Currently... May 2018

Happy May y'all!

So far, this has been one of those Springs that keeps us guessing.  Winter hasn't wanted to give up its grip on the weather, which just makes us appreciate those warm seasonal days that much more.  Now that May is here, we will hopefully have many more of the sunny, warn (but not hot) days to enjoy.

One of the things I like about the changing of the months is that it's a fresh new start. It's a good time to take a look at what's currently going on in your life.  I enjoy sitting down with my calendar to set goals and make plans for the month.

Reading:  Because I can't seem to get enough of anything related to the British or Russian royals, I am reading  The Romanovs: The Final Chapter  by Robert K. Massie.  It's an interesting account of discovering and identifying the remains of the last Tsar and his family, as well as how DNA comparisons managed to confirm or deny the claims of those who said they were members of the family rescued from the execution.

I am also still working my way through The One Thing by Gary Keller.  I got distracted and didn't make much progress through it during April.  

Enjoying:  Having the Man of the House back home.  He was in Japan for an entire week at the end of last month and I missed him very much. It's good to have him back where he belongs.  

Working On:  My plan for May is to try some new recipes - especially some that are outside my usual comfort zones.  Sunday night I made beef bourguignon, which was delicious!  In fact, I'm eating the leftovers as I write this and it's just as yummy reheated.  I also found a recipe for a vegetarian version made with mushrooms instead of the beef and I can't wait to try that also.  The Man of the House was also talking about trying some Ramen recipes. Real Ramen, not the super cheap packets of stuff so many of us survived on during our college days.  

Anticipating:  Summer vacation!  We are taking the grand kid for his first ever Disney vacation later this summer and I am SO excited to share that experience with him!

Wanting:  To lose a little weight before that vacation.  

Needing:  Enough time to complete orders for my customers and still work on some new product ideas and items to build up my stock of ready-to-ship items.

Feeling:  A little yucky.  The Male Offspring and I ate MUCH too much junk food while the Man of the House was out of town and it has certainly caught up with me.  I have felt bloated and just "bleh" for several days now.  I think I should probably live on nothing but fruits, veggies, and maybe some nuts for the next week or two just to give my poor digestive system a chance to recover.  

What are you currently up to as we move into May?

 With Love,

Currently... March 2018

True to the old expression, March certainly has come in like a lion!  After a record warm February, the arrival of March saw the temperatures drop 20 degrees or more and a couple of days of rain, followed by 2 days of extremely high winds.  Will she go out like a lamb?  We'll have to wait and see!

Reading: My fiction read is currently an advance read copy of Love and Ruin by Paula McLain thanks to NetGalley.  I'm also finishing up I am Loved by Wendy Blight for my personal Bible study times.

Enjoying:  My afternoon cup of tea each day.  Usually a nice Oolong or occasionally some Constant Comment.  It's been a lovely habit to try to start. One I plan to continue.  "Afternoon tea"...  Makes me feel quite British.  (not really) 

Working On:  A little Spring cleaning.  Nothing like a huge top-to-bottom undertaking, just some of those chores that often get overlooked.  Things like giving the baseboards a good washing, cleaning some windows, cleaning out the chest freezer, etc.

Anticipating:  The weather finally being warm and dry enough to get back into our weekend hikes. Hopefully this happens sooner rather than later!

Also, my yearly physical this week.  I always anticipate this with a slight sense of dread.  Especially this year, since I have let my healthy habits slide and put on a few more pounds.  I find myself looking for reasons to reschedule the appointment so that I can put it off a little longer.

Feeling:  Hmmm...  Tired.  Lazy.  Fat.  I think winter has finally gotten too long for me and it's time for spring to arrive and encourage me out of hibernation so I can wake up and get motivated.


How are things currently in your life?



With Love,

Currently... December 2017

This year is almost over y'all!!  I'm still wondering what happened to November.  I'm pretty sure that just a few days ago it was my birthday and then all of a sudden - the entire month is gone.  It was such a whirlwind.  Besides my birthday and Thanksgiving, the Man of the House and I managed to get away for a few days to enjoy our 25th wedding anniversary.  It was a wonderful month!  And now we have December to enjoy...

Reading:  I've been focusing on a little light seasonal reading right now.  Some Debbie Macomber holiday stories like "Trading Christmas" and "Call Me Mrs. Miracle".  If anyone has any suggestions of books I should add to my To Be Read list in the new year, please leave me a comment!

