A New Year...a New Medley

Wow...I can hardly wrap my brain around the fact that yet another year has passed so quickly!

It surely must be true that somehow, as we get older, time has a way of moving faster.
~ 

I have just finished getting the tree taken down and packed away.
I took the other decorations down over the weekend but wanted to enjoy the tree a while longer.
Now that it's all out of here, it does feel kinda good to get back to normal, whatever that is.
But my new normal is about to become a bit different from anything I'm used to.
Remember that little song I was singing a year ago... One Room at a Time, Sweet Jesus?
Well, it's time to finally stop my lollygagging!
Did I happen to mention that I work best under pressure?
The. Pressure. Is. On. Folks!

After several months of taking care of some medical issues in 2018, we are trying this again!
I am now one year closer to getting that certain little red, white and blue card in the mail.
It should be in my possession in a few months but of course can't use it until September.
Barring any more unforeseen obstacles, we are hoping to sell in the late spring to early summer.
Jim and I both will continue working until we have a buyer.
And there has been significant progress on the Tennessee property,
which I will be sharing with you very soon!
~
So today I'm joining Terri, for the Wednesday Medley after a couple of weeks of missing it.

Just head on over to her blog, copy the questions, paste them to yours and join the fun!
Here we go...

Today is  NATIONAL SCIENCE FICTION DAY

National Science Fiction Day is celebrated annually on January 2nd by millions of science fiction fans across the United States.  The date of January 2 was chosen for National Science Fiction Day as it corresponds with the birth date of famed science fiction writer Isaac Asimov.   National Science Fiction Day is recognized by the Hallmark Channel and the Scholastic Corporation

HOW TO OBSERVE

Watch some classic science fiction t.v. shows or movies.  Start reading a science fiction novel. Use #ScienceFictionDay to post on social media.

1.  Will you observe National Science Fiction Day as recommended above?  Do you even like science fiction?

Sorry, I will not be doing any of these things...I could not care less about science fiction. I have never been a fan either in book or movie form. The only thing I can remember ever sparking my interest was "The Twilight Zone" way back when I was a kid. I guess in among shows like "I Love Lucy" and "Leave it to Beaver", it was sorta "edgy" and out of the usual.

2.  Have you chosen a "word" for 2019?  Many people do. THIS QUIZ might help you find your word.

I have not chosen a word for the new year, in fact, I have never done the "word of the year" thing...not saying that I shouldn't have. I guess I thought that picking a word was kind of just following the crowd and doing what others were doing. There are many wonderful words out there to live our lives by and so far, I seem to be able to find them in whatever situation I might be going through. I did, however, take the test just for fun. My list of words were under the heading of GRATITUDE. Funny thing is, that would have been my word if I had chosen one. It must be God thing.

3.  Did you stay up to see the new year in?  Are you happy or sad to see 2018 go?

I did not stay up 'til midnight and probably haven't in a few years. Jim was working away but there's no way he could have stayed up even if he hadn't been! I had dozed off on the couch earlier in the evening and when I woke up, it was 10 PM, my regular bedtime. So I let the doggies out, turned off the lights and to bed I went! I'm sure there was plenty of noise in the neighborhood at midnight but I didn't hear a thing! I am neither happy or sad to see 2018 go...it's impossible to re-live the past anyway, no matter how good it could have been! Good things and the not-so-good things happen in any given year and 2018 held many good things. I am not one to lump everything together in the "good year" or the "bad year" pile because I know that God is with me through the good, the bad, and yes, even the ugly.

4.  I really enjoy the Tournament of Roses parade on New Year's Day but rarely get to sit and enjoy the entire parade because I am cooking.  Did you watch the parade?  Did you cook/eat the traditional foods (pork, black-eyed peas, kraut, greens...) to begin the new year?

