The Week In Review

I know, I know, I'm behind on my posting. VBS is in full swing and I get home pretty tired, and then I have things to get done here so it's hard to find a moment to sit down without quickly dozing off.

We had Kuzco for the whole week. He was one spoiled puppy! I told my daughter that while he missed them, he would miss my yard a lot more. He was outside several times a day running, playing fetch, and having a good ole time. I enjoyed having him around but was also glad once he left because all those trips outside meant lots of dirt being brought inside. He got picked up late Friday afternoon and I spent Saturday vacuuming and steam cleaning everything. 

My son E has had a cold all week and dog dander didn't help. He's still not feeling his best but thankfully he's doing better.  I took him to the Minute Clinic last Friday because I was concerned he might have asthma but his oxygen levels were normal. He just needs lots of rest; not the easiest thing when he's also got schoolwork (he's doing summer classes this semester).

We got the first tropical storm scare last week. TS Elsa looked like she was gonna come barreling through Central Florida as a category 1 hurricane, but ultimately she lost steam and headed just north of us. We got plenty of rain, though, which meant I had to mow the yard again. I'd only just mowed the week before, but the mix of rain and sunshine energizes the grass. Thankfully I was able to finish it in less time with the help of a second battery for the mower.

This year's VBS theme is Destination Dig. I got an idea from one of the girls from my old church: a photo-op frame in the shape of a jeep. Whenever I saw the picture on Facebook I said, I have got to make one! So I did.

It turned out super cute! It's up as decor in the room for now but we'll use it for pictures later in the week. It was a mission trying to get this made with a puppy underfoot! He followed me around everywhere like my shadow. But I'm so pleased with how it turned out and glad I was able to contribute some decor to the room.

That was it for last week. Like I said, this week has been very busy and we're only halfway done. Next week rest? Hmm, we'll have to see. Have a blessed week y'all.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Welcome to 2021! A new year has begun with hope and promise. Expectations for this new year are high. Yet, does a new year mean the end of a bad year and the beginning of a good one?

The year 2020 has been a struggle for the entire world. COVID-19, coronavirus, pandemic...words we wish would go away once and for all. Folks are expecting a vaccine to fix the problem, but will it? Only time will tell if this virus or one of its strains will finally disappear into oblivion and be nothing more than a mention in history books, or if the situation will worsen and wearing masks becomes the "new normal" (I hate that phrase). 

The 2020 hurricane season is over - thank God! This season has been called "hyperactive" for a reason. There were 25 named storms, nine of which were hurricanes, 10 storms hitting the U.S., five just in Louisiana. I've prayed year after year for protection from the storms, but never had I wanted a hurricane season to end like this past year's. Yes, it's finally over, but what will 2021 bring?

And let's not forget the 2020 elections. You know what? Never mind. Let's forget it. 

Personally, there have been painful moments as well. The passing of my ex-husband's younger brother, then his mother just two months later, has been devastating. His sister's double mastectomy was a shock as well, though thankfully she is recovering well, physically anyway. Emotionally she's a wreck, understandably.

The biggest and most pressing issue in my life right now is the decision I have to make regarding my home situation. My neighbor's harassment has hit an all-time high. He called the police on me five times in the month of December (that I know of); one of those times he told the police he heard gunshots in my house. Gunshots?!?! Really?!?! The lies he tells are off the charts. My only comfort is that the police in our city don't believe him. They've told me the complaints have been shown to be unfounded, which is a huge relief.

I also had to call the police on him five times this past month. One of the times he was banging on my front door like he wanted to knock it off its hinges. He was ordered to stay off my property for 90 days, but that hasn't stopped the incessant noise. These last two weeks have been horrible. As a school teacher (yes, he's an elementary school teacher) he's off from work, so he has lots of time to make a nuisance of himself. Calling the police on me, playing excessively loud music and television, pounding on the walls, and revving his motorcycle in the garage, causing our walls to shake. He often will just go into the garage to rev the motor on his car or motorcycle without actually going anywhere. 

Wednesday he started playing his rock music at 10:25 am, and played it on and off for hours. By 2:30 I was sick of it. I stepped outside and realized I could hear it across the street. I called the police. They tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't answer his door. Instead, he raised the volume on the music. Finally he did turn it off when he saw the police weren't giving up, to my great relief. Of course, that relief wasn't going to last.

New Year's Eve I planned to stay home. I'm not a party person anymore; just give me a peaceful night at home and I'm happy. At 3:00 the music started up again. I tried to ignore it but it was too loud. I turned on my air purifier to see if I could mask the sound; it wasn't working. I ran the clothes dryer and could still hear it. Even the vacuum cleaner didn't mask the noise. Then at 5:14 he went into his garage and began revving his motor. To our shock he took off, leaving the music blaring so loud my floors and walls were shaking. I lost it. I called the police in tears and told them what was going on. The officer has been to my house multiple times so he knows the situation. He waited around for my neighbor, but when he spotted the officer he took off. I know the officer went after him, but I don't know if he was able to catch up with him at any point. I was a wreck; I called my daughter and asked if we could go to her house. My son-in-law not only told me to come, he said I didn't even need to call. We are always welcome at their house. God has blessed me with the best son-in-law I could ask for. We stayed at their house till almost 1:00 am. My daughter wanted me to stay over but God has not given me a spirit of fear. I came home.

I have tried so many ways to get this problem resolved, but I feel like doors continue to be slammed in my face. I don't know if I should fight this, or sell my home and leave. My son wants the latter, but after living here only one year, I would lose a considerable amount of money. There's no way my little townhouse has appreciated enough for me to sell and make a profit; I can't say I'd break even in such a short time. But my son tells me we aren't safe here, and I'm starting to think he might be right. 

Today I spoke to my best friend and realtor. I hadn't told her what was going on because I didn't want her to feel bad knowing she's the one that helped me buy this property, but I needed to vent. I'm convinced God sent her to encourage me. She's a spitfire, is what she is. She is gonna call our attorney next week and the three of us will brainstorm what can be done. I say our attorney because we all went to the same church years ago, and we both have used him in the past. I had emailed him earlier to get advise but he was busy with a court case and said he'd get back to me. She said that's not good enough, and we will speak to him. This way I hope to get a clearer answer from the Lord, whether I should stay here or sell. If I sell, I'd have to move out of South Florida. It's gotten way too expensive to live here. My oldest son lives in Central Florida, and I would head up that way. It's not what my daughter wants to hear, though. She depends on me so much and likes that we are close by. It doesn't make my decision any easier. Ultimately I want to do God's will and not my own. I'm seeking Him for the answers I crave.

