Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Hodgepodge Wednesday


#55 brought to you by Joyce at 
From this side of the Pond
1. Do you send Christmas cards? If so about how many will you send this year? How do you display the cards you receive? Or don't you? (gasp!) Yes, not as many as I used to though and mostly to those friends and relatives whom I will not see during the Christmas season....I have a card holder and sometimes I tape them to the mantle or door facings.

2. When do kids become adults? When they no longer depend on their parents for their livelihood.....although, it is hard to think of them as adults even then...

3. Does your 'beauty regimen' change with the seasons? not really...

4. What's something you like to eat that might cause another person to turn up their nose? Chicken Liver....Sardines....Boiled Okra

5. Gloves or mittens? Gloves

6. What's the longest queue you've ever been in? Was it worth it? Queue=line but doesn't queue sound nicer? That would be the queue at Disney World rides, I suppose but since that was so many years ago, I'll say the queue at the Honey Baked Store....several years ago, we got a gift card for a ham from Honey Bear's employer and I ordered it here in Huntsville. Although I went to pick it up several days before Christmas, the line was out the door and down the sidewalk. They had set up plastic to protect the customers from the worst of the weather but it didn't help much. It was raining and the temperature was in the 30s that day.....No, it wasn't worth it. If I'd known ahead of time, I would have bought something else for my dinner and saved the card for a less busy time.

7. Besides Christmas, what is one thing you are looking forward to in the month of December? Our club Christmas party is always lots of fun but that might not be what you wanted....if its unrelated to Christmas, I have nothing.

8. Insert your own random thought here. It is still cloudy this morning but no rain...we're expecting a high in the upper 40s and the sun is supposed to shine.....we'll be back in the 60s by weeks end.....the Princess and I enjoyed our shopping yesterday....we went to Kohl's to buy a gift for her Mother (Daughter) which she paid for herself. Then we went to Publix for the food that was on sale. She is so much help....I cooked a dinner of peas, cornbread, spinach, mac & cheese, and salmon patties.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

A Simple Woman's Daybook




This daybook is brought to you by Peggy at The Simple Woman...

From Mama Bear's Journal....
FOR TODAY
Outside my window...
there are a few snowflakes falling...it is unreal to see them in November...they won't stick to the ground, though...its been raining the last few days and I'm wondering where the sun has gone...its 35 degrees (2 °C) right now but expected to reach 40 this afternoon.

I am thinking...that my home needs some attention...that our laundry hampers are full....

I am thankful...that I don't have to go anywhere this morning...for a warm and cozy house....for hot coffee and a warm robe, Smokey asleep in my lap...Honey Bear is home...

In the kitchen...the refrigerator is pretty bare but the pantry is well stocked...I need to pour myself another cup of coffee and find some breakfast...my throat is a little scratchy so I'm thinking some oatmeal would be a good idea.....

I am wearing...the usual

I am creating...nothing much...I need to put some patchwork on the blocks for the SAL quilt and find some hand work to do in the evening so I don't give in to the temptation to nibble on food...

I am going...shopping this afternoon with the Princess...she asked me to take her after school...she wants to buy a gift for her Mother's Birthday...such a thoughtful child...

I am wondering...about how much decorating I want to do this year...Honey Bear said he would take care of the outside lights (just on the bushes and porch-I don't want him to get up on the ladder to do the eaves....where I want to put the tree...

I am reading...Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan

I am hoping...we have no bad road conditions caused by the weather

I am looking forward to...our club Christmas party next week...

I am hearing...the furnace just clicked off...clocks ticking...my stomach telling me its been too long since Dinner last night...

Around the house...we still have some Fall and Thanksgiving decor out

I am pondering...the words to Robert Frost poem: Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening....do you know it?



One year ago today....it was 60 degrees but the temperatures were supposed to drop slowly during the day...I hadn't decorated for Christmas...I was planning for a couple of pot luck lunches I was attending that week...we'd just returned from a vacation in Blue Ridge, Georgia....I was reading One Strike for Christmas by Sheila Roberts.....

