Necessity is the Mama of invention

by Mama Mabel

Our church is having a big New Year's Eve shindig tonight.  Every year they bring in a band and have door prizes and more food than people can eat.  Last year they had around 80 people show up.  That's huge for a church that has around 20-30 people at a regular service. 

This will be our first year to go so Sunday after the service, I gathered with the ladies to find out what I needed to bring.  The church is providing hot dogs and corn chips and the ladies will potluck the rest.  At first, the plan was to bring a crockpot of something as well as some sandwiches.  I asked if the church would be providing chili for the corndogs or if we were making it.  It turns out that some women would make chili and some soup.  Then one industrious soul said she was planning to bring a crock pot of chili as well as one of soup.  What a great idea!  Then we'd be sure to have enough.  In fact, it was decided that since there will only be around 10 women bringing the food, all of us should do that.  So now I was on the hook for a soup, a chili, and sandwiches.  To top it off, there has to be dessert so each woman will bring one of those as well. 

This is all well and good, even exciting for the attendees because the ladies in my church can COOK!  Pretty much everything they make is scrumptious.  Unfortunately, as much as I love to cook, I don't have many crock pot soup recipes and didn't have time to test new ones.  I had from Sunday afternoon until tonight to plan and execute 4 church worthy dishes.  Not that anyone would get upset or be rude if I didn't bring as much as everyone else, but I would like to prove myself to be one of them.  This week, that means kitchen magic.  Good thing I thrive on cooking challenges.

I have a white chicken chili recipe that has been a hit in the past.  It's kind of cheating because they meant chilis that can be used for hotdogs and Frito pie but I think there will be plenty of those so something a little different will be a welcome change.  My sweet MIL Honey gave me a chocolate chip cookie mix as well as peanut butter and jelly as part of a larger Christmas gift (sounds strange but it was a great present!) so I'm set for dessert and sandwiches.  The kicker was the soup.  There will already be at least 2 veggie soups (the only kind of soup I have successfully made in a slow cooker) and a potato soup that I know of.  What's left to make? 

Coondog and I decided that someone needs to bring black eyed peas because it's New Year's Eve and that's a traditional food.  I didn't want to just bring a big batch of BEPs though.  How lame is that?  After some brainstorming and calls to both Granny Girl and Honey, Hoppin' John soup was invented.  Since I spent last night after work making dinner, deboning the chicken thighs for the white chili, and making cookies while convincing Ladybug that she should pick her dad's nose instead of mine and she didn't need to eat a plate of cookies, I didn't get the soup made before bed.  This morning, I frantically diced 1/2 each of a red, yellow and green bell pepper, threw in a pound of dried BEPs, some dried minced onion (no time to chop the real thing), some leftover ham, and salt and pepper in a crock.  I added a box of vegetable broth and stirred it all together then threw in a 1/4 package of bacon from my freezer for extra flavor and added more water to finish it off.  Thanks to my Green Acres style kitchen setup, I had to plug the crock pot base in by my dining room table.  I flipped a chair to have the front of it face the wall and the back fill the space between the wall and my round table so it won't be easy for it to get accidentally bumped.  Ladybug assured me that she knew it was hot and wouldn't touch it but she's 2 so I don't trust her 100% to not get curious.  So now I have white chili and Hoppin' John soup slow cooking their way to what it hopefully potluck worthy deliciousness.  Thankfully Coondog is home to keep an eye on water levels.  I'll let you know how it turns out. 

A tale of two Christmases

by Mama Mabel

We're fresh off our big Christmas trip to see all 4 of Ladybug's grandparents.  Our first stop was at Coondog's parents' in Oklahoma.   Ladybug is the only grandkid on that side and Honey keeps a toybox of age appropriate toys and special baby dolls that Ladybug looks forward to seeing each time.  Coondog's sister and her fiance came over around lunchtime on Sunday to exchange gifts.  When we opened presents, we did it one at a time in rounds from youngest to oldest.  Ladybug got to carry each person's presents to them because she was a big time helper.  Then she helped everyone open theirs except for my future brother-in-law whom she refused to help.  I'm not sure why because she's flirted with him as long as she's known him.  It was a very fun Christmas!

After that we went to see my parents in Texas.  My dad was at his mom's house so we stopped there on the way to Granny Girl's.  My dad hasn't seen Ladybug since she was born and his mom hasn't met her at all so it was a big visit.  Ladybug took an instant liking to her great-grandmother but wasn't too sure about my dad.  When we got to my mom's house, she wasn't too sure about my brothers either so I think she's just more shy around men. Strange for a girl who loves her stay at home dad more than anything but kids are fickle creatures.

Christmas at my mom's house was the polar opposite of Christmas at Pawpaw and Honey's house.  The kids set an alarm and wake the adults up no earlier than 6 am by running through the house and jumping on beds and generally creating a ruckus until we get up.  Then (after the adults get some caffeine), Granny Girl throws everyone's presents to them and we all tear them open at once creating a giant pile of wrapping paper and toys amid squeals of delight.  Ladybug wasn't sure what to think about the 4 other kids and 6 adults including me and Coondog all being busy at once.  She did enjoy opening both my gifts and hers since she sat on my lap.  Then she started playing catch with Granny Girl and some cousins and watch a foam sword fight and decided everything was okay.  Another fun Christmas!  I loved seeing the differences between our two traditions and how much each family still thoroughly enjoyed the day.  It was a wonderful experience.

The cow that stole Christmas

by Mama Mabel

Ladybug got her 15 seconds of fame yesterday when she debuted as a cow in the nativity scene at the end of the church kids' Christmas play.  I made her a cow costume (read tunic worn backward and safety pinned on) out of black and white felt to match the cute black and white cow face hat the church already had.

The kids didn't practice all together until yesterday morning so we put her on stage with them to help prepare her for what would happen.  I stood to the side behind the curtain while the two slightly older girls she adores held her hands and walked her up to stand between them.  They were angels, both in behavior and costume, which made it especially funny to me for them to walk my silly little cow out.  All was going well until she spotted the manger.  I couldn't see much from where I stood but one minute I heard the sounds of a Christmas song and the next I heard Ladybug's gleeful cry of "Baby!"  I knew we were sunk.  She took Baby Jesus out of the manger and held him adoringly.  She wouldn't let any of the other kids have him.  Fortunately, everyone there thought it was hilarious. 

Now that I knew what to expect, I did a lot of coaching.  Ladybug and I talked about how the baby in the bed (manger) on stage was for looking at with your eyes but not for touching.  We made cow(ish) costumes for her two favorite baby dolls so they could stay with her and keep her arms full while not being too obvious from a distance.  I was so proud of her as I helped wrangle the kids backstage.  She was very good about staying behind while the other kids went on and off stage.  She was quieter than a lot of the older kids.  She even let me put her costume on when it was time.  She only wanted to hold one of her babies but that let her hold hands more easily with the angels.  We had a last minute discussion about how the baby in the bed is just for looking at and she pointed to her eyes to show she understood.  Finally the big moment arrived and she walked out to a collective "awww" from the audience.  It made my mama heart proud. 

