Friday Letters

I do love letter writing, it's very therapeutic and a whole lotta fun!

Dear Easter Season - you are upon us and I hope that we will use these coming weeks to prepare our hearts.  It is the season of Lent and some folks give up something for Lent.  I have never done that, but I do want to focus more and prepare my heart for the celebration of our Risen Lord on Easter Sunday
. 

Dear Spring - come on, I know you can do it.  Show yourself!!!  We are more than a little tired of winter.   The poor daffodils are so confused!

Dear Bridget - I am so looking forward to our special "mother/daughter" time in a few more days.  This is way over due! And, I'm praying daily that this pregnancy is going to go "picture perfect" and we'll be blessed with another precious little Gran to love come October.

Dear Mary Kay Cosmetics - can I just tell you that I'm in love with your Luminous Wear Foundation, it is the BEST!!  And, applying it with your foundation brush makes it look like it has been air-brushed on. And, to top it off, you are so, so reasonably priced, $20 for a tube that lasts me almost 5 months. And,and I've used your skincare for years and think it is tops too. 

Dear Planking - I'm not quite sure I understand this whole craze.  And, I'm pretty sure that if I tried you that I would not be able to get out of bed the next morning.  Think I'll just stick with walking on the treadmill.  It's pretty simple, doesn't require any awkward position and I've been doing it for about 25 years. ~big smile~
  
Dearest Momma - you were so smart to teach me that we are to "eat to live and not live to eat."  You were way ahead of the game back in the day and our society is definitely all about living to eat and it has caused so many issues for so many folks.

Dear OPI - how on earth do you come up with the names for your nail polish?  You must have some extra creative folks working for you.  I mean names like, You Pink Too Much, I Can Teal You Like Me, Crime Caper, Chasing Rainbows and Blushing Hour are not your normal nail polish names.  Some of your colors are wayyy to "out there" for me but others are just what I'm looking for.  I do believe you have been tested and tried and have come out a winner!

Dear Self - if I could go back and relive my life I'd do a whole lot less fretting and realize sooner that so many things really do have a way of working out if we will just give them time. And, I'd accept that I do not have to know how things are going to work out, just that they will, one way or the other and not necessarily in the way I think it should or I thought it should.  ~did that make sense~

Dear Heated Mattress Pad - on, my goodness! you are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Crawling into a warm bed is the ultimate.  Not sure why we have not gotten one of you long before now, but that's okay, we're enjoying you now.  Laying on a heated mattress is sooooo much better than laying under a heated blanket.
 ~just sayin'"

Dear Blogging Buddies - some of you are still "no reply bloggers" and you make it very, very difficult to respond to your comments if you are set up that way.  I doubt that you really want to be set up that way and you may not realize it.  But, here's the scoop on how to enable your blog with your email.
How to enable your e-mail: BLOGGER ACCOUNTS: To do this, click on your Dashboard, click on EDIT PROFILE and place a check mark next to SHOW MY EMAIL ADDRESS, and finally scroll to the bottom and click SAVE PROFILE.

 I often want to reply to your comments via email but when you have that disabled, I can't. ~boo-hoo~

Have yourself a happy weekend and dream of Spring!

It's a Mardi Gras Kind of Hodgepodge.............

Joyce outdid herself today with the questions.  I thoroughly enjoyed them and hope you enjoy reading my answers as much as I enjoyed giving them.  Hop on over to Joyce's if you would like to read more Hodgepodge answers.  It's most interesting, I assure you!
 
1. The expression 'mad as a March hare' originated with a fictional character who is distracted and frantic. When were you last 'mad as a March hare' and what was it that made you that way?
Well, that sounds pretty mad to me and I can't remember being that mad in way longer than I can remember.  I did get very, very aggravated at Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago because of their lack of checkers and all the self checkouts were out of commission.  There's just no excuse for such from an entity such as Wal-Mart.

2. Mardi Gras this year falls on Tuesday, March 4th. Have you ever been to Mardi Gras, and if so what did you think? If not, do you have any interest in going?  Purple, green, and gold are the colors of Mardi Gras. Which one is most prevalent in your wardrobe? How about in your home?
I've never been to Mardi Gras and likely am one of the few Louisianana's that hasn't.  No, I have zero interest in going.  I'm not the least bit into wild crowds and folks acting a fool. I have gold and purple in my wardrobe but generally do not wear purple unless it is an LSU football weekend.  Purple is not one of my better colors. ~sigh~  And, I have lots of muted gold in my home but not a bit of purple and green.

