Ye Ole Blog!

I am in one of those moods that I need to write so I know how I feel! 

First things first, I was shocked to see that I have not written since July 29!! Gulp!!! I have finally figured out why my writing became first sporadic, then dribbled down to a pitiful trickle that eventually dried up! The answer is this - Writing is an outlet of creativity to me. I love to take an ordinary day and through the magic of thoughts turned into words, spin it into a splendrous story of real life. While teaching, the compulsory urge to fill those creative crevices in my soul by blogging just isn't there because I pour all my expressive energies into my classroom and the 8 little souls who inhabit it for 6.75 hours each day! So, I have finally made peace with my writing and/or the lack of it. I will write when and if the need strikes! 

Just a few ramblings now about the things that have transpired since I've last written! The seasons have changed....Fall is falling into place. Pumpkins and mums, here I comes!!! :) I officially dove-hunted for the first time yesterday and had a blast blasting bird shot into space with nary a bird to show for it! Danl's knee is still soreish whenever he is on it for any length of time. Wedding bells are ringing for Erica with the final bong sounding on November 1. So churning out some new frocks is the first thing on this week's "Things to do After I Get Home From School" list. If only sewing would soothe my soul like writing does...

tell me quick before I faint....

Note: I wrote this post last night, but wasn't able to finish editing it before the hubby called me away to bed. So hence the past tense.

Tell me quick before I faint, pitch them now or keep them quaint?? The issue at hand is several issues actually. Think plural in its greatest sense. Beautiful, treasured issues of Southern Living that I have hoarded ever since I began getting my own copies. Last week as I was decluttering in Zone 4 {master bedroom} I felt compelling to follow FlyLady's advice and simply purge them. When do I ever look at them?! Have I even sneaked a tiny peak at any of them in the last past year? No..... So! With great resolve I hauled them out from under the bed and put them bravely beside the recycling bin. And....for some reason....there they stayed....I guess I wasn't as ready to part with them as I thought I was. But now today, before my resolve completely dribbled away, I grabbed the basket and resolutely headed for the curb to pitch them as tomorrow the big green go-green truck is scheduled to grab them. I slowly started to dump, and then stopped as a few lovely, glossy issues fell in with a plop. It felt like I was throwing away my friends!! Standing out by the road like a ninny, I started to page through each issue for closure, tearing out ideas/pictures that nabbed my attention. A recipe for sweet potato pie with marshmallow meringue that I had baked and loved, {even a few tell-tale splatters on the page} was added to the memento pile. But the fading light of the summer night along with the whining and feasting of the mosquitoes zapped me back to reality. I could do this! I would be strong, and would fight my hoarding gene instead of letting it take a'holt of me! With a small sigh, the rest of the pile slid silently into the great netherlands of the recycling world. Who knows? Maybe, instead of living the stagnant lives of their boring hoarded existence under my bed, those old issues will someday be in my hands again as the pages of a haute new copy of Southern Living! Wait! Speaking of "new" copies, I haven't even absorbed my last two issues properly! So I shall sit and bask in the glow of my latest decluttering accomplishment whilst I lose myself in the South with my current friends instead of hanging on to those from the past.

P.S. I really think this new plan of tossing the old issue as soon as the new one arrives, will help me to heartily enjoy the issue at hand as in cooking the recipes that strike me and cutting out ideas {or finding them online and pinning them} straight away!

for such a time as this...

Live long, Queen Esther! She has been reigning in my thoughts tonight; her courage and determination to stand bravely during an extremely stressful time in her life makes me feel so weak-hearted. Today was a grey day....I won't go into the reasons as to why. It would only sound like the whiny martyred attitude that I was suffering from before God gave me the inspiration that this was a chance to live like Queen Esther! I could choose to face my situation with my "mental" tiara firmly in place, a beautiful attitude in my heart, and courage in my step because like was asked of Esther, "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" This valley can be my chance to shine! To trust, to have faith that everything WILL be OK! We all have these chances, these times that seem like the worst thing in the world is happening to us! And life just isn't fair! And others don't have to suffer like we do! But if we can only remember to get out our tiara, dress in our finest attitude, and proceed with royal courage, we can be brave and queenly "in such a time as this" because we can handle anything with God.

