My Pots and Pans

Many moons ago, when I was a young adult, my goal was to start collecting things for when I would move out -- either on my own or with a husband.  I made a list of things I would need.  (Because I really like lists.)  Every payday, I would try to get something on my list.  I'm pretty sure this is how I acquired my can opener.  And a few other items.  Sometimes I would save up -- or put an item on layaway.  That's how I got my futon (which I got rid of several years ago). 

Anyway, my mom knew about my goals.  My chestless hope chest, I guess we'll call it ;).  And so, for my birthday (my 20th maybe?), she bought me my very first set of pots and pans.  I didn't move out for a while longer...  Not until I was 22.  And until then, I saved them in the box -- brand new.  Because I wanted to treasure them and use them in my place.

And I did.  And I still do treasure them.  And use them!  They've cooked many a great meal.  Including tonight when they helped prepare our Marvelous Monday Meal.  But it's more than that...  They are a reminder of my mother's love.  A reminder that she has always tried to help me reach for my dreams.

What are you grateful for today?

THRIVE Golden Cornbread Mix

Today we had a linger longer at church.  Basically, what this means, is after all the regular meetings were over (at 4), everyone who wanted to could hang around and eat and visit.  It was a potluck sort of thing, so we were supposed to bring something to share.

I remembered a week ago I needed decide what to make for it and put stuff on my grocery list for this.  But I forgot.  And then my friend Leslie reminded me yesterday morning on our hike.  And then I forgot about it, again.  Until after I'd gone to the grocery store.  Until after I'd attended an Eagle Scout Court of Honor -- with a toddler.  Until after I was beyond finished having to do stuff.  Especially anything requiring much effort (or ingredients, for that matter).

And then, like a light bulb flicking on, I remembered the box of THRIVE goodies I'd just gotten on Friday (since I decided to try my hand at being a consultant).  And, though what has drawn me to these products is really the vegetables and fruits and things like whole egg powder (I love that I can have eggs in my long-term food storage!), I remembered that also in those goodies was a can (or two) of golden cornbread mix.  With all the ingredients already in the mix.  And all I'd have to do was add water and pop it in the oven.  No measuring of many ingredients (just water), no softening of butter...  And for a Sunday morning last-minute dish, that was perfect. 

I suppose this may seem a shameless plug.  I don't intend it to be.  Because, seriously, this saved my bacon today...  or should I say 'my cornbread.'

What are you grateful for today?/

Tennis Shoes

...and very white legs -- but not the mosquito I just realized while looking at the picture was on me and must have been trying to suck my blood.

One of the opportunities that comes with working with the youth at church is being able to accompany them on various activities.  Frozen yogurt trips...  Fun party games...  5 mile hikes up a mountain...

Okay, so my out-of-shape self may not be quite as excited about that last one...  But it made the journey!  This morning we hiked 5 miles (well, 2 1/2 each way) up Green Mountain.  And was I ever grateful for my tennis shoes! 

These shoes have walked miles and miles and miles.  In lots of places.  I bought them a decade ago in Dothan.  I can still remember being in the shoe store at the Wiregrass Commons Mall trying shoes on and choosing these.  Funny the things we remember.  And they've joined me in my journey to Tuscaloosa, and now to Washington.  And today they hiked a mountain. 

So... they are a pretty awesome thing, in my book.

Also, I forewarned everyone I was with that I was going to be grateful for them today... That way they didn't think I was too terribly crazy when I started taking pictures of my feet :).

What are you grateful for today?

That We Have What We Need

I write often of a variety things which I tend to take for granted.  Warm showers, clean water, the ability to hear and taste...

Last night I watched a brief video that got me all teary-eyed.  True, I am a lot sappier now that I'm a mommy.  Apparently it comes with the territory.

Anyway, as I watched the video about a charity trying to improve the lives of people in parts of Ecuador, I had this overwhelming feeling of knowing how blessed our family is that we have what we need.  How blessed I am that I have what I need.  The part that really got to me was when the narrator spoke of the infant and child mortality rate prior to the work of this charity.  A mortality rate that was quite high, because the children didn't get the nutrients they needed. 

And I thought of my little girl.  Thought of how healthy she is.  How full of life.  And I thought of how much I love her.  And I couldn't help but think of how much those mothers in Ecuador must love (and have loved) their children as well.  How much they must want (and have wanted) to be able to give their children everything they need, and how it must hurt them when they can't.

And I realized how grateful I should be and how grateful I am that I have those things that I need.  That I always have, from the time I was a baby. And I'm grateful there are good people in this world who desire to help those less fortunate -- who set up charities such as this one about which I was learning. 

What are you grateful for today?

Seeing My Baby Girl's Personality Emerge

Okay, so she's not my baby anymore.  Except for the fact that she'll always be my baby.  (There's a song for that, by the way -- Mariah Carey).

But one of the most fun things I've recently had the privilege of doing is watching her personality emerge and develop.  And I don't think I fully realized it until tonight.  Tonight she was my shadow as I attended an ice cream social type of event.  And I watched her personality as she interacted there.