3. Are you old fashioned?
Webster defines old fashioned as.....
in or according to styles or types no longer current or common; not modern 
 Hummmmm.......not totally but definitely in many ways. Such as: sex outside of marriage is WRONG, woman's bodies were made to be covered and we are to dress modestly, there is a time that hose are still appropriate for a women's legs and there is still a time to dress up and I see Sunday as one of those times.  And, I think that there are still times that women need to wear a slip.  Yep, guess I'm more old-fashioned that I realized.  And, I love a man that is a gentleman and thankfully I am married to one.

4. Do you carefully plan your vacations, or do you prefer the days to be more spontaneous?

Oh, my goodness, yes, I plan vacations carefully.  It's the only way to get the most out of your time away as far as I'm concerned.  I cannot stand to fly by the seat of my pants and figure it out as we go along.  Now, some places one can definitely be more spontaneous but if there's a lot to see and do, then I'm all about planning.  

5.  March is National Sauce Month...what's your favorite sauce, and what do you most often top with this sauce?
Well, I'm not sure that Ranch Dressing would be classified as a sauce, but I can't think of a sauce that I'm all that crazy about.  Putting Ranch Dressing on a salad is just one of the many ways I use it.  I use it and nothing else on my baked potatoes, and dip all manner of food items in it, such as fried pickles and fried green beans.  Oh, my, sooooo good!!!

6.  What's something that easily brings a tear to your eye?
Can I just say that it does not take much to bring a tear to my eye.  I can cry at the absolute drop of a hat!  Anything concerning my family, knowing someone is going through a difficult time, watching someone struggle, certain songs and the list goes on and on.  Yes, I am definitely a "crier."

7. If you could own any sports team, which one would it be and why?
I'm not much into sports but since I live in Louisiana and we have the Saints football team, guess I'll choose them.  As you can tell, I'm not all that enthusiastic about it. ~duh!~

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

While I have never been to Mardi Gras, I do absolutely love Mardi Gras decor and I always decorate our front porch and door in true Mardi Gras fashion after Christmas.  Since yesterday was Fat Tuesday and today is Ash Wednesday, I thought it only right that I share our door with you today.  No, there's no green and purple inside my house, but there's plenty on our door and porch right now.  But, that will be down in the next few days and replaced with the colors of Spring.  Yes, Spring, it is coming isn't it????

HELLO Monday!

Linking up with Lisa at Lisa Lenard's Design today for HELLO Monday. If you have never dropped by Lisa's blog, you should.  She is such a talented gal and always has a big smile.

Hello Fun Run............

Ready, set, GO.....

The church our son, DIL and the Princess are members of had a "fun run" this past Saturday morning.  It was a fund raiser for missions.  Hanna Beth was so excited about it and she gave it her all and ran her little heart out.  Now, Dad and Mom, I'm not quite so sure. ~chuckle~  But, what fun for such a great cause.

HELLO closet...........

I spent part of this past Saturday morning straightening up my closet.  Since our house is older it doesn't have California Closets, so I had to come up with my own ideas for organization.  And, I think I did a good job. ~just sayin'~  Over the years I have done a lot of things but about 5 years ago I got the  pull out baskets, pictured above, at Lowe's and they have been "the cat's meow" as my Daddy would say.  Then I got the over the door hanger for my most used scraves and a men's tie rack for my belts.  And, I use the clear plastic shoe boxes for my shoes.  Yep, this is my version of California Closets. And, for now, it works very well.

HELLO True Spirituality.........

As I mentioned in my previous post, our church began a 6 week study of the book, True Spirituality, yesterday.  Our pastor will be preaching  on Sunday mornings on subjects from the book and on Sunday evenings we are in a small group setting.  As I read the chapters for last night's lesson my heart was so stirred, especially when it began talking about total surrender. It hit me so hard as I looked at my life and saw places that I have not surrendered in the 54 years that I have been a Christian.  One would think that after that many years, you would have it together spiritually.  But, I am still a work in progress and I praise Him that He isn't through with me yet.  If you are in need of some real "soul searching" then I cannot recommend this book enough.  You can go to Living on the Edge if you want to learn more about the book and study.