God extended His grace to me today. The neighbor played his music on and off all day, but I was able to keep busy and ignore it. I noticed that he turned on his vacuum cleaner and left it running in his entryway or garage (not sure which), thinking it would bother me. It didn't. I only realized what he was doing because I had to get storage containers from my garage to put away the Christmas decor and I heard it then. He was also blasting his television in his bedroom, but I closed my bedroom door and couldn't hear it. 

If there's one thing this situation has taught me, it's to depend on God even more. In my own strength I can't handle this; I would've lost my mind by now. "The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him." (Exodus 15:2). This verse is my reminder each and every day that I have to put my trust in Jesus who redeems me, in my Father who comforts me. I know God will provide a way where there is no way. I don't have to figure this life out on my own, and for that I can be truly thankful. I'm ready for you 2021. Well, my God is ready, and that's enough for me.

The Week In Review

 Every week is a little different. Some are better than others. This one had its good moments, but challenges are never far behind.

As I noted on my previous post, fall decorating has been happening this week. I love any kind of decorating so I've enjoyed putting out new things and seeing how my older treasures mesh with the new to create a look that is warm and inviting. Part two of the fall home transformation is forthcoming :-).

Back in March of this year I filed my taxes, like many in America. To this day I have not received my refund. Six months and I've gotten the run-around several times. Well, that's not entirely true. The first four months I got nothing at all. The nation was on shutdown, and that included the IRS. I tried calling multiple times but was unable to get a human being on the line. I called the IRS tax advocates who'd helped me last year, but they were closed as well. I mailed in my request for them to help, in case someone was at least collecting the mail. Nothing. Finally, on July 10 I was able to connect with the tax advocates who transferred me to an actual representative at the IRS. What they said was that they hadn't received the W-2's from my employer to verify if the numbers on my return were correct. I couldn't believe it. I personally had filed the quarterly reports, and my boss had made the payments via credit card on their website, so I knew they had the numbers. There was nothing I could do on that end, because once you call and they give you information, you aren't allowed to call again for 60 days. So I texted my boss and told her what was going on.

Within a couple of days she texted me back that her accountant had indeed filed the W-2's but he would send them in again just in case. The IRS finally generated a letter on July 22 stating that my return was being verified for accuracy. This letter should have gone out months before but because of the pandemic it never did. I was so annoyed, because they sent a generic form letter 12 days after my phone call that basically told me nothing new. Meanwhile I was checking regularly to see if my return was processed. No such luck.

September 10 was the 60 day deadline, which meant I could call the IRS once more. I tried a couple of different numbers but all I got was recording after recording and then got cut off. I decided to try the tax advocates again. I was able to get through to them after a 20 minute wait. Unfortunately they weren't able to help me as far as getting my return processed because they didn't consider me to be going through a hardship, since I'm not facing eviction nor having my utilities cut off. Once again, I was annoyed. It's like lending your best friend money and they promise to pay by a certain day, but when that day comes they ask if you really need your money back. The only good thing was that she transferred me to an IRS customer helpline. 

After a long wait I finally was connected to a very helpful woman who was on the phone with me for a whole hour trying to get the information squared away, despite their system going down several times. She was able to confirm that yes, they did receive employment verification, but with the pandemic and shutdowns they were way behind on releasing returns for payment. I couldn't understand how she, in Texas, could see the verification but the processing center, in Pennsylvania, hadn't. This rep told me there was a possibility that something else was wrong with my return, possibly with the credits. Since the system kept locking her out she wasn't able to tell me anything else, but instead gave me a number to call and see if they could help. I called but, yet again, the systems were down. I was told I could call them back or put myself on a 30 day waiting list for callback. I said thanks but I'd call them.

The next day I went out and picked up some groceries from Walmart and Publix. It wasn't a lot, just a few things I needed that I hadn't gotten the week before or that we'd run out of.

This was pretty much the bulk of what I got from Walmart. I did pick up a couple of things that weren't food:

The grays are starting to show again. Ugh. My hair grows so fast, which is a blessing and a curse at the same time. The sponges are the Real Techniques brand, because I can get two of them for $7.50 as opposed to the Beauty Blender that's $20 for just one. Most people will say the Beauty Blender is better quality. That might be so, but I love the Real Techniques sponges and they last me a good while if I keep them clean.

The Publix shopping haul was even smaller:

Basically I went to Publix for their deli ham and cheese which is my favorite, and while I was there I saw they had English muffins and Italian ices on sale, buy one get one free. And everyone knows Publix has the best sweet tea, and it was also on sale. Bonus!

Before going to the grocery stores I stopped at Home Depot. Back in June I was trying to do some rearranging in my living room and I'd decided to switch out a picture I had at the top of the stairs with something more open, like the wall art piece I'd bought for my master bedroom. I like changing things around like that. It's a metal piece and it looked so good in that spot, except that there were several nail holes in the wall that had been covered by the picture but wouldn't be by this metal piece. So I filled in the holes and got some paint from the garage that the previous owner had left. The main living area has two different shades of beige color, one slightly darker than the other. I looked at both paints and picked the one that looked lighter, since that's what I needed for this wall. This is what happened:

 I was absolutely mortified!! How had I picked up the wrong paint?! I looked at both of them again. I even tried the slightly darker one. Then I realized what had happened. The can of lighter paint was over 10 years old. This paint had obviously gone bad and had turned dark. I can't even begin to explain how frustrated I was! Thankfully I found a great piece at Hobby Lobby that covered the spot completely.

The original price for this wall sign was $60 but I got it on clearance for $17.50. I like it because it has no glass in front of it, so there's no glare from the window. 

So, back to Home Depot. I'd picked up a bunch of paint chips and matched the color as best I could, since the label on the paint can doesn't say what color they used and I can't take the spoiled paint because it's the wrong color. I settled on one paint sample that seemed to fit the bill, and I got a sample of it.

Ugh! I was close but this time it was too light. I was gonna add another coat to cover up the dark spot underneath (even though this paint is supposed to be paint + primer) but it would still be too light. Back to the old drawing board.

After I got home from grocery shopping I tried calling the number for the IRS that the rep gave me. I got a recording that said the call volume was too high and call again later. I'm not giving up. 

