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Lessons Learned

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I often heard that saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I was always skeptical, but recently I have found that I definitively disagree with it!

When we moved into our new home in fall of 2019 we had a wooden privacy fence built around the backyard. At the time, the gentleman who installed the fence told us to wait so many months before staining it. This spring I realized that we had probably had enough time elapse in order to get it done.

The problem was….. we could not find anyone who wanted to take on the task. I decided that I would do it- even if it took me a very long time.

I found some stain on sale at Ollie’s, enough to do the outside of the fence at least. I went to Lowe’s and wandered the brush aisle, selecting one that I thought would do the job. Then I waited for sunny days.

Over the past several weeks, between rainy intervals, I have been going out early mornings and late evenings to stain chunks of fence as time (and energy) allowed. At times, I will confess, I wished that I could pull a “Tom Sawyer” and convince someone or several someones to jump in and assist me, but alas…. I couldn’t.

Today as I put the last stroke of stain on the outer fence I was thinking about the several lessons that this had taught me…..

Lesson 1: Slow and steady really DOES win the race! I may not have been able to get the task done as efficiently as a professional work crew did, but I was able to accomplish what I set out to do- in my own time!

Lesson 2: I am not as much of a perfectionist as some people make me out to be. Some sections of the fence turned out a bit lighter than others due to the particular piece of wood or the amount of tint in a particular part of a can. The perfectionist in me wanted to go back over those lighter boards and touch them up, but the realist in me said, “You can’t see that from the road anyway. Let it be.”

Lesson 3: I am capable of doing much more than I would have thought. If someone had asked me to tackle a task like this on my own I would have laughed at them. Now, with Hubby on a walker and both kids out of the house, I find myself willing to tackle things that I never would have before. A few YouTube videos, some basic research, and wandering the aisles at the hardware store have convinced me that I am capable of doing far more than I would have thought! I am sure that some of that comes from watching my dad so many years. I learned a lot from him, without even realizing it at the time.

(As a side note: my NEXT task is to install a subway tile backsplash in my kitchen. My son thinks I am crazy. I think that this “old dog” is just going to learn many more lessons!)

Faith

Rattling

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Sometimes God hits me over the head with something to make his point; other times he does it in a more subtle way. This week was one of the latter.

With things opening back up a bit I have been feeling a bit more “ok” with venturing out into public- at least into places with fewer people. One of the things that had been missing from my life was my exercise routine. The gym was closed and I just did not feel that sure about going back into public spaces for my typical long walks. I decided that since the state park is just down the road I would see what mornings were like there.

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Beginning Monday I drove to the park and set out. I took the mile trail to the old mill and then returned to the car. As the week went on, I became more adventurous, trying out some of the side trails to add distance.

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My surroundings were amazing! I wish I could post a “scent photo” of the aroma of the honeysuckle, but these visual images will have to do.

I was not alone on my walks. I took along my cell phone and earbuds, with Air1 playing throughout my walk. It was during my walks on Monday and Tuesday that God used a song to give me one of his nudges.

About halfway through my walk on each of those days the same song began playing, “Rattling” by Elevation Worship. As I heard the chorus I began to think…..

This is the sound
Of dry bones rattling
This is the praise
Make a dead man walk again
Open the grave
I’m coming out
I’m gonna live
Gonna live again
This is the sound
Of dry bones rattling

That was ME! Throughout this whole pandemic I had felt like dry bones- just sitting at home, focusing on cleaning, cooking, and just “BEING”. Now I could start going back to “LIVING”. With each step on the path my bones were rattling and coming back to life! There really is a new beginning here for me and for the world.

I have been able to go on those long walks three mornings this week and I treasure every minute of them! I use the time to pray, to praise God, and to just think. I am so ready to LIVE again and to leave those dry bones behind me. My goal next week (weather permitting) is to try to do five mornings. I look forward to communing with God, getting wonderful exercise, and just LIVING!

Faith

Re-emerging

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It seems like an eternity since I last sat down to post, when in actuality it has been only 3 months. 3 very L……O…….N…….G…… months!

Quarantine and “Safe At Home” has been a new experience for me. I am one of those people who likes to stay busy, likes to be in contact with other people, and enjoys just getting out and seeing things. To find myself stuck at home, having groceries delivered to my porch and weekly drop-offs from a local restaurant was NOT something that I would have chosen, but it was something that I benefited from.

I have learned a lot during my time here at home.

  1. I enjoy crafting, but maybe not as much as I THOUGHT I did. Even when given extra time, I did not have a true desire to do things.  I did start off with good intentions; my first big project was to make some crocheted orchids that I had promised my son ages ago.

