Happy Birthday, Big Al!

 

Hope it is as wonderful as you are!

Just Three Things | #9

I have really become a homebody. I saw this meme the other day and it really sort of sums up how I've been feeling lately.

- What I've Been Watching - 

Mike and I are sports fans. I mostly enjoy watching the grandchildren in whatever sport they are participating in during the various seasons. It is fun for me to see their interactions and their skills with each sport and game. I have been a fan of college sports for several years - football, basketball, baseball, and softball. I particularly like following South Eastern Conference teams and, of course, my alma mater is the fav. Go Big Orange!

Mike, on the other hand, likes to watch all sports and doesn't really care who is playing. He can be channel surfing on the television and land on a random game and just watch for a while. However, he is a rabid fan of The University of Tennessee teams in football, basketball, baseball, and softball. He is one of those who talks to the television and yells at the coaches and referees and gets up and stomps around when things are not going well or shouts, "Yeah!" really loud when something goes really well. So, we have been watching UT football and basketball a lot lately.

- What I've Been Working On - 

I have been doing a bit of winterizing this week. Cleaning out the flower pots outside, covering up the porch cushions, blowing the leaves off the porches. There's also the never-ending chore of sweeping down the spider webs from every nook and corner of the porches. 

Earlier this week I went to the local greenhouse and bought a couple of flats of pansies and some rosemary and poked those into our flower pots. I had almost waited too long and there was slim pickings. I was going to go for cheerful and get some pansies in reds and yellows but they all looked a bit bedraggled. So, I wound up with good old blue and white and I smile each time I look out the window at them.

- What I'm Loving - 

Something happened with my years-old Pinterest account. I'll share more about that another day. So, I have created a new one. It is almost like I'm having to learn a new platform. Evidently I had ignored some updates or had just fallen into a rut because this seems very different from what I had grown accustomed to doing. 

I thought about just not having an account but I really like having a space to store inspiration and ideas for later reference with decor, recipes for cooking, and wise words. So, even though I lost all those treasures that I'd been storing up, I'm loving creating new boards and trying to figure out how to find some of my old favorites.

Update! I had been using the app on my phone and I tried to open my Pinterest account using my laptop. There was lots of flickering and glitchiness, but it finally opened. I have been manically looking at the boards and trying to salvage some recipes that I had saved there at least. I haven't shut down my laptop in a few days because I don't want to lose access completely and I'm trying to salvage what I can!

Just everyday life around here lately and I'm here for that. Ordinary days are really pretty much the best, if you ask me! Hope you have more ordinary days than out-of-the ordinary and things are on an even kilter.

Today I noticed...Little messages make my day.

Today I noticed that I always smile when I see a message from one of my grandchildren. Those little messages sort of make my day. Lots of times the older grands and I just exchange memes. But, even those bring a smile to my face.

Even when they are totally inappropriate!

Just Three Things | #8

The week started out with a bang bringing us snow flurries and cold, cold temperatures. Then, it closed out pleasantly with sunshine and the temperature in the low seventies. As they say, if you don't like the weather in Tennessee, just hang around and it will be totally different tomorrow! 

- What I'm Reading -

I've poked through a few more cookbooks this week. One of the nephew's son is getting married and a bridal shower is planned for later this month. The invitation included a recipe card for me to share one of our family's favorites. We really love food. Eating is one of our favorite pastimes. So, narrowing it down to just one recipe is going to be really difficult! This week I finished up reading the Ina Garten and Mary Kay Andrews cookbooks and started in on some older ones that I used when I was a young woman just starting out on my own. 

Starr Recipes from Greystone is one I got when I was in college at The University of Tennessee. A friend baked me a cake and gave me the recipe book so that I would have the recipe to bake one later. Over the years I have made lots of those recipes and it has been a good resource.

Good Cooking is another oldie that I've flipped through this week. I got this one as a young girl and it is also a good resource. I think I was in about tenth grade when I got this one as a prize through some 4-H contest. There is nothing really fancy in this one but loads of good food came about as a result of folks having it. I know for sure I used it lots.