We Have a Winner!!!

Congratulations, Anne!! Last night I meticulously wrote the name of each individual who had entered this birthday giveaway on a piece of paper, cut them into little strips {the names, not the people}, folded them in half {again, the papers not the people!}, plunked them in a cupcake liner {it just seemed fitting!} and had Daniel pluck one out! And he proclaimed, "Annie!" My scrawl was too scrawlish I guess because it really said, "Anne with an E."  Funny, because before I officiated the drawing I had had the fleeting thought that maybe Anne will win this! If you are even entertaining any doubts of foul play, ask Daniel and he will tell you that everything was fair and square and extremely above board! Hopefully the cupcake batter dispenser will speed through the mail, as I hadn't ordered it beforehand in case someone that lives far rather than near should be the happy winner, in which case I would just ship it straight to them. As it is, it will come to my house first so I can bedazzle it with wrappings and trappings! Please don't be sad, all of you who didn't win....another giveaway is a'brewin' up in my brain! :)

a midsummer night's dream....came true!

This evening as I was sitting upon my porch bench reflecting, I thought how drastically different this night was from one month ago June 12. That evening I was just saturated with sadness, overwhelmed with work that needed doing, and completely lost as to where in the world I should start. I wanted to escape it all, go to sleep, and wake up to a new life! This evening, I felt so peaceful as I enjoyed some time outside watching the sunset and reading while eating watermelon, my timer at my side. Supper was over, {chicken had been out and thawed in the sink}, everything was orderly, the dishwasher was empty, a load of laundry had been done, the bed was made, our bathroom had been swished and swiped, I hadn't had to do ANY major cleaning because I had done a One Hour Home Blessing earlier in the week! The difference has been an answer to my desperate prayers in the form of FLYLADY! I know, I know, the post before my last one totally mocked her, but this month has proven to me that her system was built for distracted, unorganized, late people like ME! And it works! I haven't arrived, and sometimes still do more puttering than fluttering, but I feel so differently about my life in general! This will be all for now....I'm sure you will hear more and will get tired of my ravings about how FLYing works! Happy One Month Anniversary to me of being a FlyBaby! Never thought I would be happy to be called a FlyBaby, but I AM!

{P.S. Don't forget to sign up for the cupcake batter dispenser giveaway on my last post! It ends July 18!}

Life is a Gift! That's why we call it the "Present." GIVEAWAY!!!

  Presents, presents, and more presents!!! But I am not complaining! {My birthday was Wednesday, June 18, by the way!} I think I am finally reaching a stage of maturity, because I didn't mention my birthday with nearly every breath like I usually do. But if you would ask Daniel for his opinion, I think he would tell you that I did still mention it quite often, even though I didn't blog about it! My dear hubby and sweet mom-in-law hatched the most splendid idea ever which was to give me presents for 5 days in a row preceding my birthday and ending up on the day! Was that ever a blast to have a gift just waiting to be opened each day! One even got eagerly opened at 12:01 a.m.!! But I was good, and didn't even sneak early peeks or open them all at once like I wanted to!

