Read. Write. Mom!

Finding Peace in the Holiday Frenzy

Posted on December 15, 2022December 15, 2022 by Mandy

Beep Beep! All aboard the struggle bus! That’s the type of week and a half it’s been for me, but I think I am maybe…hopefully…emerging out of this. I always get a little bit of the holiday blues each year. It finally kicked in last week. It’s not as bad as years past. I just miss loved ones who have passed, and it seems like the world is in this mad rush. I try so hard not to get sucked up into it. I’ve been working on it.

Quieting the Noise

I decided to take a break from Facebook last week, and it has so far held up. I used to take little breaks, but curiosity would get the best of me, and I’d always go back to look. I just noticed that my feed was filled with ads, pages I followed (but didn’t necessarily care for anymore), and people I’m friends with but am not close with. I was more annoyed with my daily scrolling and began feeling “less than.” I would honestly close my Facebook account, but it’s how my son’s class parents communicate information, and our neighborhood watch page is there. I did find a workaround to get notifications when a post is made in these groups. I can click the notification, and it takes me directly to the group. No need to scroll a feed!

My online life was getting too noisy. I want to read ALL the blogs. I want to scroll ALL the feeds (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook). I want to look at ALL the sales and join ALL the groups. I’ve finally gotten it through my thick skull that I can’t do it ALL. So, this week I read a few posts from the blogs I enjoy the absolute most and pressed “mark all read” on my blog reader. I stopped looking at Facebook. I picked up physical books and read. I listened to relaxing music. I made lists.

Next Year, I’ll…

I was reading Deb’s post about how she was making a list of things she will do for next Christmas and chuckled because this is a list I started a week ago. I always mean to be more efficient and do some things differently for the holidays, and then I forget. I swear I’m going to budget better, cook more Christmas goodies, have all my shopping done early, and then I don’t. I don’t know why I expect different results when I don’t do anything differently.

That’s really become a theme of my life that I want to change. All the list-making, wishing, and dreaming won’t get me anywhere until I change my mindset and actually get UP and DO. I’ve been thinking deeply about this.

Thankful

I picked up a copy of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp for a whole 10 cents at a thrift store a couple of weeks ago.

It’s a book I always meant to read and never got around to purchasing. I’ve read, and I’ve cried. I’ve learned some things, and I have started my own list of a thousand gifts. I think it’s the best 10 cents I’ve ever spent. I needed to be reminded that beauty is all around me, and I can be thankful even for the hard things.

So what’s my point with this post? I don’t know. I guess to admit that sometimes the holidays can bring about all the feelings and that it’s ok to retreat inside yourself a little to help find peace. I used to think self-care was a little too indulgent for my taste, but I’ve learned that even I need this so badly. We all need time to quiet our minds and recharge. A few years ago, I posted how our holidays have scaled down significantly from years past. It certainly helps. How are your holiday preparations going? Are you taking time for yourself? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Image by Pitsch from Pixabay

It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Posted on December 4, 2022December 4, 2022 by Mandy

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around our home. We pulled out the Christmas tree and our holiday decor from the storage closet and went to work last Friday. However, we hit a snag as soon as the tree was set up. We discovered that the lights on the very top of the tree were no longer working. We have no idea what caused it. Everything was in fine working order last year. We had to search for a single strand of lights to remedy the problem. That didn’t happen until the next day, so it was Sunday before it was all finished up.

When last Sunday rolled around, I was too tired to do much, so hubby happily decorated the tree, and I watched from the recliner while sipping on some hot coffee while we listened to Christmas music on the TV. I think he did a great job, and I appreciated his help this year.

ER Visit

Hubby also had an accident while at work this past Wednesday. He is a truck driver and hauls propane tanks (empty, of course!). One of the most important things he has to do before he leaves with his load is to ensure the tanks are tightened down and very secure for the haul. He uses this long winch bar to do just that. Well, somehow, the bar slipped and came back and hit him in the forehead. It left a pretty big cut, and the bleeding wouldn’t stop, so off to the ER he had to go.

