Secret Projects

It looks to be a beautiful day...

10 days until my daughter comes home.

Went by the place where SSP #1 is being tackled... and Yeah!  It looks like some progress is being made.  

SSP # 2 is still continuing... and about 85% completed.

Another SSP we will call that #3 is in the works... this one should be super easy... If I can just find the right size.

Right now I have the house to myself... and I am working on a Secret Project but its not a Super Secret Project.

I bought paint and paint supplies and for the next few days I will be repainting.  I have a 3 or 4 room goal... Computer, Kitchen, Master Bathroom and maybe the Guest/Kids Bathroom.  Because there are repairs, the painting may not go as fast as I would like... but if I stay off Facebook, I may accomplish it all...



Right now I am just back from Home Depot and having a cup of tea and thinking about where the ladder is?  Hmmm.   I'm gonna need that.  

Putting a fresh coat of paint on things is like giving your house a facelift.  It is refreshing. Especially for a stay at home mom.  Some of the repairs have been needed for awhile... and unfortunately looking at stuff that is not quite right makes me a little grumpy but my husband is too tired and too busy for me to bother him with some of it (that's because I don't want to increase his burden not because he doesn't want to do it) and if I hired it out he wouldn't like that either... so I am going to try the DIY this week.  I am excited.  

Computer room is going from blue to tan

That is the room I am most excited about... 

The  repairs in the Master Bath are a bigger deal than the paint.  So finishing that room will be a major improvement.

And I think I will be happier lightening the wall above the chair rail in the kitchen...

Nothing major just spruce things up.

Still not sure where I will find the ladder... but I know it is not in this room... I better go look... I'll come back later while waiting for the paint to dry~

Strength

Last night I covered my peony and clematis and the garden as well.... I had actually left the covers on my garden yesterday because the temps never really warmed up... but the peony and clematis I did uncover. They are in the front yard and with their sheets on- they look like Halloween Ghosts..... So before I went to bed I decided to cover them... I didn't think it was going to be necessary but... I did it.


Well, Last night we had a hard frost...

It is kind of pretty on the leaves of the Mums, and Black-Eyed Susans.  They are hardy plants and can take it better than others. 

My peony looks pretty pitiful.... It looks sad and broken.   


And I thought about us, humans- mankind, and how we too can feel lost, lonely, and broken.  While some of us handle it better than others, we all feel that way sometimes.  


Isaiah 41:10 
Fear thou not; for I am with you:  be not dismayed; for I am thy God:  I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.


Let our strength be in Him and he will renew us... body, mind and spirit...   


As I look out my window I see that my peony is standing tall, reaching for the sky, the sun, and that should be a reminder to me to stand tall, lifted up in praise to the Son. 

Excitement

Today there is a lot of excitement as the boys are packing and getting ready for their mini-terms...  It's funny but they are driving me crazy.... I will relish the quiet and enjoy my vacation from running kids to and from their activities!




My son shaved and now he looks like a really tall 12 year old... LOL  at least to me... Compared to the bearded man he was yesterday.


More exciting news is that the count down for E's return is 12 days!  C-R-A-Z-Y!!  We are all so looking forward to her arrival.  Today I should  check on that Super Secret Project.... Hope it is coming along!!

                                                                                                             
I went to my Secret Sister Luncheon which was wonderful.... There were about 12 of us there.... We revealed who we "had" and then picked SS for next year... It's a fun program.  Such a fun way to show the love of Christ with our church ladies!  I picked up a hanging basket for my SS  at the greenhouse and ended up getting a couple for myself they were so gorgeous!  I know that every time I see mine I will be reminded to pray for Betty and Renee too.  Renee had me and gave me a stepping stone for my garden, but I don't think I want anyone stepping on it... LOL ....  I am so looking forward to the butterflies, birds and hummingbirds and flowers.  I just love looking at driving down the road and looking at everyone's yards, what is blooming and the all the colors and I am sooo glad winter is over!

Now it's raining...  it is supposed to warm up a bit tomorrow and over the next week, so hopefully then I won't have to cover all my plants, in the garden and yard anymore.... and I can plant the rest... I figured I better hold off for a week since the temps were expected to be so low... It is a pain to cover everything at night but it will pay off with beautiful and tasty results.... I hope!

I am feeling very thankful today!

This is the day the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

The Last Straw

Today was my Dr. appointment to review my blood work from last week.... It was the last straw... the final nail in the coffin so to speak...

I abhor going to see the doctor.  Basically I am pretty healthy... I eat well, exercise, and watch what kinds of toxins I put in and on my body... that includes perfumes, medicines and vaccines...

So I brought my crocheting with me... everyone knows that a long wait is associated with going to the doctor... so I prepared and was doing well... until they called my name and asked me to step on the scale.