Oh, and did I mention the tropical depression that formed off the coast of South Florida on Friday that put all of South Florida on a tropical storm watch? Yeah, that happened. Thankfully it didn't amount to anything other than a lot of rain and wind but nothing out of the ordinary. Another bullet dodged. Sadly, it has turned into Tropical Storm Sally and is expected to become Hurricane Sally before it lands somewhere near New Orleans. Praying for these folks.

I got to serve in children's ministry this Saturday. Churches in South Florida are slowly starting to open again, though to limited capacity. I haven't served since the pandemic started back in March. It was great to get back to the kids and teach. 

And that's a glimpse into my week. Stay tuned, there's more to come. Have a blessed week.

Let's Take A Tour - The Guest Bathroom

The guest bathroom is to the left of the staircase, beside my son's bedroom and in front of the linen closet.

It's also beside the office, which in the original plans for this house was the third bedroom. The best thing I can say about it is that it's in a convenient location. It's also eerily similar to the guest bathroom in our old house. The only difference is the placement of the door.

It's a very small bathroom. Has everything it needs and nothing it doesn't. I could have skipped touring it altogether, but there's a few things I'd like to do with it in the future so I figured I'd share where we are with it now.

This is what you see whenever you walk into the bathroom. It's been nicely updated, nothing fancy and everything classic so that any design style will work with it. I really like that about this house. I can decorate this with any farmhouse style just as it is. I can paint the vanity and change out knobs for a more modern look, or a shabby chic look, or a boho style. It's neutral enough that it adapts to whatever decor gets thrown at it. And it's functional, which is what everyone wants their bathroom to be. I like classic with a touch of rustic, so the white tobacco basket I found in the clearance aisle at Walmart fit the bill. I added the bronze metal butterfly that I picked up at Hobby Lobby to complete the look. These two items were in the master bedroom in my old house, but I felt they looked better in here.

  

The vanity is small, so I keep only the essentials on it. It still looks busy to me, though. Just above the vanity, to the left of the mirror, I can tell there was a medicine cabinet at one time. The previous owner probably took it out whenever she remodeled because it was either unsightly or unused. Either way it took away some storage, even if just a small amount. My hope is to add shelving in the future, similar to what is in the master bathroom, so I can remove more things from this vanity top. The little potted orchid is from TJ Maxx. I added it to liven up the space, and it was just the touch it needed.

The shower curtain is from the Hearth and Hand collection at Target. I had this in the guest bathroom in our old house, and since it's a neutral color and design it worked perfectly in here. 

I wanted something above the towel rack because the wall looked so bare. I tried putting the tobacco basket here but it was too small. This wall art is from Hobby Lobby. I loved it the minute I saw it, and since it has the rustic wood along with the teal green flowers, I knew if it didn't work in the bathroom I could find another spot in the house for it. Thankfully, though, that wasn't necessary; it was exactly what this spot needed.

The only other room in the house is my son's bedroom, but we won't be touring that. It's his personal space and I want to respect his privacy. Of course there's also the garage, but there isn't much to see there except my car and some storage containers. I might do a tour whenever I start decorating for fall, since my fall decor is in totes in my garage. It'll be easier to show that way.

It took a few months, but we're finally caught up with the present day. Of course there will be more changes; there's already been changes that I haven't posted about yet! September is just around the corner and everyone is decorating for fall. I love decorating, I love fall colors, but the fall isn't my favorite season. At least not till November when hurricane season ends. At this writing, Tropical Storm Marco reached the Louisiana/Texas coastline a couple of days ago but fizzled out. Hurricane Laura, however, is gaining strength and headed in the same general direction. Meaning, Louisiana and Texas need our prayers. The weatherman says it'll most likely become a major hurricane by the time it reaches land, but Jesus commands the storms, not the Weather channel. 

There's plenty more I hope to be sharing on my blog soon. I hope you'll come back and sit with me awhile. God bless.

Spared Again

Praise God, Isaias went from category 1 hurricane to tropical storm, then missed South Florida completely! Hallelujah!! It came close enough to give us some showers but nothing out of the ordinary. There were also a few gusts of wind occasionally, but again nothing for concern. I'd brought in my patio furniture on Saturday in case the storm got closer; Sunday morning it was back outside. 

We are still praying for this storm to either dissipate or head out into the ocean. It can still become a hurricane again, since the waters are warm this time of year. The Carolinas seem to be the possible target, but we know that the weatherman doesn't direct the storm. We are so thankful this morning for our faithful God, and we trust Him that He will take care of our friends in Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and anywhere else this storm may be headed.

 Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them. - Psalm 89:8-9

Not Another One...

We interrupt this house tour to bring a special announcement: Hurricane Isaias is the first hurricane of the season to threaten Florida. This is significant for two reasons: one, the height of hurricane season is September - October, yet here we have a hurricane headed our way that should reach us by August 1. Two, it's July and we're already on letter I of the alphabet. That means there's already been eight storms in the Atlantic and we haven't hit peak season. 

Forecasters predict that hurricane Isaias will brush along the eastern border of Florida, but that's just a prediction. Hurricanes rarely do what the weatherman says they're going to do. While it's only a category 1 at this time (late afternoon July 31) it can potentially strengthen to a category 2 or weaken back down to a tropical storm. Either way I've decided it's best to be prepared. I've brought in my small plants to allow them to acclimate to the indoors, and tomorrow I'll bring in my patio furniture. Thankfully it isn't much. We're blessed to have hurricane shutters on most of the windows, though I doubt I will have to use them since it's a weak storm. Still, we haven't been through a hurricane in this new house, so we don't know what to expect. Will the power go out? Will it take long for it to be restored? We're experiencing a heat wave right now, with temps in the 90's but "feels like" temperatures above 100 degrees. The thought of no a/c is frightening. The water levels in the canal behind us have been lowered in anticipation of heavy rainfall, but will there be extensive flooding? It's too soon to know anything, but I'll try to update regularly.

We are praying for this storm to go out into the ocean and stay there, where it won't affect anyone. If you're reading this, I hope you will pray with me. "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16b). Thanks. God bless you.   

Not Another Hurricane?!?!

Nothing grabs a Floridian's attention like the threat of a hurricane. The big ones, not the little ones. Floridians laugh at a category 1 and chuckle at a category 2. But anything above a cat 3 and mass hysteria breaks loose. Mention cat 5 and folks start running for the hills (you know, Georgia, Alabama...).

So imagine my despair when we heard that there was a hurricane in the Caribbean and it was headed our way. At first we just tracked it. After all, it was just a category 1, but it would disrupt the move and the closing on my house. 