It took a little while for the bleeding to stop, but they were able to use derma bond on the cut and made sure he didn’t have a concussion or anything else going on. He never complained about pain. The most he complained about was his arm hurting from the tetanus shot he got in the ER. He stayed home from work the next day to recover and rest but returned to work Friday for a short load before the weekend. I am so thankful his injury wasn’t worse, and even more thankful this happened while he was still in town so that I could be there for him.

Weekending

The Teen had a distance learning day on Friday, so he didn’t have to go to the school for class, but we spent the better part of the day delivering poinsettias that his class sold for a fundraiser. Hubby and The Teen picked them up from the school Friday morning, and we made deliveries. We also went to lunch since we were all together, which was nice.

I am looking forward to the Christmas holidays when we don’t have to get up and get out in the morning cold for a couple of weeks at least.

Hubby went back to work for the week yesterday, so I did a little laundry and rested as much as possible. I finished up our Christmas cards so those will go out tomorrow. I’m still lagging behind on the Christmas shopping. But I do my best work under pressure (ha-ha!), so it will get done eventually. I have started a little list on Amazon of some ideas for every one we buy for.

New Slippers

Speaking of Amazon, I just ordered myself a new pair of these fuzzy animal print slippers. I had a pair in pink, and I have literally worn them out. They are so comfy and have an adjustable closure on top, which is perfect if you have a wide foot, as I do. They were out of stock for a while, but thankfully they have replenished the supply! They come in many different colors, so I thought I’d try this animal print.

Feeling Grateful

December 1 marked six years since my heart surgery, and today marks one year since having a heart attack. To be sitting here typing this blog post is a huge blessing. I am thankful to be here still, caring for my family and enjoying life. Of course, those things have slowed me down more than I would like. However, I’m adjusting to my limitations, and I often joke I’m on the “do what you can plan.” I always get nervous this time of year because for some reason my heart issues always creep up during the start of the Christmas season. Even still, I am so grateful to God for seeing me through all of these things.

The Thanksgiving Day Recap

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Mandy

Good morning! I decided to start the week out with the Thanksgiving Day recap.

As always, we spent Thanksgiving Day with my aunts on my dad’s side. They hold the annual Thanksgiving gathering at their small country church. This year’s gathering was just a little different, a little bittersweet. We had several out-of-town families who didn’t make it this year. Health conditions kept them from this, as well as several in-town family members who had health issues. We also missed my uncle, who passed away on Thanksgiving Day last year. My dad has been gone seven years now. As much as we are so thankful for the times we can all be together, we sure do miss the Thanksgivings of yesteryears. I think, altogether, we had 16 of us this year. A much smaller crowd, for sure.

My aunts always decorate their church so beautifully. Here are a few pictures of the beautiful decor:

Our Thanksgiving Day

Mr. Turkey and this beautiful artwork greet you as you enter the small foyer.

The beautiful piano holds a cornucopia and another gorgeous turkey.

A close-up of the turkey lamp. It’s my favorite Thanksgiving decoration in the church, and I always look forward to seeing it.

The food spread was wonderful! Everyone brought a dish or two, and I could never get enough of Aunt C’s cornbread dressing. I am so thankful she shared her recipe with me a few years ago.

And, of course, I can’t share about our Thanksgiving without showing you my plate! Haha!

Can you tell I love cranberry sauce just a little bit?

We helped my aunts clean up and left the church close to three that afternoon. We stopped at Walgreens on the way home. I wanted to see if they had a hair product I was looking for. They had something pretty close, so I purchased that and quickly got out of there. My boys were waiting for me, so I didn’t want to make them wait long. Then we headed home, where we all took the traditional Thanksgiving Day nap.

The evening was spent watching the annual Egg Bowl game between the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and Mississippi State. Sadly, the Ole Miss Rebels lost, but it was a pretty exciting game. We warmed up leftovers from lunch, and I did a little blog reading on my iPad.

Black Friday

We slept in Friday morning and had no intention of going out into the Black Friday craziness. My sweet husband pulled out the Christmas decor from the downstairs closet, and we planned to decorate the house. We got the tree up, and several sections of lights didn’t work. We tried tightening up things but eventually gave up because decorating the tree made no sense until we remedied the light situation. So, I turned my attention to laundry and piddling around the house.

