Monday, February 21, 2022

A Little Letter Writing




I haven't done a "letter writing" post in a very long time but felt the need to do one and hoping you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Some are written in fun, some more serious, and, remember, these are my thoughts and no one else's and I end it with the most profound truth of all.    Happy Monday, have an awesome week!

Dear Police Officers - you truly are appreciated and I can only hope and pray that very soon we will see the respect you deserve return.  It saddens my heart when I see all of you that have lost your life unnecessarily while doing your job.

Dear Loader of the Dishwasher - why doesn't everyone load their dishwasher from the back to the front. I just do not get it but, then, it's your dishwasher and you can sure do it anyway you so desire.  As for me, I have, and always will, load mine front to back. Just makes sense to me and is so much easier.

Dear Facebook User - might I suggest that if you have a prayer request and you cannot say what it is, you might call a few of your  prayer warrior friends, rather than post on FB.   A prayer request without mention of the need causes folks minds to go bonkers and our minds can conjure up all kinds of stuff for which you might be requesting prayer. and likely none of them are even close to the need for which you are requesting prayer.
Also, there are SOME things that simply do NOT need to be shared on FB, in fact, there are things that do not need to be shared period. Some things just need to stay held in our hearts between us and the Lord.

Dear President Biden and Leaders of our Country - why can't all of you just want what is best for our wonderful country?  It is heart breaking to see the direction we are heading and how little concern many of you seem to have. President Biden, we need a LEADER and you have failed us.

Dear Builder of Commercial Bathrooms - why, oh, why are the ladies stalls (except for the handicapped) so small.  I mean, if you are going to make the door swing inward then you need to build the stalls WIDER!  I'm not a big person at all but there have been times when I wasn't sure I was going to be able to weasel myself between the wall and the door.  You folks need to rethink this!  Surely a man designed these stalls, no woman would do such! ~chuckle~

Dear Aides in Facilities for the Elderly - if you do not have a compassionate and caring heart then you need to work somewhere else.  You may need to think of the residents as your parents or that one day it could be you living there.  Sometimes putting ourselves in someone's else's shoes can change our feelings.  Go the extra mile, I assure you it will make their day and their family members will deeply appreciate you.

Dear Teachers and Students - this whole Covid pandemic has played havoc with you, the students and the parents of the students.  I am most concerned about the long term effects of the children's education.  We may not know for a long time the loss that has occurred.  Teachers, you ROCK!!!

Dear Chip and Cereal Makers - would it be so hard for you to incorporate the Ziploc concept into your bags.  I mean, Ziploc figured it out for you, all you have to do is convert a zipper top to your bags.  You would make all of our lives sooooo much easier.  Thanks for your consideration of this.

Dear Amazon - you truly make shopping for pretty much anything wayyyy to easy and convenient. 

Dear Folks -  why can't we all just respect everyone's opinion and decisions as to how they will deal with all the Covid "mess."  It truly isn't hard and, last I knew, we "still" live in a free country with the right to make up our own minds. And, I could go on and on about mandates, but it would do no good, so I'll just leave it right here. 

Dear 70 - I'm coming at you like a freight train!  I have never given much thought to any birthday or age, but I have pondered this upcoming birthday quite a bit.  I still have 5+ months in my 60's and will likely do a lot more pondering between now and July 29th.  It is most sobering to think that I am definitely entering the last quarter of my life.  But, I will carry on, hold my head high, continue to take care of myself, make memories every chance I get , love fiercely, and seek the Lord and His will for the rest of the days of my life. Counting my blessings!

Dear Reader- the most IMPORTANT decision you will ever make in your life is accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. If you have never done that then I pray that you will stop right this minute and invite him to be your Savior.  If I could help you with this, just leave me a note in the comments. There is nothing I would rather do.

Abundant blessings!

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

A Nutty Hodgepodge



Little did I know that today was National Almond day.  My goodness, I suppose there is a day for everything.  Joyce's questions are a bit nutty today and a whole lot of fun.  Enjoy!


1. February 16th is National Almond day...are you a fan? If so what's your favorite food item or recipe that contains almonds?
I am a fan, but generally prefer them in cookies or slivered almonds in some casserole dishes.  I'm not much on whole almonds.  Now, a chocolate covered almond is mighty hard to resist.

A very favorite recipe would be these Almond Joy Cookies.  Talk about yummy goodness! 

2. Something you are currently 'nuts' about? 

One year ago this month I became a fan of nutritional shakes and I have long lost count of how many of them I have consumed this past year.  They are soooo good and generally are my lunch.  I live about 3 miles from one of the nutrition shake and tea shops and it takes me no time to go over and get back home with it.  How awesome that they only have 200 - 250 calories and have so many healthy ingredients in them.  It's a "win win" for sure!