My munchkin is not shy.  I don't know if this is normal for this age or not.  But if it isn't...  Well, then she isn't shy.  She may stare a new person down for a bit before she decides whether or not to give them a smile...  But she isn't shy. 

She is also very curious and inquisitive.  And while it was a struggle tonight to keep her from poking some newborns in the face (she definitely kept me on the move)...  I love that she is wanting to explore her world.  She is learning so much.

And she is courageous.  She isn't afraid to explore.  I know, as a child, I was very shy.  I stayed with my parents all the time when I was in a new place or new situation.  Often my parents had to coax me to go play with the other kids.  It doesn't seem that will be the case with my little one.

I've heard people say that the parent the child looks like is not the one the child acts like.  At this point (since most people say she looks like me), I'm saying that is true for us.  And, knowing my husband's personality and some of the stories from his early years...  A part of me is terrified about what that means ;).

But oh how I love her.  And I am so grateful I realized today that I am having a beautiful opportunity to watch my sweet girl's personality blossom.  And I am grateful I can be her mommy and try to encourage all the goodness within her.

What are you grateful for today?

Arroz con Pollo (Panamanian Chicken and Rice)

I grew up on this stuff.  And so it holds a special place in my heart. 

As with many things, there's not a whole lot I can say about it.  My mom makes it way better than I do (even though I follow the same recipe).  And I guess, for me, it's just sort of like comfort food.  And it's pretty healthy.  (Especially if you cut down on the salt...)

Tonight was Baby Girl's first time trying it out.  And based on the results, I think there will be another generation loving this yummy deliciousness. :).

So here's the recipe my mom gave me (and which I follow, except I've cut the salt back to 1 1/4 teaspoons and usually use a little less chicken).

2 to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup celery (about 3 sticks) chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 8-ounce (or 1 15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon oregano
1 can chopped pimiento (optional)
1 8-ounce can tiny green peas (optional)
1/2 cup chopped stuffed olives (optional)
6 cups water
5 tablespoons oil, divided
2 tablespoons capers (optional)
2 1/2 cups raw rice
1 tablespoon salt

In 3 tablespoons oil, cook chicken breasts until browned on both sides. Remove chicken and saute onion, garlic, green pepper, cilantro, and celery until onion is soft. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, oregano, and water. Cook chicken in this same sauce until tender (about 45 minutes at a low boil). Remove chicken from sauce and allow to cool until able to be handled. Shred chicken. Fry rice in 2 tablespoons oil until golden. Add 2 ladles of sauce to the rice, stir to mix, and then add all that back into the original pot of sauce. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking until most of the liquid has been absorbed; add chicken. Cover. Continue cooking over low heat until rice is flaky and dry. Add olives, chopped pimiento, capers, and peas if desired. Serve hot.

 

What are you grateful for today?

A Clothes Line

Now that it's summer time, it's mostly warmer here in Washington.  Most days, at least.  And most days have some sunshine.  (I'm okay with the lack thereof when there isn't and it isn't...  Because it keeps the apartment cool.)  So we've decided to capitalize on some free clothes drying :).  Just because we want to experiment and see if it makes much of a difference in our electric bill.  We have one of those "apartment" washer/dryer combo things, and it's not very big.  Ergo, I've noticed that almost every load requires two dry cycles.  So I'm thinking this may be a significant impact.

And even if it doesn't, they sure do smell nice and sunshine-y after hanging out to dry!  Plus, Baby Girl loves to be outside toddling around, and she loves to "help" with the laundry (which constitutes picking up the damp item, sucking on it, and handing it to me...), so this gives us an outside activity to do. 

Anyway, our space is limited, so I can only do one load a day like this, but I'm grateful my husband could hang out a clothes line to try this out :).  Honestly, it's been kind of enjoyable for me!

What are you grateful for today?

My Zune

My sister gave me this Zune for Christmas in 2008.  And I have used it.  A lot.

See, back when I worked at the funeral home, I spent a lot of time in the file room (I was reorganizing their filing system).  And I was alone out there.  And, frankly, I am of the opinion that music -- awesome music -- makes the time go faster.  So I started bringing my Zune and jamming to the tunes.  And singing along.  I was "caught in the act" of singing out there multiple times.  And the file room was eventually dubbed the music box, because of my penchant for pelting out songs in my solitude (which sometimes wasn't so solitary ;)).  There's just something about singing out to The Spice Girls, The Bangles, The Cranberries.  And there's just something awesome about telling an empty file room [I] can dance if [I] want to...

Well, once I quit that job, my next one wasn't as music-friendly.  So I didn't use the Zune nearly as much.  And now that I'm at home with my munchkin, I don't tend to jam out all that frequently.  But when I do, I just use the computer.  And she dances to the beat :).  But tonight I was looking at my sink-full of dishes at 9:00.  And I thought, "You know, this would be a lot less annoying if I could jam out to music."  But the husband and the baby are asleep.  And I don't think waking them just for the sake of a musical dish-washing session is quite worth the consequences :).

