Tales of the Rambling Granola Gal

Lesson learned...

2011-11-05T22:15:00.001-05:00

...the hard way. Why, why, why do I ignore things that tell me not to do 'whatever'. So, my oldest girlie had the tonsillectomy and adnoidectomy and septum alteration yesterday morning. We had to arrived at the hospital at the lovely hour of 5a.m. (have I ever mentioned we live 45 minutes from that side of Gadsden, depending on exactly how fast I'm driving..in the dark, 45 minutes since I have night blindness issues). OK, so she is his first scheduled surgery of the day, supposed to start at 7. We check in at exactly 5am, go to the room that is going to be her recovery room and get her changed into gown. About 6 they move her to the "holding room" where all the folks having surgery are so the nurses can poke you and the folks who will be knocking you out stop by for a chat, all the usual fun stuff. Well, nurse keeps coming by and saying "we're ready to go as soon as Doc gets here". Don't get me wrong, he's a wonderful doc (he's the one who reset my broken nose), but I was annoyed when the man FINALLY arrived at 7:20. Things went quickly from there though. They took her back at 7:25, the nurse called the surgery waiting room at 7:35 to let me know she was under and surgery had just started. I waited, drank coffee, did sudoku puzzles and wondered if Hubby and the baby girlie were going to make it up there before surgery was over. (Hubby working third shift, girlie sleeping at grandma's till Daddy got home). At 8:35 Doc makes it out to let me know everything went very well, that it took a while longer because it appears she had a chronic infection for years and didn't know it, probably didn't know the difference in the way it should feel. Also informed me one of the adenoids was so swollen that it was completely blocking off the nostril on that side, hence the reason she breathed thru her mouth 95% of the time. The infections had "christalized" into tiny pellets that were getting in the way of removal. The repairs inside the nose, he made almost double the size that the openings were originally given the fact that they were only about half the size of the tip of a pinkie finger. Hubby and the girlie arrived about 15 minutes before she was moved to her private recovery room. After two hours we were allowed to take her home, which we were all more than glad to do. Now, as to the lesson learned. Last month when we saw the doc and planned the surgery we were given several pages about both of the surgeries giving the general info and all that good jazz. One sentence struck me as funny. It was talking about how the tonsil heals and the paper said it is actually better to NOT try to look back there after surgery because it looks awful, but that is how it is actually supposed to look, so don't look because it would cause you to worry for no reason. Yeah, right, I thought. Well, I will freely admit I was wrong and they were right.....we looked today, with a flashlight. It's going to take a while before I get that mental picture gone. Blech. Poor girlie took a look too, in the mirror and flipped out (at least that part was kinda funny...I'm such a mean mom, hehehe). It is amusing when your 16 year old is running around saying "get it out get it out" and "uuuuggghhh, that is soooooo nastyyyyyyyyyy" in classic teenage whine tones. Either way, believe me, when surgery papers tell you it is probably best if you don't look, take my advice....DON'T LOOK!
Wishing all ya'll a blessed evening. I'm heading to tuck my girlies in for the evening and curling up with my favorite fella to watch the rest of the Bama/LSU game. Roll Tide Roll!!!

A little of this and that...

2011-10-27T11:59:00.000-05:00

I'm working within the confines of dial up to get my blog here fixed back up and on track..and hopefully active again. I miss posting so much, lots going on, opinions to share and life in general...I miss sharing it all with my bloggy pals!

So, on another note, I have weight gain issues. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm skinny and could stand to gain weight (note previous photos for proof of the extent of bony-ness LOL) HOWEVER, I find it highly wrong the manner in which I am finally gaining weight. I was thrilled to finally get back up to 126, which was always my goal weight since it is the bottom number of "correct weight for height and frame"....Well, as I was walking out of one of my doc offices a few days ago (Monday), she grinned at me and said "Curious?", of course I am, curious is my middle name....133 1/2!!!! While normally this would be a good thing, I find it extremely wrong that I've worked and slaved for years to gain weight, and instead of the nice lovely thin little layer I want all over...it is ALL hitting my belly, I look 3 months preg for heavens sake!! This is so wrong. Ok, done whining, I know I could have much worse issues
I suppose, opinions here, that it makes it really wrong that I had 3 1 inch slices (ok, 1 1/2 inch) of banana bread for breakfast ;-)Went on the weekly baking binge yesterday and made 2 loaves of banana bread, 2 dozen blueberry muffings, one huge pan of chocolate chip bars, and a square pan of each chocolate chip/pecan bars and peanut butter chip bars.Time to replenish the flour supply now LOL

I've been praying and studying up on homeschooling again. We homeschooled years ago with the 4 oldest, but decided to try public school when we moved from big city to small town. Lately I've been feeling a strong tugging in my heart to bring my youngest back out. My oldest at home is in 10th grade and is really doing well in that setting, and there is no way I could replace some of the classes that she is taking. My youngest, however, is not doing well in public. It just is not her learning style. She's asked several times over the last few weeks to be homeschooled like her brothers and sister were, but can't provide reasons why she wants to make this change (other than she says she is bored in school and her friends think it is a good idea and that they want to also but thier moms work and because the boys did so good when I was teaching them).So, I'm researching, praying and waiting. Hubby and I agreed to have a decision by end of the semester(December). We had picked that date because when the first 9 week grades came out she was failing 3 classes I know she should be doing fine in. Then I kinda got floored when 2nd 9 week grades came out and she went from an F to a B in math. Considering I help with homework every nite (literally 2-4 hours each evening for a 5th grader?!?!?!?!), and I know for a fact that she still has not grasped the work they were doing (add and subtract fractions) to the point of tears trying to understand...HOW in the world did her grade jump that much? It honestly makes no sense to me. She knows it is being considered and she knows the final decision rests with Daddy. Prayers for God's will in this are very welcome!

Wishing you all a blessed day!

Still hanging in..

2011-09-02T11:59:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't updated since we left Alaska, but I'm still on the never ending fight with dial-up internet. I find it amazing that in AK we lived 40 miles from town and had high speed, yet here in Alabama, if I hear ONE more time that we will have high speed within a year I'm going to have a stroke! That's what they've been saying for 4 years now here at the In-laws house, blech! We've had such fun (not) readjusting to the temps down here in the southland...quit strange to realize one summer away can cause you to lose your knack for the heat. There are days I am glad we are back, times when I am glad we were here for family such as when the tornados ripped thru and they really needed our muscle-power for the clean-up..and there are days I miss Alaska so much. I had heard a number of people say once you have lived in Alaska you will miss it and want to go back the rest of your life...they might be right. It was a learning experence, and we can see everything we should have done differently that might have made a difference. On the other hand, we've been shown quite a few times now why we needed to be back here. Who knows what the future holds. I'll try to update as often as I can about all that is going on here in our lives.
Our oldest gal is really thrilled to be back, which we expected. As much as she loved snow and having the chance to run dogs....she was older and to her there is nothing like the best pals that she's grown up with most of her life. She's also a grandma's girl very much and revels in getting to see and talk to her daily.
Our little girl takes it all in stride, like the girl she is. She enjoyed equally playing in the snow in AK and swimming in the pool here in AL. She's just deeply blessed with that "bloom where you are planted" gene that she didn't get from me LOL. That's something I struggle with on a daily basis.
Thanks all for hanging with me and the kind words of support you have sent me, they meant more than you will ever know.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-01-25T15:17:00.002-06:00