3. Something currently driving you 'nuts'? 

The state of our country.  It saddens me to think of the division, the lack of leadership, and are we so far gone to ever recover.  I just remind myself that "what is out of our control is under HIS rule."

4. Something you recently bought for 'peanuts'? 

Greeting cards are sooooo expensive and I love sending cards.  A while back a friend of mine told me about the Hallmark cards at Dollar Tree.  They are supposedly a lower quality than regular Hallmark but I truly do not see that.  They have some lovely cards and they are $1.25 each, no matter the size.  That is a far cry from the $4.95 and up for most cards.  I generally go at the end of the month and buy the cards I will need for the following month.  And, I pick up some sympathy, get well and thinking of you cards while I'm there.  Yes, the cost is pretty much peanuts comparatively speaking. 

5. Share a favorite quote uttered by any U.S. President ( if you're not an American, a quote made by the leader of your own country). 


I've always liked this quote from dear ole Abe. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 


This little firecracker was 7 years old last Friday and she has looked forward to her birthday for weeks.  She is such a ray of sunshine and has the best laugh and never misses a trick.  In the above photo she was celebrating 101 days of school last Thursday.  She can find fun in most anything.  Our lives are richly blessed by our Andi Kate. 

Sunday, February 6, 2022

Sunday Stealing - Q and A



Joining up with Bev today for the Sunday Stealing questions  It's always a lot of fun and hope you enjoy it too.


 1. The Best sandwich

Oh, my goodness, the grilled cheese sandwich has gone to a whole new level in recent years and while I've always liked grilled cheese, I LOVE a grilled cheese with bacon, pimento cheese and just about anything else you can think of to add.

2.  Something you own that you really should throw out.


I would imagine there are several items that I should throw out but I immediately thought of the big container of my Dad and Mom's love letters.  My Daddy gave these to me after Mom died 13 years ago.  They were written while my Daddy was in the Navy and my Mom was awaiting his return.  I can get rid of stuff fairly easily but, I just cannot seem to part with these.  I know that, when I am gone, my children will not want these but I'm afraid they will have to be the ones to throw them out.  Something about them being handwritten and it being their only form of communication at that time, just adds to the sentimentality of them.

3.  The scariest animal


I have always thought a lion was so, so scary.  They are sooooo big, have such a serious look and can open their mouths really, really wide.  While scary to me, they are also a beautiful animal.

4.  Apples or oranges

I'm not a big fan of either one but if I have to choose, it would definitely an apple.

5.  Have you ever tried to get an autograph from someone?
I have gotten the autograph of a couple Christian authors, no others and these were easy enough to get.  The lines were not long  and they were signing books that they had written.

6.  What happens when you die?


Thankfully, because I know Jesus Christ as my Savior, I will enter heaven's gates the second I draw my last earthly breathe.  All will be peace and rest forevermore as I, and all others that know Him, live eternally with our Savior.  There's no better assurance!!!

7.  Favorite Action movie
I do not care for action movies and not sure I have ever even seen one.  If I have, I have completely forgotten it.

8.  Window or Aisle?

Hands down, aisle! It's more convenient and should I need to make a quick "get away" it would sure be easier.

9.  Favorite smell


I love the smell of lavender.  My paternal Grandmother introduced me to lavender when I was very young and it has stuck with me ever since.  I diffuse lavender every night in our bedroom and use lavender air freshner frequently.


10.  Your most popular app on your phone.

I have several popular apps but Amazon was the first one that came to my mind.  It's truly a bit insane how quickly you can find and order an item from Amazon. And, while the shipping is not always as quick as it once was, it's still really fast.

11.  Least favorite smell.


My least favorite smell would be garbage.  Oh, my goodness!  Hubby and I likely have the neatest garbage of anyone.  I NEVER put food scrapes straight into the garbage, I always tie it up in another tiny garbage bag before throwing it in the big garbage bag.  This definitely cuts down on the smell for us.  

12.  Cats or dogs?



I'm not a big fan of either but Ruby (show above) is our son's family dog and how could you not love something this cute!  She is a Cavapoo and of course, she's just a few months old, and she is giving her family a "run for her money."  We will all be glad when she gets out of the puppy stage.

13.  If you can only listen to one song over and over for the rest of your life, what would it be?


How Great is our God by Chris Tomlin.  There are soooo many worship songs I could list but this came to mind first and it is such a great reminder of God's greatness.

14.  What number am I thinking of? (I will answer honestly)

It's a nice even number and since Valentine's Day is Feb. 14th, it might just be what you are thinking. ~chuckle~

15.  The rest of your life in 5 words.

Make a positive difference everyday!


