Sunday Funday Birthday Memorial Day Redhead Day

Sunday was Daniel’s 36th birthday! It’s kinda cool because in our little family, we all turn even or odd numbers the same year! This year Danielle turned 4, Daniel 36, and I’ll soon be 34! Back to Sunday, we slept in as long as Danielle would let us, which was around 6:30. Then I whipped up some copycat Hardee’s biscuits and fried some Realtree sausage.

(Huge recipe, make half.)

 Bass Pro Shops was next on the agenda! Danielle and I were grieved that due to this continued Covid-19, the shooting arcade was CLOSED. That’s our favorite thing to do there, other than eat fudge, which we also couldn’t do because the candy store was not in operation either. But regardless, we had a good time looking at the fish and shopping for shirts. Danl spent some time in the boring (to me) aisles, and eventually we found ourselves at Longhorn Steakhouse! INSIDE! SITTING DOWN BEING SERVED BY A WAITRESS. This was our first time eating out together in a restaurant since our anniversary way back on February 20! It felt spectacular. Other than Danielle seemed to have forgotten how to sit still and use her restaurant voice. Or maybe she never really knew how. 

Yesterday was Memorial Day. I thought of Uncle Kale, my grandparents who have passed, my dear friend’s mom...so many memories of so many amazing people who have gone before us; and all the soldiers who have sacrificed for our freedom. We are so blessed. I always love the official photograph from the White House of Our President & The First Lady. 

♥️

We celebrated in true redneck style by eating wild female pig also known as a “gilt!” (Thanks, Dad! I learn something new every day!) Jace and Erica, and Curtis and Janelle enjoyed it with us. It was a very laidback, fun evening of good pork, runny Jello, late rolls, and soupy ice cream. I’m really embracing this anti-perfectionism thing! 

Today, I learned something else I did not previously know! We redheads are so special that we get TWO holidays per year! “World Redhead Day” which is today, and “National Redhead Day” which is November 5. Might as well celebrate as many things in life as we can, that’s my philosophy! 

So Happy World Redhead Day, fellow gingers! 

Saturday at Steve’s

Saturday was a perfect day for a party! And Steve’s Farm is the perfect place to have one! Steve had the pavilion by the pond reserved for us, which has 4 picnic tables and worked so well! Everyone either fished or had fun watching the fishing! They were biting well! Danielle decided she wanted to have Mr. Curtis bait her hook with a candy gummy worm from the tackle box of “bait” I had out for people to snack on. And would you believe it, she landed what I think ended up being the biggest catfish our group caught! Soon fried catfish, hushpuppies with cheese sauce, David’s coleslaw, cheese grits, baked beans, and of course, CAKE, was enjoyed by all! 

Happy Belated Birthday, Danielle! 

And Happy Pre-Birthday, Daniel! 

Mini But Not Skinny Friday

Yesterday was cake day! Since our state’s Covid restrictions have been lifting, we decided to go ahead and finally have the “O-fish-ally Four!” fishing birthday party that we had planned long ago at Steve’s Farm! And since this Saturday was the day before Daniel’s birthday, we added him to the celebration! So with my little sidekick ecstatic about “helping” to decorate the fishy cupcakes, we got with it, mixing bowls of brilliant frosting and trashing the kitchen in the process. But at the end of the day, we had some adorable little swimmer funfetti cupcakes and a plump big fish cake decorated for Danielle, and a red velvet layer cake frosted like a bobber for Danl. Whew. Done. I thought. Until Danielle came gleefully  into our room and announced, “Mommy, I added some sprinkles to my cake!” Remembering the gold glitter dust that she had been wishing to use earlier, I imagined it covering the cake in disastrous fashion, but was pleasantly surprised to see that she had tastefully chosen colorful ball sprinkles and had not gone too wild with them!

Another Whew.  