Well, I sat down last night to type up a post, even with much prayer I was having issues in choosing how to word it... and in typical me fashion, I read thru blogs that had posted that day to sort of settle my mind before I started my own. Imagine my surprise when I head over to one particular bloggy friend and see she is announced the same exact thing I was preparing myself to type up. This gal lived one town over from me back in Alabama, moved to Alaska the same month we did and now, ironically, is heading back to Alabama on the very same day we are. Our reason are the same and different. Our major reason is different, but all the small reasons, she summed up better than I might would have. For my hubby and I, it was always a dream to live here...mainly because the "Last Frontier" is appealing, and a huge chunk is that we've never found a place were we feel like we fit like glove..where we felt totally at home.I don't know if we thought Alaska would be our forever place or not, but we wanted to live a dream and find out. This is truly a beautiful and glorious state and there are things that I will miss like seeing moose, bald eagles and snow drifting down, the incredible spirit of the people who call this state home. However, there are things of the south that we miss that go soul deep..rafting down Terrapin creek, thunderstorms blowing thru(not the tornadoes though), cicadas and crickets chirping at night, big and round leafy trees,...thinking that 32 degrees is pretty darn cold(hehe). Our girls are happy to be going back. While they love the snow, dog sledding and such..they miss the family we are close to, they miss the friends they've grown up with their entire lives, they miss the freedom of outdoors without being layered so they don't freeze (or get frost nip, which one of them dealt with 2 weeks ago despite being covered and layered head to toe), summertime and heat, hunting and fishing.
And so, on that note, due to some family issues back home and southern roots that go deep...we are ending our Alaskan adventure this Sunday. The hubby will return this summer for construction season, which will be difficult for us being apart that long, but necessary as he is committed to the company he works for for this summer season and for income for us to settle back in down south. We continue to pray for guidance on this path. We have no doubt whatsoever that He led us here for a reason and we feel at peace with the fact that we are going back...I look forward to whatever adventures He has in store for us on the journey of life. We've learned much about ourselves here, we've learned what we can and can not live without, or with, for that matter. See you all from the Southeastern side!

Heading into a New Year

2010-12-31T01:06:00.002-06:00

The rear of our cozy little cabin at around 9am.Light is slowly creeping back into our world.

Quite a load of snow up on the rooftop, at least 8 inches deep with another heavy snow heading in this evening.

Our 12/30 snowfall total for overnight and the day,bring us up to 30 inches so far this winter.

Its so nice to be a kid! 8 new inches of snowfall make for terrific snow angels.

Also makes for a very snowy little girl!
Currently the snow is falling as "Storm 2" makes its way thru our area. The forecast shows snow for the next 7 or so days. I'm just a snow addict! I think we're going to spend our first year here in Alaska quietly at home, keeping our traditions of the torching of the years Christmas tree and just simply being together as our family has always done, and thinking of the family we have in the South that won't be with us for New Years for the first time ever. Eric doesn't return to work until Tuesday, the same day the girls head back to school. It's been an awesome time for us to be together, just relaxing and meshing again as a family unit. I, personally, have been on a bit of a soul and heart searching "quest", for lack of a better word. Everything has been so busy busy busy with a pile of stress mixed in that I let slip the peace I should feel and the heart for home that is so important for a helpmeet to have. I have a bad habit of borrowing trouble and worrying about things far more than I should. I tend to forget that my whole life is in His hands and keep thinking I have to handle all this myself. Time to fix that....

Almost Christmas and Life in General

2010-12-18T15:38:00.005-06:00

Well, the tree is up and a few gifts are wrapped. We still need to make a grocery run to get the rest of the fixings for our little Christmas dinner. Today is the start of Christmas vacation for the girls. Our youngest is enjoying it by sleeping in late, then getting up to watch movies and playing Wii the entire day (apparently). Our eldest is out helping out with the Alaska Excursion 120 dog sledding race with friends of ours, so I imagine she will take tomorrow to sleep in late and watch movies all day.

Life is...cold. We have folks we know all over this beautiful state, some with far worse temps than we have, but this poor southern gal is cold, hehe. Thankfully not the "I can't hack this and I want to go home" cold, just more the general observational type that notices the fact that nose hairs freeze the minute you walk outside and the toes are feeling pretty icy and if I have to get up at 2am to crank cars so they don't freeze one more time I going to lose it kind of cold. I will admit to having those "what were we thinking" moments, but in general I'm still thrilled we are here. There is truely no place like this on earth. Even in the frigid negative temperatures there is no place I would rather be.

So, we spend our time making plans for our future here. We've narrowed down the area we want to live in, scan the real estate ads often and think about settling into our own little place here on the last frontier. It will be the end of summer before we buy, since we have a years lease on our little log cabin in Willow here, but that gives us plenty of time to look around and find the perfect fit for us at the right price. Life here in the one room dry cabin is refining for us what we can and cannot live without, the things we see that need to be done better and the things that work.

Still here!

2010-12-02T01:04:00.003-06:00

Wow, life got so busy and yet it was hard to form thoughts to put together in any kind of form that would make sense. We had my Sister in law and Niece come for a visit Thanksgiving week, which kept any homesickness we might have felt for the first time away from family for the holidays at bay. I think they were very grateful to return to the land of warmth and running water after 5 days here LOL

The girls and thier cousin at Talkeetna.

We had a strange weather front come thru while they were here. Warming temps that dumped rain on us, promptly turning to solid ice as it hit the ground, leaving it highly unadvisable to try to get out on roads. As they left the day after Thanksgiving the colder temps started creeping in. Clear skies came out exposing all the beautiful mountains that they didn't get to see the whole time they were here. We awoke this morning to 15 below, the coldest we had experienced so far...until this evening. Eric went out to crank cars and let them run so hopefully they won't freeze overnight and crack the blocks and it is already 20 below out in our yard, meaning we'll need to get up several times tonight to crank cars and let them run about 15 minutes to get warmed up. So far that is really the only thing I'm not liking about living here in Alaska. We'll definately have to fix that before next winter by getting the cars winterized so we can plug them in on timers and save ourselves the worry of destroying motors.

Now it's time to prepare for Christmas...I'm so not ready!

Waking up this morning...

2010-11-06T11:20:00.002-05:00

Well, not sure if we were mentally prepared for our first winter in Alaska or not with real snowfall, but it decided we were. Eric had an interview this morning to go to with work afterwards, so we were up early and peeking out the window. I'm thinking I haven't gotten past my southern mentality of believing I have to take pics before the snow melts. My little brain hasn't totally wrapped around the fact that this snow is here to stay for the next 5 to 6 months, give or take. Ok, so we head out to clean off the car so we can warm it up. Measurement on top of the car (keeping in mind we had 3 inches on the ground already)

I looked back where we came down the steps, almost missing every one since snow had it to the level the one above it usually is at.

We can see the car peeking!

My guy working his way around the car...

Weather forecast is calling for another 4-10 inches thru tonight..this should get interesting. Yes, still loving it so far! At least it has to warm up a bit to snow, haha.

Our first Alaskan Snow

2010-10-29T15:03:00.005-05:00

Ok, if it wasn't already official, it is now. We absolutely love Alaska!!

Hanging in..

2010-10-13T14:10:00.003-05:00

Not much going on outside of daily life at the moment, but wanted to share a few photos. We are out hunting for work for the winter, so I'll update as I can.
What a wonderful view as we top the hill coming into our little town of Willow on the way back from Wasilla.

Our temp the other morning heading into Wasilla at 9:30 in the morning.