One of my favorite things...seeing the scales with a lower number when I have my weigh-in on Friday morning

A few plans for the rest of the week:Shopping this afternoon with the Princess....fellowship supper at church on Wednesday...county club meeting and pot luck on Thursday...tour of B&B with lunch following on Friday...

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...


more benches from our Fall vacation....

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Iron Bowl Day


An entire year of bragging rights hinges on the outcome of the Iron Bowl every year. I’m not sure that any other state’s rivalry is as strong as ours. I remember once while shopping in Hammers Department Store in Guntersville, I overheard a recent newcomer talking about attending game day at someone’s home. She was told she must choose sides and wear the team colors for that team, the reason she was shopping.
My Daddy was a big Auburn fan. He was a former Alabama fan who had converted when I married Jim. He loved to watch the games with my sister or myself. He said he loved to see how excited we became. I remember well the Iron Bowl in November 1986. It was the month and year that I stopped smoking. I was not sure I could make it through the game without a cigarette. It can become pretty intense. Auburn-Alabama games always seem to be so close score wise. One never knows who will win until the final seconds. Well this particular year, I found an old worn out towel to twist and clinch throughout the final quarter and munched on baby carrots through most of the first three. But I made it to the end. I haven’t smoked a cigarette since.
 

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Thankfully there are still questions for the Wednesday Hodgepodge-Vol 54





1. Let's start with something controversial...dressing or stuffing? What's it called at your house and what's included in your recipe...cornbread? oysters? sausage? chestnuts? Dressing, not to be confused with stuffing.....contains cornbread, leftover bread, broth, spices and chicken, and other good ingredients...

2. Who do you sometimes compare yourself to? My Mama

3. When were you last inside an airport? December 2010...flew to Houston for a company Christmas party

4. What is one side dish that absolutely must be included in a turkey dinner? Just one? Green Beans, not the casserole which I abhor and a tradition for generations: Ambrosia...whoops that's two

5. What Christmas song do you dread hearing? When Wonder Boy was a wee one, he learned the 12 Days of Christmas...he wanted me to write it down so  he wouldn't get them out of order...of course he couldn't read so I drew him pictures...we got so tired of hearing that song that year.....I can't think of any I dread hearing, I even like to hear Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer a couple of times each season...

6. If someone approaches you and asks for money do you give it to them? Do you drop money 'in a tin cup' that belongs to a person on the street? Do you have a specific charity you support during the holiday season and/or year round? Sometimes I do give money this way but only if I feel like I am being led by the Holy Spirit to do so...many times I've felt that way and not responded and so felt guilty afterward...I usually do the Samaritan's Purse Shoe boxes but not this year...most years we make a contribution to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering

7. Share a favorite Thanksgiving memory. If you live in a country that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving share a favorite memory associated with food.  Last year, Daughter's family and Honey Bear and I went to the mountains for Thanksgiving....I think that was a special time....the others that stick out in my memory were the ones when I was a child...we always had huge crowds for Thanksgiving dinner or so it seemed...Mama was the oldest and all her siblings came with their families.

8. Insert your own random thought here...Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with your family....we always go around the table and tell something we're thankful for before the blessing...


Be sure and visit Joyce, our host each week.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

