Finally Friday

There I go, wishing my life away again.  Seems the weekends are all I live for.  Shouldn't every day?  I suppose it's really all about the quality of time.  I mean, work is a means to an end.  Without it there is no extras - no horses, no Harleys and probably a serious reduction in the amount of yarn I would be able to have.  So work consumes time and everyone knows there's never enough of that.  So the weekend is when I feel like I get some of my time back.  We don't celebrate Easter, per say...  The kids are all grown so no egg coloring or baskets around our house.  We aren't really religious either - although we do believe.  So this weekend is a time to spend it together - doing what we want and enjoying each other's company. 

I am filling in for a coworker today and Monday.  Normally she facilitates an important meeting for our boss.  That's following on my shoulders. Today has been nothing but prep for this meeting - which occurs Monday.  I understand my coworker's frustration now a little better.  Others don't have the same sense of urgency around providing the correct documents in a timely fashion, which pushes my deliverables back, which delays the pre-read, etc., etc.  I'm all about deadlines and organization.  Why can't others be as well?

Any Jason Aldean fans out there?  Or just country music fans?  Are you loving his new release - "1994"???  I LOVE this song.  I can't get enough of THIS SONG. 

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

Thoughtful Thursday

Every once in a while the pensive, serious side of me can't help but rear it's head.  Notice I didn't say "ugly" head.  I'm trying NOT to go down that road with myself.  Lately looking in the mirror has been painful for me.  It seems that in a matter of months I have aged years.  I'm not kidding folks.  It's like I woke up and suddenly I have wrinkles and my skin looks saggy.  Normally I am not so vain, but perhaps that's because in the past I've not looked so old.  I have been on a hunt to find a good wrinkle cream and get into a routine to fend off looking even older.  The DH has been so sweet telling me I'm gorgeous and don't look any older than when we met.  Ha! 

Work has been a challenge but also I think a breakthrough was reached this week.  A breakthrough that brought me and coworkers closer, which was a much needed event for me.  I was seriously thinking I had made a big mistake with this position but now I feel better about that. I have a tendency to want to solve and fix issues and this week a light came on and I realized I can't fix it.  I can only solve for the things I have direct control over.  Now I know this might sound obvious, but sometimes you hear it over and over and for whatever reason it doesn't sink in and then suddenly you have a revelation and there it is.  I had that revelation. 

Crochet has been going well.  The Spring blanket is almost complete and that wonderful lady in Texas has already put dibs on it.  So there you have it.  I plan on getting it boxed up this weekend and starting the next two.  I can't wait to dive into those two new ones.  One lilac/deep purple and one rust/gray.  Can't you picture them??  As Mereknits says ... Heaven! 

Where's Spring and Farmhouse Porch Chat #86

Patrice, I'm with you - Spring?  We've about 6 inches of snow since Sunday and we have flurries this morning.  You know me - I love the white stuff - but it's time for a change of seasons!  My horse, Dolly, is a lot like Wendell.  She loves to eat the tiny bits of grass coming up and will do so in any weather.  She, too, smells like a wet horse! 

Questions

1. Melanie asks "What kinds of seafood have you tried and liked? What is the most unique seafood you've eaten?
2. Anne says, "An unforgettable holiday moment is_____________________. (She's on the other side of that BIG pond. I believe a holiday is a vacation on this side. )
3. Arlene wants to know, "When was the last time you tried something new?"
4. Becky asks, "Who or what inspires you?"
5. Madonna wants to know," How did you chose the names of your children. Wendell adds,"If you don't have kids, how do you choose pet names?"

1.  I am not a seafood fan, but I have tried most of the basics - lobster, crab, salmon, sushi...  The strangest was definitely squid and I just don't care for it.  Texture seems to be my biggest issue with seafood.  Shrimp has a unique texture, along with lobster.  I just don't care for it.

2.  Unforgettable holiday moment...  Hmmmm...  This is not an easy for me.  I would have to say it was one Thanksgiving that I had the place to myself.  Some of you may know that before moving to OH my DH would go to AZ on a 4x4 trip and I would have the house to myself!  This was glorious.  Not because I wanted to be away from the DH, but because I NEVER get the house to myself and this was my time.  Loved it.