I did end up making two purchases online that day. Bath & Body Works had their soaps at Buy 3, Get 3 Free. I wanted two specifically for our home (holiday scents), and the remaining four will be for Christmas happies. I also ordered my mom’s birthday present from Amazon. I’ll share that later in case she happens to be reading this! *wink* I try not to look too hard at Black Friday sales because I always find many things I’d love to have for myself. Does anyone else have this problem? Ha! I made a mental note to save some “fun money” for next year’s sales to grab a few personal things I see on great sales. Other than that, I have made zero progress in purchasing Christmas presents. I do know what I want to get my husband, mother, and a couple of cousins, but those can be purchased locally. I have a plan!

Back To Reality

The Teen was up early this morning and showering at 5 AM! I stayed in bed and cuddled with kitty Jake until about 5:45. The Teen was all keyed up about a group project due today. As always, with group projects, some people don’t fulfill their obligations, which makes the rest of the group look bad or ruins the project. My kid takes this stuff very seriously. Thankfully his teacher also wanted to know who did what on the project so he won’t be penalized for someone else’s actions or lack thereof, I should say.

After I dropped him off at school, I returned home and finished dusting and vacuuming upstairs. I also have the beds stripped; everyone will have fresh, clean sheets by this afternoon. The Christmas music is going on the TV, and kitty Jake is upstairs napping. I’ll be helping my mama tomorrow to get to a doctor’s appointment. We’ve also got severe weather tomorrow, so I’m not looking forward to that.

I sure hope you’ve all had a great Thanksgiving. As the years fly by and things change, and people are no longer with us, more than anything, I am so thankful for the wonderful memories.

Thanksgiving Eve

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Mandy

It’s the day before Thanksgiving, and there is much to do around our house. By the time this is published, I hope to have completed many errands and settled in for an afternoon of pie-making. I plan to take a green bean casserole and a Millionaire Pie to our family Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. I’ll make the pies tonight and the casserole in the morning. We will spend Thanksgiving just as I have for all my 48 years on earth. My two aunts host my dad’s side of the family at their little country church. It’s such a beautiful little place of worship. My aunts decorate it beautifully, and we always have room to spread out and visit. My Aunt C used to host Thanksgiving in her home, but our family has grown by leaps and bounds as the years have gone by. The church provides so much more room.

Doctor’s Visit

I meant to post last week, and it seems like the week just flew by, and I didn’t get around to posting. I spent most of the week helping my mom downsize her kitchen wares and get her dishes and things back in the cabinets after her kitchen renovation. She filled up several boxes of things, and one of my errands tomorrow will be to drop the boxes off at the local thrift store as a donation.

This past Friday, the hubby and I both had endocrinologist appointments. We both got good reports, and my doctor has assured me she isn’t giving up on getting my authorization approved for the medication that was working so well for me. She also sent me home with a few weeks’ worth of medicine samples, so I was grateful to get that and still praying it won’t be long before I can get a refill.

Good Eating

After a great appointment, it was time for lunch, and we decided to try the restaurant right down the road.

You cannot miss Berry’s, located in Florence, Mississippi, because of the gigantic cross out front.

Berry’s exceeded our expectations, and we can’t wait to go back again when we go to our next appointment! The staff was friendly, the food was fantastic, and the atmosphere was calm and inviting. Traditional country cooking, seafood, soups, salads, and desserts were served buffet style. We were tickled with eating from tin plates and drinking out of tin cups!

Thanksgiving Wishes

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your day is filled with whatever makes you the happiest.

Looking Over Last Week

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Mandy

Looking over last week in this post! I’m seriously trying to remember each day. It seems like so many of my days blend into one now, but I wanted to share a few things so I can remember them as long as my blog is here!

The week started with taking The Teen to the eye doctor. He’s had some itching in one of his eyes, and it just wasn’t clearing up. He gets this often. We had some eye drops he is normally prescribed for this, so I started those, but we didn’t have much left. I took him on in to see the doctor to get checked out anyway. He was prescribed more of the same drops, just every two hours. He was pretty miserable, so he stayed home for three days while I administered the drops. By Thursday, he was much better and back to school.

