A LONG Day

Outside my window... The blinds are closed, but today I saw a four-legged creature sitting in the middle of one of my garden plots eating the chard. I’d been wondering about the culprit; I didn’t think it was caterpillars because there was no evidence of any hiding among the leaves. And then the carrot tops were eaten nearly to nubs. That destruction happened so quickly, I felt sure it wasn’t insects. When I raised my voice the critter waddled off into the shrubbery before I could identify it. Its coat was roughly the same gray-brown as an Eastern cottontail’s, but the creature was larger, moved differently, and seemed less skittish than rabbits ordinarily are. So, I only know that caterpillars don’t deserve the blame.

I am thinking... that it has been a L-O-N-G day—it felt like three days rather than one. I woke just before 3 am after a mere 2.5 hours of sleep. Despite the insane hour, I truly was awake. I emptied the fridge of leftover ingredients and ran the dishwasher, watered the seeds I recently planted in the garden, and breakfasted on two fresh homemade blueberry muffins and some tea before doing errands. I did crash for a 3-hour nap afterwards but, whew… man. A 24-hour day that’s somehow been 72 hours long.

I am thankful... that I have loving parents who bless me. I appreciate their financial help without which I’d already have had to default on my mortgage loan due to this lengthy period of unemployment.

In the kitchen... For lunch (and dinner) I made Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta al Forno to use up the mozzarella cheese I had on hand. It wasn’t amazing, but it was filling and substantial food which was satisfying enough.

I am wearing... the same pajamas I had on last night, but I DID get dressed today—khaki Dockers and a yellow, tan, and khaki print knit shirt. I even put on gold earrings. So there. I do own real clothes. ;-)

I am creating... an enjoyable Saturday evening. I purposely set aside other pursuits in order to have time to read.

I am going... Actually, I already went. I headed to the library, the pharmacy, my parents’ house, and the bank. I also stopped by the Dollar Tree just to browse. I only bought black ink pens which I need for the substitute teaching paperwork and some gift wrap for my dad’s upcoming birthday. $2.12—not bad. If I actually sleep (or if I at least rest tonight so that I’m not utterly wrecked), I’d like to get to church tomorrow morning. More errands coming up on Monday.

I am wondering... what I can come up with to celebrate my dad’s birthday.

I am reading... Carved in Bone. This time, the library did have it in stock just as the catalog promised. So far, I like it better than Jeffrey Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme series though both deal with forensics. Bass’s writing flows. The story is set in and around Knoxville, Tennessee, and the main character, a professor, uses words such as “reckon” in addition to more scholarly vocabulary. I declare, he makes me feel right at home with those Southern phrases!

I am hoping... to sleep tonight—an oft repeated wish.

I am looking forward to... reading more of my book. My preference is to read an entire book in a single sitting, but it’s really not practical; my muscles stiffen, my eyes tire, I stay up too late, and important tasks are left unfinished. I really am trying to show some restraint—really.

I am hearing... blessed quiet—only the a/c at work and the ticking of a clock. I live near a speedway, but thankfully they’ve wrapped up a bit earlier than sometimes. There is a noise ordinance in place so the races are supposed to cease at 11pm. However, in the past, they have not been good neighbors, always pushing up to and past the deadline. The events last for hours so by the end of a race day, I am usually ready to pull some hair out—preferably theirs! Not really, but it does get wearying. I am appreciative of the greater respect that they seem to be showing this season.

Around the house... I haven’t emptied or reloaded the dishwasher or done any laundry today. I ran out of steam and opted to rest—my nap wasn’t enough to energize me. A break is well and fine, but I need to stay on top of things so that work doesn’t pile up and overwhelm me.

I am pondering... who might be calling me at nearly midnight. A wrong number? I elected not to answer since it didn’t seem to be someone I know.

One of my favorite things... toddlers and preschoolers. An out-of-state friend posted pictures on Facebook of her three-year-old daughter performing a song with her VBS class on stage at their church. Funny and sweet but it makes me miss that precious girl!

