Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 667

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (August 19th) to share your answers. See you there! 

1. August 19th is National Aviation Day...do you like to fly? Last time you were on an airplane? The date is chosen in honor of the history and development of aviation, and celebrated on the birthday of Orville Wright. Have you ever been to the Kitty Hawk area of North Carolina? The city of Dayton in Ohio (their birthplace)

2. In what area of your life do you tend to 'wing it'? Is this an area you should be winging? 

3. A favorite book, song, or movie that relates to flight in some way?   

4. Soft serve, gelato, sherbet, frozen yogurt, or good old fashioned ice cream...what's your pleasure? Your favorite flavor? How often do you indulge? 

5. I never get tired of______________________. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Monthly Musings-February

It's the last Thursday of the month which means it's time for our Monthly Musings hosted by Patty (Good-Better-Best Life Blog). This month's topic is:  ways we make our weeks easier. 

Easier. Hmmm. Is life in retirement hard? 

No, not really. But also yes sort of. This season is much like every other season of our lives, except there's a lot more health related stuff and a lot less 8th grade algebra homework to stress you out.

No we're not running out the door early morning with kids in tow heading to high pressure jobs and juggling all the balls in between. But it's also not all late morning lattes wondering what in the world you're going to do today. 

I mean to be honest some days it is that, but mostly life in every season means dealing with things both large and small that vary in weight and importance. There's still laundry (a surprisingly lot of it for two people not working!), still meals to plan, shop for, and cook, still all the mundane household tasks, car repairs, taxes to file, blah blah blah. The kids may be grown and flown, but there are now aging parents to worry over. 

Also...about those grown children? They now have children of their own which adds a wonderful, lively takes- you-back-to-your-own-early-days-of-parenting sort of vibe to your days, and all that to say life is still plenty busy. It's just a different kind of busy. 

1. Paper planner, digital calendar, or other option. 

Don't come at me, but I use both paper and digital. I know,  I know... I should choose, but y'all I just cannot give up my paper planner. When I make an appointment or we have plans, travel, whatever, I do add it all to the digital version, but I update that paper planner regularly too. 

Digital might be handy, but it's not pretty and doesn't give you the same sort of satisfaction holding an actual product in your hand does. 

2. Meal planning, meal prep, or wing it. 

I plan meals, weekly for the most part. We're always up for spontaneous dinners out with friends, but I  still need to have a rough menu for the week. I would find not having a plan to be unnecessarily stressful. 

I can cook so if I need to wing it I will, but that is so rare. I make a menu for. the week, shop for ingredients, and for the most part stick pretty closely to that menu. 

3. Do you choose your outfit the night before? 

Nope. If I have an appointment, or we have church the next day, then yes I think ahead of time about what I'll wear, but life is super casual on the lake so dressing doesn't require a lot of planning. Swim suit-check. Cover up-check. Let's go. 

4. Tips for managing laundry and ironing. 

Throw a load in first thing in the morning and follow it through all the way to the putting away part of the job. Don't let laundry get away from you. 

Here's my tip for ironing-marry a man who excels at ironing. Works for me. 

5. Grocery shop in store or online. 

In store. Hubs likes to say I need to handle every single piece of produce before choosing the exact right one, and he's not wrong. For the most part I don't mind grocery shopping. 

6. Best tips for getting out the door in the morning without the chaos. 

Retire lol. 

7. Share your easiest dinners for crazy weeks. 

Tacos, breakfast for dinner, rotisserie chicken with some rice and veggies on the side, pasta sauce that's been frozen in batches to pull out when you're too exhausted to cook. Same with soups, chilis and stew. Make enough for two meals,  eat one when you make it and freeze the other. 

8. Best tips to keep your house organized during the week. 

Having grown kids certainly helps. Course then they have kids of their own and when they bring them to Nana's house all bets are off. 

9. Share your easiest breakfast. 

I make hard boiled eggs and keep those in the frig for an easy grab and go early morning protein.  I always have fruit and yogurt in the house. 

10. Share your best overall tip not covered. 

Set a timer for ten minutes and do a speed clean/pick up of an area that's making you twitch. 

Don't go to bed with dishes in the sink or crumbs on the counter. You might hate the idea of doing one more thing, but waking up to a sink full of dishes is a sad way to begin a new day. 

Prioritize sanity over perfection. 

You're doing great! 