I was sent to stand just behind the curtain so I could watch her and she was so cute!  Then she realized how many people were looking at her and started to get nervous.  She looked like she wanted to bolt and saw me so I waved her over since no one expected her to stay up the whole time.  Then she had second thoughts and froze so I waved at her to stay in place.  Then she remembered baby Jesus and headed that direction.  The angels were quick enough to stop her and I was told to sit on the edge of the stage and hold her hand for the last few seconds.  I did NOT want to be on stage but I was so thrown off I just obeyed.  Once I held her hand she was comfortable staying close to the other kids and made it to the end.  The other kids were so flustered that they forgot to bow and just rushed off stage laughing and excited that they had done so well.  Ladybug and I went back with them to take her costume off and she wouldn't quit asking for "baby!" so one of the directors said she could carry the baby Jesus doll around which she did for the rest of the night.  She showed it off with pride to everyone who talked to her and doted on it like a mother hen.  No one else was allowed to hold it.  I guess she took the idea of Jesus being her personal Savior very seriously.

This Girl

by Mama Mabel

I drove to Branson, Missouri, to spend Thanksgiving with my parents. This year my niece, Robin, from Florida came with her husband and little girl. I'm so glad I got to spend time with them! When Robin's mama, my sister Julie, was alive she often called Robin by my name because we're so much alike. She's smart and funny just like her Aunt Granny Girl! And that baby girl of hers is smarter than the both of us! It's been a week (I'm still here because of icy roads) and my mom and I are still talking about that amazing child. Little Julie is 23 months old.

One of her favorite things was riding with Granddaddy on his wheelchair. She also watched him being lifted from his chair in a sling on his rolling lift and wheeled to his bed where he was lowered. Once the process was completed she piped up, "My turn!" So she got a ride on the lift. :-)

This girl can draw like a big girl! Here's one of her drawings. She said it was her friend Skylar. I've never known a child this age who could not only draw a completed circle, but could also add discernible features to a face. I'm taking this one home and adding it to my collection of chilren's drawings. I think it's absolutely amazing!

Julie also loved her Aunt Amy who came in from Nashville. And Aunt Amy was totally smitten with her! They had so much fun playing and singing.

Friday evening Julie was sitting on a barstool at the counter and her mama asked her what she wanted to eat. Julie replied, "Crispris." Robin said, "Christmas?" This was repeated a couple of times and a frustrated Julie said, "I get down." Her mama helped her down and she went over to the bag of food I had brought and pulled out a box of Crisp Rice cereal. "Crispris!" she said. Now either she read it or she remembered it from early that morning when her mama had told her the name of the cereal she had poured for her. Either way, she's one smart cookie!

While she was eating her "Crispris" she started singing "All night, all day, angels watching over me." How does a one year old even know that song?

Since the weather was mild we took a walk. We saw a train parked on some tracks and asked Julie what the choo-choo train says. She said, "All aboard!" 

We celebrated her second birthday a little early. She had spilled something on her shirt so she opened her gifts shirtless. We all bought her things that made noise. (hehehe!) 

Ok, I'll wind it down now. It's hard to quit bragging on this little sweetheart, but I'll try to contain myself. Here she is on the newly installed porch swing with her great grandmama.

Here's her daddy finishing up the installation of the swing, and her mama being her usual ornery self.

These two packed up their little car and that sweet baby and went back to Florida. After they left, my dad said to my mom, "Little Julie takes up some of the slack that Julie left when she died." 

She really does. 

Baby, it's cold outside!

By Mama Mabel

The temperature is dropping.  The rain is falling.  The grocery store shelves are emptying.  The space heaters are coming out.  Winter has begun! 

I didn't realize winter storms were named but apparently they do and Cleon is overtaking us.  I have lots of plans for if we get iced in, assuming we have electricity.  I need to sew a cow costume for Ladybug to be in the Nativity scene of the Christmas play.  I'm going to sew a bone shaped stocking for the dogs since the cats have one and I don't want them to be jealous.  Plus I have an abundance of white fleece.  We have decorations to put up and I may even start on the presents I'm making for everyone.  If we're not iced in, I'll probably stay home anyway.  Who want to go outside just to be cold when they could be inside drinking hot chocolate?  Not me.

Christmas is coming!

by Granny Girl

I came to Branson for Thanksgiving and decided to just stay a spell. There's no urgency to get back home, so I'll just chillax here with my mom and dad. Today we prepared for the predicted winter storm that's supposed to arrive tomorrow morning. We've stocked the fridge and the pantry (easy job because it's right after Thanksgiving) and we bought a propane heater in case the electricity gets cut off here. We planted tulip bulbs and swept off the deck. We're ready. Bring it on!

That's just the necessary stuff. We've also been doing Christmas things! We've bought and wrapped all of Mama's gifts for her grandkids and great-grandkids. But more fun than that, we've decorated Mama's lovely home. She has never been one to spend big bucks on Christmas decorations so much of it has been with her for many years.  See this little piece of driftwood?

Mama found it 47 years ago. Every Christmas she decorates it a little differently. This year's addition is the white bird sitting on top. Mama uses the driftwood as a porch decoration when it's not being used for Christmas. 

The big expenditure this year was a six foot tall tree. They've used a four foot tall one for awhile, but this nice big house requires a nice big tree. We found the perfect tree at Wally World for $20.00! 

I 

I don't have a close-up of the tree, but it contains a motley assortment of ornaments. They all mean something to Mama. Some were her mother's and some were made with her grandchildren's names on them. The kind of ornaments every family has that makes their tree the perfect tree for them. The tree fits the space just right!

And then Mama put the finishing touches on the rest of the house. She hung a beautiful wreath on the door.

She decorated the entry table with her crocheted candles and a green Christmas table runner.

All her snowmen got together.

The kitchen and dining room got all Christmasy.

Armadillo got gussied up.

Little Miss Elf got put on a shelf.

It all came together in a postcard perfect look.

Ahhh. A job well done! Mrs. Claus can just sit back and enjoy.

And the Mister can just sit back and enjoy the pretty sights. (If you look really hard, you can see him through the window.)

A mama by any other name

By Mama Mabel

I just received the best phone call I've had in a long time.  Ladybug called me Mama instead of Dada.  It's been a long time coming and it was beautiful. 

