« September 2015 | Main | November 2015 »
So, you go to bed at 2:30AM. At 3:30AM, you decide sleep is just not coming. You get up and head back out to the computer. And what do you do? You make a freebie for your faithful friends.
Here's what I made:
Here's the link:
This will print out at 300dpi at 8" x 10". I'm gonna frame mine and hang it in the new coffee station I just created. Let me know in the comments what you plan to do with yours!
Posted at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
I'm gonna be looking for valium, lots of valium. Possibly Punkin will have died from excessive heart failure. Parker should have lost a pound or two from so many minutes of jumping around in excitement over the ringing doorbell.
Yet, here I sit with blackout curtains and drapes drawn and all lights turned out. The only light in the place are a few candles, the computer screen, and the "nightlight" on the oven hood. And they ring the doorbell and they ring the doorbell, and they use the doorknocker.
I finally went to check it out, only to discover it's the darned motion light! I guess the little tykes don't have a clue about motion lights. A light is a light, as far as they are concerned. Ugh! I think my blood pressure is going up again................
Posted at 07:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
I really do not like Halloween. I don't even understand Halloween. I particularly do not understand Halloween these days. I don't think you can find many kids walking the face of the earth in the US who view candy as a rare treat. I'd wager, most kids get more candy than they should have without Halloween. Just look at the statistics on average sugar consumption in the US!
I grew up in a small retirement village. The town's population was around 3000 souls. I'd guess there were no more than 250 people in that number who were NOT retirement age. Many of those retired were on limited incomes. They did not enjoy the thought of children, much less the thought of children banging on their door, asking for something.
My parents absolutely did not believe in Halloween. As far as they were concerned, Halloween was just "evil" in disguise. They did succumb to my pleading maybe 3 times and allowed me to participate. I never had a costume for Halloween. Instead, I had costumes for school plays and I wore those the very few times I was allowed to trick or treat. One year I was a pilgrim; another year I was a bunny. I can't actually remember anything else. Maybe there were only those two times........
So, tonight is Halloween. And kids will come banging on my door and ringing my doorbell. And I will be sitting here with the windows covered and lights turned off, doing my absolute best to make it look like I'm not home.
First, being here alone with the dogs makes the very idea of passing out candy nearly impossible. Both dogs crowd the door. The few times Parker has managed to slip past me, he's run away. They are jumping around and excited when the bell rings. Parker is beside himself with joy, a dancing elephant, because he has another human who might pet him. Punkin is not happy. In general, she isn't too fond of humans; mostly she's afraid of them. She's 10 years old now, and, as far as I know, I'm the only living human she kind of likes. Answering the door with these two is pure crazy. Most of the time I consider myself fortunate to GET TO the door without falling over Parker.
Secondly, buying candy for kids who probably get way more candy per year than I ever did or ever will is just not in my budget. Just a couple of months before Joe died, he negotiated a loan modification on the mortgage that brought the monthly payment down. Well, guess what? That was a 5 year loan modification and the 5 years just ended. This month's payment is $264.50 higher than last month's payment. Unless God intervenes, I will almost certainly be dipping into my meager savings to buy food and keep the power on.
So, my day to hide.
I had a wretched night last night. I stayed up late to be available to rescue a loaf of bread from the bread machine at the moment it was done. This was my 5th loaf. It came out just great. If you remember, my 2nd loaf "fell" in the middle. I have about concluded that was caused by allowing it to sit in the machine after it was finished baking. So, having realized that my last little bit of bread had mold on it, I stayed up til 2:15 waiting for the machine to beep. Then, of course, you can't have fresh baked bread (which you've been smelling for an hour or more) without having a slice to eat. But, you're supposed to wait 15 minutes so it can cool some before you cut into it. So, at 2:30 I ate a slice of fresh-baked bread and went to bed. At 3:30AM I got up and I was up til 5:30AM. Finally I got to sleep, only to be awakened by a telemarketer at 9:30. I'm sure I don't need to tell you I am only minutes away from a nap!
