Quick little update

I haven't posted anything for a few days, mostly because I'm trying to think about what kind of a format I'd actually like to have on here- me rambling on and on isn't exactly going to be a riveting blog that people can't put down. lol I lead a pretty routine life- it's not as though exciting things are happening here daily.

Basically, I have been trying to think carefully about what I want to put on here- I know exactly who I am and I'm trying to turn that (somehow) into something that can benefit others- either by encouragement, silliness, or just taking their minds off of whatever they are going through for a few minutes.

Welcome, DeNiece, my newest follower! :) Thank you for joining me!

Tonight I am feeling so thankful and happy. I glanced at my purse tonight and thought, "Boy, you've been carrying this bag for awhile, maybe you should change that purse and wallet."

That made me think- not only am I super lucky to have several purses to pick from, but also- I have a need for a purse. Think about all the women around the world who would have absolutely no need for a purse- because they own nothing to put in it. Not only do I have a purse FULL (and I mean full) of items that are convenient and make my life easier, but I have several purses to choose from to put said items in. How lucky am I??? Thank you God for all your abundant blessings!

I hope you're all having a good start to your week. I'll see if I can't figure out some sort of a game plan and format figured out for this little blog within the next day or so! :)

Till then, may God bless you all!!

Mandy

Wireless connection problem

Well, I am writing this at our desktop computer tonight because, for one reason or another, I can't get my laptop to connect to the internet. It's connected to the network, but no matter how much I turn the little verizon box on and off, restart the laptop, or shut it down and start over, it just won't connect. I don't know if something is wrong with it, or if something is wrong with the operator...lol

Today was a pretty good day. I came home from work, took all the CD's out of my car, organized them, put them back in a nice neat order, did a load of laundry, dried it, put it away, made supper, and here I am now. All while it was 93 degrees outside! Woohoo!

I think Sunday is the last day of temps in the 90's or 100's. I look forward to a break.

Have you noticed the days getting shorter? I think I just started really noticing yesterday or so. It doesn't bother me very much- shorter days mean fall is a comin!

I am eagerly anticipating getting the manual for my sewing machine. I sent away for it a few weeks ago- the machine is in pristine condition. I would say it's probably from the mid 1960's. I sewed an apron with it last month, but now my bobbin has ran out of thread. I'm fairly confident I can rewind it without the instructions...but I'm just going to be patient and wait! lol I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to not being sure about something. I want to make very certain that I'm not messing anything up.

This weekend starts the Orangeville Fireman's Carnival over in (you guessed it) Orangeville. I hope that hubby and I have the opportunity to go over. They have the absolute yummiest homemade ice cream I've ever had! Last year I believe I got peanut butter and it was positively dreamy. I am hoping for decent weather- if it's 100 degrees, my ice cream will melt before I can even eat it! lol

I think that about does it for today.

God bless you, my friends. Have a good evening.

Mandy

Another warm day!

I read over the last few posts I've made and realized that I don't have much of a rhyme or reason to my blog. I pretty much just talk about whatever is on my mind.

What's on my mind tonight is that I am warm! Thankfully, I am now tucked upstairs in my bedroom- which is equipped with an air-conditioner. Things in the room aren't so bad! The rest of the house is holding steady at about 85 degrees and quite humid. I would open up the windows, but there's really no point right now. It's about the same outside and there's not much of a breeze. I didn't really see the weather, but I believe today's high was somewhere around 94. I heard Friday's high is going to be around 101. I can't wait for that. lol

Here are a list of things that are currently worrying me:

My husband's truck- the transmission is slipping like nobody's business. We cannot afford to fix it right this minute. Since it's a 4x4, it'll probably cost somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500-3000 for a rebuild. I'm not looking forward to that bill.

My car- fan belt still squeals, even though we just had the tension arm replaced. Granted, the guy did say that there was some sort of belt dressing on the fan belt itself that might take some time to wear off, but I don't like it. It never happened before my dad changed the belt.

Also my car- tonight when leaving, the lights brightened and came back down again. Same thing happened when I pulled into my space along the street, making me wonder if the alternator is going bad again. I think it's got a lifetime replacement, but for heaven's sakes. It was just changed in November.

Trip to Maine- driving up there worries me. The trip itself (traffic) worries me. Once we are there I will have fun. Till then...I'm really really good at worrying.