Monthly Musings-May

It's the last Thursday of the month which means it's time for the Monthly Musings link up with Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Patty (Good Better Best). Feel free to play along...

1. What am I looking forward to most this summer? 

Lots of things...dining al fresco, lake floats, the 4th of July, sipping iced coffee beside the waterfall, sunset cruises...

...jumping off the dock hand in hand with my grands, homemade peach cobbler, and casual entertaining with friends and family. 

2. Any favorite summer traditions? 

Some of these overlap with my answers to the first question but...

I always jump off the dock holding hands with my oldest grandson to help kick off summer. Hopefully his little brother will join us this year.  I tell him he will never be too old. 

We'll have to see about Nana but so far so good. 

We always watch the fireworks from our dock and shoreline because we have the best view of my across the cove neighbor's spectacular show. 

I make one peach cobbler every summer because summer says you must. Same goes for home made ice cream. 

3. Any summer travel plans? Please dish. 

We typically don't travel in the summer months. We live on a lake so people travel here lol. 

We're a little out of the box this summer as we've rented a beach house for a week for the whole family, and I'm really looking forward to that. The trip won't happen until later in the summer so there will still be plenty of lake time before and after. 

4. How do you red, white, and blue?

First of all, I love the colors...so festive! July 4th is one of my favorite days of the year. We have the flag flying on our dock and on the boat too,  plus a windsock on the dock and flag bunting hanging from the deck of the house. 

I have several t-shirts with patriotic themes/colors so will wear one of those on the holiday. This year I bought cute dresses for the grandgirls and will probably find something coordinating for the boys. 

We typically have a crowd here on the 4th. My girls are usually here with their families and we sometimes have additional houseguests around that time too. Last year hubs brother and his wife came, and we're hoping they come back again this year for the holiday. 

There are a lot of firework shows around the lake, some put on by people who live here, and then the marinas have pretty big displays too, so we'll definitely see fireworks. Not exaggerating when I say the best show on the lake is the one my across the cove neighbor hosts. 

Boaters come from all around the lake and anchor, both in our cove and in the waters around it, and she does an amazing job. When there's an especially beautiful firework all the boaters honk and it's so much fun. It stirs up feelings of pride in America and I love that. 

Hubs will grill something, and I like to make some sort of patriotic dessert, sometimes a trifle since I feel like you need a lot of people to eat one and we'll have a lot of people around. 

Oddly enough we don't usually take the boat out on the 4th. The lake is so busy that day, and since we can boat anytime we opt out of the crazy this day can bring. 

5. Beach, lake, or pool. 

Since I live on a lake it feels wrong not to answer with that one. Plus no salt-no sharks so winning! We swim in our lake and it's crystal clear. 

6. Favorite summer sweet treat? 

Strawberry shortcake, peach cobbler, and homemade blueberry pie. Just give me all the fresh fruity desserts please. 

7. Favorite sunscreens and self-tanners. 

I don't use a self-tanner. I wear sunscreen every day and like a lotion as opposed to a spray.  We go through it here and I'm not particularly loyal to one brand. I've got Neutrogena Ultra Sheer,  Bare Republic Mineral,  Tula Daily, Coppertone Sport, and Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch which might be my favorite. 

8. Best flip flops or sandals? 

I need a little arch in my flip flops, and while they're not inexpensive I do love the Olukai brand. 

I think this is the pair I currently own. As far as sandals go I like mine cute. I also like cute tennis shoes for summer and have several pair. 

9. How are you staying fit this summer? 

Lake life means you stay pretty active. Hubs and I joke we make about fifteen or twenty trips going back and forth to the dock every day, and while it's not steep it's also not flat, so there's that. 

We have kayaks and paddle boards and I love to swim. We have a pool in our neighborhood too, and I like to swim laps there. 

10. Favorite summer themed movies? 

Here's my top five...The Parent Trap (the Lindsay Lohan remake), Jaws, Dirty Dancing, Mamma Mia, and  The Deep (with Jacqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte). 

Come on summer...

We're ready for ya!

Monday Morning Musings

Before we get to our weekend recap I want to say a heart felt thank you to all of the men and women who've served this land I love in some branch of the armed services. I have so much respect and admiration for those who take this path and for the many sacrifices they make. Their families too. My dad was a career marine and my son-in-law was in the Army, and I'm both proud and grateful today for their service. 

