Just what am I supposed to be doing?

My days are crazy. . . .so crazy that I rarely get anything on my "to do" list done. This could be why I only do my "weekly" blog about once a month hahahaha.  Honestly the only thing on my list could be "fold the yellow towel," and low and behold I'd drop into bed that night exhausted from the thousands of things I did that day and yet I never got a chance to "fold that silly yellow towel."  Okay, okay stick with me, it's not about a yellow towel. It's about setting out to accomplish something only to have a ton of other things get in the way. 

I have four children, two are grown and married and the other two are in high school. So, what's the problem. . .I'm not raising little ones any longer, right? . . . my days should be so much, much easier. I truly think it can be harder when they your kids are older. When they are little you ARE their social calendar, you plug in the activities for everyone in the family. However, when they are teens they have their own social calendars. . . they make plans you just need to make them happen. . .you're now the driver. I once saw a bumper sticker that read;

My kids drive me nuts, I drive them EVERYWHERE else"  

It's so very true. My husband will ask me to run a errand for him and I will say; "I'll try, but as you know, my plans are not my own." When our oldest was a teenager and needed me to take him here and there through out the day, I'd say; "I'm on the Kevin coaster, weeeeeeeeeee!" 

Then there are those wonderful times when all the kids have plans for the evening. On those rare times I usually plan an evening of cuddling on the couch with my hubby. Awe, the tea is brewed, the popcorn popped the movie cued up and we are snuggled under our favorite comfy throw. THEN just as we start to push "play". . . .ding dong, ding dong. . .WHAT? is that really the door bell (usually one of our grown kids paying a visit). Yep, once again our plans change as we make room for our visitors on the couch, . (and lose the comfy throw in the process hee, hee). 

And so I am often left with the question; "just what AM I supposed to be doing?"  I mean my plans and to do tasks are all good and seemingly necessary things. Yet I am often in the middle of this struggle between fighting the circumstances that pop up around me and giving in to the moment and hoping I'll have time later to accomplish my list.  I keep saying, "Lord, why are these things always getting in the way of what I am striving to do?" I am quickly reminded of a scripture from Proverbs. 

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. 

~Proverbs 16:9 

 Then I am reminded of the bible story of Mary and Martha (found in Luke 10:38-42). In this passage, Jesus tells Martha (the busy one who is complaining about not getting any help from her sister Mary) "Martha, Martha. . .you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Wow, that's IT! I tend to struggle because I am constantly being pulled into all those "other" things and not doing what I am "supposed" to be doing. Like driving my kids here and there, or stopping by my parents for an afternoon visit, or watching a movie with our unexpected guests. Then I realize that perhaps, just perhaps I AM accomplishing EXACTLY what I am supposed to accomplish. God is directing my steps. He is in control.

So, the yellow towel can just stay unfolded as long as it takes for my kids to be dropped off and/or picked up, my visitors to be comfy and entertained and my parents to have some of my attention for an afternoon. . .and for that matter until I accomplish what is better. 

Elisabeth Elliot once said;


"When you don’t know what to do, just do the thing in front of you"


. . . and those are My Thoughts Exactly.


Until next time, keep doing what ever God brings your way. 

Just a quick update. . .

Hey there folks,


Yep, I am still alive. I know, I know it's been like forever since I blogged. I apologize that even though it's been a while this is going to be short and sweet. In case you haven't heard me shout it from the roof tops, or saw it plastered all over my Facebook timeline. . . .I AM GONNA BE A GRANDMA!!!!!


Yep, my beautiful daughter Nataleigh and her handsome husband Jake are expecting my first grandbaby. I am super excited for this stage of my life. I even started a new blog that you'll have to check out:


http://gigisgoneshoppin.blogspot.com/

Those of you who are grandparents know how I am feeling right now. I truly hope all of you will be able to have this blessing someday. There isn't anything else quite like it, that's for sure.


My Grandma Opal once said:


"Being a grandparent put the exclamation point on my life."


. . . those are My Thoughts Exactly!


Until next time keep findin' joy my friends.

Reality, who needs it?. . .we do.

Hi all,
It's been a couple weeks since I posted. Sorry 'bout that, I've been busy, super busy. This got me thinking about being" busy." It's amazing what we spend our time on and what we avoid spending our time on. I mean we will say that we are too busy to do this or that (usually a mundane task or chore), yet we can spend hours watching something on TV or surfing the net, or playing video games. This got me thinking about reality. Kind of weird, I know. . .but stick with me.

Before texting, facebook, e-mail and reality T.V.  I would spend hours chatting on the phone with my friends. Did I really have hours worth of stuff to talk about? No, not really.  What I DID have was hours worth of house work (dishes, dusting, mopping, laundry, etc.) to avoid. And my friend on the other end of the phone line was usually avoiding the same  household tasks. And yet at the end of the day I would firmly declare that there just isn't enough hours in a day to get everything done. Quite honestly with homemaking you are never done anyway. That is probably why we tend to put things off. I mean we know that we can clean every last speck of dust in the house and low and behold if that stuff don't make it's way back onto that same resting place again the next day. UGH!!