We breathed a sigh of relief when Dorian missed Puerto Rico. The island still hadn't fully recovered from Hurricane Maria back in 2017; Dorian could well have decimated what was left. The bad news was, it was headed for Florida. It was just a category 1, but all that rain and wind... Still, we could handle it.

That was August 28. By August 30 it was a cat 2; it intensified to cat 4 by August 31 and became an extremely powerful category 5 on September 1, the day it reached Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. A quick map search on Google will show how close South Florida is to the Bahamas. This poor island got hammered before Dorian moved to destroy Grand Bahama Island where it stalled for a day while it lost strength. When it finally moved away from the Bahamas it had weakened to a category 2.

What was happening to South Florida in the meantime? Initially people had prepared; many put up shutters and bought supplies. I had scheduled for a POD to come on September 4 but I postponed it in anticipation of the hurricane. By August 31, however, the models showed we were no longer in the cone (weather talk for the hurricane is no longer coming our way). I still put up some of the shutters in the back of the house on my daughter's insistence, but all we got was rain. We were heartbroken for the islands of the Bahamas but grateful that the storm turned and avoided us completely.

The storm didn't deter me from the work I needed to get done. Closing was scheduled for September 9. I wasn't about to let a hurricane distract me. I still had items I needed to sell. I listed my barstools on OfferUp on August 30. They were sold and picked up the very next day. I'd bought these barstools several years before from Costco, and since I'd used my rebate check they'd cost me $20 each. I sold all three of them for $60, so basically I'd used them for about 5 years and got my money back :-). I then posted my son's old gaming chair (he'd bought a new one). That sold super quick - same day. So did the lawn mower and pressure washer. I wasn't going to need those anymore.

I called PODS to reschedule the pick up on September 2, once we were certain the hurricane wasn't coming. They gave me some bad news: the date I needed was no longer available. There wouldn't be anything available till September 9, the day of closing. That wasn't gonna work. Since I was closing on the sale of my house on the 9th but wouldn't close on the purchase of my new property for 2 weeks after that, I didn't want to load my things into a truck, unload them into a storage facility, reload them two weeks later and unload again. I began looking for other POD type services and found Pack Rat, which had good reviews and could deliver the POD on September 5. Not only that, they were a couple hundred dollars cheaper! God took care of us again.

I ordered the largest available container, 16'. I had decluttered enough that I believed I could fit everything into the container, and whatever didn't fit would stay behind.

We started with boxes in the back, along with the dining room table. I was a bit concerned, as I watched the space get filled up pretty quickly and there was still a lot that needed to go in. 

These racks had to be cleared. Most of what was here was Christmas decor. I decided what I would keep, what I would give away, and what would go to Goodwill. I didn't have time to start selling the smaller items; unfortunately, Hurricane Dorian took up more of my time than I'd anticipated. I kept only the items that I knew I couldn't part with, and got rid of the rest.

By the time I was done, all that was left was where the items that needed to go in my car: my toolbox and cleaning items. 

That weekend my daughter and son-in-law came over and helped us move everything we could fit into the POD, since pick up was scheduled for Monday the 9th, closing day. 

We emptied the pantry...

The dining room...

Shrink-wrapped the sectional before loading into the container...

And took everything out of my son's bedroom...

J came to pick up the wall unit in the master bedroom.

This massive piece of furniture is about 12 feet long and 7 feet high. It had been put together inside the bedroom because it wouldn't fit in the room otherwise - it's taller than the doorway. It was mostly empty, even before the move. I'd asked J months earlier if he wanted it since I wasn't using it. He gave me the same story of "yes I want it, I'll pick it up when I have a chance," but never did. When I told him I'd sold the house I gave him a chance again to take the furniture piece if he wanted it, otherwise it was going to the dump. So a few days before the move J came to take it apart before hauling it away.

He picked it up September 7, just 2 days before closing. That left only the king size bedframe, mattress and box springs, and nightstands. As we finished packing everything else up into the container, I quickly realized these last items were not going to fit. Yet, I wasn't upset about it. We'd owned the bedroom set for 17 years. Yes, the mattress was that old. While I'd loved my big, comfy bed, I felt it was time to let it go. I'd sold enough items that I could easily afford a new bed and bedroom furniture, and that's what I would do. 

That Sunday, September 8, I said my goodbyes at church. That was the hardest day for me. I was moving a good 45 minutes away, not convenient for traveling 2 - 3 times a week for church services and activities. Everyone treated me so lovingly, all I could do was cry. That afternoon, my neighbor kindly took whatever was left (including the bedroom furniture) to the dump. I'd put a few things out on the curb to be picked up, and people in the neighborhood came by to take them. I went back and checked all the rooms before leaving for my daughter's house.

Closing was the next day at 10:30 am. It all happened so quickly, and 19 years of memories were put safely away. I went by the house in the morning one last time to take some trash out of the garage, and walked through one last time to say goodbye.

Part of me was sad; I'd worked hard to make this a beautiful and comfortable home for my family. But a big part of me knew it was time for new beginnings. I would treasure in my heart the happy memories made here, and try to forget the painful ones. Keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus, I relished the thought of a new day, and making new memories. 

Preparing For A Move

The papers were signed, inspections done...now the (not so) fun part would really begin in full force. Decluttering, sorting, packing, labeling, and oh yes, selling.

The home I was leaving was about 1,800 square feet plus a two car garage. We were less people, now that my daughter was married and gone from the nest as well as her older brother. Our new home was smaller - no family room, no third bedroom closed off, and only a one car garage. It was perfect for us; after all, it would just be my youngest son E and myself. But it meant there would be things we wouldn't be taking with us because they simply would not fit.

I had two large storage cabinets in the garage that I'd bought from Lowe's just 4 years earlier. 

I knew that I might be able to fit the smaller cabinet but not the larger. I considered selling them, but my daughter said her mother-in-law was interested in the larger one. I had no problem giving them both away or keeping just the smaller one. I'd used the large cabinet as a pantry which I no longer needed. The smaller one I used to keep tools and cleaners for the car. Her in-laws came by and picked up both cabinets. I was glad because it was one less thing I'd have to pack or re-home.

 

It was easy to empty out because I was mindful to use whatever food was in there rather than go grocery shopping. 

The next thing that had to go was one of the sectionals. I had one in the living room and one in the family room, and although the one in the family room was newer it wasn't as good quality as the one I'd gotten from Costco 4 years before. I decided to list the sectional, which I'd bought off of Amazon, on OfferUp. I spoke with a friend who'd sold things on the app and she said she'd had great experiences. Amazingly, it sold and was picked up all within 2 hours! I decided I would continue posting and see how much I could sell.