Today is vacuuming day. Normally that would mean running the vacuum through the whole house, though somewhat less carefully than what I do on Tuesdays. However, I made up my mind this past Tuesday that today HAD to be one of those days I clean edges and such.
Considering I baked bread at 11PM last night, the kitchen isn't too bad off. Slowly, I'm getting back in the habit of putting things away in their proper place as I use them. This is TOTALLY against that unfocused part of my nature that seems to dominate. So, it's hard work, but I'm getting better at it. So, I shouldn't have to spend much time on kitchen clean up. Instead I can go back to using Liquid Gold on the drawer fronts and cupboard doors. I have 7 drawers, 4 cupboard doors, and the door to the pantry to go.
The desk is a sight. I just need to do some sorting and filing. Oh, and pay some bills. My pittance from Social Security came in and I want to pay the MUST PAY bills, like mortgage, utilities, and car insurance, so I know what I may have left to carry me from now til November 25. Also need to reconcile the balance in my budget program to the bank. That's always fun--NOT!
My extra project for the day will be more shredding. I really don't dare go on with file drawer cleaning til I whack this pile of shredding down. If I add to it, it will topple over. Or, maybe I could just (shudder) start a 2nd pile.
I want to spend a few minutes in the garage. Monday, the first of my big plastic bins arrive. (Ordering from Amazon Warehouse substantially increases shipping time, but the savings are nice.) I KNOW there are still a few things sitting around that I can reach that can go straight into the trash can. So, I'll work on some more of that.
I spent a LOT of time yesterday on design. I have two kits underway right now. I am enjoying working on both of them. So that is what I'll be doing when I'm not working around the house.
Alrighty, naptime has arrived. Oh, by the way, if you've ever wondered what a person does when they can't sleep in the early hours of the morning, check back later. I'll have a freebie printable for you.
YOU be BLESSED today!
Posted at 02:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
I had a "Tiny Tears" doll when I was a kid. If you fed her a bottle of water, she cried "real tears". Well, you don't have to feed me a bottle of water. This time of year, I cry, bottled water or not. Allergies are insane for me today. I've sneezed, I've blown my nose, and my eyes are streaming small rivers down to my chin. Ugh!
A thought occurred to me the other day. Yes, really, I had a thought, LOL. I was thinking about family relationships. For example, my own family. My father had a mean mouth. He could stop a sailor in his tracks without a single swear word. If you had a fault or failure, far be it from him to miss the opportunity to nastily belittle you on account of it. He was also overbearing, authoritarian, and controlling. In contrast, my mother was Little Miss Mamby Pamby. She put up with his crap, whether he dished on her or on me. How she put up with it, I have no idea. I'd have dosed him with some kind of strong drug and then held a pillow over his nose and particularly over that mouth! While she was dependent and submissive (not in a good sort of way, in my opinion), she was also manipulative. Guilt has always been a favorite tool of hers to gain what she wanted.
Genetically, I am the spittin' image of my father. I have my dad's eyes, my dad's nose, my dad's teeth, my dad's fingers, etc. And, as he was SUCH a dominant force in the household, I have had to work hard to weed destructive talk from my life. I was always, of course, more destructive to myself than to others as I'd been taught that's what I deserved.
My mother and I do not get along. We are like oil and water. Actually, that's not quite right. As long as we are 3000 miles apart things go pretty well. It's when we are up close and personal that she unloads on me. Of course, according to her, it's always said "in love". She points out what she considers my "faults" as a Christian. I've nicknamed her Holy Spirit Junior. For some reason she thinks that God himself is incapable of dealing with me about my faults and He needs her assistance. When she makes ridiculous judgments about who I am, what my values are, she claims it's because she doesn't know me because we live far apart. Yet, I call to check on her faithfully at least once a week and we talk for an hour or more.....How could she not know me?
Not long after I got out in the big wide wonderful world on my own, I took a job at a University in the Psychology Department. There was a clinician there for whom I had the ultimate respect and, as far as I know, everyone around me concurred in that. I was devastated when he told me, kindly but without minced words, that I was manipulative. He proceeded to give me instances he'd observed wherein I had resorted to "manipulation". When I got done crying, I made up my mind that would stop immediately. And, I took steps to change.