I would not be one who makes a deliberate decision to tune in...but since Jim came home for lunch on New Year's Day, he was watching it for a bit. I however, was trying to write this post. Since the hubby is never off on a Monday or Tuesday (unless he is taking vacation), he had to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as well as New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. It has always been our tradition to eat pork and sauerkraut...that's what we folks from Ohio do...but since I'm not cooking today just for me, I will be warming up some frozen cabbage rolls that I made a few weeks ago. I layer them with sauerkraut so I will be getting that part of our traditional meal, although they contain no pork, only beef...oh well. Now here in NC, it's all about the black-eyed peas, greens and hog jowl. You could not get Jim to even try that but I think I could handle it!

5.  I have to ask... Resolutions.  Did you make any or set some new goals for 2019?  Or do you even think about it?

My pastor was talking about this in his message on Sunday and according to these statistics, unfortunately, about 22% of resolutions fail after about a week, 40% after a month, 50% after 3 months and 60% after 6 months. I don't know how they are able to calculate things like this so I'm only quoting what the article stated. I used to be one to make resolutions every year and almost every time they included losing weight and getting in better shape, among other things. Then it got to be all about the resolution, itself...not really what I wanted to change, but the guilt trip associated with not being able to keep it up. Now don't get me wrong, there are an abundance of things that I need to improve on, Lord knows...more than there is room on this page to write about. But here is what I have discovered...it's a daily thing.

But let me also say that if you are a New Year's resolution maker, I hope you are successful in keeping every single one of them! 

May this brand new year be overflowing with God's grace, love and peace!

Blessings,

January's Last Hodgepodge

Goodbye,

Can you even believe it?

Wasn't it just last weekend when the ball dropped and we sang Auld Lang Syne?

Time is passing CRAZY fast!

~

And here it is, time for Joyce's Hodgepodge again already...

...where she writes the questions and we answer them on our blogs.

And this week's questions are.... 

1. Speaking of endings....at your wit's end, at loose ends, a dead end, burn the candle at both ends, all's well that end's well, or no end in sight...which 'end' phrase might best be applied to your life lately? Explain.

So I guess if anyone read my post from a couple of days ago, they could guess how I might answer this question. I have a monumental task ahead of me...getting the house ready to sell...and everything that goes along with that. I am not at wit's end or at a dead end...nor am I burning the candle at both ends...YET. You actually have to start before you can be any of those things, am I right? So that leaves things at loose ends because that basically means unfinished business. I'm sure once I finally get started, it will seem at times like there is no end in sight and finally, then and only then, I'll be able to say "All's well that ends well!"


2. What was a must have accessory when you were growing up? Did you own one? If so tell us what you remember about it.


Do shoes count as an accessory since they are plural?
  

If I have understood the question right, shoes would be my favorite accessory when I was growing up. With so many kids in the family, we weren't able to afford new ones very often but I was beyond excited when it was shoe shopping day...black patent leather ones made my heart go pitter-patter. If you'd like to know more, you can read the details here over on my childhood memories blog. Oh yes, there were many other accessories that I had to have that were the latest thing, but I remember it was always about the shoes...I still love me some cute shoes!

3. Something that made you smile yesterday?

Meet Snickers, my new little grand puppy...Aaron and Michelle's newest addition as of yesterday. He is a Silky-haired Dachshund and is the color of.......a Snickers! 😉 Isn't he adorable? He sure made me smile!

4. January 30th is National Croissant Day. Do you like croissants? Sweet or savory? We're having chicken salad for lunch...would you rather have yours served on a croissant, a wrap, a bagel, bread, or a roll of some sort?

I do like croissants of all kinds but rarely do I eat them because I simply don't eat many breads or rolls of any kind for the most part. If someone came up with a low-carb version, I would be all over that puppy in a heartbeat. Even though I love the combination of chicken salad on a croissant, I would choose to have mine in a Mission Carb Balance flour tortilla wrap, thank you!

BUT...if I was invited for lunch and they were on the menu, I would eat it. Far be it from me to offend!

😋

 

5. Sum up your January in fifteen words or less.

We had snow...lots of it and ate comfort food...lots of it.







6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Happy New Year Hodgepodge

It's a brand new year and a brand new Hodgepodge!
Even though I say this every year, I hope to make this year better than last year,
not that 2017 was a bad year by any means...
but if I am able to step it up a notch at any one place where I am lacking,
and there are too many to count,
I will have accomplished that...only with the Lord's help.