Saving up enough money for the trip while being responsible and laying aside plenty to fix Scott's transmission.

That's about all for right now. It seems to be all financial concerns, with the exception of traffic while traveling up to Maine in September. I'm praying about all of it. I feel like that's about all I can do right now.

I like owls. That's really off the subject and whatnot, but it's true. I think owls are really cute. I like listening to them at night. I like their weird owl pellets.

I just got my newest issue of "Family Life" magazine. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it's an Old-Order Amish publication that comes 11 times a year. It's filled with stories, poems, advice, and a few recipes. I've been receiving it about 6 months now and I find it pretty interesting. I never do well on the "Test Your German" Quiz. lol

Some days I don't feel like I can possibly be 32. Other days I feel about a decade older.

Welcome Pauline, my newest subscriber! Thank you for joining me here. :) It is most appreciated.

On to the actual home-making for today. I came home from my boss's pampered chef party around 9:30 or so and got down to business. I did clean up the bathroom, I washed the dishes, ironed some clothes and sorted some laundry for tomorrow. I also went outside and gave my plants a nice drink. I'm sure they needed it!!

I think that's about all for today. I'd like to leave you with something that encourages me. Some days we all need a little encouragement.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (NLT)

You have hope in God. He loves you. I say that He loves you pretty often, but it doesn't make it any less true. I want that to get through you...to permeate you...because that's the truth of the matter. No matter what you do, God LOVES you. Check out what He wants for you- does He want a life of worry and sorrows for you? Nope. He has plans that are good- they bring you a future and hope. So don't give up. Things might be tough for you right now. It's okay. God's got this one. Just give your problems to Him. He'll work a miracle right in front of your eyes. He does it everyday. Have hope, friend. Take heart. God is on your side...come join Him.

Pie- delicious pie

So, I made a pie tonight. I suppose there's nothing too awful exciting about that. I like pie...I bet you do, too. The real problem here, is that it was about 92 degrees outside the house and about 81 degrees inside the house. That was before I had the oven turned on to 425 for an hour or so. Phew. Talk about a hot space.

Pretty much as soon as the pie came out of the oven, I decided I needed some relief. I came up to our bedroom and turned on the air conditioner. Much, much better. I can't tell you how much better...just...much.

As for the pie, it's delicious! I had a slice a few minutes ago and I'm pleased with the result. I made a strawberry-rhubarb pie since my friend Jamie brought in some rhubarb for me. I know it's a little late in the season, but it was delicious. No complaints here!

So, other than my pie-making skills, I really didn't do a whole heck of a lot tonight. Oh, wait. I took that nap on the couch for an hour or so. That was pretty productive. Is it just me, or do you have a hard time getting stuff done when it's a balmy 85 in the kitchen? Hubby was wonderful and did the dishes today, so that's something I don't really have to worry much about. I used a skillet to make dinner tonight and then I have the mixing bowl and wooden spoon and a measuring cup to wash. Not too bad. I think those dishes can safely wait till tomorrow to wash.

I believe that tomorrow is going to be "Let's clean the bathroom" day. Hurray. Huzzah. There will be great rejoicing. Okay, there will not be. But hey, it needs done and that toilet isn't going to clean itself! Trust me.

I find it hard to understand why I am able to have such great enthusiasm for housekeeping when I am sitting at my desk trying to work, but once I get home, I act as though I've been chopping down trees all day and am sapped of any and all life sustaining forces. I guess it IS pretty tough sitting at a desk all day. Sheesh. What do you want from me? lol

I planned a week of easy meals since I knew it was going to be scorching hot for the next few days.

Monday- Red beans and rice with turkey sausage, mixed veggies
Tuesday- Turkey/Spinach lasagna (pre-made, from WalMart), salad
Wednesday- Salmon, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans
Thursday- Flatbread pizzas
Friday- leftovers/whatever you can dig out of the pantry or fridge

There you have it! Easy-peasy-one-two-threesy!

Relaxing weekend

Tonight ends a very relaxing weekend.