Now, there are many things I don't say. Joe used to marvel at how I kept quiet in certain situations. I'm getting pretty good at this, though I'm not infallible. I am analytical by nature. I want to take what is said or done to me and analyze it. Is it true? Is it a fair assessment? If so, how can I change it? If it's not true and/or not fair, what special circumstances might have existed when it was blurted out? WHO is the true source of what's been said?
If I finally decide to discuss something, it will come out straight. You can hate me or you can love me, but it won't be because I reserve the right to pass judgment on you behind your back to anyone/everyone who will listen. If I have to say it, never fear: I won't go running around behind your back saying things I wouldn't say to your face. I try to govern my life by that scripture that says "Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks". Once I learned that scripture, I was even more torn up over the things my father had said to me over the years--was that really what he thought of me??? Oh, my Lord help me. And then there are the things my mother has said to me..........She has accused me, "in love", of being capable of doing unthinkable things. Things so against my nature, so unlike who I am that I can only think of one source for those ideas. If she doesn't know me, as she claims when I tell her she has said something completely untrue, where in the world do these words come from? If you don't know me, where do you get off, passing judgment on me? But, I have to forgive. The only way I can do that is to consider the true source of what's said, old Slewfoot himself.
It's satan's job to destroy everything he can. Of course, as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit, indeed all of heaven, to give us victory over his attacks. But, if satan can destroy a family, he will. Strife is a favorite tool of his. I refuse to be in strife with folks. No matter what they say or do, I am to forgive. Sometimes it takes me a long time to get it done, and it's a hard fought battle, but I work hard at it.
I've learned one thing. Folks say God sends things our way to "test" us. Here's what I've learned: It is not the circumstance that is the test. It is our reaction to the circumstance. THAT is the test.
Posted at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
I found this article and it describes me to a tee. Actually 21 of 23 characteristics I know to be definitive of me. So, in case you're interested:
1. You find small talk incredibly cumbersome.
Introverts are notoriously small talk-phobic, as they find idle chatter to be a source of anxiety, or at least annoyance. For many quiet types, chitchat can feel disingenuous.
“Let's clear one thing up: Introverts do not hate small talk because we dislike people," Laurie Helgoe writes in "Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is Your Hidden Strength." "We hate small talk because we hate the barrier it creates between people.”
2. You go to parties -– but not to meet people.
If you're an introvert, you may sometimes enjoy going to parties, but chances are, you're not going because you're excited to meet new people. At a party, most introverts would rather spend time with people they already know and feel comfortable around. If you happen to meet a new person that you connect with, great -- but meeting people is rarely the goal.
3. You often feel alone in a crowd.
Ever feel like an outsider in the middle of social gatherings and group activities, even with people you know?
"If you tend to find yourself feeling alone in a crowd, you might be an introvert," says Dembling. "We might let friends or activities pick us, rather than extending our own invitations."
4. Networking makes you feel like a phony.
Networking (read: small-talk with the end goal of advancing your career) can feel particularly disingenuous for introverts, who crave authenticity in their interactions.
"Networking is stressful if we do it in the ways that are stressful to us," Dembling says, advising introverts to network in small, intimate groups rather than at large mixers.
5. You've been called "too intense."
Do you have a penchant for philosophical conversations and a love of thought-provoking books and movies? If so, you're a textbook introvert.
"Introverts like to jump into the deep end," says Dembling.
6. You're easily distracted.
While extroverts tend to get bored easily when they don't have enough to do, introverts have the opposite problem -- they get easily distracted and overwhelmed in environments with an excess of stimulation.
"Extroverts are commonly found to be more easily bored than introverts on monotonous tasks, probably because they require and thrive on high levels of stimulation," Clark University researchers wrote in a paper published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. "In contrast, introverts are more easily distracted than extroverts and, hence, prefer relatively unstimulating environments."