Settling in

2010-10-02T18:14:00.002-05:00

Ashlyn howling with the sled dogs at the neighbors

There is, of course, still some adjusting to do..tweeking everything till I have it in the spot it will work the best for us, or makes the most sense, but other than that we are nicely settled. I'd like to get the boxes sent up from Alabama soon that contain our photos and knick knacks to help make the cabin feel more homey for us.
We've checked out the little stores here in Willow, got our library cards today and checked out some books (on a side note, Willow has an awesome library) and got our first Netflix shipment LOL. Dish still hasn't managed to find a tech to come out here and hook up our box, and we are seriously debating just foregoing having it. Between netflix and the library we should have any television needs covered. If I want news I can see it online and honestly there really isn't that much we care to watch on regular television these days. It's been really nice being tv ad free or not hearing kids argue over what to watch, which are usually shows we have no desire for them to watch. And lets face it, 17 a month for netflix and free check-outs at the library are alot cheaper than 60+ a month for Dish, especially when there is nothing on that we want to see.
Eric has about two more weeks before he goes back to work, so we are enjoying our time together to the fullest as we settle in to the fact that we are living the dream we have had for so long now.

Interesting Week so far...

2010-09-27T20:56:00.002-05:00

Ash and I walking down the road in our subdivision...I love Alaska's idea of subdivisions LOL..especially when they are 40 miles out of town.

I've had my guy home for an entire week now and I'm loving it! He is just so much fun to hang out with and relax with. We got our little nest in order, though I'm sure there will be changes as we figure out what works best where around here. I'm trying not to think about how rough its going to be when I have to let him go back to work, which unfortunately, is fairly soon. Dish network continues to be a pain about getting out here to hook us up to television. They've cancelled on me once and have now told me they don't have a technician "available" to come "all the way out to Willow" until Oct 13th...fun fun. Eric is about ready to just tell them to shove that box where the sun don't shine and we'll do without television!

We spent Friday without power from 10:30am till sometime around midnight due to some nasty winds whipping thru the Valley area. Hard to complain though when some part of the area were without power for up to 60 hours, costing many folks supplies in the frig and freezers. It did teach us pretty quick that we need to come up with a backup source of heat here at the cabin before the real cold hits...and maybe a hurricane lamp or two, though candle light was nice and put off a tiny bit of heat.

Saturday we headed up to Talkeetna to stuff ourselves at Mountain High Pizza Pie. Ash got her big slice of pepperoni pizza (their slices are 1/4 of a 15" pie) and we got their famous calzone. Ok, you've seen pics of my guy..big husky fella...he sets his arms down on the table and the calzone is wider than that. Seriously, they start out with dough the size of an extra large pizza, stuff it with whatever goodies you pick, fold it up and bake it. Took all 3 of us to eat that thing, and boy was it good. We wandered into the general store (which is another awesome place) and got some coffee and hot chocolate from the counter and picked up some of the cutest and warmest hats around...I find it funny when good warm hats are $4 and a bag of Fig Newtons are $7.50!!

Then Sunday we got hit with our reality check. We made a run into Wasilla to pick up our monthly groceries and as we came over the first big rise we see clouds on the mountains. No big deal at first time we look closer and notice we can see snow on those mountains that were bare just last week...wow! We talk about that fact the rest of the way into town and keep looking over and marveling at the fact that is snowing up there. We stop at our fav laundry mat to get quick showers and then head over to Wallyworld to pick up a few things. Our shock came when we stepped back outside...there were snow flurries...falling on US... My poor hubby had this look of shock and turned to me and said (i love this, hehe) "Baby, it's September, in Alaska, and it is SNOWING on us..in September...good grief, are we stupid or what?!?!?!" He said that was the first day since we've been here that he felt the slightest edge of missing the South LOL. He really does love it here, but for a Southern boy to find snow falling on his head in September...apparently no logical thought prepares you for that.

Life is Good!

Our little home in Willow

2010-09-23T00:41:00.002-05:00

AJ is home from her first day of school here in our little town (she loved it) and kicked back in our living room. I've gotten it about half-way organized, now it needs some homey touches.

I love walking thru our trees with the moss covering the ground. I keep imagining its what it feels like to walk on clouds.

We have a little fire barrel in our back yard so we can see the mountains behind us while we stay warm during these chilly fall evenings.

And how often do you get to cross a little footbridge when you need a restroom break LOL

Coming up the driveway to our cozy cabin in semi-rural Alaska (well, I consider 40 miles from town rural, but you ain't seen rural until you've seen seriously rural outback Alaska).

2010-09-13T12:19:00.002-05:00

So we took Labor Day weekend to rent a Uhaul and run most of our earthly possessions down to our little cabin in Willow..check out the view from our back windows!

After unloading and setting up the household(and being tickled that we managed to fit everything in) we just kicked back and relaxed a bit. We ran into Wasilla to eat at one of our fave resturants down there, then stopped by to see our local pals there (the ones who originally lived in our little cabin, that we stayed with when we first got here), then back to the cabin to enjoy an evening just being.
Monday, before heading back up to North Pole, we decided to make a run up to Hatcher's Pass in all its fall glory..very worth the extra time, as you can see...

One more week here in North Pole before we head down to the little cabin to settle in for the winter! I've spent the week arranging the utilities there and getting ready to shut off the same up here. The net won't go in until next Wednesday..whatever in the world will I do with 5 days of no blogs to read LOL

Holiday Weekend

2010-09-04T00:53:00.003-05:00

Prayers, please, for safe travels for us this weekend as we haul most of our belongings down to Willow to set up in our little cabin, then heading back here Monday to finish out the work here in Fairbanks for Eric. See you Monday evening!

Lovin' it!

2010-08-31T14:10:00.002-05:00

After much prayer, exploring options and following leadings we are packing up the household here in North Pole...getting ready to head back down to Willow, AK. Wasn't easy at first...in a state full of beauty and wonder all around, it's hard to figure out where your "fit" is. I think, though, that those snow covered mountains that surround the Wasilla/Palmer area made an impression on our hearts from the first day we laid eyes on them.
We've been extremely blessed with family...they might have thought we were nuts to move to Alaska, but they never said it...they might think we are nuts that after we settle into a house in Fairbanks that we decide this is not quite the place for us, yet they say nothing...when they hear that we are heading to an about 30x30 dry cabin 40 miles out of a 'proper' town they STILL don't tell us we are nuts. Instead they have been incredibly supportive and excited for us. They are honestly happy that we are getting to follow our dreams (ok, so his sis did have a moment there when the fact that there is an outhouse and no running water came out, but hey, she's a city gal thru and thru..and my mom did say she could never never never do an outhouse and no bathtub, but that's my mom LOL). My grandma (have I mentioned I'm grandma's girl), after telling me over and over how good it was to hear my voice, proceeded to think the house is an awesome idea and was full of tips on how to manage things, given the fact that she grew up with no running water in the house. She's been my bedrock my whole live and I love the fact that it tickles her to death we are getting to do this (although she bemoans the fact that I don't write and send pictures nowhere near often enough..I tend to call and she can't re-read phone calls and see pictures!!!)
As much as I love adventure, I sure am ready to be settled in our cozy little home before the snow flies in these parts!

Wandering, Dreaming and Decisions..

2010-08-19T17:34:00.007-05:00

WANDERING:
This past Sunday (Hubby's only day off) we decided to take a drive rambling along the Chena Hot Springs road.
Stopped for a plunge across,what I have to say, is the coldest creek I've ever willingly stuck my poor innocent legs and feet into!

We then proceeded on down the road up to the Hot Springs, which were hosting an energy conference, so after wandering around a bit and enjoying some awesome ice cream, we headed back so we could wander some more. Look what we ran across at one of the little lakes off the main highway...

