May 9, 2026 A.D.

Baseball season ended this morning. This has been my favorite season yet. I am not sure why, but I do think playing at the older fields which are smaller and renovated this winter made it seem a little nostalgic for me. We tried to go to one game a week each for Tucker and Palmer. Next year, Miles will be old enough to enter the games, so more of this is in my future. I missed another season of Auburn baseball. I am a little bummed that we didn't get up for a game this year and think that I am going to prioritize that next year. 

We have had a real spring this year. There have been many cooler mornings than usual. I have to give all credit for any flowers in pots this year entirely to Jeff. I just was not feeling up to it, but gave him a little freedom to choose colors. We will be a colorful house this year rather than my traditional "white is right for summertime." I have to tell you I am liking it. We have a mixture in each pot up front of pink and white vincas. I think I am liking it! Rather than pots of roses downstairs on the deck we have an array of colors and I am loving it as well. Sometimes I suppose we need change. Jeff has a good little salsa garden going to with tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro.

I shared I was walking in the afternoons like my past days. I am really loving it. It has helped with giving me some alone time to walk, think and pray. I don't exactly have the best location to walk in my neighborhood, so Jeff and Gus, the Springer drive me to parks around town and keep an eye on me for safety while I walk. We have so many wonderful parks around town. I mean really nice ones, but I still feel better knowing Jeff is around to ward off trouble if it should arise for a 65 year old female out by herself. I have been mostly rotating between 3 because 2 of them are by the Sound (water views) and all are shady. The shade will be important as the summer heat is coming. When school is out I will add the beach to my rotation. 

This is one of my spots. The Gulf is just on the other side of the buildings across the water, so I get a salty breeze.

Jeff bought me a FitBit which has been extremely informative to what is going on with my energy levels. For instance, it warned me I needed to rest on this day and I heeded that advice. 

I have noticed in the 2.5 weeks I have worn it that when I don't sleep I feel awful. Duh! Big surprise there, but I'm 65 and I do think my autoimmune issues haunt the sleep patterns. I knew I was off weeks ago which had me thinking I needed to make some changes. I am getting some beneficial information and am changing even my big cleaning days around and trying to even those out some. I was so hoping the doctor would change my thyroid dosage but he did NOT. I am trusting him, even though I know in my heart it is not all just right. I think I have to look at changing some other things too. As with any medication there are side effects -so adding a higher dosage magnifies osteoporosis issues. I do take supplements that benefit me and those were in accordance with doctor advice. I see so much out there, but I do know you can mess up stuff royally just going rogue with additions. For now, I am walking working on that stress relief and listening to my body on the days when I have done more than is considered beneficial.

I am oddly just itching to put all my patriotic decor out. I swore off rushing seasons years back. I usually put it out the week before Memorial Day so it is very soon. I might just go for it this next week. I did put out some ribbons on the swans and light pole to go with Jeff's new flag he bought. I ordered the ribbon off Amazon. I just didn't see any at Michael's quite like that. I also ordered my flags to decorate in the house with from Amazon. See, I am telling you I have the itch this year. I even ordered the kids some patriotic shirts.

I took my stitch to be framed. It should be ready on Friday. I can't wait. I took it in with one idea and completely went another direction with my choice. I hope it all works!

I finally got my 2 little pillows all finished up.

Feather Flock by Plum Street Samplers

Let Freedom Ring by Needle Treasures Nook

I am stitching 2 things at once. Breaking all my rules.

The first is what are called Animal Crackers. This is a whole series of animals finished up to look like animal crackers. I chose the rabbit Maggie Mae and started it. 

Then I saw the goose called Olive which I just had to buy the pattern. I told you my stitching mojo was back. I am so happy about that! Anywho, I like her way more than the rabbit, but I am gonna finish the rabbit. I am doing the rabbit on 28 count which is making it larger than the patterns intended. I felt like I needed to experiment with these before I did a small one and even if I enjoyed them. Stay tuned.

Have y'all noticed the goose resurgence in the decor. I am gonna be back in style in so many ways! HA!

Then I got sidetracked when I saw the next pattern finished by someone on Instagram. I think it will be last patriotic stitch except for the Pledge of Allegiance which is a large stitch and I didn't plan to try and have it finished for this summer. I want to add it to my sampler wall but no timeline on finishing it.

Now I usually stick to one stitch at a time, but reading is a whole different story. I can and do most of the time read multiple books. I am reading 4 good ones at the moment. Yes, you read that right. 4 - I will let one really captivate me and finish and then go back until the next one grabs me, etc. I should have some to share soon.

The Bible study I picked and shared in the last post is actually very good. It Is Well I have enjoyed reading through it. Like I said, I didn't think it had any earth shattering information, but very good reminders to keep the mind on track with the coming times.

My last item of the post is the word discernment. I never ever pick a word of the year. I have read the book that inspired that idea and it is not that I don't think that is a wonderful idea, but I am just never put together to ever come up with one. My mind is all over the place! HA! However, the word discernment was laid on my heart at the beginning of this year with so much incoming information all over the Internet. Honestly, I miss the days pre Internet when I just had my library and the World Book Encyclopedias. I am a total researcher always loving to find answers and read about anything and everything. I think the Internet can be good and not so good for a "me." I do know this, there is some crazy stuff out there, so discernment is wise to pray for!!! 

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. I am expecting my family over tomorrow afternoon to grill out. We will celebrate the generations of moms tomorrow. 

Grands....