And then I remembered my Zune.  And it definitely improved the chore of dish-washing.  Because who can't get lost in Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes"?  One of the best songs... in the history of ever :).

(The only downfall:  I can't really sing my heart out with two sleepy-heads in the next rooms.  Guess I'll have to settle for lip-syncing.  And gesturing like a crazy woman to the beat ;).)

What are you grateful for today?

Kristin N

Jelly shoes.  Two pairs of jelly shoes.  Hers and mine.  And these are only one item on the list of things that make me think of Kristin.  Make me glad I know her.  Make me glad to call her friend.  They make me think of her and all of the memories we've made over the years.  And here are some more items that make me think of her.  Just because they make me smile.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream.  The green kind.  And ONLY the green kind.  Kristin shares my love for this classic ice cream.  We've been known to sit in the (now no longer) children's librarian's office and chow down on some of this deliciousness.  For breakfast.

The page rec room.  The hidden space under the (now no longer) public library where we both worked.  The place where we had to crawl along in the dark (well, by flashlight), hunched over, going down dirt inclines so we could reach the wall and sign our names -- in white-out.

Mr. J's.  The (now no longer) restaurant where she and Julie and I ate out when her (now no longer) baby was a baby. 

Saturday lunches 14 years ago.  Where we all scheduled our lunch for the same time.  And where maybe, just maybe, Kristin got scared at a traffic light when someone ran up to her car and knocked on the window...

The toddler sit & spin.  And maybe a few blackmail pictures of adults who used it...

Rainbow Brite.  At Applebee's.  On the bookmobile.  And at the Golden Peanut.  Because sometimes, you just have to take an awesome 80s doll and show her around Dothan.

The (empty) new library she took me through to tour.  Just because she knew it'd mean something to me.

Things & Wings, where we'd meet up for a meal when I was back visiting from T-town.

Lysol spray.  That was practically thick enough to swim in sometimes in that hallway outside of the (now no longer) Children's Room.  Yes, we know why you sprayed it, Kristin :).

Arguing dinner versus supper.  And knowing "dinner" will win every time ;).

Truthfully, the memories are endless.  Memories from Monday nights at the public library.  Or weekends when the cool crew worked.  Memories of her daughter who loved cheese as a toddler.  Memories of just doing silly things -- because we could.  Sharing a love of all things 80s.  And remembering one of the most important things Kristin has ever told me:  don't forget the toilet paper.

 What are you grateful for today?

My De-Allergen-izer

What's that you say?  Well, if you have an old bra strap, a scrap piece of fabric from some old warm up pants, a couple of safety pins, and a husband who has the genius and skill equivalence of Macgyver...  Well, you can have one too!  A de-allergen-izer.  (I made that name up).

So today was easily the worst allergy day I've had so far this year.  And it was awful.  In more ways than one.  I sneezed a lot.  So much that my chest started hurting.  My nose itched a lot.  And drove me crazy. 

Let me say, this did not do good things for my mood.  I was definitely a grumpster today.  And I dare say my {bad} mood was catching.  Until early afternoon when my husband (with his Macgyver-like skills) decided there had to be some way to help me.  Probably he was just hoping for a less grumpy wife.  So he disappeared into our bedroom and got into his scrap fabric stuff.  And then he brought me this.  And I put it on.

And I don't care how ridiculous (or ghetto-fabulous) I looked....  It worked!  I could actually breathe -- through my nose! -- and not sneeze my head off.  And yes, my mood improved.

Granted, I won't wear it in public...  But every day I'm home and feel the allergies creeping in...  You can bet I'll be donning this gem. 

What are you grateful for today?

Fresh-Picked Raspberries

So the yield isn't hugely phenomenal, but even so...  These are among the first raspberries we've picked off our raspberry plants!!! 

These raspberry plants were planted in 2011.  They were among the first things my husband brought me when we were first dating.  (Here's a fun little factoid for you:  on our first date, he offered to bring me cow manure!!  Haha...  Surely he knows the way to a girl's heart ;)...  But in all seriousness, he offered for my garden.  But still a great story!)

Anyway, the first year you plant the starts, they don't produce any berries.  But, ideally, the next year they are supposed to.  Well...  I don't think we got more than 2 or 3.  And I don't think we got more than 10 last year, either.  We didn't really tend these very well... 

But this year, I've made a point of watering the raspberries every time I'm over at the garden.  Plus, they've spread nicely too.  And the result is that we already have some lovely plump, juicy raspberries!  And they are delicious!  Baby Girl loves them too.  Like, immediately off the plant.

And seeing them sitting on the bushes all ripe and ready for the pickin'...  Well, it makes me happy :).

What are you grateful for today?

Laundry Detergent

It's been another week full of laundry.  And not just the regular loads I do weekly...  Baby Girl has had some tummy trouble this week.  And we've had lots of laundry to do.  Lots of baths, too, first thing in the morning.  But lots of laundry.  I'm hoping it's some sort of bug she found -- and caught -- and that it will go away, never to return.  Because our other option is a milk allergy.  I was weaning her onto milk, and since milk allergies run on her daddy's side...  Well, we've stopped the milk for now and will try again when everything is back to normal.  And see if we get a repeat performance.

