I turned the page...

I recently subscribed to the Oprah Magazine and received my first issue a few weeks later. The cover photo was beautiful, it was Oprah with the Grand Canyon behind her.  Oprah looked so healthy and the colors of the Big Canyon well, words could not express how beautiful it was. 

I turned the page, then another, then another and then another. It was all advertising, trying to sell me something. So I turned another, finally I came to the index. I wanted to read about Oprah's Grand Canyon adventure. I couldn't make heads or tails out of the index, it was just a list of titles and credits. So I turned another page, finally I found a page titled  "Behind the scenes".

I read an article titled "Get the Look". Here was a list of suggested clothing to make my trip in style. They were pretty and I imagined myself dressed for the scenery just as Oprah was.

Except... for the price!  Backpack $395;  leggings $168; shirt $225. I felt my self-worth plunge, but only for a minute,then I began to feel a little upset with Oprah. Really Oprah? 

I guess I could give up eating this month so that I could be in style as I walked those same paths of our Grand Canyon. Well, I like to eat, so figured I could shop at my local Goodwill and pick up an entire outfit for about $35. I was in, I could win that vacation and stay warm and look cool. I signed up.

On to the next article. I turned the page, another advertisement, then another, I then found "The Question" page and read 

"Our next question: What piece of clothing best expresses your inner you?". 

I'm not sure I want anyone to know my first answer. 

Strictly out of embarrassment, I thought about it again "What would be my second piece of clothing that best expressed my inner me?". 

Embarrassed again, I thought, well,  what about my third piece of clothing that best expressed my inner me? Finally an answer that I could share with others! It would have to be... my yoga pants.

How old am I, I asked myself?  I guess I am old enough to put comfort first, above fashion, above my outward appearance, above what others may think of me. My clothes, shoes and accessories must meet the "comfort test" before any purchases are made.

What is your piece of clothing

that best expresses your inner you?

Go to oprah.com/gcasweeps for a chance to win this great vacation. 

Sunday Ponders... Trust

To ponder: to consider something deeply and thoroughly; to meditate; to weigh carefully in the mind; to reflect on; to turn over in one's mind. 

This is week 4 of my positivity journey and I have felt like I am stuck, a bit numb inside and lost. It may have been the news that I may be facing another surgery, or that I won't know the answer for another 6 weeks.

I feel like I am in limbo again, waiting for someone else to tell me what lies ahead. I am not sure where to go from here. 

I feel confused, disappointed, and a bit agitated.

Maybe I am just supposed to stay here for a while and PONDER over what I have learned along the way.  I feel like a newborn bird about to take its first flight. Oh, so many decisions:  Which way do I fly? How high do I fly? How do I find my way back? what if I fall? What if my wings are not strong enough?

Trust in the Lord with  all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3: 5 & 6 NIV 

In Chapter 13 of Joel Osteen's book The Power of I am, he tells a story about a young man from Tanzania. He is an olympic runner who breaks his leg halfway through the race of his lifetime. He falls, the other runners pass him. But he gets up, he continues at a slow pace. He reaches the end of the race long after the winners have left.  There is no crowd cheering, the stadium is empty.  He finally crosses that line. A reporter later asks him why he did not give up and quit. He says "My country didn't send me seven thousand miles to start the race but to finish it".

So, I will focus on the finish line. I will appreciate this time to reflect, to not think so much, to not over analyze. I will reach the finish line for I am blessed to be in the race.

Five on Friday... Supper?

A photo from last weeks meal!

My five on friday this week is all about trying to break some bad habits and save some money. 

January 1st I made a list of goals for 2017.  The first on the list was to be able to do a weekly plan for our evening meals.  We are good eaters here at our house, for example, thehubs made smoked pork shops with cabbage and fried potatoes tonight.  

Tonight we did not

count calories.

We did however, use fresh vegetables, no cans, no packaging, just good, fresh veggies with a lean meat.

Our grocery bills usually runs about $200 per week.  I know that is pretty high for just two people. When you cook with fresh ingredients, then add snacks, baking products, paper products, and cleaning products, the bill goes up.  We also cook for guests two or three times a week instead of going out.  We would rather eat at home than pay $30 to $40 to have a meal out. That right there is a good subject for another post as I know lots of restaurants that offer coupons!