Linking this post with Holly and Sarah and their Hello Monday party happening today-

Our weekend kicked off with a trip to the lawyer's office Friday morning. Hubs and I had some financial stuff we needed to deal with and we finally made ourselves book an appointment. Who else loathes talking about anything related to taxes, wills, estate planning, and such? 

We had new wills made about fifteen years ago, but our girls were in college then, and we lived in another state, and so much has changed that it just made sense to update. We also spent some time figuring out if we need a trust or don't need a trust, or if you're me, what even is a trust? 

These are the sorts of things I want someone else to figure out and then just tell me where to sign, but I adult-ed like an adult and we got it done. We spent an hour and a half with the lawyer and he did let me know he won't charge us for the twenty minute sidebar he and hubs had discussing their mutual love of bourbon. We got home just in time for hubs to meet a tree guy about a big tree (sob) that needs to come out. 

The fun never ends 'round here. 

Friday afternoon I baked a batch of mini cupcakes to take to an evening event. I did minis because I feel like a sweet bite as opposed to a whole cupcake is what most people want at something like our once a month Friday evening socials. In November the organizers always recognize and honor any Veterans and active duty military in the neighborhood which I love to see. 

These are banana cupcakes with a peanut butter frosting and I used this recipe- Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes. The icing is fabulous, so light, and I think would be really good on a chocolate cake or cupcake too. I had a big bottle of fall sprinkles so why not

Saturday morning hubs went to our quarterly HOA meeting and I went grocery shopping.  Like I said...it was a weekend chock a block full of excitement. Have you seen this in your market? 

I know pickle juice is supposed to be good for you and we always put some in our Bloody Marys, but that might not be what they mean when they say it's good for you -ha! It's also good for leg cramps, electrolyte replenishment, and your gut, but this is quite the jug isn't it? I can't imagine how long it would take me to consume all of that. 

I don't like grocery shopping on the weekend, but since I didn't do my pre-weekend shop I had no choice. Also, I wore shorts. The weather has been so warm it's hard to know how to dress. 

We've been walking most days, and while it doesn't feel like summer it's warm for fall. My basil plant is happy though, and still going strong, so Saturday afternoon I snipped a bunch and made pesto to use on Sunday. We watched a lot of college football and hubs and I went out for Thai food Saturday night. 

Daughter2 and her hubs and kiddos had been at my son-in-law's university homecoming all weekend long, and we were sort of on their way home so they made us an overnight stop. I hadn't seen these grands in two months and was so happy to have some in person time together. 

I might come back and add pictures to this post later, but they arrived close to dinner time Sunday, and Sugar was not feeling her best. Big brother made a beeline for the toy box and then we ate and did baths  and I kind of forgot about taking any pictures. 

Daughter2 and I have been baking along with The Great British Bakeoff this season and had this crazy idea we'd be able to do the week 4 bake (caramel) while we were together. No way that was happening Sunday night. 

We might try to add this one in at the end or somewhere in the middle when a bake pops up that we're unable to complete for our own 'technical' reasons. We make the rules and we say it's okay. 

We didn't do a lot but somehow the weekend flew right on by. And I love waking up to Monday morning coffee with a daughter in the house. 

Have a great week everyone!

My Hodgepodge Plans

Welcome to another edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions, add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for your neighbor there, because comments make the blog world go round. Here we go-

1. When did you last have cancelled plans? Were you happy about that or disappointed? 

This past weekend actually. You'll find the details here-What To Expect When You're Expecting (not that kind).  I was super disappointed at first, but I got over it and embraced Plan B. 

2. On a scale of 1-10 how much of a planner are you? 

1= I go where the wind takes me  

10=I've got a power point on it, no matter what it is

I'm definitely NOT a 1. And 10 sounds like someone who can't go with the flow when going with the flow is required, so I'm not a 10 either. I am a planner and in general, enjoy planning. I like lists and adding things to the calendar and figuring out what there is to see when we travel, etc. But I can also flex when flexing is necessary and it so often is. I'm calling myself a 7. 

3. Do you have a menu plan for the week? If so tell us one or two things that are on it. If not, what's your plan for not having a plan lol? 

I do. I hold it loosely because if someone suggests a meet up someplace I'm on board. I make a general meal plan at the beginning of the week and adjust as needed. We're out a lot and on the go a lot but since we're home this week, I'm trying to eat on the lighter side. 