Saturday hubby got up at the crack of dawn and went out fishing with his dad and his twin brother on the river. He came home around 12:00 and we went to the grocery store since we were going back to his dad's and step-mom's house for a picnic around 4:00. I made crockpot beans- see recipe below. And I also brought a cheese-cake style dip with fresh strawberries for dipping. Wayne and Karen made steak on the grill, fish, potato salad, mac and cheese, a relish tray among many other good things to eat. After chowing down, we all took a dip in the pool. It was a nice day. :)

Today, hubby slept in too late so we didn't make it to church (boo!). We got a call from Wayne and Karen again, asking us to come back for another picnic and more swimming, so that's what we did. I stopped at a farmer's stand and picked up some sweet corn and it was delicious! First good corn of the season, as far as I'm concerned. We had more steak (Wayne thawed out way too many steaks the first day and needed to cook the rest of the them.) Then swam around in the pool some more.

We left around 4:00 and went over to the Columbia mall. I found a new pair of sneakers (New Balance) on clearance from 85 dollars down to 25! Woohoo!

We left the mall and went to Walmart where I bought groceries and then ate a fast dinner out at Quaker Steak and Lube. My salad there was plentiful and amazing! After coming home, we unpacked our groceries and took a relaxing walk around town.

It was a great day!

We are a little bit sunburned, even though we both applied liberal layers of sunscreen, but getting cooled off in the water was very worth it. :)

Here is the recipe for Crockpot Beans (or Mandy beans, as Wayne likes to call them)

1 large can baked beans (I use Bush's)
1 can lima beans
1 can kidney beans
1/2 pd. ground beef
1 med. onion, diced
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/3 c. ketchup
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. cider vingegar

Fry hamburger and onion together, chopping up big chunks of meat. Drain. Add with the rest of ingredients to crock pot and stir. Cook on low for 1 or 2 hours.

Feel free to up the ante with the ketchup or brown sugar. Honestly, I don't measure at all anymore. I just dump in what seems right and go by taste.

Narnia

I decided tonight that I might try and re-read all of the Narnia books. I read them once before, when I got this massive tome about 4 years ago. It's all 7 books combined. I know there's a lot of debate about what goes first and so on and so forth, but I don't mind so much about order. I just want to read them.

"The Magician's Nephew" is the first in my all-bound-together set. If you haven't read the books, I really recommend them. I am 32. I never read these when I was younger, but I love them and find them so comforting. They are lively and fun, filled with awe, sadness, happiness, and love. Aslan, the lion, is God. It is Aslan who spoke this in the story. I thought I might share it with you.

"But I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. ... Oh Adam's sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!"

Call me crazy, but I really feel that God was speaking through C S Lewis when he wrote that. It's so very true! I put up borders all around myself- even from God who loves me! That line was a real wake-up call for me!

Something to ponder: Have you ever put a wall up in between yourself and God?

Other than reading tonight, I've really not done much. Really. I've been very lazy today. I got home, heated up leftovers for dinner, emptied the trash, washed out the trashcan with bleach, did a load of laundry hung it up, plopped down on the couch and watched tv/started reading till the laundry was dry, folded it, then read some more. lol

Oh wait. I folded my Wal-Mart bags. Well, maybe the first half of the evening wasn't too bad. I went down and got the mail, too. I guess I'm just thinking of that huge stack of dishes that I just do NOT want to do. There they sit. They will be there tomorrow.

Some motivation, right? I should be jumping for joy that we have so many dirty dishes. You know what they say...dirty dishes means full bellies. Lots of people aren't blessed with the variety and quantity of food we have here. They would be grateful for a sink of dishes to wash.

Man, I am getting way too philosophical tonight. I need to cut it out. lol

We really don't have much planned for the weekend. Hubby is supposed to go out with his dad tomorrow morning and fish and then we're going to my in-laws for a birthday picnic for my FIL around 4:00. I'm a little bit sad that hubby will be gone in the morning, but I think I can let him be for a little while. Okay, I'm more than a little bit sad. I don't want him to go at all, but I'm not ever going to say that. lol I only get him 2 days a week and I'm very selfish with that time. He can go fish on the river in the morning with his dad any day of the week!

Oh well. Such is life.

Yankee Candles!

I received the Yankee Candles that I ordered last week. Woohoo! Unfortunately for me, I did not take an allergy pill today, so just taking the candles out of the box made me all sniffly and made my eyes itchy. For Pete's sakes, it's pretty pathetic when you can't even bear the scent of the candles encased within a cardboard box. It's days like these that I realize how pathetic my body is. lol

Our weather here in PA has been absolutely gorgeous these past few days. It's been in the low 80's with no humidity and beautiful blue skies. Right now I have the windows open and the window fan on and I am perfectly comfy and happy. Hurray!