A few plans for the rest of the week: fingerprints, TB test, and I really need to get my hair trimmed. I can’t recall when I last had it cut, but the ends are splitting and it needs to be neatened up. I usually go to Fantastic Sam’s or some other inexpensive walk-in place—it’s just a trim, not rocket science. But I always put it off because I hate waiting and twiddling my thumbs in the salon. It’s got to be done though so I need to just get it over with. School has resumed in our area, so maybe the wait will be short…

Butternut Squash Blossom in My Garden

This journal entry is part of The Simple Woman's Daybook project.

House Showing

Relatives came to visit us from several states for a short time. They stayed with my parents but came to see my house. Thanks to several days of work and help from my mom, I managed to get some boxes unpacked, the clutter confined to my "office," and most of the house decorated. Here are a few pictures of the living room and dining room. Pardon the poor lighting.

Corner of Living Room

The front door opens in front of the coffee table.

Dining Room

A Full Rich Day

I love the M*A*S*H TV series, and watch the DVDs far more often than any sane person should/would. This post title is taken from one episode of the series.

But, it has indeed been a full, rich day for me. (Or rather yesterday was-- I can't sleep and am taking advantage of my insomnia to write this, but I can't keep my tenses straight, so bear with me.)

I got to church this morning, which was great. Moved to tears by the very first worship song-- a fast-paced old hymn. I can't even say why, but it really got to me (in a good way). First message from the new senior pastor too. I'm looking forward to having him; apparently he'll start officially at the beginning of June (after leaving the church where he presently ministers and moving his family up to Kentucky). Yay! The long search and wait is over.

A good friend shared some personal information with me privately on Facebook; I was glad she opened up and honored to have been trusted.

My brother and sister-in-law are moving to a new apartment. Their new duplex neighbors are people they go to church with, and they won't have to commute any more. So awesome.

I did lots of cooking and baking as well: granola, crustless pumpkin pie, and a pseudo-Thanksgiving meal of turkey meatloaf, scallion mashed potatoes, and green beans. I had so much fun playing in the kitchen. I was singing at the top of my lungs and doing my private "funky chicken" and booty-shaking dances between chopping and measuring and stirring. It was gray & raining outside, so it was the perfect way to spend a drippy day: celebrating life, life, life-- and that more abundant! The giving thanks of my pseudo-Thanksgiving was real. ;-)


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On the Way Home

It's EARLY in the morning, but I'm awake. My aunt and uncle are sleeping in one bedroom. My dad is snoring on the couch hide-a-bed with Mom in the living area. I'm propped against my bed's headboard waiting until a decent hour for breakfast so I don't interrupt the sleep of others.

Yesterday, I skipped out on the waterway taxi because I was pooped. I napped and showered while everyone else was out. I did get to socialize with my aunt and uncle over dinner and afterwards in our suite. Plus, some of us took a final walk on the beach with the full moon shining down on the water. Lovely. I was marveling again at how awesome the Bahamaian sand was, and my dad came up with a good description-- he said that sand is like powdered sugar and regular beach sand is granular like ordinary sugar.

I'm mostly packed up except for a few items I will use this morning. Today we fly back to Kentucky. I'm eager to see my garden and harvest some radishes. Hope all is doing well-- I know we've had some wild weather during my absence.

It will finally be time to plant the seeds that need frost-free weather. I'm going to try to get it done quickly since thunderstorms are predicted in the coming days.

I will miss the ocean, but it's been a good trip, and I'm also looking forward to the comforts of home.

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Location:SE 12th St,Pompano Beach,United States

The Bahamas

We were only on the island for about 3 hours-- as our taxi driver Denyse said, "It's a teaser." Still, it gave us the opportunity to see how beautiful their beaches are-- turquoise water and the softest, whitest sand I've ever felt or seen-- amazing! Even Hawaii didn't have sand like that!

