Recaping the week

Was it us, or has this been a busy and chilly week? 

 

•  Snow: You would think that the previous week's inch or two of ice would have been plenty but NO! We got a whopping 6", which is very slight compared to those around us who got 12-24"  It shut down school from Wed - Friday.  They say we're supposed to have temps close to 65-70º this coming week!  No wonder there have been so many people sick.

"J"'s Daddy in the hospital

  

• Visitors:  We had three young visitors (ages 3,5,8)staying with us while their daddy was in the hospital.  They certainly kept us hopping!
  
• Taxes:  I don't know how you do you taxes, but we do our own using Turbo Tax.  Honey and I certainly disagree on appropriate filing systems.  He likes to throw everything in a shoe box and I like to put everything in a specific file folder in the file cabinet. 
• I started reading One Thousand Gifts.  I'm finding I need to take it nice and slow with this one, taking plenty of notes.   
• Sewing:  I find a little time today to work a little more on my Blissful Confection quilt by putting the first border on it.  Just one final border to go and then I can start putting it together and quilting it.  Need to get it done before winter is over!  
• Honey and I had a early Valentine's dinner on Friday at Cheddars. 

 
This week, I enjoyed some blog reading:

• Holly talked about Grace in the midst of failure
• Megan at Simply Thrifty posted how to extend the life of your dishwasher
• Mr. Watkins has fantastic links for science helps
• The Momma had me grabbing for my tissues when she wrote about her son's giving heart at Find Joy in the Little Things
• Alexis at Tales from the Back Acher: Losing the "sparkly" in her life and the blahs. 
• Sandy from Celebrating Life just found out she has Rheumatoid Arthritis. What was incredibly touching was her Honey's response.  

Have you had some snow days this last week?  How did you use your time? Did you catch up on reading of a book, some blog posts, or time with your family?   I'd love to hear about it.

Stuck and In Need of a little Friend Therapy

Sometimes I just get stuck  and need some inspiration in

 my fashionable attire
my clean house

what I say
(how do those things slip out of my mouth?)

my habits

my finished projects

my cooking

So this last week,
when I stewed and mulled thought about
what to fix for dinner

(I know, it's such a simple thing)

Honey said - Pancakes

I wasn't feeling that

I cracked open my collection of recipes    Nothing
I opened up a few cookbooks

nothing said "Fix me!"

Finally I did the only thing I could think of to do
I shot off a text to a friend who loves to cook

So the long and short of it
What I actually was craving was
a little action
laughter
and close friends family

Lily Pie

her adorable brothers

big boys with toys

Grown up friends
(Les, on the left, is the BEST griller and took over those duties)

hearing the kids laugh and run around

It was just the Pick-me-up that I was craving

to be surrounded by friends, 

bumping into each other in the kitchen
some grilled chicken, ribs, and burgers, and ice cream
a little bit of this, a little bit of that...
pulling it all together at the last minute
They may have been friends, but it felt like family.

Want to hear a funny that one of Tracy's kids asked

after they found me softening 

the rock hard ice cream in the microwave? 

(yes, I really do this or I'd never get it scooped)

If we really had Microwavable Ice Cream!  

Honey and I were so tired

when we finally crawled into bed around 11 p.m.

but it was so wonderful

to have friends over that

accept a lived in house
and not notice that I've not 
vacuumed or dusted this week.
Okay, so I've not dusted in a VERY long time, 
but let's not get technical.

The Spirit that lives in my home...

Humans are curious by nature, curiosity is not only a feline trait. Have you ever driven by a house at night and caught yourself looking in, if the window blinds are up and the lights are on? Wondering who lives there, how they've decorated, what do they do. Am I the only person with this type of curiosity? I'm not sure about you, but our family enjoys looking at houses. We've played that game with our kids and ourselves: "That's my dream home" or "I wonder what it's like on the inside, " or "Oh! I love the way..." Mind you, we're not peeping toms, or stalkers, but we're curious and we're dreamers... While looking out my kitchen window yesterday, I was reminded of a popular country group, Lonestar, that has a catchy tune out From my Front Porch Looking In. It talks about what's on the inside of the house that matters, the family. It got me to thinking of those people that drive by my house. Okay, so we don't live in a mansion or astute neighborhood, but it's our house and it has become our home through the years. What would you see if you drove by or even stopped by our house? Now be warned, this is where we live and it actually looks like we live here. Martha Stewart nor HGTV have ever visited here, and we'll never be featured on Better Homes & Gardens, but we want you to be at home. We will NOT pass the White Glove Inspection, but the EPA will not be shutting us down. What is home? To us it is a place where we belong, we can unwind, relax, and and feel safe. We are all homemakers, not just me. To borrow from Emily Barnes, Christian author and speaker, in her book "The Spirit of Loveliness"

A refuge is not a hole where you disappear to eat and sleep and then emerge to go about the business of life. A welcoming home is where real life happens. It's where personalities are nurtured, where growth is stimulated, where people feel free not only to be themselves but also to develop their best selves. That caring, nurturing quality -- not the absence of noise or strife -- is what makes a home a refuge"

You would be Welcome: Driving up to my house you may see the potted plants and flower bed out front filled with various treasures (special rocks given by my kids), things they have made, a basketball goal (kids like to play outdoors), a worn set of wood chairs (just right for stopping by to sit and visit in), welcome mat (Beware of the Cat) meant to warn and bring some humor. Come in! Come in! Kick your shoes off by the front door if you want. Pull up a chair at the kitchen table or get comfy in the living room. Make your self at home. Care to browse a magazine, children's book, photo album, or just sit back and take a nap? Don't mind the dust on the table or on the pictures. Can I get you some tea or water? The bathroom? Um... Oh... I hope it's clean! What is my goal in all this? Again, I turn to Emilie:

"For home is not a structure of wood, brick, metal or spackle. It is what grows within its walls, nurtured by the hearts and sounds of whose who live within... Open your hearts and allow your teachable spirit to develop a home and a life that are filled with caring and warmth and growth... and welcome." Emilie Barnes

If you visit here, hopefully you'll see treasures, memories, and maybe even an idea or two. We hope you'll laugh, snooze, chat, and relax. The invitation is open, just stop on by, but remember: If you come to see us, you're welcome anytime. If you come to see my home, please make an appointment, because, remember we live here, and we have bunnies that live on ceiling fans, under couches, and other various places. Next time, I'll try to make sure the bathroom is a little more clean! Does this mean that I'm completely comfortable with the way my house looks? Will I rush to straighten things up if I know you're coming? Probably. Why? Because my house is an extension of our family. How you view my home is how I see you view us. I hope that you will see that you are welcome

Matthew 25:35 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in.