Another Show, Another Opening

And this go around it is "Suessical, Jr."!  Our favorite actor, is the Purple & Yellow "Who" Dad!  I laughed when I heard that, didn't know I had grandkids already.

Anyway, just a general shout to Northern Virginia Players.  What a great sense of community, family, and friendship these shows build in the kids and families as well.  There are folks you can laugh and cry with.  Folks you can call, in a pinch, when you need something.  Friends who go out of their way to help.

You can check out the link, above, to see past shows, and order tickets for Suessical, which opens tonight at 7:30.  Two shows tomorrow and 3 shows the following weekend.  You'll be amazed at the quality of the show, from kids 8 yo to 18 yo.  This will be a fun event for little kids as they'll see a lot of familiar Dr. Suess characters.  You won't want to miss out.

Thankfulness out of this:

• friendship blossoming for our kids
• seeing our kids shine in their talents
• seeing our kids extend themselves further than they imagined
• our kids being appreciated by adults
• random acts of kindness
• friendships blossoming for the mom's and dad's involved
• learning patience
• learning time management

Lots of Random, Lots of Good, Lots of lots!

Trying something new in my blogging ~ keeping a rough draft going, of my thankfulness, so that when I decide to publish (and rewrite) I don't have to wrack my brain for what has brought me joy.  This is the first writing like this, so no telling how many days it will take to actually hit publish!!!  I may shoot for every two to three days or so.  It will honestly depend on the photos that strike me or the moments of awe.

• school finished and graded by 1:23 PM
• curious kid doing self guided science experiments
• catching up on sleep after a bad night of sleep ~ priceless
• cool breeze, open window, and bird sounds
• making a double batch of brownies
• meal planning for a full week, before grocery shopping
• beginnings of deep cleaning
• kids at "tech week" for "Suessical"
• hustling, all day, to get chores done
• time off from school
• working washer and dryer (even if the washer leaks a bit)
• daffodils
• trees popping with spring buds
• knowing what is for dinner
• getting frozen dinner parts out early
• Pandora playing all day long
• enjoying the company of our kids
• finding out I am ahead on my bible study
• time to sit for a brief bit
• the smell of clean blankets
• reviewing photos on phone
• Kevin coming home with meat and wine (weird combination, but brings pleasure)
• double batch of brownies in oven

Know it is such random stuff!  But it's the joy in randomness that makes life interesting and keeps my mind off the the bad!  And with this, believe it is time to get up and clean some more.  Yes, I will be crashing later from all of the stairs and laundry and other related life stuff.

Just one photo today!  Kid played with food coloring and

water.  Cool, huh?  I liked it, he had fun ~ win/win!

Wonderful Things, Days, Moments

So many random things, so many good things, so hard to put them together in paragraph form.  It's okay to not be able to write in standard form.  I don't always want to stray from a normal format, but there are times when you just need to jump into a list, like now!

    j
              u
       m
                  p  i n g
in
                                        with no regret

• a sunset so orange, it felt warm in a cool evening
• the sunrise, the following morning, being a softer, colorful version like a favorite quilt pulled up tight
• using mason jars for Kevin's and my Easter candy
• being reminded on my grandparents putting candy jars on their heart, at Christmas, for each grandchild
• time with my folks.  Wonderful time to just catch up, in person
• seeing some of my siblings and their spouses
• easy ride to their house and home
• early morning car ride and seeing a beautiful moon
• getting the deck cleaned up some for summer
• warm days, skin turning pink
• bbq chicken, with a good, but mild kick (drats, didn't write anything down)
• opening day for Washington Nationals
• attacking a to do list that feels a mile long
• checking all the "must do" boxes on my to do list (and then some long term stuff)
• celery drying slowly

 one side of jar

 the other side

We do minimal candy, but really good candy!

dried leaves from a bunch of celery

Days That Speed Along

This is one of those blog posts, I just don't know how to title. Catchy isn't happening, honesty seems to forthright, and inspiration is lacking!! Life has been busy. School has been trucking along, mild colds hitting the household (thankful it's not the big colds going around), and general hustling to where we're ready for bed early in the evening. The other day, felt hit hard by the need to sleep, early in the day. Laid down, for what I thought would be 20 minutes, if I was lucky ~ 3 hours later I forced myself up. Didn't expect that as I am generally not a napper. Anyway, you add all our activities, school getting doubled up so kids can take Friday off, and general life things (chores, shopping, and what not) it has made for some long, tiring days. Don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, if it reads this way. It's just been an exhausting week. Looking forward to life being a bit slower. That will happen soon, very soon at the rate our days seem to be speeding along.

Any hoot, still finding the good and lovely things. Here's how it's been going lately:

finding a favorite pen in the van

3 rolls of Washi tape

"labeling" new electronics with said Washi tape

kid realizing a choice in one tape matches the cover of new phone (lol)

making bread this evening

good doctors appointment

getting the hang of using a planner

getting things checked off a list

finding a mysteriously placed bag of aquarium gravel

potting some pansies in a pretty container

buying a few parts and pieces to make new curtain rods

getting ready for bed

 first purchase of Washi Tape

wooden box, behind tape, has been prepped for new purpose ~

you can only faintly see where apples had been painted!

 see how well the dots match the chevron pattern!

 close up of hummingbird on planter

planter with pansies in it

looking forward to gifting this soon!

Real Life, Birthdays, "Fails", and more!

There are many phrases that are over used, way to many to go into here.  One heard around our house a lot is, "It is what it is"!  This phrase is usually followed with something like, "so how are we going to deal with the pieces (or mess, or clean up, or move on and learn).  It's our way of say, "it happened, how are you going to handle the next step?"  It just seems to bring the situation down to a level that we can respond calmly and find a good solution.