A Man Called Ove #minipost #thursday

After listening to this book intermittently for 3/4 of a year, I finally finished A Man Called Ove yesterday. This was due to the fact that I am horrible at listening to audiobooks. I don’t have wireless earbuds, or a phone armband. So it just seems complicated to find a time and a place to listen. I also would let my Libby loan run out, and would then have to wait on hold for it again. Anyway, it didn’t take that long because I didn’t love the book! It’s now definitely on my Best Books Ever Read list. I won’t lie and say I didn’t cry along the way either. This book was one of those kinds that just hits home in so many way. Raw and real. It had a happy ending, but it was real life too. At first, you kind of want to hate Ove a little bit; he’s just so incredibly grumpy and rigid. But by the end of the book, you can’t help but have fallen in love with his big heart. In my opinion, this book should be a must-read for every new bride. Sonya truly understood what marriage is all about. A man can love with his whole heart without showing it in romantic ways. Below is one of my favorite quotes of hers from the book. 

Sonya didn’t try to change Ove. She just loved him for who she knew in her heart that he could be, even if he didn’t want to be or know how to show it. Listening to this book made me think of a quote that Rachel Holdeman gave me years ago, handwritten on a scrap of paper. I keep it in my Bible and reread it every so often. 

“Look at a man the way that he is, he only becomes worse. But look at him as if he were what he could be, and then he becomes what he should be.” 

- unknown 

Mini Wednesday

Y’all know I love me some Gretchen Rubin! And the quote of the day that she delivered to my email inbox yesterday was so fitting for our gloomy, drippy weather! Danielle spent the day with Nana, and I spent the day helping my dad in his office. It felt nostalgic, as February 18, 2020, was my last official day at the desk for Schneider Farm Fence. Since then, I only do desk work for Faircloth Land Services, which keeps me busy enough! 

A bag of yellow squash from our neighbors was hanging on our doorknob when we got home. So Danl proceeded to slice it, and I battered and fried it into golden slices of crispy, salty summer! Sandwiches and blueberry cheesecake dessert completed our supper. I also had, gulp, THREE glasses of raspberry shrub; it was so good! It’s an old Victorian era recipe in my Southern Living cookbook that I’ve been hankering to try for years! 

Tuesday #minipost

A year ago on May 19, 2019, Danielle and I were in Denver boarding the behemoth plane along with our friends for our overnight flight to London, England! Now I wonder when we will ever fly again! With the Canadian border still closed, we just received free cancellation on the tickets to Calgary that I had snagged back in January for a steal of a deal prepandemic. We would have been abroad June 16-26, 2020. 

#stilldreaming

Mini Post Monday

It dawned a misty, moisty Monday... a wonderful day to just hole up at my desk and tackle things like payroll and Mt. Mailmore. My afternoon goal was to turn a T-shirt and some fish fabric into a dress for Danielle. It was my first time attempting such a feat. My friends tell me it’s so fast and easy, like 10 minutes and you’re done! I managed with some interspersed interruptions to make it take most of the afternoon! I’m talented like that. 

Danl is out deplenishing (why is deplenish not a word?! It means the opposite of replenish!) the wild pork population. And I’m drinking Yogi Kava Stress Relief tea and gonna get back in boot camp!  I’m pumped with today’s progress! https://productivitybootcamp.com/

A Week of Mini Posts - Sunday

It felt odd to be getting dressed for church this morning for the first time since February! But it didn’t feel odd to be running late even though I’ve had months to get ready! After I finish boot camp though, this feeling will hopefully be a thing of the past! https://productivitybootcamp.com/

Danielle was so pleased to be able to sit by cousin Neil since we are social distancing and sitting by families every other bench. Mr. B preached about keeping our hearts with all diligence and likened it to keeping our drink dispenser full of the love of God so it is the only thing that comes out of our lives. It’s so important not to let contamination get in our jar! 

We cooked discada for lunch and have been having quite a restful day of rest. Even got to listen to the mesmerizing sound of raindrops for a moment or so! And breathe in that scent of summer rain.... awwww. Nothing quite like it!