Just 3 Things | #11

After taking some time away from my computer, I'm back and ready to share what's been going on around here. Doesn't it seem sort of like the world is turning a bit faster right now than usual? Everybody I know has been busy, busy, busy! Tis the season, I guess.

- What I'm Reading - 

I've been reading another Mary Kay Andrews book, Irish Eyes. This follows on the heels of reading three short stories that are within the Callahan Garrity series, Killer Fudge, Fatal Fruitcake, and The Family Jewels. 

It has been sort of relaxing to go through a series like this. I haven't done so in a long, long time. I sort of feel like I visit old friends or binge watching a series on television as I'm reading. I've also been reading several blogs that fill my email box. I have enjoyed several virtual home tours, lots of shopping suggestions, and just reading what is going on n the lives of other bloggers.

- What I'm Loving -

Mike and I have enjoyed a neighbor's handywork a couple of weeks in a row. One of our new neighbors is a baker, crafting and selling sourdough breads. The first week we got a traditional sourdough boule from her. We enjoyed ham and cheese sandwiches, a hunk of bread with our stew, toast, and more. The next week we tried a sourdough loaf and a sourdough loaf with Rosemary. Both were absolutely delicious. 

First Try Farm

If you are in our area, I'd recommend her yummy bread. It is a special treat. We feel fortunate to have her as a neighbor and I look forward to trying the Jalapeno Cheddar and the Everything Bagel flavors. Of course, it is hard to beat the traditional loaf. Yum, yum.

I remember having a sourdough starter years ago when the children were young. It was always a delicious treat on bread-making day. I recall trying the dough out as rolls, sweet rolls, loaves, and all sorts of ways. Then, I noticed the pounds creeping up on the scale each day and decided that I didn't need to be a sourdough baker anymore!

- What I'm Working On - 

Since the last Friday, Just 3 Things post, I have been Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, and tracking packages. When you have eighteen folks in your immediate family - children, spouses, and grandchildren - that's a lot of gifting. I do love it, though. 

I like it best when each one gives me a list. That helps me to know their tastes, their sizes, and their interests. I have the opportunity to pick things directly from their list, especially when they send me one with links - the best way to get a list! I also have the opportunity to pick things that are not on their list but might fit in nicely with their interests. 

We try to follow the gifting 'rules' of including the following:

• Something they want
• Something they need
• Something to wear
• Something to read

I also like to include surprises as well. The grandchildren seem better at getting their lists to me than their parents. But, the grown up lists have been so helpful this year. I hope the concept has caught on and they like the system as well. I love that they give such a broad variety of items for me to choose from and price ranges to pick from as well. Even our little second grader created her own list and sent it along to me using her mother's phone. Hers was the first list I worked through and selected items from and I think she's going to love the things I picked from it and the things I added as surprises!

Ribbon Central

So, the delivery trucks have been rolling in here for the past couple of weeks like we were a main thoroughfare. Mike jokingly told somebody that the Amazon truck ran into the FedEx truck and the UPS truck got stuck trying to go around them. Of course, it hasn't been quite that busy but we have had as many as five deliveries per day sometimes. 

Boxes

All that means that I've been doing something I really don't like - wrapping. Oh, I love the look of a pretty wrapped gift. I love giving them. I love seeing them all stacked together. I love watching the recipients tear into it with excitement and the look of surprise and happiness on their faces when they discover what is inside. The wrapping, though, tends to cause back aches and is very time consuming. At this point, I am well over half done. So, the downhill slide is enjoyable and below is a quick cellphone shot.

The Stack - So Far

It has been really cold here. So, wrapping gifts has been a good thing to do on these cold, rainy, sleet-filled days. I didn't want to be outside anyway! Hope your week has been cozy and warm and dry.

Today I noticed...I'm not a good nurse.

Mike has had the creeping crud. He has really been sick. At times I thought he was going to cough up a lung. One time, after blowing his nose, he asked me if I thought whatever it was in the handkerchief was part of his brains. 

It has been bad.