- What I'm Loving -

I don't know if it is the birthday week or the flipping through old cookbooks or the fact that Mike and I have had family members exhibiting livestock at the North American International Livestock Expo last week and this week. At any rate, there has been lots of nostalgia shared around here this week. We've both shared old tales and experiences from our youth, including that of showing our own livestock. 

NAILE

We were excited when one of the nephews and his family won big time at the NAILE. He nor I never won on the big stage like that and Mike asked, "What do you do with your animal after it wins a Supreme Champion award like that?" So, we came up with lots of ideas about how the cow who won might be treated differently and wondered if she will just be turned back into the back lot when they get home with her.

- What I'm Working On -

I think I have shared before that Mike is the manager of the Cemetery in the heart of our town. His grandfather was one of the founders and Mike's Pop managed it when he was alive. So, Mike has now inherited the duties of selling burial lots, keeping things tidied up, and such. He enjoys meeting and supporting the people who come to him to purchase lots and is grateful to have the opportunity to comfort some of them in their time of grief. I am his secretary. We inherited lots of information and some of it was organized well. Some of it, though, is a bit of a jumble. So, Mike and I have been trying to sort it out.

I have been trying to create spreadsheets of lot owners and update names of people who have been buried and the location of their graves. At times it is overwhelming. So, I guess w are in it for the long haul. I have several spreadsheets at this point. So, when Mike gets a call, I can search through in a couple or three different places and we can locate most of the the answers to people's questions. It is an ongoing process, though, and I'm not sure it is one that will ever be perfectly accurate and easy to navigate!

I hope your week has been one where your sorting and poking and reminiscing has been heartwarming and that you have a rejuvenating and restful time in the weekend ahead. 

Today I Noticed...Birthdays don't have to be a big splash to be memorable.

I celebrated a birthday today. 

It was one of those double digit kind.

It was a rather low-key celebration marked by sleeping late and lunch out with my sweetie.

Lots of folks called, texted, or messaged me via social media, which was nice.

Some of the grands called and sang to me and their parents joined in.

Mike tried to treat me like I'm special for most of the day.

This was my first 'retired' birthday and it was really nice.

No hustle and bustle to get things done or to get here or there.

I think that might be one of the very best kinds!

A Family Reunion

We had a family reunion of my Daddy's immediate family. It was so much fun to see folks and share some time together. 

Last Saturday my cousins had reserved a space, communicated with the rest of the cousins, and organized food contributions for us to have a family reunion. The location was ideal for the cousins and the aunts and uncles. We all assembled in the early afternoon and it was so wonderful to see all those faces that we hadn't seen in a while - and in the case of some of our grandchildren, we may not have seen them at all.

We chatted and laughed and took time to catch up on things that had been going on in our lives. We shared a delicious meal of put togethers - pot-luck style. The littles played in the floor. The adults stood and sat around sharing tales. One of the uncles had crafted some wood items and those were given away as door prizes, which created a few minutes of teasing and protesting and general comradery. 

I don't know who had more smiles and hoots of laughter. Was it the aunts and cousins? Was it the 'outlaws' who had married into our family?

It was the first time we had gathered in several years. So, we were missing some who had been at the last reunion. There were a few who could not make it and we missed them as well. Our fast paced lives prevent us from getting together in fellowship but I do hate that we don't gather more often than we do. It is always so nice to see those who show up and catch up on what is happening with them.

None of us thought about organizing a photo session. So, that is something I want to keep in mind before the next time we get together. I also want to sift through some old pictures and take them along to share so that we can reminisce and share tales with one another's children and spouses. It would probably be a good thing to take along pictures of those who cannot attend to let the others see how children have grown or those who have been added to the family. Maybe we can eventually set up a gathering where we could include games like family Olympics where the kids and young adults could show their stuff like the old time family gatherings we had when all of us cousins were youngsters rather than the grandparents we are now.

Right at the end, those cousins who were still present did line up for a group shot and that caused a lot of laughter and silliness. It also added memories and I think we look like a pretty good bunch.

Just Three Things | #7

I had the opportunity to take in a small town dinner theatre experience last weekend. One of our granddaughters, Lydia, was a part of her high school's drama production of "How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party." Lydia played an attorney in the play and her light really did seem to sparkle and shine. (I'm sure it is not in the least because I could be a bit biased.)  