Definitely a cool looking fellow! He let us watch him and take pictures for more than an hour, occasionally sticking his head down in the water to munch on some yummy grasses. We live in such an awesome state!

DREAMING:
With the girlies in school here in North Pole now, it's given me 2 days of alone time to do thinking and dreaming (and to realize how odd it feels to be alone, given the fact that I literally haven't been alone longer that a bathroom break since March). Hubby and I have been talking alot about what our "Alaskan dream" is now that we are actually here and can get past the slight misconceptions and ideas of what we thought it would be like when we were back in Alabama and planning this move. We really miss the "country" part of our lives back there and hope to reestablish that part here in the North. Nice as North Pole is, it doesn't ring "home" with us. We need more rural...definitely not the extreme you sometimes see on TV where some family gets to see people when the plane flies in to drop off supplies and mail every 3-4 months(well, if it were just hubby and me, we would probably love it, but not with the girlies!)...but defiantly farther out with rooms for gardens and chickens and soapmaking and a few Huskies to make the girls wild with excitement!
Which leads to....

DECISIONS:
Well, we have some options open to us and are very carefully and prayerfully going thru them to see which way we are led. We know Hubby's lay off is coming in mid-September, so we are trying to decide fairly rapidly so plans can be made.One option would be to move back down to Willow, where a wonderful little place we love is coming open fairly soon and Hubby has several work options there.Other options lie in cities farther out around the Fairbanks area, as jobs he has applied for are in those directions. We've decided that a decision will be made by the end of the weekend as to which route He is prodding us along, so we can get settled in before the snow flies around these parts. LOL, it sounds more like we have decided to decide later, but we do have leanings in one direction and are just making those final last minute questions are answered and that our hearts feel right with it before we go any further.

Contemplating Roots...

2010-08-13T15:31:00.002-05:00

I'm taking my second day in a row to piddle around the house, sit on my rear, enjoy getting to be home, and learning that my home is different. Hmm, this gave me pause to consider...my home is different. How did I not realize this fact. I'm well aware of selling off the homestead in Alabama and moving 4500 or so miles away, but how did the fact escape me that this is a different house! I know I was caught up in the whole constant work, go get food, find furniture, etc etc etc that had not allowed a single day, all day, at the new house since the day we moved in..but hey, this is a different house. Strange! A rental home I don't own, odd!
What point am I trying to get to here? It's got me thinking of what kind of home I want for us. There is still that looming question of exactly where we will "settle down" with a house of our own. I was, and still am to an extent, prepared to deal with the waiting time till we figure out where we want to be, find the land we want and buy it (hopefully) and get down to making our own roots here in the Last Frontier. At heart, the Southern gal misses having that feeling of roots that go deep here, despite the fact that I absolute adore Alaska so far. I'm ready to feel at home. Ready to get back to doing the little homesteading things I love (and getting to do them not in 100 degree temps!!). And more than ready to not feel like a whiner cause it is a strange feeling to be "rootless" and adrift and just waiting. I know God's going to lead us to exactly where He wants us, but I never learned that gift of patience well ;-)

Random quote

2010-08-12T19:32:00.001-05:00

that I came across and like very much:

Never let someone else tell you who you are or who you should be. Only God and you know who you really are and are destined to be, the rest are just passing judgement.

~~~~~~SMILES~~~~~~

Back home...

2010-08-12T01:28:00.002-05:00

at least for now, and prayerfully for good! We are finally getting back in to the "right" faith. Not that we ever lost faith (or were in a "wrong" faith), we just got so busy once we got to where we dreamed of living that we forgot Who was driving this, the same One who got us here and tried to take over the wheel...always a big mistake! So, long story short, we decided we need to let God take back over where He wants us and how He wants us to go about it, without taking on things we think we are "supposed" to be doing, especially when they go against what we desire and fundamentally believe. I know many many folks who think it old fashioned and sexist for the wife to be at home, but it's where we feel I should be..its where we feel God commands I be...so here I am! If and/or when He leads us to think I need to take on outside work, He will be the one to show us, not us thinking we have too because we need ___________ (fill in the blank). We are still hopeful that we will eventually be led to our little dream of a more rural setting...but I have faith, and I know without a doubt He can work all kinds of miracles (Hey, He got my hubby to move out of the South, that's a major miracle, if you knew my Mr. Steady guy LOL). And, on the bright side, I get to spend time with my girls, whom I have been missing horribly from work...and maybe get to keep up the blog of our adventure a little bit better!!

Still looking..

2010-08-04T01:19:00.003-05:00

(photo taken at Rika's Roadhouse, which is one of my dream homes)
for the life we are seeking,LOL. We've found the state we want, without a doubt....but still seeking our little bit remote, homesteaded, built with our own hands, mom at home place in the world. It's funny how you have things pictured in your head as to how you expect them to be, and most of the time they never are. We can see alot of exactly what we are looking for, we just can't figure out how to get across that "barrier" to land where we wish too, if that makes any sense. There are folks all around this area that are living exactly the type of life we are looking for, we just have to figure out and plan how to take the step "backwards" out of what feels like surburban living back into our more normal country type life...only with the extra we felt like we were missing that we feel abundantly here in Alaska. I'm probably rambling and scattering strange thoughts, but I'm (secretly) hopeful that writing it down will settle all the ideas, thoughts, and extra baggage whirling around in my head so I can figure out how to focus on achieving our goals. Ok, feel better getting some of that outta my head, maybe now I can sleep so I can go to work tomorrow and not feel completely stressed because me working is the opposite of what we want, but is necessary for the time being since we are starting our whole world over from scratch. Gosh, now it sounds like I am whining, and I promise I'm not (!!!!), guess I'm just tired, a bit frustrated, and just totally lacking on ideas at the moment on how to achieve our dream short of winning a lottery so we can afford to buy a place. On the bright side, I really really love Alaska ;-)

Birthday time

2010-07-31T18:13:00.003-05:00

(photo credit thanks to the wonderful Susan Stevenson!)
My baby girl turns 10 today! I do believe we are going to grill out some freshly caught Alaskan Reds with her favorite cookie cake for dessert. Tomorrow she get to go see the movie she's been anxious to see.."Charlie St. Cloud", then a good long bike ride thru one of the beautiful state parks up here with some berry picking along the way.
We are feeling out the area and getting to know our favorite locations. Hopefully some time within the next year or two we will find our little dream piece of land a bit farther away from town and build our tiny little dream cabin off-grid and get down to the business of living the life we have dreamed of for so long now! Eric is really hoping to find something about an hour outside of Fairbanks (summertime travel, that is, LOL), wooded but with some area clear for house, garden and a few farm animals. I love our tiny little hardworking dreams!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

MAJOR slacking

2010-07-13T00:36:00.003-05:00

Sorry gang for being such a blogging slacker as soon as I move to such an awesome place ;-)

I'm still working on finding that fine balance between working outside the home, dealing with housework (since I am apparently awful at asking for help because I think I should do it all, just because I always have), finding furniture at reasonable prices for the house AND being excited and getting to know the area I've dreamed about living in. It all sure can wear a gal out quickly! On the bright side, we now having living room furniture and just yesterday got to sleep on a bed for the first time in months (can I get a wooohoo!!! LOL) since we finally caved and bought ourselves a new bed.

We had a lovely 3 day weekend last weekend, a nice change from my poor guys usual one day off a week thing, and played at some yard sales and took a drive up the Delta Junction way (that would be the odd call you got Hayley, LOL). I'll be ever so glad when my fella has more time off so we can really get out and explore and take lots of pictures, though I have managed to get a few. I don't think we will ever get over the "newbie" reaction to seeing moose, especially since we got to see a mom with baby on the way back from Delta and had to turn back around to go stop beside the road and get pictures. Just yesterday we finally got to see our first Bald Eagle while hanging out on Wendy's back porch.

All and all, basically, it's busy busy busy around here..but I shall figure all the balance out and get back to regular blogging soon.

Quick update

2010-06-09T00:01:00.002-05:00

Will get on here Saturday and make a good update, but just had to share that since last posting the hubby got offered a very good job, my job transferred me and we are now in North Pole, AK!! Been settling into the house we found this past week and getting into the work mode...be glad when I have furniture LOL

It's moving along

2010-05-21T13:02:00.004-05:00

here on the Alaskan front in our 2 1/2 weeks. Hubby is off at work today and I start my new job with Wells Fargo Monday. Going to be quite an adjust for me and the kidlets since I've done the at home mom thing for years and years now! Our new to us car here is up and running, taking Eric back and forth to Anchorage to work, but he is still seeking work here in the "Valley" to cut down on gas costs and to give us a bit more time together as we are used to. The beauty all around us still astounds us every single day and seeing a moose is still a thrill and we act like the newbies we are LOL. Soon on the agenda will be a place of our own and a second car so we don't have to worry about how each of us will get to work. It's all moving at His Pace! He has guided us every step of the way with this move and we continue to lean on Him and try not to worry or stress. We fully believe He led us here and has a plan in mind just for us. Some days are harder than others to have the patience we need to have, but on the whole, thing are going very well and following logical steps. Now I just need to get someone to teach me how to upload mulitple photos in a blog ;-)

From Alaska

2010-05-16T00:11:00.005-05:00

Long time no post!! Plans changed rapidly and we took the leap. Boarded a plane a week and a half ago and landed in Anchorage Alaska. Currently staying with friends out in Willow. The hubby wound up with a job transfer and I'm out hunting work. Hopefully I'll find more time to keep the blog updated now after winding up a rapid 2 months of selling off most of our possessions, our house, etc, and staying with the in-laws for a month before our flight time arrived.

So much going on!!

2010-02-22T14:59:00.002-06:00

Didn't mean to be absent so long, but we have all kinds of prep going on around here...all in anticipation of our big dream finally coming true!! The first week of June we will be heading out and make a move across our country to go live in Alaska!! I'm so beyond excited!! We've been talking about this and trying to work it out for over a year now and it is finally on the horizon :-)

We won't know until the end of March our exact dates, since that will be when Eric talks to the contractor he is hoping to work with...then we will either have him head up early in April, if he is needed for work that soon, or we will all head out the first week of June driving together. In the mean time I have an entire household to sell off and a house to prep to either rent out or sell (still working that issue out).

We enjoyed the snow that finally fell in Alabama the other week. It reminded us of how much we love winter and the things we have to look forward to. Hope everyone here in Blogland is doing well...I'll try to keep a bit more updated as things progress!!

Today's Randomness

2010-01-05T20:48:00.002-06:00

No clear writing thoughts (big surprise)..just a bunch of random thoughts/things running thru my fevered brain this evening. I'm having one of those " MUST..GET...IT ...OUT" moments and you lucky people will be the receivers of all this truly vital interesting important information and random thought patterns...as you read this, just think...she can't even type 1/10th as fast as this junk flies thru her head, so she is leaving out a ton..aren't I ever so grateful I don't have to live in her head, bahahahaha
;~)

Very tickled the girles went back to school today...needless to say, I accomplished nothing except the spreading of my tush muscles into new regions via sitting on it all day playing on the computer and enjoying the silence of the house. Couldn't not even make myself get up and exerise via the Wii since my elbow still hurts from bowling...can you just see 10 years down the road...millions of lawsuits against the Wii company with people complaining that Wii didn't warn them they might get tennis elbow or something.

