Just the day to day...

Yes, I have been very neglectful of this blog lately. I am sorry that I haven't made time for it in so long. I have been a bit busy but that isn't an excuse for not posting something.

At the moment Lauren is in Little Rock for a visit. She left last Monday to go back for Mid-America youth conference at FPC in North Little Rock. She is heading back starting today. She is leaving there going to her grandmother's in Tennessee, then will head back here tomorrow. She will then have to leave here on Sunday to go to Charlotte for two weeks for training for her new job. Her job will begin here on the 20th. I just hope that she won't get back here Friday so exhausted and tired from all the running she has been doing in Little Rock, that she ends up getting sick from it. That has been known to happen in the past.

Kids...What can you do? I suppose they have to learn from their own mistakes. I know that is how I learned most of the things I know today...because I was so hard-headed and didn't listen to the voices of wisdom. So I had to go through the school of hard knocks...I graduated with honors! I have tried to pass on the knowledge I gained from all of those mistakes to my children. Let's just hope that one of them didn't inherit the hard-head gene and actually will accept the advice I am offering.

Around the house:

I have one raised bed nearly full of plants. I am going to put in the last of them this week. The second raised bed is getting soil today and I will be planting in it this week also. There may be call for a third bed, but we will see after I get the others filled. I also have some gourd plants coming up from the seeds Noah and I planted. I have always loved growing gourds. I have been growing them off and on, depending upon if I have had the space, since the 1990's. I have grown them in Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas and now in North Carolina. I still have some dried ones that I grew back in Louisiana years ago and some from Arkansas. I tried a couple of new varieties this year, so we will see how they turn out.

Megan is working on school work and working on a website for her website building. She had taken a break from art class beginning the first part of the year until spring. We are now trying to decided when she will start back. She is really wanting to take piano lessons, so I am searching for someone that can teach her. I am so very surprised that there are no more people in the churches we have attended that teach lessons. There are so many talented people, but no one seems to be interested in teaching. I will have to keep asking around.

Noah is growing like a weed. He is so active. He has been spending most of his days outside playing in the backyard. He loves to swing and play in his sandbox. But a lot of the time he is walking around in the "forest" exploring his world. We have a grove of trees on one side of the backyard that he calls the forest, and he loves to play in there. He has also been helping me plant the garden. He is such a little worker. He loves to do anything like that to help. He is strong too, he doesn't get tired and give up very easily. He just keeps right on going. It sure does help him sleep good at night also. So I suppose that is a good thing.

The job is coming along according to plan. We probably won't know anything on the next job until July or August. So for now, we are here and I plan to continue to be here until they tell us otherwise. I am just praying that wherever we move that there will be a great church and we will really like the area. I am also praying it isn't Mississippi. I really don't want to live there. No offense to anyone that does. It just isn't a place I would care to live. For that matter, I don't care to go back to Louisiana to live either, and I am from there.

It is a cool morning this morning. We had a little rain and a front come through yesterday and it brought the sunshine and cool winds today. As I sit here in the kitchen I can see the shadows of the trees swaying on the wall beside me. I think the high temps today aren't even going to reach 70 degrees.

I have been making a real push to up my exercise routine and watching everything I eat. Trying to get the scale to move again. I am down a pound or two now. So I hope that it is going to continue to move downward. The only problem is last Tuesday evening while running, I twisted my ankle and fell. I heard a loud pop sound and it really scared me. I thought sure I had broken my ankle. But I got in and took my shoe off and there was no swelling. It did hurt pretty bad, but no outward signs of anything. I had the kids pray for me and we prayed that it wouldn't be broken and would heal quickly. So that put my exercise off at least the running part. I did manage to do some light cardio and strength training during the week. So my ankle was better, and I assumed was okay, and I did some heavy cardio and strength training Monday evening and yesterday I got out and dug up the dirt and cleared out the grass and debris in the new garden bed. Last night my ankle really started hurting again and I noticed some swelling. So I think I may have re-injured it. I will continue the exercise that I can do, but will really have to be careful what goes in my mouth. I will reach my one year membership at Curves in June and I haven't officially weighed in or measured since I joined. So I am making a big push to be at or near my original goal when I reach the one year mark. I have about six weeks or so before that time and I am hoping for good results. I just don't want this ankle injury to interfere with my progress.

