Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday and that means Hodgepodge time.  Joyce is such a trooper and apparently can wear many hats at the same time.  But, as they said, "this isn't her first rodeo."  Thanks Joyce for always showing up for us. 

1. On Saturday July 4th America celebrates her Independence. (If you're not American,  feel free to answer in terms of a national holiday in your own country) What is your favorite thing about the day? Your favorite food on the 4th? Do you fly a flag at your house? Fireworks-yay or nay? Any special plans this year?It's always great to gather with family and friends and eat grilled chicken, ribs, etc. and all the trimmings.  I generally do fly a flag but not even sure where the flag is around here right now, so not a flag flying here this year. ~and that's a shame~ I can take or leave fireworks.  Our plans will be very different this year and I'll tell about that in my random thought.

2. What's something you recently got for free?I can't think of a thing but I did get $52 off of a rug I purchased from Home Decorator yesterday.  I ordered the rug on May 1st and it continues to be on back order so I called yesterday to see if they were ever going to get it.  The lady told me that they will have it on  or before July 28th and that they would deduct $52 for the aggravation of the delay.  Well, my goodness, I thought that was mighty nice but not sure how they came up with $52.  That's sort of a weird amount, but, hey, I'll gladly take it.

3.  The Statue of Liberty, The Liberty Bell, The Washington Monument, or Mount Rushmore...how many on the list have you seen? What is your favorite historical American monument, and why? 
I've seen the Statue of Liberty and The Washington Monument.  Seeing the Statue of Liberty was a chilling experience for me.  My goodness, she stands so majestic there in the harbor and she is so gigantic!  I'm so glad I have seen her up close and personal.  My favorite would either be her or The Liberty Bell (which I haven't seen) because of all they represent of our country's freedom.

4. When it comes to the news are you more ostrich (stick my head in the sand) or hog (they have room to take a whole lot in)? How much attention have you given the recent news reports regarding ISIS and the acts of terror they've perpetrated against those who do not share their beliefs or support their cause?Think I would be more like an ostrich.  I am concerned but there just seems to be nothing I can do outside of praying for the situation.  I cannot sit and listen to the news and all of the issues going on for hours on end.  I want to be informed but I don't have to know all the details.

5. We're talking plain ice cream...vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry? Choose one.Of the three it would be vanilla, hands down!!!

6. Share a song you love containing the word 'stars' in the lyrics or title?Well, can there be anything sweeter than Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?  I think not and it won't be long until I can be teaching it to our little Andi Kate.

7. Describe and/or say goodbye to June with an acrostic.
Juggling - to get it all done
Unpacking - what I wish I were doing rather than packing
Nonstop - how our lives have been in these final weeks of new house construction
Excited - to know that we are nearing the completion of our new house

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

 It's a bittersweet time for Hubby and me.  Our SIL was just promoted with the USDA and his new job will be in Oklahoma City.  While we are so happy for him, it makes our hearts sad that this little fella will now be around 8 hours away from us.  We have so enjoyed having them 3 1/2 hours up the road and really thought it would be for a longer time.  But, hey, two promotions in one year is really good and at least OKC is a great place to go.  And, they have a really nice airport.  So, once again, we will make this work!  And, of course, Clancy's little brother will making the scene in Oct. So, if not before ~due to our own move~ we'll be going then. They will make a quick trip here this weekend to pick up some items that we no longer need or want so that they can have them moved with their other belongings.  They will leave our little Clancy man with us for a few days while they are overseeing the packers and movers.  We'll meet and reluctantly  give him back the end of next week.  And, I might or might not have teary eyes when we depart. ~such is life~
 

 

Monday's Musings

My goodness, we are just one day away from July.  How can that be?  July is my birthday month, the 29th to be exact, so think I'll just celebrate all month long.  And, it could well be that we will be moving just about that time.  WOW! talk about a celebration!  Now, on to my musings for the morn.......