How does this lead into this post ~ plenty of ideas floating through this noggin of mine.  First and easiest, while make pancakes for breakfast and seasoning my cast iron skillets, I turned on the wrong burner.  The burner that my favorite cook book happened to be slightly resting on.  After a few moments, there was a burning smell.  Found my error, got book off to find only a little scorch mark, and turned that burner off and the correct one on.  It's things like this that I want our boys to understand why it's good to have another around and not to walk away from cooking or lighting fires.  You have help, should something go way wrong.  I look at this as, my favorite cookbook has more character and more proof that it is, by far, one of my favorite go to books.  Pages are wrinkled, splattered on, reinforced, notes made on them, and so on. Love this book because I can make the recipes into more healthy, organic recipes by simple substitutions.  I don't need to buy a special book just for eating healthy.  It's basically healthy and can be stepped up a level easy enough.  So, I am thankful for this well used, messy, burned cookbook.  It will stay on my shelf for a long time.  Sad days will following when it is beyond repair.

A birthday happened earlier this week too.  Another marker that a year has come to an end and a new one starts.  New goals seem present, more so than New Years Eve.  Little things about making our house more of a home, a safe haven, a place folks want to come to.  Goals of better organization and cleaning and using the whole house and property better.  How can we bless others with what we have?  What things can I make, for cheap, to show my personality?

There are fails along the way too.  Ideas that seem like such a good idea at the time, but when reality meets the road, it back fires.  Other ideas, for instance while cooking, it's just not as neat and tidy as those cooking shows that have many things tested out before they actually film.  I'm okay with this, especially when our boys keep coming back to the kitchen asking for more ~ I must have made something right!

And the more, just random pictures that I've seen, that make me happy.  Also pictures of things I'd love to make.

How all this summarizes into a thankful list, just keep on reading a bit longer:

• favorite cookbook showing it's love just a bit more
• lazy birthdays
• simple presents
• candles
• ice cream
• favorite meals
• date with my husband
• revamp of goals
• funny pictures that make me smile
• life is not perfect, but it is full of thanksgiving

What Brings Out Your Focus?

Your drive?  That "Type A" side we all have to varying degrees.

    My "A" side strikes every once in awhile, but not nearly often enough.  It's here this afternoon though.  In just a couple hours at home, alone, I'm able to get chores done in crazy time.  Though, those two hours are not enough time to get the WHOLE house done, it is just enough time for noticeable progress, and that will have to be good enough.

As is my "nature", I enjoy taking pictures of things that strike me as cool, beautiful, or unique.  I've also been know to take photos of things that tie into a blog post that is rattling around in my head.  That is what happened with today's writing and photos.

 Just warm enough for Charlotte to hang out

on the deck while I cleaned.  As I was focusing on a good

vacuuming, things got moved of the floor.  I took

her bed outside and she slept half on, half off.

 My desire for cute planner.  Making my own or finding one to down

load and print, just didn't happen.  I wanted to much out of a home made

and it was taking to long.  Store bought, with a plastic front and a place

change change out a cover, to the rescue.  Bonus ~ under $8.00.

 Must have ~ month view with just enough room to get a good over view

of what is going on that month.  Yes, April is still blank, will be updating that soon.

 Week view ~ again, enough room for all that needs to be in there.  I will still have a 

homemade school calendar (via Donna Young's website) with detailed notes on that.

I'd hate to see how big the calendar would be if I combined home and school on one calendar.

I also tied ribbons on the top spiral loop, to further personalize it and to add in finding the 

exact page I wanted.  When I do fill things in, some will be in pen, some in pencil.

I'll color code, either with highlighters or colored pencils, so a quick glance

I can see who's items are who's.

My list of joy and thankfulness (today and random last few months):

• store bought planner to personalize
• time to clean
• talent show for 5th & 6th graders
• warmth and sunshine
• boys earning their advanced red belt in TKD back in February (next belt is black)
• boys getting second stripe, yesterday (two more to go)
• breakfast for dinner

Been Awhile, but Still Thankful

Many things in life have changed since beginning this blog.  Many things I don't care to share in the open Internet.  What truly matters is finding, seeing, feeling, and believing in the joy that is around you and me.  It is there.  It always has been.  It always will be.  There are days that it is so obvious and lists grown on those days, like spring flowers.  Other days just feel dark and lonely, a desire to retreat to the dark corners exist.

I began writing, as a way to focus on the good and joyful things.  Some days were easy, many days hard.  Writing became easier as life's kinks got worked out.  During this, unfortunately, writing became one extra thing to do on a busy day's schedule and I needed to take a break.  I was, and still am, thankful for the little things in life.  The big things to.

If you are wondering why I chose to write today, there is an overwhelmingly strong feeling of being thankful today.  Probably began yesterday and continued into this morning.  Many things, that look like this:

• dog finally coming home after a 20 minute run through the woods (and yes, right before we needed to head out)
• younger son, in joyful tears, hugging our wayward dog (I forget how attached he is to Ms. Charlotte)
• friends noticing, I seem to have a happier demeanor
• another good nights sleep (still getting over a slight cold, so sleep is a wonderful thing)
• a rainy morning
• leftover soup for breakfast
• a heating pad for achy muscles
• smelly pup, curled up by my side (I probably would have missed her to, had she not come home yesterday)
• thankful that it is Friday

Will probably be trying to get back to this blog, just not daily or with such large gaps in time.  How often would you want to see it?

Anyhoot, here's one last photo, of the wayward pup: