THE WEAKLY TRIBUNE Vol. 1 Issue 3

THE WEAKLY TRIBUNE

Monday 7.4.22

Happy Birthday, America! The fourth day in a row that Danl was home happened to be the Fourth of July! We started celebrating by attending a fabulous breakfast cookout at Gene and Karma’s. Was great to meet Aaron and Kyla, and to be with Drew and Anna again! We had a feast! Everything was cooked on the back patio on the Blackstone except Aaron cooked the crepes inside. Blackened snapper and spade fish, bacon, sausage, hash browns, fried eggs. Freshly whipped cream, cut up mixed fruit, peanut butter, butter syrup, sugared raspberries to put on the crepes. Assorted juices. Sparkling lemonade from Aldi. Oh and a 7-up pound cake too! The guys were hot from cooking and ate inside, but we girls enjoyed our brunch on the patio and the kids swam even though it was raining part of the time. Stopped at Tractor Supply for chicken feed on the way home. I worked on finishing writing last week’s Weakly; editing, and posting it. Read a bit, and piddled. Ordered this pedal exerciser! I’m convinced I will be able to easily close my Apple exercise ring with this contraption handy to pedal under my desk or here or there or while lazing in a chair! Danielle played in the sandbox, made rubber band bracelets, and reorganized her fishing tackle box. Danl napped. Once he awoke, we commenced cooking. Yellow summer squash casserole, cucumber slaw, watermelon, and Jones drinks. I cannot drink a blue Berry Lemonade Jones drink without remembering drinking them with Wade and Rhonda while taking shelter in the old Fort Pickens ruins during an epic boating trip that got interrupted by a severe summer storm one birthday years ago! Grilled ribeyes and Realtree link sausage provided our protein. Shortly after 8:00 we headed for Poarch to watch fireworks, but opted for the privacy of the private property of some of our customers instead of joining friends behind Taco Bell like usual. I missed the camaraderie, but it was nice to watch them in seclusion sitting together on my old quilt on the tailgate of our new work truck. Also nice to be able to get home good time instead of waiting and waiting in congested traffic. We then had a back porch sparkler session before calling it a day! But not before enjoying some ice cream in bed. 

Tuesday 7.5.22

A happy Home Day. Tested my blood sugar again on Mom’s glucose meter, proving once again that my blood sugar is PERFECT! Not low in the least! I guess I just have The Morning Grumpies. Danl asked me to please just keep eating my chocolate anyway, so like a good submissive little wife, I’m gonna obey! This experiment has proved that dark chocolate definitely does improve one's mood! Danielle got inspired to make tiny colorful bracelets for a couple of her chicken’s legs. But she decided maybe it wasn’t the best idea after becoming worried that perhaps Roosty had eaten his since it was no longer on his leg and removed Chubby Chick’s herself. Since I had not completed Morning nor Evening routines on July 4, it took me all morning to get back on track with the daily duties. Concocted an essential oil blend that I’m calling Summertime Dill Pickle! Bergamot and Lime with a splash of Dill. Worked at my desk and push-mowed the backyard before supper. Once a week is barely enough with all the rain we’ve been getting. Taco Tuesday was steak stack-ups and cheese dip and chips this time. 

Wednesday 7.6.22

Started the day with such a satisfying Morning Sit from when Danl left shortly before 6:00 through 7:00 when Danielle woke up. Lit the four taper candles in the living room and soaked in the solitude of the hour with my coffee and the last of the cobbler. Read some poetry, Sandwich Journaled, which is my term for doing a brain dump in my journal, then reading my Bible, then journaling again about whatever impressed me. This method has worked so well for me. Wordled and Waffled, then moved on to the less glamorous parts of my MR. Danielle got weepy due to having trials trying to get dressed for the day. We ended up sitting on the couch reading Bible stories and library books and singing VBS songs for a while. I need to do this more with her. Worked at my desk. Danl popped home for lunch between jobs. Then Danielle and I bebopped over to Gloria’s so I could process payroll for her due to her Remote PC not cooperating in London. That done, we soaked up some sun and fun in their pool since the weather decided to give a small rain break for once! Karma and kiddos joined us. Ran them home to Atmore since their Durango tire sprang a serious leak. Rain break over, I proceeded to grill pizzas in the drizzle. The rain spritzing down in the sunlight made the drops look like sparkling diamonds! Two rainbows emerged as well. FYI, a fix’n’mix Tupperware bowl turned upside down works superbly for transporting pizzas to and from the grill to keep them dry! Karma stopped by with an unexpected but most delectable loaf of freshly baked sourdough bread on their way to get their Durango. Life doesn’t get much better than a warm slice of homemade buttered bread with a glass of cold dairy milk. Mmmmmm. #realfood