The people are sweet, and the women are strong in heart. The shopping was too touristy for my taste, but I'd love to stay a week on one of the islands. It was interesting to consider how the people make a living given their circumstances and how many goods must be imported. Expensive!

Dinner on the boat was good, and the moon shining on the water and the blowing wind were gorgeous, but we were ready to get home and unwind. We watched a movie in one of the lounges while music from the dance floor below throbbed and vibrated around us. We went through customs at 12:50am-- one heck of a long day!

My aunt and uncle are coming to visit today and want to take the water taxis through the intercoastal waterways of the area, but I don't know that I've got the umph to join them. I've had only 6 hours of sleep for two nights in a row. My big ambition for today is to shower and clean up. I last saw my relatives a few years ago at a family reunion. I'd like to spend some time with them, but I'm also headachy.

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Location:SE 12th St,Pompano Beach,United States

On Board

We're on our way to Freeport in the Bahamas. It's a day trip cruise. I woke at 6:45, threw on clothes, and we drove to Port Everglades. We had to go through a passport check etc. then boarded our ship. They fed us a breakfast buffet, then got underway. We'll spend a portion of the day on the island, then reboard our ship and embark for Florida. They'll serve us dinner on the return trip.

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Lifelong Friends

On Sunday, my parents and I headed to a local flea market to meet their friends-- a couple they hadn't seen in more than thirty-five years; I don't remember them since I was only a few years old the last time. However, I enjoyed their company-- they were kind-hearted and zany and fun. I've heard about them all my life since she and my mom were friends from the time they were four years old; it was a pleasure to meet them at last.

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Location:SE 12th St,Pompano Beach,United States

Oceanside

On Saturday afternoon, my Mom and I left our hotel room for the beach and pool. We played at the water's edge a while. I like to bury my toes in the sand and let the waves break over my feet and legs. It was a breezy day, and the waves churned up a lot of sand, so after a time we pulled lounge chairs up to the wet sand and watched the waves instead. I do love the ocean.

The hotel has two pools, one of which was heated to the perfect temperature. Plus, most folks were headed to their rooms to get ready for dinner and such; we had the pool to ourselves with a live band in the background covering some oldies & love songs in reggae-style. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. ;-)

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Location:SE 12th St,Pompano Beach,United States

Vacation Begins!

I got up on time yesterday because I needed to get packed for a Fort Lauderdale vacation. My parents were going to pick me up at 1:15pm. We'd drive to the Lexington airport and take a nonstop flight. But I still needed to do a load of laundry before I could pack my clothes!

Well, I got the important things done with time to spare. I didn't leave my house in mint condition, but the dishes were washed and the trash put outside, so it was good enough.

I hate flying-- I'm not afraid (a bit nervous, but given all the air accidents in the past years, I think that's rational)-- but the takeoff and landing make my stomach woozy. Luckily, the plane wasn't full, and we were able to spread out a little-- it's still not much leg room though. I snoozed on the flight and felt better for it.

We weren't able to do much upon arrival except get our rental car, drive to our hotel, and eat dinner at a pizza place right across from the beach. We did venture onto the sand to look at the ocean after dinner-- it smelled briney and stretched out forever-- but it was already dark, and since they don't allow camping on the beach, it was time to get settled into our hotel suite for the night.

We were only staying at that hotel for one night-- it was a lovely suite: two bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, a kitchenette, a dining room, and a balcony. It would be easy to live in this home away from home just seven miles from the airport.

Today we're headed to Pompano where we'll have accomodations for the week. We can't check in until later in the day, so that will give us the opportunity to hang out in Fort Lauderdale for as long as we desire.

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Ready Radishes?

My radishes sprouted 20 days ago, so I was hoping a few would be mature enough to harvest now (but judging by the foliage, I doubted it). Still, I pulled one up this morning. A lovely scarlet root, but not a plump radish. Ah well, I knew I was being impatient. I did wash and eat it, and it tasted spicy. Another 10 days I reckon.