    Celebration started early on Tuesday with MamaLisa! As I was heading down to meet her in Pensacola, I added another warning to my stack of speeding warnings. {Still no ticket though! Yay! Fingers crossed...} I told the trooper that I totally knew I was speeding and was so sorry, but that I was meeting my mom-n-law for my birthday lunch....and did he know Chris Chambles?? I grew up down the road from him... :) lol! It worked! We had a fabulous lunch at the Fish House where I was privileged to mark eating the world-famous "Grits a Ya Ya!" off my bucket list! There's definitely a reason that these grits are renown!! After lunch, we hit Pensacola Hardware which is NOT your normal boring hardware store! It's as good as the mall! Then we browsed the Bodacious Olive and had fun sampling gourmet olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Birthday Cake yogurt with piles of toppings from Wild Honey topped off the day! Thanks again, Mom!! On Wednesday, I started the day off right in birthday style by eating microwave baked oatmeal covered with colorful sprinkles.  I didn't put a candle in though....Then Katie, Mel, Anne, and I had met at the Coffee House for some java & girl time. Next stop was Novus to see Marnita since she hadn't been able to make it for coffee. After that, I shopped Miller Pawn Shop {found a drop leaf table that I want, but it's $120!}, Dirt Cheap, and Goody's. Amazingly, I didn't spend a penny! Lunch was at Jalisco's with Daniel. Next item of the day was swimming with Mel and Katie. Instead of going out for a birthday supper, I went along with Danl to wreak havoc where the beavers are wreaking havoc on the old fish ponds drainage pipes. Eager beavers they are for sure!! They haven't gotten the message that they are supposed to MOVE, RELOCATE, or SCRAM because their home is scheduled to be leveled, so they have been most diligently trying to maintain the water levels that they are accustomed to! A Cheeselovers pizza with light sauce and black olives on half sure hit the spot after that escapade! Peg Leg Pete's will have to wait...sigh. After supper, I was kinda sad because my birthday was almost over, and it wouldn't come for another whole year...but I still have several celebrations on the horizon! My birthday twin Roxie and I have yet to give ourselves the honors, and I think my family is planning an outing or two and a good meal to boot! So there's no reason to be blue! 

   Yesterday had me singing "O Happy Day!" Mel gave me an awesome present that has me ready for some fun in the sun!! Then when I got home from working at Dad's, an enormous birthday present from Jill was sitting on my front-porch bench! Wow, Jill! So many gorgeous gifts up in that box!! Thanks!! Also got to open a loaded card from DaddyWayne and MomDenise! Thank you!! I already know what I am going to buy!! Supper at Kim Holdeman's was the next highlight. Fajitas with friends out on the porch, balloons, coffee & cupcakes, and a magical present from London a is a perfect combination! You're the best, Nes!!!! 

   Now for the GIVEAWAY! Since I had such a wonderful birthday, thanks to all my dear family and friends, I want to share the joy by giving YOU a present as is the custom in some cultures! And since birthdays always make me think of cake, what could be better than this marvelous cupcake batter dispenser?! I have been in love with mine ever since Tiff gave me one for Christmas! It works like a charm! To enter this Birthday Giveaway, please describe in the comments your most magical birthday ever! Why do you remember it? What made it special? Once entry per person will be counted, but feel free to add as many comments as you like! This giveaway will be open for entries until July 18, 2014. Bring on the memories of your best birthday, because after all, birthdays are the reason we were born!

rubba scrubba??

Well, you know I need to write about CLEANING since I just had to clean two glumps of some unknown substance off my laptop screen so I could see what I was typing! It's bad, I know. And since I am a much better analyzer, list maker, and ponderer than I am a cleaner, I have been making so much progress this summer in internal therapy as to WHY I am such a wretched housekeeper! Is it genetic?? Did my mom just not train me RIGHT?? {sorry, Mom! :)} Am I just plain LAZY?? Should I even try to CHANGE? Or just accept my Mama Bear closets?? And be HAPPY that Daniel and I spend way too much time hunting for our stuff among our stuff??

I am too much of a perfectionist to accept the myth that I can't improve my habits, and put my life back together like a magazine picture! {As if it ever was?!} So...... I have started polling my friends that appear to live like Martha Stewart/Betty Crocker {they tell me they don't, but the drawer under the oven doesn't lie!!} for success tips, etc. to get me on the road to complete, organized bliss. Here are some snitches of what they had to say!

