Sunday Inspiration: Next Year and Forever

 

Thankfuk Thursday: December 28, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Baking Christmas treats

Construction debris gone

Polish gingerbread cookies

My husband wrapping gifts

My son making dinner

My husband deep cleaning the living room

Christmas treats from the neighbors

Watching Christmas movies

Family gathered together

Christmas eve

Time with my kids and grandkids

A relaxing Christmas day

Leftovers

My husband taking the dogs out when it was raining 

Pajamas until noon

Relaxing days

Sunday Inspirational: Christmas

 

Thankful Thursday: December 21, 2023

 I Am Thankful For:

Decorated Christmas trees

Christmas cards

Binge watching 'The Crown' 

Nail polish

Finding a tree topper that works

Healthy new recipes

Packages mailed

Learning about my heritage

Christmas shopping with my husband

BBQ lunch

Silly little gifts

Christmas shopping done

Being able to surprise my husband after 30 years

Laughing

When my daughter stops by

Playing with my grandson

Siding finally done

Lunch with my husband

Packages received

Sunday Inspiration: Winter

Thankful Thursday: December 14, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Cold and blustery days

A cup of Earl Grey

Book recommendations

When the painting is finished

My husband bringing all the Christmas decorations from storage

Christmas books

Joy

My cousins

Christmas candy

Helping others

My husband putting up the Christmas trees

Ordering pizza for dinner

Rainy Sunday mornings

Christmas shopping

Pasta

Reminiscing over Christmas ornaments

A hot bowl of soup

Reflux medicine

Oatmilk

My husband home from a work trip

Sunday Inspiration: December

Thankful Thursday: December 7, 2023

 

I Am Thankful for:

Beautiful new rings

Meal planning

Finding the perfect gift for someone

Starting a new crochet project

My husband taking a day off

When my grandsons make me laugh

Items for a care package

Christmas florals

Movie night in

Grocery pick-up

An afternoon of painting

Pumpkin muffins

A kitten's purr

Tacos

Christmas scents

Sunday Inspiration: Rest

 

Thankful Thursday: November 30, 2023

I Am Thankful For:

My husband making it home for Thanksgiving despite delays

Family

The means to provide a nice Thanksgiving meal

That full, sleepy feeling after the turkey

Pumpkin pie

Christmas shopping with my daughter

Holiday traditions

Thanksgiving leftovers

Selecting paint colors

The dog finished medicine and doing well

A warm bowl of chili

A fancy schmancy new coffee maker

Windy days

Homemade sweet potato dog treats

My husband

A warm house on a cold day

Farewell to November

Remember last month when I said October had been a fast-paced whirlwind of activity? Little did I know what November had planned for us! It feels like my birthday was about five minutes ago. Yet, here we are - already at the end of the month!

The Man of the House did more traveling for work this month. In fact, he had to head off to Boston on my birthday (November 1).  And he was in California for several days right before Thanksgiving.  Hopefully the travel schedule will slow for the remainder of the year and I can enjoy having him at home in the evenings. 

The nice thing about his travels is when I am able to tag along. While he was in Boston at the beginning of the month, I flew up on that Friday to join him. We spent a Saturday exploring Boston - walking the entire Freedom Trail and ending the day with dinner at a historic tavern in Charlestown. Sunday we took the train down to Foxborough to catch a football game at Gillette Stadium. It was my first time visiting Boston, and I very much enjoyed the city. 

While I was a little disappointed that the Man had to be away for my birthday,  it was still a nice day.  I had lunch with my dad and his wife.  And that evening my daughter's family took me out to dinner. The next day when I realized that I had not even treated myself to a single piece of cake on my big day, my sister sent me a lovely tower of cakes from Nothing Bundt Cake to remedy the situation.  

Just before Thanksgiving we were finally able to get the last two replacement windows installed and the damaged patio door was swapped out.  That same day, the install of our new siding began. It's still an ongoing project and sometimes it feels like one bump in the road after another. But hopefully by the end of next week everything will finally be wrapped up. 

Our Thanksgiving was nice. The kids and grandkids were here.  I enjoyed seeing the youngest grandbaby enjoying some Thanksgiving foods for the first time.  On Black Friday,  the female offspring and I did some Christmas shopping.  We didn't head out at the crack of dawn which was just fine with me! I was still able to get a good start on the gift shopping.  

November seemed like a quick month.   But it was a good one!  

What is your favorite memory from November?

