yesterday and today

It's no fun to see someone you love so much be in pain......suffering ......makes me wish I could just take her place and go through it for her.  God bless my sweet, uncomplaining mother. And the awesome nurses at Sacred Heart. I can't imagine being able to handle all that they do! I'm back home now...got some wash going....and I'm  .   .   . r e a l l y . . . getting . . . SO. . . sleepy . . .zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

applelicious

 

Attention, blog readers! The following post has been sitting half-written in my draft box since Tuesday.... So here's an attempt at getting somewhat current again.

 

 

 

Finally whipped up a batch of homemade fabric softener!! I'd pinned it on pinterest awhile back, and had been pining to try it.

What You’ll Need:

• 6 cups HOT water
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups Suave Refreshing Waterfall Conditioner {or other favorite scent}

What You’ll Do:

• Mix conditioner & hot water well, until conditioner is dissolved completely.
• Add the vinegar, and mix well.
• Store in a large container {empty fabric softener container, empty large vinegar bottle, etc}
• Pour into a downy ball… or use approx. 2 tbsp. in the fabric softener spot in your laundry machine… then wash!

I made a half recipe to try if out and used "Fresh Green Apple" conditioner as I love anything apple! {One of my first and favorite "apple" memories is receiving a little bucket of apple bath products from B&B Works for my birthday from my friend Monica when I was pretty young. Thanks again!} It smells great and seemed to work well in the one load of laundry I've done since Monday! {have washed some towels, but I don't put softener in towels...do y'all?? I think it makes them less absorbent, but who knows!} I had fun glamming up a container for my homemade "Downy." First I peeled the labels of my old softener bottle. Then I cut label-sized pieces of hounds tooth wrapping paper. Finally, I modge-podged them in place, and voila! Classy-looking home for humble, homemade, fabric softener.

 

Back to apples, I highly recommend Dunkin' Donuts' new, seasonal, "Apple Orchard Donut." Until I had eaten "cake" donuts at DD, I never would've said that I liked them. But I DO! I really. really. DO. LIKE them! A. LOT. Monday, I ran down and got pricked at Dr. Cleveland's office since Dr. McIntyre is out for a week, and since allergy shots make me really hungry, I got one of these donuts after I had devoured my black bean burrito from Taco Bell. It hit the spot! Don't you just love the wonderful invention of the drive-thru? Go through one, eat, drive on down the road, check for hunger, hit next drive-thru, eat, and so on and so forth until you run out of drive-thrus! Or money, or hunger....

thoughts from the pew...

Do you ever end up letting your mind wander away from the sermon you are supposed to be listening to, and then God ends up sending you another sermon tailor-made? That's what happened to me yesterday... as my thoughts were drifting, He impressed some powerful directives upon me, and brought the following song to my heart. I'll try to leave the gist of them here.

"Life should feel full of wonder for a Christian....is mine? Life will bring many changes, some good and some not so good....will I be able to handle it? God set me here, in THIS time and place.... He will be there for me, for us, ALWAYS. God is the One who created this magical world, with all its wonderment... Happiness doesn't just fall out of the sky; it's up to me to find it, to keep it alive no matter what circumstances life brings to me. Because... "He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." {2nd Corinthians 9:6-7} If I give my all to God, to my husband, to others, and to discovering the simple joys of life, my heart will be full and overflowing."

 

GOD SET YOU HERE

by Janarro Jantz

 

You have arrived in life,

At this time and place.

God set you here

By His love and grace.

 

What e're you meet today,

God's mighty hand

Planned it that way.

Fill your place today.

 

Chorus - "God set you here....God set you here."

 

Oh, faint not at the load

That you have to bear.

God won't forget you;

He's always there.

 

 

What e're you meet today,

God's mighty hand

Prepares a way.

Fill your place and pray.

 

Chorus - "God set you here....God set you here."

 

So spread some cheer around,

Tell someone you care.

You have a place here,

A part to share.

 

Your sunshine's needed here,

So give someone

A smile to cheer.