A Simple Woman's Daybook




From Mama Bear's Journal...
FOR TODAY
Outside my window...
Its 64 °F, (18 °C) and looks gloomy but that might be because its so early...I thought we'd squeezed by November's tornado season but then I saw last night's weather report....the schools are closing at 11:30 today due to the possibility of severe weather from 2 PM until 10 PM....reminds me right away of April's Fury.....the leaves are all off of our Maple tree, it looks calm out there..
Praying For: Brad & Jennifer....Denise & Eddie....Denise in OK who is also missing her parents this time of year....Cee Kay....Kayren.....my sisters (younger) who broke her foot, (older) that her job holds out...Daughter as she spends holidays differently from the past 16 years....Rick, that he'll realize what a blunder he's made.....Honey Bear as he prepares for his State Board.....Son & his family.....all of my friends in blog land....
I am thinking...no, not really, haven't had coffee yet...
I am thankful...Honey Bear is here with me...I lowered my cholesterol from 236 to 199 so no medication for me....
In the kitchen...There's some yummy potato soup leftover from Saturday which I plan to have for dinner on Wednesday....and stuffed peppers from last night..we had the last of our Spinach from the garden.......cornbread to make ahead for Thursday's Dressing and chicken to cook for same....
I am wearing...pink pajamas and a white T...its a little chilly in the house so I have my red throw over me...
I am creating...not much at the moment...I need to add a page to my son's scrapbook so I can get it in the mail......also need to do the patchwork for the first section of the SAL quilt....finished the puzzle yesterday.....planning to set a beautiful table for Thanksgiving...
I am going...to stay home today...work on a few projects...
I am wondering...what happened to the large gatherings we had on Thanksgiving day when I was a child and later after I had a family of my own.....everything changes when ones parents go home to Heaven.....son and his family are on a cruise but they wouldn't have come so far for Thanksgiving this year anyway....it'll just be 5 of us: Daughter and the children will join Honey Bear and me...I try to not think about this because it is a little depressing....
I am reading...The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini....I didn't especially like the way it began but now I'm fascinated.
I am hoping...and praying that the severe weather fizzles out before it reaches us and there are no damages anywhere today...
I am looking forward to...the holidays....Its that special time of the year....hoping to create memories for my grandchildren...
I am hearing...traffic in the far distance...otherwise it is quiet here...Honey Bear is still sleeping...

Around the house...all is calm....maybe I'll do a little laundry today and perhaps change the bed linen...
I am pondering...my Christmas gift list, wondering if I need to purchase any thing else...Honey Bear wants me to give him hints of what to get me...I've not done that yet.....

One year ago today....We were packing to spend Thanksgiving in the mountains with Daughter's family...looking forward to the Iron Bowl...reading Presumed Innocent...working on crafts for Christmas...I had begun a new blog...
One of my favorite things...putting a puzzle together.....playing Mah Jong on the computer.....oh, that's two..
A few plans for the rest of the week: I've been a little out of control with my eating the last few day so I need to get back on track.....

tomorrow I have a hair appointment at 10:30, then lunch and a drive with my friend Rene.....Thursday, Daughter may have to work and the Princess will be here...will finish making Thanksgiving dinner.....no plans for the rest of the week...except Iron Bowl on Saturday....Daughter and I have to pick up litter on our mile (adopt-a-mile) sometime before the end of the month....our club has this as a project and the members divide into teams of two to do it each month of the year....Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Monday, November 21, 2011

Meet Me On Monday

Welcome to the 58th edition of 
"Meet Me On Monday!"




Questions:

1.  I wish I had more time to _________?  This isn't easy to answer...if I'm honest, I have enough time to do all I want to do but I waste it....once my sister said she didn't have time to read...I told her we all had the same amount of time and we get to choose what we do with it....
2.  What is your favorite kind of soup? I don't really have a favorite....I didn't use to like soup until I began to eat the chowder types...I like a thick soup....we had potato soup Saturday and I like it a lot.....I like French Onion and Seafood Bisque....
3.  Where will you eat Thanksgiving dinner? At home....
4.  What is your favorite time of day? Well it certainly isn't morning.....
5.  Did you start Christmas shopping yet? I started in January...if I hadn't begun at this late date, I would be in a panic....I do  not like the crowds this time of year.....

There you have the questions and answers for this weekly blog hop...stop by Java's place to join or to visit other participants...