Who would have ever thought that this young lady who once had a crying jag when preparing for a fourth-grade 4-H speech or who had a huge melt-down after a middle school interview competition might take the stage and actually seem calm and ad-lib to the script to keep the performance flowing? Not this grandmother!

Lydia looking lawyerly 

This performance was followed up on Monday with a fall band concert where she dressed as a butterfly and played a couple of instruments during the middle school and high school performance. Luckily it was live-streamed and I got to tap along to every note. The meal was tasty, the service was wonderful, the performance was suspenseful and enjoyable and a good time was had by all. As always, it was truly enjoyable to be able to tag along and see the activities that the grandchildren seem to take in stride.

- What I'm Reading  -

I'm continuing to work my way through the Callahan Garrity Series by Mary Kay Andrews. I am starting on Book #6 in the series, Strange Brew. I sort of feel like I have a set of old friends that I visit with each day and they have interesting adventures! I'm also still enjoying that wonderful southern voice. 

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I must admit, I've also been reading a lot of the news stories this week. Some of the stories were reassuring and some of them were concerning - like all news, I guess. At this point in the week, though, I feel hopeful.

- What I'm Loving -

When we moved my office to one of the rooms downstairs, I divided the African Violet that was sitting on my desk and brought the parent plant downstairs to sit on my desk as it had upstairs. Now the window in this room faces south and the one upstairs faced east; so, that may have had an impact on this plant as well as the division. At any rate, it has not bloomed since the move. Today, however, it burst forth with some tiny little blooms. So, I think it is on a comeback!

The violet was one in a dish garden that was sent at my Granny's funeral. I loved it because it bloomed her favorite shade of pink. I can remember when I was a young woman, Granny grew loads of African Violets using grow lights, in windows, and all sorts of ways. She gave me some for my college home away from home. She taught me to create a self-feeding system with a sock strip and Miracle Grow if I wasn't going to give it the attention it deserved. So, it really made me smile to see those tiny pink blooms and think of Granny.

- What I'm Working On -

I finally wrapped the chair project up this week. I had put off working on the last three chair seats but finally tackled them and got them done. Then, during a sunshiney day, I set them out on the porch and gave them a good spray down with Scotch Guard to help them repel liquids and dirt (hopefully). 

My hands and forearms were aching again from wrestling with them to get the fabric stretched taught and smooth. Some of them look far better than others, I'm afraid. But I am satisfied and pleased with them all. Below is a sampling of a few of them being lined up for the protective spray.

It makes me smile as I walk around the house during the day and see my handiwork and my beloved chairs. Plus, it feels so good to mark a project off the list

I hope your week has been productive and pleasing and given you something to smile about!

Today I Noticed...Motivation can come from surprising places.

I've said before that I am a procrastinator. I've also mentioned that often my procrastination is unfounded and whatever it is that I have been dragging my feet about really isn't so bad at all. So, when the motivation train comes along, I've learned that I need to jump on and take it for a ride.

I may have been looking for a short project that would fill an afternoon. It may or may not have been because I was enjoying a book I was reading and wanted to read until lunchtime. I may have promised myself and the project gods that if I could just enjoy reading until I finished my lunch, I would complete that short project and be done with it.

I may have also been motivated by the fact that the weather forecast for the end of the week includes rain and I am going to need to perform one step of a big project outside on the back porch without any rain.

I may have also been inspired to complete a project because I was browsing through a book and noticed how beautiful a room was in one of the photographs and I knew one of my rooms could look just as beautiful if I tackled a project.

I may or may not have been motivated to tackle the wrap of a segment of a project because I knew that the mister would not be underfoot.

I may or may not have been motivated by knowing that it was Tuesday and we've been enjoying Taco Tuesday by getting take-out for the last few weeks. So, I wouldn't have to cook.

Wherever the motivation comes from doesn't really matter. What really matters is that something nudges us forward and we find a purpose for the day. Right?