Move over little black dress

by Mama Mabel

I'm not a skirt or dress person.  I wear pants on all but the most special or formal occasions.  Despite my love for pants, they don't all love me.  Most appear less than flattering on me and dress pants are the worst.  I have exactly 1 pair of work pants that I love.  They fit me great - the legs aren't too long, they don't bunch or wrinkle easily, they flatter my baby-bearing hips and they don't gap in the back when I sit down.  They are the perfect pants.  I bought them just before I graduated college at the end of 2007 and they've served me faithfully since.  I think I paid $50 for them, making them the most expensive pants I've ever bought.  So worth it!

I looked down at work Tuesday and noticed that they're starting to show their days.  They're not so much black as light black.  You know, the color that only appears after formerly vibrant black clothes have been washed too many times.  The color that doesn't match any other black clothes because it's not true black and no other article of clothing has faded at the exact same pace.  It broke my heart.  I don't want to give up these beloved pants.  Maybe I'll just wear them until they fade into oblivion.  Yep, that's what I'll do.

Waiting

by Granny Girl

Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength..."

I love this verse! Although it is counter to everything in our American "can do" mentality, it's such a profound truth. We're thinking "What? Wait? Why not strive? Why not pull myself up by my bootstraps and get 'er done?" I've watched people who never ingested the truth of the importance of waiting. They seem to go 100 miles an hour, but it's often in the wrong direction. If they would only wait they would get there much sooner!

Now this isn't a passive wait. It's waiting with full faith that God is in control of the events and yes, even the pace, of life. And it's not an inactive wait. You can be in preparation for whatever it is you're waiting on, or even pursuing it as long as you take the steps God has shown his light on and not rushing ahead of Him because you just don't want to wait.

In my current circumstances I've been waiting on a job. To be honest, I didn't really want one. I needed rest and I needed time. While I was waiting on the Lord's timing I pursued the avenue of learning to sell residential real estate. I already had a license, so I joined a company and took  their training classes and learned the necessary office procedures. In the process of that I learned that I probably wouldn't be the rookie of the year. The time and effort involved in making big bucks in real estate is way too much for this grandma! But I do love it and I want to continue doing it at my pace, sticking with my original goal of helping people find a home. But, alas, an income is a necessary thing. I know it was God's timing that once I came to the realization that full-time real estate wasn't my thing, I had two job interviews in one day! Woohoo! I went off to these interviews with peace and calmness (confession: I love interviewing! Weird, I know.) Both interviews went well and today I got an email from the one I liked best saying I had made it to the second round. Woohoo!

Now, whether I get the job or not is up to God. That takes a load off! I'll do my best in the interviewing process, but I don't have to worry about the outcome. And the idea of getting up and going to work every day is exciting to me now after a few months of rest. I waited on the Lord and He renewed my strength! :)

Who moved the door?

by Mama Mabel

I woke up from a deep sleep in the wee hours of Monday morning to the sound of Ladybug crying.  Not all out, the-world-is-ending crying, just I'm-upset-and-want-you-to-pick-me-up-and-bring-me-back-to-your-bed crying.  Sometimes she does this for a few seconds then falls back into deep sleep so I waited.  It didn't stop.  I heard Coondog move beside me and rejoiced that he was going to handle it while I went back to sleep.  Nope!  He woke up enough to roll over and that was it.  It took me several seconds to figure this out in the deep darkness of our country house.

Once I finally realized that I was going to be the one to get up, I drug myself to my feet and made my way to our bedroom door, expertly shuffling past my laundry pile and dresser with a deftness that showed my ample experience in this particular activity.  I even impressed myself a little with how easily I could navigate our dark room and hallway.  I called softly to Ladybug to tell her I was coming for her then turned the corner into her room. 

Bang!  I hit my temple on what I'm guessing was a doorframe.  In total confusion, I stuck my hands out to warn me of new obstacles as I spun around and hit my other temple on what could only be a previously non-existent pillar in the middle of my hallway.  I don't know how I didn't feel it with my hands first.  Maybe it was a previously non-existent floating boulder.  I scrambled for a lightswitch or point of reference and managed to walk into our vacuum.  Somehow I found the doorknob to our spare bedroom and reached in to flip on the light for a few seconds, letting me orient (and blind) myself.  From that point, I managed to find Ladybug who got quiet the instant I touched her and stagger back to my bed carrying her, miraculously avoiding invisible obstacles on this leg of my adventure.

As I fell harder than usual back into bed, Coondog asked in a concerned voice if everything was okay.  I not so sweetly informed him that I was mortally wounded and upset about it.  He wisely refrained from any further comment and I fell asleep wondering how bad my headache would be in the morning.  Turns out I slept off the headache but I've learned my lesson.  Next time I'm going to elbow Coondog and he can beat his head against a wall (or mysterious floating boulder).

Surprise

by Mama Mabel
 
Coondog and I live paycheck to paycheck.  We're taking steps to get out of this cycle but for now it's where we are.  Anyway, I just got back from the post office and my paycheck wasn't there.  Payday is technically tomorrow so we can't complain but until recently, they always came on Wednesday or Thursday with the expectation that we would cash them on Thursdays since my coworker here doesn't come to town on Fridays.  I started to stress it because I'm very low on gas and short on money but then I remembered that I found $2 in my coat pocket yesterday.  Plus, I generally try to not stress since it's really just a sign that I'm doubting God's love and ability to provide.  I thought if I drove very carefully, I might be able to get home tonight and back to town tomorrow with $2 worth of gas plus the gallon or so in the tank.  I got to the gas station and gathered up all my car change from various cup holders and floorboards (45 cents.  Woohoo!).  When I pulled out the bills to go with it, there were actually $3 in my pocket!  Now I have enough gas to get me home tonight and back tomorrow when the paycheck should come in.  It no longer surprises me that God comes through every time we have a need, but it still surprises me how He does it.  Finding $3 in my pocket was a big deal because just a few days ago, I firmly believed that we had spent it all at the grocery store last weekend.  Shows what I know.

Perception vs. Reality

by Mama Mabel
 
I had a rough morning yesterday.  I woke up grumpy and banged around the house yelling at the animals and speaking gruffly to Ladybug.  I finally got it together enough to get in the car and go to work but first I hit the steering wheel, screamed and cried a little.  I was in full on meltdown mode.  Then I realized that I was lower on gas that I had thought so I prayed my way into work which helped me reset my thought process.  Gradually the beauty of the trees in all their fall splendor soothed my raging emotions.  I'm not proud of my fit but glad I made it through without doing anything too terrible like screaming at Coondog who thankfully slept through my bout of insanity or cussing in front of Ladybug.  Believe me, I was on the verge.  (Fun fact:  there is a family legend that my dear Grandmama once spanked my uncle for the heinous offense of "almost making her cuss.")  In retrospect, I let my grumpiness taint my perceptions until they were totally skewed.  For example:

Perception:  Coondog thoughtlessly woke me up making unnecessary noise in the middle of the night.
Reality:  It started to mist and Coondog singlehandedly hauled in everything we had on our porch to protect it. 

Perception:  Coondog let the outdoor dog in after I went to sleep so he could play with it and then it jumped in my bed and woke me up.  How rude!
Reality:  The dog got in while Coondog hauled our things off the porch and he put him back outside as soon as he finished.  On top of that, he apologized for both the dog and the noise in the sweetest way possible when he found me awake.

Perception:  Ladybug was being unreasonable and fussy and I didn't have time for it.
Reality:  Okay, she was being fussy but it's mostly because I slept late and tried to rush her from one thing to the next.  Plus I was fussing at her for being in the way as I tried to get ready.  That's kind of her job.  She's a toddler who routinely participates in my morning routine.  She was in her normal spot.

Perception:  Me being low on gas was somehow Coondog's fault.
Reality:  I'm the one who drove the car the day before and brought it home in that state.  He's the one who told me that there were 2 gallons of gas in a gas can in the shed if I needed it which I rushed off without putting in my car.

Turns out all my sources of stress and self-pity were either my own fault or non-existent.  Makes me feel like a dingbat.  I'm so thankful Coondog slept through it and Ladybug holds no grudges.  The Bible says that God's mercies are new each morning.  Thankfully that included yesterday morning because I desperately needed it.

Veterans' Day

by Granny Girl

Today is Veterans' Day. I admit that I have not in the past given it its due. I was busy raising a family and working and thought of it as a light traffic day on the way to work. Yes, I would say a prayer for the veterans, but I barely gave it a thought. My own dad is a veteran! Shame on me for my antipathy!

I'm not sure what all I'm going to do differently this year. I have a real estate training class all day and a church function tonight so I won't have time to attend any formal Veterans' Day functions. What I am going to do is pray every chance I get for America's veterans today. I'll pray for provision, peace, grace and mercy. I will pray they will know down to their very souls how much we appreciate them and the sacrifices they have given for our country.

I was reading in I Timothy 2:1-4 this morning: "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."  NKJV

So in accordance with the Scripture, along with praying for the veterans I'm going to pray for our president and all who are in governmental authority. Thanks be to God that America is a country founded on Christian principles and that we have the freedom to publicly pray for and honor our veterans!

Chips the dog

Trisha had a dog named Chips.  He was a good dog, great with kids, friendly, and about as obedient as dogs get.  When Trisha moved, she adopted him out to a family in a neighboring county with 4 kids that lived on 9 acres.  She was so relieved to find such a good home for him. 

I just swung by Trisha's old house to get a plant she left outside for me and lo and behold, Chips came running up!  He was so happy to see me.  I couldn't tell if he was more excited about meeting an old friend or the prospect of getting food from me.  I was flabbergasted.  For lack of a better plan, I bought a cheap bag of food and set him up with some water.  He was ecstatic. 

Trisha's former house is somewhat secluded so he should be safe to stay there without human supervision for awhile.  Our best guess is that the adoptive family dropped him back off.  What could they have been thinking?  Now Coondog and I have to figure out what to do with him so he doesn't starve or start scavenging a neighbor's trash and get shot.  The pound here stays close to maximum capacity and dogs are abandoned right and left this time of year if they don't perform well on deer hunts so there's not much prospect of finding him a local family.  Anybody want a dog?

I was okay until I wasn't

My good buddy Trisha told us last weekend that they were moving out of town.  Her husband had a good job prospect in another city and none here.  They had planned on leaving early tomorrow morning.  It was sudden but that's kind of how they roll.  They needed a fresh start and they had no real ties here except us and another couple they are friends with.  I've known since she told me that it would be a good move for them.  I was happy for them and took the news in stride.  Until now.

I just spoke with Trisha.  They left a day early because her husband was so eager to meet with the supervisor at the new company.  All their stuff was ready to go so they just loaded up and left this morning.  Like I said, that's how they roll.  I was in blissful ignorance of this until 2 minutes ago.  I dropped by their house earlier so Trisha and I could hang out on my lunch break one last time.  I figured she was running errands so I let Coondog know that I would be home late because I had to stop by to see her after work to say goodbye.  Then I got the call.  Now I'm almost in tears because it caught me by surprise.  I'm bummed that my friend is gone.  I'm very thankful I stopped by Monday and spent a couple of hours talking to her.  That was way better than a rushed goodbye.  And it's not like they fell off the face of the earth.  We'll keep in touch.  For now I will focus on praising God for bringing Trisha and her husband in our lives when He did and for letting us be friends with such a warm couple.

A coincidence? I think not.

by Granny Girl

I have recently started a new career in real estate. I've had my license for three years, but the time was never right for me to let go of the full-time job and work for commission only. Working on commission is one of those things for which the time will never be right (like getting married, having a baby, or dying). But since I've been unemployed since June this is a perfectly opportune time!

Because I'm in a sales field, I'm required to have lots of training and learn tons of information about the company and about real estate. I've been in classes from 9:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. two days already this week and it's been grueling. I started to doubt if I could do this, but God sent the most wonderful encouragement my way. In both classes there were people next to me who were believers and going through similar struggles that I'm going through. The first day I sat with two ladies, and one started sharing about how she had recently been divorced and got into a rebound relationship and then a break up that had sent her back into her post-divorce emotions. The other lady told her "You are a beautiful woman and God is going to send the right man at the right time so just take care of yourself and your kids and it'll be ok." The divorced lady opened up about how she was a Christian and she knew God was in control. The conversation went on from there about how God had worked in all of our lives. It was so cool!

The next day I had to do a script exercise with the nice man sitting behind me. He told me he was having a hard time concentrating because his three year old was really sick and they were having to put him on a second round of antibiotics and this all came about because his wife had just started working full-time as a nurse so they had to put their two little ones in daycare. He said, "I don't know if I did the right thing by starting a real estate career right now." I told him how I was a person of faith and that through much prayer I had decided that this was where God had put me. He said, "Me, too!" He told me how his church friends had been so supportive and how his wife had encouraged him to do this. I told him the classes were overwhelming to everyone and that he would just have to slog through. And I told him his discouragement was coming from the fact that the teacher was giving us all these assignments and exercises to build our business, but she was leaving God out of the equation. He and I both had God and needed to realize that God was in control of the outcome. We were only in control of our actions and attitudes. He told me that my talk really helped him and took my business card so he could stay in touch. It encouraged both of us to have that little talk!

When fear and doubt started to creep in, as it did when I was sitting in that grueling class wondering when I was ever going to see any profit from this endeavor, God sent encouragement to me and also allowed me to encourage someone else. How cool is that?

Ambivalence

by Granny Girl

I have been told by more than one person that I'm an enabler. I don't think I am, but it would be foolish to disregard the warnings of people who truly care about me. I've been thinking and praying on this for awhile and I still don't have an answer. I firmly believe in the power of kindness, but am I too kind? I think putting others first is a good thing, but am I negating myself to do this? See the ambivalence here?