"Make the bed!! Even if it's late in the day, just make it." {Even after making this a New Year's Try-To, I still fail miserably at this one.}

"I like to get dressed and comb my hair before leaving the bedroom."  {Oh dear, no lounging in yoga pants til lunch?!}

"Keep the dishes done."  {Supposedly this tidbit had come at one time from me!!!?? Wow. I went off course.}

"It helps to have enough storage."  {OK, this one makes sense. Trailer house does not = storage!}

"I actually enjoy cleaning." {You DO? Oh....HOW?}

"Try FlyLady's 15 minute Decluttering rule. It really works!!!"  {FlyLady, here I come!}

"You can't have it all. I wish I had all your ideas and creativity. Just be yourself." {Thanks! I feel better already!}

"I don't like to cook, but I love to sew."  {Well, I don't like to sew, but I love to cook....if I don't have to do dishes.}

"I didn't like how rigid my mom was with household rules. We had to put our shoes away immediately and hang things in our closets just so....I hated it. {Thanks, Mom, for being just the way you were!!}

"I don't think we can completely change our natures, but we can each try to improve in areas where we don't shine. {Such wise, sane advice. Maybe I don't need to continue internal therapy, and friend surveys after all.}

{Mr. Rubba Scrubba}

Anyway, I decided to check out http://www.flylady.net/ to see what she had to offer. Hmmmm.....I signed up for her daily emails that she deems very important, {GULP! 10+ per day?! I guess I will be so organized I will have time to read piles of emails!} but I am not completely convinced that I should become a "FlyBaby" and go "fluttering" around! I also draw the line at wearing lace up shoes in the house!! That being said, I did enjoy her tip of grabbing a trashbag and walking around the house throwing aways 27 things. Love the randomness of the number 27! It was actually harder than I thought it would be, but then it would be hard for a hoarder to throw away 27 things....Her next command was to give away 27 things. This was actually easier for some odd reason... Both activities were very good for my constitution! Maybe I should become a fledgling FlyBaby, and go fluttering around swishing and swiping with my Purple Rags, Rubba Scrubba, and Rubba Sweepa! Ummm... Really?? I'm thinking some Sitta Whila while I Reada Booka would be better! Like my favorite poem, "Dust if You Must!" I'm torn. I want to be a relaxed, fun person whose house is always ready for friends to drop by! But, that doesn't happen while you're Deepa Sleepa! What do you think?? Are any of y'all already happily fluttering around as FlyBabies?! Maybe if she didn't call her followers FlyBabies and FlyGuys I would be more excited about this. But then I never have been excited about cleaning! It's much more fun to write about cleaning than to actually clean. 

{Mrs. Rubba Squisha}

BREAKING NEWS! KK now has birthday cake batter donuts!

Life is sweet;

made sweeter with sweets 

from my sweetie. 

sperrys

I love my Laguna Top Sider Sperrys.

They are my first pair ever, and I am now completely Sperrified!! 

They're cushy, they're comfy, and they're green inside! 

{you can barely see a slice of the kelly color in the pic!}

Getting these shoes was definitely a lesson in "It Always Pays to Ask!"

I desperately needed something to wear on field trip last week, so I journeyed up to Goody's in Atmore with hopes high. But alas! The only Sperry my size was a gold speckled black thing that I was sure was not my style, even though I tried to convince myself that I did adore them. Along came a shoe lady whom I proceeded to beleaguer with questions such as, "Do you recommend Sperrys?" "Are they really worth the cost like everyone who owns them says they are?" and "Do you have ANYTHING else in the back in a size 9.5???" She sadly replied that all she had was what was out front, but upon seeing my mournful puppy-dog expression, she commenced to plod to the back to make absolutely sure! A few minutes later, out she came with a box in hand! "I did have this one pair back there in a 9.5! They are the newest style that just came in." 

I, with trepidation, lifted the lid and let out a great gasp of pure delight!!