By the way, the Scotch Guard I ordered to spray the newly-covered chair seats has arrived. So, yesterday I covered the final three seats of the cane backed dining chairs. Tomorrow is the day I plan to drag them onto the back porch and give them a good protective spray.

Happy Birthday, Bryan!

Hope you have a great day and wonderful year ahead!

Just Three Things | #6

I'm certainly not the jet-setter I used to be. Last week, I went traveling for a couple or three days. Stayed in a hotel for a couple of nights. Trailed along behind the grandchildren a few days. This old gal had a hard time bouncing back! 

I napped a bit on Sunday. Then, Mike and I trekked to the local pharmacy for our annual flu vaccine appointment. The rest of the week has included catching up on laundry, catching up on housekeeping, and just trying to catch up. I'm not the spring chicken I once was and it shows!

What I'm Reading

A couple of years ago I bought a stack of cookbooks from a guy who sells stuff from storage unit sales, left-overs from estate sales, and such. There were a few Ina Garten cookbooks in the stack and I have really enjoyed reading them and trying a couple of her recipes. I have always enjoyed her cooking show and how she seems so laid back. Her cookbooks seem to have that same attitude - laid back, yet, delicious. This week I've been reading How Easy Is That? This cookbook is my favorite of hers that I have read thus far. The recipes are pretty basic and the finished product seems like something that could be included in a weekly rotation of meals.

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I might not have selected those particular titles if I was looking round in a book store, but getting several of them at a bargain second-hand was different. I've really enjoyed reading each one of them and have even given some of the recipes a try. I will probably be on the lookout for more of her titles - at a bargain.

What I'm Watching

Mike and I really enjoyed watching the Australian TV Series, McLeod's Daughters last winter. We streamed it via Amazon Prime. So, I decided that I would give another Aussie series a try - A Place to Call Home. Mike hasn't jumped into it like I have. He seems to enjoy things that run more like the old-time westerns and this is not that. However, I'm really enjoying all the crooks and dramas. There is just enough realism added to the family saga part that I can relate. I also like how they take what we might consider current issues and show how they are not something new. 

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I am in the midst of season three and enjoying every moment of the family drama but especially the beautiful scenery that is the backdrop of the stories. I also find myself pausing and asking if I am more like this character or that one.

What I'm Working On

I'll have to be honest, I haven't really been doing a lot of work this week. Mostly, I've played catch up with household chores. One that was far simpler this year than last is the selection of our Medicare plans for the upcoming year. Just like the television commercials state, it can be confusing and the plans change from year to year. I know that last year when I was trying to figure out what might be best for us, I felt like I was studying for another master's degree! I had pages of notes, a headache from reading all the different materials, a list of questions, and loads of research. This year, it was more of a refresh on the high points. Then, I just dug in and let my fingers do the calculating to see what would work best for us in my best idea. 

I get so frustrated that these insurance companies seem to try to make things more confusing than they have to be. They talk about a Plan C when there really is no such thing. All of our working lives we have paid into the system. So, why not take advantage of all of those years and dollars earned? Part A is what we've paid into all of those years. Part B is a standard insurance policy to help pay the bills. It comes at a relatively low rate, considering the other options, in my opinion. So, why not take advantage of that? Of course, check the options and if it is better for the pocketbook and still covers the necessities, go with a Medicare Advantage plan with one of these companies instead - just don't confuse that privatization of insurance with what the government provides by calling it Medicare Part C because it is not! 

I think these companies actually try to confuse folks and muddy the waters so that they can take advantage of folks. The options offered via Medicare are really no different, either. Neither of us like change. Yet, the insurance plans with Medicare change from year to year. It all depends on which company negotiated the better deal with the drug company that manufactures our meds. So, Mike and I only had a couple of heated conversations about it and I think we are all signed up and ready to roll into 2026!  I absolutely hate how these companies tend to make things even more confusing than they have to be. Mike gets frustrated and tends to take out his frustration on me as if I am the one who has made all the changes. Of course, I snap back at him as if he is the one who is the root of the evil. Then, cooler heads prevail and we calculate which option is going to give us the best coverage for the least amount of or money and call it a day. I often recall Daddy cursing and fussing about how the medical industry and insurance companies were the "downfall of America." Sadly, I think he may have been exactly right!

