A Day of Silence

Taken from 

Currently: December

Currently
Listening	To the sound of the ticking clock and the heat running (*sigh* there will be a high electric bill in our future)
Loving	My Christmas Decorations
Thinking	About how I need to be in bed, but couldn’t sleep without updating this, because I completely forgot to do one for November
Wanting	A lot of unattainable things, like a restful time for my cousin A, and the pain of losing Uncle C & my Grandma within 2 weeks to go away
Needing	To curl up in bed with D and get some rest, I’ll be in the car for a total of 5+ hours tomorrow
Favorite Things	1.     My giant Christmas Tree! 2.     My icicle lights the hubby hung for me 3.     How my road has become increasingly more and more festive as it nears Christmas

What are you doing Currently?

Meal Mistake Merrymaking

Guys, I have a really terribly pathetic story, that I can't help but share.  My desire to share it probably stems from the fact that it's been a really stressful two weeks, and I need to laugh.  Laugh tonight I did.

I came home from work and thought I had a fantastic plan for supper tonight.

Plan:

1. Filet Mignon
2. Green Beans
3. Baked Potatoes

Isn't that delicious?  And, it's Friday.  We ALWAYS go out on Fridays (and Saturdays, and a lot of Sundays).   In the spirit of trying to save money because I make one quarter significantly less of what I made this time last year, I wanted to have a special dinner, then put up our Christmas tree.

So we multi-tasked.  Big Mistake.  While D was cooking the steaks, I was working on a homemade Christmas present (which is only about 1/2 complete, and needs to be done pronto), and decided to bake the potatoes in the microwave, wrapped in plastic wrap.

Now, usually, my microwaved potatoes come in this plastic-package already, but again, we are trying to save money.  Instead of buying those on my last grocery stop, I bought a 5 pound bag of potatoes.  Our basement is colder than the North Pole well suited for keeping veggies cool, so I thought this was a great solution.

Also, I realize that Filet Mignon isn't anywhere close to cheap, but this summer we ordered a ton of meats at a really cheap price.  They come individually packaged and frozen, so we just get them out when we need them.

We also multi-tasked by beginning to assemble our Christmas tree while we waited for the steaks to cook.  Another Big Mistake.

Result:
1. Tiny, overcooked steaks, which needed Worcestershire Sauce poured over them to be edible.
2. Perfectly fine green beans
3. Rubber potatoes, which I could ball up with my fingers.
4. Meal Addition when I saw the steaks were too dry: leftover biscuits left over from a supper last week.

The BEST part of the meal: the week old, microwaved biscuits.

Lesson:
1. Don't multi-task while cooking.  The cooking suffers.
2. Those steaks need to be marinated, and watched carefully.  Also, D needs 2 steaks of this type.
3. Regular potatoes, when cooked in the microwave, don't take as long as I thought.

OH WELL: at least it was entertaining.

Do you have any entertaining dinner flubs?

Grief Stinks

I have been a little overwhelmed lately, dealing with not one but two funerals since Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I am no stranger to frequent funerals, and graciously have been taught how to cope.

For instance, I know the legalities of formulating a will, and the steps taken to prepare a house for a tremendous amount of food brought by caring hands. At my Uncle's funeral, we were led in singing "How Great Thou Art." My husband had never heard it. I knew it by heart. And the Psalm about being led through the valley of the shadow of death? Yeah. I know that by heart too. My husband has been to 4 funerals ever (including the 2 I'm recovering from); there was a time in my life that I went to 4 in a month. My family is amazing, and we have always been able to pull together to get through.

So I know too much about grief, and thought I needed to express something.

I thought I would share a few quotes that have gotten me through the sadness.

From Pinterest: "Strength does not come from doing what you can, it comes from doing what you thought you cannot." Believe me, when you are grieving, you CAN continue to complete all of your every day tasks, you just may not remember how you did, and you may have to ask for help sometimes.

From a former student: Psalm 34:18 says "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."

And again from Pinterest, but also biblical: Psalm 61:2 "when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I."

Now, I realize that there are 2 Bible verses here, and many who know me know I haven't been to church in years, but they comfort me. My grandma would be proud to know that the words there do make you feel better.

If you are grieving, my heart is with you. And so are my listening ears. Just send me a message.

30 Days of Thankfulness

Happy December Friends!

As I sit here, spending some time procrastinating about graduate school due dates and waiting for the time that I head off to work today, I want to compile some of the things I was thankful with this past month.

For those who aren't on Facebook, or simply try to ignore it, as I wish I did more of, I'll explain where my posts originated.  Over the month of November, I and several (probably thousands) others posted a daily message of what we were thankful for.  

November wasn't the easiest of months in my family, but it wasn't the hardest one I've ever been through.  So here's what I was thankful for, in order:

1. Today, I am thankful for having heat, electricity, and work hours during Hurricane Sandy. So many others are not so lucky.

2. I am thankful for having a job which enables me to teach, coach, and attend grad school while still being able to see family and get the housework done!

3. Today I am thankful for our dog, Axe. He may be hairy, and he may drool all over everything. He may have eaten my muffin wrapper this morning, but one of the best feelings in the world is that wet nose pushing your hand on top of his head.

The drool bucket himself

4. Today I am thankful to be able to spend part of my day with my mom and dad. They rerouted their plans to drive to the beach today just to meet me for lunch!