I used to love the California Pizza Kitchen's BBQ salad and I'm making a knock off version of that this week. It calls for jicama which I like, but I've never cut into one so that's something new. I'm also making a slow cooker swiss steak on Thursday because I'm out for a good chunk of the day and like not having to think about dinner when I get home. 

4. The Hodgepodge lands on National Bucket List Day. Do you have a bucket list? Is it written down or just in your head? What is one thing on your bucket list? If you don't have a list, what is one thing you'd add to a list if you did? Yes I'm going to make you think about it. 

Not a written one, but I suppose there's one running through my head. I used to keep a list on my sidebar called 101 in 1001 which was a list of 101 things (both large and small) that I wanted to see/do/try/complete in the next 1001 days. I might revisit that now that I remember it's there. 

Okay, true story I went down a rabbit hole reading back over my lists and I'm definitely going to revisit. I might make it a link up if anyone would be interested in trying it too. Here are the links to my first list, and my second. The last one was 'completed' in 2018 so it's been a while. 

101 in 1001-Volume 1

Ready, Set, Goal-Volume 2

Back to today...what's one thing on my bucket list? A trip back to the UK with my hubs. Since moving back to the states in 2009 we've both made trips back, just not together. It's time. And it's on the calendar so whoohoo! 

5. Rain buckets, a drop in the bucket, couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, sweat buckets, cry buckets...which 'bucket' idiom applies to your life in some way currently? 

Nothing stands out, but 'couldn't carry a tune in a bucket' always applies lol. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Many of you who've been around the Hodgepodge a long time used to also read my daughter's blogs. They both more or less set them aside because life is busy and they're trying to be intentional about how much time they spend online while raising young children. 

Both are back, not in daily posting (ain't nobody got time for that!!), but they're figuring out what works in this season of life. Hop over and say hi if you're interested in catching up. Daughter1 shares some exciting news I will definitely be weighing in on, and Daughter2 most recently shared her baby's birth story, which isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoy reading them. I love the details written out to remember and wish I'd recorded more of life's everyday 'stuff' when mine were little. 

Daughter1-Sincerely Shannon

Daughter 2-It's Elementary 

Have a great Wednesday everyone! 

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Love Is In The Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post. Then leave a comment for the blogger before you because bloggers LOVE comments.  Here we go-

1. Something you've done recently that might be considered a labor of love? 

Christmas. The shopping, wrapping, cooking, decorating...all a labor of love. 

2. What's one thing you love about being the age you are now? 

I know myself very well. I know what I like, what I dislike, and where my strengths and weaknesses lie. I know what's important to me and I worry so much less about what others think than I did in my younger years. 

3. What do you value more: careful planning or the freedom to be spontaneous? Elaborate.

Hmmm...hubs likes to say I sometimes have to be dragged into fun of the spontaneous kind and I suppose there's some truth to that. However, there are times I truly value spontaneity and a road trip (or travel of any kind) is definitely one of those times. I like a loose itinerary, but also want to leave room for any unexpected discoveries, feel free to veer off the 'planned' route to see something beautiful, and have time to linger over a meal we're enjoying without feeing pressured to get on to the next thing. 

I don't think careful planning is a bad thing in and of itself. It's the inability to let go of a plan, to be inflexible when flexibility is required, that gets us into trouble. I love a plan but I can always get on board with a plan B when a plan B is needed. 

4. A home cooked meal or a fancy restaurant? pink or red? watch the sunrise or watch the sunset? wine and cheese or champagne and chocolate? 

All of the above? 

Okay if you make me choose...home cooked, pink, sunrise, champagne and cheese. I know I cheated a little on that last part, but since I wrote the question I'll allow it.

5. What's your definition of romance? Are you a romantic? 

The Oxford dictionary defines romance as 'a feeling of mystery and excitement associated with love'. 

While we most often think of roses and candlelight I'm here to tell you a man who vacuums, who sometimes brings home your favorite candy bar for no reason whatsoever, and who fluffs your pillow and folds the covers back exactly the way you like them every single night also qualifies. 

Am I a romantic? I believe in happily ever after so yes I guess I am.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Had a spontaneous road trip to my daughter2's earlier this week and have had so much fun with this little guy and his momma-

I was able to watch his swimming lesson on Tuesday...

He loves his bath but hasn't quite made up his mind about the pool lol. 