Folks, its 8:21 a.m. and its 65 degrees....we had a few days of cold weather and now its like Springtime again....

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

An Anniversary & Give Away...

Each year on the anniversary of my blogging journey, I have a 
little contest for a package of goodies...You'll be entered
once for commenting on this post, and once for being a
follower... at the
end of November I will draw a winner.
No more Questions to answer.


Wednesday Hodgepodge



1. What song reminds you of a specific time in your life and what is it about that song that makes you remember? Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers....its my ring tone for Honey Bear....I was sitting in Ruby Tuesday with Daughter in 1993 when this song came on the sound system...Honey Bear was working in Texas and I was in Alabama...

2. What's something you've given up on? Having enough money to be more than comfortable in our retirement...for the first time in many years we'll have barely enough coming in to pay our bills....wish our house was paid for and we didn't have that payment every month....its a dilemma...should we take that money out of savings and pay it off or save the money in case we need it later?

3. What's something you'll never give up on? Being at a healthy weight...I was talking to Daughter about this on Saturday...I've lost enough weight now that  my normal size pants fit and my bigger size is too large but I will not get rid of the larger ones...I've been there and done that...I'd like to say I'll never be that size again but I know better..

4. If you had to cook something from scratch in the next hour what would it be? cornbread...I have the ingredients for that but we're planning to go to the grocery store this morning because we're low on some items.

5. Have you started Christmas shopping? Decorating? Listening to Christmas music? I started Christmas shopping in January...I might need to buy a few things but basically, I'm finished.........Not decorating, we like to enjoy Thanksgiving first, then I'll put away the Fall things and start decorating for Christmas.....Christmas Music: I've heard it in a few shops but Daughter's Birthday is the 3rd of December and years ago she requested no Christmas music until after her Birthday so we'll wait.....I might sing one or two, though.....A house one street over has their tree up, I can see it in the window in the evening...I'd get tired of it if I had it up that long......

6. What do you know about your parent's wedding? They didn't have a wedding exactly....my Mother came out to Alabama from California on a train....my grandfather sent his proxy to my other grandfather so he could sign for her to marry since she was 17.....they were married at my Aunt's house by a preacher.....Mama said later they found out he wasn't really a preacher and wondered if that meant they weren't married...she was teasing my Daddy at the time...that's about all I know.

7. I can't believe I _________Haven't blogged in 5 days__________.

8. Insert your own random thought here. Its been quite warm here the last few days....shirt sleeve warm....Susan Branch said it was in the 30s at Martha's Vineyard.....Its raining right now and I'm wondering if I should wait about going to the store.....maybe not....there is more on the way....
I'd like to thank our lovely hostess, Joyce for this Wednesday blog hop.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Funny Friday

Hello all, Wil here with 
the Funny Friday post. I didn't do a post
last week because I was off on a road 
trip with Mama Bear and G..
It was only about 70 miles south near the
area where Mama grew up..
Here I am tucked into the seat belt beside Mama..
we met up with her sister and we had lunch 
at a local cafe, very southern and very 
countrified place...
After the meal, it was so nice and warm in 
the car with the sunshine beaming in,
that I decided to take a nap...
It was fun to tag along instead of being stuck at home.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Post Retirement

I thought perhaps I should give a little update on Honey Bear's 'retirement'.
He worked his last day for U S Zinc on October 14. The first few days were like an extension of the weekend and he had taken a Monday or Friday off now and then so that wasn't unusual. On the next Wednesday we went on our mini Fall vacation and didn't return home until Saturday. On the following Monday, I left for conference and didn't return until Thursday so, again, it just seemed like long weekends.

On October 31, he started school and he is home every night which is great. It has been so long since this has been the case, about 8 years because even before we moved here and he began commuting during the week, with 4 nights in Memphis, he was traveling on business at least 3 nights a week. It has been so good to have him home for dinner and bedtime. He is so thankful, not to be traveling and spending so much time apart.