But anyway...  Yeah, so tummy trouble.  Resulting in lots of extra laundry.

And as I scrubbed out a pair of her footie pajamas -- prior to throwing it into the washing machine -- I felt a deep gratitude for laundry soap.  (And a washing machine:  specifically one in my house.)  Days like this make me appreciate the things I have which make my life easier.  Things I take for granted on most days, because they've always been there.  I've never grown up without laundry detergent.  But can you imagine not having it?

That thought made me remember a story my mother-in-law told me.  Several years ago, when her kids were young, money was tight.  She ran out of laundry detergent and didn't have the money to buy more (or something like that).  So she decided to make some.  And while it worked -- it got the clothes clean -- she said it was a bear to use and wash out.  And from then on, she decided she'd always make sure she included store-bought laundry detergent in her food storage and be sure to have at least a year's supply.

I'm a firm believer in learning from other people's experiences.  And I've never forgotten that story.  Ergo, I decided to always have a stash of it myself.  Which for us, since we buy it at Costco (and it lasts us forty forevers, it seems), means I always have a full unopened one stashed away.

Well, maybe I got a little tangential there...  I'm good at that.  The point is, when I have lots of extra laundry to do (and even when I don't have extra), I'm grateful for laundry detergent.  I throw it in the washer and let 'er rip.  And my clothes get clean.  It's a beautiful thing.

What are you grateful for today?

Unflavored Gelatin

So several months ago, when I did the Halloween Party, I bought a bunch of unflavored gelatin for a recipe.  It was for Jell-O worms.  Let me say that the result was pretty awesome.  But, for me at least, not worth the effort and cost it took to make them. 

What I ended up with was 20-some-odd leftover packets of unflavored gelatin.  And they'd just been hanging out in my cabinet for several months.  And I didn't really give a whole lot of thought to what I would do with them.  I mean, if not for those worms, I'd have never even considered buying unflavored gelatin.  What would I ever use it for?

But then my munchkin got big enough to start eating "real" food.  And I made her Jell-O jigglers.  And she loved them. 

But I got to thinking about all the dye in the Jell-O.  And all the sugar.  And while I have no problem ingesting the stuff...  I kind of care a whole lot more about what my baby girl is consuming.  (Funny how that works...) 

And then I had a light-bulb moment.  What if I just used all those unflavored gelatin packets with fruit juice (like apple and grape) and made healthy jigglers!  (We like to call them jell-os in our household...)

And so I gave it a go.  And voilà!  It worked!  And she loves them.  And I love that they are made with 100% juice and no artificial colors.  So that's what I made today:  apple juice jellos. 

What are you grateful for today?

Love Note Stickies

So every day lately, my sweet husband has hidden a little love note sticky for me to find.  It always brings a smile to my face.  And he is so creative with the way he hides them for me to find at some point during my day.  Stuck to a banana...  On the lid of the washer...

The funniest one was when I found one in the toilet.  It had been stuck to the toilet paper, but I didn't see it.

And yes, I did fish it out, by the way...  (It was just pee ;)).  (It seems I'm liking the TMI stuff lately...)

Anyway, I keep them all and tape them into my journal.  Just a little way my husband says he loves me every day.

What are you grateful for today?

Mint & Chocolate (Together)

I love mint and chocolate together in all of its forms...  The picture above is the form in which it happened to happify my day today:  a mint oreo trifle.  Ummm... YUM.  (That was Monday Meals dessert tonight.)

I don't know when, exactly, I began to love the combination of mint and chocolate.  But it was a very long time ago.  I have loved mint chocolate chip ice cream for decades (preferably the green kind, even though the flavor doesn't change without the food coloring... but mint is green :)).  I have no idea who first paired these two wonderful flavors together, but I dare say that person was a genius. 

And my tastebuds thank him or her profusely.

And there really isn't all that much more to say about that, really :).

What are you grateful for today?

My Heavenly Father

Seeing as it is Father's Day, I wanted to focus my gratitude that today.  Because I have a great father.  So great, in fact, that I actually wrote a grateful post about my earthly father several months ago, after we returned from our visit to see him in October/November.  I love my dad immensely.  It is because of my earthly father that I can comprehend the love of my Heavenly Father.  It is why I believe firmly that He exists, that He knows me, that I am literally one of His children, and that, as such, He loves me.  Perfectly.

And so, today, I will express my gratitude for my Heavenly Father.  I believe it is because of Him that I have all the wonderful things I have.  He has blessed me to have so much.  I have seen His hand in my life.  I have witnessed miracles sent by Him.  I have experienced the fulfillment of promises He has given me.  I know He knows me.  I know He cares about what I go through in this life.  I know He hurts for me when I hurt.  And that He rejoices with me when I feel joy and happiness.  I know He created this beautiful Earth that I might come here to experience mortality:  He gave me a home.  I know that He wants the best for me.  Now and in the eternities to come.