Sunday Inspiration: Choices

Thanksgiving Thursday

 

I Am Thankful For:

Keeping a sense of humor about it

Kitten playing with the dogs

Getting help with Thanksgiving prep

Getting a quick vet appointment 

Fast lab results 

My husband fixing dinner when I was running late 

My husband and grandson playing together 

The dog seems to be feeling better

A big Sunday breakfast 

Cute little dog hats

Late night texts 

The windows are finally done

Work on the siding has started

Groceries for Thanksgiving

My husband

31 years of marriage

The life we've built together 

Our little family

Sunday Inspiration: Small Steps

 

Thankful Thursday: November 16, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Inner strength

Taco salad

Holding hands with my husband

Pink morning clouds

Little birthday cake for dogs

Texting with my Canadian cousin

Much needed rain

Clean laundry

Falling asleep quickly

Lunch out with my husband

Getting a haircut

A nice pot of tea

Soup cooking in the crockpot

Planning for Christmas

Lipstick

Sunset

Siding installation scheduled

Afternoon tea with my daughter

Reflection

My One Word for 2023 is Explore. In the spirit of exploration, I made the decision not to stop at one word this year - but to also have a word for each month.

For November that word is: Reflection

Every year as my birthday comes around on the first of November, I find myself reflecting on my life.  I look back at where I have been and how far I have come over the previous years. I think about where I am now. And I consider where I want to go, what I want to do,  and who I want to be in the future. 

I am reflecting on my personal patterns, habits, and behaviors. What's still working for me? What's no longer working? What can I remove, add, or change to improve my life?

With only two months left in the calender year, this is often when I start thinking about the next one. I reflect on how I did with my goals for the current year and what I might want to accomplish in the next year. I am also reflecting on my one word for next year by looking back at this year and considering making a significant change

This isn't a time for self doubt, criticism, comparison, or negative self talk. Although, if I'm being honest - it sometimes turns into that and has to be guided back to something more positive and constructive. This time of reflection is about remembrance, honest evaluation, and dreaming/planning.

Do you regularly spend time in self reflection and evaluation?

Sunday Inspiration: Introducing

 

Thankful Thursday: November 9, 2023

 

 I Am Thankful For:

Birthday lunch with my dad

Birthday dinner with daughter's family

A surprise delivery

Bundt cakes

Packing for another trip

Catching an early morning flight

Seeing NYC from the air

An after flight nap at the hotel

Public transportation

Lobster rolls

Exploring a city I've never visited before

Checking another stadium off our list

A beautiful day for a football game

An evening walk around Boston

A safe trip home

Chris's phone is found

Ice cream cake

Dogs napping on my lap

Love

Evenings at home

Sunday Inspiration: Enjoy the Company

Thankful Thursday: November 2, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Going home

That first glimpse of the mountains ahead of me

Being greeted by my dogs

Already planning my next trip

Sleeping in my own bed

Making birthday plans

Grocery shopping with my husband

Bright red Autumn leaves

Beautiful weather

The Panthers finally won a game

Family

A cup of fresh, cool water

Feeling the cold air moving in

Finding me ring

Cute dog costumes

Quiet evenings at home

Good-bye, October

You know how some months are slow paced and easy going? This was not one of those months. October felt like a mad whirlwind of activity!

The Man of the House has a birthday in October, and the first weekend of the month was dedicated to celebrating him.  On the Saturday before his birthday, we went for lunch at a local barbeque place and the a matinee of the new Exorcism movie. The original is probably his favorite scary movie, so he was quite curious about this new chapter. Was it great? No. But it also wasn't as terrible as I expected it to be. And movie theater popcorn is always yummy. 

On that Sunday, (his actual birthday) we had some family over for football, pizza, and birthday fun. Our daughter made a Fruity Pebbles cheesecake. Yes - as in the cereal.  It was a whole lot of sweet, but tasty.

He also had to spend a week in California during October for work.  Since he was there over the weekend, he did find time for a little sightseeing. He walked the Golden Gate Bridge and visited Alcatraz while in San Francisco.  I didn't tag along on this trip because a day after he got home I was off on a little trip of my own.

My youngest sister and I spent a lovely week in the low country of South Carolina on a sisters getaway. We stayed at an RV park near Beaufort, which was convenient for day trips into Charleston, Savannah, and Hilton Head. Since it was just about a week or two before Halloween and we were visiting what are considered two of the most haunted cities in America - we decided to roll with that and declared it our "Spooktacular Sister Getaway". We visited historic cemetaries, ate at reportedly haunted restaurants, and took a ghost tour in both Charleston and Savannah. We laughed, ate too much junk food, and had an all around great time.