Yesterday morning, our son and his family, left for Pine Cove Family Camp.  This will be their 3rd year to attend.  Pine Cove is a Christian camp and both of our children attended camp there most of their growing up years and then worked there once they graduated from high school.  It holds fond memories for both of them.  Our son's family and two other families that are close friends of theirs, caravaned together to Tyler, Texas, where the camp is located. (I think it's interesting that the 3 families all have girls.) Tony Evans is the guest pastor this week and I'm sure they will all leave next Saturday, spiritually renewed and refreshed. 

Hubby has done very little for his own personal enjoyment since we began construction on our new house last June.  But, last Friday he stepped away for a few hours and went to the golf course and hit golf balls.  He plans to play in a 4th of July Scramble this Friday and needed to polish up his stroke a bit.  It was good for him to get away and do something that he thoroughly enjoys.  

~he's the BEST~ 

And, the finishing of the house continues on...........the kitchen appliances, except for the refrigerator, were installed this past week.  For the first time in my life I will have two ovens.  I'm so excited about this and one will be a conventional and one will be a convection.  I've never had a convection but "they" tell me that they are great for baking.  So, I can't wait to try it out.

On Thursday they began laying the wood flooring.  You really can't tell how pretty it is from these pictures but once they get it all down and cleaned up, I'll share another picture with you.  It is Acacia wood.  We liked it because it is various shades and goes very well with our mahogany cabinets.  And, talk about hard work, my goodness, this is no easy task.  It hurt my knees, my back and my shoulders just watching these guys.

And, they also started laying the tile on the patio and front porch on Thursday.  We are so pleased with the look and it will be all the better once it is grouted.  It looks so nice with the stucco color.

Meet Sara and Rachel.  They are involved in our local Teen Challenge program.  If you are not familiar with Teen Challenge, it is a Christian based recovery program for all types of addictions. The girls that have been through their first 6 months of the program are allowed to work on behalf of the ministry.  Sara and Rachel came and cleaned all of the insides of our cabinets.  That is about the only thing that we can clean at this time since there is still some dust being stirred up, but since all the doors are on the cabinets, they will stay clean.  It was such a delight to meet these girls and they did an excellent job and were a blessing to be around.

So, you ask, when is move in?  Well, it's getting closer for sure and as I said in my opening comments, my birthday is the 29th of July and I would say it will likely be very near then, give or take a week, to that time.

Have yourself a happy, happy week!!!

Friday Favorites

I'm so enjoying this Friday meme because I love sharing my favorites and I love reading about others favorites.  Who knows, one of your favorites might end up being a favorite of mine.  It's a "win win" for everyone.

I LOVE the Dollar Tree and if you do not have one in your area then you are definitely missing out.  I think it is the "top" dollar store.

On a recent visit I found the above items.  The bowls on the left and right are heavy plastic and they are so attractive.  They are great for carrying food to a function, to the sick, afflicted or bereaved and then you never have to worry about whether you get your container back.  I mean, it only cost $1. They also had rectangular and circular trays.  And, the goblets...........well, aren't they attractive?  They are real glass goblets and the perfect size for water or tea.  We can always use an extra goblet or two, right?

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I was introduced to Origami Owl last summer and just recently purchased some.  It is the neatest jewelry that tells a story, your story.

If you are not familiar with Origami Owl, you can check it out here.  It also makes a lovely gift.  There has to be some kind of story about their name but I have yet to find out where it originated. It is sold through independent reps or online.  The possibilities are absolutely endless. ~a real conversation piece~

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I know,that's a scary picture of me, but one of my favorite times is when I get my hair colored and trimmed.  In this picture I was not only getting color but also hi-lites.  So, it was a double favorite time.  The only problem is that every 4 weeks rolls around really fast! ~vanity, vanity, thy name is woman~

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 You may be wondering why this would be a favorite.  Well, when you build a house, there is dust abundant, EVERYWHERE! Now, that we are nearing the end we have started having some cleaning done.  For all of the drawers and shelves they have used this Tack Cloth (it's a cheesecloth with a tacky substance in it).  There's nothing better for getting the fine, fine particles out of drawers and off of shelves.  It can be found with the paint supplies in big box stores or at auto parts stores.  So, if you ever need to do this kind of cleaning, get these!  They are a one time use, once the tacky is gone they are of no use.

