{ Random Thoughts }

What did I do with all my shower curtains? :::::
No really, where did they disappear to?  I had at least 4 different ones but when I went to change out the one in the master bathroom, I had none.  I'm honestly confused, did I leave them behind in Idaho?  Why would I do that, it makes no sense and I could have sworn I packed everything. The hunt for the elusive shower curtains will continue.

Sand spurs hurt :::::
I mean like really hurt, the kind where you find yourself biting your tongue or letting out a long list of expletives because you stepped on one and jump up only to land right on it again and further digging it into your toe.

Kinda missing the rain :::::
Apparently I'm never happy because when it rains I complain about the humidity and when it doesn't I complain that I miss it.  We're very unhappy humans in general, aren't we?

Bacon Cheddar Burgers or Chicken Spaghetti for dinner? :::::
That was the debate in my brain for a good hour and a half, but I settled on the burgers because I'm really fancying one at the moment.  So burgers it is, Chicken Spaghetti will be this weekend some time because tomorrow night we're having Chinese which we've all been craving.

I hate dark circles under the eyes :::::
It runs in my family, really it does.  My grandmother, father, older brother have very pronounced dark circles and I do too and it's annoying because even if I've had good sleep I still look half dead.  I need a really good concealer.

Dishes in the sink :::::
It's always such a great idea the night before when you're tired from the day and just want to relax.  You leave the dinner dishes soaking overnight and tell yourself it won't be that bad in the morning, and then you wake up, walk in there and want to cry.

Scorpions :::::
That's 2 we've killed in the house so far, always going under the same couch.  Where are they coming from, how are they getting in and how can I get them to go away?  I'm so scared it will sting one of the dogs or kids.

School starts in less than two weeks :::::
Can you believe that?  And I'll have a kid in 11th Grade and one in 7th Grade.  How is that even possible, where has the time gone?

I'm out of dog treats :::::
I use them to give Lola her medicine and to treat the girls too.  I wanted to make them some but I don't have anything on hand because I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow.  I guess a slice of ham will suffice.

So many good Period Dramas :::::
There are so many good on right now, I don't know where I'll ever find the time to watch it all.  Today I'm going to watch the first episode of Partners in Crime, which is based on Agatha Christie's work.  Also Life in Squares looks very good.  Coming up very soon is The Scandalous Lady W. and I'm really looking forward to that one which stars Natalie Dormer as Lady Worsley.

Need to get off here but don't want to :::::
I should be doing laundry, or looking for the shower curtains, maybe even washing the 3 dishes left in the sink, but I don't feel like it.  I'm feeling extremely lazy this afternoon, and I think it's because I'm so tired.

Maybe I'll get some sleep tonight :::::
Bella is getting old folks, like really old and so she's become like a baby and wakes us up throughout the night.  It's frustrating and Curt and I are both walking zombies at this point, especially when 5am comes around so fast.  I'm just hoping to get some good sleep tonight because I found myself actually nodding off to la la land while sitting here at the laptop.  Oh boy!!!!

What about you?  Any random thoughts today?

{ That trip to Dallas }

So Saturday early afternoon, we took off to Dallas, it is just 2 hours from us, but still a bit of a drive.

I don't mind getting there, I mind BEING there because if you've ever driven in Dallas then you will completely understand what I'm talking about.  Not fun, not in the least, matter of fact, quite annoying.  We saw multiple accidents, came to complete stops on the highway also multiple times and it took us an hour to get from our cousin's house to the concert.......a 15 minute drive away.

By the time we arrived, I was so done.

The concert itself was absolutely brilliant, my daughter cried her eyes out when Fall Out Boy hit the stage.  To say she loves them is an understatement, she has been in love with this band for many years and to actually see them live was a dream come true for her.  So glad I was there to share in it with her.

Right after the concert, on the way home, we came upon an In-N-Out Burger place.  Yeah, almost 1am and we HAD to get their cheeseburgers animal style.  Perfect ending to a perfect night.

Sunday came about and I was kinda regretting the whole concert, but just in the sense that I've been really battling with my Sciatica for the past week and the whole time standing the previous night, just buggered it up something fierce.

I also seem to have caught something, not sure if I'm just tired, or what it is, but I feel absolutely dreadful and without patience or energy to do anything.  Problem is that I'm the type of gal who can't just sit back and do nothing because I tend to feel extremely guilty and then have to get up and go fix something, clean something, work on something.  Terrible!!!

I did try to take it easy yesterday, pretty much only got through the piles of laundry.

Tidied up the living rooms, and thankfully the rest of the house is clean and tidy so I didn't have to do anything else.

Everyone was taking it easy, no one wanted big meals, so we kind of snacked all day long.....or as I like to call it, we grazed all day long. It's fine by me, I love cooking but when I'm not feeling 100%, I couldn't be bothered with it and am quite happy just faffing around.