And I know all of these things, because He blessed me with a father who exemplifies those same things:  he knows, he cares, he hurts, he rejoices, he gave me a home, he wants the best for me.  And because I can understand the love of an earthly father, I can believe in and somewhat comprehend the love of a Heavenly Father too.

I am a child of God, and He has sent me here.  Has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear.


Though I lack the ability to see things quite exactly from the perspective of this video (due to the fact I am a female), I do believe that "all that I am and all that I have is because He is a Father to me."  And I also think this is a beautiful video about fatherhood.  I absolutely love the quote at the end from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

"...of all the titles of respect and honor and admiration that are given to Deity, He has asked us to address Him as Father."

What are you grateful for today?

Feminine Hygiene Dispensers in the Bathrooms

Okay, this may qualify as the most TMI post I've ever written.  Ever.  But even in the midst of this occurrence, I just knew it had to be my grateful for today.

Because today I found myself in a situation which caused me huge amounts of gratitude that there are feminine hygiene dispensers in the women's bathrooms of most places (and fortunately the place I was in had one -- and they were free, which was a bonus).  I've never had occasion to require this nice courtesy, so it's never been so important to me before.  But today changed that.

I didn't have the diaper bag with me (because I didn't have the baby with me), and that's where I keep my emergency stash for moments like this one.  And I was in the middle of something that I couldn't just easily walk away from (as in leave my location and go to a store really quick).  In fact, I didn't even have a vehicle, since I rode with someone else.

And due to other details...  Without those dispensers, I dare say this had the potential of being quite the embarrassing conundrum.  And I am ever so grateful it didn't have to turn into that...

So, though this is my most TMI post (in the history of ever)...  Well, it happens.  And I can't deny my gratitude today for something I've taken for granted every other time I've walked into a women's restroom.

What are you grateful for today?

Call the Midwife

It may seem ridiculous to be grateful for a tv show...  But sometimes I am.  And this is one of them.  I love this show.  I appreciate that it is pretty clean for a modern-day show.  It is set in the 1950s, so that may be why...  But I appreciate that.  True, there are situations described in the show that aren't happy-go-lucky.  But I feel they are, over all, handled very well. 

There is also humor in the show, and I enjoy that.

But what I like best is how it always seems to end with an uplifting note.  Each episode talks of love and hope. 

And if you just feel like you need a good cry...  Well, this will do it for ya...  I tear up and cry in almost every episode.  (Which isn't like me, generally...). 

I'm not sure if they'll be making more seasons...  I hope they do.  And, since the series is based on a book, I plan to read that in the not-too-distant future. 

Anyway, this, to me, is a feel-good show.  And seriously...  I just get all sorts of emotional about it ;).

What are you grateful for today?

Our Garden

Pictured are two of our zucchini plants.  And, in the background, some garlic and chives...  But our garden has much more than just that.

I started gardening in 2010.  And I loved it.  I have tried to have a garden every year since.  And, if you're willing to be free with the term garden, I'll say I succeeded.  (Some years it wasn't tended particularly well...). 

Why am I grateful for our garden (and all of the gardens I've had)?:

1.  I love the harvest.  But that's just a given, I think.  Truthfully, though...  Having a garden has made me start to like new foods.  Prior to 2010, I wasn't a big fan of tomatoes.  But when they were my tomatoes...  Well, I wanted to eat them.  And now, I pretty much love tomatoes.  Same with zucchini.  This year I'm trying out carrots...  And in the future some time, maybe I'll be convinced to start liking green beans :)...

2.  I appreciate the work.  I'm not an especially outdoorsy kind of girl.  I don't really like getting my hands dirty.  My husband calls me a city girl.  And I can't argue with him.  I am.  I'm not super fond of finding worms in the garden (but I leave them, because I know they are good for it), because worms are gross.  I always wear gloves.  Sweating isn't my favorite thing.  But yet...  I don't mind it when I'm in the garden.  Now, I could do a much better job than I do at tending the garden.  I've done a better job in the past.  But that was when I lived in the house where the garden was.  Easier for me to tend.  Also, I wasn't a wife or a mommy back then.  I remember looking forward to afternoons and evenings after work when I'd plug in my headphones, crank up my music, and go to work with the hoe and the hose.  I was proud of what I was accomplishing.  And I was getting really good exercise to boot!  I still try to do a bit here and there, but it's definitely been a challenge in more recent years.  Nonetheless, I appreciate that it is something I have to work at.  I have to take care of the garden and put forth time and energy into it.  Otherwise, it will die.  I look forward to when we can use gardening as a way to teach our little girl about the value of work -- and what it can produce.

3.  I love the excitement of looking forward to what will be.  And watching the plants grow. 

4.  I love that it creates family time for us.  Many evenings, when my husband comes home from work, we all head over and water the garden and check on it (it's an 8 minute walk away).  I know these are memories we are making.  And I look forward to when our munchkin is old enough to do more than eat the dirt ;)...  Because I think these will be times she will remember fondly, one day.