Last week, at the invitation of a dear friend, I began attending a recovery program for codependent people, or enablers. Since it was my first time to attend, I went to an orientation session instead of a regular sharing session. I picked up a brochure on codependency and it kindly pointed out that on the surface, codependency sounds like "Christian teaching." And then it gave a list of traits that codependents possess. Frankly, I didn't see myself in most of these traits, but there was one that really rang my bell: "Codependents do not ask others to meet their needs or desires." I'm hoping I will learn the purpose of asking others to meet my needs by going through this program. But really, isn't it better to ask God to meet your needs? Once again, ambivalence.

I'm really leaning toward thinking I'm not an enabler. This scripture is propping up my leaning: Col. 1:10-11 "...that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy." This sounds to me like patience and longsuffering bring joy, and that God will strengthen me with all might. But I don't want to be blind to a fault that may be holding me back from truly walking worthy of the Lord and fully pleasing Him. Ambivalence. Sigh.

Anything you can do, I can do sillier

by Mama Mabel

Last night, I did not want to do the dishes.  There weren't that many since I've made a point of staying somewhat caught up with them, but I still didn't want to do them.  I wanted to play with Ladybug because it was almost her bedtime when we finished our late dinner.  As a compromise, I called her in to do dishes with me.

Ladybug is my helper in all things possible, but washing dishes is one of her favorite chores.  I wash them in a plastic tub in the bathtub which allows her to reach the water coming from the faucet and the edge of my washtub along with whatever dish I put close enough for her to grab.

A few days ago, she requested her own plastic mesh scrubber like I use and washed the same sippy cup for 10 minutes.  Last night she fixated on rinsing.  She would fill a plastic cup at the faucet with the utmost concentration.  Then, when I washed a dish, she would pour her cup of water over it and laugh hysterically.  The most exciting times were when she caught me holding a plate horizontally and the water went bouncing back into the air.  She also built up suspense for herself by tilting her cup just enough to get a few drops out then righting it again.  She'd look at me like, "look at the power I weld!  Only I can release the water from the cup!"  Needless to say, the small number of dishes took a lot longer to wash than necessary.  Once they were all done, we did our standard parade back to the kitchen with me carrying the full drying rack and her carrying the empty wash tub.  Coondog told us we had too much fun washing dishes.  I would have agreed with him but there's no such thing as too much fun with your kid.  Especially if it transforms washing dishes from a chore to a hilarious exploration of the wonders of a cup of water.

The check's in the mail

By Mama Mabel

This weekend, we received one of those pieces of mail that requires you to tear off 3 sides at the perforation marks before you can see what's inside.  I secretly love these because I love disconnecting paper along perforations.  I'm weird, I  know. 

Anyway, this one kind of concerned me because it wasn't obviously a fake check from a credit card company or a tax notice, the two main sources of this type of mail.  I had a bad feeling about it which was confirmed when we opened it to find a notice from the hospital where I had Ladybug.  "We can't afford that right now!" I thought and started to get upset.  Then I saw that it wasn't a bill.  It was a check!  They sent us a check!  It wasn't a huge check but it was just what we needed to cover some upcoming expenses.  I'd told God that I didn't know how we were going to afford them but I knew He had it covered so I would be the best steward possible and then just not worry about it. As always, God came through when we needed Him. 

I once heard a missionary telling the story of his life and how many times God had provided for his family when things looked impossible.  I thought to myself, "well sure, they're missionaries. They know God's going to take care of them because they're following His will for their lives and He will provide the way for them to keep doing that."  (Yes, I usually think in full sentences like that as if I'm having a conversation with myself.)  Then I had the earth shattering realization that the same standard applies to me.  I may not be a missionary in the classic "go to a foreign country and preach to strangers" sense, but God hasn't called me to do that.  Instead, he's called me to settle in this rural community, be a good wife and mother and neighbor and friend, and live my everyday humdrum life in a way that is honoring to Him.  I try to listen when He tells me to do something and actually obey.  If you think about it, that's what Ruth in the Bible did.  She moved to a new place and treated her family (at the time it was just Naomi) with respect.  She worked hard at harvesting to feed herself and Naomi.  For that, she ended up in the lineage of Jesus.  I've always loved the book of Ruth for showing how God cares about such seemingly unimportant lives.  I'm doing nothing to change the world on a large scale but Ruth didn't either and God is still just as faithful to pour out blessings on someone who is only significant due to her status as His child.  What a great God I serve!

Full House

by Granny Girl

In the last couple of weeks a lot of changes have happened around here. It began with my oldest son losing his job in the oil fields. He moved in with me and is making the garage into his bedroom/man cave. He is starting his own company and is getting the classes and licenses needed for that. It will take a couple of months before income is coming in from that.

His fiance and her four year old son have also moved in. They are sleeping in one of the three bedrooms. (Her daycare fees quit being subsidized and jumped to $185.00 a week. What single mom can afford that?)

This influx of people means that my youngest son (age 22) had to move into the shed in the back yard. I know that sounds weird, but it's a good setup out there. It's carpeted and fully furnished. He has his TV, X-box and computer out there, so he's fine.

My 12 year old grandson has been sharing his room with his two younger brothers. Their dad is spending all the time he can with them while he's between jobs. Since the bedroom is set up for a 12 year old, their toys are stored in the living room, as are the 4 year old's toys. We stored the two love seats that were in there, and put in my future daughter-in-law's couch and two recliners. So there's the furniture, 3 toy boxes, 1 bookcase, 2 dressers and a coffee table in there. Thankfully, I have a large living room!

We have divided up the household/childcare duties and had an official budget meeting. Our goal is to support each other through this financially tough time and not let the strain of having no money affect our relationship with each other. As my mama always said while I was growing up, "We're not poor, we just don't have any money." And to be honest, it's kinda fun!

New floors!!

by Granny Girl

I have been living with bare concrete floors for months. My grandson and I pulled up the carpet in the living room and all but one bedroom because it was unbearably stained and full of dog hair. It was stinky. The concrete smelled better and was sweepable, but it was not pretty and it was really hard. Concrete dust filtered through the house, landing on every surface. Still better than carpet, but certainly not optimal.

