Wednesday Hodgepodge

I've missed about 2-3 weeks of HP and am having withdrawal. I'm glad to be back because Joyce always causes me to have to scratch my head, and that's a good thing.

1. Something on your October calendar that makes you smile?
Well, my baby brother is flying in tomorrow for a few days and I always enjoy his visits.  Then towards the end of the month I'll be seeing my newest Gran.  And, one other thing is that we will celebrate our #1 son's 39th birthday this Friday and since I'm only 40,that really makes me smile. ~a loud chuckle~

2. Food for the soul or music for the soul...which camp are you in? Tell us why?

It would definitely be music!  I have always enjoyed music of all kinds and generally have it playing in my car and home.  I usually play Contemporary Christian in the car and Easy Listening in the house.  Music is soooo soothing to my soul!
 

3. What are two or three things you've learned recently as the result of an online search?

Not anything earth shattering but found out when Downton Abbey and Call the Midwives new seasons start a couple of days ago.
 

4. Share your favorite game day recipe. You can describe it, post the how-to, or add a link to the actual recipe.

Humm.....I know it's probably weird, but Hubby usually watches our LSU Tigers and I sit here with him doing something else.  Occasionally we will go over to friends and enjoy some good eats and fellowship while the game is on.  That's always fun! But, I have no game day recipe as such.

5. What are your five essential steps for creating the perfect morning routine?
1 - get up by 5:30AM and grab a cup of coffee
2- spend time in devotion and prayer
3 - take my morning treadmill walk
4 - get dressed and ready for the day
5 - grab my to do list and get busy

6. What small thing have you taken note of today?
Hubby and I embarked upon hanging a VERY heavy mirror yesterday morning.  We were hanging it fairly high in one of our bathrooms and at one point we were both standing on the granite vanity holding this heavy mirror trying to get it on the hanger.  I took note that neither of us should have been standing that far up hanging a heavy mirror.  ~not very smart~ ~too old for such~

7. Sum up your September in seven words or less.
Too busy and too much excitement!
 
8.  Insert your own random thought here.

This is a bad picture but I snapped it with my phone in a hurry so I could show you my automatic flickering candles.  I have 3 groupings of them and I have them all set to come on at 5:00PM and I just love the ambiance they create.  They are so peaceful and I love candlelight. And, they look soooo real!

Our house becoming a home......

It's the last Monday in September and we have had just a bit of fall in the air in the early morning.  I'm ready for a bit of fall in the entire day.  
I'm going to share with you some of the decorating that has taken place around here last week.  Finally, it is taking on the look of a home.  My decorator came on Tuesday and we had such fun placing the decor here and there and watching the house come alive. We still have a bit more to do but we/she made a huge dent in the process.
I have always had a "love affair" with accent tables.  I'm not sure when it started but I have collected quite a few in recent years and most of them are older pieces that I have had refinished.  Here's how some of them look in our new house.

This is in one of the living areas. 

This is also in one of the living areas.

This one is in the hallway going to the Master Bedroom

And, this one is at the end of the hall where the guest rooms are located. 

These are the shelves located to the side of the fireplace in one of the living areas.

This is a couple of decorative groupings on the buffet cabinet beneath the windows in the eating area.

The kitchen area.

I will do whole room pictures as the rooms are completed.  But, as you can see things are finally beginning to come together.  I'll have more to show next Monday.

Have yourselves a great new week!!!  

Lea's Daybook - Friday, September 25th

It's the last Friday in September and it seemed like a good day for daybook.  Thanks to Peggy over at The Simple Woman for hosting this month in and month out.  Always fun to look inside someone's day.

For Today...

 it's Friday and I plan to get a whole lot of things done today.  Even though I do not work outside our home, I still look forward to Friday and the weekend.  A lot of folks might say that everyday should be a weekend for one that doesn't work outside the home, but it's just never been that way for me.  I am a busy woman, I generally have an agenda everyday and usually feel pretty productive at the end of most days. Wow! guess I got a little carried away on that. ~chuckle~

Outside my window...

the sun is beginning to shine brightly through the front windows.  It will get so bright in a little while that I generally keep the shutters closed until it changes positions.  We would love to have the sun come up over the pond in the back of our house, but it just did not work out that way.  So, we get to watch the sun set over the pond and that's a pretty site at the end of the day. ~it works~

I am thinking...

that it's going to be an endurance contest to survive the long road to the Presidential election in Nov. 2016.  May all we as Christians do their part!!