Fill your place right here.

 

Chorus - "God set you here....God set you here."

to clean or not to clean?!

 

 

Dust if You Must

 

 

Dust if you must,

But wouldn't it be better

To paint a picture or write a letter,

Bake a cake or plant a seed,

Ponder the difference

Between want and need?

 

 

Dust if you must,

But there's not much time,

With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,

Music to hear and books to read,

Friends to cherish

And life to lead.

 

 

Dust if you must,

But the world's out there

With the sun in your eyes,

The wind in your hair.

A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,

This day will not come around again.

 

 

Dust if you must,

But bear in mind,

Old age will come and it's not kind.

And when you go

-And go you must-

You, yourself will make more dust!

 

 

author unknown

 

 

I have always loved this poem....it resonates with me! But, I do love a super clean sparkling house, too! Last night I finally cleaned up the kitchen in its entirety...you know like actually washed up all the stuff that "shouldn't" go in the dishwasher, and even wiped down the grungy, grimy nooks and crannies of the counter tops. And when I was done, I have to admit that it felt pretty fab-dab-lulous!!! But if you choose to make memories instead of cleaning, they stay with you forever, whereas the house ALWAYS gets filthy again!! I've found that cleaning can devour however much time you give it. What do you think? It is always best to clean and then "live?' Or "live" and then clean?! 

Beatrice loves her new home.

As y'all know, Flo-Flo passed awhile back.....but the clear plastic high rise is no longer empty! Beatrice the female Beta fish has moved in! She is a prissy little thing and is loving the girly "shoe" decor of her new apartment! It has a bejeweled high-heeled shoe wall mural, a Cinderella slipper bed, and a lovely blue glass shoe recliner! She primps around like a little princess; swimming circles through the heel of the Cinderella bed and fluttering her little flappers whenever someone stops to admire her gorgeous, aquamarine scales. We are as happy to have Beatrice here as she is to be with us instead of living in her cramped quarters on the Walmart shelf. She is welcoming all visitors and admirers to stop by for a home tour anytime!

life was good

 

It raineth, our company left, and we're bushed.

 

But the happy couple tied the knot, we hung out till all hours of the nights, and loved every minute! :)

 

Word of the Day

diapason \dahy-uh-PEY-zuhn\ , noun:
1. A full, rich outpouring of melodious sound

 

The wedding choir produced the loveliest diapason.

 

425 people witnessed the vows.

 

Huge wedding = much people-watching, and chatting, and eating, and milling about.

 

Leftover red velvet cake, anyone?

 

Why am I finding it difficult to even string a few sentences together?! (yawn, yawn.....)

 

So pleased to have purchased two tankini swim tops on clearance at Goodys for a total of $8.15!

 

Shrimp Basket's shrimp tacos are sublime.

 

Philip and Twila have two of the sweetest little boys!

 

Joe Pattie's Seafood is the ultimate in seafood. Dreaming of salmon grilled on a cedar plank in the near future.

 

Curling up with my Nook and some snacks is seeming like the best idea I've come up with all day!

 

These interminable allergy shots are making me feel like a needle junkie...

 

More sad goodbyes to good friends yet tonight.

 

Goodbyes are not my favorite; can I just wake up when life's goodbyes are over?...

prop 10

Most of you are probably wondering at the seriously strange post title!! I am too, in fact! Wondering about my sanity or lack thereof! Back it really does make sense. You've all heard of "hang 10" for surfing; quote wikipedia -  Hanging Ten is a surfing maneuver and is considered ^[1] one of the most impressive and iconic stunts one can perform with a surfboard. Hanging ten is when the surfer positions the surfboard in such a way that the back of it is covered by the wave and the wave rider is free to walk to the front of the board and hang all ten toes over the nose of the board. Usually this can only be done on a heavy longboard. Never will figure out HOW in the world people are able to stay on such a thing as a surfboard in moving water and WAVES, much less WALK on it! Anyway, I am so delighted to finally have all ten of my toes "propped" up on the coffee table bench in front of me while I belately blog a bit, sort through a slew of emails, and peer at pinterest.... I'm confident that I am much more talented at "propping 10" than "hanging 10" by the way. Sorry this is crazy and short, but that's how life is! :)

land of the free

Land of the free, home of the brave!

