alone, and consulting a doctor to ease some of the unpleasant symptoms is really a good idea. But if you are like me, you feel that menopause sort of sneaked up on you and the symptoms can be trying at best to deal with.

I was offered a chance to review some products by Poise Feminine Wellness Line and was pleasantly surprised with the results of the products I tested. In fact, The 2013 Product of the Year award-winning Poise Feminine Wellness line was introduced to help women approach these changes with confidence. The line consists of five products designed to help women with feeling fresh, staying cool, and intimacy.

The line of Poise Products includes: Roll-On Cooling Gel and Body Cooling Towelettes provide hot flash comfort. My package included the Body Cooling Towelettes and these were the first products that I tried. These towelettes are hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested and provided instant cooling. Specifically, one of the most amazing things about these towelettes was that they provided an instant cooling sensation. Body Cooling Towelettes offer instant cooling and refreshment. Gently wipe the towelette on wrists, chest or neck to feel cool and comfortable. Featuring a portable, re-sealable package, these towelettes are easy to use anywhere you go. This is a product that would be great for women of any age. Personal Lubricant provides long lasting lubrication to enhance your intimate experience. This lubricant features an easy to use bottle and is made without Fragrance, Glycerin or Parabens. While there are many types of lubricant out on the market, I have to be honest here, and say I had never tried any of those types of products before. I am learning that "dealing with these unpleasant" bodily changes is not something that has to be endured. Poise  has designed wonderful products for women our age who are going through all of these types of symptoms, and these products really help comfort during this stage in life. After trying the personal lubricant, I can wholeheartedly recommend this product and I feel sure my husband would have no complaints as well. All I wanted to ask myself was "Who Knew?"  This really is a wonderful product, beautifully and discretely packaged and this will be something I continue to use in the future. Panty Fresheners and Feminine Wash provide daily freshness from odors. Panty Fresheners have a fresh and clean scent that lasts up to four hours. I was most excited about the Poise panty fresheners.

As my body seems to not be able to make up its mind if I am through menopause or not, these were great to try and keep on hand for a "just in case" moment. For most of my adult life, I have been pretty loyal to one or two products to help ease the unpleasantness of once a month accordance. After trying Poise panty liners, I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh and clean I felt and how easy they were to carry with me on the go. I would recommend trying these for yourself, I found the long liners gave me the extra confidence I needed to not worry about any mishaps during my day. The Feminine Wash provides daily freshness with a unique formulation that is pH balanced for your intimate area. Glycerin and paraben free, this gentle wash will help you feel clean and confident. I found the Feminine Wash pleasant to use and added the feeling of clean and refreshed during the days I needed a little extra. I myself, know I am not completely out of menopause yet, and honestly I don't know how many more years or months I will have to deal with this stage in my life. I often wish I had had a guide for what to expect and how to deal with things a couple of years ago. That would have explained a lot and I maybe would have done things a bit differently. I do know however, that no matter what the time frame will be for this stage to pass, I have found several products that will make the journey a bit easier.  Women can go to the Poise Facebook page to learn more about the Poise Feminine Wellness Line and sign up for a coupon or sample.

Now, since I have shared some rather personal life facts here about myself, I have to ask you all a question. “How are you approaching life's changes confidently?” Are you just trudging along like I found myself doing, or are you embracing the changes and marching forward? There is no right or wrong answer here, I just think it is a sensitive subject that many women could benefit from themselves by reading others experiences. Each comment will automatically be entered for a $100 Visa gift card.

 
Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 4/04/13-4/30/13.
Be sure to visit the Poise brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

March Roared In Like a Lion......and not in a good way.

March roared in like a lion for me this year. With the coming of March, also unexpected things happened and the most eye opening lessons learned as well. I was happy to bid March goodbye as even up until the very last second of that month, the lion still roared. I still hear the loud lengthy roar in my head and am most weary from it all.

Short version of the month past is the first of the month my husband fell ill and was hospitalized in ICU. He is better now and is feeling better, but not where I want him to be. That might have been just enough of out of the ordinary to handle, but that ole lion had other plans for the rest of the month. He decided to make his presence known around every turn and keep his paw in more than what should have been allowed. It has been a draining time. I know just because the month ended that does not mean the shadow of that lion is not still around. I hope his presence weakens and hope I have the courage to face whatever the shadow cast on our walls.

With that being said, I certainly learned a lot from the month of March. Sometimes it takes a crises to open our eyes at what we choose not to see. It is easy to overlook what you really don't want to face and pretend things are not as they are. What the Month of March taught me are listed below, a reminder if I need to re-read them as I keep thinking of days ahead.