So let's get down to the business at hand...the Hodgepodge...

...where Joyce asks the questions and we answer them on our blogs.
~

1. It's that time of year again...time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words (or phrases) they'd like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, or genera uselessness) in 2018. You can read more about the decision making process and word meaning here, but this year's top vote getters are- 

unpack, dish (as in dish out the latest rumor), pre-owned, onboarding/offboarding, nothingburger, let that sink in, let me ask you this, impactful, Cofefe, drill down, fake news, hot water heater (hot water doesn't need to be heated), and gig economy
Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?

Oh my, there are so many to choose from...some I've not really paid much attention to and others that are just plain silly. Of all that are on this list, I'd like to see "fake news" disappear...and not just the term...but the real thing, which sounds like an oxymoron. Remember the days when we used to be able to trust what we heard on the news and respect the people who brought it? I hope that day will return soon. Right now I can't think of another word to add to the list, although there surely must be more floating around out there.

2. What's something you need to get rid of in the new year?

Many, many things but mostly this one...



3. Where do you feel stuck?

Worrying too much. I know better.

4. January is National Soup Month. When did you last have a bowl of soup? Was it made from scratch or from a can? Your favorite canned soup? Your favorite soup to make from scratch on a cold winter's day?

If you consider Brunswick Stew soup, then that's my answer and it was on New Year's Eve at Aaron's house that he made from scratch. Click on the link if you northerners want to know it's origin and a little more about it. To tell you the truth, it's not my favorite but there is Brunswick Stew and then there is Brunswick Stew...

...and this was Brunswick Stew! 

It's a thing here in NC and large gatherings are usually held when folks are "doin' a stew". The taste is wonderful but it's the consistency that is my least favorite thing about it since you cook it so long that the meat is in strings. Some cook it even longer and the vegetables are no longer recognizable. That's when I say, "No thanks". Aaron's was actually very good! My favorite soup right out of the can would be the one and only Campbell's Chicken Noodle (with crackers) and my favorite from scratch on a cold winter's day is either chili or broccoli cheese...but any homemade soup on a cold winter's day hits the spot!

"I don't usually open my mouth this wide when I am eating Brunswick Stew,
but when I do, it's because I'm posing for the camera." 😉

5. Tell us one thing you're looking forward to in 2018.

Country living.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Well, I hope that the first few days of 2018 have been goods ones for you
and that the next 362 are even better!

Love,

Closing the Door on 2017

At the risk of sounding redundant, I just can't help but say it again...

...you probably already guessed it.

Where did this year go?

I just don't ever remember time flying by as quickly as it does now. 

I guess it's God's way of letting us know that we're getting ---o--l--ol---d---OLD...
...there, I said it!

But this will be my mantra until the day I die...

or how about...



And then there's always this truth...

How would YOU answer this question?

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?
~Satchel Paige
I'll have to ponder that one for a bit. 😉
~
As I look back on my posts from this year,
it would seem that most of them were in the format of a hodgepodge.
Like it or not, I really try to make them as newsy as possible...or maybe you haven't noticed :)
But scattered among the usual trials and blessings that any new year brings,
2017 brought about more much needed updates to our home, some sweet surprises,
a milestone or two and the heartache of losing a beloved family member.
~
We began the year by having the whole house turned upside down by getting new floors...

...springtime brought about an opportunity to meet a sweet blog friend, Deborah...



...our oldest grandson, Dacey, graduated from high school in June...

...Jim earned his red, white and blue card by turning 65 in July...

...and late this summer my oldest brother Bob, lost his battle with cancer.



As you know, plans were put in motion for our upcoming retirement and move to TN.
The thought of that seems to have taken my brain captive on most days even though I try not to let it.
I've said before...we can have our plans but ultimately, it must be in alignment with God's.
So far, no doors have slammed shut so we continue to move forward.
~
As I was taking down the Christmas decorations yesterday,
it became more real that it would most likely be the last time I would be doing that here.
I specifically sought out the mini tree that I had among my other decorations,
anticipating that would most likely it would be the only tree I would have room for next year.

