in my world...everything fits

what wouldn't fit....this is not MY world

homemade blueberry pancakes make my toes curl...

whatcha do when the lights go out on a saturday evening in alabama...

homemade doughnuts...mmmm

the view from here...

i just got on this morning to listen to my playlist while i worked on some computer housekeeping...but then i remembered that there was a coupla things that i've been thinking about alot lately...so i say to myself...oooo remember to blog that....but i know myself i won't....remember that is...

but 1st i have to make a quiche...quiche is one of those things i always forget about how much i like.....but it's so easy to make....it's eggs n cream n cheese n if you're lucky tomatoes n spinach n such....whats not to like....i made one the other night but we didn't get to eat it because the movie was starting...so a coupla daughters n myself ate it the next day for breakfast AND lunch...last night the last words from my sweet love  before he drifted off to dreamland were "is there any quiche left...so i am going to make one this morning while he's biking...n the doughnut recipe i want to try this  morning said something about setting a while in the fridge n last night when i told my girls the plan for today they were so excited about the doughnuts...sooooo i must make that happen....when you have a 17 n 20 year old get excited about homemade doughnuts you must let nothing stand in your way...so i'll be right back...just let me get those things underway then there's something i want to tell you

ok sweet man is home n in the shower...there's 14 min left on the quiche n the doughnut dough is "setting" in the fridge for 1 hour...it looks too wet?....hmmm we shall see

baking is so good for me...actually cooking in general but there is not much room for the undisciplined in baking...i mean in just general cooking you can...fudge things a little..i don't mean add chocolate to everything stop getting happy :) ....i mean you can do change the order of things a bit...or make things up as you go along (my recipe for the rest of my life in most cases) w/ out quite as much possibility for disaster...but baking???...its a bit more persnickety...so this is GOOD for me...i have a teensy problem following directions n i hate being told what to do...i once told an aunt that "nobody bosses on me but my mama" ...some might say it's trouble w/ authority but that sounds too brash so i refuse to except this definition....aaaaaanyway since i  don't like being bossed it takes everything in me to do things in the proper order of the recipe...i mean does it really matter how long you whip something....n whats w/ this magic little "well" i had to make in the center of the dry ingredients??? but it does matter...which really stinks! but i have made enough "messes" to know this is one area i must submit... a friend once told another friend" don't give that recipe...she has no respect for the natural order of things in the kitchen" this same friend highlights n bolds anything on a recipe card she knows i may skip or get creative w/...like letting things set overnight or waiting until the water is in a "rolling" boil??? really?? humph!

 so baking is like exercise for me...i should work out my compliance muscles more often...i want you to know i followed the recipe to the letter....it looks to wet...we'll see

the quiche is done n it's beautiful n hot so i'm gonna go eat w/ the ones i love...

my plans for a gentle day...

so tomorrows saturday...it's been a long time since we had a "saturday"...i am looking forward to it very much...i am trying not to get my hopes up too much tho because most times when i put toooo many eggs in one basket it never turns out as planned


however...clinging to hope these are my plans...


i want to go to the farmers market...the local one is not very big but i got some woooonderful goat cheese n kale m jam n a potted herb last time i went...since we have just this week returned home from 10 days @ the beach we are in need of some fresh veggies n bread...


then i want to come home n make homemade doughnuts from a recipe i found on a delightful site @  http://www.themayfly.com/weblog/trying_to_cook/ 
who got it from...http://3191.visualblogging.com/archives/11518_1443007713/345655


then i need to empty some boxes full of stuff that was junkin up a room n has needed to be gone thru for sometime...


then i want to work on that odd little room which is "dangling"(a word i got from another blog to describe a similar room) from our master bedroom...this room has had many titles...one being "school room" because it has in the past housed all of our home school "stuff" but has not had one moment of school work done in it...now w/ the last homeschooled child entering the 12th grade it has lost it's use as a homeschool supply closet...it also has been called the computer room...which is more accurate....but even this title barely fits anymore because the computer in there doesn't work n everyone would prefer to use their laptops anyway...so it has mainly sucked in junk n outgrown clothes n anything else no one knows what to do w/ but they don't want in their rooms anymore....it's a scary mix of trash n treasure...

about 4 months ago i started transitioning this room to be an art room...one that will hold aaaaalllll the stuff that i use for aaaaallllll the different "things" i do....n i have carved out a small space for all my husbands painting supplies as well...we both have quite a collection...i once decided to not by another piece of cloth r string r button r pattern r anything else until i had used all i had but that never took...just like once i decided to never buy another book til i had read everyone i already had but that never took either...thus i need a room for all my books n art supplies....aaaalll that to say that i want to work/play on/in there as well

oh n pick blueberries....


so that's what i really hope my day holds tomorrow....

so whatchu got planned

edited blog...because my friends are so sweet

because my sweet friends are worried about the seemingly giant steps i am taking i have decided to do some editing....before i do that tho i realized i should have been clear on a few things...i have already mastered several items on my list but thought by listing them that 
a) it may inspire someone w/ a good idea n cause them to say "hey i could try that one"
b) it does feel good to look @ a list that already has some achievements on it...kinda like how if i think of a "to do" that i forgot to put on my "to do list" n i do it i ALWAYS write it on there n then cross it out...quirky huh :)

so while i am not  deleting anything off my list i have added an * beside things i've already or am on my way to mastering such as shopping bag thing...been doing that for about 3 years n have several in every vehicle that calls our driveway home...n i have not eaten pork (of my own free will) for about 5 years n such....n i have added a ~beside items that i am really striving n in some cases struggling w/ 

also remember that some of these will only be 1 month commitments ie eating out n i have left room for movement w/in these parameters  ie eating out if someone else treats me n such 

so hear goes not new but edited list.... 

