10.22.2015

I Had Great Plans for Today. Now...What I'm Really Doing.

I just tripped down the stairs and hurt my knee.


Don't think anything's broken, but I'm now plopped on the sofa with an ice pack. I had many things planned today that probably just got pushed to the weekend (I hope.) Who can ever afford to hurt a knee and then stay off it for an afternoon, or a day? My sister and I talked recently about how sometimes God literally knocks you down (she developed a UTI in the midst of a move) so you just have to sit around and stew about stuff while observing the mess around you, because who ever injures themselves when the house is in perfect order and all the errands are done? UGH.

Excuse me, I think I need a pain pill.

I'm back. Anyhoo...we're refinancing our home, and the appraiser is coming early next week. I wanted to dust all the fans, hose off all the blinds and polish the wooden cabinets today. I debated painting a bathroom and washing the outside windows. But, now I'm just blogging with an ice pack on my knee. I think I'll watch the senate hearing on Benghazi in a few minutes. Or maybe read TIME magazine and fall asleep. You don't realize how useful a knee is until you trip down the stairs and land your full weight on it. I should not have had that cookie last night.

Something sweet did happen early this morning, before the fall. My friend, Christine, from A Fly on Our Chicken Coop Wall (wonderful blog, by the way) wrote a review on my ebook, The 12 Days of Christmas Adventure, and she is giving away a free copy. Check it out here: REVIEW and FREE COPY.

Sample of a pear in a partridge tree. HA!

Christine has a fun life with her husband and six cute kids living on a pig farm in Indiana (go Hoosiers!) Isn't that a funny sentence right there?  Read what she's doing this holiday season with The 12 Days. Really sweet.

OK, I have to stretch out and shift around again, this fat knee is now starting to burn. Hope your day is productive and pain-free. Watch out for stairs that move on you.

10.11.2015

40 Years! Holey Moley.

Today is our 40th anniversary. I remember when my parents celebrated their 40th, and they were old. Now that we're here, it looks different. Funny how that happens.

For our 40th, our kids, siblings, and parents put together for us a week in Nags Head, NC in a beautiful condo on the Sound with nothing to do but sleep when we want to, eat things like custom-made donuts (divine) and crab cakes (love), shop in quaint haberdasheries, and soak up as many beach breezes and heavenly sunsets as we want. We feel quite spoiled and lazy. And it's wonderful.

Thank you, sweet family. We never know how badly we need to get away until we do.  We think we're so important at our jobs and in our responsibilities, but when we get out of the picture...surprise! Life goes on.  It's funny how that happens too.

This morning, I bought a precious charm for my Pandora-like bracelet. Take a look and see if you can determine its significance.

 In case you're baffled, here's another hint.


This is our daughter-in-law (with gorgeous curly hair) and a little something she's been growing for about five months now. I love this picture. With the Redskins game on in the other room, I'm imagining our son and his son plopped in front of the tube in a year or so, rooting for the burgundy and gold.

Here we are with our older son and his wife (with gorgeous red hair), who drove five hours to spend some time with us. Woo-hoo! We don't see them often enough, and it was heart-warming to get some good hugs from these two.  I love this picture.


It's 5 p.m. and I'm in my PJs already, because it's my anniversary and apparently, I'm old. My kids probably think so. So, here I am writing in a swivel rocker with a zebra pattern, tummy full of custom-made donuts and dark chocolate malted milk balls from Fresh Market. I'll pay the piper when I get home.

For now, I'm grateful for a generous family and 40 years of a marriage to a hard working, Air Force guy who always supported every crazy idea I ever had.

Except baked bean sandwiches. He wasn't a big fan of those.