Thursday 7.7.22

10 years have passed since Uncle Kale passed…We all still miss him so much. Took the last garden tomato from Steve Byrd to my folks for them to enjoy. Then dropped Danielle off to spend the day with Lainey before joining Rhonda and Anne at the Circle E office to go together on an outing that Anne had instigated for my birthday way back in June! Sadly, Karma was not able to join us since they were headed to Leland for a funeral. Katie was supposed to join us for lunch before her Dr. apt, but that also got canceled due to Noah being under the weather. First stop was T.J.Maxx or “P.J.Masks” as Danielle insists upon calling it! Purchased most of Rachelle’s wedding present. Then to Hobby Lobby where I proceeded to purchase a pile of fabric! Totally UNEXPECTED! But it just felt like the fabric wanted to come home with me! 4 pieces for me and 2 for Danielle. JoAnn’s was next. Thankfully I walked out of there bagless. We lunched at Jo's as always, which felt like going on a field trip! Years ago I had been to DUH with Jill, but this exquisite French bistro-style cafe had not been a part of the experience back then. Even in our Florida heat and humidity, we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch in the shade of the outdoor courtyard. I had rosemary water with a splash of raspberry flavor, garden salad with bleu cheese dressing, fresh mixed fruit with a poppyseed sauce, chicken salad sandwich on house-made French bread, and bread pudding with lemon sauce! All utterly elegant. Then we browsed about in the companion stores, looking at plants, patio decor, and housewares, wondering how it would feel to be able to purchase $150 pottery mugs and horsehair ceiling dusters that cost $91.50! Somehow the whole place just gives European vibes; making me feel like maybe I could be an elegant southern woman who stands up straight and glides about gracefully. Although my small incident with the horsehair duster would bely that idea! From there we put our passports away, figuratively, and like normal Americans went to Target. Danielle was delighted with her day with the Koehn’s, even proclaiming that Ms. Roxie had made “The best lunch she had ever had away from home!” That’s a high compliment coming from Little Miss Picky! I fried venison backstrap and reheated squash casserole. Danl went back out to work, doing some discing. Still got to bed before 9:00!

Friday 7.8.22

Cock-doodle-do! What is that garbled, scratchy noise that sounds like something is dying?! Oh, it’s Roosty! Proudly crowing his first feeble crows! I piddled around with my Morning Routine and did not even start Thursday Cleaning. Started reading a little gem of a book by Dana K. White called Organizing for the Rest of Us. Helped Danielle with the terrarium kit Nana sent her in the mail. After lunch, I printed off four copies of the previous issues of The Weakly Tribune, mailed them from the post office, (why didn’t I remember to use Pirate Ship?!) and went over to my folks! It’d been way too long since Danielle and I had been there when we could stay awhile and not rush off! I helped Mom prepare her food for the Schneider Italian potluck and visited with Dad. I’m so lucky to have my parents close by! From there, we stopped by and got a couple scobies from Sharla, (so ready for summer kombucha!) then drove on to the Landis farm for our fresh milk. Sat on the back porch and listened to the mesmerizing music from my new birthday wind chimes. Got some congos baking, made supper which was fried catfish from Steve’sFarm, cheese grits, and some of last year’s frozen peaches. My left eye was really bothering me; figured I must’ve gotten something in it. Danielle and I headed to school to say hey to Uncle Lyle and Aunt Polly! Also to get in on dessert and some good belly laughs! I love my family! 