I am thankful...

for my good health thus far.  I have lived long enough to see how quickly our health can be taken from us or comprised to such an extent that it causes major life adjustments. Aging generally brings health issues that few escape, so every day that I am  healthy is a huge blessing.  

I am wearing...

some leggings and a long tunic.  I'm going to be busy here at the house for most today and about all I am worried about is being comfortable.  Cuteness matters most days, but not so much today. ~just keeping it real~

I am creating...

a warm and inviting home.  The decorating process is in full process now and I'm so enjoying our house becoming a home.

I am going...

 no where in particular but am ready to go somewhere in particular for sure.  Hubby and I pretty much put our traveling on hold when we started the construction of the new house.  Hopefully we'll get our traveling shoes on after the first of the year.

I am wondering...

if Jesus came to earth for a visit would the streets be lined and the crowds formed as they were for the Pope's visit.~just wondering~

I am hoping...

our new little Grandson continues to thrive as he has thus far.  I can't believe he will be 4 weeks old on Monday.  And, his due date is still 2 more weeks away.  Little stinker! ~scared us too death~

I am learning...

over and over again that things are just not always as they may seem.  There's just so many hurts behind smiles. It's all the more reason that we need to reach out to each and every soul we come in contact with.  They may well be fighting a battle behind that pretty smile.

In my kitchen...

I am so enjoying my new kitchen and have conjured up some pretty good meals in the past month that we've been here.  I've been doing a bit of bulk cooking and that means that our freezer has some ready meals and that makes me a happy gal.  As I've said many times, I am definitely NOT a gourmet cook but I'm a pretty good plain ole cook. ~ wink~

A favorite quote for today...

Just had to share these 3 from none other than Yogi Berra......

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

You can observe a lot by just watching.

It ain't over till it's over

A peek into one of my days...

My days are never the same. But, everyday there is some kind of house work going on.  A lot of days there are errands to run and about 3 times a week I stop by to visit with my Dad.  I can say that I am never bored!

One of my favorite things...

is watching our new house become a home.  Each day we get a little more settled and the decorating has begun. ~finally~  It's a process for sure.

A picture worth sharing...

Thought you might enjoy a little sneak peek at some of the decorating taking place.  This is our Master Bedroom that we finished up this week.  I could not be happier.  I love the brown, aqua, and golden colors. Hubby and I are most pleased.  Stay tuned for more pictures on Monday's post. 

Monday's Musings

My goodness, it's the next to the last Monday in September. It seems I just blinked and and it was Sept. 1st.  But, I've done enough this month to fill a couple of months, so guess it all works out in the end. ~grin~ Not a lot of big news this morning, just some "tidbits" that I hope you will enjoy. 

 My DIL snapped these precious pictures yesterday morning before they left for church.  Are they not the cutest family?  And, I so well remember those days of getting myself and little ones ready on Sunday morning.  It was always such a contest and it  seemed that the devil did all in His power to create havoc and by the time I got to church I definitely needed to be there. ~smile~  Yes, my hat goes off to not only my children and their families but to all families with little ones as they balance the many responsibilities of their lives, not only on Sunday's but everyday of the week.

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And, speaking of Sunday, this is our sweet Clancy all "spiffed up" for church the Sunday we were there. Clancy has adjusted well in his role as "big brother."  He one of the sweetest little boys I know and I'm not the least bit prejudice. ~not at all~ As you can see, there are boxes in the background.  Yep! I really don't care to see another box for a long, long time!!!