I don't spend much time on the phone chatting nowadays. I would like to say it is because I am too busy running a spotless and well organized home. No, that sadly isn't the case. Actually, I have found "reality". . .reality T.V. that is. Oh my how easy it is to get caught up in other peoples happenings. From your living room  or computer chair you can make cakes with Buddy, keep up with the Kardashians, help a bride pick her wedding dress, follow little people around, help the Duggars keep count of their ever growing family, bid on storage units, and on and on. NO, I don't watch all of  the shows mentioned. I don't have THAT much time. I like Storage Wars, Say Yes to the Dress, Bridezilla, American Pickers and Hoarders (mostly cause it makes my house look super clean hee, hee). But I have realized that we probably like watching these type of shows because once in a while it is just more fun to hang out in someone else's reality than in our own. I'm not saying this is good or bad. I guess that would depend on the show, right.

I don't always follow all the seasons or episodes of a show. Some times I get just pain bored with it. I love the Duggers, but I have moved on. I think they keep having kids because they home school and don't want to purchase math manipulatives. They can just say count your siblings, or if Joseph, Jason, Jill and Jana are in a room and Jason and Jill leave, how many siblings are still in the room? now that is natural math at it's finest. I guess that's why my kids struggled in math. ..there were only four of them. . .I made it too easy.

So, while I absolutely love my own life, but every now and then I kinda enjoy other peoples lives too. I am not really avoiding reality. . .only trading my own reality for someone else's for an hour or so.  I promise I do eventually get my chores accomplished. After all. . .

Philip K. Dick once said;

“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” 

. . . those are My Thoughts Exactly!

Until next time keep it REAL. 

Year of Jubilee. . .PLEASE!!!

(I actually wrote this a while back on facebook. . .but it's well worth repeating. . .enjoy)


So, anyone been to one of the Orange County Libraries lately? I was just wondering if you saw my picture up on the wall? No, not on the Most Wanted board. You know that area where they put pictures of the "Friends of the Library." The ones who give money to the library system on a regular basis on a one time donation. They even have different levels depending on how much money you donate to them. Actually, I am not sure just which level I'd be under. All I know is that I've made "donations" of $11.25 and even $24.00 at a time to the well deserving library system. Oh, they call it "overdue fines," but I don't really care for that term, I prefer to think of it as a donation which would make me a "donor." 


Speaking of late fees and such, have you ever taken the time to do some math and figure out what you waste in a year in overdue fines, late fees, etc? I haven't, but I am sure it is much more than I care to think about. The library alone kills me every time. It is not that the fees are so much as they're only about .25 a day per book. The problem is that I check out 50 to 60 books at a time). . now THAT really adds up fast. Then if you consider overdue DVDs, and credit card payments, not to mention those pesty ATM user charges. . .WOW!! I was thinking that it would be great to have a time of jubilee. Like that "year of jubilee" in the bible where your debts are forgiven every seven years. Only I was thinking of something like when you turn say 50 (I just randomly picked that age. . hahahaha) you get back ALL the late fees, over due fines, etc that you have paid out so far. Then you could invest the money and retire on it. Cuz I hear that we're not gonna get much from SSI. You can't tell me that you wouldn't wanna get back all those fees you have paid out. And if not. . .easy come, easy go. . .or so they say.


Martin Luther once said:
"I have held many things in my hands and lost them all; but the things I have placed in God's hands, THOSE I always possess.". . . . .

 .. . . .and Those Are My Thoughts Exactly!!!!!

Until next time, please keep an eye on those late fees. . .

The colored mixing bowls. . .

Good Afternoon my friends 
(or friend . . as I am not sure how many people will actually read this),


I have been thinking and thinking of what to blog about. THEN I realized that it's just easier to blog about whatever comes to my mind. Today I just want to share about one of my favorite things.. . .or maybe I should say a set of my favorite things. Allow me to back up a bit.


A while back my  friend Sondra's Mom passed away.  She had lived a long and full life. So full as a matter of fact that Sondra was left with the daunting task of cleaning out her mother's very full house. Francis was . . .well let's just say a collector. . .of EVERYTHING. This task would be a lot for Sondra alone so I decided to give her a hand. She had already set aside the few items she wanted to keep for herself and her children. The rest she decided to give away rather than haul it  to her home in San Antonio.  I was blessed with a few special items myself.


Of the items I acquired that day my most favorite is a set of Pyrex mixing bowls. They are pretty old (my guess is from the 50's). There are 4 of them each one a different color. Are they worth money?. . .probably, but they are worth MUCH more to me than that. They are special to me for many reasons.


I think that old kitchen items hold many memories. Memories of a Mom putting time, effort and yes even love in to the meals they make for their families. I don't know how much Francis used these mixing bowls. . .Sondra says she didn't cook all that much. I know that she DID enjoy the idea of cooking though, she had like three book shelves full of cook books. I guess that doesn't make much sense. Like I said, she collected things. Heck, she also had about 25 slips and yet I don't remember her wearing dresses all that much.


 I am not sure if she bought the bowls for herself, received them as a gift, or just how she acquired them. .All I know is that I am thrilled to now call them my own. It was a special day the day  I opened Francis' bottom kitchen cupboard and started pulling out all the thousands of items she had spent years packing in there. Because, there in the back were those beautiful colored mixing bowls. The minute I saw them I knew that not only did I want them, but that I would spend years putting time, effort, and yes even love into making many meals and memories with my family and Francis' colored mixing bowls. 


Louise Brown once said:


"In the childhood memories of every good cook, there's a cozy kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot and a mom." 

. . .and those are my thoughts exactly!

Until next time . . .happy mixing, and happy memories.