So Many Blessings!

Sometimes I just can't believe how time flies by.  Here it is the last day of June and only four more days until the 4th of July.  Wow. 

First of all, Meghan left for Ireland on a missions trip on Friday.  Last year her church went to Ireland but she felt she couldn't leave work.  Knowing about the trip this year she was able to make arrangements at work and get off!  If that wasn't a blessing in itself, her whole trip has been sponsored.  She was able to raise more than enough money to pay for the trip and was even able to help others in her group that were short on money, enabling them to be able to go to Ireland!  Isn't that awesome??  God is so good!  She can't even believe it.  Me, being the worried mama, I had to track their plane to make sure it got there in Ireland okay. Here's some of the pictures I took from flight tracker:

Mosaic Church Missions Group heading to New Jersey to pick up their flight for Ireland

Now they are flying towards Ireland!

Heading towards Ireland!

They have arrived!!

Here's Meghan picture---Goodbye America, Hello Ireland:

How exciting!!  I know God is blessing them all.  Meghan and her group has already been out distributing flyers in the neighborhoods.

Today we got to Facetime which I really love because here she is across the ocean and we talked as if she was in the next room.  Just awesome.  She looked tired, but the time difference is that they are six hours ahead of us and I think the group has jet lag.  But, hey, they are doing God's work.

After getting to talk to Meghan our friends, who used to live next door to us, called to tell us they are expecting.  How exciting!!!  They are two people who are really soul mates; they fit together so well.  She has always had a heart to adopt, but once they got looking into it, they realized they just didn't have the money.  Although they still want to adopt, they decided to try and have a child of their own first.  They are now 9 weeks along.  I'm just so happy for them.  They are also in the process of buying their first home, so life is just awesome for them!  I so remember those days and sometimes I'd give a little something just to go back there.  When you have your dreams ahead of you it's so exciting!!

The Happy Couple

 One day last week Donald and I sat out on the porch for awhile just to relax.  Then I remembered we had a watermelon in the frig so it was a very nice summer evening.

There is nothing better than going outside and picking food to eat.  It's just awesome.  I've always enjoyed growing my own food.  In an earlier post I showed you the plants I was growing in my Aerogarden and now I can show you the fruits of my labor (haha):

Here is a cucumber that grew and I cut it up and put it on salads that I made for dinner one night:

That is also home grown lettuce.  I don't usually like home grown lettuce because it tastes like grass to me, but this lettuce had a nice flavor to it.  I'm not sure what kind it is, but I need to check and make note so I can grow it again next year.

I also got a squash an cooked it for dinner last night:

The onion you see in the pan I also grew in the garden.  Free food, good and nutritious.  Sweet!

The weather here has been thunderstorms and rainy inbetween sunny days.  Temperatures haven't been bad. 

Blessings for now!

My Favorite "toy"

For years and years (yes, it's been that long), at a time when I lost myself, my craft room grew and grew to the point where I mentally couldn't even think of how I would begin to organize it.  I had way too much yarn and no place to put it.  Over the years, I would go into the room in an attempt to clean it up, but I ended up just moving stuff from one stop to another.  I mean, it was so frustrating!!  Then, somehow, a light bulb went off and I have done quite a bit of organizing and cleaning up (and throwing away) stuff I no longer use.  Do you want to know what my light bulb moment was?  My yarn winder.  Honestly.  When I got that 'tool' (see post below) I was excited getting it because I thought I'd finally get all those scraps balls of yarn wound up and stacked instead of just stuck in bags.  Wow.  Once I started winding yarn, well, I haven't stopped yet.  I will be posting pictures soon, too.

So yesterday I was winding more yarn when I asked Donald what his most favorite tool was.  He finally admitted that a tool that used to be his dad was his favorite.  Then he asked me what mine was.  I told him that after my sewing machine, it was definitely my yarn winder!

I do have to admit that when our daughter moved into the basement apartment, she was giving some stuff away that she didn't need anymore.  One item she was done with was a sweater shelf thingy that  hangs in a closet.  I kept looking at that thing wondering what I could do with it.  Finally, I decided I was going to lay that thing out lengthwise and fill my yarn skeins in it.  So I have three of them on my shelves.  That has really helped with my organizing, too.  

Stay tuned for pictures!

Blessings! 

New Blog Name

First things first...I have changed the name of my blog.  If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What am I Doing in the Pits is so true to me.  When I first read that book by Erma Bombeck back in the '80's, it certainly had summed up my life up to that point.  I can say that it still does to this day.  The thing about Erma Bombeck that I liked so much about her is she was able to find the humor in the mondane.  When she passed away it was a huge loss to the humor world.  I wonder how much more she could have come up with that could keep the world in stitches. 