I made burgers that my hubby requested this week. Basically I chopped up about 4 baby bella mushrooms and chopped up some cheddar cheese and mixed both of those ingredients in with some ground beef, salt, pepper, and a couple shakes of a steak seasoning that we both like. They were pretty good. The cheese made quite a mess in the bottom of the frying pan, but luckily for me, I only have non-stick pans, so once I fill it up with water and let it soak it'll be fine.

Our garbage smells really really bad right now. I want to put it on the porch, but I'm afraid that animals will get into it and then I'll have to pick up the spilled garbage. At this point, I'm not exactly sure which is grosser- picking up garbage, or having to smell it. If hubby hadn't taken our can down to his dad's house, my problem would be solved. lol

I did not get a nap today, which means that it's only 10:10 and I am exhausted- which is great news! Not so great if you're hoping for a really long, rambling post. I'm pretty sure that no one is hoping for that. lol

Before I sign off, if you are so inclined, I would appreciate your prayers for my dad. He was admitted to the hospital this afternoon and needs to have a stress test tomorrow. He's been having chest pain for like 3 weeks now and didn't want to tell anyone about it until now. His Dr. yelled at him a lot, which I kind of find funny. They don't think it's anything too bad, but they're doing a good work up just to make sure.

Thanks so much everyone. I hope that your day was a good one. We're almost to the weekend! :)

God bless you!

Mandy

Napping rut!

I've found that I really need to ditch this whole napping when I get home from work thing that I'm stuck in. Basically, I'll come home and do a little tidying up when I get incredibly tired. Naturally, I lay down on the couch...and then I end up sleeping. Usually between 5 and 6, but today I slept longer...till almost 7:00. Now it is 11:40 PM and I am wide awake while I should be in my cozy bed snoozing away.

Technically, I am in my cozy bed. I am not snoozing away, though. I'm typing this blog post instead. lol

Tonight I did some ironing that needed done. Do you iron anything? I try not to, but some of our pants and hubby's church shirts really do need to be ironed or we walk into work or church looking like we're Boxcar Willy or something. lol

I'm both pleased and saddened to report that our mouse has been "taken care of". lol I didn't see it, but hubby emptied the trap this morning. We've had no other victims yet. Time will tell if he was a loner or a family mouse.

I watched the Chrissa American Girl movie on You Tube tonight. It was really cute. I recognized the teacher immediately, but I couldn't place from where. At the end of the film, I caught his name in the credits, so I typed it into Yahoo and found out where I knew him from-- he used to be on a show I loved as a kid called SeaQuest, DSV. The show was...well, honestly SeaQuest was great for kids. As an adult, not so great. I think you know what I mean. It was on Sunday nights when I was about 13. I thought Jonathan Brandis was the bees knees! lol


This has been quite a week at the office. I think it's sort of showing in the lack of amount of stuff I've gotten done at home. Our servers were switched from Portland, Oregon to where are new headquarters in in Herndon, VA. Oh my. Talk about a pain in the neck. Today I was finally able to do most of the things that I normally do. Our poor IT guy is running around trying to fix everyone's computer since everyone has something wrong with theirs. A smooth transition it was not. Perhaps that is why I'm napping this week. I'm exhausted!

I am starting to think about autumn already. It's only the middle of July and I'm thinking about cool, crisp nights, big harvest moons, apples, pumpkins, and the like!

Do you start Christmas shopping early, or do you wait till closer to the season? Pretty much as soon as they start rolling out the warmer weather clothing, I start buying. We're not like destitute or anything, but we're certainly not swimming in wealth, either. If I start early and buy now, I can get most of it taken care of so that when we need all the odds and ends and stuff I forgot, it's not such a big deal. Just make a list of the people you buy for and start jotting down ideas. Keep it in your purse. When you're in the store, take a look around and see if there's anything you like (on sale is better yet) for those people.

I hope that today was a good day for you. Mine wasn't too bad. It was just sort of okay. I think it's very easy to get caught up in the "eh" days. Each day that we are here is an opportunity to learn and grow and get closer to God. Whether we take that opportunity or not remains to be seen. I'm afraid I didn't do all that well today. My mind was a million miles away. I did listen the Bible today at CBN, but other than that, I don't believe I've prayed much today. I will be sure and remedy that as soon as I am done posting. I will say a prayer for you, too, my friend and reader. Take care of yourself. :)

Mandy

Mouse in the house!