Then I sat down with some yarn I had on hand to crochet a doggie blanket for my daughter’s Maltese who LOVES anything I have ever crocheted. Much to my chagrin, I ran out of yarn with only 6 rows to go! At that point, I laid the blanket aside until I could go purchase the necessary yarn to finish and I pulled out a cross-stitch stocking that I had started for my son-in-law a while back. I worked diligently on that for a few days before laying it aside once again. Other than that, I have not made very good use of my extra crafting time. I did pull out fabric and elastic and make masks for my family members- until I ran out of elastic.

2. I need to be a bit more frugal. I was not one of those people who ordered a great deal of items while I was home-bound. Instead, I just waited, preferring to see items firsthand before spending the money. To my surprise, I found that there was more surplus money in my account than I expected and it HAD to be because I was not shopping. I am going to try to set a monthly limit when I do go back to shopping and make sure that I only spend that amount, barring any emergencies of course.

3. I NEED to meet more new people! Since our move in October I have met a few key individuals, but not many that I know well enough to just pick up the phone and contact. That has made quarantine a bit lonely. I have been making a point to contact family members during this time, especially my father, but I have really missed having friends that I could talk with. Hey! I did not even get an opportunity to try one of those ZOOM meetings. LOL.

4. (The MOST important lesson I learned) Even when other things are taken away, my FAITH is what will get me through! My morning time spent with God became very important during quarantine. I found myself searching for as many bible verses as I could that dealt with anxiety, fear, and trusting in God. I spent mornings journaling in my faith planner (Here are just a sample of those pages.)

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I have always loved my daily time with God, but I found myself leaning on God even more than ever! Just the act of reading a verse, writing the verse, and then adding a simple drawing, sticker, or stamped image, helped to reinforce God’s presence and the fact that God is in control during this time. As the world and I re-emerge into the unknown before us, I need to continue to remind myself of this. God has even used this time as a way to present a new opportunity for me to possibly teach a class in Bible journaling at my new church. I am looking forward to doing that at some point when things re-open.

I will be honest and say that I am taking my journey back into the world slow and steady. I am wearing a mask whenever I do venture out and have only done so in smaller stores like our local Dollar Generals and a nearby Save-A-Lot grocery store. I REALLY, REALLY would like to make a visit to a Hobby Lobby to get a few things I need to finish a couple of projects, (like that dog blanket) but I am waiting to see what happens to the numbers the next couple of weeks. I have not set foot in a Walmart or any other big box store like that and I am not sure when I will be able to bring myself to do so. I am sure that God will continue to teach me lessons as I do try to re-emerge into society and I am anxious to see what those lessons might be!

Faith

Unexpected Blessings

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This morning was much like any other. I rose early, showered, prepared breakfast, and set off to begin a long list of errands. The rainy weather did little to brighten the mood and I just kept checking things off on my mental “to do” list. Little did I know that God was about to intervene and give me a most unexpected blessing.

One of my errands was to run by the elementary school where I used to work. I have become the “fairy godmother” for the first grade and make it a point to prepare goodie bags for each holiday. Today was the day I was to drop off the Valentine goodies for their party next week.

I walked into the front office and was greeted with several “look who is here” comments. I presented them with my boxes of goodies and prepared to exit and continue on my way, when a voice from the principal’s office called, “Miss Stella!”

Apparently today was community read aloud day and one of the readers had forgotten about it, causing a shortage. The principal went on to ask if I was in a hurry and then, “Would you mind reading to a class?” I knew that I could make a little bit of time so I agreed. I took the book that I was assigned and flipped through it randomly to prepare myself, since it was a new story to me.

When I arrived at the classroom door and knocked, the teacher greeted me with, “I didn’t expect YOU! Come on in!”

Some of the students remembered me and greeted me with Hello! I proceeded to introduce the book and begin reading.

The next thirty minutes or so were filled with laughter, burps (that is part of the story), questions, answers, and lots of fun! I had slipped right back into my teacher mode as though I had never left. It felt SO GOOD!

I returned the book to the office before leaving and then headed down the long walk to my car. In my mind I said, “Thank you Lord for unexpected blessings!” It was so good to be back in the role that God had prepared me for. I always loved working with students; that was what had kept me in the classroom for 31 years. I know that God has plans for me to continue to use my talents with children; I only have to watch and wait for that opportunity to present itself. Today was just his way of reminding me!

(Oh, in case you wondered, this was the book that I read today.)

Rodeo Ron

If you have young children and you are not familiar with this book, you should really go to the library and check it out! It ties in lots of elements: colors, good dietary habits, dental health, and just a really good story!

 

Crafting Fun, Family

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree

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I really wanted to share my latest “Make It” project, especially since it was actually a shared project.

My sweet daughter and my son-in-law moved into their home last year. Since then, they have been working to do little things that would make it more of their own.