HELLO  new life........

 I had also mentioned in my last post that I had some exciting things to share with you.  Well, I have been given permission  to share with you that our daughter is pregnant "again" with their 2nd baby.  As many of you know, she has had 3 late term miscarriages the past 2 years, so this is a really BIG deal.  If you want to read all about this you can go to her blog here.  We are all cautiously excited and hopeful that this pregnancy is going to go smoothly and they will be blessed with a healthy baby around Oct. 15th.  Bridget and Clint have a peace, not that everything is going to be okay, but that the Lord will be with them each step of the way, just as He has been in the past.  But, all of our prayers are that HE will see fit to bring this to pass. I'll keep you posted!

Lea's Daybook - Friday, February 28th

I haven't done a Daybook in a few weeks and thought it was time to do one.  They are always
enjoyable for me to and I hope they are enjoyable for you to read.............
Linking up with Peggy at The Simple Woman 

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...the sun is peeking his head out and while rather chilly at this time, it promises to warm up as the day goes by.  We have daffodils showing their faces and definite signs of Spring. ~Yipee!~

I am thinking.....
about so many things that I almost have a "head rush" at times.  I have so many exciting things going on and I look forward to the time that I can actually share some of this with you my dear friends.  But, for now, hang on...........~it won't be long~

I am thankful...
 for a God that seems to place the right people in my life at just the right time.  And, I pray that I will, more often than not, be the right person in someone's life at just the right time as well.

In the kitchen....
 it's been a week of eating the "stash" out of the freezer.  I try to always have soups, chili, sauces and such in the freezer and all I have to do is take them out, let them thaw and warm them up.  So, I haven't spent a whole lotta time in the kitchen this week.  ~yea~

I am wearing...
 casual black velour pants and jacket with a turtleneck.  I thought surely I would not wear it again this winter, but guess ole man Winter isn't through just yet.
 

I am creating... 
a new Shutterfly photo book.  I always do two a year.  One for the first half of the year and one for the second half. I think they are about the best thing to "come down the pike" in a while.  No more photo albums for this girl since I discovered these about 7 years ago.

I am going...
 to see our daughter and Grandson two weeks from Sunday.  Our SIL has to be out of town with his job and it's been a long time since Bridget and I have had some mother/daughter time, so I'm so excited!  Of course, my Clancy man will be there but he'll just be the "icing on the cake."

I am wondering...
 if the morals of our nation will turn around by the time my Grans hit their teenage years.  I pray they do.  I am just astounded by the permissiveness of our society!
 

I am reading... 
True Spirituality, by Chip Ingram.  Our church is studying this in a small group setting beginning this Sunday evening.  It is based on Romans 12 and should be a most inspirational study.

I am hoping...
 some of the new meds my Dad has just started on will cause him to feel better and perhaps find some kind of enjoyment in his days.

I am looking forward to... 
this day.  Have decided to make it a point to really enjoy each day, it might be my last. ~sure hope not~

I am learning...
 to see how God can use adversity in our lives for His glory and our good.  Doesn't seem to make sense, but I've seen it in my own life, so I know He can. ~so thankful~

Around the house...
 I'm needing to clean out my closet and reorganize.  It doesn't seem that long ago that I did it, but somehow it just doesn't stay that way.  And, I'm a "everything in it's place" kinda gal. ~makes me happy~

I am pondering...
 all the exciting happenings in my life. ~big smile~

A favorite quote for today...
 love this by Mae West,
"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."

~I sure hope I'm doing it right~

One of my favorite things...
 is the series on PBS, Call the Midwife.  It is my very favorite PBS series, including Downton Abbey.  I am now watching the 3rd season via the blog, Simply June. This gal has every PBS series and all episodes posted on her blog tabs.  It was like finding a pot of gold for me.  I am now watching Call the Midwife and it will not be on here in the US for several more weeks.  I just wish that the seasons for these shows was longer than 8 episodes.  They are over almost as soon as they are started and then it's 10 months between the seasons.  But, they are all worth the wait for sure.

A peek into my day... 

