It’s Friday and time again for Five Randoms from my world. Ready? Let’s go!
1 – November 15th – the “high Holiday”- it’s opening day of firearm/rifle season in Michigan. Several years ago I traveled across the state on a beautiful Fall morning, completely oblivious that it was “opening day.” About an hour into my two-hour trip my attention turned from my tunes to the abundance of men in Orange jackets and pickup trucks off-road. Startled deer burst out of the woods and across the highway. I’ve never made that mistake again- nope, no more opening day road trips for me!
High-tail it Martha!
2 – This made me laugh out loud because it’s a little too true and don’t you dare touch my red spatula!
3 – Last week my team & I put together our Holiday time-off schedule – it wasn’t until I did so that I realized I have an extra WEEK of vacation days to use before year-end. My face when I realized the mistake in my favor:
swirling, twirling dance of JOY!
4 – As a result -I’ve taken the WHOLE week of Thanksgiving off + time at Christmas AND New Year’s- I have a new verb for what I’ll be doing: Hallmarking! I plan to sleep till I wake, read till I can’t, watch sappy movies, decorate, cook, clean, work out, putz around and mostly lean in hard to my highly-savored time OFF!
5 – Even with the holidays off I still have days to spare – I’m saving those for our new grand-baby’s December arrival. I plan to cuddle and rock our little one, take care of Mom & Dad, cook, clean and fuss over them all. ❤
When’s the last time a mistake worked in YOUR favor?
Going through family photos last year, I snapped cell photos of the ones I wanted and this one takes me right back to our farm Kitchen, the heart of our home.
and Emjayandthem (C) photo
– The morning sun streaming in through sheer curtains trimmed in cheery yellow.
– The metal pail to the right, filled with garden tools and produce.
– A can of coffee and a tin of Raleigh salve atop the fridge.
– …. and our family rocking chair.
It’s where she sat restless kids or misbehavers, those who needed “time to think.”
It’s where she put us as she laced up shoes & boots, tied scarves and matched up mittens.
It’s where she placed items before heading to town – a baby gift, a dessert to drop at the rink, a bill to be paid.
It’s where she read to us – and where we learned that, reading to children, even before they can understand words, teaches them to associate books with love and affection.
She taught us there was always time for stories, for love and affection.
Here we are – we’ve set our clocks back (blah) and turned the page to November. Time for 5 random thoughts:
1 Benefits: In comes November and along with it 2020 Benefits enrollment & Holiday planning, just like that. For the first time we’ll only have hubbs & I on our insurance ~ feels weird and suddenly I feel old. Or maybe it’s that Daylight “Savings” experience!
2 Home: The later the season, the more I want to be home. Yesterday the weather brought us a rainy/snow mix, it was cold, windy and dark, most of the day. A “good day for a house,” Mom used to say. After errands and leftovers I settled in with a good book and read till I couldn’t anymore; I woke still thinking about the story and the characters in it, eager and happy for another day to finish it. I have to pace myself because I read quickly and this story is one worth savoring:
engrossing!
3 Passages: When we got the news of our friend’s Dad’s passing 2 weeks ago, I started cooking. Soup on the stove, placed an order for deli sandwiches, and baked up a fruit cobbler. Later, I texted his wife and asked if we could drop off food for them ~ she gave me an affirmative and a plan was set. See I’ve been that friend who’s offered to help saying, “just let me know what you need,” and then never heard anything further. And I’ve learned that you don’t wait to be asked to help by someone in shock and grieving – you just do it.
4 Christmas trees – Yesterday Hubbs and I spent 2 hours in our local Hardware/Home goods store ~ he had a list as long as his arm and we ping-ponged from one side of the store to another to find all items: Rock Salt, Bungee Cords, WD-40, Tub Caulking, you name it. We found ourselves among the Christmas Trees and shared a look: our tree is beautiful but takes up too much room in the smaller home we down-sized to. We left the store with 2 trees ~ a tall slim tree for the family/game room and a small “frosted” tree for the living room. Our big tree will be gifted to one of the boys – or Goodwill – and we’ll enjoy putting up our smaller ones in a month or so.
5 Holiday plans – Work teams are busy putting in for vacation time off but I’m holding back and trying to stay nimble ~ why? We have a grandbaby due in early December! I could be hosting/cooking for Thanksgiving or loving on the new baby & his parents with a dish-to-pass. We just don’t know ~ so we’re staying flexible. And for this life-long planner, that’s hard to do … maybe I’ll prepare a batch of TLC Chicken Spaghetti now & freeze it, just in case!