We've always spent most of our free time together. While we were out walking on the Greenway this past Saturday, we met a friend from my Women's Club. She was walking alone. After pausing to chat for a moment we went on our separate ways. Honey Bear and I remarked on the fact that she wasn't walking with her husband and since it was the weekend, wondered what he might be doing. See, I would never think about taking off for a long walk like that without mine. I might walk around the block if he was busy in the yard. Things do come up where we have to spend time apart but not often.

Another thing that's changed is time spent in the kitchen. I am cooking full meals more often but he will set the table while I'm finishing dinner and then help me clean up after we finish eating. Its never been our habit to have 3 meals a day together even when he is home. We cook and eat breakfast together on Saturdays and most evenings but the rest of the weekend, we'll just do our own thing when it comes to meals.

He began his clinical rotation yesterday and came home so excited to share his day with me. He is doing something he enjoys which he believes God has called him to do. It isn't just something to do to make a living as was his other jobs. I'm so happy for him. He told me about the patient he was assigned and what he did to help them. Then he told me how he visited with the other residents in the Convalescent Home.

I have many acquaintances who have expressed their unhappy feelings about their husbands' retirement. So far, I can't see me joining that group.

Wednesday Hodgepodge/Outdoor Wednesday

Hurry up into Wednesday Hodgepodge Vol. #52

1. Of all the tools and gadgets you own which do you most enjoy using? My crock pot...I love that I can put the ingredients for a recipe in it and forget about it for hours...I'm always on the look out for new recipes to use in it.....But I have to say my computer is #1 and my Kindle is #2.

2. When (if ever) is impatience a virtue? Like Joyce, I think that when action is necessary to get a solution to a problem, being impatient is a good quality to have rather than sitting around waiting for the problem to take care of itself.....however I don't believe that makes impatience a virtue......I believe that impatience is unhealthy for the person who reacts that way to situations....a good example is someone who gets impatient when they have to sit through 2 traffic light changes before they are able to move on down the street.....they're sitting there with their blood pressure climbing when it does no good at all.

3. What temperature do you keep your thermostat set to in winter? Do you have another way to heat your house besides a furnace of some type? Usually, around 68 and we do not heat our bedroom...we just sleep better if it is cool in there...and the heat dries out ones sinus and throat...we have a fireplace and I would love to use it but the pilot light makes so much noise that I keep it turned off...I would love to take out the gas logs and put in a gas starter so we could burn wood...it is a real fireplace made for that.

4. Do/did you have a close relationship with any of your grandparents? Yes, with all of them...my maternal grandparents died before I married...she was only 54 and he died two years later but I have special memories of them both...

5. When did you last have a family portrait taken? Before the children had families of their own...well we did have a photo made at the wedding where Honey Bear and I renewed our vows in 2002 but none of them turned out well...

6. What does the word patriotism mean to you? Being loyal to ones country of birth even when we do not agree with the decisions being made by our government leaders....a feeling of pride and gratitude when one sees symbols of ones country or hears patriotic music.

7. Do you like to play cards and if so, what's your favorite card game? I do enjoy playing card games as well as other games, although it has been years since I've done so....I like Spades, Rummy, Hand & Foot, Canasta and others.

8. Insert your own random thought here. The questions today didn't seem to follow any theme but hopped around to different subjects.....they did require thought and that is what is important...The Princess and I began a new puzzle yesterday...we will be working on it for a while.....It isn't square or rectangular but follows the shape of a cat with scenes inside the cat, it has a window with 3 other cats, lots of flowers, birds, butterflies and a bird feeder. I bought it at the thrift store still wrapped in its cellophane.
***********************************
Now please join me for:

Here are some scenes from our walk on Saturday....