The weather was perfect for walks around the neighborhood and chats on the porch. Sweet Baby J is working on some teeth, trying lots of new foods...

...and just generally making the world a brighter happier place. 

Happy Valentine's Day Hodgepodgers! 

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It's A Grand Ol' Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions, add your link at the end of my post then go say howdy to the blogger linking before you. Here we go-

1. Are you currently making plans of any kind? What kind? What emotions are associated with the planning process? Tell us about one plan you had to cancel due to the current situation which shall remain nameless. Ha!

As far as current planning goes we're trying to make some wedding plans for Daughter2 and her groom. How does it feel? A wee bit complicated. Also exciting, joyful, overwhelming, and fabulous. Taking it in small chunks and making the best decisions we can with the information we have at hand which, quite honestly, is conflicting depending on who what when where the information comes from.  

On a smaller scale, we're trying to make plans to see my sister in a couple of weeks and praying everyone stays well in the meantime. 

One plan we were forced to cancel due to you know what was a birthday luncheon celebration for my mom in N.J. She has done so well during this crazy at home time and I'm so sad we're not going to be able to mark her big day as we'd hoped. Still, my brother and younger sister live in her neck of the woods, and will have a small outdoor party for just the six of them, and no matter where we are in the world she's still my mama and I thank God every day for giving her to me. Me to her? Either way, I'm truly grateful for the way she has loved, supported, and prayed for me all of my life.

2. Last time you saw stars, either literally or figuratively?

Literally seeing stars would be pretty recently. Hubs and I like to sit on our covered deck in the dark of night and star gaze. Figuratively? Hmmm...the thing that came to mind immediately was my mishap with the step ladder a couple of summers ago where my foot slipped causing the ladder to collapse. I came down with a bang on my rib cage and definitely saw a few stars.  

3. Blueberries yay or nay? Blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, blueberry yogurt, blueberry pancakes, or blueberries by the handful...what's your pleasure?

Blueberries are my favorite berry so yes please! Of the choices given I'd go for the pie or just blueberries by the handful. 

4. swim against the tide, swimming upstream, in the swim, sink or swim, makes your head swim...choose one of the 'swim' idioms listed and tell us how/why you relate?

Let's go with makes my head swim. 'Merica. No explaination needed is there? 

5. Sum up your June in a single sentence.

Young love, old love, longer days, shorter fuses, riots, cruelty, self-centered humans and a God who loves us in spite of ourselves. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

If June were a picture. 

The Roaring 40's

If you're looking for this week's Hodgepodge questions you'll find them in the post before this one. 

I know technically that term 'roaring' is linked with the 20's, but I'm talking age today not world culture, so The Roaring 40's it is. My roaring 40's.

A while back (two years if you're counting) I asked a question in my weekly Hodgepodge wanting people to describe their 20's in a single sentence. I enjoyed reading their answers so much so that I eventually wrote an entire post reflecting on my 20's some three decades out (you'll find it here), and later two posts about my 30's (here and here). My plan was to hit all the decades, but you know what they say about plans.

Since I've officially entered the year of a 'big birthday' I wanted to come back to the decades I missed and revisit them in the form of a blog post or two.  Today that means The Roaring 40's. Like your 20s only better because there's less striving and more seizing the day.

I've written bits and pieces about this decade over the course of my blog's life, but these reflection posts are more about life lessons learned, and how a particular season looks in the rear view mirror.

My 40's started with hubs planning a fun birthday surprise, a weekend away in a cute little B & B on Maryland's Eastern Shore. He even managed to sneak my mom into town to stay with our girls which meant so much to me. I wrote about it in great detail in a post linked here so I'm not going to say more about that now.

What I will say is people freak out a little bit when this birthday approaches, but when my 40th rolled around I felt great. Vibrant, relevant, mentally sharp, and looking towards the future with anticipation and delight. I was physically healthy, and also really happy in marriage, motherhood, and the wider world as I knew it. Of all the decades this one holds a tender place in my heart.

My girls were in grades 5 and 7 when I entered my 40's and were university students when the decade drew to a close. In between there was a whole lotta life lived. A lot a lot. On a grand global scale we had 9-11, war in the desert, the housing crisis, and economic collapse. On a personal level there were job changes, an overseas move, middle school-high school-college for the kids, and so many new people, places, and experiences shared it would be impossible to list them all here.