9 years ago I registered for this blog site ~ 9 years!
In my very first post I wrote about topics I love: Mom, cooking and life lessons.
Still do.
A lot has changed but a lot stayed the same.
I am still cooking. Still learning. And I still write about Mom .. but now it’s about how much I miss her.
But – I had the most wonderful day yesterday ~ out & about between meetings, snapping pictures of my Autumnal drive. Just Magical! The colors, the brilliant blue skies and the sights & smells cannot be captured in mere photos.
a worthy stop alongside a Michigan back country road ..
Bright & colorful Mums – smiling and grateful for a route such as this one!
Then – last night we received the terrible news that a dear friend’s Dad suffered a massive stroke. No chance of recovery. Hushed whispers and tears ache in our throats while we wait the news of what comes next. There are no words, nothing we can do or say that will make a lick of difference. All we can do is show up, lean in, and do our best to love and comfort all of them.
So, in the meantime, I will cook the foods, learn the lessons, and give thanks for my favorite season *Autumn* and that He gave me the world’s most wonderful Mom.
* * * * *
“There is something incredibly nostalgic and significant about the annual cascade of autumn leaves.” ― Joe L. Wheeler
Here we are on the weekend of Columbus Day/Canadian Thanksgiving ~ we’re smack dab in the middle of my favorite season: FaLL, glorious Fall! Crisp apples, sunshiney days, something simmering in the oven. Cozy blankets, good sleeps, wonderful drives and cool breezes.
Here are 5 Randoms from my October world:
1 ) I don’t watch a lot of TV but I binge-watched this series and doing so took me right back to my parents kitchen, soup simmering, AM radio on, and a Hank Williams or Waylon Jennings song on the radio … so good!
2 ) Speaking of, I remember Willie & Waylon from their “Outlaw” Days, partying hard and having fun. But here’s a little some-something I discovered while watching that series … who knew, that before the greasy hair and cowboy hats, that Waylon Jennings was that good looking? Day-umn! **Might have rewound the show, not telling. 😉
A young Waylon Jennings
3 ) A year ago I visited the Billy Graham library in Charlotte, N.C. What an amazing and humbling experience that was, especially when, at the end of the tour, a volunteer asked if she could pray for me. I accepted, and that experience, and her gentle words of faith, remains deeply touching to me. I’ve recently discovered Podcasts and enjoy listening to them while driving to and from my many meetings. This week, the Billy Graham Ministries Podcast appeared in my “suggested” queue ~ random? Not so much.
The Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C.
4 ) Cooking last night for a family baby shower this weekend, our kitchen windows steamed up from the heat ~ On the stove simmered Sloppy Joe’s, in the oven roasted Cheesy harvest potatoes and a from-scratch pizza for the hubbs. He may have visited the kitchen several hundred times … I heard the screech of his slipper brakes as the pizza came out of the oven, bubbling and wonderful. We sampled and enjoyed and felt the coziness that comes from a contented life together. And when we got up this morning our house still smelled of all I’d cooked the night before. Say what you will, there’s not a candle made that can match the smell of “home.”
5 ) Fall leads to Winter and you know what that means to me? Books, books and more books! I’ve assembled quite a stack over the summer, some new and some new-to-me … They’re waiting for me like good friends at the ready. Waiting for a perfectly cozy Fall day with sunshine streaming in, a cozy blanket and no particular place to be. Ahh.
It’s a rainy September Sunday … time for a quick random 5 from my corner of the world. Ready? let’s go!
Randoms!
1 ) Pot Roast – Rain. Dark. Cool. Roast in the Crock-pot. There’s been at least 15 Kitchen visits by Hubbs … with commentary .. “Sure does smell good in here,” “is that roast going to be ready for supper tonight?” “man what a perfect day for a roast!” Yep, my man likes himself a roast of beef. The “pot roast” has been simmering all day ~ I’ve prepped mashed potatoes for him and oven-roasted vegetables for me (sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, yellow potatoes tossed in olive oil, rosemary and garlic .. yum) + steamed broccoli, a salad plus fresh rolls with butter. It’s raining and cool .. and we couldn’t be comfier.