~eating out @ ALL (unless someone else is treating *hinthinthint)

~buying anything "new"....garage sales n resale don't count since that's a way of recycling n of course  that doesn't count gifts for others r food r hygiene products of all sorts

*eating white sugar or flour or pork w/ the exception of anything that is served to me from another ie: eating @ someone elses house *hinthinthint (mastered pork n weeeeeeellll on my way to the flour sugar thing)

*use disposable water bottles or plastic grocery bags n the like (mastered this many moons ago--backslide on the plastic water bottle thing from time to time but always downcycle oops i mean recycle them)

ok enough w/the don'ts n can'ts n negatives...here's what i WILL do...

*drink only water n fresh juices (this one is on again off again...but i'm a much happier n healthier person if i'm really practicing it)

*exercise @ least a 1/2 hour 5-6 days a week (again this one is on/off but same is true here healthier n MUCH happier)

******compost everything i can (to my childrens great disgust) (have even been know to bring other peoples trash (coffee filters/tea bags/banana peels) home w/ me for my compost bin)

******recycle everything i can

~track my progress n such by blogging @ least 2x's a week 

 

 

for some reason it helps...

so today i watched no impact man AND food inc...it helps center me to get me started on the task below...what helps you do the things you know you should n stop doing the things you know you shouldn't....do tell :)

ok...so here i go...again

ok so as many of my faithful readers know i have been really grappling this year w/ my overweight...overspending...overconsuming.. overover self...toooooo much of almost everything...


i have failed miserably....but alas i am not able to just be fat n poor n wasteful n happy....so....here i go again


i am quite sure that anyone in their right mind has long since stopped reading r following my emabarrasingly sparse ramplings so i am mostly writting this to myself so i can have SOME sort of record in case i actually accomplish this feat...


if you are reading this bless you n please comment n let me know if you'll join me or @ least cheer for me in the stands :)


so starting this coming monday the 28th of june (hey don't judge...i'll conquer procrastination in august...maybe september....november @ the latest) living thru one month ending wednesday july 28  w/out...

*eating out @ ALL (unless someone else is treating *hinthinthint)

*buying anything "new"....garage sales n resale don't count since that's a way of recycling n of course  that doesn't count gifts for others r food r hygiene products of all sorts


*eating white sugar or flour or pork w/ the exception of anything that is served to me from another ie: eating @ someone elses house *hinthinthint

*use disposable water bottles or plastic grocery bags n the like


ok enough w/the don'ts n can'ts n negatives...here's what i WILL do...


*drink only water n fresh juices


*exercise @ least a 1/2 hour 5-6 days a week

*compost everything i can

*recycle everything i can

*track my progress n such by blogging @ least 2x's a week

 friends have made comments in the past that i wish to save the world...this is not so much about that since i nor anyone else can save the world...it will waste away precisely n not one second sooner r later than The Creator n my Savior has in mind already...He is the only one that can create or save this planet..however i am commanded to be a good steward of my gifts...ie...this earth n my body n my resources ($)...so this is not an earth mission but a melinda mission...mission NOTimpossible

ok so here goes...who's w/ me

7 things

ok so i was talking to a dear sweet friend tonight @ my 1st book swap...more about that later...n she was sorta chastising me for not keepin up my blog post...i told her that sometimes i think my life not interesting enough to read about n she reminded me what another blogger friend said...don't write to be read - write to write n i'm suffering from the unsleepy's...sooooo here goes....7 things that have happened to me in the last coupla days that in my small little world that seemed so interesting enough to me that i told @ least one other person about it...


a coupla days ago my sweet<3 n i were @ our tax lady's office n noticed her "office kitty" she (the cat not the tax lady) jumped up on the counter n was so friendly n my sweet<3 said this cat looks just like one a ours...she said yeah this one is a replacement for our 1st one that died...
S<3 "where did you get her?"
TL "from the 'cat house' (the name of the cat drop off @ the pound here)"
S<3 "the one here in town?"
TL "yes"
S<3"we took a batch over there last summer"
TL "that's when we got her"
S<3 "in julyish"
TL "yep"
well since she's the spitting image of the ones we took n the ones we still have there's little doubt she's one a ours...weeeird...she's a friend from church...she coulda come n picked her up here n skipped the middle man :)