I'm just sort of experimenting what I can do with blogger. I am so envious of all of you out there that have beautiful blogs. If anyone would be so kind as to share how to gussy up my blog (or suggest websites with wallpapers or directions) I would be very grateful indeed. This photo is a picture of hubby and I after we took a ride on the "Hiawatha" boat in Williamsport, PA. We went again last weekend, when my mom and dad came out to visit us. It's a nice hour ride up and down the Susquehanna River. :)



So...on to my actual post for today-

Goodness gracious! I was just down in my kitchen putting away dishes that I had washed a little earlier when I thought I saw a small shadow out of the corner of my eye. As I looked over, rather warily, a small field mouse (you know- with the great big eyes!) popped up and stood on my toaster! I jumped back a step and said "Hey! You can't be in here!", to which he turned around and flew across the counter top, over the washer and dryer, and down the side of the rack where we keep our towels. He then decided to camp out under my washing machine, which was a pretty happy medium for both of us, as far as I'm concerned.

I went down to the basement, brought up the 2 traps we have, and scribbled a note to hubby. I feel bad killing him, but he just can NOT be in the house. It's just not an option. The first time I find his little mouse pellets, there will be no more sympathy. lol


I found a Nancy Drew book on my bookshelf yesterday and just for fun, decided to read it. What a find! Oh, I so loved Nancy when I was younger. I loved her adventures, her lady-like demeanor, and her knack for solving mysteries. I identified with Bess more than any of the characters- I am a scaredy cat, too! The book mentioned several delicious meals that the girls ate while solving the mystery, as well as good details about the clothing they wore. Part of why I loved Nancy when I was in my teens is that she was sort of dated. Even then, I loved the 50's and early to mid 60's clothing for women. Dresses were popular and although Nancy occasionally donned slacks, she more often than not was seen in a stylish dress on the arm of popular Ned Nickerson from Emerson college. Reading this one has inspired me to try and find my old collection and re-read the ones I can find. I remember especially liking "The Mystery of Shadow Ranch" so I'm hoping I still have it somewhere.

I am doing CBN's "Bible in a Year" and I'm in the middle of Acts. I like that Paul writes that the Athenians seem to do nothing except talking over the latest ideas. It makes me smile. It's funny when you can tie the Bible in so readily with something you remember from history class.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about God, and trying to please God this week, but I haven't actually been praying very much. I feel like I don't have much to say right now...just feeling quiet. Lots of other times, I'm sure he wishes I would just stop talking, already. lol

If you are new to praying, I would recommend you just start talking to God like you would talk to your friend- thank Him for the good things in your life, ask Him for help if you are worried or scared about something, and ask Him for guidance in your life. He wants you to talk to Him. Honest, He does! He cares about what you are thinking about, afraid of, and happy for. God loves hearing from His kids. :)

I hope your day was a good one and that your night is a peaceful one.

Bless you, my friends!

Mandy

Monday, Monday...

Another Monday has come and gone.

There are plenty of things I could talk about tonight, but what I really want to focus on this week is meal planning. Do you meal plan? It makes grocery shopping so much easier, as well as figuring out exactly what your family will be eating all week. It's really not so hard, especially if you have a few dishes you make pretty often and know what you need for them. Here is the menu I drew out for this week:

Monday- Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread and butter (I forgot to buy green beans so I settled for corn, which is another starch, but oh well lol)
Tuesday- Honey mustard chicken, rice mix, steamed broccoli
Wednesday- "stuffed" burgers (hubby's request- chopped up mushroom pieces and cheese mixed with ground beef and seasonings, then grilled) homemade baked fries
Thursday- red beans and rice with turkey sausage (Vigo mix- they suggested the smoked sausage to make it a meal) peas, and lots of water since that rice stuff is loaded with salt lol!
Friday- Salmon patties, mac and cheese, stewed tomatoes
Saturday- Grilled chicken sandwiches, salad
Sunday- Pork tenderloin (on the grill), corn and zucchini grilled in foil packets, texas toast, potato salad

Lunches for this week-

Turkey sandwiches, chicken salad or tuna salad sandwiches, "salad plate" (spinach, a scoop of tuna salad, a scoop of cottage cheese, strawberries and blueberries), or one of the TV dinners in the freezer.