The little dogs are barking wanting to go outside this morning, so I guess I need to let them out and get Megan up to start school. I have some household chores to get done today and I want to work on a couple of projects I have going in my craft area. So until next time I will leave you with a couple of quotes.

Thought for Today

Warning! Dates on calender are closer than they appear

~unknown~

Spend the afternoon, you can't take it with you

~annie dillard~

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the

friends I want to see

~john burroughs~

To changes ones life. Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly.

No exceptions.

~william james~

Spring...could it be?

The sun is shining so nice this morning. Three mornings in a row we have enjoyed the bright sunlight coming in though the windows. My ficus' plants are loving it. They are waiting with anticipation for spring so they can once again take their post on either end of the front porch. But for now, they are bathing in the sunlight streaming in through the dining room windows.

Yesterday was a nice warm day, but not to warm. There was a gentle breeze blowing and the sunshine was warm on my back as Noah and I played in the backyard. I pushed him on his swing, we tossed toys for the dogs to retrieve, and we enjoyed a nice long, lively game of kickball. When it was time to come in and start supper, Noah was red faced and tired. Needless to say, he slept very well last night. In fact, he didn't wake up until nearly 8:00, which is late for him.

We are suppose to have another awesome day, weather wise. I had toyed with the idea of making another trip to Wilmington today, but decided to save that for another time. I wanted to give it just another week or so. Although it was a year ago this week that we were there at Carolina Beach and it was a great day.

I have to make my run to the grocery store today to restock my diminished supply. I really don't like going to Walmart, I am sure I have expressed my dislike of the place a time or two, but it is one of those necessary evils, I suppose. In some areas of the country anyway.

Andrew and I have started working out together in the afternoons when he comes in from work. I am trying to go to Curves in the morning and be ready to workout in the garage when he comes in. I have been a little sore for a few days, but I can tell it is getting better. Hopefully before long we can actually get out and run together. When the time changes and there is more daylight in the evenings that will make a world of difference. We've been slower at getting started than I had hoped. I am thinking of buying a treadmill, for times when the weather isn't cooperating...and it will make it easier for me to run on days when it isn't possible for him to go. I really don't want to run by myself. Maybe I am just paranoid, but I don't want to be a target for someone looking for trouble. According to the papers around here, there are a lot of people who seem to find trouble. I suppose it has always been that way near military bases. It is almost ironic how they seem to be more unsafe than other areas of the country. Anyway, the treadmill is something that I think would be a good investment for me.

I have reluctantly been looking around at "new" vehicles. Old Blue has been a good one, and I don't want to think about getting rid of it. I especially don't want to think about having a car note again after so long. But I suppose that is the necessary evil of traveling around like we do. If I lived in one place and didn't have to be on the highways like I do, I would keep Blue till her wheels fell off. Unfortunately I don't know how many more long trips she will make without us possibly having trouble. And when it is just the kids and I on the road to no where, I don't want to risk having trouble. So I have been looking...I am hoping to work it out that we will have a large down payment so that we only have to finance a small portion and get it paid off quickly. I am considering a Ford Edge. I haven't driven one yet, but I like what I have seen. I am looking for an '08 model with low mileage. I don't want to buy new, in my opinion it is foolish to buy new off the showroom floor. You lose entirely to much equity in a new one the moment it rolls off of the lot. I have had great success in buying two year old vehicles and think that is definitely the way to go for me. I am taking my time in this decision though, not being to quick about it. I am waiting for the right one...I am trusting the Lord to direct me so that I will know it is right. It has always worked for me in the past and I know this one won't be any different.

Noah and I are planting today. We have a seed starter kit with some herb seeds that we are going to get started. I really want to start a garden but I am waiting on Andrew to build my raised beds for me. We are holding off to find out if we were going to be here for another job or if we will be leaving after this one is done. We should find out this month if they got the other contract here. Until then, the herbs can be grown in pots on the deck and can be taken with us if we go...

Well, I haven't posted in over a week, so I needed to write something. Nothing exciting or thought provoking, just daily updates on life. My writing slump continues...perhaps when the sun is high in the sky and I have been able to enjoy it more, maybe then my SAD will have gone and I can enjoy the great outdoors again...maybe then my muse will have returned and I can write more engagingly. Until then, this is all there is...

Today's Quotes

If you don't know where your going, any road will get you there.

~Lewis Carroll~

Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you could lose.

~Tom Krause~

Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.