I am so thankful to be privileged to live in this wonderful country that countless brave men and women have given their lives to protect.... My mind is going back to that awful September 11 day years ago.... I was 15, and my friend Vanessa and I were planning to go get our learner's driving permits that afternoon after school. Our teacher told us what had happened, but it didn't seem real. The day was sunny and beautiful like it is today. Reality sank in though as we watched the replays of the horrific tragedy on the TVs later at the DL building. We did manage to focus enough to pass our tests thankfully! What are your thoughts of that day and what was going on in your life?...

God bless America!

 

 

random thoughts of a non-brainiac

This slightly fallish weather is crisp, invigorating, buoyant!!!

Daniel was even a bit excited to cut grass again today since he hopefully wouldn't be dripping sweat in 5 minutes.

My dress for the wedding is begging to be completed.

Yesterday was a relaxing day with friends - a mixture of church, guns, dogs, cake, and grilled burgers!

Saturdays are the best! Especially when they end in a supper at David's Catfish with family. :)

These running shoes are doing laps through my head....I want them. Badly!!!

Had a good wake-up sit outside on my bench with my coffee this morning.

It feels like every day is a "shot day" almost! It's Monday again?!

Took a few practice shots with my bow and arrows yesterday. Hunting season here I come!

Due to the porches being nearly overtaken with slimy green tree frogs of late, I am getting slightly less afraid of them. (only very slightly. Maybe. One even landed on my arm the other night, and I only had a minute's worth of histrionics and heart palpitations!)

So excited to be going shopping with my older sis tomorrow; it's been a long time since we have shopped together! (wish us luck in finding her hubby and kids the perfect shades of lavender or wine-berry shirts for the upcoming wedding!)

Will chevron be a passing trend, or is it a timeless pattern?

Our dear friend Alex is now engaged to be married to a sweet, 18 year old farm girl on November 3! Arkansas, here we come! (hopefully!)

Can't wait to see a bunch of our good friends and fam that will be down for the wedding this weekend! David and Tara, Mervin and Lydia, Philip and Twila.......So exciting! ;)

I need to start the day. My lime green white board to-do list is rather long and daunting, so I must begin to tackle it asap!

TTYL!

happy birthday, Rhonda!

My oldest sis turned 28 today! (Yay! Now I am 2 years younger again! lol!) Since I'm sure she wouldn't approve of the tone of this post so far, I will move along to write about the wonderful day we had together celebrating! Mom, Mel, and I took things for a girly breakfast at Rhonda's house. Our menu was French Toast with Coconut Syrup, Frozen Mixed Berries, Bacon, and of course, Coffee! Rhonda's toast was adorned with sprinkles and a candle for the "breakfast party effect!" After lingering long, and stuffing our faces, we spent the rest of the pleasant day sewing and chatting. Dad stopped by with a couple pizzas that hit the spot for lunch. Even though we had to sew, the day turned out quite festive! Hope Rhonda enjoyed her special day as much as I did! :)

Blender French Toast with Coconut Syrup
-Alyssa Griffeth-

4 eggs
1 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. + 2 T. flour
1 lg. loaf French bread, sliced thick (about 12-13 slices)

In blender, combine all ingredients except bread. Blend until mixture is lump-free. Transfer to a shallow bowl.

Quickly dip both sides of bread in mixture and place on greased, hot skillet (heated to 325 degrees). Flip over when browned. Serve with hot Coconut Syrup, toasted coconut, and whipped cream.

Coconut Syrup

1/2 c. butter
¾ c. buttermilk
1 c. sugar
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. coconut extract

Place butter, buttermilk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil one minute.