The other day in the mail Meghan got a horse supply catalog.  Don't know why, we don't have horses, but anyway, there was a shirt in there that had a saying on it, "Keep Calm on Canter On."  Keeping calm should be a motto for me because I can become unglued at the drop of a hat.  Also, our last name is Canter (yes, I've heard enough horse jokes), so I thought for awhile the keeping calm and canter(ing) on would make for a new blog name.

My routine is totally messed up.  One reason is that Donald has been home on disability leave.  To make a long, disgusting story short, he is having a problem with his foot.  He's had surgery on it, but it is not healing.  So he's been home for the last month.  I don't know how women who have husband's retire keep sane.  Having another person home messes up her routine.  Not that a really have a set in stone routine, but it's still hard some days just having that extra person home.  Not only that, but I've taken up some of Donald's chores.  *sigh*

My aunt passed away this month which is sad.  She lived in Wheeling, West Virginia.  She has raised her children, her grandchildren, her great grandchildren and was raising her great, great grandchildren.  She never chose to do that, but someone needed to raise the children and her heart was golden and she stepped up to the plate.   She will be missed.  

Our motor home's bathroom floor had a soft spot in it and I told Donald I believe we have a water problem.  He didn't believe me until he finally cut it this weekend and sure enough the shower is leaking somewhere.  Now we have a major project on our hands.  I have to say that I'm so tired of repairing things.  

I say that because a couple of weeks ago we had a water leak in the basement and it saturated Meghan's bedroom rug.  I was fit to be tied.  I was so mad.  We got the rug dried out, but I don't want to ever go through that again.  This is why I say my life is in the pits....all the time.

I play to get back to blogging regularly again and to add interesting stuff.  

For example, I have been cleaning out my craft room and I'm really happy with the way it's turning out.  Donald added some wired shelves and I went to Michaels to buy a ribbon shelf.  I ended up getting that (which I'm hoping to use for wrapping paper) and I also bought peg boards to hang stuff on.  I got those up, too.  I'll post before and after pictures when I get it all done.  I can't wait. 

It's late so I'm gonna hit the hay for now.

Blessings!

I'm Here!

I know I've been gone awhile, but  I'm back LOL.  First thing I want to update you on my Aerogarden.  It's doing pretty good, but I want to get my plants transplanted outside, however it's still chilly here in Maryland so it's gonna be a little while before that happens.  Here's what my plants look like today:

Update:

It's another day..didn't get to finish what I started in the above paragraph.  Since, Donald has had foot surgery (three days ago) so I've been waiting on him, cooking meals, and doing his chores, too.  I'm bushed.  He goes to the doctor for post surgery check up in three days. 

Weather here is still chilly...come on spring/summer.  I don't care anymore just want some warm air so I can get some plants outside. 

Okay, that's it for now.

Blessings

 

Started Gardening!!

I started my garden indoors with my aerogarden.  I have pepper, cucumber, squash and I'm gonna add strawberries today.  I wanted to start my garden last month (Feb.) but the pump on the aerogarden wasn't working so Donald had to order a new one.  I'm glad he fixed it and now I'm good to go.  I plan to transfer my plants outside...that is, if it EVER gets warm.  I think spring up and left...maybe he took a vacation this year.  I just wish it would warm up.  I'm tired of being stuck in the house or freezing when I go outside.  But you know what's probably gonna happen?  We go from the cold weather to intense heat.  One day it will be 40 or so and then boom! it will 90...you watch.  Just want to enjoy some nice days sitting outside in the warmth, reading a book or watching nature.  It's so calming.

Tomorrow is my birthday.  I'm not embarrased to admit I'll be 56.  I can't even imagine..typing that is so weird.  My mom died when she was 56.  For me, that's an awful number.  I try to remember I'm in better health than my mom was {I believe}, so I still have years ahead of me.  But the truth is, none of us know if we have tomorrow.  We want to believe we have time on earth forever, but it's not the truth.  Our days are numbered. 

So on Sunday Adam surprised us with a visit.  So, some birthday presents I was saving to open tomorrow I opened Sunday:



My New Camera

My Yarn Winder



I'm demonstrating the yarn winder

The finished product!

My thought for this is so I can wind up all my small balls of yarn and neatly be able to stack them in a orderly fashion instead of having round balls of yarn rolling all over the craft room.  Winding the yarn makes a flat bottom and they sit flat and can be stackable. 

I have so much decluttering and organizing AND cleaning to do.  Some days I'm gon-ho to get it done and other days  I don't know where to be begin.

Speaking of which Donald is home and now it's time to start dinner.