If you take the time to plan what you're going to have, it really does make life so much easier. Sometimes I hate doing it, but I'm never at a loss for what to pack or what to make for supper when I do!

Take the time and give it a try this week!

You can do it!

God bless you! :)

Mandy

Sunday events

A bug just dropped off the ceiling and onto my monitor. Ordinarily I wouldn't mind, but it's dark in our bedroom with the exception of the light from the monitor. I wasn't amused by this long-ish beetle's surprise pop in. I gently gathered him in a tissue, wrapped him up, and thought "Good luck getting out of there, buddy." Ten minutes later, the same bug does the same thing and startled me again. When I say startle, I mean just that. I'm not really one to get bent out of shape over a bug...or a snake or bees or much of anything. I will give out a little holler if a mouse darts past, but it's not so much that I'm afraid of the mouse...it's just that I wasn't expecting it and I jumped. I think you know what I am saying.

At any rate, after he dropped in on me the 2nd time, I got the same tissue from the garbage can (he wasn't in there, I made sure that he didn't have a friend hanging around, too...lol) and squashed him. Sorry pal.

Our sermon in church today was about Joshua's leadership role after Moses died. Our pastor noted that the words strong and courageous are in the Bible a bunch of times. He noted that as Christians, that's what we need to be for Jesus- strong and courageous, pursuing him and allowing him to transform our lives.

He also talked about free samples...like when you go to Sam's Club. lol He said every time that something amazing and wonderful happens to you on Earth and you feel incredibly happy, it's like God giving you a free sample of what being in Heaven will be like (actually, I think he said it's like a shadow or a glimmer of what it will really be like) and that these free samples are to do what? To get us to buy the whole box- aka to get us to trust and love and accept Jesus as fully as we possibly can.

I really liked that analogy.


After church, we went out to eat for a "Farmer's Feast" at a nearby local farm market. It was soo incredibly delicious! They had fried chicken, baked chicken, oven browned potatoes, ham, homemade Italian sausage with peppers and onions, homemade (the best I've ever had) pierogies, mixed veggies, salad, coleslaw, pepper slaw, fruit salad, and fresh corn on the cob. There was ice cream and lemon pound cake for dessert. The price (which was a little less than 10 dollars) also included iced tea, lemonade, coffee, juice, water, and hot tea. It was an amazing value and the best meal I've had in a very very long time.

We came home and frankly just laid around like the stuffed pigs we were for an hour or so. After a bit of rest, we decided to go down and swim at my father-in-law and mother-in-law's house since they said we were welcome to go. It was so refreshing and relaxing!

After that, we popped in to drop my car off at the mechanic's house and then ran past Weis markets for some groceries.

I'm sure you are thrilled to read the play-by-play of my day. lol

Take care of yourself and I'll try to come up with some better reading material for tomorrow. :)

God Bless you!!!

:)

Mandy

Late night blogging

Well, despite whatever time the bottom of this post informs you that it is, allow me to assure you that it is rather late. 12:54 AM to be exact...making this post technically a Sunday post, however, I'm still awake from Saturday, so I'll stick with it being a late evening Saturday post.

Hubby and I just got home from night fishing up at a local park called Montour Preserve. We didn't have a whole heck of a lot of success fishing and his truck's transmission is slowly dying, so I was a nervous wreck going there, sitting in the boat, and then going home. The transmission slips going into certain gears. It leaves my heart in my throat every time. I feel that we shouldn't be driving it at all right now, but hubby assures me that even though it slips, we will make it there and back just fine. I refuse to believe him. lol

In all seriousness, though, I have such a hard time with trust. God wants us to trust Him. He wants us to not worry so much about our day to day lives. When we were in the boat, he even showed me an example.

There is a coal burning power plant close to the park- you can see the big cooling towers as well as the big smoke stack with the scrubber on it. There are 2 towers and 1 stack. One of the towers had steam rising out of it, the lights lit merrily, and the stack beside it was also busy chugging out steam. The tower on the left was cold, dark, and didn't have any steam coming out of it. It's parts were all there. It had the ability to function. But it wasn't! I saw myself in that tower- and you might be able to, too! God gives each of us gifts...the scrubber and the tower were using their gifts and working perfectly. The other tower...well he was afraid. "What if I don't do this right? What if I don't cool the water the right way? What will people think of me? How can I deal with that humiliation? No, I'd better not try."