I have 17 carrot seedlings growing, and true feathery leaves are showing on some.

Yesterday's lawn mowing threw all sorts of clippings into the raised bed, which makes it a little difficult to see emerging sprouts. Hopefully those bits will wither and turn brown quickly so that I can see when my next crop of lettuce appears.

Definitely need to water today-- for the seeds' sakes mostly.

Today's going to be another busy day of chores and errands, even though I've started kind of late.

I need to shop for some summer clothing. I only have one pair of ginormous shorts and multiple way-too-tight capris that need purging from my wardrobe. I can't wear pants through Kentucky's sweltering summers unless I'm ensconced in a chilly air-conditioned office.

By the way, here's a photo my mom took of her birthday lava cakes.


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Busy Day

I've got someone coming to mow today, thanks to my Mom's arranging, so I need to prep the yard a bit. I have to rope off the area where the tulips are growing, trim the excess weed fabric from the remaining bed, and remove the netting for the moment-- I don't want him entangling himself or his equipment in the portion puddling over the sides of the bed. Plus, I may not be at home to give directions or warnings when he arrives. This will be the first mowing of the season, and the yard sorely needs it. There's a 30% chance of showers though, and it does look a little cloudy and dark. Hope it gets done.

I have an appointment with an optometrist. It's been 3 years since my last checkup. I need new glasses that aren't so fragile, and then I'll have the current ones for backup. I also need prescription sunglasses. I've never purchased any before because of the expense, but I think it will be a worthwhile investment in headache prevention.

It's also my Mom's birthday, and I am planning to bake Molten Lava Cakes and take them to her. I first made them earlier in the year (January maybe? Before I started this blog). They are wonderful and surprisingly easy to make. I have to find my recipe though; it's buried in an avalanche of papers in my knitting room. I can't even remember the source of the recipe that I finally tried-- I have several in my collection. If there are any leftover they can be frozen then nuked. I want to try that and see if the frozen ones are as good as fresh. The only thing they needed to be perfect was a little vanilla ice cream on the side! ;-)

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On Not Blogging

Wow, I can't believe my last post was on Friday. I'm feeling very nonverbal lately-- not unhappy, just contained. The little I want to say I have said on Facebook and haven't been interested in duplicating here.

On Sunday I actually went to church for probably the second time this year. Amazing-- everything just came together perfectly: sleep/health, will/motivation, timing/preparation. And, it was an encouraging service, because a "permanent pulpit supply" has finally been found-- the man chosen will preach the services until a new senior pastor can be found, but he is not "on staff" in any other sense. He does a fairly good job of the messages, although it's still a trifle slow and simple for my liking. However, I think his desire for the church's growth in this interim period is genuine, and that means a lot. I also think this is a better move than rotating oodles of people through the pulpit-- not all of whom were capable of taking a Sunday service despite effort.

Yesterday, I went to the sleep doctor. His advice was to reduce the sleep med dosage. I agree because after analyzing the log I'd been keeping, I found that I was doing too much sleeping in the day time of late-- there have been a number of reasons for the daytime sleepiness such as the daylight savings time change, allergies & antihistamines, headaches from sun exposure with gardening, TMD splint adjustments and the pain that follows until I adjust, and even the Midrin I've taken for migraines and headaches has a side effect of drowsiness. The bottom line is that if I sleep in the day, I won't sleep at night. So the theory is that by cutting back on the sleep med I won't have too much of the drug in my system to contribute to daytime sleeping. Plus, he worries about patients developing tolerance to the drugs which means upping the dosage. So, it's better if I am taking a smaller dosage to begin with.

As you can see by the timing of this post, however, I am currently awake in the middle of the night. I've had about 3.5 restless hours of sleep so far. But if I can get another 2.5 hours before morning, I'm sure I can make it through the day without napping.