One of their first purchases was a cute little table for their dining room. They also received a set of upholstered benches to use with it. They are using a lot of blues in their new home and, while shopping recently, daughter and I found the perfect blue cloth to reupholster the benches!

Last week we finally had time to get together and do the project.

Here is a side view and top view of one of the benches before:

The hardest part of the whole thing was getting the staples out that were holding the fabric to the wooden seat. They were a bit rusty and they were the same color as the brown tones in the fabric, so it was rather difficult to see them.

Here is a side view and top view of one of the benches after our transformation:

The corners were not perfect, but the benches sure were more comfortable and they looked SO MUCH better!

The best part of the project was actually sharing it with my daughter. She has definitely inherited my love of re-doing things! I was also a bit surprised to see how handy she was with power tools. She did not hesitate to reach for her hubby’s electric drill to screw and unscrew the bench tops from the supporting legs. I always just use the plain old screwdriver!

While watching her work I managed to snap this photo.

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While working on this part of the project she said, “Papaw would be proud of me, using these power tools.” Yes, he would my dear! I am proud of you too. You are becoming a handy young woman who is not afraid to tackle new projects to put her own special touch on her home! I cannot wait to see what project she comes up with next for us to make together!

Faith

When Life Gets Tough

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Today has been one of “those days”.

While working to complete a baby quilt that a friend had ordered my sewing machine stopped working. I tried to repair it, but was not having any luck, so I decided to take a lunch break instead and fix it later.

I had a hair appointment this afternoon and needed to go by my part time job to turn in my time sheet. When the time came for me to leave I could NOT find my keys anywhere. I traced my steps from the entire day with no luck. Knowing that I would probably not make the appointment, I called and cancelled, telling them that I would schedule another one for next week. Within ten minutes, guess what? I found my keys, but it was too late; I had already cancelled. I did however make it to the office to turn in my time sheet.

When I got home I cooked supper and waited for my hubby to get home. We ate and then I somewhat cleaned the kitchen. Then I sat down to once again work on the sewing machine. Screws dropped down inside as I tried to reassemble it, started sewing only to discover that it STILL was not right and I had to take out all of my work. It literally took 2 hours straight of assembling, disassembling, cleaning, and trial and error to get the machine working as it should.

Life can get tough! Through all of these misadventures I found myself praying. “Lord, please help me get this machine working.” “Lord, please help me find my keys.” “Lord, please help this dog stop whining for attention so that I can get this quilt done.”

Psalm 37:3-6 says:

3 Trust in the Lord and do good.

    Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you your heart’s desires.

5 Commit everything you do to the Lord.
    Trust him, and he will help you.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
    and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

I know that my problems today are minimal compared to the suffering that many people are going through, but the wonderful thing is that God is there for ALL OF US- and ALL of our troubles. We only have to ask for his help and trust that he will help us- no matter the problem!

Faith

Five Minute Friday-Relief

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See this face-

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It is not what some would call a pretty face. It is red, sweaty, a bit wrinkled, and (to be honest) a bit “bland”. But, it is also the face of relief, the face of accomplishment, and the face of pride.

It is relief because my Saturday morning treadmill time is finished. It is accomplishment because I did 2 miles in 35 minutes. It is pride because I am so proud that I am sticking with it, working out, and doing my part to strengthen my body and deal with my health issues.

God provides the best relief- even greater than the relief that I felt as I stepped off that treadmill. One of the very first verses I memorized as a young child was John 3:16-

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. 

By sending his son, Jesus into the world he provided us all with relief: relief from our sin, relief from our worries, relief from pain, relief from a life in a burning pit of fire. All WE need to do is BELIEVE! Thank you God for that relief.

Family

2 New “Make-Its”

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With yesterday being a holiday I got a bit busy and did not get to post my usual Make-It Monday. Since I am a day late, I thought I would share 2!

My first share is my new Scrabble game.

I have always loved word games (I think it has something to do with all of those years that I spent teaching reading, English, and writing.) Anyway, while going through Pinterest one day I saw a GREAT wall version of Scrabble. Unfortunately when I investigated a bit further, I found that it was WAY above my budget.

I did, however, find THIS magnetic version on Amazon. I really liked the fact that it had hooks to hang the player’s pieces from and included a message board on the side where we could keep score. I ordered it and waited patiently for its delivery.

When the game arrived I really liked everything about it except the fact that it did not really fit in with our “farmhouse” decor. A quick trip to Hobby Lobby fixed that! I purchased a wooden pallet sign on which I could mount the game board. I am SO happy with the end result!

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The game hangs in the hallway just outside Hubby’s office. Each day we make our move and update our scores. Some days we can even fit in 2 moves each!

The second “Make It” was some stuffed chicken that I made tonight for supper. I found the recipe online at the “I Wash, You Dry” blog.