Outdoor Wednesday is hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.
Wednesday Hodgepodge is hosted by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Would you like to linger on the simple things...then join me and many others in taking a little look into the day plans and thoughts of those who are focusing on simplicity...beauty of the everyday moments. 
FOR TODAY
From Mama Bear's Journal...
Outside my window...Its 65 °F,(18 °C), it is expected to reach 76 degrees today....the Geraniums look even better than in the summer and I could probably still save the Gerber Daisy that is on the porch.....it is supposed to be sunny but right now there is some cloud cover...
I am thinking...about the time I spent burning copies of my photos from the computer to disc...just the ones since May when I got this computer....long overdue....now, I'm uploading some music from Disc(purchased online) so I can put it on my iphone and ipod...this takes time but is a good thing...
I am thankful...for this warm weather...nature outside my window...that we're both healthy....that I live close to at least two of my grandchildren and my daughter...for friends....for my faith in God and Jesus Christ...for the freedoms we enjoy....for that wonderful Man God chose for me to spend my life with...that this earthly vessel is just like a clay jar which carries my soul and the Holy Spirit, its just a temporary home...
From the learning rooms...Honey Bear begins his clinical rotation today....I'm still learning needle turn applique and getting better at it...
In the kitchen...Chicken Dumplings in the Crockpot last night for dinner, a new recipe..the last time I had Chicken Dumplings, they had been prepared by my Mama...not sure yet what we'll have tonight...
I am wearing...my pajamas, still, I'm afraid....
I am creating...

I finished the stitching on this pumpkin..not sure what I'll do with it yet, I'm thinking 'a candle mat.....I'm hand quilting one of my  swap pieces and, careless me, was doing it without a thimble and stuck the back end of the needle into my finger, ouch!.....I have finished two more of the appliques for 'My Favorite Things', need to photograph those.....
I am going...to clean the refrigerator today and work on tidying the studio
I am wondering...if Daughter will get home early tonight or if I will have to keep Little David...the child of a friend of hers who has MD...she keeps him every Tuesday evening to give the Mom a chance to go to a support group...
I am reading...A Sound in the Trees, still, it was a little slow at first but when I got to the letters written during the Civil War, I enjoyed it more...after this I'll read the new Elm Creek Quilts book...
I am hoping...to get outside today and perhaps pick some lettuce and Spinach, its just too dark when Honey Bear gets home for him to do it.
I am looking forward to...the Holidays....cooking for Thanksgiving....decorating for Christmas....the parties....the pot luck gatherings...the music
I am hearing..."I've Had My Moments" by Emerson Drive
Around the house...Yesterday, I put flannel sheets on the bed (they're not like the flannel we had when I was a child, they're combed cotton but so soft and warm)...I need to go make the bed, and do some spot cleaning in the bathrooms...maybe move some more seasonal clothes.....start to tidy the guest room and office
I am pondering...ways to make life simpler...the relationship between a Mother and her son.....ways to make home a welcoming place for my family...things to do with Wonder Boy....
One of my favorite things...spending time outdoors with my Honey....we went for a 2 hour walk Saturday, talked about everything, identified  leaves and trees...such a simple thing that brought so much pleasure...
A few plans for the rest of the week: the Princess after school today and tomorrow....club meeting Thursday night...Book Club Friday morning...Holiday Bonanza on Saturday

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...
 Peggy at The Simple Woman is the creator of the prompts in this
daybook. Visit her and others who participate as time permits or think
about joining us yourself.

Meet Me On Monday





Welcome to the 56th edition of 
"Meet Me On Monday!"