Yesterday evening I went shopping and out to eat with my Mom and our Nashville family friends. I bought some needed items and enjoyed the good food (Panera Bread) and the good company.

Here's a photo of a tree in my front yard which I snapped before we left. (I still need to get some dogwood tree pics before the blossoms are gone; but today I have to do my long delayed taxes. Ugh.)


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Easter Sunday

Despite it being a special occasion, I didn't make it to church today-- only 5 hours of sleep and soooo tired. Dragging, in fact. It took me forever to get my shower and to make the simple ingredients for our Cherry Trifle: yogurt sauce and sugar-glazed walnuts. Mom made the angel food cake, so I only had to cube it and assemble the trifle when I arrived at my parents' house.

Dad grilled steaks and potatoes for us, and Mom roasted the broccoli. She also prepared strawberries with dessert toppings: sour cream & brown sugar plus a chocolate sauce with a hint of orange and vanilla.

As always, we had a great time talking, laughing, and catching up with each other. My brother and sister-in-law are both quick-witted and tend to keep the three of us entertained with their humor and sense of the outrageous. Invariably, one of them says something funny just as my Mom or I take a sip of a beverage-- with predictable results!

It was a good day.

Toward the end of our gathering, I slipped away to take some more spring photos of plants in and around my parents' yard.

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Animal-Proofing

Yesterday I did some errands then selected a book to read while eating my lunch; the next thing I knew, it was dinner time! (It was a nonfiction health book, not particularly suspenseful; sometimes I overfocus.)

I took a lovely dusk walk to stretch out the kinks. Someone was barbecuing, and the smell of the sauce was torturously wonderful. Maybe my mom will make some BBQ chicken for us soon. (I can make it, but I think it tastes better when she does it.)

Anyway, my gardening time was a short period just before sunset. All I had the opportunity to do was to cut and secure some bird netting over each bed with the corner stakes assisting; however, I don't think it's going to be effective at animal-proofing. In fact, I may have given the cats a comfy hammock to curl up in.

I woke this morning at 4:30am, scheming about other possibilities: What if I...? Maybe I could try...? Would it work if...? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of using...? Since my brain was definitely awake, I got out of bed shortly after 5am.

It's going to be a rainy day, so I can scheme to my heart's content, but in all likelihood I won't be able to try out any plans today. That's okay though. I need to wash dishes. ;-)

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Tea with Mom

Yesterday Mom and I headed to Frankfort to have tea at the Candleberry Tea Room. They have a gift shop with lots of girly items-- china, home decor, jewelry and fashion accessories, etc. (A bit pricey.) The dining room is attractive, and our table was cheerfully appointed and by a window, allowing us to enjoy the spring sunshine.

Image source: Mom
The food was good-- their signature herbed tomato soup (just a little spicy-- not bland Campbell's), a blueberry scone with cinnamon-sprinkled whipped cream, a chicken salad sandwich that wasn't overly sweet (a refreshing change), cream cheese-filled baby carrot cakes, lemon bars topped with blueberry sauce, and Derby pie bars were some of the treats.

We talked quite a while with the owners-- an interesting and kind middle-aged couple. They work hard to make the business pay, serving lunch as a cafe, and hosting catered meetings by arrangement in addition to tea sittings.

Mom and I intended to do some shopping afterwards, but we didn't do too much because we managed to get lost in our efforts to find a peddlers' mall. We headed 20 miles out of the way on a windy rural road. At that point we asked an older man at a stop sign for directions. His advice was to turn around and head back over the same 20 miles we'd just covered. I wasn't wild about that idea because of the curves and a tendency toward motion sickness. Would you believe we finally thought to consult the GPS that we'd had with us all along?!? It was funny-- we're obviously not digital natives! The GPS gave us the same directions as the man had, but we had a good time talking and laughing regardless of the detour.

We did stop at a Goodwill-- my mom's compelled to hunt those bargains down. She found some shirts, and I bought a picture for $3.50 that I'll eventually have professionally cut down, matted, and framed to hang in my knitting room.