"These are the very pair I had most been longing for!!" I then continued to let out such grateful acclamations of joy and gratitude that I'm not quite sure what she thought of me. I hope she always thinks it is worth it to go in the back and double check when a woman wants a pair of shoes! 

living the life of a loo redo

   

I miss my ole blog! I feel like it is always the thing to get pushed off the never-ending "to-do" list and this makes me sad. I so often don't know how I am feeling about life in general until I sit down to write about it! So here I sit to type instead of finishing up the dishes with Dawn. :) Feeling a sudden compulsion to blog immediately if not sooner, I promptly neglected the dishes and rushed to the couch to begin a small summary of our lives of late. We are doing well! Landon has been expertly re-doing the loo, which was what I thought would be a somewhat small project. NOT. Sawdust, Sheetrock dust, insulation, and dirt covered the house from tip to tail. And has stayed that way mostly until I have been attacking it today. We do love the new loo though! Bye bye  to the following: old, unused, huge Jacuzzi; ugly, country blue counter top, chintzy gold half-working light fixtures, and cracked, mended {with some yellow stuff that always made me think of urine} shower. Hello classy black counter top, new closet, sparkling white shower, and brushed silver light fixtures and cabinet handles! Fresh paint in the tint of Martha Stewart's "Dolphin" which is a pale, fresh grey, will hopefully soon be gracing the walls. Also the cabinets will be transformed from yellowish oak to a glossy white. Since the pot for our master bath is basking in sun out in our front lawn, we have been using our hall/guest bathroom. This has resulted in me becoming totally repulsed at the orange walls this small dungeon of a room!! Orange, I have learned, is NOT a calming color! I become very agitated and slightly nauseous when I have to spend any amount of time there. Come to find out, Daniel has been having these same feeling for quite some time now, but has kept them bottled up since he thought I was deeply in love with our orange loo. This will never do!! We will attempt another loo redo as soon as the time and funds are available. I'm thinking a very pale mint for the walls, and accent colors of cherry red, emerald, lime, navy or royal blue, black and white wallpaper on one wall... maybe some British nick-nacks? It's been fun to brainstorm and gather ideas! As long as there is NO ORANGE involved!!!
   Daniel has been breaking his back dozing and hoeing while putting up with the dozer and 'hoe breaking their backs. Repairs are not for the feeble-minded.
   Well, my friend Dawn is impatiently awaiting some assistance with dishes, so I shall return to the work wither it goest where I go, and lodgest where I lodge.

  

my friend Dawn

I guess I'm still feeling poetic due to the WHCS Poem Fest we had Friday night. We had a wonderful time and the children were so proud of the amazing job they did with reciting their poems, making tarts, bagging party mix, and serving the crowd. It was well worth every ounce of effort it took. Yesterday, since I had largely ignored housework for the past three days, I had the most majestic mountain of dishes and felt a surge of thankfulness for my dear friend Dawn. Hence this poem. Today I made Frozen Mocha Cheesecake Dessert for Mamalisa's belated birthday supper, along with Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta, and Ceaser Salad. We had a lovely evening with Mom and Bill. Now I need to finish making lesson plans, check some tests, and give Dawn a call as I have a small smattering of dishes to do. Have a good evening, everyone! 

I want to tell you about my dear friend Dawn.

She's always there when hope is gone.

She's steady, dependable, I can call her anytime.

And believe it or not, her favorite thing is GRIME!

Dawn loves to see the dishes piled high,

What makes her sing, makes me cry.

She gets right to it, and attacks with glee

Every stuck-on noodle of last night's spaghetti.

She smells of the islands, of a tropical clime

When Dawn does the dishes we have a good time

For the scent of pineapple takes us far far away

To a place where grease is not a part of our day.

Even though she's so helpful and cheerful and bright,

I can't quite convince her to get this thing right.

I want her so badly to do the dishes herself.

But she insists on waiting for me, the unselfish elf.

She says she just can't do the the dishes alone.

That I must gird up my loins and not groan.

That blessings will come as we work on together,

And she'll always help me no matter the weather.

So I sigh and tell Dawn that she can have it her way.

Just so she'll help me get through each fray.

Because she is the best friend that there ever was

And boy can she can make the most beautiful suds.

She makes washing dishes almost seem like fun,

And I'm almost surprised when we wash the last one.

But maybe one day she will surprise me and say,

"You know what, I'll do the dishes without you today!"