#SundayAhhs
mmmm Pot Roast
2 ) Pizza – The man-who-loves a roast also loves him some Pizza. LOVES it. Could eat it 3-4x a week and has. He’s always scouting for the best tasting pizza — a normal to thin crust, light sauce, pepperoni, ham and bacon with extra cheese. He decided to try the “take & bake kind” last night, and bounced around my kitchen while cooking it “to perfection” last night. He served himself two pieces and settled in to enjoy it but reported back with a problem: no. sauce. Not light sauce, not heavy sauce, no – they forgot ALL sauce. Hubbs got cheesy-bread & was not happy about it.
#Pizzafail
this is what he hoped for …
3 ) Scales never tell your whole story – I regularly weigh myself but also take measurements 1x a month. Another reason to (mostly) ignore the scale – in the past 30 days I’ve lost 2.8 pounds but also 11 inches. I’m in between sizes again. If I had ONLY been paying attention to the scale I would have thrown in the towel 2 weeks ago, grabbed a snack and said to h*ll with it. Yes the scale can be helpful but inches tell your WHOLE story.
Tip – If you’re just beginning a health/wellness initiative first measure neck, chest, waist, hips, each thigh and each bicep. Measure again 1x a month – SO helpful!
#MeasuringTapesMakemeSmile
4 ) Closet Clean out – Measuring today gave me the incentive I needed to, once again, clean out my closet. I’ve been talking about this for a few months now, and wanting to get to it, but lacking motivation. Today was the day – I started by pulling out every bit of clothing that:
I don’t wear
I don’t like
doesn’t fit
I don’t want
Soon I had a big stack covering my bed, wow.
Next, on one side, I sorted & grouped career wear- blazers/cardigans, blouses, sleeveless tops, shirts, skirts, and pants. On the other side I sorted casual wear into 3 sections – 1) golf, 2) date night and 3) around the house.
That stack on my bed soon doubled in size. Wow!
Of course I got distracted once or twice, don’t we all? But, in the end, the closet looks 2X the size it is, I kept WHAT I WEAR and packed away or donated the rest.
#HappyClosetHappyMe
Truth
5 ) A work event last week afforded me the opportunity to meet Joyce, a volunteer at a Senior Community Center where our event took place. Her sparkling blue eyes drew me in, but it was her “joie de vivre” that kept me there. Chatting amicably, she whipped out a flip phone to show me what she uses to text ~ I noticed her screen saver that read “Carpe Diem.” Sieze the day.
Joyce is 93, about 95 pounds, an active volunteer & a going concern.
September is rolling along ~ leaves are changing, and wild weather swings have taken us from summer to fall and back to fall again ~ Traveling as much as I do for my job I love to hunker down at home in my down time.
Confession alert: I have never loved shopping but I do love online shopping. 🙂
Something that’s making my life easier and more fun are subscriptions ~ I’ve recently signed up for these:
Stitch Fix is a personal styling service that sends individually picked clothing and accessories items for a one-time fee (the fee counts against any items you purchase). Customers fill out a survey online about their style preferences and how often they want to receive a box -then a stylist picks 5 items to send.
My take – items are well made & stylish; some items I didn’t love and they went back for free. The items I’ve kept I’ve worn over and over again.
Pricing can be higher than what I “think” I’d pay – i.e. jeans might start at $80 but I’d rather have 2 pairs of well-fitting $$ jeans I wear over an over again vs. 5 pairs of $50 jeans gathering dust in my closet.
September is here ~ I’m delighted because it’s one of my favorite months!
I’m leaningin for:
A steady stream of sunny days
A significant drop in humidity (my hair approves!)
Stew simmering in the Crock pot
This morning the kitchen smells of savory meat, root vegetables and pepper
No fall candle can top that!
The start of College Football
Windows open, A/C off
Sweater weather returns
But we may need shorts & a hoodie in the same day!
Tracking Hurricane Dorian and scrolling through other news stories, this caught my attention:
When I was a girl, we ended up with a Pit Bull at our farm ~ one of Dad’s jockeys brought him to Canada from Louisiana, probably illegally. He was skinny and jumpy, tied up all day in the city. Brian brought him out in the spring when they broke horses and when he left, Butkus stayed. Filled out. Bulked up. He followed Dad everywhere ~ he snorted and drooled and intimidated everyone who pulled into the farm yard. But he was a big baby ~ a cuddle bear, he loved to play tug-o-war and lie on his back for belly scratches. The irony of his ruff & tuff exterior was that it was two “safe” dog breeds – an idiot neighbor’s Labrador & Dalmatian, who got to him. They fought, he lost; he crawled home where he died in my Dad’s arms. #therearenobaddogs
Now, I don’t want to end this post with you upset and sad, so I offer you this —
I was so looking forward to this day: a gathering at a friends’ lake house. A day of sunshine, water, good eats, laughter, camaraderie & pontoon rides. A day of good tunes, easy conversations, jet skis, sunblock and beach hair.