7. Downtime doesn’t feel unproductive to you.
One of the most fundamental characteristics of introverts is that they need time alone to recharge their batteries. Whereas an extrovert might get bored or antsy spending a day at home alone with tea and a stack of magazines, this sort of down time feels necessary and satisfying to an introvert.
8. Giving a talk in front of 500 people is less stressful than having to mingle with those people afterwards.
Introverts can be excellent leaders and public speakers -- and although they're stereotyped as being the shrinking violet, they don't necessarily shy away from the spotlight. Performers like Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera and Emma Watson allidentify as introverts, and an estimated 40 percent of CEOs have introverted personalities. Instead, an introvert might struggle more with meeting and greeting large groups of people on an individual basis.
9. When you get on the subway, you sit at the end of the bench -– not in the middle.
Whenever possible, introverts tend to avoid being surrounded by people on all sides.
"We're likely to sit in places where we can get away when we're ready to -- easily," says Dembling. "When I go to the theater, I want the aisle seat or the back seat."
10. You start to shut down after you’ve been active for too long.
Do you start to get tired and unresponsive after you've been out and about for too long? It's likely because you’re trying to conserve energy. Everything introverts do in the outside world causes them to expend energy, after which they'll need to go back and replenish their stores in a quiet environment, says Dembling. Short of a quiet place to go, many introverts will resort to zoning out.
11. You're in a relationship with an extrovert.
It's true that opposites attract, and introverts frequently gravitate towards outgoing extroverts who encourage them to have fun and not take themselves too seriously.
"Introverts are sometimes drawn to extroverts because they like being able to ride their 'fun bubble,'" Dembling says.
12. You'd rather be an expert at one thing than try to do everything.
The dominant brain pathways introverts use is one that allows you to focus and think about things for a while, so they’re geared toward intense study and developing expertise, according to Olsen Laney.
13. You actively avoid any shows that might involve audience participation.
Because really, is anything more terrifying?
14. You screen all your calls -- even from friends.
You may not pick up your phone even from people you like, but you’ll call them back as soon as you’re mentally prepared and have gathered the energy for the conversation.
"To me, a ringing phone is like having somebody jump out of a closet and go 'BOO!,'" says Dembling. "I do like having a long, nice phone call with a friend -- as long as it's not jumping out of the sky at me."
15. You notice details that others don't.
The upside of being overwhelmed by too much stimuli is that introverts often have a keen eye for detail, noticing things that may escape others around them. Research has found that introverts exhibit increased brain activity when processing visual information, as compared to extroverts.
16. You have a constantly running inner monologue.
“Extroverts don’t have the same internal talking as we do,” says Olsen Laney. “Most introverts need to think first and talk later."
17. You have low blood pressure.
A 2006 Japanese study found that introverts tend to have lower blood pressure than their extroverted counterparts.
18. You’ve been called an “old soul” -– since your 20s.
Introverts observe and take in a lot of information, and they think before they speak, leading them to appear wise to others.
"Introverts tend to think hard and be analytical," says Dembling. "That can make them seem wise."
19. You don't feel "high" from your surroundings
Neurochemically speaking, things like huge parties just aren’t your thing. Extroverts and introverts differ significantly in how their brains process experiences through "reward" centers.
Researchers demonstrated this phenomenon by giving Ritalin -- the ADHD drug that stimulates dopamine production in the brain -- to introverted and extroverted college students. They found that extroverts were more likely to associate the feeling of euphoria achieved by the rush of dopamine with the environment they were in. Introverts, by contrast, did not connect the feeling of reward to their surroundings. The study "suggests that introverts have a fundamental difference in how strongly they process rewards from their environment, with the brains of introverts weighing internal cues more strongly than external motivational and reward cues," explained LiveScience's Tia Ghose.
20. You look at the big picture.
When describing the way that introverts think, Jung explained that they're more interested in ideas and the big picture rather than facts and details. Of course, many introverts excel in detail-oriented tasks -- but they often have a mind for more abstract concepts as well.
"Introverts do really enjoy abstract discussion," says Dembling.