5. Today, I am thankful for the ability to do physical labor. I was able to work in my flower garden and help my husband in the garage. There are so many people who would be unable to do either.

6. Today I am thankful to live in a country where each and every one of us has the opportunity to influence our government.

7. Today I am thankful for insurance, which allowed me to go to the dentist today.

8. Today I am thankful for a job that keeps me mobile. On the first warmer sunny day in a while, it's nice to spend time outside, even if it is just driving across Salem a few times.

9. Today I am thankful for SC [a girl I coached with for 3 years]. She is a smart, kind, wise beyond her years young woman. I miss her dearly, and volleyball season won't be the same without her. However, I am very proud of her for following her dreams, even as they took her to that OTHER school in Virginia. Knowing her has been a true blessing in my life. Btw: thought especially of her today as I put on my makeup and noticed how awesome my skin looks. Thanks for convincing me to buy Bare Minerals! Love you!

10. Today, I am thankful for good nights with great friends!

11. Today, I am thankful for all the veterans, near and far, past and present, who have fought for our freedoms. This definitely includes some of my favorite vets: SLB, DB, & JS!

12. Today I am thankful for my wonderful friend L. Her life is anything but easy, as she juggles a full time job, the demands of a husband, a kindergartener and a preschooler, numerous doctors appointments for her sweet baby who battles against the odds daily, soccer, dance, cheerleading, a new business adventure, and finished her Masters Degree. On tip of it all, she manages to make her friends and family a priority in her crazy life. She is a shining example of dedication, love, and Southern Belle! And did I mention, she kicked butt at her first 5K a few weeks ago? Happy Birthday L! I hope if I have kids I can be half as motivated as you are! I love you! (SN: go check out her blog here!)

13. Today I am thankful for a full day of work, even if it included 3 hours of math.

14. Today I am thankful for a husband who doesn't get mad often. I fixed a quick supper today, of which one of the main ingredients he hates. OOPS. So he ate around it, and then ate nachos.

15. Today I am thankful for fleece pants and long sleeves. I was walking around the house in my wool coat and D finally asked if I was cold. That was the push I needed to get comfy. Am I totally warm? No. Am I in my wool coat? Also no.

16. Today I am thankful for random talks with strangers. They make me smile.

17. Today I am thankful for my ability to continue my education. It's difficult; it's challenging; and, particularly this semester, painfully tedious. Regardless, I know that education opens doors, and this Master's Degree will open doors for me!

18. Today, I am thankful for my baby cousin. From infancy, her life flipped upside down and threw her into my home part time. Over the next 2 decades we fought, laughed, cried, played hard, and had what she calls torture imposed on her (many of those latter events I do not recall btw). Through it all, she pushed and pushed. She has grown into a wonderful woman, who I am proud to call my sister. A woman who has the heart to work with a kid who needs a special sort of love, and the strength to stomach a really tough future career. You continuously amaze me Bean, and I love you so much! Be careful going home.

19. Today, I am thankful for the Internet, which allowed me to fix my Wii on my own rather than buy a new power cable. Tomorrow, I'll blog about how I did it! (Oops...never did this..I'll work on that this week.)

20. Today I am thankful for the checks that just came in. Seems silly, but they say [both of our full names]. It makes me happy!

21. Today I am thankful for runny nosed kisses and the giggles that come with playing chase with the 3 most awesome kids on the planet.

22. Today, I am thankful for my kind of thanksgiving. Tons of people all talking at the same time, enjoying being together. One round at my great aunt's that has maybe 40 people, then round 2 with the immediate Fam.

23. Today, I am thankful for ibuprofen and acetaminophen, which you can alternate so that you feel better longer when your whole family shares their germs.

24. Today I am thankful for a peaceful day at home; well somewhat peaceful. It started at 645 when my nephew decided I needed to be awake. It also included a trip to see the new movie Lincoln. So not quite peaceful and not quite at home, but still great. Now if I could just kick this cold!

25. Today I am thankful for the surprise my husband had for me. He put an outlet on the porch so I can hang Christmas lights!

26. Today, I am thankful for having my Uncle C in my life. He came home when I was 6 months old and helped my mom take care of their ailing parents. For the next 2 decades, he lived next door (at least part of each year), and was there for me in a variety of ways. I know today has been hard, but he's been fighting so hard for so long. Rest easy Scooter, I know you're better off, even if it hurts us so much.

27. Today I am thankful for Christmas decorations that help distract me and make my house pretty!

28. Today, I am thankful for memories.

29. Today, as we laid to rest my uncle, I have struggled to find my thankfulness. I think I found it. I am thankful to spend a day "meeting" some of the people who have known me since I was a baby, and to hear stories of a man I loved. I am also thankful for the wonderful weather we had today, raining sunshine down on our time of mourning.

30. Today, on the last of 30 days of thankfulness, I am thankful for my family. I was able to enjoy the day with my mom, sister in law, and my youngest nephew and my niece. It was an exhausting trip, but those kids are hilarious. I miss my husband, but am also thankful that he was able to come down yesterday for the funeral and spend some time with us. Tomorrow it's back to [where we live] and getting back into the swing of normal life.

So that's it: 30 Days of Thankfulness.  Which leads me to ask: what are you thankful for?

Next up: that blog on fixing the wii and my Currently: December!