Image source: Me! with the digital camera Mom gave me!
All in all, a lovely day. ;-)

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Herb Update

The sage sprouted days ago, but I keep forgetting to mention it. The thyme is beginning to get true leaves. The chives stem has unfolded.

Basil and rosemary are still no-shows. I may have drown the basil seeds right from the beginning (oops!), but I'll give them some more time since basil's not cold-hardy anyway. I recently read that rosemary doesn't always come true from seed, but again, we'll see.

I'm hoping to get some mint from my mom; I don't know which cultivar she has, but I've used enough of it in my cooking to know that it will be dandy in a pot in my garden-- got to corral that bully so it doesn't conquer the world!

Also, it's not an herb, but my mom bought me a blueberry bush. Yum! Gradually, I want to develop a whole thicket of blueberry shrubs, but one is a good start until I learn more about their care.

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Art Exhibit Video

Someone at my brother's church made a video that scrapbooks their art exhibit from start to finish with a few credits at the end. My brother is the first "angel". The band you hear toward the end is The Welcome Wagon and the song is "But for you who fear my name"-- love it!

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Family Stories

After this morning's resolution, I did try to get some things done. I was able to check off all but 1.5 of the important things on my list before the evening meal (including the task of sprucing up the bathroom). I'll roll the unfinished items over to tomorrow's list.

With the aid of another Martha Stewart recipe, I improvised dinner to use up one remaining pork chop-- at least three adaptations were needed since this was an impromptu meal that I hadn't shopped for. The result was quite edible though-- braised red cabbage and slices of yellow-fleshed red potatoes with a seared then braised pork chop. A one-pot meal but the cooking did take some time. Luckily, I started early-ish.

But today's best activity has been reading three family stories that Ree Drummond shared about her brother Mike on her blog, The Pioneer Woman. She posted them one at a time which built up the anticipation. The first is probably my favorite and is called The Oyster Incident. I do love her writing! ;-)

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Psalms Art

We arrived at the church's art gallery early, which was good. It was quiet and uncrowded with the opportunity to read the placards accompanying each art work. The combination of the words and the art had me tearing up several times-- truly touched, moved.

David's tear-watered couch grabbed attention with it's real working showerhead, but it was the bottles of tears that truly brought the message home-- the realization that those jars represent only a portion of the tears God's people have cried, and that there will be a time when all tears are wiped away.

Image source (edited): 
http://words-fail.com/prayer-and-wisdom-opens/

The calendar with each day stamped "this is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" was very simple, but a powerful reminder of the place of gratitude, joy, and praise that belong in a Chistian's life-- EVERYday.

My brother's shield also moved me-- that God is the lifter of our heads. I almost didn't notice the arrows, and really, I think that's the way God means it to be for us-- He himself is the focus and not the things that come at us.

The wings and the starry sky were skillfully made and beautiful without even needing a message-- they were encouraging and uplifting.

The Bible says that Chistians are to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. I'd say that this exhibit truly accomplished that.

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Recipe & Tonight's Plans

My mom sent my dad over to my place with some leftovers-- beef roast in gravy with mashed potatoes on the side. I love gravy, but seldom make it.

She sent 3 meal-sized portions at least! So I ate one helping for dinner as is, but the next day I morphed a portion into Shepherd's Pie for lunch (Leann Ely's recipe from Saving Dinner for the Holidays). Yum! I definitely want to remember that strategy-- sauté some chopped onion and carrot, add the beef and gravy, seasoning with crushed rosemary, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and top with the mashed potatoes. Bake until warm. Delicious!

As for today, I'm going to apply for more jobs, sending out my resume repeatedly. (And also eat that last portion of beef and gravy for dinner.)

Then tonight, my parents and I are going to see my brother's art displayed in his church's gallery. We won't stay long-- my parents have B&B guests-- but of course we have to be there; my brother has talked of nothing else for weeks! ;-)

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