Like I do, I carefully planned the foods I’d bring, deciding on a fresh peach/blueberry cobbler & an appetizer dip. Hubbs and I eagerly anticipated the day, the forecast was perfect for a country ride “up” to the lake house, and the camaraderie we were soon to experience.
Arriving just after 1pm we set down the coolers and arranged chairs; food covered their kitchen counter and friends hugged hello, gathering around the patio table. Classic 70s rock playing in the background, a waterfall trickled softly and we savored the summer breeze off the lake.
Soon the Hostess asked if I was up for a ride on her “new” jet ski, the high powered one gleaming in the distance. “You bet,” I answered but “let’s visit first.” And so we did. When I offered how I didn’t bring my swimsuit andjust had a tee shirt & shorts she promised, “I won’t get you wet.” And I know she knows what she’s doing .. so I went with it.
As we strapped on life vests and headed to the dock, another couple joined the party – so soon came more greetings before climbing onto the Sea-do. Heading to the open water, with my pal driving and me holding tight, we navigated smaller waves until a time she could “open it up” – flying now – fast and tight, my hair whipping behind me, I caught a glimpse at the speedometer: 57mph. Shrieking, we leaned into a turn, jumped the wake left by a puttering pontoon boat, both of us rocketing forward and laughing our heads off. Hanging on, fully exhilarated, truly living.
Having an “it-doesn’t-get-better-than-this-moment,” and then some. 😀
Life is too short to sit on the shore!
We circled a few times then made our way back to the dock where friends gathered, men on the deck, ladies on chairs in the shallow water, waves lapping their calves. Coasting into shore, I commented on how good of a driver my friend is, and thanked her that I did not have one drop of water on me, amazing! We hopped off and waded towards shore, where the women gathered. With everyone watching, one gal commented “you went all that way and didn’t even get wet” and I nodded and smiled, about to compliment my friend on her excellent command of the machine. But before I could do so, that same woman reached down and, with both hands, doused me in water, from head to toe. Water soaked my hair, dripped down my sunglasses and face, top, shorts and underwear now completely drenched, with rivulets of water running down my legs. I stood there in shocked disbelief, having my own “Carrie” moment, trying to come to terms with what just happened.
What. The. ??? What’s wrong with you?
Stephen King’s 1970’s Horror classic, “Carrie”
Looking back, there’s a part of me that almost did what I’d always done: “take the high road” “turn the other cheek” and all that other passive bullsh*t I’d been preached to my whole life. The same words that always translated to justlie down, be quiet and take it.
And I might have done that until I saw another so-called friend laughing.
And that was it. That was the tipping point.
Shaking water off my sunglasses while simultaneously wiping it from my eyes I looked around at those who looked away, said nothing, and the splasher and that one “friend” laughing.
All at my expense. Nice.
I’m 5’2″ and the splasher well she’s 3 years younger and 4″ taller.
But it only took an second – I lunged at her with both hands, knocking her off her feet.
I’m petty sure she got air before landing in that lake sideways with a thud. Sputtering she got up yelling, flailing and swearing …. “I thought you were a nice girl” and my response was this, “I am. You started it. Want some more?”
Women backed off, clucked, fussed and did nothing.
Someone said “this feels like High School” and I answered “YEP it sure does, I hope you all remember who started it. Just keep it up and I’ll finish it!”
I probably should feel remorse …. but I don’t.
I probably should be embarrassed …. but I’m not.
I hit her with everything I’ve got and then some. And I’d do it again.
#Sorrynotsorry
Maybe when bullies decide they’re going to pick someone’s hide, they should consider who they’re picking: in my case, she picked a 50-something woman who’s had enough of immature jerks and is no longer going to lie down and take it.
And I have better insurance, too.
Gotta love me some TOWANDA!
Your turn:
When’s the last time you dealt with a bully?
What did you do?
In the situation described above, what would you have done if you were me?