3.  Actually it was Saturday.  I picked up a good wrinkle cream.  Normally I don't spend a lot of money on beauty items but this time I did because, well, I need it. 

4.  The girls in my Craft Club are my inspiration right now.  They are all so talented and every time we get together I am amazed at what they create and how quickly they do it!

5.  I wanted something different for my son, but not something weird.  I remember seeing his name in a book, but I also heard it somewhere and thought it sounded strong and different and cool. 

Farmhouse Porch Chat #85

QUESTIONS

1. Furry Bottoms asks: Did you grow up in a small town, or a big town? Did you like it?
2. Lisa wants to know: If you could pick one song to hear for the rest of your life, what would it be?
3. Karen asks: What are your pet peeves?
4. Colletta says: Do you remember your dreams? Are they in color or black and white? What is the craziest dream you've ever had?
5. Rachel asks: What is the perfect pair of shoes for you?

1.  Compared to other places, it's small, but I've seen smaller.  I liked it a lot.  I live in a smaller town now and would have liked growing up here more than where I actually did grow up.

2.  I have so many favorites, but there is one song - "Brandy (You're a fine girl)" by Looking Glass.  For me, that song speaks volumes. 

3.  Mistreatment of animals and lying.  The first one is obvious, the second one I feel needs clarification.  I don't like two sides of a story.  To me there is one - the truth.  Many people see the truth and yet they ignore it so that they can twist and turn it to fit their needs.  Some people can't or won't face the truth and they make that my problem with their lying.

4.  I do, but only right after I wake up and recount them.  If I wait too long I barely can recall a detail.  The strangest dream....  Is a recurring one in which I am about the size of an ant.  I do not understand why this dream keeps recurring or the significance.  I have tried looking it up but to no avail.

5.  Slip ons.  I have 3 pairs of a moc-type shoe I got from Lands End a while ago and I love them.  They are so comfortable.  They are not good around horses though so I try not to wear them in the barn area.

Hooray for Friday

No one is happier than this girl that today is Friday.  Today marks the end of a very long and difficult week at work.  Personality struggles, too much work, unproductive meetings.  Blah.  I'm ready to put this one behind me.  Far behind me.

On a happier note; last night was hotel night.  I actually went to the fitness center and got on the treadmill.  It was a nice one!  I had my own TV screen and could select whatever I wanted to watch.  I chose the Weather Channel, of course!  I didn't have my headphones, so no volume, but really who needs volume with the Weather Channel?  Their maps and stats are plenty to clue me in on what's going on.  I concentrated on getting to 2 miles.  Not so much on how fast I got there or how many calories burned, just making it to 2 miles.  For me it was a good goal.  Not a great goal as I could have pushed myself a little bit more, but I don't want to get injured being dumb so I gave myself that goal and was happy with myself when I reached it.  The DH and I are tossing around the idea of buying a treadmill.  Mostly for me.  Because of my commute if I stayed to access the fitness center at work that would mean I would get home around 7 each night.  If I went to the gym in the morning before work that would mean hauling in my clothes/shower gear and leaving the house at 4:45.  Neither of those options sound appealing.  7PM is just too late to get home.  It would leave me no time at all to spend with the DH, horses, crochet.  And after a workout driving home an hour sounds like a recipe for me being overly tired.  A lot of negatives in all that, I know.  If my work had lockers it might be a different story.  I could bring in clothes for say three days instead of dragging in everything everyday.  I don't know about you, but I find that really super annoying.  A small locker would suffice for my personal items and then hang a few outfits, but no such option exists in the company. 