For the first week, I was doing all the cooking, cleaning, washing clothing and bedding and everything else he touched with a religious vigor. Now that we are way into week two, I'm not as diligent. I was serving him his meals with tenderness and caring and patience. Not so much anymore. I was pampering and petting and listening to his moans and groans. Sort of wearing ear plugs now.

Bless him. Neither of us has really been sick for the past five years or so. We've both had surgeries but not been sick and feeling cruddy. So, it has been sort of a new experience for us oldsters. Plus, we are now senior citizens. So, the creeping crud hits a bit harder than it used to do.

I've never been a good nurse. I think I may have gotten even worse at it over the years. I'm certainly not a good nurse today.

Send up good thoughts and prayers. 

Just 3 Things | # 10

We've had an busy week! Of course, we had a holiday parked right in the center of things but we have been getting things winterized and spruced up a bit around here as well. I haven't had as much down time to sit around and read as I usually like but all is well and I will be back to lolling around some next week, I'm sure!

- What I've Been Reading - 

I guess I am a worry wart. I know that worry is just borrowing unnecessary trouble. So, maybe I should call myself a thinker instead of a worrier. 

When I learned that the US Department of Education was in an upheaval at the beginning of this year and in jeopardy of being cut out altogether, I was astounded. After all, an open, free, and equitable education has always sort of been one of the strengths of our country. I have been doing a lot of worrying thinking about this. Of course, as an educator, that topic is one that is close to my heart as well. But, I also had concerns about the funding cuts to research that are happening at universities, hospitals, and all over our country. So, this week, when I stumbled across an interesting read, I continued by going down a rabbit hole and reading more related to the topic. 

The article that started off this whole rabbit hole visit and train of thought was this one: A Battle With My Blood by Tatiana Schlossberg. She is the daughter of Caroline Kennedy (granddaughter of JFK) and, ironically, I read the article on November 22. What really spoke to me is her raw honesty. Oh, there's also the fact that here is somebody who is far more wealthy than most and her family could probably buy most anything they desired. Yet, all the riches in the world cannot really buy her health and a long life at this point. All throughout my life, ours has been a country that is cutting edge, most knowledgeable, problem solvers, ahead of the curve. I am concerned that all of this is going away. I am deeply disturbed.

- What I'm Loving -

I absolutely love giving gifts at Christmas. Every year I request a Christmas wish list from each member of the family. Some are better list makers than others. For example, the teenagers are great list makers and hey send their list along shortly after I send out an all-call requesting lists. They have shared Google Docs, Amazon lists, and links. They include little notes telling me which colors or what size. Some of the adults provide pretty good lists as well. They generally are not as punctual as the teens but I mark that down to the fact that they have more responsibilities. Some of the littles generally get me some good lists once they have a chance to work with their parents on them. Then, there are others... So, I have to ask spouses for ideas and Mike and I brainstorm and come up with something for them that fits a general interest that they have. Plus, with 18 family members, having lists just makes things so much easier for me!

The beauty of those who send me a good list is that I have lots of choices that way. I truly do love that. Plus, I know exactly what they like and what size they currently need in the way of wearables. Our gifts tend to follow the following rule: 

• Something they want
• Something they need
• Something to wear
• Something to read

My shopping actually started months ago for some of them. I stumbled across a couple of cool items that I thought the girls would like and added them to my virtual cart. They've been delivered and I even think I know where I hid them away! The stocking stuffers for the girls were delivered Tuesday and I am just loving those. So, I'm already getting excited about Christmas and I'm loving the lists I'm getting from family members.

- What I'm Working On -

Since the crew is coming here for the Thanksgiving feast, I've been working on getting the feast ready for us all to eat. I worked on it a bit on Tuesday - making cornbread for the dressing. That's about all I did on Wednesday. I've done a bit of straightening and tidying up and Mike has been helpful - blowing the leaves away from the porches and chopping the leaves in the yard. Since this is set to be published on Friday, I'm sure I will be resting from all the excitement. 

