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~

Monday's Musings

The last Monday in August and the last day of August.  We've had just a "nip" of fall in the air here and it has gotten me so excited about the "real" fall arriving.  It's one of my most favorite times of the year for sure.  

Clancy and Hanna Beth have both started their school year.  Clancy is a big 1st grader and Hanna Beth is in Kindergartner.  So far they are both having a great year.

Andi Kate continues to amaze us everyday with her activity.  She crawled up in her big sister's Barbie doll house the other day and crawled right out the other side.  We figured she would get stuck and need help but she figured it all out herself.  She's a little Sweetheart for sure!

Hubby decided to fish in the pond the other evening.  It's about 15 steps from our backdoor, so it's very, very convenient.  He was out there maybe 15 minutes and caught this really good looking brim.  One of the joys of living on the water. ~smile~ 
 

And, on the house progress...........we waited until we got moved in and the dining room table placed in the exact spot before having the fixture hung.  That way it would be in the exact center of the table. The electrician came this past Thursday to hang this little jewel and it was quite the process.  But, it looks great and it is exact! ~yea!~

My decorator had a family emergency and could not come to help me with the placement of decor and the hanging of mirrors and pictures this past week.  So, that is still awaiting and may have to wait even longer (more on that in a minute).  

 And, most importantly........Bridget called very early yesterday morning to tell us that she was in the hospital.  Her water broke around 11:00PM on Saturday.  Her due date is not until Oct. 14th but apparently baby boy did not want to wait.  Mom and baby boy are faring very well thus far.  The meds they have given her have not stopped her contractions but have slowed them down.  They have given her steroid shots to assist in baby's lung development and Dr. assures them that baby is doing well.  If she has not had him by Wed. morning then she will be induced and he will make his appearance on Sept. 2nd.  I covet your prayers for them.  They had just gotten moved into their house last Wed. and had hardly even begun to unpack boxes and get settled.  They are in a new place and have just had so, so many adjustments this past summer.  But, through it all, God has had His hand on them and given them the strength to face it all.  Our SIL's parents are there at this time and plan to leave on Thursday.  We will go on Thursday and be there until..........Should there suddenly be any issue then we will be leaving immediately, but since things are going well, we will wait. Thankfully our SIL's sister lives in OKC and has little Clancy and will see to his needs.  As we all know, we just never know from day to day what we may be facing.  I simply do not know how anyone wakes up to face a new day without the Lord.  His strength is amazing and we often do not realize how amazing until we've traveled through to the other side.  I will keep you posted!

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I saw this somewhere the other day and just had to share it with you.
"Be a fountain, not a drain."

Friday Letters

It's been quite a while since I wrote some Friday letters and today seemed like the perfect morning to do so. After all, letter writing can be very therapeutic, but so can blogging.  So, I'm getting a whole lot of therapy this morning. ~big smile~

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Dear New House....you are feeling more like home each day but it might just take a while for us to feel as comfortable as we did in our "old" house.  I mean, when you live somewhere for 34 years, you get very, very comfortable and it's a bit hard to replace that, but we're getting there. ~grin~

Dear Readers....just so you know.  Our daughter has Blake Shelton's nephew in her class this year.  Yep! his Mom is Blake's sister.  Who knows, Blake may just pay her class a visit and bring along his guitar since OKC is his stomping grounds.

Dear Donald....I cannot hear what you have to say for your arrogance and ego. You might need to be reminded that we all put our pants on the same way, "one leg at a time."  A little humility goes a long ways.  ~just sayin'"~ And, I could truly care less if it's your hair or not!

Dear Andi Kate....I have never personally seen a more active child at such a young age in my life.  You have been on the go since you were barely 4 months old.  You are now 6 1/2 months old and pulling up, crawling all over the place and I'm sure will be walking in the coming weeks.  You are such a tiny little thing that doing all this  doesn't really fit you.  But, those blue eyes just sparkle the whole time you are moving.  You are growing up so quickly!

Dear AT and T....you have the WORST customer service I have experienced lately.  I'll just leave it at that!