Do you see the point here? If that tower was running, more electricity could be generated...more people would have something valuable in their lives. The same is true for you and I. Get out there and use those gifts that God has so richly blessed you with. You just need to trust that He will guide you and show you the proper way to use them. Pray for guidance. Actually...just pray for any and everything. God loves hearing from you. He loves you so much. :)

Well, I suppose that's all for tonight. I feel like I was supposed to write this post, however awkward it may have sounded. I hope that it will be of help to someone out there.

Good evening and have a blessed night everyone! :)

Mandy

A quiet day at home

You know, I think there is something to be said for a rather quiet day at home. Not all the time, mind you, but staying at home and getting caught up on chores and such really can make for an enjoyable day. Now, I'm not saying that I dance for joy when it's time to mop the floors, but I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when my home looks clean, tidy, and cozy. It seems like the day is a little sweeter and it's certainly nicer to be in a clean house than a dirty one.

I'm going to make up a schedule so things don't get done so sporadically around here. You know, like those old tea towels? Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, etc. I don't plan on having a butter churning day and I really don't have THAT many clothes that need ironed. It's much more difficult for us to put the clothes away than it is to iron them.

Our closets here are sub-par to say the least. You know those little closets that old houses have with hooks in them? Well, that might have been plenty of room in 1915 when the house was built (I'm guessing here, we rent and I don't really know the exact building date) but in 2011, it's not quite enough space. I have 1 bar that's about 2 feet long to hang stuff on. I should say I "had" since hubby squeezed a tiny closet organizer into that space. Now I have 2 extra racks there are about a foot long each. It's not great, but it's better than that itty-bitty bar and a couple of hooks. (The hooks hold my nightgowns, by the way. They haven't gone to waste!)

I like bed spreads and quilts. When I see one I like, I really want to get it. Now, I don't need it, mind you, and certainly do NOT have the space for it...but that doesn't make me want it any less. I think I have 6 or 7 comforters right now. For 2 people with 1 bed. Now, granted, I mean some are much warmer than others...we used 1 in particular when we go camping only... Our home has exactly 1 closet other than the itty bitty ones in our bedroom. It is filled with coats...and board games and the vacuum, and...oh, well you get the picture. That poor little closet is nearly bursting with things we just didn't have place for. My comforters are on an interesting wire racking system that is supposed to serve (I think) as a pantry shelving unit. I think I need to get some space bags and throw them in the attic. The problem with that is that I tend to forget I own something unless I can see it in plain site. Maybe I need to make an inventory and hang that somewhere. lol

Something else I love? Scented candles. I love them. I am also very allergic to them. I burn them for half an hour and I'm sick for a week. Why then, do I keep buying them? Because they smell good! lol A glutton for punishment, am I. I just ordered some from Yankee Candle's "Jarnormous" sale. I think I got Cinnamon and Sugar, Country Lemonade, and uh...something else too. Oh, oh! Juicy Watermelon! That's it! Hopefully if I leave the windows open I will be able to burn some of these bad boys and make my house smell nice. Our house probably smells like...I don't know, dust or just plain bland air most of the time. Nothing warm and homey and nice like a scented candle. Of course, when my house smells bland I am also able to breathe easily and don't need to keep dabbing at my constantly dripping eyes, soo....

It's rainy out right now and a pretty comfortable temperature. Our neighbor's dog is barking. He's a medium sized dog, so it's okay. lol He doesn't bark a lot. My next door neighbors have 3 small and very yappy dogs. Ohhh. Those dogs drive me up the wall. They bark constantly when they are outside, which, thankfully, isn't more than an hour or so a day. I'm counting my blessings on that one. Some days I just want to turn the hose on them. lol

I watched 2 American Girl movies on You Tube today. Samantha's Movie and Molly's movie. I wanted nothing more than Kirsten, Molly, and Samantha as a kid. Unfortunately, my mom and dad just didn't have the means to provide me with one. My husband bought me a Kirsten doll when we got married back in 2004. It was a very sweet gesture, but since I'm all grown up now, I only get her out of the box occasionally. I still love her and am glad I have her. My hubby is thoughtful. :)