What I see when I look back at any decade is how God orchestrated the events of one season to make me ready for the next and this one was no exception. I started my 40's living in a sweet little town beside the bay, a place we all loved and where my family of four had become comfortably comfortable. Maybe even a teensy bit complacent? I don't mean complacent in the sense we weren't busy working-going-doing, but more life is good and let's not look for ways to rock the boat k?

Except what if the boat is meant to be rocked now and then?
What if it's better, stronger and more sea-worthy if it's rocked from time to time?

There's nothing wrong with living a comfortable life, but I know me and sometimes when I get too comfortable with something I hold on with a tightly clenched fist. Two tighly clenched fists. And God is always teaching me to cling tightly to just one thing-Him. I finally figured that out in my 40's, but it took being catapulted from the ordinary every day familiar into something new and different before it stuck.

I've written probably more than anyone wants to read about moving overseas as a 43 year old grown woman who had been perfectly fine thank you very much, right where she was, only to discover she still had some growing to do and a new home and country were just the place to do it. We traded life in America for life across the pond at what I can see now was absolutely perfect timing, although for young teenagers it maybe didn't feel like it.

My 40-something self had a heap of anxiety percolating on the inside too, but I went with what has worked for moms since the dawn of time. I slapped a smile on my face and repeated my oft repeated mantra -every little thing is gonna be alright.

And it was.

One of the miracles of parenting is that we moms and dads learn a lot of life's most important lessons as we walk beside our tweens and teens, and I had one of each when we hopped the pond. 'Cept we didn't call them tweens back then.

We did talk a lot about the new millennium but had no idea they'd be dubbed with that moniker some twenty years later. Sorry kids!

I spent most of my 40's in the UK and traveled extensively while I was there. My kids even more so, and hubs most of all, but more than the traveling it was the everyday living that changed us in ways that mattered and lasted.

I think I need ten years to write about ten years, but since we don't have that kind of time I'll wrap it up with a few priceless (to me) treasures unearthed in my 40's that I've carried in my pocket ever since-

There is great value in periodically examining the direction of my life and deciding if a course correction is needed. Am I doing what God created me to do, or am I living from habit?

I am capable of learning and doing hard things, things outside my imaginary comfort zone.

God's timing is providential and perfect and sometimes we might need a little bit of hindsight to see just how true that really is.

I can trust Him with my kids. Really trust Him. This has served me well every year since as my daughters have spread their wings and flown in ways my 40-something self could not have imagined or predicted.

It's a small big world and it is beautiful.

'If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm 139:9-10

Wherever I roam there He is.

What's The Plan Stan?

I could waste time here explaining in far too much detail how and why I dropped the blog ball yesterday, but let's just file it under poor planning and move on with the challenge.

Actually I have to add one more thing because if you know me you know I have a hard time simply moving on without explanation. One reason I didn't tackle yesterday's word was because I'd written a five minute post on yesterday's prompt-STORY a few years back. (August 2, 2013 to be exact)

That post lodged itself in my brain, and at the end of a very long Tuesday I lacked the oomph required to come up with something new and fresh. I don't like every blog post I've ever written, but I did like that particular post and have linked it here. Okay, moving on for real now...

Today's one word prompt-PLAN

Well. Isn't that timely? Ha!

What's the plan Stan? We say that a lot here, sometimes in reference to what's on tap for the weekend and sometimes in reference to what's on tap for life. I've always been something of a planner. A list maker-date keeper-goal setter-tell me what's the plan kind of girl. I love party planning, travel planning, wedding planning, meal planning, a week at a glance and dates on the calendar. For the most part this has served me well and I enjoy the sense of accomplishment I feel when a plan comes together.

And then sometimes a plan falls apart.
Completely totally wildly to pieces.

What does a planner do then?

She learns to unwrap her tightly clenched fist, the one holding her notebook or her calendar or her 'picture of the future' and trust God has a better plan. It's hard sometimes because our plans can look good, can even be good and seem like the right and best way forward until kaboom.

Here's what I know. God can make beauty out of the ashes of our blown up hopes and dreams. He  uses the broken pieces of our seemingly good, but ultimately failed plans to teach us, grow us, and give us something better.

We don't want people telling us that in the immediate aftermath of a plan gone awry, but as the dust settles grab hold of that truth and tuck it in tight.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

Here Comes The Bride

Y'all. So much has been happening here I haven't had a minute to sit down and tell you so much has been happening here.