Dear Ashley Madison....I had never, ever even heard of you before last week and my goodness, your website has wrecked so many lives and torn so many precious families apart.  You should be ashamed of yourself!!  It has made my heart sad for all the hurts families are experiencing as a result of your website.

 Dear Fall....we have so enjoyed your little tease this past week with the much cooler weather.  I'm looking forward to the full dose of fall, so you can show yourself anytime you want to.
Dear Clancy and Hanna Beth....I can hardly believe that you two will be having birthdays in just over a month.  You are such sweeties and Poppa and I love you sooooo much!  It makes my heart so happy to know that both of you have started off to a great school year.
Dear American Family Radio....you help to start my day on such a positive note each day as I listen to your music and your encouraging conversation.  You are the BEST!
Dear October....you are a very special month to our family. We have 3 immediate family member birthdays the very first week.  And, it is extremely likely that our baby boy will be born that same week and that will make 4!  Guess we'll just celebrate the entire week! 

Have yourself a great weekend!!!!

Monday's Musings

Here it is nearing the end of August and before we know it we will be nearing the end of another year.  I try to remind myself everyday to "enjoy the moment" because life can so quickly pass us by.  And, it's so hard for me to actually enjoy the moment right now.  I am so task oriented and my task at this time is to get finished settling in this house.  And, I'm getting much closer but still have a ways to go.  But, I'm definitely making progress and it feels more like home everyday.  Now, to catch you up on the latest................~know you can hardly wait~

I guess you need to expect that something will get broken when you move.  But, I sure did think that I had packed everything very carefully but obviously I did not.  This candlestick and a goblet were both broken when I unpacked them.  But, it was nothing that Super Glue could not fix.  They were both very clean breaks, so they fit back together perfectly.

And, this was the pile of garbage that was out in front of our new house this past Thursday.  It took Hubby and I several trips to get it all hauled out there and there's nothing in those bags except packing paper.  They do not pick up boxes but we've been fortunate that some friends have wanted just about every one of our boxes. I'm thinking the worse is over regarding garbage.

Everything is unpacked and all the pictures, mirrors, and decorative items are sitting around everywhere.  They are waiting to be placed or not to be placed.  My decorator is coming this Thursday and we will begin the process of placing decorative items and deciding which pictures and mirrors should go where.  I can hardly wait as this is the beginning of the fun part.

Some rooms already have a little decorative touch and it's definitely taking on the look of a home.  

 And, on Thursday our old house went on the market.

We are so hopeful that whoever buys it will enjoy it as much as we did for 34 years.  Such sweet, sweet memories for us.

Hubby looks forward to making this yard a place of beauty but that will likely not happen until next Spring.  He'll probably have grass planted this fall but wait for the plants.  

Have yourself a wonderful new week and remember to

 "enjoy the moment."

Friday Favorites

I've been MIA the past couple of Fridays but am thrilled too be back and sharing with you some of my favorites and who knows, they may become some of your favorites too.

 I had a George Foreman grill when they first came out many years ago.  I used it until there wasn't much left of it but, did not replace it.  About 6 months ago I was looking for something to grill sandwiches in/on.  I checked out several brands and decided to go with this George Foreman model.  It is probably used by most folks to grill meats but I have only used mine for sandwiches and it does a "bang up" job!  It has a temperature control and that makes for a toasty sandwich.  So, if you are looking for something to make a hot gourmet sandwich, then I highly recommend this grill.

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Bet you are thinking that's a crazy thing to be a favorite.  Well, during our move I cannot tell you how many of these zip ties I have used.  I have a large container of varying widths and lengths of these.  I cannot stand cords so I have used these to bind them up as far as I can.  I have done my best to not have one cord on the floor thanks to these little babies.  Cords and cleaning do not go together, even if they are behind furniture.  So, if for some chance you have never used a zip tie, you should go and get some and try them, they'll make your life neat and tidy I promise. ~chuckle~

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One of my most favorite fragrances in Jean-Baptiste by Morgan Niven.  It is a combination of tuberose, jasmine, water hyacinth, vanilla, potchouli and caramel.  How on earth such a combination can smell so good is beyond me.  Morgan is from Louisiana, so that makes it all the better. He has about 4 other fragrances as well and I really like all of them but Jean-Baptiste is my favorite.