Eating:  Let's just not even go there.  OK?

Working On:  Pretty much the same thing as just about every one else! Getting my house decorated for Christmas and getting the shopping completed.  

Enjoying:  Listening to Christmas music in the car!  I found the holiday channel on my XM radio and it has been going for a few weeks now.  The family may veto listening to Christmas music in the house before Thanksgiving, but when I'm alone in my car - I can listen to what I want!

Anticipating:  All of the upcoming Christmas festivities, obviously.  But also a little quiet time to relax.  The Man of the House has some time off coming up at the end of the year and I am looking forward to having him home for a little while.  I'm also looking forward to setting my goals for 2018.

Feeling:  As if there just aren't enough hours in the day

How is your December shaping up so far?

Currently... September 2017

September has arrived.  It's almost Fall, y'all!!

Reading:  I did quite a bit of reading in August .  And read some really good books!  After completing My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry and A Man Called Ove , Fredrik Backman has joined my list of favorite authors. I can't wait to read more of his work!  

I just finished Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate - a fictionalized story based on the shocking real life Tennessee Children's Home Society (an organization headed by Georgia Tann which often lied or otherwise tricked birth parents into surrendering their children for adoption.  Even going so far as to kidnap children, or steal newborns while the mother was still under labor anesthesia, later telling them that their babies had died in childbirth.  She then charged adoptive parents exorbitant fees.  It was a terrible story, and a very good book.  Any novel which leaves me wanting to know more about the real life events on which was based is a good book in my opinion! 

Now I'm on to Then We Came to the End  by Joshua Ferris and The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen.  

My non-fiction this month is She's Still There by Chrystal Evans Hurst.  I will also be participating in the Proverbs 31 Ministries on-line Bible study based on this book.  

Eating:  Ugh...  maybe I should just stop including this section. It's honestly getting embarrassing to have to admit month after month how terrible I have been eating.  Of course, the easy remedy would be to just start eating better.  But...  

Working On:  I'll give you one guess.  Did you say "washcloths"?  dingdingdingding  You got it!  It seems as if the stream of washcloth orders is never ending.  I also have a newborn football cocoon set to  work on.  

Enjoying:  The feeling I got from doing some good by giving blood yesterday.

Anticipating:  The best thing I am anticipating is that my handsome husband gets home from New York today!  It's only been a few days, but I've missed him bunches.

Feeling:  A little overwhelmed by the "free" time I seem to have during the day now that the grand kid is in kindergarten and I'm not watching him while his mom is at work.  Right now, I have had enough work to keep me busy and occupied.  If things start to slow down, I'm considering finding a knit and crochet group or something to join.

Currently... August

Once August arrives, the entire rest of the year seems to just fly right on by.  Today, it may currently be August 1st, but next thing we know I'll be posting about the holidays coming up and we'll be wondering where the time went.  Well, I plan to take things as slow as possible and really be in the moments instead of anticipating the rest of this year away. Who's with me?  Let's start by pausing to look at what we're doing and how we're feeling right now!

Reading:  I'm finally finishing up Issac's Storm by Erik Larsen.  And waiting to get back to the top of the wait list so I can complete A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.

In non-fictio, I am finally reading through The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.  Confession:  I have avoided this book like the plague.  Because some of the things I have seen in reviews sound a little out there for me.  But I have decided to give it a chance, use what (if anything) I find helpful and leave the rest.  Then, I have 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker next in the queue.

Eating:  I had hoped July would be a better eating month. However... beginning the month on vacation - which involved lots of eating out, French toast breakfast (and one with chocolate gravy!) -  the female offspring's birthday, and an overwhelming craving for ice cream - it was not to be.  I did do some breakfast and lunch meal prepping once we were home again.  Which definitely helped keep me a little more on track!  More of that needs to happen in August.

Working On:  Would you believe washcloths?  Yep... more and still.  I've also been hard at work on some bath puff orders and a moose hat.  I took time during vacation to start on a beautiful wrap for myself.  Who knows when I'll get a chance to finish it!

Enjoying:  My new little car.  It is just so cute and I love driving it.

Anticipating:  The male offspring goes back to classes on the 14th.  The grand baby starts kindergarten later this month.  And...  The solar eclipse coming up on August 21!