~Shaquille O'Neal~

Obstacles are things a person sees when he take his eyes off of his goal.

~E. Joseph Crossman~

As of lately...

Today started off with a jolt. Noah woke me around 4:30 by getting in the bed with Andrew and I. Then about 5:30 he woke me again gagging. He started vomiting. He vomited everything from his stomach and continued to gag up everything I tried to give him to drink. This continued for a few hours. Then he had to make a trip to the bathroom...I won't go into detail...

We were suppose to go to the beach today, but needless to say, we didn't make the trip.

Noah just lay around most of the morning, every time he sat up, he would start to get sick again.

So I emailed some of my prayer buddies and had them help me pray. Within a short time he was feeling good. He wanted to drink something and then he got up and started playing around with Megan. At noon, he, Megan, and Andrew were swimming in the pool.

Thank you Jesus for healing Noah. I give you all the glory!

On another note; I decided since we couldn't go to the beach today, I would bring a little beach flavor to us. So I fried some oysters and made Oyster Po' Boys. They were pretty yummy also.

A few nights ago I fixed a homemade pizza but using my bread machine to knead the dough then rolling it out and adding sauce, pepperoni, and cheese. I use to make them all the time, but I suppose I got lazy and started buying pizza's ready made. I had forgotten just how much better they were homemade.
On Reading:

I am currently reading a few magazine I picked up in town. I have always loved Mother Earth News. They have been a continual source of inspiration and information.

Of course, if you have read my blog for very long you know how I adore Hobby Farm Home. This issue was no different, Wonderful! I love the idea of making my own cheese and plan to do it one day. So the article on cheese making was especially interesting to me.

Urban Farm is new, this was the premier issue. I found it very interesting and informative. I think everyone should adopt some aspects of sustainable living no matter where they live. I would love to have a few chickens and a small garden. Maybe next spring I will plant a raised bed garden here.

The health magazine was for inspiration to continue my healthy eating and exercise. I have changed my eating habits and started watching everything. I have been going to curves and exercising at least three days a week. So far I have lost seven pounds! I am very excited about it. Although today I did allow myself a fried oyster po' boy sandwich.

Well there isn't much else to report for now. I will post again soon.

Happy Birthday My Sweet Child

Happy Birthday to my first born daughter! Twenty years ago today I was lying in a hospital bed in Alexandria, Louisiana getting ready to become a mom for the first time. I was so excited, but a little afraid. I didn't know if I would do a good job, or if I would know how to be a mom. But through the years, with the help of God, I managed. There were times when I didn't know if I was making the right parenting decisions, and most of the time I was flying by the seat of my pants, (skirt). But God was always there nudging me along on this journey...

You were my little angel girl, and you helped me through so many things. I can't imagine where I would be today if God hadn't blessed me with you and started me on this journey that I have been on for the last twenty years.

I am so very proud of the young woman that you have become. I know that you will find your way in life and if you continue to put God first, you will find that life you desire...

The last few months have been difficult, having to be so far away from you...but I understand as I understood on the day you were born, that you were a gift from God, loaned to me, for me to care for until you could care for yourself. I only hope that I taught you what you needed to know to be on your own...at least I know that I gave you love. I did the best I could to be a Godly example before you and took you to the house of God so that you could develop your own relationship with Him. In the end, giving you love and raising you in church are the two most important things I could have done for you...

I know I made mistakes, parents always do, but I tried to learn from them and readjust my parenting so that I didn't continue to make those mistakes. I hope that you will forgive my short comings and my ignorance's and remember the good times and all the love that we tried to express to you. I wanted so much more for you than I was able to offer at times, but years from now, it won't be things that we will look back on, but times...times spent together and the feeling of family that we created...

I know that there are things you wish would have been different...I know you wished we could have been stable and lived in one place while you grew up...I am sorry that didn't happen. But we did what we thought was best to provide a better way of life for you, Megan, and Noah...But you have to admit that we had some experiences that those who stayed in one place their whole lives never got to enjoy.

I just wanted you to know how much I love you! How proud I am of you and how much I pray for you. I want nothing but the best for you in your life...I wish I could do more...but sometime, in the long run, you will have gained more from having to be creative than from being handed it all on a silver platter...Although I don't think you have ever done without the necessities.

May you have the blessings of God on your life and put Him first, always! Do what you know is right, and follow your heart...but remember God gave you a good mind, so use it!