Remove from heat and add baking soda and extract, stirring constantly. It will bubble up, so if your pot is small, hold it over the sink to avoid spillage. Continue to stir syrup and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve over almost any breakfast food: waffles, pancakes, French toast, crepes, etc. 

check it out!

Today I thought I'd share with you one of my most favorite blogs that I love to follow! http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/ I love how inspired I feel to organize and beautify in our home after I get done browsing Jennifer Jones' trendy transformations! If only we had an Ikea nearby though..... She utilizes a LOT of their charming and cheap baskets etc. I keep hoping that if I continue reading about all these wonderful ways to organize, that some of it will soak in and I shall become an organizing queen whose closets can be seen without shame! Check out these before and after picks from Jen's latest post.

 

time for a real post and a new look!

It doesn't look like the "follow by email" feature is working. But I will leave it on the page awhile longer and see if anyone can get it to work. On a brighter note, how do you like the new look? :) I thought it was high time to post a "real" post and give this blog a much-needed makeover! Only scattered thoughts are coming to mind though, so here goes!

It's raining and pouring and the old man isn't snoring! He's grumpy it's raining AGAIN!

Sewing Day at church was a blast....I love quilting, other than stabbing myself repeatedly with my needle!

I have only sewed two dinky seams on my yellow and white dress for Rusty's wedding.

I'm so pleased I was able to churn out 10 cards at the card making party I attended yesterday, even though my cards are sadly lacking in splendor compared with the ones the other girls made!

I completed a conquest to annihilate a slimy, green, tree frog that made the mistake of hopping into our house yesterday morning. After sending a pleading prayer upwards for help and courage, I dashed about the living room as I fogged the poor frog with Off insect spray until he hopped his last hop and I breathed a grateful sigh of shuddering relief! Why do I have to be so terrified of the pitiful little things?!

Emma by Jane Austen is my current Nook classic. So far, so good.

A 9' x 12' painter's dropcloth makes a wonderful couch slipcover! We love the sturdy look and the oatmeal color.

My husband is a master gunsmith. If you need proof, just check out the state of our kitchen table! "Ahem!" (trying to be thankful we have a "good" place for him to work on guns!)

Inspiration hit the other day to paint a wild and colorful, abstract, coffee-themed painting. Come to my "gallery" and check it out! lol

Sometimes Chinese takeout is what life is all about! :)

testing 4, 5, 6!!

anybody get an alert this time?! :)

testing 1 2 3!

hey did you get an alert?

follow by email

Hey y'all! I'm trying out the "follow by email" option! I thought I had tried it previously and it did not work because of my blog being private, but it's acting so far like it may work! Please try signing up for email alerts for each new post and let me know with a comment if it is working for you. Thanks! :)

Cake Batter Blondies!

 

 

I woke today with a taste for sprinkles, and since my Confetti Cake Poptarts have all been devoured, these sprinkle-loaded blondies seemed like an awesome idea for breakfast! :) Of course I didn't quite follow the recipe.... I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and a Funfetti cake mix instead of yellow since that's what I had on hand. I put them in a round pan (since it was red and would look the purdiest!) and sadly ended up over baking them!! My worst kitchen nightmare! The recipe says around 30; I did 20 and they were already too done. But they were still moist and good, just cakey-er (is that a word?!) than pictured. So I renamed the recipe "Cake Batter Coffee Cake" and savored a wedge with my coconut coffee. Make some for yourself for a spectacular sprinklely Sunday morning breakfast tomorrow!

Cake Batter Blondies

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 -1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sprinkles
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add the milk slowly. You want to cake batter to be as dense & thick as possible. Mix in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips. Pour into 8 x 8 baking pan, sprinkle a few more sprinkles on top, and bake for 28-30 minutes (TOO LONG! Try 15 min) until edges are just turning brown. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so the center sets, before cutting into squares.
*The blondies will look like they are not fully done because the center will be quite gooey, but that’s what you want! After about 30 minutes of cooling, they will be easy to cut using a serrated knife.
*I have also baked these in a 11×7 baking pan at 350F for exactly 30 minutes