I started praying for new floors. Specifically, vinyl plank floors. I had researched and found that these floors were indestructible. (Indestructible is my decorating style.) One day my sister called me and told me she had heard on the radio that Ideal Floors was giving away flooring. She said to go to their website and apply. My immediate thought was that this was God answering my prayer. (spoiler alert: He was!) I opened their page titled "Ideal Gives Back" and saw the question "How can we be a blessing to you?" Just reading that was a blessing! How many companies put something like that on their website? The application page said "tell us your story." I told them about the major changes that had happened in my life in the last couple of years, how I'm a single grandma caring for my grandson and that I had recently lost my job. I told them that while I was perfectly content with the concrete, new floors would be a huge blessing. A fantastic lady from Ideal Floors, Joan Davis, called me and said she was going to come out and measure my house for flooring!! She came the next day to measure and told me I could pick out enough cheap flooring to cover the living room, hall and bedrooms, or I could go a step up and get enough for just the living room and hallway. She mentioned carpet, but I asked if I could get something sweepable. She said, "What about vinyl plank?" Bam! God answered my prayer! I also made a friend for life in Joan. She's a dear lady and the more we talked, the more we saw how we had led somewhat parallel lives. She told me she prays over all the applications so the floors will go to whomever God wants them to go. And she told me that the owner of the company had started giving away flooring some time ago. God told him he needed to give more. Now he gives up to $1500 worth of new floors to ten people every month! What a guy!

The installers came two days ago. They worked for about 10 hours and got the job done. The floors are absolutely amazing! 

Living room before

Living room after

 Hallway before

Hallway after

Everything including the kitchen sink

by Mama Mabel
 
Our remodelling neighbor is giving us her old kitchen sink since she has no use for it.  She hates to see perfectly useable things being thrown in the trash so she stashed it in her shed so her new one could be installed this week.  She was showing Coondog how she's going to use her old cabinets as storage in the shed when the question of what to do with the old sink came up.  He convinced her that we would give it a loving home if she let us adopt it.  Once Coondog and the neighbor both have free time on the same day, they'll haul it over on her trailer.  And once we get our septic fixed (hopefully in the near future), we'll hook it up and I'll have a kitchen sink.  With a garbage disposal.  Ha!  God is going all out in His current deluge of blessing.

Praise God from Whom all blessing flow...

by Mama Mable

Friday afternoon, I was frustrated over our lack of progress on the financial front.  We were hit by a big bill last month and living very tightly until we get our equilibrium back.  Not the end of the world, it just seems like something always hits as we start to get ahead.

On the way home from work, I turned off the radio and sang praises to God and thanked Him for all that He has done and is going to do for me.  One of the things I was upset about was that I went to buy graham crackers for Ladybug before the special sale price ended but they were sold out.  Given our tight budget and their extortionistic prices, I wasn't going to splurge on the pricier ones so I just left and went home.  Granted, they're a luxury item and we could survive without them, but it was the end of a long day at the end of a long week and I was disappointed.  As I praised God, I reminded myself that God will provide "according to his riches in glory in Jesus Christ."  How much richer can you get?  He had it covered.

Two minutes after I pulled into the driveway, a neighbor who adores RA stopped by on his way home from work.  He can't stand to see her without giving her something (gifts are so his love language), so he handed her a box of crackers he had been snacking on.  They were a new exciting flavor that gave her some much needed variety.  (Blessing!)  I could practically hear God saying, "you were right, I do have this covered."  What a great moment.

It gets even better.  We have a small fund for household improvements but were nowhere near what we needed for the big stuff.  A neighbor who is redoing her entire kitchen plus her living room floors offered us her used carpet a couple of weeks ago.  it's in great condition so we're going to put it in Ladybug's room to keep her warmer this winter.  (Blessing!)  She stopped by Saturday to confirm the measurements and offered us a price on her old oven that was beyond bargain priced.  It was a steal.  She wanted it out fast and is just a really nice person who has taken a liking to us, as we say in the south.  She even drove it over on her trailer.  We still lack the wiring needed to hook it up but that's not too far in our future.  The oven is nicer than anything we could ever have dreamed of buying.  It has more bells and whistles that I even hoped for.  My big wish was a timer and maybe delay start bake.  This has a bridge burner on the stove portion to put a griddle on and a convection oven so dinner will hopefully have fewer burned spots.  It is Fancy Schmancy.  God not only took care of our needs but He poured out blessings in abundance.  Once again, showing that He's got it covered and I should choose faith over worry every time because He has never not come through.

Eyelash Emergency!

by Granny Girl

I had an appointment last week with a prospective employer. I planned ahead on what to wear and groomed myself with extra care. The night before the meeting I trimmed up my eyebrows. When one gets to a certain age one has to be very vigilant about one's eyebrows. I'm just saying. Mine remind me of Ernest Borgnine's (if you're old enough to get that reference, you're old enough to understand eyebrow troubles!). The gray eyebrow hairs are out of control, and the little fuzzies that grow underneath my brow on my eyelid drive me crazy. So I got out the little electric clippers and start carefully shaving my eyelid. I slipped and took out half my eyelashes!! On my right eye, half were normal length and half were stubs! Thankfully, I have been watching every episode of "What Not To Wear" and I have seen Carmandy (sp?), the make up artist, fix just such problems. Maybe not exactly the same problem, but eyelash problems nonetheless. Anywho,  I went to the beauty supply store and got a set of eyelashes, cut them in half, trimmed them to a normal length and put them on the outside half of each eye. I think I did okay on putting them on. The whole time I was in the meeting I kept worrying that they had slipped, but I was afraid to touch them to check. You can feel them on your eyes and it's so weird! I told a friend about it and she told me she had a friend who wore false eyelashes on a first date. Midway through the date, she went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. One of the eyelashes was on her forehead, looking like a caterpillar! Ha!

There's no moral to this story. I just thought I'd share. :-)

Bathroom Renovation Done!

by Granny Girl

I told you in an earlier post about my wonderfully frugal buys I found for my bathroom renovation. To be honest, the paint and wallpaper would probably still be sitting in my bedroom floor if I hadn't had a surprise visit from an old friend. Dorothy Lilley and I have been friends since college when we lived in the same duplex. We've not lived in close proximity since then, but she always comes to see me when she's in town, and I just love her. She's fun and talkative and full of energy. She and her husband were in the area visiting his family, and she called me on Sunday night to ask if she could spend Monday morning through Tuesday morning at my house. Of course I said yes! Then it worked out so that her husband didn't pick her up until Wednesday morning, and I had two entire days with my good friend!!

Being the energetic person that she is, she suggested that we do a project while she was here. We picked the bathroom. That girl worked. She dug around in my garage and found some drywall scraps and patched the hole in the wall under the vanity that had been there for three years! Then we painted, then we wallpapered. We did a lousy job on the wallpaper, so when we got back from my grandson's football game (they won!) we found it peeling off the wall. We made a late evening run to Super WalMart and looked at their 'oops' paint. I was gravitating toward a bluish tint, and she kept going back to one that I called beige and she called gold. Since she has a much better eye for color, we went with the gold. It's perfect!! I ended up liking it way better than the wallpaper. Dorothy very generously bought several things for the renovation, like the shower curtain and the towel rods. She even found brushed nickel switch plate covers! And she bought some hangy downy things to hang on the hooks that have always been screwed into the ceiling in there. They're the perfect touch! I absolutely could not have done this without her.