Happy Birthday Sweetheart! May God keep you in His hands and bless you always!

More on Noah

Going through some photos, I found this one of Noah that Megan took at least a year ago, if not longer. It was in the backyard of our previous house and she was just getting started into photography. It is such a sweet photo and so much little boy, that I just had to post it.

In a month Noah will be four years old! Where have the years gone? I know I am always talking about how quickly time is getting by, but I am continually amazed by the passage of time. I am trying to enjoy every moment possible with my children because I know how quickly they grow to become their own person and into adulthood. I just wish I could slow the progression of time and really get everything out of each day possible...

Children are such an awesome gift from God...I thank Him everyday for entrusting me with three precious gems...

Smiling face...

My little ray of sunshine on an otherwise lack-luster Monday morning!

Another day in paradise...why not?

I went to Curves again yesterday evening. When Andrew got in from work, I was ready to go. I had cooked supper before hand and left it to finish. It had been the most awful day I have had in years...

When I got there I just worked all my frustrations out on those machines. I had a good work out and felt pretty good afterwards. I plan to go again this evening.

Megan's birthday is coming up soon, so I have to get to making plans...

Lauren is flying up here the end of June, so I have to get started planning our family vacation. I know with the economy like it is, we really should keep it low keyed. Maybe a trip to D.C. or even closer to home; The Outer Banks. But I am just not into it yet, to much other stuff rattling around in my head. I really don't know where everyone wants to go, so I suppose we all need to get together on some plans.

We are planning a trip back to Arkansas in August for Camp Meeting and then, Wow, by that time summer will be almost over and we will be getting ready to start school again. Time just seems to fly...We've been here for two and half months. In someways it seems much longer than that, but in other ways, time has flown by...

Well I sound like an old timer, talking about how quickly the years seem to get by...

The Dog Days of...Spring?

This week we celebrated Cinco de Mayo by having Tacos, Enchiladas and Spanish rice. I didn't get a shot of a taco, but I'm pretty sure we have all seen one!

Noah has enjoyed spending time in the back yard, playing around and just exploring like little boys do. I hear him out there just talking and singing.

The other day I saw him in the back yard lying in the grass with Sadie lying at his side. By the time I got my camera and took a shot, I was spied by both of them. In the quiet of the day, the camera clicks were loud enough to be heard across the yard.

I woke early this morning. Andrew had an 8:00 tee time on the golf course and left around 7:00. I slipped out and sat on the front porch, listening to the birds serenade me as I ate my morning bagel with cream cheese. I actually finished breakfast and was reading a magazine when I heard Noah calling me from inside the house. He joined me on the porch for a time and when he threw a ball into my Gerbera daisies and one broke off, we brought it in and put it in a bottle vase.

Above is a photo of the original daisy.

Below is what it looked like after I photoshop-ed it. I am just getting use to using photoshop and don't know a lot about it yet. I like the look of these so I ordered the four prints. I plan to frame each in a simple black frame and arrange them in a grouping and put them on the wall in "my space" in our bonus room. I want to add some color splash to the area and since it is mostly a functional space and doesn't offer much in the way of style, I thought these would be a great addition.

I know it isn't an original idea, I have seen these in stores before. But the difference is, these are self made. I grew the flowers, took the photo and edited it myself. Adding this to a creative space should be a bit of self-produced inspiration at a minimal cost.

Long Time No Blog...

Wow! It has been almost a week since I blogged. I don't know why, but I just haven't had it in me to sit down at the computer and blog. I have been doing a few other things, reading mostly. Trying to get that stack of books dwindled down.

I have also been working on my space in the bonus room. Andrew put me up a couple of shelves and I brought in my sewing table so I am using the space as more of a functional area. I have my desk to sit and read, play on the computer, blog, write, or just look out the window. And I have an area to sew, craft and whatever. It is a small space but it gives me something I haven't had in a long time; a space to call my own.

I can actually organize my crafting things and my sewing things, so when the urge hits, I don't have to go out in the garage digging for this and that. It is all right here at my finger tips.

I am still unpacking my craft and sewing things and trying to organize them, but so far, I am liking what I am seeing.