Baseball, Stitching, Walking and A New Idea

I have been busy as ever. Between the usual things --keeping house, checking on the flowers, keeping Valerie, and seeing about Mama, we have been enjoying the grandsons' baseball season. It is nearing the end next month, but Tucker's season has been especially fun this year. He is playing machine pitch. He was having such a horrible time batting to begin the season. He was a great fielder and earned a 2nd base slot, but hitting was doing him in. One night it just clicked. He really doesn't have a strong arm that gets a really long hit, but he is consistent and rarely misses getting on base. He earned the right to be the lead off hitter. All of that has been fun to watch as he grew in skills and confidence, but the thing that has really warmed my heart is that each boy has gotten better and they have really gelled as a team. The other night one of the last ones that hadn't been able to get that hit did ---and the team and the stands just went wild cheering for him.

This season has also been special because they renovated the old fields which were smaller and more like what I remembered for Paul Allen's days. Palmer and all the littles can play safely at the ball park and they have so much fun. At the other field which belongs to the city and is really about tournament ball for travel teams was a park that made me so nervous with all the traffic around the fields. I was always watching for little ones rather than full engaged in the game. 

I finished my patriotic stitch. I have to get it to the framers over the weekend. It is one that I am not sure fits into prettiest or best, but I love it. It was what I envisioned for my patriotic decor for 2026. I didn't think I really needed a gigantic sampler even thought there were so many beautiful ones. I am pleased with its imperfection. After all it is a sampler!

I have started my next stitch which follows the pattern exactly and should be easy stitching, but it too is an experiment...something different from my normal choices. I will share next time.

Around the yard, my bottlebrush shrubs are just showing out.

Jeff has planted some flowers where I once had my roses. We are experimenting with what will grow in summer heat on the back deck and bring some color. Time will tell.

Now, I know that geranium won't survive there beyond May, but I will move it when I get my angel wing begonia going. I thought I had lost it to the winter, but it is coming back. I did take some cuttings before winter started and brought them in so I would not have to move any big heavy pots around. That is getting harder for me these days.

Here are some closeups. I didn't really advise him on what to pair with what so one is fuller than the other.

Loving that purple verbena.

I also have fallen in love with marigolds which he has planted in the same pots as his tomatoes. 

He has tomatoes, strawberries, peppers and cilantro planted.

And the hostas are very happy in their new pots. Happiness in a pot!!!

We made it to Auburn last weekend to see the new flooring. LOVE it!

I was ecstatic to see it. It is beautiful. It is darker than the downstairs but they did such a good job tying it in along the stairs

It looks amazing with this bedroom which I totally love.

I think there is a wee bit too much brown in this bedroom, but the bedding helps. I may change out the artwork and lamp shades with stuff I have. Not planning on painting the wall. I will just have to shop the closets here.

I have been changing things up. I told you sometime last year about my latest brainstorm for strength training. I tried as hard as I have ever tried something. I was faithful, BUT exhausted from it. I tried to change it up...lighter weights, less reps, etc. Somewhere down the road I just realized with the pace I am keeping with this house, doctor appointments for one, the stress from Jeff and Mama and keeping Valerie that my plan had passed this 65 year old woman by. 

I then tried the rebounder which I think could be great, but doggone it - it hurt my hip joints. I finally realized that wasn't going to work. 

I have gone back to a similar plan as I had in my 30's and 40's after work. I used to walk/jog after work each week day. No dog, just straight up walking for stress relief and exercise. I walk in the neighborhood a couple of times a day with Valerie in the stroller and Gus on a leash but that is not the kind of walking I need. I am now going every afternoon/evening for a rather long walk (no jogging) outside of my neighborhood so I don't get stopped at every house to talk and without Gus. It is working. It is good for time alone to pray and let all my frustrations out and good for exercise. It is not hurting me and I have come to realize at my age and stage of life it is all I have in me, but it is proving to be beneficial.

For about 3 years now, I just sort of swore off any kind of Bible study or Christian women's book. One day I woke up and just felt like much of was a business and the same authors seemed to be on a schedule to write write write. I don't know why that hit me like that, but it did and for the last 2.5 years I have only read the Bible and anything I was doing specifically for church.

A new lady in our small group brought up a study series which I have seen before and almost bought many times. Anywho, she had no idea when she was telling me about some of them that I was dealing with the issues I am, nor did I even tell her. I decided to order a couple of them and give them a try. They arrived this week. One was on rest and the other on anxiety.

I decided to start with anxiety. I opened up and this line says it all as to the why-

"But for others, anxiety is a new and unexpected part of life - something to manage and try to keep under control."

That is me- this is new and unexpected. I would never describe myself as anxious AND if I am honest I don't think I am going to read anything I don't know or haven't said to a friend who suffers from real anxiety or even to my daughter, 

BUT

I have been hit hard the past couple of years. It has weighted me down, the unknowns, the watching people go downhill physically and so forth. 

I have decided in the first week of this study that I may need to read all of these things that I know to BE REMINDED of them. To remind myself He is sovereign, He does watch over me, that He knows my fears and He cares. I think the daily reads will actually be good for me. 

The study is "It is Well, Walking Away from Anxiety and Into God's Word" by The Daily Grace Co.

Like I said, I don't think I am going to come across a new idea or verse I don't know, but a study to walk me though these times with prayer should be good for me.

April is cruising by and I am loving the spring like days. There have been some cool mornings, but no snow. My goodness, Old Man Winter has been throwing out some wrath this year. Spring is here though. All good.

Sandy