I did take a nasty fall after tripping on one of the many uneven sidewalks in Savannah. At the time, I thought maybe I had escaped with just some scrapes and bruises. However after waking up early the next day with a considerable amount of pain in my left hand and wrist - we spent an afternoon in an Urgent Care, followed by xrays at the outpatient radiology center to determine if I had broken something. Fortunately, the images were negative for any fracture. Just a severely sprained hand and wrist. It could have been much worse and I am very grateful that it wasn't. 

Unfortunately, October wasn't all celebrations and travels. My 16 year old cat crossed the rainbow bridge this month after a short illness. It was very sad and I'm still coming to terms with him being gone. 😞

And that was October. A lot of highs and lows and activities all stuffed into one month.

How was your October?

Sunday Inspiration: Becoming Yourself

 

Thankful Thursday: October 26, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Safe travels

New places

Laughter

Exploring old cemeteries

Long talks 

Spooky places

Lazy days 

Slow cooker dinners

Cool tea rooms 

Bookstores

Fun tours

No fracture

Pain medicine

Halloween candy 

Staying up late watching spooky shows 

The beach

Sunday Inspiration: Individual Rights

 

Thankful Thursday: October 19, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

A family of baby racoons

Morning

Baby grandson clapping his hands

When the rain stops

Yarn for a new project

Feeling tired

Dog got a clean bill of health

Phone calls from my husband

Historical dramas

A cup of hot tea on a cold Autumn day

Exciting end to A football game

Compassion and empathy

Counting down the days

Patience

Sleep

Finishing a book

Staying up late

Chocolate chip cookies

Sunday Inspiration: Two Things

Thankful Thursday: October 12, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Autumn fog on the mountains

Feeling good about myself

Pimento cheese

Birthday weekends

Joy

Lunch out with my husband

Catching an afternoon movie

Our grandson starting to pull up to standing

My husband

Chilly Autumn mornings

Birthday dinners

Another new day

Blue Autumn skies

A cup of hot tea with honey

Autumn sunshine

When all the laundry is washed, folded and put away

The love in my life

Sunday Inspiration: The Right One

 

Thankful Thursday: October 5, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

When my grown son says "Love you" before leaving

Soup cooking in the slow cooker

Things that challenge my brain

Watching my grandsons grow

Falling leaves

Noodle bowls

A trip to Target with my daughter

A cute pumpkin t-shirt

Weekends

Barbecue and a beer

Flu shots

A much needed nap

October

Football watching snacks

Ordering birthday gifts for my husband

Laundry folded

A confidence boost

My dogs

Hello, October

 Welcome to October!  We have officially moved into my favorite months of the year. And also the busiest months of the year. 

This month we'll be celebrating my husband's birthday. It's next weekend, as a matter of fact. Which means I should get my rear in gear to finalize birthday celebration plans

As of yesterday, I put my Etsy shop on vacation for at least the rest of the year. This was not an easy decision, but I feel it is the right one at this time. Recently, the running of the Etsy shop has become more of a stress instead of something I enjoy. I need time to rediscover my love for crochet and work on some personal projects, as well as to explore some new hobbies. I don't know if this break will be permanent or if I will return after the first of the year, perhaps with new products and a little rebranding. We'll just have to see where the next three months lead me.

Last month, I had just the most wonderful trip to Canada to meet some relatives. There were some stressful hiccups as I headed back to the states, but all's well that ends well, as they say. And it wasn't enough to deter me from looking forward to some future travels planned for this fall.  

October is considered "spooky season". And that means my October reading list has some spine-tingling books to match the mood of the month.  The list includes: "The Woman in Black" by Susan Hill, " The Southern Book Club's Guide to Vampire Hunting" by Grady Hendrix, and "The Girl in Cabin 13" by A. J. Rivers. 

Goals for Oxtober:

• Decorate for Autumn during first week of month
• Make Halloween costumes for dogs by October 19
• Have family birthday dinner for my husband
• Take boxes in craft room to Goodwill by October 15

What are your plans for October?

Sunday Inspiration: Make Room

Thankful Thursday: September 28, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Allergy medicine

My dad bringing over lunch

Candy corn

The last day of summer

Talking in the car with my son

Getting a text from my uncle

Finally, Autumn

Homemade soup

Hugs from my grandson

Lunch with my husband

Teeny tiny kitten paws

A morning walk with my husband

Sunflowers

My husband making chili

Planning more trips

 

Sunday Inspiration: Family Bonds

 

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Thankful Thursday: September 21, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

That fresh out of the shower feeling

Spending time with my daughter

Halloween costumes

New pajamas

Soup and grilled cheese

Hints of fall weather

Finding what I was looking for

My husband in a new suit

Holding hands in the car

Waffles with real maple syrup

Football Sunday

A perfect fall-like day

Nail biter Monday night football games

Cute tops for fall

Getting a lot done

A clean house

Sunday Inspiration: Nothing More

Thankful Thursday: September 14, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Smooth travels