So here we were are...New Years Eve, 2017.
Whatever God has in store is yet to be seen but of this I know...
...2018 will most likely be a very HECTIC INTERESTING year!
~
I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your love and support throughout the year
and that 2018 brings you many wonderful blessings!

My Grateful Jar: Take 2...er...3

Okay, I'm going to try this again.

You may remember this post from last year.

I was so proud of my sweet little Grateful Jar sitting on my kitchen counter.
After I hit that little rough patch in the beginning (you'll need to read the first post to get it)
I was doing better for a little while.....again.

Then I got really behind.

So I took about a week's worth of papers at a time and retraced my steps of the previous week.

I did that a couple of times, actually.
Okay, more than a couple.

Then those moments became fewer and farther between.

I even went so far as to just write something like "I'm grateful for Your love"

on a whole bunch of them at once to get caught up since the days had run all together.

The days turned into weeks, the weeks into months and before I knew it,

I was just too far behind to try to catch up, although I thought about it a lot.

Wow...it hurts to even admit that...let alone blog about it.

The amount of time it would take for me to add a little note to the jar was minuscule.

It was sitting right there on my counter top near the coffee pot.

It's not like it was out of sight, out of mind or anything...

...or like I had to make much of an effort...at all.

******************************** 

ungrateful
[uhn-greyt-fuhl]

adjective

1. unappreciative; not displaying gratitude;

not giving due return or recompense for benefits conferred:

ungrateful heirs.

2. unpleasant; distasteful; repellent:

an ungrateful task.

********************************

Am I a dissatisfied, thankless person that doesn't have anything to be grateful for?

No...not by any means!

Doesn't the Lord always give me something to be grateful for...every single day?

Yes...He absolutely does!

Then why wasn't I able to accomplish this very simple task?

Discipline...or the lack thereof.

Discipline.

The same thing I don't have when I fail to keep up with my healthy eating plan...

...the same thing I don't have at the start of every new year when I vow to start exercising...

...the same thing I don't have when I should be vacuuming but choose to work on a project instead...

...the same thing I don't have when I turn on the TV...or open my laptop...

...instead of opening my Bible.

Just being real here, folks....
...I don't mean to be a Debby Downer (pun intended).

Discipline.

I need it like I need oxygen.

I crave it like I crave chocolate or pizza love...peace...acceptance.
I desire it like nothing else...because I know that as a daughter of the King I should have it.

But I fail at it so much of the time... miserably.

Only Jesus can help me.

So that is my word for 2016...discipline.
I've never done the word-for-the-year thing before...
...and I don't really think that declaring that I have one will necessarily make me do better.
What I do know is that it will take spending more time in God's word...and a lot of prayer.

I'll let you know next year how it's working for me.

So today, I removed all of the little pieces of paper from my jar and started fresh.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, 
but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11

I'm only four days behind :)

The Grateful Jar

Just so you know, I started writing this post on January 3rd or 4th.
I put off publishing it for no other reason than it getting shoved to the back burner,
not unlike many other things in my life that should have been a priority.
Here's how it started out...
~
I'd seen the idea before.

 A friend posted this on Facebook, and I knew right away I wanted to do it this year.

Nothing hard about it.

Lord knows I've got plenty of Mason jars...

...Lord knows I've got plenty of things to be grateful for.

~

The idea is to start it at the beginning of the year and add to it daily.

Yes, daily.

Even on my darkest day, there is something for me to be grateful for...

...simply the ability to breathe in air...on those days when it seems God is far away.

 ~

So I made up a cute little label, added some ribbon and slapped it on the jar.

I'm keeping it on my kitchen counter top with some little squares of paper.

It only takes a minute to write it down...and I plan to put the date each one.

 It is one thing that my way-too-often-undisciplined-self can do.

Yes, I can will do this!

~

At the end of 2015 there should be 365 little pieces of paper in my grateful jar.