Now, you go and have yourself a wonderful weekend!!!!!

Wednesday's Hodgepodge

Ah, it's time to answer Joyce's questions for the week.  Thankfully she always comes through for us as I do not imagine my brain could put together a post of my own today.  It's too weary and worn from the final phase of building a house.  So, off I go for a little mental therapy by answering this week's questions.

1. June 23rd is National Pink Day. What's your favorite something pink?
I really like pink clothes but they seem to be hard to find for me.  I do have one pink item that I absolutely love.  It is a bamboo nightshirt by Yala.  It's yummy soft and super comfortable.  If you aren't familiar with Yala, you need to check it out.  And, yes, among other places, you can find it on Amazon. ~is there anything you can't find on Amazon~

2. What did you enjoy most about gym class when you were in school? How about the least?

 
We generally had a lot of good laughs in gym class and I've always been about some good laughing.  The thing I hated was the navy bloomers we wore in Junior High.  My goodness, they were horrid but it was the uniform of the day and I put a smile on my face and wore it. The white top wasn't so bad. ~thank goodness~  Part of our laughter was because of our lovely uniforms.

3. What memory is brought to mind by the smell of roses?
I can't really think of a memory, but I always think of Hubby when I smell the rose scent.  He has always loved the fragrance of roses and I use to wear Tea Rose perfume and just recently found it online and ordered some more of it.  It's an old, old perfume but is the perfect fragrance of roses.

4. Do you prefer to read or write?
Humm.....I would have to say write.  I enjoy writing my thoughts down and that's what lead to this blog.  It's been so enjoyable to have this means to express myself and if someone else enjoys it, then that's just icing on the cake for me.  

5. Sam Keen is quoted as saying, 'Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.' Would you agree? Is laziness ever respectable? How will you be lazy this summer?
Well, our deep summer here in NE Louisiana gets so hot that it's real easy to just do nothing, and if there are those that do that, I'm find with it.  We all need a time to "stop and smell the roses" and what better time than in the deep of summer.  I will NOT get to be lazy in the least this summer.  I have way to many fish to fry!
  
6. The Florida Keys, Disney World, or a resort somewhere on the Gulf Coast...which Florida destination would you choose (and why) if the trip were today?

Oh, I'd take off for Seaside, Florida tomorrow if I could go somewhere right now.  I know folks that have been there and have given it such high rankings.  It appears to be a very nice place for some R and R.

7. What question do you hate to answer?
I'm racking my brain and cannot think of one. But I bet when I read some of the other responses to this question that will spur a response from me. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

If you read my last entry you saw that we had grab bars, higher toilets and wider doorways put in our new house.  Well, one of my young blog readers commented that she had fallen a couple of weeks ago and injuried her foot and she would give anything to have a grab bar in her shower.  She's about 40 years old.  So, see, all ages need grab bars, they are not only good for aging, but for accidents, surgeries, or illness.  I'm pretty sure we made a wise decision. 

Monday's Musings

Monday's seem to roll around all too quickly these days.  And, surely I'm going to wake up one Monday soon and be in our new house.  Surely, just surely!  Bet you'll be just as glad as we will.  Guess I'll have to change my subject from the building process to the moving in process and then the decorating process.  That might be enough fodder for another year. ~grin~  Meanwhile, today's musings...............

Hubby and I celebrated Father's Day with my Dad on Saturday.  I grilled some pork tenders and fixed the trimmings and he was a happy fella.  I would have never dreamed 4 years ago that I would still be blessed to have my Dad.  But, the Lord had other plans and we are grateful.  While he only has about 20% of his sight, he is mentally sharp as can be and that's worth so, so much.  My prayer for him is that when the Lord gets ready to call him home that he will slip quietly away in his sleep and not have to endure any more suffering and pain.
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Our little Princess and Sweetheart are getting to enjoy a wonderful time with their extended family.  They have been in the Seattle area with their Dad and Mom.  Hubby has a sister that lives in the area and it worked out perfectly for our son and his two uncles to attend the US Open.  And, gave the Aunts plenty of time to love on our girls.  Precious times!
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 And, things are moving along with the new house..........our appliances were delivered this past week.  Not all of them have been installed but they are there and ready to be.  We chose to go with all GE Profile series.
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All the towels racks were installed and they sort of stick out like a "sore thumb" without towels on them.  But, that will be remedied shortly after we get moved.  I'm very pleased with the design and the oil rubbed bronze finish on them.

And, my friends, this is a handrail! They are in all bathtubs and showers.  Yep, Hubby and I have tried to think of everything we possibly can that we "might" need as we age. ~did I really just say that~  But, it is what it is, and if we live long enough there are many accommodations that we may need in the process.  But, I think this is the best looking hand rail  and I'm betting that you would not have known it was a hand rail if I had not told you.  And, yes, we had all higher toilets put in and wider doorways and hallways.  We will be prepared and will hope that we never need to put any of it to use. ~wink~

All the knobs and pulls were also installed last week and I'm equally pleased with them.  Each are just a little different in each room but not a big difference.  My favorite pulls are the ones in the left hand picture.  Not sure I could have ever made the choices if it had not been for my wonderful designer.

The finishing touches were added to the kitchen.  The embellishments were added to the small island and to the panel above the cook top.  I love both of these.  The corbels were put on the big island and still need to be stained and finished but I think they are just beautiful!

Things are coming together slowly but surely and we'll be calling this "home" in the coming weeks.  

Friday Favorites

And, some of my favorites this Friday are............

I saw this in a lowfat version this past week while buying Hubby his Homestyle Vanilla and just could not resist it.  It has 140 calories per 1/2 cup and I'm content with 1/2 cup around 7:30 PM.  I have always loved cookie dough and mix it with vanilla ice cream and it's a winner for sure!!!!

Can I just tell you that this is such a comfortable shoe and that I have several pair in different colors and love them!!!  They are, without a doubt, my favorite summer shoe.  They are by Madeline and are called the Adonis Wedge.  And, they are priced at $39.95.  The top is somewhat stretchy and that is likely the only reason I can even wear them because I have a narrow foot.  But, they are very snug and I can wear them all day long.  I have gotten all of mine off of Amazon. ~just so you know~

I'm not sure what I did before I discovered Piko tops.  No joke, they are my "go to" top these days.  I'm on the run right now with the finishing on the new house and call my Piko tops,my Danskin Active Wear capris and my Clark's flip flops my uniform.  I throw on one of my long tanks and that helps to cover up all the skin showing with the wide neck of tops. I have several of the tops in various colors and several of the capris, so I can wear them everyday if need be. And, yes, you can find the Pikos on Amazon too and the capri's at Wal-Mart. I'm not into a sloppy look but I think this is neat enough to get me through these busy days. Yes, it's a favorite!!

If you have been reading my blog for very long then you know that I am a popcorn lover.  After I have my bit of ice cream then I like a bite of something salty and this fits the bill.  I just found this about 3 weeks ago at Wal-Mart and I'm nearly sure that they just start carrying it ready to eat.  I've tried a lot of pre-popped corn and this is the BEST! ~just so you know~ A little sweet and a little salty and I'm a happy gal! 