Why?
If you ever retaliated against someone’s nastiness, how did leave you feeling?
I don’t feel great about it, but I don’t feel bad, either. 😀
It’s Friday, and time for some randoms … ready? Let’s do this!
1 ) Elvis my Elvis – 42 years ago TODAY the world lost a legend with the passing of Elvis Presley. I was at horse camp when I heard the news and still remember the sorrow and disbelief felt. There’s never been a time when I wasn’t a fan but if you asked me to pick my favorites from his music, I’d pick this:
an MJ favorite; image from amazon.com
2 ) Seasons – School hasn’t started yet but Halloween displays are going up. Slow down already, wouldja?
google.images.com
3 ) Home shopping – I love a good deal — some “finds” have been duds, but others have been bang-on. This is one of my top finds, ever – a luggage set by Samantha Brown (of HGTV fame). Well made, well organized, well structured, well … everything. I’ve never been complimented on luggage before owning this ( bought in burgundy). Really really well done.
4 ) Fall – We’re starting to see signs of Fall here ~ after a wet spring, it’s been dry of late so certain trees are turning color already. Mornings are a smidge darker, nights a bit shorter. There’s been a nip in the air some mornings. I know we’re in for more heat waves but, in the meantime, I’m leaning in…. because I LOVE FALL!
Our Frankie loved Fall!! An Emjayandthem (C) photo
5 ) Golf – Hubbs and I were talking golf strategy last night, with me asking questions about certain clubs ~ He assumed I “didn’t like” a certain club which I hardly use until I explained I hadn’t yet been taught how to use it – for me, golf lessons have been great but a bit like being parceled out individual chapters to a story you’ve not yet read. I want to jump ahead and know how the story ends! (Patience!) In the midst of our conversation I asked, “Did you ever think we’d spend an hour talking Golf?” and he laughingly responded “No, did you ever think you’d get me to talk this much?” HA!
We are enjoying this new adventure together! 😀
How about you? Are you an Elvis fan? Seeing signs of Fall? Take up any new past-times lately?
This should be a national holiday .. with paid time off .. with cozy chairs and coffee/tea for anyone interested. 😀
I’ve written before of my love affair with books .. and it hearkens back to being a very young girl. Cozied up next to Mom while she read me a story, I remember the heat of her body on mine as I leaned in wide-eyed and wondering.
Mom took me for my first Library card before I started school and I still remember the joy felt filling the book bag up to the top, the weight of it necessitating a drag to the Oldsmobile. Sorting through my choices, the smells filling my senses, I lined my books up in order of priority.
I remember a similar thrill when the Book Fair came ’round each school year ~ bringing home the paper-thin order sheet and circling choices, then handing my list over for her review and approval. She always encouraged us to “read up,” and we discussed choices and our reasoning behind them. Looking back, I can see she favored intelligent choices and those fought hard for. And if you couldn’t defend it, you didn’t need it.
Another one of her life lessons right there!
And, as I’ve grown, books remain a comfort to me ~ a place I love to belong.
A summer read takes me back to our backyard canvas tent, reading my sister’s “Valley of the Dolls” or “Love Story” before moving on to “It” or “Roots” or other intriguing plots.
A winter read can transport me back under the covers of our shared girls’ bedroom, the weight of winter blankets cocooning me into a drowsy state of relaxation.
It’s National Book Lovers Day ~ but I’m celebrating all year long!
“A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.” ― William Styron, Conversations with William Styron
Are you celebrating National Book Lovers Day with me?
If you’re a reader, who encouraged your love of reading?
It’s August already! Summer took forever to arrive and now it’s flying by .. “Back to School” supplies have been on store shelves since 4 seconds after the 4th. We’ll blink and Halloween will be here.
For me, the first half of the year flew by due to copious amounts of work travel, work schedule, work projects, work calls and … work.
One thing that’s saved me has been steadily indulging my passion: reading. I’m devouring books on planes and in hotel rooms; picking up more at bookstores in tiny towns as I pass through. I’ve lost count of the number read this summer … but it’s not about the number. It’s about the departure. Falling into a good book is like coming home.
Just finished. Delicious!
Recently I saw these words below and they resonated with me. Not just because I adore the fruits of summer … cherries, watermelon, and fresh peaches coming soon … but because, just like in life, we can’t feel our growth until the fruits begin to appear.
Ready? Let’s go!
