Changing Times

 Once again, life brings me to the point of seeking out joy.  Looking for the simple pleasures.  Today, was sitting on front stoop, with coffee, listening to the rain.  Stayed there, for a bit, and began to dive deep into some neglected chores.  Made a healthish lunch and actually ate at the table with my husband and oldest son.  Now, a couple hours later, here to revamp the blog, with the back door open, the rain still coming down, and lukewarm coffee.

This contentedness, reminded me of how neglected this blog has become (and my others, too).  What started out, in August of 2014, as an almost daily entry, lately has been once a year, maybe twice.  

With today’s good fall vibe feeling, changed the header to “Simply Joy”, which just feels right.  As I navigate this new era in my life, will be here more often, sharing the things that bring joy in the simplicity of life.

Technically Still Summer,

but fall and everything about it!  I heart it.  Here's a few of my favorite things:

• fall wrapped candy
• plaid flannel
• blankets
• sweat shirts
• crisp, crunchy leaves
• stews and casseroles
• fires
• cooler temperatures
• Skyline drive
• walks through the woods
• coffee creamer

Twenty Turns Around the Sun

Today, Kevin and I celebrated 20 years of mairrage.  Rather low key!  No fancy meals or flowers or getting all "dolled up"!  He worked from home, as he usually does on Tuesdays; I attended to some chores; kept boys focused on school; we ate chocolate; leftovers for lunch.  Low key!

Suppose I'd been "milking" the anniversary for days.  Out for coffee one day, dinner out when it was convinient, walks here and there, trip to Occoquan (more for me than him).  Still a nice day, despite the rain.  That didn't even make the day gray.  20 years ago, it rained all day, it seemed.  The gray today, reminded me of 1997.  LOL!  No trip to 7/11 for cold drinks, in the tuxedo and dress though.  That was funny!

Thankfulness, in all seriousness, is a touch easier today:

• memories shared
• chocolate, both good and average
• gifts
• cold brew coffee filter
• homemade valentines cards
• rain
• easy feeling day
• Kevin's "getting the small stuff done" drive
• chocolate cake, just to have cake

Well shucks, can't find the photos I wanted.  Maybe they'll get added on another date.

By the Number

Got an email last night from Pandora; the music, not the jewlery.  It was a summary of 2016 of my lsitening, to date.  Found it interesting.  Here is what they had to say:

• Go to station - Allison Kraus and Union Station
• Total songs lisened to - 10,857
• Total hours listened - 639
• Total stations listened to - 35
• Total thumbs up - 335
• First song thumbed up - Hello by Adele
• Last song thumbed up - Silver Bells by Bing Crosmt and Ella Fitzgerald
• Most active month - August

Do you losten to Pandora?  What are your favorite stations?

Moving on to the Joy for the day:

1. finding another good color of yarn for my sky scarf
2. time out, by myself
3. slow morning
4. good music
5. Young Living Oils
6. home made food
7. getting third quarter printing finished

Year End Musing!

Wow!  Gone a bit without visiting my blog.  Not the end of the world, but still something I wish I could "do" more faithfully.

Never been to good at New Years Resolutions.    Guess I did succed in somethings during 2016.  Managed to log 15 books read, with one title twice.  Started wearing a Fitbit in January; I've logged 2,689,785 steps.  I'm sure that will increase some in the remaining few days.  I will not make promises or firm goals for concrete bench marks in either area for 2017.  I just want to keep moving and reading.  I'm already compiling a list of books I'd like to read, so hopefully I'm off to a good start.  As for moving, just keeping at it and in need of new sneakers.  Got to take care of the feet!!!!

Other things I REALLY want to accomplish:

1. a sky scarf - I've talked about it here before.  Three to five shades of daytime sky colors and knitting a row of the appropriate color for each day.  Not sure how this will pan out, but have three colors already and thing I have the pattern narrowed down to a couple different stitches.  Will write more later.
2. trying more "new" recipes.  Nothing elaborate or fancy, just new to us.
3. getting out more with Kevin
4. getting out more with friends
5. blogging more
6. finding my crafting nitch

That seems good enough for now, no need to be overwhelming here.

To bring thankfulness up to date:

1. time to read
2. roaring fires
3. good coffee
4. boys doing well in school
5. time off
6. getting out and walkin
7. apple picking
8. Simon put star on Christmas tree
9. seeing Christmas lights with friends
10. matching pajamas

And with this quick post, I'm wrapping it up.  Lots left to accomplish today.