21. You’ve been told to “come out of your shell.”
Many introverted children come to believe that there's something "wrong" with them if they're naturally less outspoken and assertive than their peers. Introverted adults often say that as children, they were told to come out of their shells or participate more in class.
22. You’re a writer.
Introverts are often better at communicating in writing than in person, and many are drawn to the solitary, creative profession of writing. Most introverts -- like "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling -- say that they feel most creatively charged when they have time to be alone with their thoughts.
23. You alternate between phases of work and solitude, and periods of social activity.
Introverts can move around their introverted “set point” which determines how they need to balance solitude with social activity. But when they move too much -- possibly by over-exerting themselves with too much socializing and busyness -- they get stressed and need to come back to themselves, according Olsen Laney. This may manifest as going through periods of heightened social activity, and then balancing it out with a period of inwardness and solitude.
"There's a recovery point that seems to be correlated with how much interaction you've done," says Dembling. "We all have our own private cycles."
Here's the source for the above: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/20/introverts-signs-am-i-introverted_n_3721431.html
Posted at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
One of the first things I do in the mornings is blog. Today I was frustrated and mystified when I couldn't even sign in! I guess Typepad was having problems............
I am not having a great day so far. It started last night when my blood pressure soared. It's still way up there with the usual all-across-the-back-of-my-head headache. I took an extra half pill. And I fixed myself some breakfast. It seems lately that the pills I take in the evening don't go anywhere. They are gelatinous capsules, but they don't seem to melt down and move on out to where they need to go. I know these babies are available in a coated caplet and that is what I will request next time.
So, I did indeed clean all the hard floors yesterday. I started with the kitchen. Then I did the entryway. Next, the hall bathroom. I ended up walking through the entryway only to discover the dogs had already made a mess on that floor! It never ends, does it? I'd be lost without them, but sometimes.........
I did a LOT of shredding yesterday. Unfortunately, by the time I finished cleaning out the file cabinet drawer I've been working on, you would never have a clue as to how many times I filled the shredder bin, LOL. This paper that needs to be shred seems to multiply like rabbits. The last two years Joe lived, he worked a job that required daily written reports. I found a whole year's worth of those things, all with extra stuff stapled to them. Wow!
If you only look at the "working" side of the kitchen--the two walls with the fridge/stove/sink triangle--it looks pretty good. The table, however, is home to some clutter. It's stuff I just need to decide what to do with. For example, I was an utter dummy and bought a yogurt maker at a thrift store. I've always made my Greek yogurt in the crockpot. How was I supposed to know that all those little jars were supposed to have lids???? So, now I own this thing and I can't really use it. And, I hate to donate it without lids (though someone else obviously didn't have any qualms about that!). I think I will look at it to see if it can be used for any other purpose and, if not, get rid of it. In the alternative, if I can find a manufacturer and model number, I can go online and see if I can order just lids...... It's little mysteries like this that clutter my kitchen table right now.
I DID file a few papers and sort some stuff here on the desk. Not too proud of my accomplishments with that though.........
I did a good bit of design work yesterday. I have learned by now that when you've got the mojo, it's time to design like a maniac. So, that's what I did. I still have mojo today, so the designing continues. I kinda want to give the new Keurig credit for the return of my mojo, but that's probably overstating the case, LOL. Particularly in that I have to limit how much coffee I can drink because of my blood pressure.
Anyway, I gotta git. YOU be BLESSED today.
Posted at 07:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
I stumbled out of bed and made my way to the restroom as most of us do first thing in the morning. And, I kid you not, the first conscious thought I remember had to do with the fact that if I could just make it to the kitchen, I could have a cup of GOOD coffee in UNDER 2 MINUTES. So very grateful for my new, bought at a super bargain price, mini Keurig. I tell ya, the thing sets the tone for the whole day!
I dreamed again about my ex-husband, the gorgeous Italian guy. The one nicknamed "The Italian Stallion". So, I prayed for him again. I guess forgiveness is complete........
So, yesterday I did pretty well around here. I lugged lots of trash to the curb. I worked in the kitchen. I paid some bills and did some filing and I worked on that huge pile of shredding.