My lunch was quite literally, a Bud Light with Lime and some chips with Salsa con queso. Yum Yum!!!

I tried to go outside for a bit, but these guys.....these annoying guys are all over and I can't stand them. Worst is when the dogs track them in from going potty and you step on one barefoot.

I don't know what they're called, my husband calls them hijackers cause they just stick to all your pants and shoes and socks and whatever.  All I know is that they hurt something fierce when stepped on.

I was actually trying to get out there to check this out.  One of our HUGE trees decided to fall from the front yard right over the fence into the back.  It is huge and we can't move it, so I need to call the realtor and have them send someone.

The trunk itself is double the size of my husband.  I'm so glad my dogs were not out there when it came down.  Goodness!!!

Anyway, I'm going to try and take it easy today, I don't feel well, so we'll see how it all goes.  I kind of want to take my Motrin but it usually makes me sleepy and I don't want to do that when hubster is at work.

I better get off here, hope you all have a fantastic Monday!!!

Happy Homemaker Monday - 07/27/2015

Good morning everyone, hope you've had a fantastic weekend.  Mine was pretty darn good, I took Jasmine to a Fall Out Boy concert in Dallas and we had an amazing time.


Unfortunately I seem to have picked up something because last night I felt absolutely dreadful and still not feeling 100% today.  Not sure what is going on, but hoping it's just something temporary.


Right, on to our Happy Homemaker Monday.....

On the weather front:
We've been seeing triple digits, which is not bad considering we lived in Arizona for 7 years, so 're quite used to this heat.  Just leave the humidity out and I'm good.  We do expect some rain on Friday though and lower temps.

 
On my bedside table:
A Pattern of Lies by Charles Todd
The Ones we Trust by Kimberly Belle


On my TV:
Been watching my vlogs, I have followed The Witts for a long long time, and they are my favorite vloggers, but recently discovered The Michalaks and am completely besotted with their videos, the editing is out of this world, so I've been binging from their very first vlog.  Another favorite of mine is Mrs Meldrum.


On the menu for tonight:
Smoked Sausage and Potato Skillet with Green Beans


On the menu for this week:

Monday - smoked Sausage and Potato Skilled with Green Beans
Tuesday - Biscuits and Gravy
Wednesday - Bacon and Cheddar Burgers, Fries
Thursday - Hamburger Helper, Salad
Friday - Grocery shopping
Saturday -
Sunday -
 
On my To Do List:
Laundry - One load of towels, Jasmine's laundry, Nick's laundry
Mopping and Vacuuming
Bathrooms

 
New Recipe I tried last week:
I love Coconut Macaroons and over the years I've tried numerous recipes which never seemed to quite come out well.  I just recently came across one that I tried last week and it was so good, I'll be sharing it on the food blog soon.


In the craft basket:
Ripple Pillow
Foam Armor for Jasmine's cosplay


Looking forward to:
A relaxed week, getting some things done in the house and hopefully making a quick trip to Lawton this weekend. 


Homemaking Tip for this week:
I have a notebook that I use just for meal planning and grocery shopping.  I write down the menu on one page and the grocery list on the opposite page, and I take the notebook with me to the grocery store, just seems to help.  Also, I can flip back through previous menus for ideas.


Favorite photo from last week:

Lesson learned the past few days:
We're only as old as we allow ourselves to be


On my Prayer List:
Myself, for strength, for health and for my heart not to turn bitter towards certain people
My family

 
Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

{ What contentment looks like }

First and foremost, I have to give you all a big shout out, the responses that my last post received were amazing, and it just reiterated what I was feeling and thinking.....that there are so many of us out here just wanting to blog about our lives and stay true to ourselves.  You ladies are amazing and one of the many reasons why I continue to blog :)

So contentment....I think it goes hand in hand with feeling comfortable in your own skin and where you are, and in the home you live in.

It's not always easy, I've struggled with it through the years and there have been times that I felt so lost and so helpless, like I was stuck in a place and time I didn't want to be, without a way out and not quite sure how to get through it, or past it.

As I've gotten older I've learned what contentment was for me.  Something as simple as being fine with where I'm at, knowing that no matter what the future may hold or where it may lead me, this moment in time is where I'm supposed to be and I will for sure make the best of it.

And so I have!!!

What does contentment look like right now?  Let me show you in a few pictures the few moments of my day where I truly smiled and felt content, like there was nowhere else I would rather be.

Looking at the sky and seeing the darkness coming our way and being content that rain was about to start.

Knowing that with the rain came the humidity I really dislike, but being content in the fact that it also meant water for the plants and the animals, and without it, I wouldn't be surrounded by all this beautiful greenery.