Did not realize exactly how spoiled I had gotten over the Christmas vacation by not having to get up early..hence it isn't even 9pm and I've been totally ready to drop for at least an hour now and no amount of coffee is helping...and I still have to make tea so hubby will have some to take to work in the morning and so I will not bite the heads off my young when I have nothing cold to moisten my dry throat with when I wake up so that I can yell at them properly to get up and this really is the last warning. (and I really don't yell at my kids, but I do occasionally pounce upon the bed and tickle them awake like a truly evil mom should...nothing in the world like getting yanked out of sleep by tickling)

Just noticed I am in the post holiday "ack, I spent to much on Christmas..how will I pay bills and WHY WHY WHY are we already out of chocolate!!!!" And exactly why are we out of Chocolate anyway...other than the fact that I chunked the worlds nastiest Chocolate Santas that some family member must picked up from some netherworld region as no sane person on this planet would try to pass that junk off as real chocolate.

Wondering if I am the only mother in the world whose 9 year old got a kitchen appliance for Christmas (hot chocolate maker) and was thrilled with it and has watched her make at least 2 batches daily since Christmas morning. (Look, it's the only chocolate left in the house...nevermind the fact that I had to go day before yesterday and buy two more cans of the stuff and she is already on the 2nd can)

Thinks the television must be lying to me when they keep saying that Thursday, we, here in upper northeast Alabama, can expect 2-3 inches of snow. I was under the impression that I live in the SOUTH...the only year the south had real snow was in '93, which, of course, was the year I was living in Oregon cause I wanted to live somewhere with snow...and that would be the year Oregon never got more than an inch of snow....did I mention I am a snow jinx? Look out if I do move to Alaska..it will be a tropical region within a year!

Realizes that I am totally out of good reading material that I haven't read 10 times in the past year and that games on facebook can only keep you occupied so long before you have to actually get up and do something around the house out of sheer boredom ;~)

Still trying to figure out what in the world my mother in law was thinking when she got me a New Moon board game for Christmas?? On the bright side, she also got me an awesome mixer and they gave us one week use of the timeshare this summer, so off to Myrtle Beach we will be going...never been to Myrtle, so very looking forward to it even if we didn't get the resort we wanted since it was already booked for the entire summer.

Has a love/hate relationship with hubby's job. Absolutely love those 3 day off weekends that he gets weekly...really hate the Sunday and Monday 12 hour days that make it possible though.

And now I'm hopeful that all this writing down of all the babbling rambling thoughts in my head will mean that I will not have it replay about a million times in my head before I actually get to fall asleep tonight!

Thanks so much for the welcome backs that I've gotten!! Ya'll just don't know how nice it was to see that ;~)

Stumbling back in and the girls Christmas pictures..

2010-01-05T13:00:00.004-06:00

Whoa, what a chaotic few months we have had here. We've all made it thru safe and sound, thank heavens!!

Now, time to jump back into blogging, with a short break at the end of this week as we spend 3 days helping some friends with thier daughters wedding.

I've missed blogspot so much! Had to take a step back, though, as I realized I was spending 5+ hours on here daily and everything else was falling to the wayside. I've been weeding out my blogs I follow this morning as I had over 300 different ones....no wonder I was on here so much LOL. Most of them got added as I was browsing thru blogs I follow and would check out blogs they follow...and so on...and would see one post or a few pictures that interested me, so they got added to the list....what an addiction!

Looking forward to get caught back up on what everyone here in bloggyspace is doing!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T20:58:00.002-06:00

Gratitude List~~~ Week 3

2009-11-08T17:59:00.003-06:00

We've had such a busy week here that it's nice to finally have a chance to sit down this evening, and to get to spend it on thinking of the blessings we've had I might have overlooked or not appreciated as I should have.

1. This lovely fall weather we are having that is giving us extra time to enjoy the outdoors without being totally bundled up.

2. A wonderful online community of people who inspire me to follow my dreams...and to dream new dreams I never thought of that fit in perfectly with what I wish for our lives to be.

3. A "little" girl snuggling under my arm as I type, LOL

4.Good friends who we spent some time with this weekend, enjoying conversation and a good movie.

5. Having a clean house "left over" from having cleaned it to have friends over..made for a very relaxing day today in a house that was a pleasure to wander around in.

6. A terrific day on Saturday for the guys to have their firefighter games, in which we took 2nd place, coming in one second behind the first place time in a tie-breaker.

7. My favorite books on the bookshelf in my room that are handy to pick up and read thru when I do have a few free moments to sit and read.

8. Hubby having a weekday off so that we were able to run up to the school and eat lunch with our little girl, who was tickled to death to have us there.

9. A wonderful hubby who shows his love for me each and every day, and every day I learn more and more how lucky and blessed I was to find him when I did.

10. All of the knowledge I've been working on gleaning about herbs and all the amazing things they can do.

Hoping everyone has had a wonderful past week and an even better week ahead!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T22:34:00.002-06:00

Gratitude List ~Week 2~

2009-11-01T12:14:00.003-06:00

1. Terrific Summer memories now that fall is here!

2. A wonderful Halloween weekend with family and friends.

3. The fact that I made tonight's dinner yesterday so I can relax and enjoy my guy when he gets home from work.

4. An extra hour today to enjoy.

5. A woodstove set and ready to lite for the evening for warmth and pleasure.

6. A nice purring cat wandering thru the house.

7. My girls relaxing and watching movies with me in the living room.

8. My guys work schedule that gives us 3 days a week together instead of 2!

9. My oldest son doing great at GJC and getting ready to join the Navy.

10. DSL, hehehe

A good haul

2009-11-01T00:05:00.003-05:00

Happy Halloween Everyone...Hope you all had a safe and wonderful time no matter how you chose to spend this day! Pixie Stick got dressed up and raided the Trick or Trucks at the area churches.

An Update...of sorts

2009-10-31T14:46:00.004-05:00

THAT CAT, that one of the boy's friends saved from death (the boy actually shelled out his hard earned money to buy it, though he knew he couldn't keep it) and brought over to us to beg to keep has officially started to earn its keep!! Her name is Saban..I refused to call her by her name until she earned her keep, though she really is a fairly loving cat. She basically lives in my bathroom cabinets and doesn't want to come out unless SHE wants to come out. And on that note, don't you just LOVE the lovely little spot she has decided to claim as her own...a basin from the hospital that's been, for some reason, sitting in there since they removed my "oven" 2 years ago...at least it finally came in handy for something.

Anyway, as I mentioned, I had a mouse (mice) issue the other day while cleaning the floor. Well, apparently Saban went stalking the house while we were asleep last night. This morning I'm sitting all cozy in the living room with computer in hand, happily reading blogs when I hear one of the girls start getting up...then I hear this really strange sound that can only be made by a 14 year old teenage girl in complete disgust mode... "ohhhhhhhhhhewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww". So, of course, being the great mom I am, I bellow thru the house asking what in the world is grossing her out this time. Right in the middle of the back living room lies a little dead mouse.....

Only took her an hour to realize she should have grabbed a paper towel and got the little nasty up before the little 9 year old came trooping through, sigh.

A Wonderful Give-Away!!

2009-10-30T17:04:00.002-05:00

Oh I love it, being the southern gal I am!!! You need to stroll on over and see CrossView's lovely Down a Red Dirt Lanes blog and entire to win an awesome Redneck Romance package... I promise it will give you a good giggle and a serious desire for some "down home" food, Southern style!!

Cute giveaway

2009-10-30T07:55:00.001-05:00

over at Prairie Flowers Farm..

You should pop over there and check it out...she is so talented!!

Late Wordless Wednesday (since i was gone all evening)

2009-10-29T09:47:00.001-05:00

Losing myself..

2009-10-29T08:13:00.005-05:00

in blogs, that is..LOL

I really really meant to post, but I've been reading and reading and reading some more, hehe. First I got lost over here at Maple Valley and loved reading about their lifestyle because it is similar to what we want to do at some point in the future. Then, Tuesday morning, I wandered over to Like Mother, Like Daughter and have been lost there for the last two days LOL...I want Leila to be my mom and be a sister to that wonderful pack of hers! ;~)

Since I'm still fairly new to blogger, even though I posted once or twice a year, I never really looked around and found all the amazing women that are out there sharing about their lives. I had been thinking for a week now about writing up a post pondering on thoughts I have about the book Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, since I've been re-reading it. That kind of friendship has been a lack all my life. I had friends in school, of course...but never that kind of a connection. Despite growing up in a small town (moving to a large town in high school) I never found people who I "clicked" with..certainly not like that. All of my adult life has revolved around my kids and my husband, whom I couldn't imagine being without...but it took me a long while now to realize "something" was missing. In general, as I've mentioned before, I like people...on my terms...and yet I feel this lack of sharing with other like-minded WOMEN (anyone know what I mean??).My guy Eric is the best friend I could ever have, but, as a man, he doesn't always "get" the things that excite or interest me.