Saturday 7.9.22

Woke up with my eye crusted shut. Deduced that I most likely had Pink Eye since all my symptoms pointed in that direction. Decided to treat it with the ointment the vet had given me for Leroy a couple months ago. Helped Danielle create four marble paintings. Hydro-coating is fun! Thought about Thursday Cleaning and even dusted a few rooms, before deciding to roll it over to next week! Did a bit of desk work. Since I should probably quarantine for a few days, Danl and I agreed that it would be an excellent opportunity to “Airbnb” at his mom’s place for the weekend since they are out West. Packed our bags and our dogs and away we went in the rain! Diesel was beyond delighted to be going on a little Road Trip! Ordered in our favorite Socio's Pizza for supper. It never stopped storming enough to swim. Popped popcorn and relaxed the evening away.

Sunday 7.10.22

The dogs and Danielle slept well in their beds away from beds! Danl and I have reached that Middle Aged point in life where we sleep best in Our Own Bed. But it was still a delight to wake up in different surroundings! Also a delight to see the sun! And to feel that my eye condition was greatly improved! Yay for vet meds! I cooked some waffles and sausage for breakfast, before hitting the pool with Danielle. I was enlisted to score points for various acrobatic movements/jumps. Listened to Mr. B’s good sermon on Choices. It was deemed that I was well enough for a quick grocery run to Publix for More Food. Enjoyed some salmon on crackers for starters, then Daniel grilled some delicious steaks, feta-stuffed mushrooms, and garlic sourdough bread. Jace, Erica, and Summer joined us for a couple hours. The sun continued to shine and we continued to swim. Frozen gelato and San Pellegrino sparkling limonatas cooled us off mid afternoon. Snacked around, trying to eat up the remaining food. All too soon it was time to Clean Up. Got Rosie the Roomba going and proceeded to pack up. From rain we came, and into rain we returned. A mighty deluge that almost drowned us since we don’t have a carport or garage. All in all though, it was a wonderful weekend. Danl even admitted that he had been able to relax enough to stop thinking about Work for awhile. #score

Farewell from the Faircloths!

Simple Satisfaction of the Week: Reading books with colorful satin bookmarks built into the spine is such a delight! Dana White’s little book that I’m reading now has a deep orange ribbon that compliments the cover so well!

Rueful Regret of the Week: I didn’t always keep to my S.I.M.P.L.E life plan in regards to eating only one dessert per day! My life seems to be filled with Special Occasions. 

WOTY Giveaway!

Welcome, March! 

It’s hard to believe we are 2 out of 12 down in 2022 already! To celebrate, I want to host a giveaway! I’ve been pondering on this for 2 months now, so it’s high time! I’ve finally settled on what I want for my WOTY (word of the year) reminder! And I want one of you to have one too! Check out this adorable wooden and leather little beauty! 

If you want a chance to win one with your own WOTY inscribed, please comment below with what your WOTY is, and if you think it’s been beneficial to you so far! 

I’ve almost regretted choosing UNEXPECTED. It feels like 2022 has rained unexpected things down on me, and I still can’t seem to open my umbrella of flexibility! So I just stand there grimly getting pelted! I wonder if it isn’t like when you pray for patience and God sends trials so you can practice it! 

But today’s a new day, and a new chance to embrace the chaos! And it’s a chance to WIN! Drop your comment below! 

Giveaway open until tomorrow at 8 o’clock in the evening, Central Standard Time. 

Ta-Da instead of To-Do in 2022!

 Every January since 2018 I have been scheming and dreaming up a list of things to accomplish during the coming year. This idea is instigated by my favorite author, Gretchen Rubin. And even though I’ve never accomplished everything on my list, it has been mostly fun to have such a list hanging out in my phone notes and over my head. I think it has inspired some action that otherwise wouldn’t have transpired. 

That being said, I just wasn’t feeling it for this year! An “unexpected” year didn’t scream for a tidy to-do list at all! Rather it wants to passionately “TA-DA!” instead of feeling obligated to “TO-DO.” So, every month as I go along, I’ll be on the lookout for two things that I’ve been inspired to complete that are worthy of being that month’s ta-das! It can’t be a boring normal daily thing like “unload the dishwasher” that will get mundanely done again either. So far for January 2022, I have added 

• Complete Art Wall in the Hall.