So much has been happening here.

Is it okay to talk about Easter more than a week later? I'm going to say yes because Easter was a big day around here. For starters this happened-

If you've read here for any time at all you've likely seen pics of the boyfriend turned fiance on my blog. They've dated for 'a while', ahem, and on Easter Sunday he officially asked her to be his bride. We love them both so much and are so excited for this next new chapter in their lives.

Let's back up a bit because you know nothing is ever a straight line in our little corner of the world. Hubs drove over to Tennessee the Thursday before to collect his mama and bring her to the lake for Easter weekend. The boyfriend had spoken to hubs a couple weeks prior and mentioned it 'might' happen over the weekend but there was some sort of delay in the hardware department so it might not happen over the weekend.

I of course proceeded as if it were a done deal because how am I supposed to be an over the top excited mother of the bride if I live in a world of maybe? And I knew if it did happen I'd want to have a couple of fun little gifts for my daughter when they came back to the house. Personalized cookies wouldn't be too extravagant would they?

In my defense I told the baker it was all a maybe and she informed me I could freeze the cookies if need be.

Hubs texted the boyfriend Thursday afternoon and he said it was definitely not going to happen Easter weekend because he didn't have the ring back yet. I resisted interrogating him via hubs text messages and instead called Daughter1 and facetimed my grandson because he just makes every little thing in the world alright.

Here he is in the Evergreen State in all his Easter finery-

Have you ever seen a cuter baby boy?

Meanwhile in the Palmetto State...I had my sister and brother-in-law and my niece and her boyfriend, and my brother-in-law's brother and his girlfriend all coming for Easter dinner and I hadn't seen my sister since Christmas so I just made up my mind to celebrate this beautiful Easter day and know the engagement would happen someday sometime but not today.

Easter dawned bright and beautiful and church on Easter Sunday is always one of my favorite things so hubs, his mama, and I all had a nice morning. We came home and put lunch in the oven and then my sister and company arrived around 2 and we were all having a grand time.

Daughter2 had texted earlier saying they were hiking that afternoon but would be to our house sometime late afternoon. She texted again later saying they wouldn't be there now til closer to 5:30 because they were passing a pretty waterfall and decided to check it out.

A few minutes later she Facetimed me and with a great big smile on her face said, 'We're engaged!!' 

My first thought was to say, 'No you're not-the ring's not here', but I managed to catch myself. Pshew! Then I noticed she was wearing a ring, a very pretty ring that looked remarkably like an engagement ring.

Turns out her groom couldn't wait another day or week or minute so he asked and she said yes. We all find it hilarious that he managed to surprise his bride and both families because when two people date for a long time you feel like there's no way an engagement will be a surprise. Yet there we all were with our jaws dropped grinning from ear to ear at the loveliness of the surprise. He gave her a ring that belonged to his aunt and before that his great grandmother to wear as a placeholder until her ring arrives.

Sentimental stories are my favorite kind.

Daughter2 said they'd be to our house in a few minutes so I leapt from the table, ran to my closet to grab the goodies I'd purchased, and quickly set up an impromptu little celebration complete with an Erin Condren planner, bride bag, mug, and COOKIES!

Go big or go home, right?

Here's her grandmother and her aunt waiting not so patiently for the bride to arrive so they could give her a big hug.

I couldn't wait and had to give my hugs and kisses in the driveway.

Hubs popped the bubbly and made a wonderful champagne toast-

 ...and we all said Cheers to a lifetime of happiness for the most adorable couple we know.
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Five Minutes of Expect

As per usual here of late I missed the boat on Five Minute Friday so am going with Five Minute Sunday instead. That's not really a thing, but I'm making it a thing. Go here to read what others had to say this week, and no it's definitely not too late to add an entry of your own. Here we go-

Today's prompt-expect

I like this word. I might just be the queen of expectation. I like a plan. I like to know what's on tap for today, next week, this summer, the retirement years-ha! As a mother and a teacher I was intentional in setting clear expectations for my daughters (and my students), because I think children typically do better if they know what's expected.

I guess I'm like a kid that way.

I like knowing what's next. I like making lists and checking them off. I can live quite comfortably with a full calendar and a busy schedule, with people coming and going and all sorts of travel and crazy, if I know to expect full-busy-and a-little-bit-crazy.