1. I learned that my thoughts on growing older have been easier to handle by totally ignoring any of the signs that presented themselves to me. It is easier to dismiss what you don't want to see or acknowledge, then it is to face it head on. I remember feeling utter shock as I sat in my husbands hospital room and wondered how and when we became "old". Seriously....how did that happen....the only way to describe that was shock. I learned that our hourglass has run out of sand and now it is time to face the music and do something about all the things we have ignored. Total wake up call.

2. I learned that the people who should be there for you in a crisis won't be. I also learned it is in those who you would never expect to fill those shoes do so and do it so willingly. I also learned that it does not matter how much you have done for individuals in the past, how much time you have invested in them, how much thought and love went into trying to enrich their lives and make their life easier when they needed it. You can never expect the same in return. It is better to expect nothing. Less hurt that way. (I also know it is not in the things that I have done that should make me deserving of anything. It is just when the people who you would expect to be there in some capacity, and when they are not...well.....you get the idea.)

3. I learned where I focus a lot of my time is time wasted. I learned that things that occupy my free time is not what is really important in the grand scheme of things. I am making adjustments.

4. I learned that my own fear is crippling. So much so it clouds good judgement. So much so, that no matter the fact, I know what I need to do, it is so hard to take that first step. I am a work in progress. I need to find the courage and find it quick.

5. I learned that everyone will not respect your story as your own. After much thought, I am not sure it is a lack of respect of the story, but of the people themselves. I find that folks want to know all the details of a crisis, not because it is any of their business, but simply they want to have something to go tell every person they can think of from the far regions. Funny thing is, these are the same people who demand respect for their particular stories and expect them not to be told. I have a dear friend who in passing told me she did not give out any details of what was going on...she told me it was not her story to tell. Respect and care for me was her concern. She really has no idea how this radiated with me. I know the value of this friend.

6. I learned that from now on, when I offer to help someone and ask if there is anything I can do, I know that question is just is not enough. I learned that when a person is going through something hard, they have no idea what they need. Seriously. I told caller after caller that I did not need anything but thanks anyway. Luckily, some folks decided they would take matters into their own hands. They provided exactly what I (we) needed even with strong protest from me in the process. I told myself that I would never ask again....I would put something into action. Big lesson learned here.

7. I learned to never take for granted the people who fill your heart with happiness....because it can all come crashing down in a blink of an eye.

8. I learned that life is so short and for years I have overlooked that fact and lived like I had all the time in the world. I am so fearful I won't have the time left to do all I had hoped to do. Make each day count...we are never ever guaranteed another day after this one.

9. I learned that there are things that happen that can not be explained where others understand them. It is not a part of their story and if they choose not to believe like you do that is ok. If I have learned one thing about myself it would be I am gifted many unusual things that occur in my life and it is because I am open to the unexplainable and I believe and see the meaning when they occur. It is a blessing.

10. I learned that no matter how heavy your heart is, no matter how tired you are, no matter how fearful you are of the truth, no matter how you feel you can't take another step towards the unknown - you can. You must. You will.

I am expecting that lion to decide to sleep again soon and things return to how I would prefer them to be. This photo sorta sums up how I feel about that....better keep a look out for that lion even if he decides to sleep....he might be peaking around the corner of his eye. 

Things very well may be different than what I had a month ago, but different is better than not at all. Here's hoping for a wonderful Spring as we welcome in April and hoping I don't hear that roar in my head for a while.

Happy Easter!

........Spring is coming......and I am so ready!

Today is The Day!!! Sammie Offers His Advice.......

No matter your party affiliate....don't think for one minute your vote does not matter or will count. It does. Each. And. Every. Vote.

If you have not voted....be sure to not let your American Right and privilege pass you by on this day! And with that......I don't know about you.....but I myself, am most thankful that is it ALMOST OVER!!!

Reminder: Secret Santa Soiree signups are taking place. The swap will close on Friday. Click HERE to enter if you'd like to participate!

What I am doing today......

.....aside from the usual, like getting the laundry done and ready for the week, or a quick trip to the grocery store for groceries I might need for the week, or doing a little housework that needed to be done from the past week.......

I decided to tackle trying to get a little headway on my sewing room. It is out of control. Actually, more like I am out of control. I sat in that room this morning and looked around and seriously had a thought that if I started today sewing with all of the fabric I have, I'd not outlive using it all up.