If Facebook Status' Were Honest

How much of Facebook status' are over worked, over thought?

What if they were honest, delivered well, and not over thought?

I've been off of Facebook a few days, but for whatever reason, this started running through my head this morning.  Just transparent, honesty, with the delivery well thought out, but not over thought!  After all, someone will always be offended, but that percentage could be a whole lot lower.  Also, makes me wonder if we could get to a point, where we can truly accept our differences and find the similarities in each other.

Are you curious what my "honest" facebook status' would be?  Here are some:

• the kitchen is a train wreck, but breakfast was worth it ~  yummy chocolate donuts with an orange glaze
• "When You Say Nothing At All" came on Pandora; 13 yo made the comment that "When You Say Nothing At All" is appropriate because you can't sing, speaking of no one inparticular
• how do we change the younger generation who feel so entitled to riot, pressure colleges to cancel classes, beat people up, etc. because the election went the way it did?
• what exactly is my dog dreaming of when she's sleeping and her tail is wagging excitedly?

That's pretty much it on Facebook, if I were there and not worried about what others thought about the number of posts I had in a short time period.

As for thankfulness, feels hard to find lately, but here it goes:

• aforementioned donuts
• fresh coffee
• sleeping, snuggly dog
• kids in a cheerful mood
• Allison Kraus station on Pandora

No Picture Kind of Day

it is just that kind of day.  Beautiful sunshine, check; breeze, check; bees buzzing, check; smells of summer, check; vitamin D catching sort of day; just no pictures.  It was a day to push through and get the basics accomplished ~ a day when long naps or vegging outside would be wonderful.

Very thankful to have had another day, even when doing life while exhausted.  Thankful to be bringing it to a close.  Thankful for adult conversations.  Thankful for hearing others speak well of our boys.  Thankful for cold, crisp apples.

And with that, I wish you a good night!

P.S.
I was reminded this morning (Wednesday should you care), that yesterday, while fixing my much needed afternoon coffee, I was truly thankful for the one filter left.  I was exhausted enough that retrieving then next bundle from the top pantry shelf, felt like a huge ordeal!  I snicker now, but it did really feel like to much work.

Opposite Day

2:00 PM brings:

That is what today can be summed up as.  Whatever yesterday was, today is the opposite; in almost every measure, except the actual digits for the temperature (it's gone down, unfortunately).  We're back to having rain, personalities are clashing, things are forgotten, difficult to muster through the tasks of the day, and on and on it goes.

Goodness, thankfulness, joy filled moments ~ I need to pause and reflect.  It's been that sort of day.  How to keep count of the good when life is feeling hard?  Start small I suppose!  Plenty of coffee and ice for my favorite caffienated beverage.  Dry spots to get out of the rain, that would be two.  Warm, fuzzy socks beckoning to the cold feet.

Not sure if this is getting easier, but it's a start.  And this particular post may end up being written in multiple sittings.  It's that kind of day.  My attention being pulled in multiple directions.  Kids needing something, dog needing to be walked, dishwasher needing unloading, computer work needing to be done.  You get the idea.  For now, I save what's written to move onto the events of the day.  More to write later.

11:08 PM day gone sideways
Yup, it went sideways!  The whole day ~ sideways.

Rainy days need colorful umbrellas!

Back to Reality

Yes, reality!  First week back to school, after break, and today was the first co-op for us.  It was a shock to our systems, getting moving, getting organized, and realizing all the "shoulda's" that didn't get done in a timely fashion.  There is still a lot of "joy in the ordinary" though.  Here's what it looked like for me:

• thankful for a smart phone to get a bit of "work" done while waiting on co-op to start
• another teacher organizing lessons for the first few weeks back
• coffee and creamer a the mom's part
• shuffling dinners around because the crock pot wasn't started at the right time
• naps for the weary family
• picking up a devotional book early

In the past, I've often ended (or began) with a picture I've taken (most of the time).  As I haven't been taking as many photos lately here's one I found on the internet:

Choose this for a few reasons: 1) coffee is a life saver today, 2) read the book "Owl Moon" earlier today, 3) friend had posted a video of a snow owl flying into and around a national tv outdoor camera, & 4) I just like owls.

Happy Thursday y'all!

"Oh The Things You Can Think"

 Our family is just coming off a Suessical high!  Puns are happening, it just can't be helped.  Fun is inevitable, just let out a whelp.