{SMF- 4.06.14}

Completely "Spring Broken"

I have written this post so many times in my head but never on digital paper.

So for those of you that can't read my thoughts yet, here it finally is in black and white! {albeit the short version}

During the magical 10 whole days of Spring Break I... Slept in. Way, way in. I cooked. Ate. Reorganized my Pinterest boards. Cooked again. Had lunch at Dixie Catfish with my friend Kristy Benner. Baked cinnamon rolls. Ate. Fished with Daniel. {I caught the biggest catfish and the most bass! Yay! Nothing like some good competitive fishing for a healthy marriage! :)} Had a fish fry. Worked 5.5 hours in the office for my Dad. {If you read that really fast it looks like 55 hours. Kind of.} Thought about taxes. Read. Emptied the entire contents of the guest room/studio closet out into the room. And left it all sitting right there where it landed. Shopped Fairhope with Priscilla and Anne and Matthew. Bought a whimsical little painting of a sad dog sitting by a red door. Purchased 2 tiny loaf pans so I can bake miniature loaves of bread for my future children like my mom baked for us. Had coffee drinks at the Southern Living-famous "Coffee Loft." Shopped Pensacola with Aunt Sue. Thought about taxes again. Worked in my classroom. Picked up litter along Garrett Road. {I've decided to adopt a highway. Shall I make my own sign?! "This road is maintained by resident Sharon M. Faircloth" LOL} Reveled in being plain lazy. Climbed the Pensacola lighthouse {all 177 steps!!!} with Mel, Katie, and Mom. Then we ate our packed lunch and laid in the sun at the beach. Blissful. Got Krispy Kreme donuts. I ate 6 in 2 days. Chocolate-covered mocha-filled, raspberry-filled, chocolate-covered creme-filled, lemon-filled, cappuccino frosted chocolate-dribbled, and one more last chocolate-covered mocha-filled. Gained 3 pounds. Drank coffee. Gave Diesel and Leroy a severe outdoor shower. And of most consequential consequence, I signed my name with red pen on the dotted line of the contract that says I will teach 5th & 6th grades at WHCS for the year of 2014-2015. So instead of staying home to {hopefully} have 1 child, I will be a working "mom" with 8 kids!

http://www.whatscookingintheburbs.blogspot.com/2012/07/bacon-cheddar-chicken-and-rice-bake.html

http://www.skinnymom.com/2012/05/11/skinny-sour-cream-enchiladas/

http://willcookforsmiles.com/2013/07/coconut-crusted-stuffed-french-toast.html

http://www.ohbiteit.com/2012/07/french-toast-dumplings-simmered-in-maple-syrup.html

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/01/16/chocolate-frosting-shots/

{this was a fail. Let me know you get it right. mine was soupy, not firm like the pic. but it tasted good.}

Made and ate these with Mel one night. :)

http://www.lovefromtheoven.com/2012/07/15/single-serving-deep-dish-cookie-a-la-mode/

http://www.justapinch.com/recipe/opal-newcomb/almond-joy-bars/quick-easy-cake-for-kids#.T26CR8kBVvp.pinterest

{Made these this past Thursday for the Schneider gathering we had at my folks to celebrate that Uncle Lyle and Aunt Polly were down for a visit. So wasn't a Spring Break bar. Just wanted to clarify lest you think I went completely sugar-bonkers during Spring Break! Which I guess I did....}

please vote!

narrowing it down....and combating my normal paradoxical instincts! classy? or kiddish? love them both!

please vote and help me out! {or tell me to order both!}

it's making me so nervous to be going around coverless...seems like everything is reaching out to shatter or scratch. and clumsy is my middle name...

london giveaway update

Behind with everything like I am, I still have not given Aunt Tricia her giveaway gift! Shame, shame! But after finding this adorable tin at We Care for only $.79 the other day when I was there hunting for Bible concordances for Barry for school, I was pleased that I hadn't because now I can give it to her in this "rare" cookie tin that is valued at approximately $20 on eBay! {where I snagged this photo btw} That, my friends, is the thrill of thrifting! 

quickly thinking whilst i type...