As to the shredding, the owners manual says the thing will handle staples. I can't bring myself to just feed papers with staples through. I am hoping NOT feeding staples into the shredder will extend its life. Sadly, pulling staples eats time, but I'm hoping it will be worth it. I definitely did not feel I got my money's worth out of the brand name shredder this one replaced. So, when I bought this one, I put one of those "insurance" things on it. Still, I'm going to be careful using it........ That's just being a good steward of what God's given me.
I did a good bit of design work yesterday and will be doing the same today. Having fun, so far, with this one!
According to my housekeeping schedule (the one some dummy (me) designed), I am supposed to clean bathrooms today. What was I thinking? In a house where dog hair abounds, who in their right mind would schedule that the day after vacuuming? Well, apparently I would! Change of plans: I'll be cleaning the hard floors today. It only makes sense to wash those floors the day after they've been vacuumed, right? Otherwise, there'll be stray dog hair everywhere by tomorrow. And who wants to deal with that?
So, I did something last night that gives me joy. Can I share with you? I set up my very own coffee station. It's not showy and beautiful like some folks have. But it is highly functional and organized and I love it.
I have this dumb little bit of counter to the right of my sink. It's just basically as wide as a dishwasher. I've always thought "what a waste" when I looked around my tiny kitchen and saw this little spot. Until last night, this space housed a mug tree, my blender and whatever stray things I mindlessly dropped there. Certainly not very functional. Last night I moved my new Keurig into place in this little area. I lined the corner wall with my collection of flavored syrups. The mug tree is still there. Then I moved my k-cup carousel in there. And, finally, a pretty pink depression glass sugar bowl, with a supply of sweet'n'low. I laid down a folded paper towel and laid my coffee spoon on it. I do NOT use Vegas tap water for my coffee. Instead, I fill a Rubbermaid container with bottled water. So, that container is now sitting there, next to the Keurig, all ready to go. It holds enough water for at least a day's worth of coffee. (If I were being fancy, I could dig out my crystal pitcher for the water, but I don't really need fancy and it would look kinda weird in that little kitchen.) Everything I need all in one place. The one exception is cream, which is in the fridge. I use half n half and I wouldn't want to let that sit out, even if I do have a pretty, matching, pink depression glass creamer.
So, that led to me doing something I know I haven't done for 2.5 years, and maybe almost 5 years. I took pictures of something--my coffee station. As soon as I can figure out how to upload them (amazing the things that get purged automatically from my memory bank), I'll show you. As you can see, I'm actually pretty proud of that coffee station and I've used it this morning and it functions well.
So, what did you improve around your house yesterday? Got plans for doing something above and beyond your run-of-the-mill housekeeping today?
I'm off to make my space a better place. YOU be BLESSED today.
Posted at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
My new replacement mini Keurig that I got for a super bargain price has arrived. That means I got 2-business-day free shipping. Can you hear the angels singing from where you are? I am actually sipping on a good cup of coffee that didn't take me 10-15 minutes to make!
Posted at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
There have been three men who have come alongside me as friends and have given me so much more than I'm sure they realize. I dreamed about one of them last night. Long ago, I promised God that if I dreamed about someone I recognized, and remembered them when I woke up, I would pray for them. So one of the three has been well prayed for today.
I actually spent a good 2 hours in prayer last night--lying in bed, trying to go to sleep and finding myself wide awake. I pray daily for the peace of Jerusalem, and I throw in the entire state of Israel for good measure. I pray daily for the leadership of this country and, occasionally, I throw in the leaders of other countries for good measure. Last night, I felt I should pray for wisdom for the leaders of the European countries who are facing the overwhelming influx of "refugees" from the middle east. (I actually read a story yesterday about a German village of 60 people who are expected to take in and care for 1500 refugees. Think about that.......... How in the world are 60 people going to do that? Housing? Food? Clothing? Jobs? Law and Order? Seems humanly impossible to me.) And it goes from there...........as folks come to mind, they get prayed for.