How is this possible, that I have not been quilting that long, and to have a room full like I do is rather shameful. This is just one small corner.....(that I am willing to show) And...in defense of this mess, these are two sets of fabrics I am using at the moment to make my jubilee quilts. The problem I have is that  I don't buy small amounts of fabrics, I buy YARDAGE. I guess I do that so I have enough and not run out......but in all actuality, I won't want to use this fabric again in another quilt. Right? .......Right?? Not yardages of it anyway. Gads!

I did manage to pack a box of stuff I don't need and know I won't use. I have another box that is the same type of stuff and I just need to remove it from the room. I always have bright ideas and pinterest is a huge influence on those ideas, but somehow they don't come to life and I get tired of looking at the materials for projects I have lost interest in.

For at least the NEXT YEAR.....

I am not going to buy another piece of fabric. I will use what I have and make due.

I am not entering any more giveaways for fabric via blogs....no matter how tempting it is.

I am not going to take advantage of any more GREAT deals via Facebook or the internet. In fact, I unliked several of those sights this morning from facebook.

I am not going to the LQS and shop their bargain shelves.

I am going to weed out some of this expensive fabric and precuts I have been holding onto and list them in my etsy shop soon.I will be happy when someone wants to purchase it for their own projects.


Once I get this room more manageable and I feel like I can breath in that room....I am next going to cull out a lot, or more like most all of the vintage dishes I have stored everywhere. I need to lighten my load and I have decided I don't need this stuff anymore like I used to feel I did. I always had big plans on using all of this stuff but the likelihood of that happening is slim to none and I am tired of seeing it all over the house.

Of course, I should have decided to do this when the weather was a lot better and had a garage sale. Now the weather is not the best which means I still need to find a place to store it all until I can have a sale. But rest assured....it is going. And soon.

The Voice Of Your Comments

Blog Comments.....we all love them, we love getting them. For many, even in the hustle and bustle, we read a post and comment, or maybe we don't comment at all. That comment could take the form of a pat on the back, or a high five at a great find or a word of encouragement.

What happens when a comment you left for someone takes on a voice in that persons ear that is totally not the voice you had in your heart? It happens, and it happened to me and I have to say, I was left feeling pretty bad about the whole thing, still do.

Worse yet, being totally unaware that anything I had said would have been offensive, I found out about it via a blog post. My name was not mentioned, but my words jumped off the page at ME as I read the post about the situation. First thing I thought was.."Oh, my gosh...what did I say???" and discovered when I went to reread my words that yes, I did use those certain words, but they were interpreted and taken totally out of content from the way I meant them.

What was worse, I quickly discovered because that is what we do, (go read who the nasty person is that would say such a thing) that my comment was the only one that contained those certain words...so "Outed for all of BLOG LAND to read".......I was crushed. Truly. Not so much as to the "outing" but more so of the fact that my words seemed to carry a voice in someones ear,  that does not match my heart and they were deemed offensive to another person.

In visiting blogs and commenting, I don't know about you, but I read the post and sometimes I just fire off a comment without much thought to how my words will read. I know in my heart and head what I mean by them, but what happens when someone else does not hear it in the same tone or get what you are saying?

It is a lesson for me that I need to be more careful how I say things because the farthermost thing from my heart is to offend someone who I take the time to leave a comment for. I know there are folks out there that do enjoy leaving comments that are not so nice, but I don't fall under that category, that is not who I am.

Likewise, I have often read comments left for others and when I read them, thought to myself..that was rude....but maybe the person who the comment was left for never felt that way. It is all in the way we read something I guess that determines the interpretation. Everyone walks a different path and maybe we pull feelings from words we read from past experiences or hurts in our own lives. What someone says to one person may be fully understood but saying the very same thing to another, well it becomes judgmental and offensive.

My response to all of this was to immediately email the person and tell them that I did not mean what I said the way they read it, and apologize. Honestly, that was probably not the best thing to do either.....but I felt it was right to do.

All I know is I need to be more mindful of how my words will read to someone else because the very last thing I want to do moving forward is to have to apologize for offending anyone and trying to explain that the voice they heard was not the voice of my heart.

Life lesson today: Choose your words very carefully.

There Are Days...........

There are days when you want to be somewhere but can't, because you have obligations to be at another place.

There are days when your mind drifts to a certain person and tears sting your eyes as you think of the unfairness in the fact they are no longer here.

There are days when you question that unfairness and feel your heart break a bit for they have missed out on lots of very important happenings.

There are days when you stand and look at a father with tears falling from his eyes as he gazes at his new grandson, cradled in the arms of his only daughter for the very first time.