Traveling to Canada for the first time

Dinner with my dad and his wife

Meeting my relatives

Hearing stories about my biological grandmother

My Canadian cousins

A big family dinner

Heading home

Being able to text people while stuck at the airport

My husband talking to me and calming me down when I'm freaking out

Finally getting home

A much needed afternoon nap

My husband taking care of dinner

Maple coffee

The start of football season

My youngest grandson started crawling

Back to my routines

Coffee Crisps

Peaceful mornings

Texting all day with my cousin

Family

My One Word for 2023 is Explore. In the spirit of exploration, I made the decision not to stop at one word this year - but to also have a word for each month.

For August that word is: Family

My father was born in a Displaced Persons camp in Austria just after World War II ended. He was given up for adoption at age 2, and  was sent to the US to be adopted at age 5.  He knew his biological mother's name thanks to having his original birth and baptism certificates. 

My husband is very into genealogy and over the years we tried to find any information about her, without any luck.  He even bought me one of the Ancestry. com DNA tests several years ago. 

Flash forward to a few months ago where I am DNA matched with a woman as being first or second cousins on my paternal side. And there's my biological grandmother's name in her family tree.  I think it's fair to say that I was in a state of shock and needed to just sit with that information for a little while. 

Finally, the Man of the House convinced me to contact her.  I explained my story and asked what she could tell me about my grandmother. She quickly responded that was her grandmother and that knew her grandmother had given a child for adoption while she was in the camp in Austria. The child's name was my father's name. I immediately started crying and told the Man "It's her!" I messaged back and forth with this newly found cousin for the rest of the evening.

The next morning I texted my dad and told him that I had information about what happened to his birth mother and asked him if he wanted to know what I had discovered. He asked if he could come right over!

I was able to tell him that she had immigrated to Canada in 1949. Unfortunately, she had passed away in 2008, but he has four younger siblings - three brothers and a sister. All still living in Ontario. His mother had never made a secret of him and had tried to find him over the years through the Red Cross with no success. 

My father was able to start communicating with some of his siblings, and last week we made the trip to Canada to meet all of them!  He and his wife drove, while I flew up and met them there. 

It was a wonderful, amazing, crazy, and emotional few days! Honestly, since the very first moments - this has been like living out the plot of some movie.

It's incredible how much my father and his brothers look alike. They have the same hair and eyes. They even have some of the same mannerisms.  There seemed to be an immediate connection between all of them.

It gave me so much joy to see him discovering this missing piece of his story. To get some answers to questions he has always had. And to start building a relationship with his siblings.  I'm so thankful to have been able to play a part in giving that to him.

I have also had the pleasure of meeting my aunt, my uncles, and cousins. They were all so welcoming and kind. I enjoyed hearing stories about my grandmother. It helped me to feel closer to her and to get to know her from those who knew and loved her.  

And I'm happy to say that the cousin I was matched with to start this whole journey and I message, email, and text each other regularly. I now consider her not just my cousin, but also a friend.

And that's why my word for September is Family.

Sunday Inspiration: Go Home

 

Thankful Thursday: September 7, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Ordering new pajamas

One more cup of coffee

Craft shopping with my daughter

My grand son's mischievous little smile

Soft fall tops

Cut thumb wasn't as bad as it could have been

Bagels

Trips to Sam's Club

Long showers

The blend of colors in my hair - even the grey

Grilled steak dinner

Three day weekends

Slow, lazy mornings

Going to bed early

Happy Labor Day

Happy Labor Day!

Did you know...

The first Labor Day celebration was observed on September 5, 1882 in New York City, when the Central Labor Union organized a parade to recognize and honor the many contributions of American laborers. 

Oregon was the first state to pass a law recognizing Labor Day as a holiday in 1887.

On June 28, 1894, Congress passed a law officially making the first Monday of September a national holiday.  

I hope you are enjoying your holiday.  Be safe and have some fun!

Sunday Inspiration: Family Trees

September 2023

Finally... September! After the long, hot days of August - I am hoping for some cooler days and nights and seeing the leaves start to change colors. But let's be honest - here in North Carolina, September can feel more like a continuation of Summer instead of the first days of Autumn.

I'll be doing a little solo traveling in September. I'm incredibly nervous and excited about this trip. And while I don't want to discuss details about it right now - I look forward to sharing the whole story with you later this month.

Football season begins this month. And that means lots of Sunday afternoons in front of the television, relaxing and rooting on our favorite teams. As much as it pains me to say it - I'm not expecting much from my Carolina Panthers this year. But I will still enjoy watching games. And we're looking at plans to see a game at another stadium later in the season.