The scale is not a woman's friend... We tend to judge a good day and/or a bad one by the numbers staring back at us... The Doctor got a new scale... It is digital and the first thing I thought of when I saw it was it looked like the scale at the vets office... Also I know my weight is up... Also it is cold today so I am wearing more clothes than when I weighed in last time.  So the number looked bad on paper.... or actually on computer screen.

Then the nurse was asking me questions...  Now this always annoys me- just take the BP first before you tick me off... I could literally feel my blood pressure rising... Did you have a flu shot?  Did you have a mammogram?   NO, I did not ... No, I do not choose to poison my body.... NO- NO- NO- NO- I do not want to have you draw blood for these stupid visits every 6 months!

Oh my blood pressure which was fine at home is now 126/80

Now I wait for the doctor.... crochet and wait... and wait.....

She finally comes in... My blood work came back fine... She retakes my bp and it is fine.  My cholesterol was borderline but with Easter and stuff and I know I had overindulged with some ice cream a bit the week before my blood work... anyway.... I don't think it's a problem...   But now instead of 6 months she wants to retest in 4 months... GRRRR

So she refilled my prescription and told me she wanted to see me for blood work and a visit  in 4 months and then again in 6 months...

And she says my weight (which is up from last time but still down from 2 years ago) is ok for my height... But she says she is going to put me on a diet...

Are you kidding me!!  I really think it would have been ruled justifiable homicide in a court of law by a jury of my peers!

So finally done with this visit... I left the diet on the chair in the Exam Room and went to make those other appointments.... while I was waiting making the appointments the nurse was nice enough to bring that diet back to me... I was going to leave it on the counter where she set it, but I figured she would bring it to me while I was waiting to pay my co pay.... good grief!

So being the big, bad, fatty that I am-  I'm tossing it into file 13.... I don't need no stinkin' diet!

I just need it to warm up around here so I can go outside and run or get out on the lake in my kayak... oh and you can bet I am looking for a new physician... That was the last straw... Good grief...

Time

Time is valuable... We have only so much in a day... 24 hours... And we need to use that time wisely... Enjoy ourselves and be productive... All at the same time....

In just two weeks my daughter will be home... I am so looking forward to it, but I have so much to do-
In preparation for her arrival.

Time... Wouldn't it be nice if you could bank it and use it when you needed some extra!

There are more projects than time in a day.


And tonight we have a baseball game... My son has tests tomorrow... So I am praying for the weather to force a rain cancellation.    It is possible, but we will see...  If it's not cancelled, I would like to make him stay home and do homework and pack for his school trip.  He won't want to do that, but we will see....

It is such a time drain when there is so much to do....   Grades are more important than the game....  He won't play... He will just cheer for the team.  It is still raining.   So I pray that the rain is falling on the other schools field... greening it up for another day and freeing up some time for our family tonight.... God willing the phone will ring... the text will come in... until then I will pray.... Hopeful for a quiet evening at home warm, dry and rested.

Preparing

Cupcakes for the baseball team... They were fun to make... seems like because the kids are getting older I rarely make fun things anymore... so I enjoyed this... I hope they enjoyed eating them!

Spinach was planted this weekend>
Onions on other side>

I planted some lettuce today >


carrots today... >

Peas were planted awhile ago>





Strawberry Patch

So we are hopeful that we can get the garden in and keep things protected from frost... There is still a threat of snow flurries this weekend... so lots of attention... covering everything... including my peony and clematis... This weather has been nutsy coo-coo... funny but I can not figure out how to spell that...

Super secret projects are still in the works...

and the count down is 15 days!  

My preparations are coming along...

Strawberries Good!

Life is good.

God is good!

Sshhh! It's a secret!

Today was such a wonderful day.

It started with no snow and no frost on the ground.

In fact, the sun was shining!

The kids got off to school.

I worked on some poetry.

Did some cleaning and laundry.


Then worked on a project for our Secret Sisters Luncheon this Saturday.

Met a friend for coffee.

Got a load of top soil with my sweet husband.  And then split a Footlong Subway Veggie Delight with him.

Picked the boys up from school- Dropped kids at the track meet and came home.

Worked on the Secret Sister project some more.

Went to the track meet... My son had a PR in the Discus..  :)

Came home ate a bowl of Raisin Bran and went to Knit and Chat... The ladies are so wonderful...  I didn't get much crocheting done... we chatted and then sat in the pool area with our feet in the jacuzzi.  That was nice... Thank you Grace!  And I got Natalie's CD! Can't wait to listen to it tomorrow!

I came home and finished the project for Saturday... now have to wait for Saturday.    :(

This was a great day.  And I feel so blessed....