I also bought some of those magazine organizers. You know the little plastic upright things like you see at the library that houses older editions of their magazines. Anyway, I bought six of them, but I grossly under estimated how many magazines I had...I will have to go back next week and get that many more and then some.
I keep subscriptions of certain magazines; Coastal Living (when we lived on the coast, and because I wish we still did, only not South Texas coast), Country Living (because that is the best place to live), Cottage Living (because I love cottage style), Cooking Light ( I have stacks of those, because I love all things food related, and God knows I need it light), Sunset (for the beautiful photos and I love the pacific northwest), Mother Earth News ( because it is the authority on homesteading), Victoria (back before they went out of business and now they've come back again), Everyday Food (again its about food, and has some great tips and photos), Southern Living (because it is all things Southern), Hobby Farm, and Hobby Farm Home (they are the best), Writer's Digest (because it is every wannabe writers bible), Real Simple (who doesn't want to simplify).

There may be more I have forgotten about, and haven't unpacked yet. These have mostly been stored for some time now. These are only part of what I had, when we moved from Arkansas, I threw away several boxes of magazines just to appease Andrew. He has gripped for years about moving those boxes of magazines around everywhere. So I lighten the load somewhat. But these I have now, I won't budge on them. In fact, this week I have been going through and rereading my Cottage Living and Country Living, looking for decorating ideas. These I plan to keep.

I did get good news this week. I got a good report from the doctor's office. I am so very thankful for that. God answers prayer!

In other news, Sunday is Mothers Day. I am thankful that I still have my mother with me. Even though she is 900+ miles away. We talk on the phone daily, sometimes more than once. I am also very thankful to be a mother. My children have brought so much joy into my life. I can't imagine what my life would have been without them. I thank God for them everyday! I do miss Lauren so very much. I talk to her daily, multiple times a day, but it isn't the same as her being here. I miss seeing her. She wrote a very nice blog about me on her photo blog site.

I feel like there is so much that I didn't give to her, so much yet to teach her and show her. They grow up to fast. Before you know it they are grown and on their own. I just hope I taught her the important things. I hope that although I never taught her how to roast a turkey or how to make Maw maw's homemade dumplings, I hope that she knows that I love her. I hope that I gave her truth and showed her how a Godly woman was suppose to live. I know I failed in many ways. The first born is always the guinea pig, they are the one we have to practice on. By the time the second and third one comes along, you have learned from the earlier mistakes. Hopefully you have worked the kinks out and gotten your life on a straighter path. But the first born has to go through the rough times, the lean times, and learns at an early age that Mom and Dad don't know everything, that sometimes they are just winging it and hoping for the best.

I know that Lauren has gotten me through so many times, if it hadn't been for her, I don't know what I would have done. She gave me a reason to keep going, to keep trying. Having her when I did, gave me a drive to get back up when I fell and not give up when things didn't work out the way I had hoped. She was my "angel girl", still is...I am very proud of her. She has become a beautiful young lady, and I know that she will succeed at whatever she puts her mind to do...

I made yogurt!

I made yogurt yesterday! I used the yogurt makers on a batch of goat milk yogurt. I just placed them in the fridge to chill, so I can't wait to try it!

Thursday the kids and I went 25 miles or so north of us to a U-Pick Strawberry patch to pick some delicious strawberries! We had a great day. You won't see Lauren in any of the photos because she was the self appointed photographer. That kept her from actually having to pick strawberries! Noah is learning the fine art of strawberry pickin!

Here he is trying to decide whether he wants to pick or eat them!

Beautiful summer bounty

"I helped my mom pick strawberries...."

Lost in the strawberry patch

Here I am!

It started to drizzle rain, so we had to call it a day on the strawberry picking. Noah is taking an antibiotic for his sinus infection, so I figured we better keep from getting wet.

"Wow! Can I drive the tractor?"

After leaving the strawberry patch we drove a little further north to visit Ms Karen at Calm and Gentle Farm to get some fresh goat milk.

Noah was trying to catch the horse so he could ride, but the horse had other ideas!

Instead he decided to try to befriend the baby goats.

Farmer Noah on the prowl

How precious!

After getting our milk we said good bye to Ms Karen and the goats and headed home to enjoy the strawberries. Here are a few that made it home!


Megan about to enjoy the sweet, fresh fruits of her labor!

We had a great day and are now enjoying the strawberries and milk. I used the milk to make my first batch of homemade yogurt. I can't wait to taste it topped with the fresh strawberries...

Yummy, summer is such a delicious time of year!