Grains of Sand

FOR TODAY February 25,2014 Outside my window... it's dark and cold and the wind is fierce. I am thinking... of future blog posts I'd like to write. I am thankful... for time away from my everyday life. In the kitchen... whew!  What's not in the kitchen right now? The kitchen counters are littered with books, magazines, 2 cameras, the binoculars are still out from when I watched the bald eagle, bottles of water waiting to be put away, a toy football, my sunglasses and cell phone! I am wearing... a red sweater, blue jeans and warm socks. I am creating... contrary to what's in the kitchen right now, I'm still creating more organized spaces.  My pantry items are finally here, I've re-organized the spices and I've spent some time in the basement too. I am going... on a hunt for the perfect coffee table.  Ours is still functional, but we've had it since we were married (almost 18 years ago) and I'd like a new one someday. ...

This is what my three year old son packed for a recent trip to Grandma's:   Blanket, socks, underwear, a truck, a Lincoln log, toy razor, gum and a piggy bank complete with coins.  

Well, sort of. It says it's from Matt.  Actually it says, "Love, Matt".  However, Matt has no idea where I live and probably doesn't even know he's my celebrity crush.  And the handwriting looks suspiciously like that of one of my good friend's.   George Clooney and Matt Damon aren't the only ones who can play practical jokes on one another. When I opened the valentine, I giggled, blushed and chuckled to myself.  I love my friends and their senses of humor.  I might just put this valentine on the bulletin board for a while to make me smile and remind me of my great friends. Happy Valentine's Day♥         (p.s. When I did spell check, it didn't like Clooney and suggested colon.  That made me chuckle too.)

FOR TODAY February 3, 2014 Outside my window... bare branches standing still against a muted blue sky with below zero temperatures hovering.   I am thinking... that I need to put the house back in order.  There are miscellaneous items that don't belong in almost every room.   I am thankful... oh so thankful for God's amazing(!) grace.   In the kitchen... chicken chili for dinner, a grocery list and a menu plan for the week.   I am wearing... my favorite red yoga pants, tank top and navy blue fleece pullover from LLBean.   I am creating... more organized spaces, slowly and surely.  My prize from Better Homes and Gardens just might come someday. [sigh]   I am going... to enjoy the fact that we are half-way through our school year.  Only 18 more weeks to go.  I think I can, I think I can.   I am wondering... how to organize the spice cabinet?  Should I use a tiered rack, put racks on the doo...

You'll always learn something new if you keep an open mind.  That is something my father-in-law inadvertently taught me. When I was newly married, my father-in-law gave me a carpet sweeper. If I'm being completely honest, I wasn't impressed by that carpet sweeper.  It wasn't shiny, although it was new.  I couldn't wear it or hang it on the wall for art.  It didn't have any frills and wasn't even powered by electricity!  It was a plain carpet sweeper. It didn't appeal to my newly married self who wanted the fancy vacuum cleaners and state of the art blenders.  I thanked him for the carpet sweeper and promptly lost it in the back of a closet.  Then one day as I was cleaning out the closet I came across the carpet sweeper still in it's box.  I was a bit older, with at least one child to call me mom.  The carpet sweeper seemed a bit shinier to me.  Hmmm.  I could see the functionality in this item now.  I could actuall...

I find that uploading photos from the camera always brings a smile to my lips.  Since my husband and I share the camera, I usually find a few surprise photos.  Below are some of my favorite pictures from December.   Toffee posing for a Christmas photo. "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them." (Luke 2:20, ESV) "Baby you can drive my car Yes I'm gonna be a star Baby you can drive my car And maybe I love you Beep beep'm beep beep yeah" ~The Beatles   Smile! Ha ha!  I couldn't resist. For Christmas Mason asked for "a fire truck that makes noise, and a rocketship". Both of which Patrick and I were a bit skeptical of finding. We found both(!) and threw in an astronaut costume for good measure. Brothers enjoying some tablet time. Brotherly love caught on camera! Snowy dog. My jade plant blossomed!  First ti...

FOR TODAY January 14, 2014  Outside my window...  snow softly falling and covering all I see.  I am thinking... of my husbands somewhat unexpected business trip and how much we miss him.   I am thankful... for a lovely visit we had with friends this weekend. In the kitchen... delicious juicy oranges, homemade organic grape jam, beautiful fresh eggs and spicy meat sticks all given to us by family and friends. I am wearing... white tank top with a navy blue fleece pullover and burnt orange sweatpants. I am creating...  a list of things I'll change in our homeschooling thanks to reading this post . I am going... to bake cookies with the kids. I am wondering...  how many books I should purchase.  I need to purchase at least two specific books and I always like to throw in one or two for personal enjoyment.  I am reading... nothing at the moment.  Considering  The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel. ...