A Thursday in My Life

One of the things I like to indulge myself in is getting pedicures.  I had never had one before we moved to Singapore (13 years ago). That's where I was introduced to the magic of having someone else paint my toenails and give me a foot massage. Heaven.

I found a place here in Smaller Town, Minnesota that offers good pedicures for a fairly reasonable, not outrageous price. (I am willing to pay someone to paint my toenails so they don't look like a 5 year-old did it, which is what it looks like when I do it myself.) This morning I indulged in one more pedicure before my poor feet are tucked away for the long, long winter.

(Side note: When I tell people about my blog I usually tell them they'll learn more about me than they probably really want to know. Today's post is a perfect example. A-hem.)

Today's color is a nice fall color, kinda orangey-brown with sparkles. I don't remember the name of it because, have you noticed the names of nail polish lately? There are names such as I'm Not Really a Waitress, You're a Pisa Work and Meet Me at the Star Ferry. (Any of my readers know where the Star Ferry is?)

My feet are happy now and will likely have to wait five six seven months until spring for their next indulgence.

I spent the afternoon writing an email to a high school friend. I haven't seen her in a long time and like to be able to reconnect even if virtually. That first sentence in this paragraph implies that I spent the whole afternoon on the email. I really didn't. After I sent it I realized I forgot to ask her the question I wanted to ask her in the first place. Oh well. I'll just ask the next time.

I also wasted spent some time this afternoon trying to figure out how to get Three Stars on the Angry Bird game on my phone. Google it if you don't know what that is that I spend way too much time on but it's fun. (Great run-on sentence there, huh?)

For supper tonight I thought a mixed cultural meal sounded yummy. I made Fried Green Tomatoes (a little southern USA) and Fried Rice (a little Asian). The meal was finished off with a HoneyCrisp Apple for a little Minnesota.

So that was my Thursday. You're welcome.

(Rachel, dear, I want you to know I wrote this post just for you since you told me you like to read my blog and keep caught up on our lives. I hope you weren't too bored. Love you and your family!)

(For my other readers, Rachel and her little family are living in China and showing the Chinese people God's love. Read their blog and be encouraged. They are amazing.)

The Weekend of Movies

Weekends with my hubby? The best! What could be better than hanging out with my best friend?

What am I doing? Why I am writing a blogpost about my weekend before the weekend is actually over! I am so proud of myself.

Friday night we had a date night. Yes, after 27 years of marriage, I still love a date night.

There is a Golf Club in this tiny town. No we don't golf. Well, I don't golf, hubby does. I drive the golf cart. :)  Anyway... we joined the golf club for the winter season. Not for golfing, of course. Confused? There is a quite nice restaurant there (which, believe me, the words nice and restaurant and this town do not go together). Anyway... we joined the golf club for $5 so we can eat there through the winter. We did it last year and really enjoyed it. Very reasonable fee, if you ask me.

Friday night we had dinner there (yummy!) and then went to see the movie The Help. Have you seen it? It's a pretty good movie. The book is next on the list for me to read. I've been told it's a good read. (I must pause here to say how it was a big deal to see a movie in the theater in this town. The theater closed down several months ago and we have been without ever since and have had to resort to driving for an hour to see a movie. The theater here opened again recently under new management.)

I know this is all quite riveting, but, hey, when one lives in a small town in the middle of nothing, things like this count.

Saturday found us heading to a local apple orchard. If only we had little kids to take there for all the chaos fun they were offering. Goodness, there were a lot of kids. We just bought apples. Obvious, huh? But have you ever had a HoneyCrisp apple? One from Minnesota? They are THE best! I've tried imposter HoneyCrisps grown in other states, but they really do have a different taste. The ones grown here are sooo good.

Saturday evening we watched True Grit.  Can I say our reaction to that movie was: meh? I know lots of people loved it and even found some spiritual message in it. We just couldn't see it. Seeking revenge and killing seems not very spiritual.

Sunday found us doing the usual, church, lunch out and a nap and watching football. I'll just leave it at that. I will say that both of us did not participate in both activities. One watched football, one napped. Guess.

And now I will write about the most exciting thing that happened this weekend. Before I tell you about it, I'll show you a picture of it:

This is a picture of the kitchen window over the kitchen sink. What you don't see are all the bugs and ewww that were on the window and the screen. It's a big deal to me that the window is clean now because I've looked through all the yuck for almost a year. It was one of those jobs that I kept putting off. This house has windows that tilt in for easy cleaning. The trick is to figure out how exactly to do that. And this window is over the sink, so not very easy to get at. So I asked Hubby to help. He provided the muscle and the engineering know-how and I provided the Windex and the rag and the internet surfing. What does internet surfing have to do with washing windows? I wasn't just sitting there letting Hubby do all the work. I Googled the brand of window to figure out how exactly to get the windows tilted in for that easy washing feature. Once again, Google came through! (How did we ever survive before we had that resource?)

Now that I know how to work those windows, I have no excuse to start working on the other windows in the house. Sigh.

After all that rigorous internet surfing window washing was done, I decided to head to the basement to watch one of the chick-flicks I have recorded on the DVR. I settled in with my yummy HoneyCrisp apple and spoonful of peanut butter (best snack ever invented), and hit play for the movie 27 Dresses. It was a lot better than I though it would be, but I have no idea how it ended. The recording stopped before it was over! Sad. Now I think I'll have to rent it.

And now that there is only 25 minutes left to the weekend, I better hit the publish button.

The One About Last Weekend

Jeepers, I am really having a hard time figuring out what to write about on here. I guess that's what comes from living some where where not much goes on. Sigh. I am not a small town girl, for sure.

Last weekend we went to visit our kids. A weekend with the kids has got to be one of the best things ever.
Some highlights:
+Getting to the hotel at 12:30 AM was not a highlight. I am so tired of living so far from the kids.
+Megan making us some quite awesome beef stew for lunch on Saturday. Some of the best I have ever had.
+ Playing with Megan and Zach's dog, Charley. He just made me laugh as he would push a toy into my hand so I would play tug-of-war with him. He's a sweet dog, and everyone who knows me, knows I am not a dog-lover, so for me to say that is huge!
+All of us going together to see The Lion King in 3D at the theater. That was so much fun. I remember buying the soundtrack on cassette to listen to on a vacation when the kids were 4 and 7. (The 3D part was kinda cheesy.)

+Going to a jazz club with Caleb&Amanda Saturday evening. The music was great! It was such a wonderful treat to get to do something like that. (And the guy walking into the club all decked out in mint green all the way down to his shoes? So clubby!)
+Seeing and hugging my sweet daughter-in-law. We are blessed to have her in this family.
+Worshiping with the whole family and listening to my girl standing next to me singing praises to God. The Best.
+A yummy birthday lunch for Zach.
+An even yummier Megan-made Birthday Apple Pie.
+Giving Zach a present that was just perfect for his fly-fishing hobby. (It was an antique machinist's tool chest with lots of drawers for all his fly making items.)
+A mom and daughter hang-out time at Panera. Daughter was studying, but we still chatted and I loved it! Megan shared with me the things she was studying about how drugs work in our bodies. A bit over my head, but still very interesting. She is so incredibly smart!
+An hour of shopping at a Super Target. Bliss. We just had to spoil our kids a bit and bought Megan a DVD (Jane Eyre) and Caleb some LEGOS (Star Wars). Yes, I know he's a grown, married man, but he has never grown out his love for LEGOS. He posted a picture on Facebook of the completed vehicle and said his parents still buy him LEGOS because "they are awesome." :)
+Lunch with Megan (in between her classes on Monday). Hubby and I cherish our times with the kids.
+A post-lunch visit with Caleb. He and Hubby wrapped up some updates on one of our computers. It's a blessing to have a tech-whiz in the family.
+Listening to my son tell me how he edits articles for a magazine he works for. I got a kick out of how both the kids told me about what they were working on and how different the kids are.  So very cool.
+Having cupcakes with our son before we left town. He had found a sweet (pun intended) cupcake shop and wanted to take us there. There were so many yummy choices. I think I might have to go back.

+Having supper on our trip home at our favorite BBQ place with a dear friend from college days. Turns out it was even her birthday! Since her husband was out of town on business, we were glad to be able to help her celebrate.
+Watching a total of 6 deer run through the field next to our house as I sit here and write this blog-post. I know this has nothing to do with last weekend, but I thought it was fun, so I decided to add it at the end.

Psalm 13

I have been praying earnestly, even desperately for something for more than a year. Last week I came across this Psalm and it speaks my heart:

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?
   How long will you hide Your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
   and every day have sorrow in my heart?
   How long will my enemy triumph over me?

 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
   Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
   and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

 But I trust in Your unfailing love;
   my heart rejoices in Your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
   for He has been good to me. 

When my heart is crying "How long, O Lord?", I try to remind myself of the last couple of verses:

But I trust in Your unfailing love;
   my heart rejoices in Your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
   for He has been good to me. 

The One About Our Labor Day Weekend

Oh, yeah, I wanted to blog about what we did on our Labor Day weekend. I know that was way more than a week ago. I should be a bit more prompt about these things. But, hey this is my blog and I can write about things when I want to, right?

We had some fun plans made for the long Labor Day weekend. Some good friends we met while we were living in Singapore had invited us to spend the weekend with them in Chicago. It has been 7 or 8 years since I have seen my dear friend, Jackie, and I was excited to catch up. But then, our friends heard at the last minute that their son and daughter-in-law were coming for a visit. They don't get to see their kids very often so they, of course, opted to stay home and see the kids. We would have done the same thing. For sure.

So, we started working on Plan B. We both spent the day brain-storming possibilities. Hubby came home from work and said he had just thought of a great idea:

The Old Thresher's Reunion in the small SE Iowa town my hubby went to high school.