I posted my glass tables and ceramic lamps. These had been purchased 20 years before, so I wondered if they would sell, since they were no longer in style.

Although they were pretty and were in excellent condition, neither item got more than some passing interest. I didn't let that deter me, and I posted my china cabinet that I'd lovingly stained. It sold the very next day.

While I loved this piece, I knew I wouldn't need it. The new house had a dry bar right off the dining room that could easily house everything in the china cabinet and then some. I did keep the dining room table, and began using the dining room itself as a staging area for my boxes.

Next, my daughter and son-in-law rented a truck to take her bedroom set, which they'd be using in their guest room. Since there was plenty of room in the truck, I offered her my old patio furniture (too big to fit on our new balcony) and the television with stand from the family room. I had the fireplace/tv stand in the living room, along with the bookcases, and that's all I would need in the new house. 

Once her bedroom set was gone, her bedroom was the first to be emptied out.

I continued to pack, declutter, and take things to Goodwill. The barbeque grill wouldn't be going with me, since I wouldn't have anywhere to put a grill. I tried my best to clean it so I could sell it, but after being outside for years, even with a cover, it was pretty beat up. I put it out on the curb, and before the day was over it was picked up by a Comcast technician who'd been working in the area. 

Everything seemed to be moving right along like clockwork. But it's just like Florida to throw a wrench in the works - a wrench named Dorian. Would we get hit with a category 5 hurricane?! It was time to get back on my knees and pray for a miracle! 

2017 - Hurricane Irma

Hurricanes. They're a part of life if you live anywhere in the Southeastern part of the United States. They can be weak, strong, fast, slow, but one thing's for sure, they always cause a panic. Irma was no exception. She brought tremendous damage, but at the same time she brought some blessings in disguise.

Before I touch on the hurricane, let me give a little back story. We had some coconut palm trees in our backyard. By some I mean 10. Yes, ten coconut palms that were too tall for us to reach the coconuts, so they ended up either drying up and falling all over the place or, every so often, Coconut Guy would come around our neighborhood offering to clean up the palm trees in exchange for the coconuts which he would sell. At first this was a win-win, and I was happy to let him come into the yard and get all the coconuts he wanted. He'd trim the trees, which was great because palm fronds are huge and difficult to dispose of. Since I don't have a truck I couldn't get them out to the dump, so I would have to cut them into pieces so I could put them in our trash can. Problem was, the trash can would get filled up with five palm fronds, meanwhile anywhere from 5-8 would fall down every week. It was hard to keep up with the mess in my yard. Whenever Coconut Guy came, he took care of that for me. Well, the first couple of times he did anyway.

Seems like Coconut Guy got tired of the extra work because the last few times he would get his coconuts and leave a mess of palm fronds all over my yard. I got tired of it and told him if he wanted coconuts he would have to take the trash with him as well. He agreed, took half of the branches, then didn't come back for months. So that was the end of that. Unfortunately, I still had these huge palm trees in my yard that quite frankly gave me cause for concern. Several of them were close to the house, and I feared any of them falling and destroying our roof. Cutting them down wasn't an option, though. It would cost upwards of $5,000 to have just one removed (did I mention we had 10?). So I prayed about it. I asked God to show me a way of getting the coconut palms out of my yard so they wouldn't cause me so much work, concern, and headaches.

Hurricane Irma started off in the Atlantic Ocean and intensified quickly. Between August 31 and September 5 it went from category 2 to category 5 status, hitting winds of over 180 mph. We watched as it decimated the island of Barbuda, then watched intently as it headed our way. Having lived through Hurricane Andrew in 1992 I didn't want to experience another storm of that magnitude, but where would we go? People were leaving the state in droves, roadways were backed up for miles, and we who live here know how unpredictable hurricanes can be. What if we drove out of town only to have it meet us further north and in an unfamiliar area? We decided the best thing we could do was hunker down and pray. A lot.

For days we prepared and watched and listened. Finally, on September 8, we found out we were no longer in the cone. Hallelujah! Except that this was no tiny little storm, and being outside of the cone only meant we weren't getting a direct hit. South Florida got category 3 hurricane force winds, and that means extensive damage.

She reached us on September 10. She was actually below us, blowing through the Keys and then up the Gulf Coast. Inside, we sat in the darkness and listened as the winds howled. Since we had shutters on the windows we couldn't see what was going on outside, but through the sides we would catch a peak of the heavy rain. Then my daughter told me, "Mom, I think a tree fell on my window." You can well imagine the look of horror on my face! I asked what made her think that, and she said she was trying to get a peek through the sides of the shutters but all she could see was branches. We checked to see if there was any water coming into her bedroom, but all was dry. The storm was still coming through so we couldn't do anything else. Then she started looking through all the other windows, and it looked like another tree was down right next to the house. I was pretty sure it hadn't hit the house, otherwise we would have heard it, but it was close to our air conditioning unit. If it took that out, we'd be in big trouble. South Florida is hot, y'all. If the a/c unit was damaged, it would take weeks to get it fixed, and there's no way we could survive the heat. It made the next few hours even more tense.

By the time the storm had passed it was evening, and none of us wanted to go outside to see what was going on. Our neighbors came by to check on us, and they that informed us that we had not one, not two, but three trees come down in our backyard. Since it was late we decided to wait till the next day to go back and see. Our kind neighbors set us up with electricity from their generator so we could power some fans, but we didn't sleep that night. Between the heat and not entirely knowing what awaited us the next day, we probably all got less than three hours of sleep.

I shouldn't have worried. God showed up. He showed up in a big way.

The trees that fell behind the house somehow fell on the diagonal. One just barely missed the house, while the other was leaning on the edge of the roof. Our neighbor was able to cut it down with only a piece of one of the roof tiles having chipped. No other damage was done to the house.

The tree that had always worried me the most because it was closest to the house, fell right in between our house and our other neighbor's house. It missed our air conditioning unit and only took down a small section of the chain link fence. It was a miracle that a tree this size did so little damage.

The trees were ripped out of the ground like they were sticks in the mud. We had major work to do to get all the debris out to the street so the bulk trash could pick it up.

I am so thankful for all the help we received. Everyone was busy getting their own homes cleaned up, so we were especially appreciative of any help that was offered.

This was the end result. The stumps stayed behind because they were too heavy to remove, but 3 less trees in the yard was a wonderful blessing. God took them down and it didn't cost us a dime!

Hurricane Irma taught me that God can answer prayers in the least expected circumstances. Behind the shed there was another tree that almost came down but it got caught in the tree next to it and was stuck there. But that's a story for another day.

Finding Storage Solutions

My kitchen is not a huge one.  It's a 10X13 U-shaped kitchen with a long peninsula that faces the family room.  It looks larger than it is because it's open to the family room.

One of the issues I have with my kitchen is the fact that there isn't enough storage space.  When we remodeled, J decided there were changes that needed to be made that I didn't agree with but he insisted would make the kitchen work better.  Interesting, since he never did anything in the kitchen other than get water.  The changes he made, like putting the trash in one of the lower cabinet spaces and putting lots of glass doors on the upper cabinets, caused me to lose even more cabinet space.  My temporary solution at the time was to put a small microwave cart at the entrance of the kitchen where I could keep my crock pots and cookbooks.

It was too small really, but I didn't know what I wanted there, and the space itself isn't that big.  Once the older kids moved out and hubby did as well, it didn't matter.  I no longer needed a whole lot of space for just me and my youngest son.  However, when the two older kids came back home with their stuff, and I found myself buying more food so they could take food with them to work as well as eat at home, I knew I'd have to find a way to add storage.  Problem, of course, would be doing it without spending much money :P.  My daughter came up with a solution that I'm actually quite pleased with.

My oldest son had bought this Closetmaid closet organizer to put his books in.  I can't fit the shelves and books in the house, so this was in the garage.  My daughter had the idea to put all the plastic containers from the pantry into these shelves, leaving more space for food and appliances in our small pantry.  My concern was having it open, which could look messy, but she did a great job of putting everything neatly so it looks attractive.  I'm so thankful to have a daughter that takes the initiative to find ways to be more organized!  Especially when it doesn't cost me a thing!

Thursday Thoughts

I'm sitting in my dining room, sticky and uncomfortable after having given Molly her much needed bath.  If it was hot and humid before, now that we had that tropical storm roll through it feels like a sauna outside.  Just taking the dog for a 15 minute walk leaves me feeling weak from the heat.

 - Here's something to be thankful for:  while we were focused on Tropical Storm/Hurricane Isaac, tropical storm Joyce, Hurricane Kirk and TD #12 all formed, and all stayed in the Atlantic Ocean.  If they all go on the same path, this could be a much better hurricane season than anticipated.

 - I joined my daughter this morning for what was supposed to be a 40 minute oil change on her car.  It turned into a 1 1/2 hour wait.  It bothers me when my schedule gets knocked out of whack like that.  Oh well, at least we got to have Chick-fil-A for lunch :).

 - We stopped off at the library to return some books after school.  Only the library is now closed on Thursdays.  Or maybe it's always closed on Thursdays and it's the other library that's closed on Mondays.

 - I also made a trip to Barnes and Noble this week, to purchase The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for my son E who will be reading it in school.  As I looked at the books in the Required Student Reading section, what should I find but volume one of the Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes!  I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, Tommy and Tuppence, Hercule Poirot and all those classic English whodunits.  I've been wanting to buy Sherlock Holmes to add to my own library instead of always borrowing it from the public one.  Now I can pick up volume one whenever I want.  I'm a happy camper :D.

 - We started our first official night of Awana last night.  I get to work with the third grade girls.  These are the girls that were Sparks last year and have graduated to T & T so it's a new experience for them.  My girls from last year have moved up to fourth grade, and they were begging to stay with me.  It made me feel so loved!  I still see them every week, since T & T, which runs from third to sixth grade, all meet together.  We just split the girls up for book time, but even then we're all in the same room.  Still, it was sweet to have the girls ask for me, and to know that I made a positive impact in their lives.

 - I'm gonna have to get my son yet another pair of uniform pants.  Before school ended last year I bought him 2 new pair of pants to replace 2 pair than no longer fit.  A couple of weeks before school started again I told him to try on all his pants to see if they fit.  He brought me 2 pair that no longer fit, and said the other 3 were fine, so I bought him 2 new pair.  Last week, he put on one of the old pair, and to my surprise it looked like he was gonna walk through flood waters.  This kid is growing faster than I can keep him in clothes, and he's only 12 years old.  Not to mention, his dad bought him a pair of sneakers at the beginning of the summer size 8 1/2.  I bought him new sneakers for school, size 9.  I think he's gonna be a big boy.

I'm sure I can think of lots more things to share, but I can't concentrate right now.  I want a shower.  Molly is now inside after her bath.  It's my turn.  Good night.

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch

It's time to join Patrice and Wendell on the front porch for our weekly chats.  Stop on over at Everyday Ruralty and join us.


1. What's the last thing you baked?
I baked pork chops yesterday.  As for sweets, I baked some brownies not too long ago.  I'm looking forward to fall and less humidity so I can bake more often.

2. What's your favorite thing about fall?
Just about everything!  I love the colors of fall, I love how the humidity subsides and the weather becomes more pleasant, I love pumpkins and apples and baking, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas shortly afterwards.  It's my favorite season.

3. What's your favorite room in your home?
That's actually a tough question.  I like my house.  Quite a bit.  If I had to pick a favorite, right now it would be the living room.  My recliners are there, and they are my favorite chairs.

4. Who handles bill paying in your house?
That would be me.  It's always been me.  Having studied bookkeeping and enjoying organization, it was the logical choice.

5. Tell whatever you'd like to share with our chatting friends.
I'm very thankful that tropical storm Isaac is gone from South Florida, and although my yard was flooding for awhile, I'm thankful the waters have receded and my yard doesn't have a lake in it anymore.  I'm thankful for everyone that said a prayer for our safety.  It's nice to know we're loved :).

Move it Mondays

First off, let me say, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for your prayers!  We are seeing what's left of Tropical Storm Isaac, wind, rain, and an occasional peek of the sun when the skies clear.  It'll most likely look like this all day as the outer bands come through, but I'm thankful that the worst is over and we can, once again, breathe a sigh of relief.  We will continue praying for the folks in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle as the storm makes its way up the Gulf.  It's still a tropical storm (praise God!) but it's expected to intensify now that it's in the warm Gulf waters.

What's the plan for today?  Well, I'm having my breakfast right now:  two eggs scrambled with onions and orange pepper, and a Pillsbury biscuit.  I'm not going to be doing any outdoor work today, even though there's plenty to do, because the wind and rain will continue on and off today.  There's plenty to do indoors, especially since school has been cancelled.  Yesterday E and I played a game of Parcheesi, maybe we can get the older kids to join in today (they had to work yesterday).  The floors need vacuuming again (thank you Molly) and there's always something we can take care of, though I'm keeping the day more relaxed.  It's an extra day off, and we plan to enjoy it!  Have a blessed Monday everyone!

Tropical Storm Isaac

In case you haven't heard, there is a tropical storm named Isaac entering the Florida Straits.  We are on the alert, getting ready for what is to come.  South Florida is under a tropical storm warning/hurricane watch.  That means we are expecting tropical storm conditions within the next 24-36 hours, and could possibly experience hurricane conditions within the next 36-48 hours.

Living in Florida means we know what tropical storms and hurricanes entail.  We are more lax when it comes to anything under a category 2 hurricane, but we also get ready for what may come.  Tropical storms are nothing to sneeze at; sadly, 3 people are reported dead in Haiti because of Isaac.  There are preparations that need to take place, and I've been getting us ready since yesterday.

We have enough canned tuna to last the entire hurricane season, along with a couple of cans of chicken.  There's bread, crackers, Nutella, peanut butter, cookies, granola bars, canned vegetables, canned beans, cereal, and several cases of water.  I brought in the patio furniture, locked up the shed tight, picked up all the small items in the front yard, and brought the garbage tanks into the garage.  The flashlights have batteries, and I will be charging phones shortly.  I think we are as ready as we are gonna get.

The question of putting up storm shutters came up, and I decided against it.  Now, before any of you starts going ballistic on me (that means you, sis), I have been watching the news and Hurricane Central all week, and from what we're looking at, even if the storm becomes a hurricane (which it is forecasted to become tonight), my area will only get tropical storm force winds and lots of rain.  I've been through hurricanes Katrina and Irene which were category 1 hurricanes, and we didn't put up the shutters.  Yes, it was windy, but we were okay.  For a category 2 hurricane, like Wilma was, we most definitely put the shutters up, but I made the call to not do all that work and live in the cave conditions that shutters produce.  We will be praying and trusting God who is bigger than the storm to keep us protected.

I ask my friends in the blogsphere to keep Florida in prayer.  Please pray for the folks in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and everyone that can potentially be affected by this storm.  Prayer is a powerful thing.  "Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice." - Psalm 55:17.  Thank you, and may God's blessings be upon you.

Observing My Senses

For Today, August 25, 2012...

I am seeing...the beginning of Tropical Storm Isaac as the outer bands are reaching us.  This system is so large that the center of the storm is in Haiti but we're already seeing the rain, and winds are picking up.  It's gonna be a soggy weekend.

I am feeling...a bit frustrated with myself, because I should have brought in the patio furniture yesterday but I didn't think we'd be getting this weather so soon.  I figured we'd get everything done today because the storm would start to come in on Sunday.  As my son would say, epic fail.

I am hearing...sausages sizzling, the tick-tick of the toaster oven, and rain hitting against the windows.

I am tasting...nothing as of yet, but I will be tasting some yummy pumpkin spice Eggos shortly.  They are so delicious!

I am smelling...coffee and sausages and hash browns and roses.  I'm sitting next to 250 roses that our church will be giving out tomorrow at the service to promote a couple's retreat.  I hope people actually show up for church; the weather could keep a lot of folks home.

It just takes a moment to observe your surroundings.  Won't you join me?

Thursday Thoughts

 - If you haven't been watching the news, and the weather report in particular, then you may not know that a tropical storm has formed in the Caribbean and it is headed this way.  My way.  Towards Florida.  Tropical Storm Isaac is currently south of Puerto Rico and is headed west at 13 miles per hour, over warm waters which will nourish it into a hurricane sometime tomorrow.  We are preparing ourselves, though we've gone through category 1 storms in the past, and in South Florida we refer to them as "kite flying" weather.  I'm more concerned about the people in Haiti.  There was that earthquake that left hundreds of thousands of families homeless, who are currently living in tents, and I can't help but wonder what will happen to them if this system goes through like all the computer models show it will?  Please keep the people of Haiti in your prayers.  Haiti is the poorest nation in the entire Western hemisphere.  This weak hurricane could leave them completely devastated.

 - My oldest son brought home something that has me smiling.  Eggo has come out with a new seasonal flavor of waffles.

Pumpkin Spice.  Can I get a "Whoop Whoop!"  I love pumpkin spice anything, and these waffles are A-MAZING!  The smell in my kitchen just from putting them in the toaster oven was enough to get me excited, and I loved the taste - pumpkin and cinnamon together are the perfect combination!  These aren't going to last in the stores or in my kitchen, so I'm gonna have to stock up (or figure out a recipe to make them myself!).

 - School started this week.  My baby boy is in seventh grade.  I'm still not sure how that happened.  He seems to have grown overnight.  I look at old pictures of him, just a couple of years ago, and the difference is astounding.  He had such a baby face!  Now he's almost as tall as me, wears a size 9 shoe and is rapidly turning into a teenager.  I don't know if I'm ready for my baby to be a teenager.  Has anyone figured out how to slow down time?!

 - Our Awana pizza blast was last night.  We were jam-packed!  It was wonderful to see familiar faces, and even more exciting to see new ones!  One of the churches in our area dropped their Awana program this year because it was too expensive :'(.  We expect kids from that church to sign up with us.  It makes me sad when churches cut programs like Awana because they think they can't afford it.  In my opinion, you can't afford NOT to have programs like this for the children.  Remember Proverbs 22:6?  "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is grown he will not depart from it."  God commands us to teach the children so that they will follow Him in the future.  When we eliminate programs that help instruct the children in the ways of the Lord, we can't complain later on because these children turn into adults who no longer care about going to church or living godly lives.

 - On the menu for today:  meatloaf, mashed potatoes, veggies and salad.  I have to make enough food so that we can all three of us (my son R, my daughter A and myself) can have it for lunch, my two oldest can pack some to take to work for dinner, my youngest son E and I can also have it for dinner, and maybe, just maybe, have some left for E's lunch tomorrow.  It's just four of us in the house but I feel like I cook for an army.  All because I'd rather have them eat a home cooked meal and not fast food.

 - I'm also gonna make what Alton Brown calls Pocket Pies.  I buy pastry discs:

and fill them with fruit.  I love fruit pies, especially apple, but my kids are not big fans of them.  My daughter loves blueberries, but I can't have berries because of my allergies.  This way I can make different flavored pies and we all get to eat what we like in small portions.  I hope everyone enjoys them.