I like this quote.

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart. - by John Bunyan

Daniel is bow-hunting. 

He has worked all morning on servicing "Rosie the Dozie"  aka bulldozer and the track hoe. It is still too wet to work much to his dismay! I think this is the soggiest winter we have ever experienced. Didn't mind wet winters so much when we had lawn service contracts....but such is life!

I am taking a couch break.

 Because I have gotten out of bed, washed loads of laundry, scrubbed piles of dishes and scummy counter tops, sorted mail, paid bills, made Three Cheese Hamburger Helper, and straightened up the house. After a short sit and a piece of chocolate cake from Aunt Sue that I denied myself of when I was on a "diet day" earlier this week since I am on a "off day" today, I will bound up and vacuum out the car "again" so we can get it parked somewhere for sale, clean out the Yukon, trim my rose bush, dust, clean up the dog area, clean bathrooms, vacuum and mop floors, bag up piles of stuff that I pulled out of closets and drawers in January so I can drop it by the thrift store next week, visit Grandma Schneider, go to folk's so Dad can help me do a demo of the sound wave science experiment that I want to do Monday, grade some tests, type next week's school schedule, spend some quality time with Danl, and get ready for church at 7:15! Lucky for us, Mel {koehn} sweetly made and gave us some gourmet potatoes and pork loin that will be a scrumptious meal for us tonight! Such a blessing to have dear friends.... And meanwhile I need to be pondering on how/what we should do to celebrate Florida's birthday at school on Monday! 

Anyone want to bring freezers of homemade key lime ice cream?! :)

Any ideas on how to actually accomplish all that stuff I just listed out?! Knowing how to prioritize would be amazing...it ALL seems important to me....but I fail miserably at being Superwoman. Sometimes I just know I am one step from the loony bin! You know what I did Thursday?! I had gone to Pensacola for allergy shots and was supposed to meet Daniel and David at Sake for supper. So I pull in and wait and wait and wait on them, and finally almost 15 minutes or so later, I realize that I am sitting in the parking lot of Tuscan Pizza Oven!!! Not Sake! SO DUMB!!! Then I meekly pulled out, and proceeded to go next door to Sake where they were waiting for and laughing at me! See? There's no hope for this scatterbrained redhead!!

right now...

Outside my window...the waves are crashing and the sun is shining over Orange Beach!

I am thinking... that the shrimp scampi pizza from Lillian's we just devoured was the best pizza I've ever had!

I am thankful... that we are celebrating our 9th year of love!

In the kitchen...it's CLOSED. Yay!

I am wearing... a pensacola beach t-shirt and a royal blue skirt.

I am creating...a fresh outlook.

I am going... to highly recommend the Perdido Beach Resort!

I am reading...3 books! And the Mountains Echoed, Be Happy or I'll Scream, and Exploiting My Baby.

I am hoping... that it won't be raining tomorrow.

I am looking forward to... sleeping way in again in the morning.

I am learning… that I mess up so much, and need to go back and apologize.

Around the house...I don't know what is happening! Mel is dog-sitting and cleaning! Love my sweet sis!

One of my favourite things... is spending quality time with my hubby.

We are right here by the "Pass" in the west tower of those orangish hotels.

right brain, left brain, brain Brain BRAIN!!!

We've been studying about the majestic, mysterious human brain in science, and having been learning about left and right brainedness. Which are you? I was curious for myself, so I dug around online, and took this test! If you are wondering which brained you are, take this quiz and find out today! And let me know in the comments. :)

http://www.wherecreativitygoestoschool.com/vancouver/left_right/rb_test.htm

Here's my results!