I've had two treadmills in the past.  One I used quite a bit until it became a dust magnet.  Not sure what happened but I suddenly just stopped using it.  Then we got another one with the plan I would use it and I didn't.  I remember my DH getting mad at me over it, which made me NOT want to use it even more.  There's something about the way he hovers over me while I am working out; coming up to me every 15 minutes or so and asking if I need anything?  Am I okay?  How far have you gotten?  Yeah, all those things bug the crap out of me.  I like to think of this as "my time".  I don't need anything.  Unless you hear me yelling for help I am fine.  I'll tell you my stats when I finish my workout.  Needless to say, IF we do plan on getting another one I want to set those ground rules at the very beginning.  In a nice way, of course.  :)

The very nice lady that bought the blanket I didn't think would sell wants a couple more.  Her daughter grabbed this last one and decided to take it to her house, so the lady had it for about 5 minutes!  Did I tell you I got the entry form for the County Fair?  I can submit anything I want really, under just the general category of Crocheted Item.  They have specific categories for granny, ripple and Navajo afghans.  They have "fancy" hotpad (not sure what that means).  They have baby sweater, shawl....  I can submit the same item every 3rd year, so no repeat items the same year, which I think is a good rule.  I want to submit a dishcloth and an afghan - both in the general category.  I think I will enter one of my signature throws, it's just the colors are tripping me up.  My gut tells me to go Americana (country blue, red and off white).  The other side of me goes crazy - bright yellow and black, etc.  Decisions, decisions....

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

Step Up to the Plate

I'm not sure why some people are afraid to take ownership in life.  Whether it's their own personal life, work, etc.  I find it especially annoying in the work area.  If you are being paid to do a job then by golly - do it!  I find that most of the time people are looking for a leader.  In meetings I attend it's easy from the very beginning if the meeting has a leader or if it's just a free for all.  Free for all = nonproductive.  There's a part of me that wants to step up when others do not.  However, I have to remember a couple of things. 

1.  I'm not getting paid to do that.  It's not always about the money.  It's about the position I've been hired to do.  Taking the leader role isn't in my pervue and especially not when someone who is supposed to be the leader is present.

2. If I do step up I have to be ready to follow it through - to the very end.  This could mean I get a lot more responsibility and headaches.

3.  Some things are just not under my control.  I have to allow that to happen because otherwise the gaps won't be discovered and fixed.

Now that I have that out of the way....  I found a cool thing on another blog.  I wish I had seen this on March 1, but I'm not going to let that stop me.  I am going to start with Day 1 today...or tomorrow. 

Farmhouse Porch Chat #84

QUESTIONS

1. Beth asks:What's your favorite movie of all times? The one you've seen multiple times.
2. Clairity says: Name three things that are permanent residents in your handbag or purse.
3. Red asks: What's the best way to your heart?
4. Mamaw wants to know: Do you like going to yard sales?
5. Cathy says: If you could slide down a rainbow, what do you think you'd find on the other side?

1.  I have two; "My Friend Flicka" - with Roddy McDowell.  Love it.  Love the horses, the scenery, Roddy.  My other favorite is "The Party" with Peter Sellers.  Funniest, silliest movie ever - I love it.

2.  I don't carry a purse every day; but when I do I have my wallet, cell phone and lip gloss. 

3.  My question!  Love of animals.  Not just liking them; but really putting their care and well being ahead of everything else.  To me animals rely on us because we have domesticated them. 

4.  I do, but I'm not good at it...  I don't get to do it often either, so maybe if I were a regular I would get better at it.

5.  I'd love to find a pot of gold.  My luck I'd find a bucket full of more of life's mysteries.

Creativity and Relationships

I think that title sounds daunting.  I didn't mean it to be.  Much of my life is done compartmentalized so I often have things side by side.  In thought, in food, in music, in life.  Sign of a true Libra.  Absolutely. 

Sunday we had our 3rd meeting of the Craft Club.  This time we met at "B's" house and she really overdid it.  Spoiling us on fried chicken and homemade mac & cheese.  C1 brought corn pudding.  To.  Die.  For.  C2 brought a veggie tray just to keep us honest.  Or tried to.  I made my lemon bars and they were a success.  Starting this club I really didn't know what to expect from one another.  I was pleased as punch when C1 presented a folder this month with her corn pudding recipe along with some super cute patterns she printed for us all.  She thought we could use the folders to add new patterns we'd get throughout our time together.  Brought a smile to my face.  It's hard to explain what's happening to the four of us.  It's a bonding, for sure.  It's a creative explosion that goes without saying. 