There are days when you think it impossible so much time has past and that new mother was just a child herself, only a few years ago.

There are days when you are so thankful to have had the opportunity to wake in the morning and experience so many wonderful moments the day has held.

There are days when you suddenly feel older than dirt at the thought of being a "great" anything to anyone...even if it is only an Aunt.

There are days that you will remember forever as being special to your heart....this was one of those days.

When my facebook status is put to the test........

For those of you who follow me on facebook, you may very well remember my status about two weeks ago. My husband had been gone on vacation for only about two days and I soon discovered a real eye opener....my status read:

"dear husband.....I have discovered you do more than just watch TV......I will never say that again.......hurry home......but enjoy your vacation...... ♥"


So imagine yesterday if you will, the day after he returned home from his extended vacation. I was running around the house trying to unpack his bags, start a mountain of laundry (his laundry), all the while doing all the normal housework chores for a Saturday.


I walked down the hall in the middle of all of that and this is what I see......at 2:00 pm in the afternoon......

.....somehow, I think he got wind of my facebook status a few weeks ago and intends to take me at my word......ahem!!!


Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there....Happy Fathers day to my husband who is an amazing dad and friend!! 

I am cooking his favorite meal today, and canning some more pickles..(we have cucumbers running out our ears) I hope to maybe find a minute to do a little sewing.


One thing I have learned....be careful what you say on the internet...there are too many witnesses.... and you just might have to keep your promise!! Have a great Sunday everyone!!!

Tell Me Tuesday: Cancelled this week...............

.....there will be no Tell me Tuesday this week......I have suddenly been thrown into things and I can keep a schedule......am I happy about it??...no.....am I going to do something about it???....I don't know if I really can.....but I do know I don't have the good sense today to get a post up...I am tired, frazzled, and just not myself...so I will leave you with a cute picture....hopefully, I can be here for Thursday...no promises. Have a little patience.

Sammy enjoying a nap....I wish I was laying down beside him napping right along with him.

Tell Me Tuesday: Week Eleven

Welcome to Tell Me Tuesday.....First off the title is a bit deceiving.....it really is not about you telling me anything.... but answering a question truthfully and maybe telling yourself a little something you had not thought about.

I'd love for you to join me each week, and copy the question onto your blog and answer the question....and link back here. I am sure it will be interesting how there will be many different answers to the same question.....and hopefully give each of us something to think about as this new year progresses. My thought is so many people (including myself) are looking for some answers to various things. I have a feeling that the answers are inside needing to be jiggled loose and maybe a question posed a certain way will have a cause and effect in a good way. We will see how it goes! I have committed to this once a week for the whole year of 2012. I'd love for you to take the challenge with me!

I am keeping the rules simple...I'd love to watch this grow as the year goes on.

1. Grab the button on the sidebar if you like so others can find this new writing experience each week.

2. Once you link in, visit the person who linked in before you and leave them a comment. It would be great to visit and leave comments for as many as you can. But at least try and leave the person ahead of you in the link a comment of support.

3. Please link back to my blog and mention Tell Me Tuesday somewhere in your POST. That is it....easy.

Most of all, look at this writing experience with an open mind. Sometimes the questions will be hard...and require some thought. That is a good thing. Other times it will be easy. You can add photos, or whatever you like to your post. It is about you after all. ~ Thanks for joining me.....I hope you enjoy this each week.


Week Eleven Question:

What is the best part of your average day?


I'd have to say the best part of an average day or any day for me is dinnertime. I usually always have supper ready when my husband comes home and we are able to sit down at the table and have dinner and talk about our day. 


We have always had dinner at the kitchen table, even when the kids were small and growing up. When the kids are home, we eat at the table. It is very, very seldom that we eat anywhere but the kitchen table....maybe Superbowl Sunday but other than that, we really don't.


I think today, far too many families do not practice this habit and it is really an anchoring of the family to each other and a way to communicate without a lot of distractions.


I enjoy cooking, so I enjoy preparing a meal for dinner, and enjoy the fact someone comes home and enjoys eating it and enjoys a few minutes reserved only for us. 

On the flip side of that I have to confess, there are absolutely days when I really don't feel like cooking and if I was honest, my husband would be just as happy to go out to eat. However, I have found that eating out is just not the same as eating a meal at your own kitchen table. 

We usually reserve Saturday's to eat lunch out somewhere and we have done that for many years. It is the evening meal that we usually have at home. I guess it is more of a habit than any thing else, but it is a habit that makes my heart happy and it really is the best part of my day. What about you? What is the best part of your average day?