Lunch Excursion

I was able to have lunch with my mom and aunt this week. We went to a local bistro that is a favorite lunch spot of mine.

I always order the same wrap. It’s so good and filling! This time I chose fresh fruit with fruit dip for my side. I enjoyed the other half of the wrap for a meal the next day. It was nice to get to visit with them. It wasn’t crowded that day, so we had an enjoyable time.

The bistro is right across the street from a very old movie theater that has now been turned into our local arts alliance. I saw this quote and had to take a picture!

The Ellis Theater has been around since the 1930s. It was where I saw my very first movie when I was very young. My parents took me to a showing of Swiss Family Robinson when I was five years old, around 1979. I can remember bits and pieces of that experience. I’m sure it was a very nice place back in its heyday. I’m glad many of our local downtown structures are getting facelifts and repurposed into wonderful places to eat, dine, and enjoy experiences.

Doctor’s Office Visit

I also accompanied my mom to her doctor to get her B12 shot on Thursday. She is having a tough time right now with her knee and has had to take it easy the past couple of weeks. I’m thankful I can be around to help her more. I hate seeing her slowed down by this. My mom has always been a real go-getter. I’m praying the shot she can get soon for her knee will bring her some big-time relief before Thanksgiving!

Cold Weather

I was NOT ready for the blast of cold weather that came in overnight Friday. We woke up to temps in the low 30’s, rain, and howling wind. I have stayed inside all weekend except to step onto the patio to feed our strays. We’ve set up warming boxes filled with towels and snuggly blankets for them to help get them through. They have all done wonderfully, and I will be very glad to see these frigid temps move out this week. They made themselves a “kitty cuddle puddle” on the patio table a few days before it got so cold.

Looking Ahead

The Teen has a field trip on Thursday, so we will have to drop him off at his school early. The bus leaves at 6:15 AM. I’m not a fan of super early, dark, cold mornings, but I’ll do it for him! 🙂 Hubby and I have our endocrinologist appointment on Friday morning, so I’m anxious to get that done. I’ve hit a wall with my diabetes medication. The Trijardy I was prescribed was working fabulously, but the next time I went to refill it, the insurance company said I had to have prior authorization. My doctor and pharmacist have done all the necessary hoop-jumping and I still don’t have it approved. The doctor had to put me back on Metformin (which does not work for me) until the medicine is approved. That was three weeks ago, so who knows when that will be. However, I could totally have it if I had $1200 cash to pay for it myself. (insert sarcasm and eye roll here). I just don’t understand why they filled it for 90 days before and won’t refill it now.

I also woke up Saturday morning with the biggest urge to start decorating for Christmas. I guess I’m just a little tired of looking at fall decor. I’ve had ours out since September 1, and I’m ready to look at the beautiful Christmas lights! I resisted because it won’t be long until next Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. This is our traditional day to decorate for Christmas. I guess the cold weather just made it seem so enticing. Christmas in the South is just a toss-up. You never know if it will be cold or if you’ll be wearing shorts.

November Already?!

Posted on November 7, 2022November 6, 2022 by Mandy

I can’t believe that it’s November already! It seems like this year is just flying by. I certainly didn’t mean to miss posting last week, but it was just one of those weeks. I’m sure we all have them. Anyway, I’ll share what happened here to say that I got the end of October documented.

Wrapping Up Halloween

Halloween finally came to a close Monday evening. I spent most of the Sunday afternoon before stuffing treat bags for trick-or-treaters.

I’ll admit we just dropped the ball here on how much candy we should have bought, but at the same time, I can’t hold myself to expecting to have candy for every child that passes through our neighborhood. It’s in the high hundreds, and that can get quite expensive. We had lots of candy last year to hand out, but I did 114 bags this year and called it good. Those bags were gone in a matter of twenty minutes. After that, we just turned off the light and shut the door. I only had one kid to still ring the doorbell after that. We saw lots of cute costumes, but it was so busy that I was a nervous wreck watching kids and cars constantly moving down the road. I fear for their safety every year. Most cars take it slow and are mindful, but kids are so fast!

Hello November

I took down my Halloween Beanie Babies and put up my lone Thanksgiving Beanie.