So, I think I started this out by saying I did some house work today...I did! I cleaned the bathroom (including dusting and all that jazz), swept and mopped the floor, scrubbed the tub, cleaned the toilet and sink, then moved onto the kitchen and scrubbed up the stove top, cleaned out the microwave, swept and mopped the floor, dusted the ceiling fan and all the other corners of the kitchen (thanks to my extendable "Webster" duster), did a load of laundry, swept of the front and side porch...and that's about it. I had a TV dinner for supper. Michelina's value-time-only-one-dollar-and-twenty-five-cents-special. Let me tell you. It tasted like it cost 1.25, too. lol

On that note, I believe I'll leave you all tonight.

Take care everyone, and God bless you!

:)

Mandy

It's been a long time!

It's been such a very long time since I've posted anything. I just went through about a half hour's worth of searching all my email accounts to figure out exactly which account I used and what magical password I made up to protect it! Whew.

I am going to try very hard to keep this little blog up. I've had a lot to say lately, and it seems like this might be a good place to write those random thoughts down.

I've been feeling very domestic this week- I've been cooking a lot, despite the house being hotter than the blazes! Tonight I made pan fried chicken slices with mushroom risotto. It wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. lol

I did, however, make an incredible pasta dish on Tuesday night, which I got from the Pioneer Woman. It was called Pasta with Blue-Cheese Tomato sauce and I believe it's under the April 28, 2010 post on her blog. It was muy bien, but a little goes a long way. It was very rich!

Other than cooking, I've been trying to keep the house in proper order. I stripped the bed tonight, washed and dried the sheets and the bedspread (I hung them out on the line and they smell so sunshiny fresh!) then changed the bedspread to a new one I picked up on clearance at Wal-Mart. It's a pretty patriotic red, white and blue with a big beautiful star in the middle of it. It's one of those Better Homes and Garden ones that comes in its own tote bag.

If you have one and want to remember how to fold it, it goes in half long ways, then in half again. Now fold into thirds (folding ends up to the middle) then it gets folded in half and jammed back into the tote bag. lol It'll fit, honest! I went ahead and bought the King size even though we have a queen bed. My hubby tends to tuck the covers under his arm and roll around, so I'm lucky if I have something on me by morning. Anyone else have that problem? lol

God has been blessing me in many ways- I've been pretty organized (well, for me that is) and have had a pretty easy time of keeping things on lists and getting the tasks on those lists done. Success!

I have a problem with a lot of drivers on the road. See, I go the speed limit. Always. It's not an option to not go the speed limit. People where I live seem to see the speed limit as a challenge... Maybe they're thinking, "I can go way faster than 50 here!" Or "I want to get home already! 50 isn't going to get me there fast enough!" Perhaps they are thinking, "Come on! I'm late for work already!"

My response has pretty much always been the same. I could care less. lol The law is the law and I'm not breaking it because you have an agenda. I get so tired of being tailgated day after day.

I actually get really angry some days. I want these people to wreck and crash their cars and understand what they are doing is WRONG. I want to make an example of them. What I need to do is try to be sympathetic and understanding and extend a gracious nod their way. It's really hard. Really really hard. I don't think anyone can understand how hard it is. lol But with God's help, I am trying with varying levels of success to be kind and not immediately get angry and annoyed. I'm making progress. Hopefully some day I won't mind a bit.


It's July and we're in the throes of fishing season which means I'm sitting in our 14 foot fishing boat quite a few weekends. We've had decent luck this year in our fishing. I must say, though, we are "catch and release" fisherman, for the most part. I'm not a huge fan of fish. I'll eat it, but I'm not a fan of eating something that I personally killed. I wouldn't last long as a pioneer woman.

We had a sermon a few weeks ago on fasting and how it doesn't necessarily have to involve food. I am planning on doing a TV fast in the near future. I think I'll start small- 1 day/week. After that, if I don't mind the quiet house too much (remember, my hubby works 2nd shift and I work 1st, so I'm home alone every night and the TV is my "company") I'll work up to 2 or 3 days per week as a regular thing.

Well, I believe that's about all for today. Again, I am going to try and update this little blog about 3 times a week so hopefully I'll be back soon with more to talk about.

Take care, God bless you, and have a great day!

:)

Mandy