Well, I hope that if you are jet-setting round to places, you have the energy and tenacity to enjoy the experience and can come back home with a good frame of mind and a chance to rejuvenate. I am also looking forward to a good week ahead of cool fall weather and cozy times at home and wish that for you as well!

A Budding Photographer

Last week at the State Sheep Expo, little sister was not old enough to take part in the show ring. She is a second grader and sheep showers at Expo must be at least fourth graders. So, she spent her time pursuing other endeavors.

One thing she did on the afternoon of day three was find a place to just veg out in screen time.

That's her in the center of a bank of bleacher seats all alone.

Her brother, Harris, even commented once, when we were looking for her that he always started by looking for somebody sitting all alone somewhere doing their own thing!

And there she is!

Another thing she spent a little time doing is practicing her budding photographer skills. On the first morning of shows, she and I made our way to the show ring and climbed up into the bleachers. We perched on the lowest row, nearest to the ring where big brother would be showing his lambs. I noticed that she was busy with her mother's cell phone camera.

Getting a shot of Harris and Kimmy

A little while later, her mother, Jessica, let me know that she had also been taking photos and videos of a friend. Jessica said that her friend, Kelly, thanked her for sending the photos of her children showing their lambs. Jessica responded with a bit of confusion. Kelly mentioned that there was a bit of blur with some of them. It dawned on Jessica who had the phone/camera and laughed as she told her friend, Kelly, where the photos were actually coming from. Kelly's response, was, "Aw! Wasn't that sweet of her!?!" Then, the blur didn't seem to matter.

Linley would point the camera and watch for a moment or two. Then, she would ease back and analyze her capture, add a couple of filters, revert to the original, and try something different. 

Then, the process would begin all over again. She was quite serious about this endeavor and showed me a couple of her shots and how she zoomed in and out.

All I know about it was that this seemed to be a serious situation and kept her very engaged with intensity for quite a while. 

Someday we might see this budding photographer's work on a website, the front page of a publication, or enlarged and hanging on a wall somewhere. 

I could be a little biased, of course.

Today I noticed...Some mornings it takes a lot to cover everybody's needs.

At the end of last week I took a little trip to spend some time with my son and his family and to watch our eldest grandson exhibit his 4-H sheep in the State Expo. Families tend to sort of set up camp at functions like that where they are going to be exhibiting or showing their livestock several days in a row. 

My family had a couple of sheep stands, a tool box, a couple of coolers for sheep needs and a cooler for people needs, a couple of clipper cases, a couple of cushioned mats, a large bag with snacks, a table to set items on to be within quick reach, multiple buckets, and a few chairs. 

Within the people cooler were the basics - bottled water and athletic-type energy drinks to wash down the chips, snack cakes, granola bars, and such. Of course, we would supplement these 'healthy' drinks with iced tea or soft drinks when we picked up a bag of burgers or chicken pieces to serve as a meal. 

As I was walking to the show ring one morning, I noticed that another family must have done some supplementing to their cooler as well. It made me pause and wonder. I'd be willing to bet that the fresh cold snap to the temperatures, coupled with all the hard work of prepping and showing the sheep and temporarily living away from home might have made their morning a little bit tougher, which required a little extra supplementing.

I know that some mornings are tougher than others and it looks like this might have been one of those mornings for these folks.

Happy Birthday, Jessica!

 

Hope this is your best year ever!

Just Three Things | #5

I was talking to a friend the other day about how much we love being retired. There is no better lifestyle than that of retirement! We both commented on how we enjoy savoring that morning cup of comfort and sipping it at our leisure - so unlike how we used to grab a cup as we dashed out the door. We love how the day stretches out ahead of us with an agenda that is really manageable rather than having a long to-do list and a short deadline for completion. I loved her summation of our lives: "The things we used to take care of on our way home from work have now become our big agenda for the day." Can I just say, once again, how grateful I am to be able to live a retired lifestyle? I am so grateful and blessed. I know that I worked hard in my youth to be able to have this lifestyle but such is not guaranteed and I am truly grateful and feel blessed every single day.