I have errands to run, will go and visit my Dad.  Then I'll be home to do the pile of ironing staring me in the face and then catch up on some home office work.  Doesn't it sound like an exciting day??

A picture worth sharing......

I think this is the image of Spring and it's only about 20 days until the very first day of Spring.  ~makes me happy, happy~

Another Wednesday Hodgepodge........

Goodness, these Wednesdays roll around faster and faster!  And, that Joyce just keeps coming up with questions week in and week out.  Okay, now for this weeks questions......

  1. What is something you'll never forget about the age you are right now?
Oh, there's a lot but most are not for public sharing.  ~they are matters of the heart~  I know that at 61 years old,  I have lived well over half, in fact, 2/3 of my life and if there's any undone matters, then I'd better "get em' done."  ~a rather sobering thought~  And, something else,  maintenance of this aging body gets tougher and tougher as the years slip on by. ~ugh!~

2. What's a household chore you've never done? How have you managed that???
Well, to be honest, I cannot think of one household chore that I have never done.  Now, I might not like doing it, but I've probably done about everything there is to do when it comes to household chores.  In fact, I use to clean houses when I was in high school for extra money. 

 3. Does nature shape our personalities more than nurture? Explain? 
I think that our personalities are nurtured more by nature than they are shaped by nature.  Basic personality is determined by our genetic makeup and is strongly influenced by our outlook on life. Whee! that was a doozy of a question!

4. Friday (February 28th) is 'Something on a Stick Day'...funny because Zoanna over at A Penchant for Pens recently sent me an idea for a question relating to this topic. What's your favorite food eaten on a stick?
Well, a couple of years ago at a local craft show I got a potato on a stick and it was so, so good.  Just the right amount of salt and crispyness.  It was spiraled and about 15 inches long.  I enjoyed every bite of it.  I had never seen anything like it and look forward to one day having another.  The other item would be a "cake pop."  Cake balls a top a stick, just the right amount of sweetness.

5. Which of your five senses do you treasure most, and why?
Oh, without a doubt, my sight!  I have watched my Dad lose his sight and the pitiful state in which it has left him.  He was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration  in his mid-sixties and now, at the age of 84 he has about 25% vision left.  He can no longer recognize faces, sits within 2 feet of his big screen TV to see it and is unable to enjoy so much due to his very limited sight.  It is really sad and especially since he has other health issues to deal with.  I think our sight helps us to enjoy life more than most of ever realize.  We can enjoy the beauty of God's world, the smiles on people's faces and enjoy so many pleasures, such as reading. 

6. What's the best music, theatre, or sporting venue you've been to? What made it great?

Daughter and me in NYC, May 2002. What about those pants? And, don't even mention
my "big hair." Oh, my!!! 
 Hubby sent our daughter and me to NYC for my 50th birthday.  One of the shows we saw was Momma Mia and it still rates as one of my all time favorites.  Sharing it with my daughter, hearing all the fabulous songs by Abba and seeing it on live theater in NYC.  It will always be one of my favorite memories.

7. It's the last week of the month...in five words or less bid adieu to your February.
  So long very wintery month.......

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

Yes, that is a roll of toilet paper sitting on an empty roll.  It's crazy but for most of our 42 years of marriage, this is how it works in our house.  I use the last bit of tp and I go and get a new roll and place it on top of the empty roll.  Hubby comes along at some point and sees it and places it on the roll.  Why on earth I don't just finish the job and go ahead and put the roll on the holder is beyond me.  It's become a source of laughter now.  I'm not sure I would think it was so funny if Hubby were the one that set it on the empty roll and didn't go ahead and put it on.  But, as I've said many times, he's a patience man and it's just one of the many things he does for me. ~he's a good man~

Monday Reflections...........

Good morning, day, or night, depending on when you might be reading this.  It's another Monday, a new week and a new opportunity for us to "get it right."  May yours be a great week!

What a life.........