So, let's talk about these men. The first was actually a trainee of mine, many moons ago. Subsequently I became his manager. I will take some well-earned credit for being the person who got him promoted above journeyman grade when most of the other managers in the place had a poor opinion of him. Not that they had any actual experience with the man.........they made up their minds without bothering with that. Anyway, I think this guy was the daddy I never had. And while I take pride in thinking that I was able to teach him a lot and help him along in his career, I have to say the man taught me far more important stuff than I was ever able to teach him. He taught me about marriage.
I may have seen examples of good marriages along the way. If so, perhaps they just didn't let me get close enough to actually observe. But, I worked closely with this guy for over 6 years, and he dropped the curtain for me and let me peer into his marriage. At the time I first met him, he had been married about 30 years. He actually LIKED his wife. I don't ever remember being conscious of that phenomenon in any other couple I've known. In 6 years, you can imagine that along the way, she did some things that irritated him, asked for some things that put him to the test. But, though I occasionally heard him express some frustration, I never heard him say a disparaging word about her. And he was full of admiration for her talents. And he wasn't shy about singing her praises. I could sit down today, decades later, and describe her for you, as seen through his eyes.
He actually derived pleasure in doing things for her! Wow! And, I'm telling you, she asked some tough stuff on occasion. When I first met them, they had a kitchen even tinier than the one in my current home. I don't think the woman had 4 cupboards with which to work. (These days I might compare her kitchen space to a good-sized coffee station.) And, yet, she was an over the top cook. Well, you can imagine how difficult it would be in a kitchen not much bigger than a closet to entertain, to turn out fabulous food for holiday meals, etc.
So they embarked on a kitchen remodel, doing the work themselves to manage the budget more effectively. He would come into work all bleary eyed on Mondays having spent the weekend bent over tiling the backsplash. Or, he'd be moving his arms really carefully because he'd been hanging drywall on the ceiling all weekend. But he LOVED that he could do this for her. And they were both SO proud when it was done, and, surely, it was pretty much every woman's dream kitchen when it was done. I'd take that kitchen any day of the week! Along the way during the remodel, she had her nose in everything. He loved that about her. Whatever the task of the day was, she wanted to learn everything she could about it. I'll bet, when they were done, she could have done someone else's kitchen remodel as General Contractor, LOL.
I remember that many days he went home for lunch. Most of us bagged a lunch or we went out to lunch just to get away from the stress of the job. His escape was to go home to be with her. He actually enjoyed her company that much! Wow. I'd never seen anything like it. He could easily have buddied up with us on one of our lunch excursions, but, no, he went home to spend a little extra time with her.
He admired her. He recognized her skills and was amazed by the things she would tackle. For a while she had worked making those big curtains that get used in Las Vegas showrooms. She could sew anything and make it look fabulous. Of course, she made all their draperies at home--pleated, no pleater tape! One day he came in to work, the proud owner of a matching sofa and love seat. He went home for lunch and found her in the midst of converting the sofa to a love seat. She sawed the sofa into pieces, put the pieces back together, all properly braced, and reupholstered two love seats! He was beside himself when he got home and found the sofa in pieces, but, man was he proud when she finished the upholstery job on those two loveseats! He told that story over and over and you could just see the amazement, the love, and the admiration every time he told it.
And, best of all, I think he felt some of the same things for me that he felt for her. He was one of the most loyal employees I ever had. And, he worked hard. A hard worker in a government job is not easy to find.......... So, God blessed me with a daddy who loved and approved of me. What an addition that man made to my life.
God also gave me two big brothers. I never had a sibling. I was an only child. But, in my adult years, I got two very special gifts from God. We'll talk about them another time.
Today is vacuuming day. And I really need to vacuum. The dog hair is building up, LOL. Funny, I can see little clumps of dog hair on the floor in the kitchen again (even though the hairy one rarely goes in there) but I brushed both of them last night and got very few hairs in the brush. Maybe that means now that the hot weather has passed, the shedding will slow down? I hope so!
The kitchen is looking reasonably good, given what I have to work with. I have been wanting, for weeks, to go over the cabinet doors with some Liquid Gold, to make them cleaner, shinier, etc. This may well be the day for that.
I paid some bills last night and I still have some to pay. I took care of some past due bills for utilities last night, so today I plan on working on medical bills that I'm trying to get paid off. I also got a huge bag of shredded paper dragged to the curb. And then I initiated a new bag. I filed some more stuff that is sitting on the desk top. I'll be continuing with filing, sorting, and shredding today. And, if I can get off my butt and get moving, I'll drag a bit more trash to the curb before the trash guys show up.
I'm getting a really late start today. I didn't get to sleep til after 5AM........ Like I said, I laid awake for 2 hours, praying. When I exhausted my prayer list, I came out here and did a bit more computer-type work, finally going to bed around 5 and actually getting some sleep....... I have had a headache since I woke up, but it will fade soon and I can tackle some of this stuff that needs done. In the meantime, I have plenty of work to do on this computer.
What are you doing today? No matter what it is, YOU be BLESSED today.
Posted at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
I have actually experienced two (count 'em, 1-2) cups of good coffee in the last 24 hours. Glory be! For me, with coffee, it is all about the destination. I care nothing for the journey and I want the journey over as quickly as possible. I broke out one of the two French press coffee makers (Joe's little one and my big one) I own and reviewed the "expert" instructions on line. Last night I didn't do too well, as I didn't get the water hot enough before pouring it over the coffee grounds. I fixed that by dumping the whole hot mess into a microwaveable cup and heating it all up for about 45 seconds. This morning, I got it right. And the world is a better place, believe you me! THIS cup of coffee was strong enough to start my heart and wasn't highly acidic and bitter. It's a victory, I tell ya'!
What I don't like about it is the time required. And the mess I invariably make with it all. First you have to heat the water. You want it hot, but not quite boiling. I used bottled water because Vegas water is heavily chlorinated. (You can smell the chlorine when you lift a glass of the stuff to your nose!) I am using 1 heaping tablespoon of grounds for each "cup" of water. And. of course, you have to grind the beans. (And there's that whole debate over grinding and burr cutting the beans. Priced one of those burr thingies lately? Oy vey!) Of course, a "cup" on coffee makers is usually 6 oz, so, not really a cup as we know it. I don't know about your "cups", but my "cups" are BIG--capable of holding up to 16 oz, LOL. Once the water is hot, you pour it over the grounds in the French Press. Then you stir the grounds and water together briefly. Then you put the lid on the French Press and wait 3-4 minutes. Finally, the reward for all that is GOOD coffee. You have to be sure you don't become sidetracked while waiting for the coffee to "brew" or you end up with warm coffee instead of hot coffee. I set a timer..........
However, to get a cup of GOOD coffee, takes about 10 minutes. When you're a zombie at wake up time, like I am, 10 minutes is a long time to wait. I did a little kitchen straightening while I waited, but I wasn't really in shape to handle sharp or breakable objects! And, of course, I spilled coffee grounds on the counter tops while trying to get them into the French Press.
I have chafed at the cost of coffee pods for the Keurig. But in that I seem to be incapable of finding joy in the journey to a decent cup of coffee in the French Press, I am still glad I found a great deal on a mini Keurig and have one on the way to my house now!
Here's a link to a fun article I found on the net about coffee. Seems we coffee drinkers have got it right after all. Who knew?
Yesterday, I worked a bit in the kitchen. I paid some bills, and worked some more on that file cabinet drawer I've been targeting. I set out to do some shredding only to figure out that two of the three bulbs in the light fixture that lights that side of the office were burnt out. That set me on 1) a quest to find light bulbs, and 2) a quest to figure out how to reach the light fixture. I ended up putting a step stool on the treadmill. It felt a bit precarious but I made it work. I managed to replace 1 bulb. Haven't found another bulb yet............ And I did a good bit of design and computer oriented stuff.
Today I'm working towards the same goals with some dusting thrown in. Hopefully, my dusting will go easier and faster since I replaced that filter in my HVAC system.
Alrighty. I am off to see how much I can change in my world today. I hope you have a fabulous day. YOU be BLESSED!
Posted at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