yesterday on the way to run an errand my car ran out of gas...in my defense the gas thingy that tells you how much gas you have is not working properly n so it was not telling the truth...anyway i ran out ok...it happens...so i put on my hazards n pulled off the road as much as possible...there is no shoulder there only private yards so i was trying to be safe AND respectful of the lawn i was driving on...i did the best i could n it was about 85 degrees in the shade so i assure you i was not having fun...aaaanyway sooooo many people got soooo upset????...like i could help it or was just trying to ruin their day....a guy in a huge truck FLEW around me honking his horn all the way...he almost ran off the road himself in his anger...one sweet older lady in the oncoming traffic lane slowed down enough to give me the stink eye n shook her head @ me...a teenager flipped me off!! can you imagine getting that upset @ something so trivial n minute? i can so after i cried a little n retold my story to my hero (aka my sweet<3) who came lickety split n stood in traffic n braved the angry mob to save me, i decided to ease up on people, cut 'em some slack, save my blood pressure n maybe their feelings, especially other drivers....so i'm glad it happened...it taught me a valuable lesson n reminded me not to trust my gas gauge (there see i do know what it's called...i just couldn't remember what the doohickey's proper name for a moment)


so turns out i have an ear infection ON my ear drum...the outside of it...i have had a "plugged" up ear for over a week...it also has an incessant ringing added to the charm...nothing "popped" it, not blowing my nose or yawning (which is very difficult to do on purpose) or jumping on one foot w/ the plugged ear pointing to the ground or holding my nose n blowing as hard as i could (which i know there is a scientific name for n i'm pretty sure i read it wasn't healthy some time ago but i was desperate n it was suggested by a friend) so i went to the ENT this morning to get it UNplugged...here's what i found out...seems some time in the recent past it ruptured n the rupture got infected...i don't remember it rupturing..i have not been sick lately (his idea for how it may have ruptured) other than of course almost constant allergies nor have i been swimming lately (his ideas for how it may have got infected)....but none the less it was n it is...so ear drops for 10 days then a recheck...the reason i'm telling you this story is that it may have been caused or @ the very least aggravated by my zealous use of q-tips...ouch...he sucked out (n i'm sorry in advance to my squeamish readers for the upcoming TMI) a lot of gunk unplugging (thank You Jesus) my ear. BUT the ringing remains..seems trapped in the gunk was several tiny cotton fibers...so much for "fudging" the truth about my addiction, so i have itchy ears, it's my only recourse.....however i assured him i could quit any time...to which he replied that's what all addicts say...his parting words were...see ya in 2 weeks n lay of the q-tips...so i'm gonna n you should too...lets reapply the wisdom of our kindergarten teachers...don't put anything in your ears smaller than your elbow...which can't been done btw...i've tried


on a sad note my nephew's in jail...this is my late sisters son...he's not yet 20...he drinks...which he never should have done cause my sister God rest her sweet soul was an alcoholic n druggie...she fought a good fight w/ it but lost in the end...i was hoping this would be a lesson to him but as w/ most kids,they gotta find out the hard way...when he drinks he acts stupid n does stupid stuff...he has not had his hearing yet so he's still in county lock up...but he may go to prison....why am i writing this...maybe because it's 3:26am n i'm heart sick over it...i wish there was some way to help him...i want him to pay for his crimes n take the  consequence for his actions but i do not want him to go to prison...he's not a hardened criminal....yet...he's still redeemable n salvageable...Lord you know whats best n You love him far more than even me...so I place him in Your hands...


ok on a lighter note...actually it's a delightful note..i hosted w/ my sweet 1st born a book swap here @ my place...i invited all my girlfriends to bring their gently read books, their own beverage, n $2 to cover some cost...i provided a place to set up sorted (fiction,nonfiction,classics,etc) books, lotsa yummy "girl" food (which i had the pleasure of shoppin for n bakin n cookin all afternoon w/ my sweet daughter) n notepads for wish list makin....here's how it worked...as soon as you got here you took a tiny notepad (which 1st born had stamped "wish list" @ the top n a # @ the bottom) from the basket...you set out your books...got a snack...perused the book tables n made your wish list...after it looked like all the people had come that were going to (15 counting my daughter n i) n every one's wish list's were complete, we started the swappin....i called the 1st # n that lady went n selected one of the books on her list n called out the title so anyone w/ it written down on their list could cross it out saving precious swappin time...the the next # n the next n so on...it was so much fun everyone was gathered around the table helping each other find the book on their list...when several people had reached the end of their wish list we opened it up for leftovers...out of a huge table full there was only 2 small boxes left (which i volunteered to donate to the friends of the library book sale closet) it was looooooads of fun...everyone wants to do it a coupla times a year n some one volunteered to host the next one..you should try it...i promise it's a wonderful way to spend an evening


ok i had 2 more things i wanted to write but i'm finally sleepy n ready to try bed...again

i will say one more thing...i thank God for my precious daughters...they are soooo fun to be around n make every single second of life more enjoyable for me...even the bumpy spots...they are mostly grown...almost 22 n married...20...17...n i'm sorry to see "it" end but i look forward to many wooonderful years of "grown up" daughter girlfriend times...they are my 1 true thing <3