Whipping up a batch of Refrigerator Pickles, knowing it takes a bit of time to put together, but being content that I'm doing something I love, cooking, and taking care of my family.

Standing in my kitchen and watching this pot boil, seeing the mess that is surrounding it, but being content that I'm creating this mess while making a home cooked meal for my family. 

Seeing my husband driving up in this beautiful car and knowing that we now have another car payment, something we didn't want, but being content in the moment knowing that we also have a reliable vehicle that will get us from point A to point B without worry of being stranded on the road.

Holding this key in my hand and feeling pure and utter joy, and pure and utter contentment for what it represents and knowing that our move to Texas, albeit difficult, has continued to open doors for us.

I'm in a beautiful big house, in a beautiful area.  My husband has a great job that he loves, my children are loving Texas and growing and becoming amazing young adults, and I'm absolutely content in where I am in life.

It's not an easy feeling to come about, I remember many years of feeling unhappy with what was around me or the circumstances we were in, and I'm sure you all knew it, I'm not exactly the best at disguising my feelings.

Often, I would post on my blog and then read it the next day and think "Oh gosh, I sound terribly depressed and unhappy".  It was like I had lost my oomph, but boy am I glad to have that back.

As I get older, it's almost as if my spirit gets younger, I refuse to let age dictate how I should be feeling, but most of all, as I grow into my skin, and trust me it's taken almost 41 years of life to do it, I'm learning to be happy no matter where I am.

Embrace it.

Those dirty dishes in the sink?  Be content for the fact that you had food to feed your family.
The kid's toys all over the house?  Be content in the fact that you have beautiful little beings in your life.
The house that is not exactly what you wanted?  Be content that you have a roof over your head.
The mundane every day tasks that seem to be on a constant repeat loop?  Be content that you're a mom and a wife and a homemaker and that what you're providing for your family are memories and a stable platform from which they will catapult into this crazy world.

Look outside, enjoy the nature, take in the little things that we tend to overlook when we're rushing around.

Just be content, no matter where you are in your life, because, and even though I can only speak for myself, I've learned that if I'm content and I don't fight it, things go so much easier and life seems to be not as difficult to tackle.  A positive attitude can do so much, it's why I am the way I am, laugh through things, maintain the faith and smile every chance I get.

So yeah....that's what contentment looks like to me, and I end this post with a big smile on my face because I love my life and I love my blog and I wouldn't have it any other way, truly, wouldn't change anything for the world.

An Unwilling Accomplice by Charles Todd - TLC Book Tour

• Paperback: 368 pages

• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (May 5, 2015)

In this absorbing and atmospheric historical mystery from New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd, World War I battlefield nurse Bess Crawford's career and life are in jeopardy when a murder is committed on her watch

Bess Crawford has been summoned by the War Office to accompany a wounded soldier from Shropshire to Buckingham Palace, where he's to be decorated for gallantry by King George himself.

Heavily bandaged and confined to a wheelchair, Sergeant Jason Wilkins will be in her care for barely a day. But on the morning after the ceremony when Bess goes to collect her charge for his return journey, she finds the room empty. How could such a severely wounded man vanish without a trace?

Both the Army and the Nursing Service hold Bess to blame for losing the war hero. The Army now considers Wilkins a deserter, and Scotland Yard questions Bess when Wilkins is suspected of killing a man in cold blood. If Bess is to clear her name and return to duty in France, she must prove that she was never his accomplice. But the sergeant has disappeared again and neither the Army nor the police can find him.

Following a trail of clues across England, Bess is drawn into a mystery that seems to grow darker with every discovery. But will uncovering the truth put more innocent people in jeopardy?

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

My thoughts:

I've never been a huge fan of mysteries, not until I read my first Charles Todd book and then I became hooked, and I wondered why I had never really taken the time to read this genre.

I think one of the things that I most love about this author's work is that it's not only a mystery but he weaves in History, which for this History buff gal, is all it takes to get me interested.

Bess Crawford is a World War I battlefield nurse and she is called upon to escort a wounded soldier to a ceremony where he will be honored by the King for his service.  From the get go she is suspicious as she can't understand why this soldier would ask for her specifically when she can't even remember ever treating him.

The ceremony goes off without a hitch, but it is what happens after that sets the story into motion.

The soldier disappears and Bess is now facing the scrutinizing eyes of the Army and the Nursing Service who consider her an accomplice, I mean it's easy to see how considering she was requested by name by this soldier.  It's quite clear that he has deserted but Bess now has to figure out how to clear her name and set the record straight.

I quite enjoyed this story, watching Bess follow a trail of clues all over England in her quest not only for the missing soldier, but trying to find out what he's about, who he really is, and how to prove her innocence.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one :)

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me with a review copy.