Thank you for taking the Creativity Test. The results show your brain dominance as being: 

Left Brain	Right Brain
33%	67%

You are more right-brained than left-brained. The right side of your brain controls the left side of your body. In addition to being known as right-brained, you are also known as a creative thinker who uses feeling and intuition to gather information. You retain this information through the use of images and patterns. You are able to visualize the "whole" picture first, and then work backwards to put the pieces together to create the "whole" picture. Your thought process can appear quite illogical and meandering. The problem-solving techniques that you use involve free association, which is often very innovative and creative. The routes taken to arrive at your conclusions are completely opposite to what a left-brained person would be accustomed. You probably find it easy to express yourself using art, dance, or music. Some occupations usually held by a right-brained person are forest ranger, athlete, beautician, actor/actress, craftsman, and artist.

this quote

I am trying desperately to embrace this truth. I tend to think that having a larger house {with bounteous cabinets, closets, and carports} would play a quintessential part of my happiness. But it wouldn't. Truly.

“To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness."

- Bertrand Russell

a shopping day = a little more giveaway

The giveaway gift is now complete! Aunt Tricia, this dazzling box of black British tea will also be bestowed upon you once the British bookmark finally arrives. {Sigh of relief to have finally found something else Britannic that I liked! I think things of the mother country are going out of style!} It felt strange but blissful to be out shopping before 4:00 p.m. on a school day! Since I couldn't get an after school hours appointment with Dr. Cleveland, and it didn't make sense to rush back to teach for maybe an hour, Roxie subbed the whole day for me! I met my sweet mom-in-law for a quality-time lunch at Cheddar's. Today was the day to try "Chicken 'n Waffles!" Loved it! Thanks, Mom! For some reason I was totally in turtle gear and went slowly plodding around the stores, looking at everything and buying basically nothing. I kept telling myself, "Less is More." and "Think of all the stuff you have piled up everywhere at home." And it worked! I barely remember what the things were that I thought I wanted to buy! ....except that darling pillow that said "sparkle" in glittery copper letters...and that aqua scarf with the little birds all over it...and that emerald fabric at JoAnn's.....guess I'm not as good at forgetting as I thought I was....but I pinched my pennies and only came home with a birthday gift for Anne, a yoga mat that I'm going to ingeniously cut into a mod-looking shower mat, a book-themed journal to use for checking books out of my home library {no more not knowing where my books are?!} from World Market, the British Invasion tea also from World Market, 2 books from a thrift store {Teach With Your Heart by Erin Gruwell and Be Happy or I'll Scream by Sheri Lynch. Gonna send this one to you for your birthday, Annie! :) Looks like your style!} and some awesome essential stuff from WallyWorld like deodorant and paper towel and trash bags. So unglamorous but so necessary. Why can't they at least make it more appealing to shop at Walmart?! Like maybe lime green shopping carts...food samples...tellers with British accents...

Love to people-watch? Try HONY!

   Sometimes, even though you should be doing things like cleaning out the freezer, tidying up the kitchen, or brooming up the grassy floor, you just have to relax and do some therapeutic people-watching via the wonderful web. Humans of New York is the perfect place to do this! Back in 2010, a guy named Brandon started meandering around New York City snapping photos {with permission} and asking questions. Then he posts the quotes, comments, and photos he has gathered. He even made a book that I would love to add to my library. Check it out!  http://www.humansofnewyork.com/

People are so intriguing..... The pic below was new today...looks pretty chilly up in NYC!

I kept yelling their names, trying to get them to look my way. 

He said, "That won't work. You have to howl at them."

Here the "About" from HONY.
My name is Brandon and I began Humans of New York in the summer of 2010. HONY resulted from an idea that I had to construct a photographic census of New York City. I thought it would be really cool to create an exhaustive catalogue of the city’s inhabitants, so I set out to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and plot their photos on a map. I worked for several months with this goal in mind. But somewhere along the way, HONY began to take on a much different character. I started collecting quotes and short stories from the people I met, and began including these snippets alongside the photographs. Taken together, these portraits and captions became the subject of a vibrant blog, which over the past two years has gained a large daily following. With nearly one million collective followers on Facebook and Tumblr, HONY now provides a worldwide audience with glimpses into the lives of strangers in New York City.

Tell me in the comments if HONY is your style!