Questions:

1.  Are you excited for the holidays or are you dreading them?
I'm very excited...I'm like a little kid when its time to decorate 
or open gifts....I enjoy seeing others open the gifts I picked 
for them.
2.  Do you hit the snooze button or get right up? 
Whenever the alarm goes off, I usually get up
right away...but mostly I get up without an alarm...Smokey
is a good alarm clock and he doesn't recognize the
change in time so he wants me up at last week's time...
3.  Do you still have your tonsils? 
What a question...yes, I do.
4.  What was the last piece of candy that you ate? 
Spree
5.  Do you shop at thrift stores? 
Yes
There you have it, this weeks answers to the questions
posed by Java...drop by and pay her a visit.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

A Simple Woman's Daybook



From Mama Bear's Journal..
FOR TODAY
Outside my window...its 38 °F, (3 °C) with sunshine and an expectation of reaching 70 degrees today...there are red leaves from the maple tree all over the porch and ground...the Geraniums are still blooming...no birds on the feeder at present...*note:now there's a Squirrel under the feeder along with a Dove....two little Brown Wrens hopping around on the porch planters looking for some spiders for lunch (I love those little guys and their pretty voices)...a Titmouse on the feeder...I guess earlier all of them were sleeping late.
I am thinking...its time to put out the suet feeder...
I am thankful...for this time at home after two busy weeks...a job for Daughter as she continues school.....to have Honey Bear at home at night after so many years of traveling.....this Fall season....hearty soups for dinner....friends, both near and far....family
From the learning rooms...Honey Bear started school yesterday and I am still learning to do needle turn applique..
In the kitchen...a growing grocery list for tomorrow....White Chicken Chili in the fridge along with leftovers from Friday and Saturday nights...may be what we have for dinner tonight.....too much candy to tempt me, I have to get back to eating fruit as an evening snack...
I am wearing...Pajamas and robe
I am creating...

 My first needle turn applique 

This one is done with wonder under and a blanket stitch...
I don't really like how it turned out so I'm going back to needle turn on the next one....these are from Anni Downs' book Some Kind of Wonderful and will be part of the My Favorite Things quilt...I'm
making this with the Stitch-a-long group...I'm also working on a little Pumpkin stitchery and finishing up a few items for swaps I'm involved in...
I am going...to be at home today, doing some cleaning and some sewing
I am praying for....Honey Bear...my sister who broke her foot...Brad & Jennifer....Shorty Bear....guidance as we adjust to lower income....my sister's job....friends with aging parents...my children and grandchildren...
I am wondering...where all the trick or treaters came from last night...we had 16 where usually we have 4-6
I am reading...A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner....I saw it on someones post for What's on your Nightstand and since I had read Meissner's A Scattered Life, decided to read this one on my Kindle......Amazon shipped the new Elm Creek Quilt book today...
I am hoping...to lose a little weight this week....I gained 2 pounds the last two weeks while on vacation and the trip to Conference...
I am looking forward to...the holidays
I am hearing...traffic in the far distance.....clocks ticking...and blessed peaceful silence
Around the house...are clothes hanging from all the laundry I did yesterday (I only dry our outer clothes 15 minutes in the dryer, then hang them to finish drying)....more cleaning and tidying to do....ironing.....I'm trying to follow Motivated Moms cleaning schedule, I'd rather clean the entire house in one day but that is just too much when one wants to do something fun like read or sew...
Pondering these words....

“A citizen of America will cross the 
ocean to fight for democracy, but 
won’t cross the street to vote in a 
national election.” Bill Vaughn
One year ago today....the weather was much the same...I was reading, "In the Company of Others".....enjoying the Fall season....working on several projects in the studio...making plans for the holidays
One of my favorite things...having some handwork to do in the evening...
A few plans for the rest of the week:the Princess is coming after school and we'll be keeping David until Daughter gets home....grocery shopping tomorrow and shopping at Kohl's for a new electric skillet, hoping it is still on sale.....Christian Women's Club luncheon on Thursday....Friday with Daughter...maybe a hike and picnic with Honey Bear on Saturday if the weather is nice since our team doesn't have a game.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

You'll be seeing benches here for the next couple of weeks....
photos made on recent trips...this one was in the
ice cream shop at Mayfield Dairy in
Athens, Tennessee
As always, we are giving credit to Peggy
at The Simple Woman's Daybook for 
the prompts in this post.