Well, some people might not consider having online friends as "real" friends...but they don't know what they are missing!! To me, it has the best of both worlds. I'm not lucky enough to have the advantage of people I feel I click with around me locally. I have a bad habit of going into what the family calls "hermit-mode" and don't really want to leave the house for any kind of social thing for weeks/months at a time. Not exactly conductive for the traditional types of friendships, as most people tend to get offended if you don't go hang out with them once a week and such. Me, however, am always up for a chat online, on the phone, whatever...I get to be HOME to do it! Even the better if it is with people who I have something in common with and share interests with. I'm looking forward to perhaps connecting with some of the awesome women I've been finding daily here and discovering what we might be able to bring to each other's lives. (you should really see my blogroll..and I've only been at it a few weeks now, hehe)

Isn't it terrific to stumble across the very thing you have been looking for! One of life's many small and big blessings!

Why I now HATE Mop-n-Glo and other unpleasant discoveries..

2009-10-26T11:56:00.003-05:00

Why oh why did noone ever tell me that gook builds up on your floor..and that if you happen to notice that your 9 year old child dropped waffle batter on the floor and let it dry and you try to scrub it up that it will "roll" off in big globby grey pieces...oh ICK. So, what does that leave a gal to do but have to get down on her hands and knees with a bucket of soapy degreasing water with a brillo pad to try to get it off. You might think,hhmmm, just mop over it..but then, could you bring yourself to walk across the floor knowing there is this layer of grey ick just hiding on the floor (that is NOW noticiable because you just had to scrub up that dried batter) and maybe THAT is the reason the floor constantly looks so dull???

THEN, as the proverbial icing on the cake, you keep noticing this strange little squeeky noise whist you are down on the aforementioned hands and knees that suddenly keeps escalating into some sort of frenzy...and then it hits you...there is a MOUSE trapped in the inner workings of your chest freezer that is a few scant feet away from you..

ACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Only then does it hit you that the reason for the strange sounding frenzy is because there is not one..but AT LEAST TWO...little furry critters apparently fighting over something in the guts of your freezer

At this point in time, and even though your spouse is a firefighter, you seriously start considering burning down the house...cause it will most definately fix both the mouse and the gook problem.

So, here I am, scrubbing the floor 5 minutes at a time..while stopping to do the billion other things that we stay at home moms get to deal with on a daily basis..and I freely admit that I yanked the freezer away from the wall and duct taped the entry point shut so hubby can deal with the mouse when he gets home and I can scrub the floor without worrying about a mouse scurrying across my knuckles (insert a mad crazy laugh here LOL)

A beautiful widget

2009-10-25T14:06:00.001-05:00

Romantic Snow Globes by WiddlyTinks.com

Gratitude List~ My first week

2009-10-25T11:44:00.004-05:00

In my quest to help myself reach my goals, I'm going to follow the lead of several ladies whos blogs I adore and keep a weekly gratitude list. Here are mine for this week....

1. The fire burning in the woodstove.

2. My hubby starting the 2nd week on his new job.

3. The scent of the pot of coffee I just brewed.

4. My little girl curled up on the couch watching Mickey and Co.

5. God for taking care of us even when I haven't been the best in showing that I trusted Him to do that very thing.

6. My 3 chicken ladies running around the yard providing all kinds of entertainment.

7. Having had our 11th anniversary this past week and knowing that I love him more every single day.

8. The oil lamps that are filled and will be giving off beautiful light and warmth this evening when my guy gets home.

9. Sunday phone calls from loved ones who live far away.

10. That large garden tub that will be filled with hot water and bubble bath this afternoon ;~)

Thoughts of today

2009-10-25T11:10:00.004-05:00

I was sitting here today pondering over what to write, aside from posting some pics of the fun costume party we went to last night. We have alot of stress on our plate these days on the financial front and it's been dragging me down a bit. I didn't want a depressing post at all, so I decided it might be better for me to just wander in space and read some other blogs instead. The first one I come across and read is from Tracy In The Pines , who, it turns out, is facing alot of the same things I am. Her post was an awesome reminder of what my job, as the mom in residence here, is all about. I am a worrywart, I know this and accept this (to some degree, LOL). I know in my heart that God will provide our needs but that never seems to stop me from worrying and stressing over difficult situations. Apparently I am such an obvious worrier (is that a word?) that my children had once bought me a button to put on my purse that states "I worry, therefore I am"...sigh...that's probably not a good thing. Seems I have alot of things I need to be working on...hmmm, that might make a good list for "to do" for 2010, hehehe. Seriously though, I really want to change this. I know when I look back with that wonderful 20/20 hindsight that we are all blessed with, I notice that all those things that I have worried and stressed over in the past worked themselves out just fine and that not one single ounce of my worry made a single bit of difference. So, how do I change a 38 year habit, because that is what it is...a habit! I think I've made the first step in acknowledging it and wanting to change it. I know what I want, I know what my God given role in this house is...I imagine my next step is to make a concious effort to stop myself when I feel the worry/stress creep up on me...to go about my task of creating a peaceful and restful home for my family in positive and meanful steps (hmm, that kind falls in line with my other goal of stopping living for when we get to build our "real" house and focus on the home we have now...ponder ponder ponder). It's time to stop focusing on worrying about that ugly electric bill with the cut off date this week and start focusing on being aware of the blessings in my life and showering my family with love, peace, simple abundance of the blessings we do have and a cozy warm and welcoming home. It's time for me to visibly SHOW that I trust in God to take care of our needs and that I understand His clear directive of what I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to be doing, instead of just "knowing it" and continuing to worry my life away anyway.
And on a side note..I finally learned out to link other sites in my posts WOOHOO, hehehehe...a small blessing I am tickled to death over!

Halloween Party

2009-10-24T23:18:00.003-05:00

Getting ready to head out..

They did an awesome job at the party...I'll try to get some of the pictures posted tomorrow!

Hoping everyone had a wonderful evening!

A little meme

2009-10-21T09:42:00.002-05:00

That I picked up from Stars In Her Fingernails blog..

1. Where is your mobile phone? haven't used it in months
2. Your hair? is finally getting long enough
3. Your mother? probably at work
4. Your father? 5 hours away in the woods (he's a Forest Ranger)
5. Your favourite food? shrimp
6. Your dream last night? Active and vivid
7. Your favourite drink? Tea.
8. Your dream/goal? build our dream strawbale house
9. What room are you in? Living room next to the woodstove
10. Your hobby? Reading.
11. Your fear? Wasps and losing a loved one
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? in the strawbale house with my guy
13. Where were you last night? at the softball field
14. Something that you aren’t? curvy
15. Muffins? blueberry and blackberry!
16. Wish list item? a soapstone woodstove
17. Where did you grow up? backwoods Georgia
18. Last thing you did? Read a blog ;~)
19. What are you wearing? jeans and sweatshirt
20. Your TV? gets on my nerves
21. Your pet? are all outside, except the cat sleeping in the bathroom cabinet
22. Friends? are few but precious
23. Your life? is what I never knew I always dreamed of.
24. Your mood? relaxed until noon (the baby has to go to the dentist)
25. Missing someone? My guy
26. Vehicle? I got my car back finally
27. Something you’re not wearing? bra LOL
28. Your favorite store? Thrift store
29. Your favorite color? Blue and brown
30. When was the last time you laughed? yesterday
31. Last time you cried? yesterday
32. Your best friend? Eric
33. One place that you go to over and over? a nook in the trees
34. One person who emails you regularly? Mendy
35. Favorite place to eat? at Home!!

11 Years

2009-10-21T09:27:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was my dear hubby's and my anniversary, which we will celebrate this weekend. Time flies so fast when you are having fun with the love of your life. On the one hand, 11 years seems like alot...and yet we both still feel a little shock that it has "only" been 11 years. It's hard at times to realize we both had so much "other life" before we met and married. I know, logically, that I had 27 years before I met him, but at times it seems so hard to recall a time I didn't know and love him! Just feels like we have always been there for each other...he was telling me last night that he swears it should be more like 20 years togeather, in a good way LOL. I'm looking forward to 11 more years..and 11 more, and 11 more..etc ;~)

Hope everyone else is having a wonderful week..and counting the big and small blessings that we have every single day!

2009-10-16T21:42:00.000-05:00

I'm such a grandma's girl!!!

Weather changes

2009-10-16T09:19:00.004-05:00

Fall has arrived here in Alabama...finally..it decided overnight to take a drop into cooler temps. There is that serious nip in the air that just invites a fire in the woodstove...which I get to pass on this morning since I'm getting ready to head out the door to our local "big city" area (a 30 minute drive) so that my oldest boy can be there for his final interview with Job Corp. My poor hubby has already gone out the door in a suit bound for Atlanta for a funeral for a distant relative, having to go the long way so he can stop in Rome for a drug test he has to take for a new job. He's so cute in a suit (hehe) and he just can't stand wearing them...and give me that 'look' cause I giggle at how cute he is tugging on the collar after he has gotten me to button him up...(what would he do without me, can't ever get that top button or the sleeves done himself). Some guys wear suits like second nature but I really prefer my guy looking a little uncomfy in his...and love him in his jeans and cowboy boots ;~)