What I'm Reading

I'm continuing through the series I've started that was written by Mary Kay Andrews. I am now on book number four: Happy Never After. It is fun to binge read a series after not having that experience for several years. Most of the characters are like old friends that the reader is catching up with or touching base with after a hiatus. This one is especially fun to me because of the Motown connection and I am a lover of Motown music.

I'm now working through a couple more of Ina Garten's cookbooks as well. I don't think I ever thought about setting the table as part of preparing and serving a meal - that there are connections between the two. Oh, I know that there is the concept that an Italian spaghetti dinner might call for a checked table cloth and a bottle with candle wax dripping down it in the center of the table or a summer bar-b-que with a checked cloth and bandanas for napkins and that sort of concept. I'm pretty traditional, though, and just hadn't really given it much thought. I simply assembled the tablescape and served the meal and didn't think that much about how something like that impacts the dining experience. So, reading this one has made me pause and do a little thinking along those lines. She describes how different wines are recommended for different dishes and then reminds the reader that we really don't have to follow that path and can just pair up or match up what we seem to like best. I love that attitude.  It is as if she says, "This is what a lot of folks do but if that doesn't work for you, do what does!" and gives permission to just enjoy.

I've also done a lot of reading and listening to information about our White House and how it is being changed and I am not in agreement with the drastic changes. An addition is one thing but destroying what was done in the past in order to make changes is not a good idea in my mind. I'm all about updates and improvements but not destruction. I've written my legislators actual letters as well as sent emails. I feel like it s a bit of wasted effort on my part because they all seem to highly regard the decisions and encourage the continuation of it. Bleak times in my opinion.

What I'm Loving

We picked up our beef this week. So, our freezer clean-out was completed just in time to restock the larder so to speak. I must say that the processor's place of business was super-clean and the pick-up was a quick and easy one. Then, when we got home with our three big coolers of meat, we sorted and inventoried the different cuts of meat and transferred it to our clean freezers, placing it where it will be easy to find when we are ready to thaw and prepare (hopefully). 

We tasted a bit already and it was quite delicious! I've also enjoyed watching Mike figure up the cost per each cut and overall cost and compare the difference with local store prices and all the figuring he has done to justify this purchase. I just look forward to the different meals we shall have and hope he is as excited about cooking some of it as he has been about getting it here! 

What I'm Working On

Well, I put the pause on the ottoman slipcover that I started working on last week. I stumbled upon a design that I really like and decided that I wanted to give it a try. The picture below shows it on a table cover but I think it would look nice on the ottoman that has a far-shorter side or skirt.

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I decided to think about it a day or so. I can always continue onward with this one as a simple slip over the ottoman and be done with it and then dig out a linen or drop cloth or some other fabric and make another one with the tailored button details later if I chose to stick with the simple option I've started. So, I'm working on this slipcover but most of the work is what is going on in my mind and my folding of fabrics. I'm not one who is really into ruffles and bows but a nice tailored button feature stops me in my tracks sometimes. This is a project that I want to finish up. So, look for an update next week!

Those are the three things that have sorted to the top of my lists this week. I hope you have had some time to read or watch something interesting and/or entertaining, work on something that makes you happy, and have found loads of things to love!

Patience and Organization

 After procrastinating, I finally painted the island. Then, I learned that I needed to let the paint cure for thirty days. THIRTY DAYS!?! 

Well, I did follow that suggestion. The items that had been stored on those shelves sat here and there and some perched on the dining table and were moved back and forth and around for all that time. 

Finally, the cure time was met and I sorted and have been reading through cookbooks. The reading continues but I have begun loading styling them back onto the shelves.

There is not so much styling for beauty as for organization and for storage. I love all the cheerful colors and happy titles. I also love that they are handy and can provide inspiration and ideas for good meals. Of course, we also stash other items there for easy access. Those items might not be so happy and cheerful looking but I'll concede that it is a good storage space for The Mister's necessities.

I decided that baskets would keep those corralled and would look sort of happy and cheerful as well. Most of the time nobody will even notice these shelves because we keep our small table that we dine at daily there.

Still, I know what's there and how it looks and it makes me smile to have a new refresh!