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I helped with a bridal shower yesterday afternoon for a young couple in our church.  We served cake and fruit and there was just about any kind of cake you could desire.  There's really little need to serve much else on a Sunday afternoon.  By the time the ladies arrive at the shower they have likely had a big meal and aren't all that hungry.  A slice of cake and something to drink does the trick. And, of course, most Southern Women have a favorite cake  and can whip one up pretty quick! ~wink~

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I hope to have more "house update" for you next Monday.  We still need pictures hung and decorative pieces placed here and there.  We were sort of interrupted when we had to hurriedly get to Oklahoma but my decorator is coming this week to help me begin the process.  I call it, "the icing on the cake" and it's what I've looked forward to the most.  I also call it, making a house a home.  I'll look forward to sharing the results with you.

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And, in case you didn't know it, Wednesday is the first day of fall!

 

Friday Favorites

Ah, it's so good to be back to my regular schedule of blogging and I do love Friday Favorites.  I have everything from food to decor today.

If you are ever in need of a quick meal ~and who isn't these days~ then you need to try the new Birdseye meal in a bag.  Everything you need is in the bag, including the chicken.  And, it is REAL chicken, white meat chicken too.  There are 3-4 different chicken meals and we tried this one recently and it was a hit.  I made coleslaw and fixed some bread and called it "good."  It's about 15 minutes from start to finish and that includes the time it takes to get the pan out of the cabinet.  I think they have beef dishes as well, but I have only gotten the chicken.We may try the beef later.

Two of my most favorite rooms in our new house are the storage rooms.  They are located right off the living areas of the house and they hold all my rubbermaid containers (all labeled of course) of seasonal decor and other decor and China and Crystal.  The shelves for the rubbermaid containers are open shelving and the other storage room is cabinets.  They have adjustable shelves and I was a happy gal when I was putting everything into them.  I had all of this type item in our upstairs storage space at our old house (except for the China) and it got real old carrying those tubs and such up and down the stairs.  Now, it's more than handy and it was at the top of my "want" list for this new house. 

 I have never done a lot of decorating for Halloween but I just could not pass up this tablerunner and chevron pumpkin and stand from the Grandinroad catalog.  I plan to put it in our eating area as just a touch of Halloween.  I have other pumpkins that I will place that will serve well throughout fall and Thanksgiving.  If you are looking for some really neat and unique seasonal decor then you might want to check out Grandinroad.

And, I saved my favorite favorite for last.....I saw this inspiration on Facebook a few days ago and it touched my heart and I thought it was well worth sharing with you.  I especially love the part, "God's not finished with your story yet."  I often forget that as long as I'm on this earth HE is still writing my story.  I think that is so awesome and so encouraging.

Have yourself an awesome weekend!

I'm back.....

Okay, let me see, where did I leave off?  In case you have not heard a little 4lb. 4oz. baby boy rocked our world on August 31st!  He was not due until Oct. 14th but hey, that's just a due date and must have meant anything to little Coleman.  It did not matter to him that his parents had both just started new jobs, had just moved into their home 3 days before, after living in an extended stay hotel for one month. And, his CiCi and Poppa had also just survived a major move.  Nope, none of this mattered because he was ready to enter this world and add to our excitement.

 Is he not pure sweetness!  Coleman was in the NICU for about 5 days and then in the step down unit for another week.  He did not ever have any serious issues, mainly just needed to get his body temperature stable and learn to suck, which he did in record time.  

 It was definitely love at first sight when I got to hold him in my arms.  But, oh, what a tiny little fella.  He looked like a burrito all bundled up.

Hubby and I left on Sept. 2nd headed to Oklahoma City and when we arrived at our daughter and SIL's house we almost turned and came back home. ~big smile~  There were boxes on top of boxes and we were pretty overwhelmed at the task at hand.  But, as parents do, we dug in with both feet and both hands and went to work.  There was cleaning that needed to be done and I'm pretty sure that there needs to be a law that says when you sell a  home that you MUST leave it in pristine condition for the new owners. ~no joke~  

It's was hard enough to figure out where we wanted things when we moved last month much less trying to figure out where our daughter wanted things.  She was back and forth to the hospital and would give us guidance as she could.  Our SIL was off the week of Coleman's birth and did the heavy lifting for us and by the time he went back to work we were into the decorating part and managed okay with that. Hubby and I both were pretty proud of ourselves.  We worked long and hard for 9 days and lived to tell about it.  And, of course, our daughter was more than grateful.  Our last day there I managed to do some cooking for them and put several meals in the freezer that they can pull out in the days ahead.  