5.  I love the spiritual lessons taught in gardening.  I remember the first year I gardened, I had so many insights into spiritual things from my gardening efforts.  Lessons that really stuck with me and impacted me.  I wrote about some of them here.  A garden is an exercise in patience and hope.  It is also, in my opinion, miraculous.  I remember that first year...  I planted tomatoes from seed.  When I first opened that packet of seeds, I seriously doubted a whole plant full of tomatoes would grow from that tiny little seed.  And so I planted more than one in each hole.  Which resulted in a lot of tomato plants (I gave over half of the seedlings away, because I think I ended up with 40-something).  And that has application too, to life.  Because out of small things proceedeth that which is great...

Anyway, I think I've droned on enough ;)...  But seriously.  I love our garden.  For so many reasons.  I hope to have one every year.  And hopefully, one day soon, it'll be in my own back yard :).

What are you grateful for today?

Toilet Paper

Well, I am sad to report that the hopes of semi-local honey helping to stave off my allergies were dashed.  The last two days have found me sneezing to the point of craziness -- and having a drippy nose nearly non-stop.  I'm still grateful for the honey, though... It's good and it did give me hope...

And no matter what, these allergies (though unpleasant) are way better than last year.  Maybe they are equal in magnitude; but with a newborn, I was definitely less well-equipped to deal with them while also dealing with lack of sleep, learning how to be a family of 3, and a healing body.  So this year just seems way better.

And so, since I have allergies...  It brings to the forefront my gratitude for toilet paper.  Because we sort of aren't tissue-buying people.  (Honestly, it just never occurs to me... I just use toilet paper when I need to blow my nose.)  I'm grateful to have gobs and gobs of toilet paper (we always have an entire unopened Costco pack -- in addition to our opened one) so that I can go through a roll a day during my allergy season.  And yeah, my chaffed nose isn't thrilled about any of this.  And it's annoying to go to the bathroom 50 times a day just to blow my nose (but I'd do that anyway, even with tissue, if anyone but me and the baby were home... I just can't stand to blow my nose in front of people!).  But even so...  I'm grateful for the toilet paper.

And even if I didn't have allergies (like I didn't for 30 years...), I'd still be very grateful for toilet paper.  Because, frankly, my bum prefers the soft comfort of 2-ply way better than what I can only imagine (thankfully I've avoided learning for sure) a leaf or corn husk might feel like...  I'm just sayin'.

What are you grateful for today?

Awesome Board Games (and Fun Food) -- and Awesome People to Play Them With!

Tonight, being a Tuesday, was youth activity night.  The girls were going to play a board game, and since there weren't many of them and there weren't many of the guys... We decided to invite the guys to join.  What resulted was definitely one of the most fun nights of youth activities I've attended so far as one of their leaders!

We played a hilarious game of "Would You Rather...?"  A game which I'd never played before, but which is totally awesome.  Definitely a great game for a big group!  Basically, the person whose turn it is reads a question (silently) and decides the answer he or she thinks the group will agree on -- or at least a majority will.  The player notes their guess.  Then reads the question out loud.  And the rest of the group has 90 seconds to argue, coerce, convince, etc the rest of the group while trying to reach a consensus.  Questions range from "Would you rather be in the ocean surrounded by dozens of sharks OR be in the ocean with only one shark nearby, but you're bleeding?" to "Would you rather have tufts of hair on your tongue OR on your nose (no hair removal)?"  Hahahahaha.  We all laughed so hard.  And don't even get me started on some of the challenges...  Like when one girl had to be blindfolded and try to identify 3 other players by touching their faces!  Yep, this board game is awesome.  I should buy it.  And play it again with a group as hilarious and fun as these teenagers are.  Can you imagine having to comb your tongue after eating!?!  Oh the things they came up with!  Hahahaha....

In addition to the fun game, I had made fun food!  One of the gals is graduating this weekend, and we wanted to do something a little special for her.  So I made cupcakes with little graduation hats on top (made of candy) and tied ribbon around Little Debbie Swiss Rolls to look like diplomas!  You can read more about that here (I wish I could say I came up with that idea by myself, but I'm not that cool...  I can, however, copy stuff I found on Pinterest).

So tonight was a great night of fun.  And I'm grateful for fun, wholesome games that provide lots of laughter and good memories :).

What are you grateful for today?

Our Printer

Back when my sweetie and I first got married, my sweet friends April and Greg sent us an Amazon gift card for a wedding gift.

And we decided to turn it into a printer!!!  And a scanner and a copier.  And we have happily used all three!

I find it is wonderful to have a printer at home.  For one thing, I'm able to print on that special fabri-solvy stuff for my embroidering on quilts.  Nifty. 

But this is also how I'm able to scan pictures for Throwback Thursdays (which seems to have lost popularity on facebook, but I'm such a picture freak, I keep doing it :)).  And how I am able to copy the visiting teaching message for the month to share with some of the sisters on my visiting teaching route.

My one regret is that I didn't think to get one of these printers that also has the capability of scanning old picture negatives and "developing" them in the program -- putting in the color and enlarging them.  That would definitely have been handy for a million reasons (which are sitting up in my closet, currently).  Ah well...  Maybe one day I'll have to buy another printer that does that :).

But for now, I'm really happy with our printer.  It helps me get a lot done.