I've taken on a couple of other projects this week but I will share more about that later. Hope black Friday, Shop Small Saturday, and whatever other things that are going on this weekend go well. Plus, I hope to goodness The University of Tennessee can pull out a win on Saturday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here at our house, we have so many reasons for being thankful. Robert Brault once said, "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." What a statement! I hope you and yours have a day of enjoying all of those little things in your life right now.

The children and grandchildren are coming in tomorrow and we shall share a feast together. It seems that the funny thing about life is that once we begin to take note of the things we are thankful and grateful for, we begin to lose sight of all those other things.

We are ever grateful for our many blessings. 

Today I noticed...Even the unexpected is sometimes welcome.

I recently got a random message from one of the older granddaughters. 

Since I knew she was not in class or at practice or someplace else where it might not be appropriate to accept messages, I sent another response and we had a whole mini conversation!

Even a buttdial can lead to a good conversation and put a smile on this grandmother's face!

I Guess I'm a Pinterest Criminal

One day last week I went into the Pinterest App on my phone and was searching for a recipe that I have used numerous times. All of a sudden, I got an error message and the App closed. So, I opened it back up and the same thing occurred. Now, I've had a Pinterest account since way back in the days when one had to be invited or recommended or whatever in order to join and create an account. I've been saving recipe ideas, decoration inspiration, and such as that for all of these years. So, I had LOADS of Pins and quite the collection of Boards. 

Note that I am not one who creates many pins. I generally just click on the Pin icon that is included into different websites and click the Save button. So, I'm not uploading anything questionable. On the rare occasion that I did create a Pin, I was meticulous about siting the resource. (The English teacher in me comes out.) So, I was pretty confused about what might have been going on.

I noticed that I had an email from The Pinterest Team. So, I read what they had sent me.

That made me wonder if I my account had somehow been hacked and somebody was posting things without my knowledge. How would I know? How does one research such a thing? Again, being the English teacher, I read the Community Guidelines and Could not figure out any way in which I had not been following those. So, I believed that was an error and clicked on the link and filled out the form provided. I immediately got a response.

In about four hours, I got another email:

So, I don't know what sort of criminal activity I committed or what was going on. However, I could not access the account nor salvage any of the ideas and recipes I had saved there throughout all those years. I was pretty bummed. I was pretty mad about being banned when I could think of no reason why I might have been done that way. I accessed the Help Center but that wasn't all that helpful. Basically, the suggestion there was to create a new account. So, I went a few days thinking about the situation. Did I really want to participate in a platform where I had been treated as if I am a criminal when I clearly was not? Would I want to give this company business after I had the door slammed in my face, basically? 

Finally, I decided that I liked the premise of the platform as a way to store digital ideas much like I used to do as a young girl/woman when I cut out magazine photos and taped them to a piece of notebook paper and put them in a binder. It was handy for me. I couldn't think of another platform that did just that in an easy and straightforward way with just a click or two. So, I created a new account with a new email and I started searching and saving some of the same recipes and ideas that I knew I had collected before. 

This new account works and looks a bit differently than the old one. Plus, there is no established data for their logarithms to post for me. So, I'm basically seeing some stuff that I never saw before and some stuff that I care nothing about. It is interesting to me and I am still exploring - almost like I did back when I created my first account. Some things are not as easy - Following has been a bit of a problem for me because that seems more buried within the App. But, I'm working through it and finding some new ideas and saving some of the ones I had collected before.  

Early last week I opened Pinterest while using my laptop and using my Chrome browser. Since I was logged into the browser, it immediately tried to open my old account. There were lots of flashes and different screens showing for a moment or two and then my old account popped up! I have been working a few days to try to salvage and copy some of the recipes that I had collected into my new account. So, I haven't logged out or shut down my laptop for a few days. I can only stand so much surfing at one sitting. So, it is a bit slow going. I have salvaged a bit, though and that is nice. 

I'm still just wondering what was going on with my old account that it was not considered as a 'legal' usage and why I was marked as a Pinterest Criminal? Has anybody ever had that happen to them?

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. 

via

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.

via

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. 

via

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.