Hope everyone is having a warm and wonderful day!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-14T18:43:00.001-05:00

Rainy days and the pantry

2009-10-14T15:04:00.002-05:00

Ah, more rain falling here in the south...that pale grey drizzly stuff that makes the whole world seem to be hovering in mist. Seems like a perfect day to cozy up in a chair with a good book...but not me, of course! In my quest to turn things back to the path we want to follow, I pick today to be working on cleaning out and painting my pantry. Leaving the walls white and painting the shelves the strangest seafoam green, hehe...well, I had two colors of paint here besides white..and didn't want the pantry the same color as my bedroom...so seafoam green it is. Can't wait to see how it turns out ;~)

Simple things..

2009-10-12T15:39:00.002-05:00

are always the most magical to kids. (taken at the Tennessee Aquarium in the butterfly garden).

Time for Change..again?

2009-10-12T13:33:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who gets these "moods", for lack of a better word. I start off with the best of intentions to start making the changes needed to create the life we dream of living..and then get sidetracked by the daily ins and outs of life. Months (and on some occasions, years) later I will suddenly "wake up" and wonder "what in the world am I do???". THAT will be when this mood strikes to change back to our original intent. Eight years now we have lived here after our big escape from 'burbs of a big city life to the country we both adore...Hubby was raised in that big city and I was a small town gal who got moved to the city right in the middle of 10th grade. In raising 5 kids, it makes sense that some dreams get sidetracked along the way...but, on the flip side of that, it would seem that SOME progress would be made towards what we want. I know I had my total "hermit mode" flip out thing and we put the kids back in public school a year after we got here...probably the best thing for them at the time, but, in hindsight, probably not such a good idea. We "intended" to be in this mobile home for a max of 5 years as we built our strawbale home (complete with solar power, etc....)..and yet 8 years later we are still sitting here with not even a foundation ready for our house. We have a bad habit of dreaming "big" (funny to say big when our wishes are really so simple...a simple life and home) and then...what?? What happens to us to keep us from moving forward and attaining our dreams and goals? Sure, money is a big factor..but from hundreds of stories, articles and such I have read..it certainly doesn't stop other people that live paycheck to paycheck as we do. I admit, sometimes all the things I want to accomplish are so overwhelming that I just get bogged down and stressed and eventually "give up" and slide back into the "just existing" mode simply because I can't figure out even where to begin.
So, I'm ready to get out of the existing mode! I didn't intend to write such a depressing sounding blog...but it needed out. Sometimes just getting it written down works better than anything else in the world..it clears out the debris of the soul and provides a font for motivation (not to mention the fact that if you post it out there for EVERYBODY to see, you might want to back it up cause people will be looking to see if you slide back into the pit LOL)
Now, I'm asking myself "Where do I start"? In this house, in this moment! I know our dream house isn't going to appear overnight, but I do know we have to live in THIS house during that time. I've always love the phrase "Bloom where you are planted"...well, expecting it or not, I'm planted right here right now and I just need to care for this little plot (home) while I am in it..and, on the bright side, when that dream home becomes a reality, it is right here in my own yard ;~)...I mean, I keep my house (fairly) clean..but, to be honest, there isn't alot of outward signs of what we love adorning it. I've had, in those previous moods, done a bit here and there (painted bedrooms, living room and such)...but I haven't invested my heart into this house..mainly because I never liked it and always just saw it as a temp spot to rest our heads while pursuing the "REAL" dream....I'm amazed at how much sheer time I have lost while holding that thought in my head!
So, here is my thought...I'm going to invest my time in this house (with time, of course on the property, which will enhance it even when another home if finally built), using what I have or can get VERY cheaply or making, or..(you get the idea)...that will have me creating THIS home, since it is the one we have! While I will never be able to stop dreaming of what we want...I WILL stop making it my main focus and letting it cause me to sit in this waiting it out mode and start living for the moment now!
Hmm, I think I'm off my personal crisis now...time to go do something about it!

What dreams are holding you back from living in the present or causing you to keep putting things off because they aren't what you were waiting for/dreaming of?

Contest I ran across

2009-10-11T22:52:00.001-05:00

I adore Ugg boots! Who wouldn't love to win a pair of these!

Today's ramblings...

2009-10-09T15:30:00.002-05:00

Whew!! What a warm and humid day here in the southern half of the US. Guess I'm going to remember to NOT take the air conditioners out at the first of October simply because it is tempting fate to give us a whammy in the form of 80+ degree days with 100% humidity.

On the brighter side, it's been a deliciously lazy day of kicking back on the loveseat reading blogs (grin). As previously mentioned, I'm a tad late jumping on the blogger bandwagon, but I'm loving it very much. Mixed in with that is heart-deep happiness to find there are other women like me out there in the world...we basically hermit-type souls who do long for connection on our own terms... http://holisticmum.blogspot.com/ has a wonderful post today in regard to that hermit state of mind that inspired me with several comments so far that reveal that there are more of us out there! Not to say that I don't like people, I just like them in limited doses of my own choosing...which can make it difficult to maintain relationships sometimes.

And along those same lines, it's time for me to go get a bath to head out to one of my "limited time of my own choosing" friendships...it's just one of those days that I'm actually happy to get out and have dinner at a friends home and curl up on one of thier couches to watch movies...and a blessing, cause if it had not been one of those days for me, it wouldn't have caused any offense since they are a couple that are of the hermit-ty type homebodies that we are.

Wishing everyone a wonderful evening!

Stocked and Rambling

2009-10-08T16:44:00.002-05:00

Well, the monthly grocery thing is done....and I now have a full freezer and pantry ready to make all kinds of yummies and comforts. Nothing feels quite as satisfying as the cabinets bulging and letting you know you can provide for the family. I have my $50 left over to pick up the occasional milk and such throughout the month, as needed...wonderful feeling!
At this moment I can smell the rich pot of Irish Stew (the hubby's fav) simmering on the stove. I would bake, but those brownies in there will cover dessert for tonight. That leaves me free to head out to the Hubby's double-header softball game tonight YEAH...girlies are on Fall Break, so we can go cheer our guy on.
Hopefully, even though I am rather late hopping on the "blogger bandwagon", I can figure this stuff out and get all the nifty doo-dads and pictures and such going on here. Maybe I can get some pointers from all these lovely ladies out here in bloggyland ;~)

Grocery shopping day

2009-10-08T09:10:00.002-05:00

(note: liberal sarcasm sprinkled throughout)

Time for the monthly shopping trip, and since I procrastinated (of course)...here I am trying to tear thru cleaning out the frig and pantry (as I sit here typing on the computer LOL) and making a grocery list so I don't forget anything I need for the month. My dear hubby's solution was to make a list of 5 meals and just plan to make them 6 times, sigh....quite sure he didn't think of the boredom and sickness of eating the same 5 meals for an entire month! I really wonder how it is that I can think of 20 thousand meals during the month, but when it is time to sit and make a menu of healthy and economical dinnersI draw a total blank. One of the few things that makes me thankful it is hunting season though, potential for lots of meat in the freezer..which frees up money to buy other kinds of meat to expand the menu a bit!
But, on the other side, I would MUCH rather do this than have to go into the local Wallyworld every week and figure out what we need! Other than this bit of stress on the "day of..." trying to get organized, it is wonderfully freeing to have this all over and done with in one day as opposed to having to deal with it on a slightly smaller scale weekly....not to say I don't have to drop into a store to pick up more milk, bread or lettuce....but that is a heck of alot easier than plotting weekly how to survive the local chaos of Wallyworld.
So, guess it is time to get back to the world and get this list made!
Hope everyone is having a great day!!

Random things

2009-10-05T18:18:00.002-05:00

I think I'm going stir crazy..no, honestly, seriously. Is there some genetic thing I am unaware of that when the spouse is home it is physically impossible to get anything done around the house?? Now, I really really do love having my guy at home....but when we have LLLLOOONNNGGG stretches between stucco jobs (we are going into week 6 here)...nothing, nada, zilch, zero..that is what I've gotten done around the house, sigh. A pig sty would be prettier than our house if he wasn't a volunteer firefighter as well...so, while he is out doing that work I buzz thru the house getting as much done as I can. I just cannot, and I mean CANNOT, just walk by him sitting in the living room (he always gives that sweet little puppy dog "will you pet me" loving look) and not just feel like I should be sitting there with him LOL