This month is slow when it comes to celebrations. One of my nephews and a brother in law each have a birthday. But mostly, for us, it's a quiet month. 

I plan to continue doing some "mood reading" through September. I enjoyed the relaxation of just reading whatever stirs my interest or curiosity. And it gives me time to plan some spooky reads for next month! (Suggestions are welcome)

Speaking of scary - but also exciting - I'll be making some big decisions and changes in regards to my Etsy business over the coming weeks. I don't have any details to share right now. But those plans will be coming together and going into action sooner rather than later. 

My Goals for September:

• Take boxes in craft room to Goodwill
• Go hiking at Biltmore Estate
• Run an inventory reduction sale in Etsy shop
• Select 2 patterns to crochet as Christmas gifts this year
• Start one of those crochet gift projects

What are your plans for September?

Thankful Thursday: August 31, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Waking up earlier than normal

Cute football earrings

French fries

Autumn throw pillows

Phone calls from my daughter

Dinner with my son

Decongestants and cough drops

Iced tea

My husband making dinner

Making plans for more travel

A good night sleep

Fish & chips

Some much needed rain

Bath time for the dogs

Ziggy's post bath zoomies

Falling asleep to the sound of falling rain

Finding the perfect yarn for a new project

Helping plan Halloween costumes for the grandkids

Texts from my sister letting me know that they are ok during the hurricane

So Long, August

August is drawing to a close and we're about to head into the "ber" months. I know some people aren't quite ready to see the end of summer. But, I am personally looking forward to cooler temperatures, longer nights, and cozy clothing. 

I started August by playing catch up after being gone for the last week in July. And it felt like I stayed a little bit behind for most of the month. 

During the second week of August, we had our new windows and patio doors installed. We've been waiting months for this to finally happen. There were a few hiccups with the installation - two windows were the wrong size and have to be reordered, and there are some issues with one of the doors, so they are also ordering a replacement for that.  But for the most part, it is done. And once the corrections are completed the final step of new siding and gutters can begin!

That was the same week that my youngest sister came to visit.  We always have a great time together.  Not only is she my baby sister, but she's one of my best friends.  At one point during her visit, we were laughing so hard in the greeting card aisle at Target that I could hardly catch my breath. We can have fun and adventures together, but we're also comfortable just sitting in the same room, quietly reading.

Our dad's 77th birthday  was on the 10th. We celebrated with a dinner at his house that following weekend. There was lots of good food and even more laughter.

The Man of the House and I drove down to Atlanta to attend the preseason football game between the Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals.  As you may remember,  we have a goal to attend a game at every NFL stadium in the country. This marked Mercedes-Benz Stadium off our list. And what a stadium it is! The nicest one we have visited, so far. Before heading home the next day, we had brunch at Atlanta Breakfast Club (chicken and waffles- yum!) and visited The World of Coke. 

The heatwave that hit western North Carolina at the end of this month was trying. This peri-menopausal body doesn't tolerate the heat very well.  Not that I ever did, but it's worse now than ever before.  Thank goodness the window installation was mostly complete and the a/c was functioning! 

How was your August?

Sunday Inspiration: Starting Over

 

Thankful Thursday: August 24, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

A quiet afternoon

My sister getting home safely

Air conditioning

Velvety soft dog ears

Falling asleep at a reasonable time

Packing for another adventure

Road trips

German restaurants

Live football games

Brunch - complete with mimosas

Taking the scenic route

Plans to meet extended family

Getting the house put back together after the windows are finished

A healthy meal plan

My handsome husband

Pumpkin spice coffee

Sunday Inspiration: Past, Present, Future

Thankful Thursday: August 17, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

A breezy day

Not cooking dinner

Visits with my sister

When the sun goes down and cools things down

Laughing in the greeting card aisle at Target

Late night chats

Birthday celebrations

My dad

A glass of wine

Family

Grilled chicken

Baby giggles

Planning future trips and getaways

Waking up to the sound of thunder

Sunday Inspiration: It Begins Again

Thankful Thursday: August 10, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

My dad's birthday

Unexpected delays

Clean laundry

Rain showers that cool things down

A cooler day

Donuts

When my dogs are feeling cuddly

A cup of tea on a rainy day

Late night texts

Lunch with my daughter and grandsons

Conversations with my son

Sunset

My husband getting home after numerous travel delays

Caffeine

Planning for football season

Grocery shopping with my husband

Making travel plans

A fresh new week

A clean kitchen

Afternoon thunderstorms

My sister coming to town

Perfectly seared tuna

New windows being installed