One day several weeks ago, Danielle and I were inspired to paint the 5 thrifted frames I’ve had for years for this particular project. Then last week, I added the strings and tiny clothespins, hung them in a collage on the hall wall, and Ta-Da! Now we have a designated space for 5 of my little artist’s most current creations. This item has hung out undone on every yearly list since 2019 I do believe. 

So we shall see what gets added yet for January and how the rest of the months go down! 2 items per month through November will equal 22 Ta-Das for 2022. December doesn’t need anything extra I’ve learned.

Are y’all gonna ta-da with me?? My Dad has been ta-daing as long as I can remember! I learned early on from him how fun it is to add things you’ve already done to your list, purely for the fun of crossing them out! 

Officially 2022 & Menus

Yesterday felt like the official beginning of the new year for me! It was Monday, Danielle went back to school, and that clean slate feeling finally arrived! When you think about it, the actual day of January 1 is a horrible day for new beginnings! Talk about getting off on the wrong foot! You’ve just eaten piles of greasy fried carbs, gotten loads of stuff (precious presents, but still!), and stayed up til midnight to welcome the new year in! Just a scenario of disaster and grouchiness instead of a recipe for being a new healthy, happy person! So I’m all about picking your own New Year’s Day! I’m not really into making rip-roaring resolutions this year, but I do want to ease back into some good habits that had sort of fallen by the wayside. Like planning weekly menus for one! And having groceries on hand to prepare said menus! But since this is the Year of the Unexpected, I’m only gonna plan 5 menus per week instead of 7. That way we can see what we are in the mood to cook over the weekend! I like to run to town on Saturday anyway to take advantage of the $5 off of $25 coupon that both Dollar General and Family Dollar offer on Saturdays!

MENUS

Make Whatever You Want Monday • Venison Chili, Cheese & Crackers, Apple Muffins

Taco Tuesday • Navajo Tacos with the leftover chili, White Cheese Dip

Pie Wednesday • Chicken ‘n Dumplins (not pie but Danl likes this better than chicken pot pie)

Throw it on the Grill Thursday • Pot Roast with Taters and Carrots, Bread Machine Bread (not grilling weather this week!)

Fish Friday • Fried Ham, Potato Salad, Green Beans

(I know ham isn’t fish lol but I’m Shelf/Fridge/Freezer cooking this week! And we didn’t have any seafood on hand!)

So there you have it! Danl made the chili last night and his is always much superior to mine! We had some friends over and had such a good relaxing evening. This winter weather is just the best for hygge evenings at home. 

An UNEXPECTED 2022!

This year’s WOTY fills me with wonder! •UNEXPECTED•

Just typing it makes me a bit apprehensive, yet excited! As I journey along trying to become a bonafide grownup, someone who is organized and plans ahead and is prepared for real life, I’m finding that I’m becoming more inflexible! Grumpier than I used to be when things don’t go according to Plan A. (When you don’t even have a plan, you don’t get as disgruntled or even realize when it gets disrupted!) So I’m striving for the balanced life, the dotted line between the ditches of chaos and calm. Real life is always messy, unplanned, and unexpected. But that’s where the beauty is if we can learn to embrace it! I want to expect the unexpected, to do unexpected things like being on time or even early, (EARLY was in my list of runners up in my personal WOTY contest.) or be the one who cleans up after an event instead of just sitting and gabbing, or who thinks of going the unexpected extra mile instead of just being oblivious to the needs around me. I want to learn to see a change in plans for my day as an adventure instead of an aggravation. I want to lower my expectations of my spouse and others and maybe even myself. I want to feel ready for unexpected guests in my home at any time, which for me I’ve decided is living in that sweet spot of having things not perfect but not nasty. Perfection is overrated anyway, but last week’s dishes are not. I’d also like to do little unexpected things each day! To give hugs and kisses and compliments at random moments! To be willing to be vulnerable and to ask hard, unexpected questions in love. To be raw and real and humble when it would be easier to just give the expected, “I’m fine!” answer. So here’s to getting aboard the UNEXPECTED train! I’m gonna hang on and enjoy the ride! Who’s coming with me?! Grab an empty seat and tell me what you chose for your 2022 WOTY!