You can't tell from these pictures I took from my phone, but the wall behind the mirror is a light mocha, and the adjoining wall is the gold color. The gold matches the shower tiles and the countertop and pulls it all together.

Organizing my house: Back on track

by Mama Mabel

I'm almost caught up on my dishes.  Well, except for the box of them that we brought home from storage Monday.  I need to sort through those to see which I want to keep out and which will be sent to live on top of the refrigerator where they won't be in my way.  Then I get to clean out my fridge and wash the dishes holding all the food we didn't get around to eating before it went bad.  Fun.

The cooler weather we've been having is inspiring me to get things done.  That and no one in my house being sick for the first time in weeks.  Coondog is feeling it too.  He's the one hauling stuff from storage and helping me get things organized throughout the house.  He even burned all the branches cluttering up our yard that had blown off our trees in a recent storm.  Each of us staying busy helps the other one stay motivated.  However, I decided at 9:30 last night when Ladybug finally fell asleep after a late dinner that took a long time to cook (but we delicious and worth it!) that I would not be doing that day's dishes before bed.  One of my personal goals is to wash more dishes than we use each day until I'm caught up and then Leave No Dish Behind goes into effect where my kitchen is pristine(ish) before bed each night. My new caviat is that if I can't get into the kitchen before 9:30 on a Tuesday night, which is often my hardest night of the week, then I am free to put the dishes off for one day.  Sanity stays in check and we can survive one day.  Having the counter cleared off and enough clean plates, bowls and silverware to get through Wednesday takes the pressure off.  It's nice to get one step closer to living in a functional house.

Home improvement with very little money

by Granny Girl

Since I'm unemployed, I don't have any extra money to spend on home improvements. And since I'm unemployed, I'm spending waaaaaay more time at home. Plenty of time to look at all the things that need to be fixed, painted, cleaned or straightened. Today I finally touched up the white paint in my grandson's room, so tomorrow I just have to touch up the black paint and put on the new white outlet covers and light switch plate. Then his room will be officially done except for floors. I'm holding off on doing anything to the bare concrete (we pulled up the carpets, they were goners) until I can put new floors in the whole house. Anywho, I started on his room months ago, then just fizzled out instead of finishing it. Sheesh!

Next project is going to be the teeny tiny bathroom off my bedroom. It's horrendous. There's a big hole in the wall under the cabinet from someone trying to find the source of a leak about three years ago. The walls need to be painted. The light fixture, mirror, faucet and towel bars are all clashing styles. The tile on the floor and the tile on the shower wall are not coordinating. The countertop is dated, but it goes well with the shower tile. It's just a pitiful looking room. But it's small, and small means cheap when it comes to redecorating.

I went to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore today to see what bargains I could find. Most big towns have a ReStore where local construction companies donate materials both new and used for resale. There is one about five minutes from my house and I never know what I will find there. Today, I found a roll of prepasted wallpaper (original price tag said $39.99) for $3.99, a small can of paint for the cabinet for $1.00, a bottle of grout and tile sealer for $1.00 and a gallon of primer for $9.99.  I can use the primer for many projects, so I figured it was worth the splurge. Then I went to Lowe's and looked on their "oops" paint shelf and found a gallon of paint for the walls for $5.00. If you're keeping track, I've spent approximately $21.00 so far. 

Now I need a new light fixture, faucet, towel bars, medicine cabinet and shower curtain. Wonder how cheap I can find them? 

 Pinkish tan floor tiles & yellowish tan shower tiles. Hmmm.

This cabinet has to go. It's pitiful.

My beautiful $3 wallpaper!

Home remedies for the common cold

My weekend did not go as planned.  Ladybug and I had a cold.  Well, two colds, one each.  Since she only wants her mama when she's sick, Coondog had to take her for a long drive Sunday just to give me a break so I could nap.  Man, I love a good nap.

Ladybug was feeling much better yesterday with just some congestion bothering her.  She thinks blowing her nose is a great fun so she used a lot of tissue.  I figured the more she gets out the better and let her go for it.  She was less excited about me digging out dried boogers that blocked her nasal passages but we got through it.  Oh, the joys of parenting.

I ended up home early from work yesterday which I rarely do.  I have a lot on my plate tax-wise this time of year so I threw every home remedy I could find at this cold.  I drank warm peppermint tea and held the steamy cup by my face for maximum benefit.  I ate cinnamon toast.  Isn't cinnamon toast the perfect comfort food?  Tasty and immune boosting  I rested like no one's business.  I ate a sandwich with mustard on it because the tumeric in it is supposed to help.  Mustard is supposed to be medicinal in some way too so I was hoping for any fringe benefit I could get.  I put children's vapo-rub on my feet because, really, what adult doesn't use treatments intended for kids?  I spent some time sitting in the warm sun to get some vitamin D flowing through me.  I watched a movie set in the early 1800's (this is a female specific cure-all).  I also made sure Ladybug took part in all these things to keep her on the road to recovery.

Today I'm back at work.  Who knows what it was that helped me?  Maybe it was everything.  Maybe it was time.  Either way, I'm not 100% but I feel much better and don't mind having an excuse to eat more cinnamon toast.  :)

Weekend happenings

by Mama Mabel

What will you be doing this weekend?  I for one intend to finish out my week's goal of washing my dishes and straightening up my countertop.  Then I'm going to bake cookies and get more dishes dirty.  Sounds fun doesn't it? 

I've been wanting to bake chocolate chip cookies all week but didn't have eggs until yesterday.  I've been holding off buying them on my many trips to the store this week because I wanted to stop at the house I pass so often with the sign advertising fresh eggs.  I finally worked up the nerve to have a new experience and I'm now the owner of a dozen eggs ranging in color from white to dark brown.  The man selling them was so nice that I may bring Ladybug by this weekend if the weather is good so she can meet the chickens.  I think she'd love chickens. 

Apparently a willingness to experience new things can lead to good experiences.  Who knew?

Ants, ants everywhere and not a drop to drink

by Mama Mabel

As I was trying to catch up on my dish washing last night, our water pressure became more of a water trickle.  This has happened before so Coondog suggested I try again later.  We thought the hot water tank needed to fill and was sapping all the flow from the cold water.

I went about the nightly business of getting Ladybug to bed which she was in no rush to do.  I watched a video with hunky hubby so we could have a few uninterrupted minutes of vegging together (aren't we romantic?).  I got my jammies on.  Finally, just before I went to bed, I tried to run the water so I could brush my teeth.  The trickle became a drip then became nothing.  I quickly called Coondog in to investigate.