These two guys have been some happy pups the past few days.  Roscoe (on left) and Rhett (on right) are getting older and they are not the least bit fond of the really cold weather.  They will stay pretty close to their houses snuggled up in the hay provided by their dear Master.  Both of these dogs had a very rough start to their lives.  We came by them through adverse circumstances, Roscoe was being sold on the street corner by a druggie and Rhett just showed up at our doorstep.  They were both young pups at the time.  I am not really a "dog person" but I was over ruled by Hubby, who has a tender, tender heart.  And, just guess who they absolutely love?  Yep! me!!  I  think it's because they knew I wasn't too crazy about them becoming a part of our family and they were determined to weasel their way into my heart. ~and they did~ They are now 7 and 8 years old and I'm  not sure how long they may live.  But, I can say that they have a wonderful life, are well taken care of and if that contributes to life expectancy, then they may be with us a while longer.  Labs truly are good natured and they are their happiest when they are close to their owners. 

A Southern study club........

Me, on the right, with the other two hostess.

 I am a member of the Melange Study Club, that's another word for women finding an excuse to get together for lunch and fun.  No, not really, but it's true.  We meet Sept. thru May each year and have various programs, decided upon at the beginning of each new year.  This year's programs have been on Louisiana authors and artist.

This past week we met and I was one of the co-hostess.  My duty was to provide the food for the meeting.  We meet in homes and since we are in full-fledged Mardi Gras mode here, Sarah, the home hostess, did all the table scapes with that in mind.  It was so lovely and festive.  There's hardly anything more fun that a group of women visiting over a table of good food and conversation.  

Silly me........

I'm not exactly sure what came over me one morning last week but I decided I would just run up to Hubby's office and have coffee with the staff before they started their day.  I do this quite often but I am always ready for the day when I go.  This day I was in a hurry and later had a luncheon that I was helping to host and decided to just go in my "walking clothes" with rollers in my hair and no lipstick.  Yep! that's me!  To say that the staff was speechless was an understatement.  But, it was fun and now the whole world knows what I look like before I get ready for my day.  At least I did have my makeup on and I did not have my fuzzy slippers on.  I do draw the line on some things. ~chuckle~

Busy, creative hands........

Hubby, sort of like Roscoe and Rhett, was so glad to see the beautiful sunshine and warmer weather last week.  It was reason enough for him to think up a project and go out to his shop and be creative.  He built us a Wood Duck box.  I was pretty impressed with his ability and the main thing is his patience in doing something like this.  He had to undo a portion of it and it didn't cause him to throw down his drill and saw, he just undid what he needed to undo, and then plugged away doing it correctly.  He is hopeful the little duckies will be appreciative of his time and energy. ~we shall see~

Blessings for this week! 

Friday's Letters

 

Dear Olympics - I do believe that Hubby and I are probably the only two folks that are not watching you.  We just do not care for the Olympics and I feel we are almost unAmerican because of it.  Oh, well, it is what it is...........

Dear Heavenly Father - once again you have shown me how your timing is always perfect.  You would think that I would know that by now and never forget it. 
 

Dear Clancy and Hanna Beth - It is so unbelievable that you two are now 4 and 5 years old.  You both are so precious and CiCi prays daily for God's protective hedge to always cover you.

Dear Daylight Savings Time - you begin on March 9th and that makes me extremely happy.  Longer days, yes, do not like it being dark so early.  I just wish "they" would leave the time alone but I don't get a vote on that.  I just have to live with it. ~smile~

Dear Facebook - there are some things about you that aggravate me, but you truly are the "best thing since sliced bread."  I am so grateful to be connected with friends from long ago that would have never happened without you.  

Dear Houzz - you are the greatest app when it comes to home decorating, home remodeling or home building.  I have so much fun browsing through you.  Whoever dreamed you up was an absolute genius!

Dear Hair Coloring Product - you just simply need to last longer than 4 weeks.  My goodness, it seems every time I turn around  I'm at the salon getting a touch up.  Why not make a color that lasts at least 6 weeks? But, come to think about it, that wouldn't work either because I need a trim every 4 weeks as well.  Oh, well, was it Shakespeare  that said, "vanity, vanity, thy name is woman."

Dear Mailers of Catalogs - if you knew that I threw away 75% of the ones I received, you would quit sending them to me.  I stand at the trash can when going through the mail and just simply chunk you straight in.  I guess it doesn't matter to you that I have never even ordered from you. ~such a waste~

Dear NIV One Year Bible - you are designed absolutely perfectly!  I marvel at the way you are laid out in 365 daily readings that include Old and New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs everyday. I am thoroughly enjoying reading you through.

And, I leave you with this.........