  Since I'm getting a late start I'll have to put in more than one here and there to take up the slack :)

That's when the fun begins...when you go back and read them all...
...next New Year's Eve.

~

Oh mercy...I may not be able to wait that long!



So, that being the original post, let me continue...
~
I was all set to do this...except for hitting the publish button.
I was doing good, adding my little pieces of colored paper with grateful thoughts jotted on them...
...for about a week.
I would walk into my kitchen, the little jar catching my eye each time.
It got easier and easier to say to myself "Oh, I'll do this later, right now I'm so busy doing..."
Doing what??
Was I really too busy doing whatever to stop for a second and add to my little Grateful Jar?
In the beginning I took quite a bit of time preparing this...
...making that cute little label...
...coming up with the decoration on top...
 ...and cutting all those colored pieces of paper.



It deeply pains me to admit that I was failing to hold to my commitment.
Several more days have passed and I have not taken those few moments to add to my jar.
That is until this morning when I read this post from Gayle at Solitary Moments.
You may want to take the time now to read her post and then continue mine.
~
So let me just tell you, her words hit me right between the eyes.
Actually, it was the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart...
...God's amazing grace...right when I needed it!
~
I know that right away I need to open my jar and go through it until I find that last one I wrote...
...yes, I dated them, so it won't be hard.
If I have a hard time remembering something specific for those days,
I have NO excuse...

...since I can always be grateful...even for the air I breathed in.
~
Thank you, Gayle for this awesome reminder.
Yes Lord...You certainly do work in mysterious ways...even through blogs :)

Blessings,

Sharing at:

Spiritual Sundays
Roses of Inspiration
Grace at Home

I'm Starting Over

OK, let me just be honest here.
New Years Day has come and gone and I have to admit I've been feeling a little blue.
I can't really put my finger on one thing in particular.
~
I am usually all about making a New Year's resolution of some sort.
They are probably very similar to the the ones you make...
...eating healthier or starting new diet...
...or maybe to begin exercising regularly...
...to read my Bible more...
...I'm pretty sure you know how it goes.
And yes, I need to do all of these things, even if it wasn't a brand new year.
I can't explain the lack of enthusiasm that I'm feeling as this new year is unfolding.
And if 2015 flies by as quickly as 2014 did, it will be gone before I get a handle on things.
~
This morning as I was sorting through one of the drawers in my office,
I came across this poem that I hadn't seen in probably fifteen years.
I don't even remember how I came across it in the first place all those years ago.
What I do remember is that it really spoke to my heart back then...
...the same way it spoke to my heart this morning.
 And I am completely in awe of the way my God works.



START OVER
~by Woodrow Kroll

When you’ve trusted God and walked his way
When you’ve felt his hand lead you day by day
But your steps now take you another way …
Start over.

When you’ve made your plans and they’ve gone awry
When you’ve tried your best and there’s no more try
When you’ve failed yourself and you don’t know why …
Start over.

When you’ve told your friends what you plan to do
When you’ve trusted them and they didn’t come through
And you’re all alone and it’s up to you …
Start over.

When you’ve failed your kids and they’re grown and gone
When you’ve done your best but it’s turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren come along …
Start over.

When you’ve prayed to God so you’ll know his will
When you’ve prayed and prayed and you don’t know still …
When you want to stop cause you’ve had your fill …
Start over.

When you think you’re finished and want to quit
When you’ve bottomed out in life’s deepest pit
When you’ve tried and tried to get out of it …
Start over.

When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you’re feeling blue
God gives a January just for you …
Start over.

Starting over means “Victories Won”
Starting over means “A Race Well Run”
Starting over means “God’s Will Done”
Don’t just sit there …………

START OVER

~
No, my year hadn't been as bad as all of that.
There had been many blessings laced among the heartaches of 2014, of that I'm sure.
And I really don't understand the whys and wherefores of my indifference to the new year.

But God does.

And He's about to show me something new.

Blessings,

Sharing with:

 Stephanie's Roses of Inspiration
Grace at Home
Spiritual Sundays