Feeling:  Honestly... today I'm a little tired.  I didn't sleep well last night.

How about you?  What are you up to as August begins?  How are you feeling?  Anything you're really looking forward to this month?

Currently... Things Are Moving Along

August is moving right along, isn't it?   Things are happening and plans are being made, and everything is just so exciting right now!

Reading:  The Paris Wife by Paula McLain.  A fictional account of Earnest Hemingway's marriage to his first wife, Hadley.  It's a bit strange to be enjoying a book so very much when I dislike all of the characters so very much.

Eating:  Spaghetti squash!  One of the zucchini vines we planted began producing something which clearly was NOT zucchini.  After a little research I determined it was probably spaghetti squash and decided to give it a go. And I was very pleased with the results!  What a happy mistake.

Making:  Finishing up a big order of cotton facial rounds for the shop.

Enjoying:  Both of my offspring being in college.   The male is starting his first semester, whole his sister is starting her final semester.  And for the first time ever they are attending the same school!  With the age difference between them the girl started middle school the year her brother started elementary and was in high school before he arrived in middle school.  So this is a new experience for them.

Anticipating:  A trip to Japan!! (insert squeals here)  The Man of the House and I have actually been anticipating this for a while.  I haven't said anything to anyone because until this week it wasn't a certainty.  But now - the plane tickets are purchased, the hotel is booked, and I am crazy excited!

Feeling:  Excited!  A little nervous. Very happy.

What's everyone else up to these days?

Currently... July

I'm still nursing the last symptoms of my July 4th stomach bug, but after yesterday morning, any improvement is vastly better. So, Yah! for that.

Is there any month more summery than July?  June is fine and all... but for a good part of it you're still nursing a bit of a school year hangover.  August has you start thinking toward Labor Day and the autumn months.  But July... July is pure summer.

Who's ready to pause after the holiday weekend and take a look at where we are?

Reading:  Finished The Princes in the Tower and took a day to read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (cause sometimes I'm  way behind the trends like that...) because I really needed a light, easy, funny read. Now continuing my Anglophile tendencies with Serving Victoria by Kate Hubbard.

Eating:  Not much of anything right now.  I did manage a bowl of chicken soup and a couple of crackers last night.

Making:  Finished the first of two baby blankets (or lapghans) and started on the second, which is a rainbow inspired design.  Can't wait to get them listed in the shop!

Enjoying:  Lower prices on cherries - while it lasts

Anticipating:  Getting back into a healthier eating routine.  Eliminating most processed foods, added sugars, gluten and dairy.  More fruits and veggies.

Feeling:  A little tired.  A little achy.  But much better than I did 24 hours ago!


How are you "Currently" doing?

Currently... catching up

Alright y'all.  I think I'm finally getting a handle on things and getting back to my usual self.  (Not that that couldn't use a little improvement as well, but one thing at a time...)  I've got some good stuff planned in the next couple of weeks.  Updates from the trip to New York.  A retrospective on the male offspring's graduation. Sharing a revelation I recently experienced.  Updates on some previous posts.  I can already tell that y'all are excited.  But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's pause and take a look at where we're at

Reading:  Still reading The Princes in the Tower.  It's pretty good; but so far it's mostly just a refresher course on a bunch of information I already knew due to my small obsession with interest in the Cousin's War and all things Tudor.

Eating:  Ribs.  So very, many ribs!  And don't think for one single minute that I'm complaining about that.  The Man of the House grilled some ribs low and slow for Memorial Day.  This week the female offspring's fella grilled some ribs.  I'm a gal who has a hard time saying no to just about anything that has been cooked outdoor.

Making:  A bath puff for the grandbaby.  He saw me making one for an order and said he needed one.  And how can I refuse that cutie?  Also working on two new baby blankets/lapghan ideas for the shop.

Enjoying:  Pretty much everything about my life right now!

Anticipating:  The raspberries ripening so they can be picked.

Thinking about:  More and more new items for Queen B's Busy Work.  Now I just need time to work on them.

Feeling:  A little embarrassed that I wrote "you're" in last week's post, when it should have read "your".  Be honest...  how many of you are grammer police and were burdened with the effort of not calling me out on that one?

What are your "currently" highlights?  Share them in the comments!