By process of elimination, Coondog determined the problem had to be at the pump so he went out to the well house at the front of our property.  Ants had swarmed the electronics and gummed up the works.  He blew most of them off and returned to the house for bug spray so I followed him back out to help.  Sadly, he doesn't appreciate my flashlight holding skills so I ended up watching him work.  After another trip back to the house for paper towels, cotton swabs and what I think was carburetor cleaning spray, the pump was as clean as it was going to get.  We gave the spray a little time to dry then I stood in our laundry room with that door and the front door open while he went out to the well house and yelled for me to flip the breaker.  Our plan was the he would watch as it came back on and yell his head off if one of the many flammable sprays we'd used caught on fire so I could shut the breaker back off.  Brilliant, right?  Thankfully, everything went smoothly from that point on.  I could hear the water heater filling and the faucet we'd left on in the tub start to flow.

What relief!  After imagining that either our well had run dry or our pump was irreparably broken, running water felt like a miracle.  Growing up in the city, I had never before experienced water not coming out of the pipes.  Even when we have had power outages this last year that shut down our pump, we had enough left in the pipes to run for a few minutes in an emergency.  I'm learning that nothing should be taken for granted but that God is big enough to provide everything we need.  What a great God I serve.

Organizing my house day 1: A progress report

by Mama Mabel

I broke even on dishes last night.  I fully intended to wash a tub of dishes.  Instead, I washed 4 dishes.  I realized that I didn't have flour for biscuits or gravy and that's what I planned to have for supper.  My evening went downhill from there. 

We discovered that one of our multitude of cats has worms.  Very treatable but not cool.  They are currently banned from the house until all are proven to be uninfested.  After the discovery, I went around spraying all our furniture with a vinegar spray in hopes of killing any invisible unborn worms that might be lingering there.  They give me the total creeps. 

Since I hadn't eaten dinner yet, the worm thing sent me into an emotional tailspin so I cut myself some slack.  I shared a plate of peanut butter graham crackers with Ladybug for dinner.  We dipped them in a glass of milk and felt pretty special.  Then we watched episode after episode of Clifford the Big Red Dog since Coondog discovered a dvd of it in a previously unpacked box of kids books.  The night was salvaged.  I went to bed early and didn't have to get up more than the standard 2 times to get Ladybug back to sleep in her big girl bed.

Thanks to our throw together dinner with Coondog eating chili, we only used 4 dishes.  This morning, I put up the 4 dishes I washed yesterday.  Breaking even beats getting further behind.  The week isn't over and even a rough evening didn't make me regress completely.  At this point, that's progress and I'm thankful for it. 

Organizing my house one step at a time

by Mama Mabel

I'm getting overwhelmed by how far behind I am on housework.  I've been working late and last week was all about getting Ladybug over being sick.  She's teething big time and requires lots of mommy attention when I'm home.  Not that I wasn't behind before all this happened, I'm just not making progress.  Coondog and I are tired of living in a disorganized mess.  We've both taken small steps but easily fall into thinking that we'll do things "later."  You know, on that magical day when we've had enough sleep and there are no distractions or other obligations.

This morning I did some research on different methods of getting your house organized.  They tend to be geared toward stay at home moms, though not all of them.  They also tend to include things that I don't need (we have no basement for extra storage, no washer and dryer to throw a load in each morning).  However, what resonates most with me is the idea of building good habits, one habit at a time.  Most of the methods I found start with the kitchen which is convenient since that's where I want to start.  While I desperately want my house all cleaned and organized at once, that's unrealistic and wouldn't be maintained since we aren't in the habit of maintaining.  So to get on track, each week I'm going to pick a task or two that I have to get done each day before I go to bed.  Once that's become part of my routine, I'll add another.  That way I can manage it.  Additionally, I will pick one project (not 5!) to get done each weekend.  I've learned that I max out at one thing each weekend and then get really stressed that the rest isn't done.  Now, anything more than my one basic goal is a bonus and I can feel good about it.

This week I am going to get all my dishes washed and clean off my countertops.  Since every dish I own is dirty right now, it'll probably take me a few nights to catch up.  So each evening, I will wash one plastic tub full of dishes and have them put away before I go to work the next morning.  That way, they can dry overnight if needed.  Once they're caught up, I will keep them caught up.  As I'm putting dishes up, I will clear off my countertops and keep it that way.  That's all I will expect of myself.  By Friday, I'll know what my weekend goal should be.  And since I will enter the weekend with a sense of accomplishment over having clean dishes and a clear countertop, I'll be much more likely to meet my weekend goal.  The positive cycle is about to begin!

A friend in need

by Mama Mabel

I have a friend in town that I adore.  Her name is Trisha.  We just click when we're together and I admire her determination to make life better in difficult circumstances.  She would do anything for anyone but doesn't sugar coat reality so her bluntness is refreshing.  Despite not being a Christian, she exemplifies Christ's love for the often overlooked segments of society. 

My friend is struggling with health issues right now.  Her husband has applied all over town for a second job so they can afford to get whatever treatment she needs.  Her teenage step-son is looking for after school work also.  At this point, despite having insurance, she's not even going to the doctor because they can't afford the copay.  Even if I had the funds to pay for all her medical care, she wouldn't accept it.  Her grown daughter has a great job and would help but Trisha won't even tell her daughter what is going on because she doesn't want her worrying or trying to pay for everything.  She's not being a melodramatic martyr, she just believes it's not the kid's responsibility to care for the parent and really, truly hates to be a burden.

In some ways, I think it's good for her to have to rely on other people because she has a hard time trusting that others will come through for her.  She's had some pretty bad experiences with people she should have been able to trust.  This circumstance lets her see that her husband and step-son will do anything to take care of her.  It will show her that I will stick around as her friend even when things are difficult.  My deepest hope is that this trial will show her that God will be there for her when she needs Him.

I have been praying that God does something good for Trisha and her family and that they put their faith in Him.  Their truck getting fixed was one good thing but how much more amazing would it be for them to discover God's love?  Until that happens, I'll encourage her however I can and try to be an instrument of God's will for their lives.

My car won't start

by Granny Girl

Sunday morning I got in my car to go to church and it wouldn't start. What was I to do? Praise God, that's what! He had worked it out beautifully. I didn't have any grandkids with me - a very rare Sunday morning occurrence. I had a friend who could pick me up for church and bring me back home. I had another friend who could take me to a church social that evening. Our church has a men's volunteer group who will come and fix the car for me, so I put in my request for a repair on their web page and they'll get back to me in God's good timing.

And last, but not least, God is giving me more time to rest! More time to get my house in order and to enjoy the respite of not having a job. More days of being able to be home when my grandson gets home from school and to bake fresh cookies for him and his friends. More time to read God's word and seek His will for my future.

I was starting to get a little antsy about not earning an income, but the car issue reminded me that God is in charge of provision, I'm not. My job is to follow His leading. And right now He's leading me to lie down in green pastures beside the still waters. I'm a contented sheep with a very good Shepherd!