What are you grateful for today?

Inspired Church Leaders

Sometimes I go to church and the words spoken from the pulpit seem to be directed at me.  They are just what I was needing to hear.  What I needed to be reminded of. 

That happened today.  And I believe it's because the speaker was inspired by Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit.  Probably not just for me -- his talk covered many topics.  But I know I was one of the people benefited from his words. 

And for that, I am grateful.

What are you grateful for today?

Nachos!

Today was a nacho kind of day.  Because nachos are one of my favorite things :).  And they can make me happy :).

The cheesier, the better!

Fortunately, I attended a birthday party for a special young nephew (who is -- unbelievably -- 10!) and my sister-in-law made nachos.  And it made me happy :).

What are you grateful for today?

Anne L

Isn't it nice when I post food as a representation of my friends?  Haha... Well, what you see here is Italian Express's roast beef sandwich with gravy on the sandwich and on the side (for dipping your French fries).  If you are in the vicinity of Dothan, I highly recommend you swing by and try this for yourself.  It's delicious.

But what does that have to do with Anne?  Well, it's the place we have met up for lunch the last two times I got the opportunity to visit with her while I was down in Alabama visiting.  So it's pretty representative -- if you ask me :).

Also, Anne is amazing.  Just like that sandwich.

Anne was my first ever boss.  And she set a pretty high standard for what I would hope to have in future bosses.  Which means some of them fell short.  Because Anne was an awesome boss.  She was fun, she didn't micro-manage, she became my friend.  I can still remember a few late nights hanging out at her house and yapping about stuff.  Mostly men.

I remember I pretty much always felt comfortable confiding in Anne.  And I remember she pretty much forced me to do one of the most awkward things ever -- to that point of age 18:  tell the guy I was crushing on how I felt about him before I left for college.  And yeah, I was nervous as anything...  I can picture it clear as though it was yesterday -- those nerve-wracking moments...  But I did it.  And somehow I think I grew a little in confidence from that.  And I never regretted doing it.  (She didn't really force me...  But she definitely encouraged me to do it.)

Some of my favorite memories from working for (and with) Anne were from the summer of 1999.  She and I worked Tuesday nights at the library.  And it would get pretty slow towards 9:00 p.m.  So I can remember sitting on the floor between the bookshelves, shelf-reading, and talking.  Lots of talking.  I probably hung out up there even when I was working and she was, just because we were yapping.  (And by probably, I mean definitely.)

I remember being in my job interview and they asked me my favorite book.  And I laugh at myself now -- not even sure what I was thinking then.  The only explanation I have for saying my favorite book was The Grapes of Wrath is that I had been reading a lot of classic literature at that time (a senior in high school), and since we'd discussed that novel a lot my Junior year when we read it at the end of the year, I felt like I could answer a question about it if they asked me one.  Except maybe the question they did ask me...  Which was:  Why is that your favorite book?  Hahaha.  I kind of cringe just thinking about it.  Because it's not my favorite book.  Eh, I'll just chock it up to nerves.  But I wonder what Anne was thinking when I said that.  And fast-forward a couple days, and I remember when she went into the computer lab, where I was working on a computer, and telling me I'd gotten the job!  I was pretty excited.

She was there at the Applebee's in 2006 when a bunch of us who used to work together at the library got together to eat and visit and chat -- because some of us would be moving away soon.  I was one of those.  I don't remember one bit of the conversations we had...  But I remember we were the loudest group in Applebee's that night.  And the irony wasn't lost on us -- since the place we'd all worked together was the library.  Classic.  Good times.

In the intervening 15 years between now and whens he was my boss, we've kept in touch.  Whether I was near or far.  I know she's helped me through lots of rough patches.  And I hope I've done the same for her on some level, at least.  I'm grateful for her.  Immensely grateful.  In many ways, she helped shape who I have become.  Because who knows what paths I'd have pursued had I never gotten my first job in the Children's room of the public library.  And I'm grateful for someone who is always willing to meet me at Italian Express when I show up in Dothan :).  It makes me -- and my tummy -- happy :).  Great, I think I'm seriously craving that now...

What are you grateful for today?

Our Budget

If I'm being completely honest about it, I will have to admit that while I am grateful for the budget my sweetie and I strive to adhere to, sometimes I'm not really grateful to be grateful for it ;)...

I kind of like to spend moolah...

But the budget is a great thing.  It helps us stay on track.  It helps us be able to examine where our money is going (I'll admit it... a lot of it goes on food in some form or another...).  It allows us to see trends.  And it gives us a point of reference for when we need to discuss increasing or decreasing a line item.

Just in the last couple days we had occasion to take a look at our grocery budget as well as our gas budget.  Unfortunately, these two areas seem to be difficult for us to stay under budget.  I suspect the two things are related:  higher gas prices = higher grocery prices. 

True, in an ideal world, I would need no budget.  I could spend however much I wanted whenever I wanted and wherever I wanted.  (Okay, that might not be entirely ideal, but still...). 