Well, I'm off to finish cooking, then start some serious hurricane planning.  I have furniture in the backyard that will need attending to, some items that need to go to the dump and can't wait till after the storm, and of course what meals to prepare if the electricity goes out and my electric stove doesn't work.  Dear Lord, please keep this storm far from Haiti and far from us!  Have a blessed day.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, August 21, 2012...

Outside my window...after an early morning thunderstorm the heat index is through the roof!  Despite our high being 90 degrees, thanks to the humidity it feels like we're in the triple digits.  It's very lovely to look at from inside my air conditioned house, but I don't want to be out there!

I am thinking...wow, the 20 year anniversary of Hurricane Andrew is this week.  Hard to believe it's been 20 years since that category 5 storm came through and caused so much destruction in South Florida.

I am thankful...for my son's homeroom/civics teacher who proclaimed to the class that she is a Christian (yay!) and my son says she is amazing!  First day of class and already he was telling me all about Miranda rights and how even officers are not above the law.  She must be a great teacher to get them to memorize so much in just one day!

I am going...to rest for awhile.  I did a lot of work this morning, redecorating the house again.  Pictures forthcoming.

I am wearing...a white tank top (I was wearing another top over it but it's all sweaty so I removed that layer), black capris and black flip-flops.

In the kitchen...I made my version of bourbon chicken (without bourbon) and white rice nice and early because my daughter said she'd be home for lunch.  Then she texted me that she wouldn't make it because she only got a half hour for lunch today (she's doing some training).  I guess she'll have it for dinner.  It was delicious, by the way.

I am creating...a more comfortable home, less furniture, better configuration.  I feel so much better now that the house isn't as cluttered.

I am wondering...if tropical depression #9 is going to reach us.  It's expected to become Hurricane Isaac within the next couple of days.  It appears to be headed towards Cuba but there's no telling yet if it'll come to Florida or go into the Gulf of Mexico.  My son says he'd like to see it disappear into the ocean.  I agree.

I am reading...Sixteen Brides, still.  I read a little everyday, but what with school starting up and daughter with her new job and doing all sorts of work in the house, there isn't much time for reading :(.  I do read my Bible and devotions each morning, though.

I am hoping...the pain in my index finger subsides.  I'm really not liking this arthritis thing.

I am looking forward to...my daughter coming home and seeing all the work I've done in the house.  She's gonna be so surprised :D.

I am learning...to be content with what the Lord gives me, which is way more than I deserve.

Around the house...I'll need another post to show all I've done today.  I'm gonna try and get it up today, though I have to admit I'm super tired.  Moving furniture is hard work, even with my oldest son doing most of the lifting ;).

A favorite quote of the day..."Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years." - Charles H. Spurgeon.

One of my favorite things...decorating without spending money.  I like getting a whole new look in my house without spending a dime!  There used to be a show on HGTV that taught that - Decorating Cents, it was called.  I miss those types of shows.

A few plans for the rest of the week...we kick off our Awana year tomorrow with a pizza blast - that'll be fun!  I'd like to get some bowling in, but that depends on homework load and everyone's schedule.

Wanna join in the fun?  Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman's Daybook.  God bless.

Thursday Thoughts

 - I was looking at the weather.com story on the drought the other day, and was surprised to see South Florida listed as extremely dry.  That must be a mistake.  We have gotten rain regularly all summer long.  Not light drizzly rain, oh no.  Heavy duty thunderstorms and downpours no less than 3 days a week.  Maybe the weather people should take another look at their maps.

Despite this inaccuracy, I follow the weather reports diligently because we're in hurricane season (one of the four seasons here in Florida; the other three are tourist season, love bug season, and summer).  Tropical Storm Gordon has formed in the Atlantic, but thank the Lord it will stay in the Atlantic and cause no threat to land.  There's a tropical wave coming off the coast of Africa that we need to keep an eye on, but thus far we've had no hurricanes threaten our borders.

I know some folks think of living in Florida as too dangerous because of the hurricanes.  The way I see it, no matter where in the United States you live, there will always be some sort of weather phenomena that needs our attention.  It could be hurricanes along the east and Gulf coasts, or it could be earthquakes on the west coast.  It could be tornadoes or severe drought in the Midwest.  Come winter, it might be blizzards and freezing temperatures.  Honestly, I'm quite content living in Florida.  The hurricanes give plenty of alert time to get ready, and praise God we haven't had anything come near us the last couple of years.  We might get hit this time, or maybe not.  We'll just have to keep our eyes open.

 - I'm wondering if I should try my hand at extreme couponing.  Food prices keep going up, and now with the drought they're only gonna get worse.  I've watched a couple of the coupon shows but I'm not impressed.  Not that getting all that food and stuff for almost no money isn't a great accomplishment; it's just that I can't see stocking my house full of things I will never use nor eat.  One episode had two sisters getting anything and everything they could for free or almost free, including shelves filled with diapers though neither sister had any children.  Another episode showed a family of 5 with a stockpile that could easily last for over a year, if it didn't expire before that.  If you ask me, that's just as wasteful as buying the items and throwing them away.  What good does it do anyone to have all these things just lying around instead of being used or eaten?  I would applaud them for giving the extras away to a food bank, a nursing home or an orphanage, but to keep it, and worse yet, to continue to add to it, just because it's free?  I don't see the benefit of it.

 - The other day I was looking at my living room trying to figure out where I want to put the Christmas tree this year.  What, you think Christmas is that far away?  Let me remind you we are already halfway through August.  Time goes by very quickly.  Besides, if I think of Christmas, the heat won't seem so oppressive.  Did you know that's how The Christmas Song got written?  During an excessively hot summer (much like the one we're experiencing now) Mel Torme decided the best way to stay cool was to think cool thoughts.  He started writing on a piece of paper, "Chestnuts roasting...Jack Frost nipping...Yuletide carols..." and shortly thereafter the song was born.  Nothing like Christmas to make us feel cooler and warmer at the same time :).

 - I finally started a book on my Nook again.  It's called Sixteen Brides, and I decided to start reading it because I downloaded it August 2011 and after having it for a whole year I should be ashamed at not having read it yet.

 - Oh look, another thunderstorms approaches.  I should get off the computer and read for awhile.  Once the storm passes, I'll work on next week's meal plan.  Have a blessed day everyone!