Saturday, November 29, 2014

Why I am so thankful for my super smart 2013 self!


As October came to a close, I flipped the calendar to a new month and found this. A note! A note from my 2013 self. And here is what it said:


You see, my 2013 self was very smart. She knew a few things about herself. For starters, she knew that she was prone to selective amnesia regarding certain events. This plays out in thoughts like this: Surely the turkey wasn't that bad. The meal couldn't possibly have taken that many days to prepare. It wasn't really that expensive, was it?


Yes. Yes to all of the above. I just had to look in my financial book to see that I spent $75 on a dry, tasteless bird last year. Apparently, free range organic turkey equates to dry and nasty. It's all of those preservatives and artificial ingredients that make that Butterball turkey so delicious.

And so I listened to 2013 Mary Rose and I ordered the Bob Evans thanksgiving feast...an entire meal for the price that I paid for the aforementioned nasty bird.  And it was delicious! I served it up on my fancy Spode turkey plates and Longaberger dishes, and we enjoyed it just as if it had cost me $300 and a week of preparation.

So what did I do with all of that free time on Thanksgiving Day? I enjoyed the guests that came for dinner.


It was a lovely day!


I am pretty sure there is a message waiting for me for the month of December...which is Monday, my friends. Aack! It's time to buy a new calendar for 2015! May I make a suggestion? Leave your future self a few notes on that calendar. You will be one year older and one year wiser for the effort.

Hope your Thanksgiving was full of blessings!

Monday, November 24, 2014

Sharing What I Learned From Pinterest


So I have these Levi's blue jeans that I love, but they just seemed to be getting smaller with each wash. I swear, they were shrinking. I wasn't growing. Honest. Uh huh.

I am the queen of laundry in this house, and I am normally so careful with the wash. But once or twice, these probably got thrown into the dryer instead of being hung to dry. Boo hoo!

What to do?

Pinterest to the rescue!

I found a pin on Pinterest for how to un shrink clothing.

Step one: Soak item in luke warm water with a capful of baby wash. Let it soak for a while to soften and loosen the fibers in the fabric.

Step two: Remove clothing but do not rinse. Squeeze out excess water.

Step three: Roll the jeans in a towel to remove excess water.

Step four: Place the jeans on a clean dry towel. Now gently pull on the jeans in all directions to reshape. Allow to lay flat to dry.


And when they are dry, voila! Your favorite jeans, back to the shape they were when you first bought them! This works for sweaters, too.

My jeans are finally comfy again, and I no longer feel like a stuffed turkey when I try to put them on.

Tuck this useful knowledge away for after Thanksgiving Day feasting. Trust me. You will thank me later.

And just tell yourself "It's not me. It's the jeans."

Blessings and thanksgiving, friends!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Never Make A Major Announcement



What happens when you make a major announcement in a public profession-kind of way?

The universe instantly conspires against you to make certain that the thing you announced you would do is exactly the thing you will look back on and see that you, indeed, have not done.

It's a conspiracy.

It has been two months since I last reported here on the blog that I would be taking a break to write! write! write! until my stubby little Hobbit-sized fingers were sore from the writing.

Guess who has not been writing.

{insert woman sheepishly raising hand in shame here!}

Which begs the question...what in the world have I been doing for the past two months?

It might be easier to tell you what I have NOT been doing.

I haven't crafted a card in over two months. Not even one.

I haven't been house fluffing.

I haven't been entertaining out-of-town guests.

I haven't been to bible study with my group.

I haven't even added a single word to my novel.

Well, now that THAT list is out in the open, what about the other list? The "What I did on my two months of blogging vacation" list?

I spent my twenty-fifth anniversary with the love of my life in California.

I drank wine.

I hiked in the redwood forests.

I crossed the Golden Gate bridge.

I dipped my toes into the Pacific ocean.

I ate amazing food at vineyards too beautiful for words.

I got a job.

And then I quit that job and got another job.

I crafted a collage-style painting.

I visited the women in my family.

I cut my bangs...myself.

I made delicious pies and soups.

I cared for sick boys and old dogs.

I went to church.

I heard a sermon on being faithful using our talents for God's glory.

I felt that familiar conviction of the Holy Spirit.

And so I came here to say...

...no major announcement.

Just a "Hello, friends!"

It is well with my soul.

Hope it is well with yours, too!