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I wanted a cordless vacuum to do quick cleanups and began reading reviews of the various brands.  I don't think I read one negative comment about the Shark Navigator Freestyle so it is the one I decided on.  I could not be happier!  It is "the cat's meow" as my Daddy says.  It holds a charge for about 35 minutes and that's plenty long enough to do a quick clean up.  It has a carpet setting and a floor setting and is very quiet.  There are plenty of times that I need to do a small area but do not want to get out the big vacuum for such a small job.  It is definitely a favorite!  I'm thinking that my daughter and DIL may need one for Christmas. If I find it useful I'm sure Moms of little ones would really find it useful.

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And, while I'm into cleaning, the Shark Steam Mop rates at the very top of one of my favorites.  I just about wore mine out the week before we moved into this house.  I think we ended up mopping the wood floors about 7 times before we actually moved in.  My motto is, "cleanliness is next to Godliness."  And, this steam mop did a superb job and I just love the steam factor.  When I hear the steam it makes me happy, happy. 

And, last but not least, there is the slightest nip of fall in the air here in N.E.Louisiana. It makes me happy, happy too!

Now, I'm off to read about a few of your favorites!

 

Wednesday's Hodgepodge

I have so missed the HP the past two weeks and even though I still have lots and lots to do around here (and will for months to come), I'm going to stop long enough to participate in the HP.  I mean all work and no play makes Lea an unhappy gal.  So, off the answer Joyce's questions for the week.

1. Way back when (the Hodgepodge bicentennial to be precise) several of you submitted questions as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I went back to that list for inspiration today and found a question  submitted by Marla, who blogs over at Marla's Musings. Thanks Marla!
She asks-At what age did you feel like a 'grown-up'? What keeps you young now? 

If I tell the truth, I've always felt grown up.  I had a lot of responsibility growing up and I took it very seriously.  I truly do not ever remember not feeling grown up. I could write an entire post about this and perhaps I will one day.

I am very active, try to take care of myself and am hopeful that it is helping to keep me young or at least help me to feel younger than I am. 

 
2. When did you last buy a vehicle? Was this by design or because you had no other option? Was the car/truck purchased for your own personal use or was it bought for someone else to drive? On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being delightful and 1 being 'pass the Excedrin') how would you rate the experience?

I have never bought a vehicle by myself, Hubby and I buy our vehicles together.  We last bought a vehicle in April of 2014 and it definitely was not necessary.  I had grown very weary of the vehicle I was driving because it was so small, so we decided to trade it in for something larger.  We ended up ordering it and got exactly what we wanted and it was a delightful experience.

3. Corn bread, corn chips, corn pudding, corn on the cob, cornflakes, corn chowder-your favorite of the corn-y foods listed? What needs to be served alongside your selection?

I love corn and will gladly take a bowl of any of the above.  I can't think of one thing that I feel needs to be served alongside it.  It's good all by itself! But, anything could be served with it as far as I'm concerned.

4. What's something in your life that regularly requires you to 'put your thinking cap on'?

Well, I can't think of any one thing but I'm pretty sure that every day presents varying situations that require I put my thinking cap on.  It might be figuring out how to do something, how to deal with someone or some situation.

5. Share a favorite movie set in a school or classroom, or whose theme relates to school days in some way.

I immediately thought of GREASE.  Sandy and Danny fall in love over the summer and then find themselves at the same high school. What a great movie with such great music.  John Travolta and Olivia Newton -John were quite the duo for sure!

6. Reading, writing, and 'rithmatic' are commonly referred to as the three R's. What are the three R's in your life right now?

Rearranging, rearranging and rearranging!  No joke, I spent the better part of today rearranging things that I had already put away.  I found better places for them ~or so I think~ and moved them.  I'm thinking this could be the way it is for a while longer.