His name is Plymouth, and he’s quite cute! I spent the day after Halloween taking down a few decorations. That’s another thing; I haven’t gone all out on the Halloween decorations this year. I couldn’t seem to get into it much this year. In any case, that task was done, and now we have a couple more weeks to admire our fall decor until we put up our Christmas decor. We always put the tree up on the day after Thanksgiving. While most people are out battling for deals in the stores for Black Friday, we prefer to stay at home and enjoy the peace.

Mama’s Kitchen Renovation Progress

My mama’s kitchen is just about finished up. The guy doing it has to come to touch up some paint on the ceiling and one other small thing I can’t remember. As long as I lived in my parent’s house (24 years before I married), the kitchen always had wood paneling and cabinets. Here is the before….please excuse the open cabinets and such. Mom started taking pictures after the doors were removed.

And here is a bit of the after.

I am still floored that this is the same kitchen! She let me pick out the granite countertop and backsplash. We did have opposing views about the cabinet paint. I would have gone with a white, but she liked this, so...it is her kitchen! Haha! She also installed pot lights in the ceiling, which is amazing now. No more fluorescent lighting. In any case, she is now busy putting things back into the cabinets and getting rid of excess things she no longer needs. She’s also in the market for a lighter-looking kitchen table to match the airy feel of the kitchen. I’m just so glad she could do it, and I’m so glad she is enjoying it.

Blessing Box

One new thing I did this past week was to locate a Blessing Box in our town.

It’s right near the college, which is nearby to us. I have seen a couple of YouTubers mention these boxes. It’s sort of like the Free Little Library boxes. You donate food to the box, and whoever may be in need can take something. I was surprised we had any of these boxes in our small town, but so glad we do. I went through our pantry and donated a few items, and will do this periodically from now on. If you’re interested in donating to one near you, you can locate a Blessing Box here. This list will help you with what’s good to put inside a box and what to avoid because of the weather. If you’re feeling adventurous and want to start or build one of your own, this Pinterest page has many ideas. I normally do not share about charitable causes I contribute to, and I’m not doing this to toot my own horn. I simply didn’t know these existed and had no idea one was so close to me. I want to share in case someone else might be looking for a way they can help make a small difference to others.

Time & Weather Changes

The time change hasn’t bothered me much, but the weather has been dreary-looking. We had rain on Saturday evening. It’s just been cloudy this weekend and warm. It was cool Sunday morning, but then just felt muggy later on. Cloudy…no sun. I think it has been affecting my mood. I don’t know why this past week was so tough mentally for me. Monday was ok, but then it just went all downhill from there. I’m missing my work, missing my students, and just struggling to find a new rhythm. I’m sure it will become easier as time passes, but it is what it is right now. But enough of that. I’ll leave you with this:

Sweet Hershey Girl and two of her three kittens napping beneath the tree. Kittens can always cheer me up.

Halloween Beanie Babies

Posted on October 27, 2022October 27, 2022 by Mandy

Good morning! I thought I’d start today’s post by sharing the cute Halloween Beanie Babies I have on my mantle. I know I mentioned previously I only collect Beanie Babies bears now. I have a little ghost, and a pumpkin stashed somewhere, but these were easier to grab and display at the moment, so there’s that!

Halloween Beanie Babies

First up is Carvers. I just noticed one of his little ears has flopped over. Oh well! He’s still cute! This is probably my favorite Halloween bear of the ones I own. I just acquired him this year.

Next up is Haunt. He’s my second favorite. I love the little pumpkin stitched on his chest. I’ve had this bear for many years now. His fabric also has a little sparkle that looks much better in person.

And finally, this is Frankenteddy.

I LOVE his colors, and this is also one Halloween Beanie Babies that I just recently added to my collection. If you look this one up online, the fabric on each bear varies. I think my one is super cute, and I’m glad to have this one in my collection. I keep my collection organized online using Beaniepedia. It’s an online checklist that also is full of tons of great information on Beanie Babies.