Laura at Harvest Lane Cottage Blog lists what she has done for her week to save money. She has a great blog, please pop over and you can see for yourself.  Laura is great at opening up my eyes to making my life a bit more simple.  She shares her ideas and her heart as she takes care of her family on a budget. Now, how does this relate to my meal planning goal?

It is very hard for me to

save money if I can not plan ahead. 

Here for here is a list of five things I did this week to save money on our weekly budget.

#1 I purchased an expensive loaf of Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Bread.  I shared this loaf with my Mom. I didn't save any money, but I felt good about saving my mom some money. I plan to do more of this. I usually take her "meals on wheels" a couple of times a week to help her eat a more healthy and variety of foods.

#2 I saved $3.40 on my total bill by using my Walmart Savings Catcher app. I did not have to compare prices with area competitors, Walmart did it for me. Here is the link to sign up.

#3 A friend shared a bottle of Kahlua (coffee flavored rum) with me. They came over for a visit and we made hot coffee with a splash of Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua Rum, and a Starbucks Coffee flavored Liqueur. 

It was delicious. 

I am going to make this hot drink again, only I will use my Hiland Whipping Cream to top it off.  This is so good in the evening when it is cold outside. 

#4 I took the pre-wrapped Valentine Candy out of my cart and put it back on the shelf. Yes, I caved and went down that seasonal aisle, looking at all of the pretty Valentine goodies.  I had to have at least one, only one, it would also be part of my pretty Valentine Display. NOT!  After walking on to the next aisle, guilt took over, those calorie counting brain cells kicked in. I went back and put it back on the shelf.  I pretended to pat myself on the back.

#5 I made my own pie crust from scratch. I had to dig deep to find my can of crisco. Since my knee surgery I have not done much cooking from scratch.

Marie Callender makes delicious frozen pies, they became my go to after-dinner desert. YOu can usually find one in my freezer. 

 I made a batch of 

pie crust cinnamon rolls. 

They are small, can be eaten as breakfast snacks with coffee or with afternoon tea. They can also be made with jams or canned fruit, no need to make a special trip to the grocery store for these!

So thanks to Laura over at Harvest Lane Cottage blog for inspiring me to do better.

What do you call your evening meal? 

Dinner?  Supper?

My Uncle use to say "As long as you call me I don't care what you call it".

Linking with Amy over at

5 on Friday

www.lovemademyhome.blogspot.com

Wordless Wednesday, out my window...

Linking up with

Wordless Wednesday
And
Outdoor Wednesday

Sunday Ponders...

As some of you may know, I have been on a journey of healing these past few weeks.

It began on January 1st. I got up that morning and read a quote by Joel Osteen.


 "When you wake up, you can't just wait to see what kind of day you will have. You have to decide what kind of day you will have."



That day I decided I needed help.   My attitude was defensive, resentful and I constantly had thoughts about people and moments that brought me down or made me mad. I felt consumed. I felt guilty. I didn't like who I saw in the mirror that morning.

I decided that day that I would change who I was.

I printed that quote and framed it, then set it on my bathroom vanity so that every morning and throughout my day, I would read it.  I also signed up for emails from Joel Osteen, Our Daily Bread, Simple Reminders and Holly Gerth.

They say it takes six weeks to change a habit, so I took my new journal and set up a calendar for 6 weeks. It is a graph that I can track my own habits.  

I then chose to tell you about it. 

I felt by hitting that publishing button that you would hold me accountable.

I am now almost 3 weeks into it and I am doing so much better. I am now sleeping better, and thinking better.

It hasn't been easy. I had to commit to taking the time for myself. Time has always been my biggest excuse.  I will read when I get time, I will call a friend when I get time, I will ride my stationary bike when I get time.

I will.... fill in the blank.... when I get time.

No more excuses.

I made time.

All quotes were sourced from google search.

A Bend in the Road...

I can't remember the last time I actually finished reading a book, other than a manual, or a text book. So when I started this new journey of of healing, of wanting to be a happier me, I knew I had to add Bob's book store to my list of resources.

Bob owns

Always Buying Books

in Joplin, Missouri.  

Bob is a quiet man who loves his friends and family, his community and his country. Bob is my friend and a Vietnam Veteran. He also knows just about everything about books.