Blessings,

BeKay



Snow...oh Why?

 Even though in the last week or so the weather reports have called for snow, I hoped it wouldn't happen, which, it didn't.  Hehehe.  But, oh no, it couldn't hold off any longer.  I looked out the window this evening and little snowflakes were falling.  Boo!  Now, the flakes are thicker and coming down harder.  Oh, and it's sticking to the ground. 

On the same note, my birthday is coming up on April 3rd.  When my mom would tell me about bringing me home from the hospital {after my birth} she said it was snowing.  That was in Washington, Pennsylvania.  So, I never really believe in nice weather until after April 3rd.  After that, I wanna see sunshine, sweater weather or t-shirt weather.  Oh yeah. 

I've been doing a little cleaning.  I took a bunch of books to a place that sells books for charity.  Two things are hard for me to get rid of:  books and craft supplies.  I don't know why.  I guess because when I was younger, much younger, those two things gave me joy.  I spent a lot of time at the library reading and doing homework.  It was quiet and a place to go to learn about all kinds of stuff.  The crafts were always fun to do; to be creative.  How you can take something plain and turn it into something pretty or useful is so neat!  But seeing how my closet is getting empty is a good feeling, a burden that is being released. 

Next week will be Easter, so I'll have to get my menu ready.  I'm probably going to make potato salad and have a ham. 

Blessings,

BeKay

Ahh, Spring Where Art Thou??

  I know that some people love winter and that's fine, but I'm a spring {chicken} myself.  I know I probably have already said this, but spring is so wonderful.  Everything that was dead comes alive.  Trees bloom, flowers are poking up out of the ground and are sprouting new blossoms, the birds are building nests and raising families.  And the wonderful smell of cut grass and dirt when planting the garden are, well, terrific!  Here in Maryland we've had a couple of 60 degree days and oh, my....then, boom....cold and windy again.  *sigh*

The day before yesterday I got into a cleaning mood, which I don't get into very often.  I think it might have been the caffeine I've been drinking.  Too many teas and soda..definitely. I cleaned out the computer closet which really needed it bad which took most of the day, then I cleaned out my clothes closet and organized it.  Which I must say gives me more room and it looks better than having all my clothes squashed together.  I'm putting away my heavy sweaters in hopes that spring will get here soon.  I'll just wear my long sleeve shirts and a hoodie when I go out.  The t-shirts I'm no longer gonna wear I'm making t-shirt yarn out of.  Then I'm gonna choose some colors and crochet or knit a new top out of it.  Awesome!  I love being frugal and reusing things.  Of course, when I started cleaning I forgot to take before and after pictures.  Geez!  How can I document my progress if I don't see the befores and afters?

The next thing I really, really need to get done is grocery shopping.  Oh, I hate doing that, but we have nothing to eat in this house.  Okay, that's not true.  We have some canned vegetables, spam {sticking my finger down my throat because that is Donald's and not mine}, and some odds and end stuff, but I have nothing I can make a meal out of.  Yeah, tomorrow I'll be cutting coupons and making a list for the store. 

Well, that's it for the time being. 

Blessings,

BeKay

Winter or Spring

Even though it's technically still winter, it's been somewhat sunny here the last two days.  I feel the "spring cleaning" bug starting to bite.  I've already told my husband some of the house projects I want done when the weather starts to get better outside.  On that note, I will really have to write everything down, of course or Donald will 'forget' I even mentioned the home projects.  You'd think after being together for 35 years he'd figure out I got his number.  But even now he tries to pull out his 'forget' card on me.  Haha.  Once the daffodils start to pop out of the ground like they are doing, that's exciting!!  Nature sure knows what's going on.

Last Saturday I spent the day redoing my files and filing a year's worth of bill receipts I failed to file last year.  Why do I end up doing the same thing every January/Febuary?  Habits are so hard to break or laziness is.  I asked Donald one night about God and His being organized.  Can you imagine how chaotic this world and everything in it would be if God decided to be lazy and take the day off?  His work is so organized and runs so well, yet even in our everyday routiness we put off doing what needs to be done.  

Today listening to the Christian radio station I heard this song and for the next few days I'll probably be singing it just because it's stuck in my head:

Sick Again or Continuation..

Well, I am dealing with sinus problems now.  I don't think I was ever really over my pharyngitis last month and now it's my sinus that feel swollen and messed up.  And, I'm sooo tired.  I don't like feeling like this.  The thing about sinus infection {at least for me} is that I can't concentrate on anything when my head or face hurts.  I mean I'm a real dumb bunny.  I can't do math, I can't think normally; I'm just  no good. 

So while I try to get myself better I will continue to push forward. 

Blessings