Other Happenings

Hubby was able to come home for the night, so he took The Teen to school this morning. I was so thankful because yesterday’s carpool was highly traumatic! There is an intersection that is right on one of the main highways in our town. Our local sheriff’s department does morning traffic/crossing guard duty. I had dropped the Teen off and was on my way back home. I was stopped behind a car at the intersection, and the officer waved our line of traffic through. I had made it as far as the stop sign when the car in front of me made the turn and hit the officer directing traffic. I saw the officer fly through the air and land on the highway. Long story short, the officer is thankfully alright, if not shaken up. I believe the person who hit him was probably blinded by the sun and just got too close to the officer without knowing. I was so shaken up. When that happened, I’d not had my heart medications yet, and the chest pain kicked in!

The plumbers also came around yesterday. We had a trickle of water coming out of our master bathtub faucet, and no matter how much we tightened up the fixtures, the water still trickled. They got that all taken care of quickly, and I was very thankful. Then I had a mess to clean up in the bathroom afterward. Ha!

I also visited with my mama yesterday. She’s remodeling her kitchen, and it is coming together wonderfully! The guy doing it started the backsplash today, and it looks so amazing! I need to get some pictures and share them here.

Halloween Candy

I finally got a start on purchasing Halloween candy. I also decided to get some little treat bags to put in, so I guess I will be busy stuffing bags this weekend. It makes it easier to grab a bag and hand it to the kids. I’m going to see how many treat bags these four bags of candy I bought fill up and proceed from there. I’m positive I will need more candy. I think I’ll delegate that to hubby this weekend! Ha!

Halloween’ing Into the New Week

Posted on October 26, 2022October 26, 2022 by Mandy

Happy Wednesday! We are Halloweein’ing into a new week here at home. I’m behind in my blogging this week, but I’ve been reading the other blogs I follow. Yesterday was just one of those days when my body didn’t want to cooperate with what I wanted to get accomplished, so Tuesday was playing a little catch-up around the house.

Halloween Greeting Cards

A couple of weeks ago, I was blessed to win a greeting card giveaway from the blog My Tireless Retirement. It’s one of those blogs I love to keep up with regularly, so winning these greeting cards was the icing on the cake! She makes the most beautiful cards for all occasions, and I immediately pulled out these when they arrived to send off to some special family members:

I LOVE them, and so many more she sent as well. Great quality and perfect for having on hand. She sells her greeting cards on eBay, so click here for her listings and see them yourself! I already have my eye on a few more packs of them! Thanks again, SK!

Organizing Our Spice Cabinet

Saturday found hubby and I working on a kitchen project I had been putting off for a while. I have no idea why. In any case, I had ordered these cool spice jars from Amazon months ago, and we finally got them out and filled them, transferring them from the plastic and metal packaging they come in from the stores into these clear, uniform little jars.

I do love some organization! The jars came with two labels for each jar, one for the top of the caps and then a clear one for the jar itself. I am very pleased with this purchase. It looks much better and helped us consolidate and free up much more space in our spice cabinet.

Halloween Weekly Planner Layout

Since this is the last week leading up to Halloween, I used more Halloween stickers to add a little cuteness to my planner. Unfortunately, the colors on the stickers aren’t as vivid as they could be because I had started to run out of a couple of colors in my ink printer. But I’m still happy with it, and it’s been fun to look at this week.

Looking Ahead

We got a little rain this morning; it cooled off a little and has been so windy! The sort of day you’d love to stay inside and curl up with a blanket and a book. I did have to lie down for an hour this afternoon, and Jake was happy to join me. When I got up, he slept on for another three hours! Cats really do love their sleep. I ordered what I thought would be some great leggings online, but they arrived this morning and are way too big and long for me. I will start the return on those and make a point to go in-store and try some on. Have I ever told you how much fun it is to be plus-sized AND short? *sigh*

Also, raise your hand if you still haven’t bought Halloween candy. *timidly raises hand* I can’t believe we haven’t done this yet, but man, have you seen the cost of Halloween candy now? Yikes! We have a HUGE turnout in our neighborhood, and we need tons of candy. I also don’t know why I’ve been putting this off. I guess because hubby enjoys this way more than I do, and he probably won’t be home for Halloween this year. In any case, I ran across this funny little post about Halloween candy from when my son was six years old. I miss those days when he was little and excited about Halloween.