I stopped in his store recently and asked him to recommend a book for me. 

Knowing me pretty well, he recommended the Author Nicholas Sparks and led me to a display of his books.  I picked "A Bend in the Road". Bob also told me that Nicholas Sparks was a great storyteller.  He was right.


A Bend in the Road is a book about a man who lost his wife and is raising his young son by himself. He is heartbroken and left with many unknowns about how the love of his life died.  The story takes on extra meaning when you find out he is a county sheriff who can't solve the mystery that has left him so broken. I won't say anymore about the plot, except to tell you it has a happy ending.  My kind of book.

It took me only a week 

to finish this book.  

Foremost, I made time to read, time to be quiet, to focus. Thehubs even bought me a special chair, helped find a place and moved furniture so that I would have a quiet corner all to myself, away from noise and distractions.

Quiet time,
a time to slow my brain,
focus on one thing and relax.
It was so easy, yet took me so long
to find.


So if you have any questions about books, new books, old books, rare books, vintage books, or any book at all, ask Bob. You can find Bob on Facebook at "Always Buying Books" in Joplin, Missouri. Or you can call Bob at 417-781-1720, email him at abbooks@mchsi.com or check out his website at alwaysbuyingbooks.com.

You might even get to meet his Brother Bill.

A book is a gift you can open again and again.  Garrison Keillor

This review is my opinion, not endorsed by anyone.

Wordless Wednesday...

linking up with

Wordless Wednesday

and the rest of the story

Black and white memories...

What makes me smile?

My 5th grade class photo.

I am the last one to the right on the second row,

right in front of Mr. Weaver, one of my favorite teachers.

Mr. Weaver taught both 4th and 5th grades in one room,

here we are together for our class photo.

As you can see I had a broken ankle, caused by

going too fast down a hill, with my best friend on the handle bars.

Our small rural school 

where I went all through grade school.

A collage of both cousins, myself and friends.

The bottom photo is my first grade photo.

I was taught first grade by the same teacher who

taught first grade to my father and older brothers.

I remember Mrs. Warren, she was also

our neighbor and my Sunday School Teacher.

She also gave out homemade popcorn balls on Halloween.

Do you remember your first grade photo?

Sunday Ponders...

What I am reading...     Kdaughter brought me a book by Joel Osteen.  I had heard of him and that he was a rich preacher that had a huge church somewhere in Texas. That was all I knew about him so before I started reading this new book, I did a little research. Yes he is a rich preacher who has worked hard to build a literary career. His sermons are televised to over 7 million people weekly in over 20 countries. 

"When I grew up, the devil was a reason why I had a headache or the devil was the reason I got mad today. We always blamed the devil. I think today when I say the enemy, I like to make it broader. Sometimes the enemy can be our own thoughts. We've trained ourselves the wrong way. Or the enemy can be our own lack of discipline. Some people preach about hell like you're already going there, and to me the Gospel means 'Good News.' I'd rather say God is a God of mercy. So I think the people already know what they're doing wrong, and I certainly believe in hell. But to me, when I see thousands of people before me, it just doesn't come out of me to say, 'You guys are terrible, and you're going to hell.' I'd rather say that God is a God of mercy. You've got to live an obedient life, but for every mistake you’ve made, there's mercy there, and I believe we can do better." Joel Osteen

 I printed this quote on my color printer and framed it in a beautiful frame. I set it on the bathroom sink counter and it is the first thing I read each morning. 

It has reminded me of the choices I have in my life, and my responsibility for them.

 This is one part of my healing process,

my journey to be a better me. 

I want to be happy and 

I do believe for me, it is a choice.

I have begun my journey to communicate my feelings without expecting anything in return. I gave up writing for almost 2 years. I need it, it exposes me, holds me accountable and guides me along to the next step. It empties my soul, it takes out the garbage so to say.

I am also saying "NO".

This is not as easy as I thought.

I am now journaling, some may call it bullet journaling, however, my journal has no rules, no expectations, no disappointments, no drama.

I plan to share some of my ideas as I go and by sharing this with you, I am making myself accountable to this journey. I hope you will come along, share your thoughts and ideas, lift me up and hold me accountable.

Linking with 

Bookdate What are you Reading!

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Richard Pearcy