I changed one thing when I made it: I used a steam bag of broccoli florets from the freezer section rather than fresh broccoli.

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It was SO YUMMY!!!!!!!! I actually had enough of the filling to stuff 4 chicken breasts. These things were huge, so Hubby and I split one for supper tonight. I split a second one and prepared two plates for us each to have tomorrow for lunch, and I have the other two tucked away to send to my daughter and son-in-law for supper tomorrow.

I definitely recommend this recipe! You will not regret it!

Faith

Sacrifice

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In an effort to continue stretching myself I have decided to join in on a weekly blog post group. Each week they will provide a word. All I have to do is write for 5 minutes with that word as my topic or inspiration.

This week’s word is SACRIFICE.

As a mother I know a lot about sacrifice. We sacrifice our time, our money, and our plans for our children. There are many times when I was at an academic match, a practice, or a run when I would much rather have been doing something else.

I learned about motherly sacrifice from one of the best! My mom rarely bought new clothes for herself. Instead, she made sure that we had food on the table, shoes on our feet, and clothes on our backs. She also made sure that we were able to get to whatever event at school or church we really needed to attend.

My daughter sometimes reminds me that it is ok to do something for ME– take some time to do what I want to do or splurge a bit on something that I really WANT rather than something I just plain NEED.

Yet, my sacrifices are so minuscule compared to those of God. I cannot imagine the sacrifice he made in sending his son to die for my sins! I cannot imagine standing by and watching as one of my children suffered the cruelties that Jesus did on the cross. THAT was the ultimate sacrifice!

If you are interested in joining me with the Five Minute Friday posts you can find more information HERE. Stretch your creativity a bit and try it- after all, it is ONLY 5 minutes of your time!

 

Family

This Week’s Stretch

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I am off and running with my plan to stretch myself and do things that I do not normally feel comfortable doing.

Stretch 1- Go to the gym

Planet Fitness opened up just a few miles from our home and when I saw their $10 a month special on television I thought I would give it a try. I needed exercise and this might be the best way to get it.

My daughter had told me that one of her hubby’s relatives also had a membership so I contacted her to see if she had any plans to go. She had actually packed a bag and planned to go on her lunch hour. I told her that I would join her, though I was still a bit nervous about it. After all, I had NEVER had a gym membership.

I could just picture myself being the old one in the room and having everyone look at me with a “Why is SHE here?” kind of look. Boy, was I wrong!

There were a number of older people, both men and women. My new friend showed me the ropes of how to use the stretching equipment and the treadmill. For the next 30 minutes I walked on the treadmill, speeding it up and even raising the incline. At the end of 30 minutes I felt GOOD and not even very tired, but I figured that I did not want to overdo it, so I headed home.

As I looked at myself in the mirror I saw THIS face-

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My face and other visible skin was glistening with beads of sweat. My cheeks were rosy and healthy looking. My heart rate was still a bit high due to the exercise, but I felt GREAT! I had actually accomplished something!

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Perhaps I need to take a lesson from the mural on the locker room doors and stop judging myself!

Stretch 2- Try new foods

I have recently discovered the joy of shopping at Aldi. I am so sorry if you do not have one near you! This store has opened my eyes to a wide variety of food options, many of which I have NEVER tried before.

This week I decided to pull out my Instant Pot and try a Spicy Quinoa and Chicken Sausage.

The ingredients are as shown below:

2 packages of Never Any “Tomato & Basil Chicken Sausage”

1 box of Earthly Grains “Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Quinoa Blend”

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

1 large bell pepper, cored and diced

1 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeds removed, and diced

15 ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup low sodium chicken stock

15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions:

I started by slicing the sausages into small pieces about an inch thick. I set my Instant Pot on saute and added the olive oil. I threw in the sausage and let it cook for a few minutes, stirring it and turning the sausage often. I removed the sausage to a bowl and set it aside.

Now I put the garlic and onions in the pot and allowed them to cook for a few minutes, stirring it often. Once the ingredients were a bit soft I opened up the box of quinoa and put it in the instant pot, setting aside the seasoning packet for a bit. I put the peppers, tomatoes, and chicken stock in the pot as well. Then I added the contents of the seasoning packet and stirred it all together.

I covered the instant pot and set it on pressure for 10 minutes. When the time was up I used a quick release and opened the pot. I put the beans, chicken sausage, and lime juice in the pot and mixed it all together.

The end result was a big hit with my hubby!

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As for me, I liked it even better the second day! I was also proud of myself for trying two new foods: quinoa and chicken sausage.

If you are lucky enough to have an Aldi near you and you own an instant pot, I really recommend you give this recipe a try. To get it, just click on the link below.

Spicy Quinoa and Chicken Sausage