And, my last favorite for this Friday is mornings. Yes, I'm one of those weird folks that love the early mornings.  I feel far more productive and like to get out and do whatever errands I have in the mornings. I think I got started with early mornings when my kiddos were babies.  I know, that sounds strange too.  But, I enjoyed getting up and having a little time to myself before they got up.  It seemed that it was the only time that I could enjoy some "me time."  I thought once they were grown and gone that I might sleep in but I had just done it too long and the habit continues to this day. And, as a result, I am not a "night owl" at all.  So, I guess it's to each his own. 

                                                                                         

  Have yourself a happy weekend!               

                                                                        

Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's good to be back "hodgepodging" this week.  Joyce took last week off as she is in the middle of a BIG move.  I can't really believe that she can even think about conjuring up questions right now, but perhaps this is her therapy to get her through the coming months of transition and the building of a new house.  I could vouch that just the building of a house is enough to, at times, send you slap over the edge.  And, she's moving several states away and that just adds "insult to injury."  But, she's like Superwoman, and handling it all like a champ!

1. June is National Great Outdoors Month. Have you spent any time appreciating the great outdoors this month? If so where, and if not do you have any plans to enjoy the great outdoors before the calendar turns?
No, I have not spent any time in the great outdoors other than just going from here to there and back from there to here.  And, no, there are no plans to enjoy the great outdoors.  Hubby and I have hung close to home this past year as we've been involved in building our new house.  But, we both look forward to getting this project behind us and taking off to enjoy some the great outdoors.

2. What's a current hot button issue for you?
 Moms posting pictures of their teenage daughters in bikinis on social media or worse, pictures of themselves. I will not elaborate, but I do not get it.  Is nothing sacred anymore?

3. What's a food or treat that 'disappears like hotcakes' in your house?
For Hubby it would be Blue Bell HomeStyle Ice Cream that is NO more.  But, when it was around, Hubby enjoyed a bowl every evening and he's been having withdrawal ever since it was pulled off the shelves.  He's trying to enjoy Goldenbrook Homestyle now and guess it's okay as he pretty much eats a bowl of that every night now.  On a rare occasion I will enjoy some.  Popcorn would be the treat that disappears for me.  I can eat it until the "cows come on." ~chomp, chomp~

  4. How hot is too hot?
Well, if we're talking about temperatures anything above 90 is hot enough.  Here in Louisiana we have this stuff called humidity and combined with the heat, it's just awful.  But, I am so cold natured that I really tolerate the warmer temps better than the colder ones. Now, if we're talking about hot seasoning for food, well, you just about cannot get it too hot for me.  Love, love spicy hot food!

5. Do you have an artistic outlook on life? What does that mean to you?
Hummm......I'm thinking I do, to me it means that each new day brings new perspectives and new challenges and we need to meet them "head on." ~sometimes not an easy task~

6. What's one question you'd like to ask your father, or one you wish you could ask your father?
I am blessed to still have my Dad and we have some wonderful conversations frequently.  Almost every week I learn something new about his childhood, his 58 years of marriage to my Mom or his 50+ years of ministry.  They are definitely treasured conversations.

7. Something you learned from your father?
I've learned so much from my Daddy that it's hard to narrow it down to just one thing.  But, one big thing would be that, even when we don't understand why things are the way they are, God is still on His throne and He is still in control.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Our son, his wife and our Princess and little Sweetheart are in route bound for Seattle, WA. as I type this (Tues. evening).  Our son will be attending 3 days of the US Open with two of his uncles.  Hubby has a sister and BIL that live in Tacoma and another sister and BIL that have also gone out for the event.  Plans were made last year as soon as the announcement was made of where it would be held.  We truly thought that we would be in our new house by this time but Hubby prefers to watch golf and pretty much all sporting events from the comfort of home and his recliner.  It's certainly best that we did not plan to go since we are "knee deep and rising" in the finishing details of the house.  The kids  ran into delays before they ever got off the ground here and missed their flight in Houston and are hoping to leave around 9:15 and arrive at some ungodly hour in Seattle.  Oh, the joys of flying!