Coleman got to come home the day before we left and he has done amazingly well.  He saw the Pediatrician on Monday and she gave him a glowing report and we are beyond thankful.

Tommy and I headed towards home Saturday morning and it was a very long day of travel and I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to get home.  We were so glad that we could go and help at such a stressful time for them, and we certainly did not have time to even think about home.  But, when we started towards home, we couldn't get here fast enough. ~chuckle~

Now, we are ready to get back into finishing getting ourselves settled here.  I still have not done any picture hanging or decorating but I'm getting close to that.  I had to cancel my time with my decorator because we were gone but we plan to get together next Tuesday and work some decorating magic on this place but, in the meantime, this little guy has worked magic on my heart for sure.

 I'm so glad to be back with you my sweet friends and blogging buddies! I've missed you greatly!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

The first Wednesday of September and what better way to spend it than answering Joyce's questions. Click on the link above if you would like to participate or read others answers.

1. What's on your September calendar? Anything fun? 

Well, I should say so!  Hubby and I will be leaving tomorrow morning headed to Oklahoma City to meet our new Grandson, Coleman.  He wasn't due until Oct. 14th, but he couldn't wait and made his entrance August 31st.  More on this later..........

2. You might be described as a natural born organizer.

I got a double dose of organizational skills from both my Dad and Mom and I love order and structure and feel like I am far more productive than I would be without it.

3. September is National Courtesy Month...what one act of courtesy would you most like to see more of in your home, town, or the world at large? 

The very first thing that I thought of was respect.  It seems that there is very little respect for lives, authority, professions, etc. today. It saddens my heart.

4. Eager beaver, chicken out, clam up, or let the cat out of the bag...of the phrases listed, which one have you related to most recently? 

Eager beaver pretty much describes me most of the time but especially the past few weeks.  I have been more than an eager beaver about getting settled in our new house.  And, while there remains a lot to do, I have come a long way and I will remain an eager beaver until I get through. ~smile

5. What's your movie theatre snack protocol? Do you chow down on snacks during the previews or wait until the movie begins? Do you buy snacks or refuse to pay those kind of prices? What's the last movie you saw in a theatre? How many thumbs up would you give it?

Oh, a movie isn't a movie without popcorn for sure and I start in on it as soon as my booty hits the seat.  I mean, why wait?  I took our two oldest Grans to see "Inside Out" a couple of months ago and I would only give it 2 thumbs up and only 2 because of the animation.  Otherwise I would give it no thumbs up.

6. Henry Ford is quoted as saying, "Nobody can think straight who does not work. Idleness warps the mind." Agree or disagree? Why?
Hummm.....never heard this quote but I would have to agree.  I mean how can the mind stay sharp and active if you do not work or at least stay busy in some fashion. They say, "an idle mind is the devil's workshop" and "busy hands are happy hands."  I concur!

7. What's the last job you completed or task you performed where you had to 'work like a dog' until it was finished?
Unpacking a houseful of boxes in 11 days.  I would have thought that I would still be unpacking boxes but I was able to finish the task in 11 days and I was quite proud.  Of course, everything is not in it's place but it's a work in progress.  Yes, I worked like a dog for sure!!!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

AND, just in case you have not heard.........our newest Gran made his entrance about 6 weeks early.  He is doing well but will be in NICU for up to two weeks baring any complications.  He is doing well, lungs are great but just has a few milestones that he has to reach before going home.  Bridget is able to go down and bond with him about 4 times a day and it has been such a special time for her.  Finally, after almost 5 years of disappointment she has a baby in her arms.
Hubby and I will head out in the morning to go meet our little man and to help his Dad and Mom get settled in their new house.  They just moved in last Tuesday and still have a house full of boxes.  And, since I am now a pro at unpacking boxes, and I'm an eager beaver, I'll have them in good shape in no time. ~wink~  They are just so thankful that, although they are no where settled, they are at least in their house and out of the hotel room they had to live in for 30 days.  And, they are so, so thankful that they live in a large city with such an outstanding hospital where they know our little Coleman is getting the very best of care.  The Lord knew all that they would need just as they needed it. ~amazing~