Recently we've had to make some significant changes to our summer calendar and plans due to unexpected family illness. We've preemptively canceled some of what we were expecting to happen in order to be present in what is actually happening. We need blank space in our lives right now that will allow us to come and go as needed, to rest and recharge, and to tend to whatever needs tending.

We're told to live one day at a time, but do we really do that? Don't we more often attempt to outrun unwanted change, avoid difficult circumstances, plan and plot so there are no interruptions or detours in the way we think life should go? How we expect it to go? Raising my hand here.

There's an old Yiddish proverb that says something like 'Man makes plans and God laughs', and while I don't think that's true, I do get the point. Perhaps a better way of saying it would be 'Man makes plans and God makes different and better plans because He knows us down to the very fiber of our being.' 

Our pastor in his message this morning (don't you love when that happens?!) reminded us that nothing is unexpected in God's eyes. Nothing surprises Him. He knows what was, and is, and is to come, and He is sovereign over every last bit of it.

I've set some new expectations for the next couple of weeks and they look something like this-

Trust Him. 
Take one day at a time.

I'm thinking it's a pretty good plan.

A is for Architect

Today I'm kicking off a month of alphabet posts as part of an online blog challenge known as The April A-Z. You'll find details by visiting their web site (Blogging From A-Z Challenge), but long story short-you blog every day in April (except Sundays) which happily adds up to 26 posts, one for every letter of the alphabet. You can work with a theme or fly by the seat of your pants.

Guess which plan I follow? Ha!

Actually I always have a very loose theme, but my actual posts feel a lot more like flying. Every year about this time I look at my blog and decide it feels tired. The A-Z seems to give me the boost I need to see my little corner of the Internet with fresh eyes, and remember why I started blogging in the first place.

This is my sixth year in the challenge and this year's theme is-HOME.

We're currently building a house so I do plan to write some 'nuts and bolts' posts, but I'm also going to write a bit about what I think makes a house a home.

Grab your coffee...here we go-

A is for Architect

If you're going to build a house you need a couple of things. A couple of hundred things actually, but initially what you'll need is some land and a plan. 

Hubs and I have been discussing retirement pretty much since the day we got married. I'm only half kidding....we're big planners here. We're also kindred spirits in terms of how we feel about life beside the water. It's a dream we've had all our married life, and while we've lived a whole host of places not beside the water these in between years, this was always our plan for retirement. 

our land

Also hubs is not retired. Hubs is working, but he was retired for eleven months a quick minute, and he'll retire again another day. In the meantime we're watching our plan come together. Ever-so-slowly, but that's probably best saved for another post. 

S is for Slow. R is for Rain. H is for Have Mercy this is taking forever. 

Back to Letter A. You need land and you need to know what you're going to put on that land. One of the benefits of moving eight times in thirty years is that we've lived in a lot of houses, each one helping us understand just a little bit better how we like a home to feel.

What are the spaces we actually use and what space is wasted? What makes for comfortable living and what makes for aggravation? Where in the house do we spend our time and what rooms do we just pass through to get to some other room? You people with living rooms know what I'm saying, right? 

So hubs and I had a general picture in our head of the type of home we wanted, the layout, and the flow. We were completely simpatico in our vision, and we could have hired an architect to start from scratch and imprint that vision onto a blueprint. I will tell you that route can be very expensive. Another option is to buy a plan online. There are literally hundreds available for purchase, and if you can find one there that suits your needs you'll pay much less than one created from a blank page. 

We're kind of particular, ahem, and in our case we did end up using an architect, but not in the traditional sense. We never met him. Our builder had a custom house plan his architect had drawn for him, and we absolutely loved that plan. We discussed some changes we'd like to make and our builder had the architect modify his design to include a screened porch, an office, an additional bedroom, and a reconfigured guest bathroom. We paid the architect for the modifications, but it was far less expensive than if we'd had to pay for a brand new from-scratch drawing.

We did have to tweak the plan once early in the process, and you should know every time the architect tweaks there's a fee. You want to have a pretty clear idea of what you're looking for in a home before beginning the process. 

Also marry someone who shares your taste-ha! 

There's a small island in the lake that hubs and I refer to as 'our island'. We really wanted 'our island' to be part of our view, and the architect is the person who makes that happen. He sets the plan onto the plat via his magic computer and then moves it around until everyone is happy.

We are very happy.