7. What's something you've learned or tried recently you can say was as 'easy as ABC'?

I have never had a convection oven until now.  Sunday afternoon I decided to bake some cookies and wanted to use the convection over ~I have a regular oven as well~ but I did not want to stop and read the manual. So, I just dug in and gave it a whirl and the cookies turned out to perfection.  AND, I was able to cook two racks at a time.  Loved that feature!!!  Definitely easy as ABC!

8. Insert your own random thought here

This is our little Clancy off to his first day of First Grade last Thursday.  He's standing in front of the door of their temporary home. ~an extended stay hotel~ He was a bit anxious but he had a great day and is a happy first grader.  Don't you just love his mohawk  and his new glasses!  Can't believe this little fella is about to be 7 years old.

Monday's Musings

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! that's about all I can say about this past week!  The "big move" has taken place and I have lived to tell about it.  I wasn't sure last Tuesday evening that I would but by Thursday I could see a little light at the end of the tunnel and knew that I was going to make it. ~chuckle~ There's so much I could be doing right this minute but blogging is therapeutic for me and I knew that you all were waiting with "baited breathe" to hear from me. ~big laugh~ So, I'll get back to making this house a home in a few minutes.  Meanwhile, here's a glimpse from this past week........

 We were scheduled to move on Tuesday but Monday morning around 8:30 the movers called to say that if we were ready they would like to get started and make it a two day move instead of a one day move.  Oh, my!  I told them to come on and I adjusted gears accordingly.  They moved about 1/3 of the items and were back early Tuesday morning to start at it again.  Mind you the temps here this past week were unforgiving and these guys went up and down stairs about a million times.  They said they knew that we had to have had at least 6000 boxes. ~probably more like 350~  They were so, so careful and did an outstanding job and the total time was 12 hours.  There were 5 of them and they worked like a well oiled machine and definitely had a plan.

When the movers left on Tuesday this is what it looked like around here.  I was so overwhelmed I felt like jumping in the pond behind our house.  I definitely could not see any light at the end of the tunnel.

I hired the Teen Challenge gals to help me this past week and I'm here to tell you I don't know if I would have made it without them.  They are willing to do any and everything.  As each piece of wood furniture was brought in they attacked it with a dust cloth and the movers even paused long enough to allow them clean the backs of everything before they placed it.  I mean, how on earth do you ever get to clean the back of big pieces of furniture.  We have pieces that we cannot begin to move so therefore they had "dust bunnies" for days and days.  But, hey, they are sparkling clean right now and it makes me sooooo happy.  These girls unpacked boxes for hours and hours.  I would show them where and how I wanted items placed and they did an outstanding job.  I worked right alongside of them and we would take a break, have a snack and get right back at it.  All the time we are talking and they would share their testimonies of how Teen Challenge had changed the course of their lives through God's awesome grace.  It was a double blessing for me in that I was blessed both through their testimonies and their hard work. 

My decorator came on Friday to work a little more her magic. (please pardon these pitiful pictures......I promise to have much better ones soon) Above pictures are of her hanging the Dining Room window treatments. They are so, so pretty!

And, my friends, these pictures are just a little teaser, but I wanted you to see a glimpse of how things really are coming together. It made me so happy when we got my Portmeireon dishes all lined out in the cabinet. ~it's the little things my friends~  And, I almost had a fit when my decorator worked her magic in our queen guest room.  This is the room that houses the cherry bedroom suite that was handmade by my precious Daddy.  My decorator played that up to the hilt in the bedding and once again, I promise to get you a great picture in the coming weeks.  Right now the bed still has stuff laying on top of the beautiful bedding but again I wanted to give you a little glimpse.  I think it looks a bit like a bed for a Princess. ~giggle~

I have about 45 more boxes to unpack and I will work on those this week.  It's a process for sure and I don't want to even think about ever doing this again. ~smile~ But, little by little it is looking more like a home.

Stay tuned and have yourself a wonderful new week!