Tuesday, February 1, 2022

January Prime Purchases



And, here it is February and time for another Prime Purchases.  I'm pretty sure  you are going to find a couple of these items irresistible.  Just click, add it to your cart and then hit PURCHASE.  It's wayyyy to easy.

DOUBLE  WALL  INSULATED  TUMBLERS  WITH LIDS AND STRAWS




I LOVE these tumblers and drink my nutritional tea out of one every morning.  They are the 24 ounce, so easy to hold (the 32oz. are too big for me) and fit in a car cup holder easily.  I also use one for my water all day long once I've had my tea.  And, my sweet DIL makes me cute monograms for them.



LACE  TRIM  LONG  CAMISOLE

I pretty much wear a camisole under my tops EVERY day.  Yes, I'm sure that sounds weird to some of you but I do, doesn't matter how hot it is, you will still find me with a camisole on under my top.  It was time to replenish my supply so I found these and love the lace accents and the fit is great and it has adjustable straps.  These are long that I use with my longer tops.  Love them!



MAGNETIC  CABLE  TIES




I'm pretty sure I've had these on some prior PP but they deserve to be mentioned again.  These are the absolute greatest way to hold wrapped cords securely.  I cannot stand unruly cords so these make me very happy as I can keep all our cords neat.  These are the smaller size, which is what I end up using the most, but they do make a much larger one that are great for thicker cords.  I had used up all the ones I had purchased a while back and just ordered these to replenish my supply.  They are so much better than zip ties (which is what I used before I found these) because they are so easily undone.



BAMBOO  ZIPLOC  BAG  HOLDERS



Okay, ladies, you have to have these!  My friends niece gave these to her for Christmas and when I saw them I went immediately and ordered myself some.  They are sooooo neat and nice.  They are made of bamboo and look so nice in a drawer holding all your ziploc bags.  You do have to take the bags out of the box they come in and place them in these, but that is not a bit of trouble.  It makes me so happy when I open the drawer and see these so nicely lined up.  It's the little things folks! They are a tad pricey but they are a one time purchase. Thanks so much Kim!



GLASS  STORAGE  CANISTER


I ordered 2 of these to use for my coffee creamer and sugar.  I wanted a little bigger size than I previously had and these are just perfect and I love the bamboo lids.  They fit perfectly on my coffee bar tray.  There are a multitude of possible uses for these.



RUFFLED  SWEATER


Amazon has some of the cutest sweaters and this is one of them.  The ruffle detail is so cute and they have some great colors in it.  I got the baby blue one.  



MINI  SHRINK  WRAP ROLLERS



I have been using this shrink wrap since we moved in our new house 6+ years ago.  I had no idea how handy it is until I used it when we were packing to move.  It is fantastic in holding items together, banding several things together, protecting  an item, the list goes on and on.  And, it comes in a much wider width that is great for larger items, such as furniture.  It serves as protection as well as securing something.  It's a great item to have on hand.
 


12  PACK  GEL  PENS



Okay, I confess, I am.a.pen.snob!  I LOVE pens and these are new to my collection and I wanted you to know about them.  It has a BOLD point with smooth, smooth writing.  They are so attractive as well and would make a great little "happie" for someone too.  The price is $13.99 for 12.  What a deal! The only "con" is that it is not a click top but rather a pull off top.  I much prefer a click top but I like this pen so much that I can deal with pulling the top off. ~smile~




CUTICLE  OIL  BRUSH  PEN


If you are looking for a quick and easy way to oil your cuticles, then this is it.  My hands get so dry in the winter and I especially like to put oil on my cuticles.  With this, you do not have to worry about turning over a bottle and making a mess.  It's self contained with the oil in a barrel and the brush attached to the barrel.  You twist the barrel to dispense the oil through the brush.  Here's to no more dry cuticles!

AMAZON


FAUX  FUR  NECK  WARMER/COLLAR


If you live where it gets cold then this is a "must have" for you.  One of my friends had on one of these fur collars a couple of weeks ago and it was soooo attractive.  I immediately went to Amazon to see if they might have such a thing.  AND, they did and this one is super nice with a very, very affordable price tag.  These collars  add such a nice touch any casual or dressy jacket or outfit.  




ESSENTIAL  OIL  DIFFUSER
I've been using diffusers for the past 4-5 years.  I use one in our bedroom and one in our kitchen/living area.  This is my newest one and it is sooo attractive with the cascading lights while it's diffusing. It will burn up to 3 hours with no interruption and less time if you desire.  I prefer one that runs 8 hours without interruption but they are hard to find.  This one generates a lot of comments and I generally burn peppermint or lemon oil in it.  Good clean fragrances.


And, that's it for this month.  It's always a fun post and I do hope I've shared something that has your name on it as well. ~this is NOT a paid endorsement~chuckle~