Thinking "aloud" here!  Oh the things you can think.  Thinking I need to be more intentional about blogging here.  Life is just whizzing by; more quickly than I care to admit.  Things, again, in random order, but no 1's or 2's, as they're all equally good:

• being "kidnapped" by friends
• homemade poptarts
• grass growing in thicker than years before
• car passing inspection (thought I had issues with the brakes)
• plants not fully dying
• planning out 2015/2016 school year already
• heating pads for achey back
• coffee ~ you just can't be thankful enough
• having the windows open
• kids having good group of friends
• co-op winding down
• planning meetings for next year
• bees buzzing along
• monogrammed bag

Cute bag, just for me

Under watered plant!

24 hours after a good watering,

it is thriving again

Early Edition

Anyone remember that show?  Guy gets the newspaper early and goes around saving people.  I decided to blog write early today in the hopes of being off of electronics by dinner time today.  Didn't sleep well last night and it's been a gray day.  Both of those factors equals one heck of a tired mom.  I have successfully resisted the urge to sleep.  Instead, have printed a bunch of biology stuff for the next several weeks for Mr. 9th grader, gave some lessons to the 6th grader on how to take an open book test, gotten dinner started, made more coffee, opened some "old" mail and separated it appropriately, took a break for chocolate milk, cleaned the kitchen a bit, and may read some after posting here.  All this since we got home about 1:30 PM or so this afternoon.  Ready to crash and burn, but boys have a few key things to finish up today before sleep is an option.  One is working on Biology and History, while the other cleans his room.  I snicker, because in high school I dreaded the Sunday afternoon homework routine.  It was the pits.  Think Mr. 9th grader would agree with me.  He's already taken a power name this afternoon.

The good today:

• at a glance with Kevin, kind of agreed on something, to be discussed more, but still can communicate with a nod
• being taken out to lunch after church
• walking the dog, even if it was cold.  We both got to stretch our legs
• encouraging a church friend about a few things for himself and his wife
• son wanting to fill out a leadership form, for Youth Group
• other friends checking in on me
• getting dinner started early ~ mild Italian sausage in a marinara sauce, with bread

Some Days Just Got To . . . . .

let it go!  Structure, order, to do lists ~ out the window today, if it weren't raining most of the day!!!!!!

Rained all day long.  Miserable kid all day long.  New pain inflicted by Ortho ~ check.  Desire for sleep all day long ~ check and double check.   Coffee pot cranking out the coffee, even late into the evening ~ check.  Van with minimal gas and early morning "mom taxi job" ~ check.  With all the men in bed, pandora playing, coffee beside me, maybe I will get semi caught up on computer related "jobs" I have.  If only it were paid jobs!  Guess you could say they are in that I get to drink my favorite coffee, listen to any station on Pandora I want, and wear pj's if I want.  The money would be good to though!

Can I finally find the good, when I can't hear rain and it's late enough in the day that the gray clouds aren't noticeable.  Yes, I can and here it goes:

• Kevin gassing up the van for me
• getting the most needed thing done for tomorrow accomplished first
• miserable/ortho inflicted kid laughing by the end of the day
• listening to Pentatonix "That's Christmas to Me" while working
• realizing I don't have to listen to their "Frozen" song!
• a dog that will come in to "Milkbone" when I don't want to be a door attendant
• kicking back (while working) and watching Netflix with the family

For the photo portion today, I am totally uninspired!

 Here is an oldy!  Someone turned 6,

9 years ago tomorrow.  Look at that blonde hair!

First Post of 2015

It is January 1st of 2015.  Won't honestly be long till I hit a milestone, age wise, that ends in a 5 and begins with a 4.  Being the the youngest of 5 kids, the mile stones never seemed that big.  I looked to my siblings, their spouses, and their friends and saw beautiful people getting older and the the big numbers never seemed so big.  I have my own friends, too, that have experienced a bit more life than myself as well, and they have weathered the storms of life with grace as well.

So it's the morning after New Year's Eve; the boys made it, I didn't.  They are sleeping, I'm typing out my first post of the year.  Curled under blankets, watching the shades of sunrise change the landscape.  Listening to something "quiet" on Pandora.  Seeing my neighbor (who reminds me a lot of my dad) scrape the windshields of their cars and rearrange the driveway because someone needs to leave.  Coffee is ready to be poured, just can't quit muster the desire to move the computer and uncover from the blankets.  (lol!  I made it, I am back, only slightly chilled, with coffee & white chocolate syrup).

The limbs have an orange hue;

the sky a brilliant light blue;

the sky still!

Beautiful beginnings to a beautiful year