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.