But that's not reality for most people.  And it's probably better that way, anyway.  Because learning to go without is a good life lesson.  As is learning how to live within our means and having a safety net of savings.  And this budget helps us accomplish those things :).  So I'm grateful to have it!

What are you grateful for today?

Kids Videos

So my munchkin isn't really old enough to watch cartoons and such.  And, aside from about 25 minutes of Baby Einstein videos I let her watch on the days I exercise at home (which is quite rare lately, since I've been walking with friends), I try not to put things on for her to watch.

But tonight I had 4 kids ages 1 to 3 1/2 at my house.  For 4 hours.  Without the benefit of my husband, who is on swing shift..  And so, at about hour 3 1/2, I resorted to cartoons.  And I'm oh-so-very grateful they were here.  Grateful for my sister-in-law Angie who gave them to me many moons ago -- before we even had kiddos -- because she knew we were planning to have babies one day.

They may have saved my sanity tonight ;).

What are you grateful for today?

Opportunities to Understand and Appreciate My Parents More

I realize I'm probably 20 years too late...  But even so.  I am realizing that every day provides me with opportunities to better understand my parents and why they did some of the things they did.  And to appreciate them for their efforts.  Even if I wasn't appreciative at the time.

So Tuesday nights are youth activities.  And that means I'm heading to the church at 7:00 p.m. to participate as one of the leaders. 

Inevitably, Tuesdays feel like I got slam-dunked by a tornado.  So, if I can swing it, I like to do a leftover night on Tuesday, just so I can remove "making dinner" from  my to-do list.  That didn't really happen tonight.

And so, as I was driving down the hill -- with the munchkin in tow (Daddy's still on swings) -- it occurred to me why Wednesday night dinners two decades ago were what they were.

So what were they?  I mean, to this day, I can tell you what we had every Wednesday night when we were all teenagers:  pollo patties (chicken patties) and hash browns.  And after the umpteenth time of this, I was sicker than sick of them.  It may have had to do with a time I bit into something hard in my chicken patty.  And that pretty much ruined it for me.  But anyway, I can remember complaining to my mom about this meal.  And refusing to eat it.

Fast forward twenty years, and it all makes sense.  I mean, I knew the reason back then.  My mom worked full-time and then took us all to youth activities on Wednesday nights.  And in the middle of the two, she had to make dinner (and probably a million other things I never considered).  And this was just easy and fast.  And I was a punk.

I realize that now.  Because I feel it.  And I don't even work outside the home.  And I still feel like Tuesdays are crazy.  And like I can't handle having to make a meal.

So, though you'll never read this, thank you Mom.  Thank you for making sure your kids were fed (if they so chose).  Thank you for making the effort amidst all the other things you had to do.  And thank you for putting up with your punk teenage daughter's lack of gratitude back then.  And for forgiving me for it.  I understand now.

And for that, I'm grateful.

What are you grateful for today?

A Working Transmission

Got the van back.  Yay!  Took it for a spin on the highway (which is always when the traction control light comes on -- meaning the traction control is off).  No light came on!  And, the check engine light is off :).  And it doesn't grind when I put it in reverse anymore.  Or clunk for that matter. 

I'd say this is a good thing to be grateful for today.  You know, since it got Lea and me to Costco and back today :).

So here's to hoping this thing works for the 100,000 miles it's supposed to! :)

What are you grateful for today?

Fast and Testimony Meeting

So in my faith, the first Sunday of almost every month (those Sundays when Conference falls on the first Sunday of the month are excluded, but Fast and Testimony meeting is moved to a different week) is Fast and Testimony meeting.

The fasting part is individual and left to a person's agency to choose whether they will or not.  But basically, we believe in the law of the fast -- to go two executive meals without food and then donate the money we would have spent on those meals to a fast offering (which is used at church leaders' discretion for congregants who may need financial assistance).  We believe, as Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (who was one of the Twelve Apostles prior to his death) said, "Fasting, coupled with mighty prayer, is powerful. It can fill our minds with the revelations of the Spirit. It can strengthen us against times of temptation." 

Testimony Meeting is the theme (for lack of a better term) for the Sacrament meeting that Sunday.  And members of the congregation are invited to come forward, if they feel inspired to do so, and share their testimony.  They can share a testimony of anything of which they have a testimony.  And it is an opportunity to be edified and uplifted as we listen to others share those things they know and believe to be true.

Oftentimes, for me, it is an opportunity to feel the Spirit touch my heart and testify to me of the words that are spoken.  Because it is amazing to hear the experiences of others... experiences they have had that have strengthened their faith... experiences they have had which have cemented their knowledge that God lives and that He loves them.

Today was a beautiful testimony meeting.  I felt the Spirit today, and it was a beautiful thing.  I was touched by the words spoken by so many who testified of the love our Savior Jesus Christ has for us.  Who testified that the Lord knows us and knows what we go through.  And that He cares. 

Anyway, I think I must have just needed it today.  Because it probably wasn't any different from most testimony meetings I attend.  But today just felt more special and significant to me.  So I'm grateful I was there.  And grateful I could be uplifted and edified by so many.

What are you grateful for today?