I know why

It's been easy lately to question why we moved here.  We left everyone and everything behind for a new life in Ohio.  As most of you know it was to be closer to family and the painful lesson of betrayal and being hurt by those you thought had your best interest in mind has really spoiled the taste.  Luckily there are still a few family member I like being around and we are making this work.

Tuesday evening/night we got about 4 inches of beautiful snow.  Many of you know what I'm talking about when I say it was the good kind - heavy flakes that immediately stuck to whatever surface they hit so the inches grew quickly.  Looking out over our property it was so glorious to see how the snow had fallen.  The drifts in places were almost a foot high!  Trekking through the drifts to reach the barn was an adventure!  Wednesday I worked from home due to the road conditions, so yesterday as I drove into work I literally was awestruck at how beautiful the trees were.  I tried to take photos with my iPhone but that was a joke, so the pic here is NOT my own, but it's close enough to what I saw all along my drive in yesterday. 

This morning's drive wasn't as pretty because of the warm temps we had yesterday.  The snow on the trees is gone, but the images I have from yesterday still linger in my minds eye and I know, once again, why we came here. 

Tuesday

Not a very creative title, is it?  I think that's the hardest part of posting! 

We are expecting a good amount of snow starting this evening and through the night.  I came in to work today, and there's a chance I'll be leaving early to make it home before things get too treacherous.  The DH is manning the homefront and battening down the hatches (so to speak).  I'm looking forward to it, although admittedly I am also anxious for Spring and warmer weather.  I hope this snow storm is the last for this winter. 

I sold the blanket I didn't would sell!  Amazingly enough the woman that bought the dark green and orange one also bought the ocean blue/light blue one and she thinks she might like 2 more.  Go figure!  She seems very nice and I have enjoyed exchanging emails with her.  One request she has is a blanket in nothing but black, white and greys to go in a particular room.  I'm playing with some ideas in my head for that one.  She thinks she doesn't want the random color stripes (to stick to the room theme), so we'll see what I come up. 

I've been working on getting some dishcloths finished for the next Craft Club gathering on Sunday the 10th.  I'm putting together an Easter basket for the hostess and wanted to include dishcloths.  I have to bring a snack/treat in the containers I talked about - the DH wants to "contribute" and bought a bag of Oreos.  The girls will get a laugh out of that, but I still need to make something...and I am drawing a blank.  Lemon bars sounded good but I don't know if the others like them.  What am I saying?  Doesn't everyone love lemon bars?  LOL

Over the weekend the DH and I were talking about my retirement date.  After some thought we decided between 3-4 years, but I started thinking about it and came up with April 1, 2019.  Now I know this probably seems random and odd, but we have certain goals we need to meet before I can leave the work force and this gives us the chance to meet those goals and then some additional time to save a little extra on top of everything else. 

I hope everyone has a marvelous day and if you are expecting snow - be safe and stay warm!

Let's Chat! #83

Head on over to Everyday Ruralty for some good coffee and a nice chat on the farmhouse porch!

Here are the day's questions (and they are good ones!):

1. Who has the most outgoing personality in your family?
2. How did you name your blog?
3. What's your favorite topping for ice cream?
4. Tell me about someone you know who would make a wonderful character for a book. Oops- please.
5. Please tell me up to three questions that you think I should ask on future farmhouse chats.

1.  Hands down, my husband.  Although both our daughter and youngest son could easily take over that position on any given day. 

2.  Well, my nickname is Red.  Everyone calls me that - except family and coworkers.  And since I crochet....It just seemed to fit.

3.  Hot fudge, although DQ's peanut butter sauce is sneaking up! 

4.  I think this would be a toss up between my DH and my son.  Both are funny, interesting and a constant source of entertainment.

5.  Hmmm, this is a little tougher for me because I can't ever think of good questions to ask.  I think the more random the better - which is why I like YOUR questions!  But I'll give it a shot...

     1)  What's the best way to your heart?
     2)  Do you believe in love at first sight?
     3)  What's your favorite personality trait you like about yourself?