Not sure how to even describe this event. It's been going on for over 60 years (my grandpa used to take my cousin to it) and I think it began so farmers could get together and remember using steam engines for various tasks, like threshing grain. There are a lot of steam engines, tractors, cars, and trucks on display. There are exhibits how how things were done...lumber mill, making sorghum, displays of how running a household used to be "back in the day." I like seeing those things and remembering the stories my mom told me about growing up, about how her mother knew exactly how many corn cobs to put in the stove to bake a cake or a loaf of bread.

So off we went to SE Iowa. We saw these sights at Old Threshers:

I know, I took a lot of pictures. Here are a few more!

This is my favorite picture:

Hubby worked at Blue Bird Bus Company a couple of summers during the college years. Yep! He used to build school buses! (That would have been a few years after this bus was built....)


I really enjoyed seeing this event that I have heard my hubby talk about for a long time. He had always said we should go sometime when we didn't have anything else going on for Labor Day Weekend. I'm glad it worked out for us to go.

As a bonus to end the weekend: On the drive back north we were able to stop for short visits with both of our parents. 

I laughed at the contrast in our plans.... a weekend in the big city of Chicago .... changed to a weekend in small town Iowa looking at agriculture related things. We are diverse people, aren't we?!

A Move From Random to Hodgepodge

1. What do you do at the first sign of a cold? Will you get a flu shot this year?
I am amazed that I have not had a cold in a really long time. Two years maybe? That is not normal for me, but I'll take it! Believe it or not, I have never had a flu shot. Not planning on it this year either. But, back to the first question... when I feel a cold coming on I'll make sure I have Puffs Plus on hand and then feel sorry for myself and make sure everyone else around me does too. :)

2. What advice can you give about how to conquer fear?
Not a good question for me to try to answer right now, because I have no answer. I have the same question rolling around in my head. I actually wrote down a long list of Things I am Afraid Of late one night last week. Still battling with how to deal with that. I should hop around to all the others who have participated in this week's Hodgepodge to see how they answer this question.

3. Share two good things about your life right now.

1) My husband loves me.

2) Jesus Christ is my Savior and paid the penalty for my sins.
These are the things I cling to, especially in light of my answer to #2.

4. A hot fall fashion trend in 2011 is a return to sixties style...tunics with pants, shift dresses, pencil skirts, cinched waists, bold prints, high necklines and short lengths to name a few. How does this fashion trend fit with your wardrobe and personal sense of style? 

I would say that my personal style does not fit into any of the things listed here. Maybe I have finally reached the I'm Old and Look It Because My Clothes Aren't Up-To-Date Stylish. Sigh. At least I pay someone good money to make my hair not look quite as old as I am.

5. Were you involved in scouting as a kid? How about as an adult?

I was in Brownies, but never went on with Girl Scouts. I think that was because I was involved in 4H for 8 or 9 years as I was growing up.

6. Apple, pear, plum, pumpkin...your favorite fall flavor?
Pumpkin! I love pumpkin pie. But wait, I do live in Minnesota and Honey Crisp apples were created in Minnesota... those are the best!

7. What characteristics do you think are essential in a good teacher?
Kind, engaged, expects a lot from each student, firm in those expectations, willing to have a give-and-take discussion with a student... (don't EVEN get me started on my daughter's sophomore English teacher...She did NOT have these characteristics.)

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Here's a random photo. This is a picture of my dad when he was about 2 and my nephew's adorable, sweet little girl. Isn't it just insane how much she looks like her great-grandpa? She's even named after him.

A Little More Randomness

1. It's a little before 8pm and our neighbor is mowing his yard. What's so strange about that? It's practically dark outside. But then he does have headlights on his riding mower, so I guess that's okay. (ha) The thing is, he seems to start his yard-work when it's just beginning to get dark. It doesn't matter what time the sun sets, he'll be out there right as it's getting dark. And he's does more than just mow. In the year we have lived here, we've seen him lay tile for a patio, mow, garden, lay sod and even cut down huge pine trees all in the dark. At least we have something to entertain ourselves with in the evenings.

2. This afternoon I walked out to the street to get our mail out of the mailbox. I was noticing how crunchy dry the grass is (it hasn't really rained here for about two months), and then I noticed how dry the pot of geraniums by the front porch was. So, I set down the mail and turned on the water. As I reached for the hose, the plastic connection of the spray-wand cracked and spewed stale, musty, stinky water all over my hair, glasses and shirt! Ew. It smelled awful! (I did manage to get the flowers watered.)

3. Remember this post ? In Random Thing #4, I talked about my plans to cut up and grill a whole turkey. I did that for dinner tonight. It worked, but boy oh boy was it a chore! First of all cutting up a turkey is nothing like cutting up a chicken. That thing was huge and hard to keep under control! I thought of this scene from Everybody Loves Raymond as I was wrestling with it:

I'm just glad that didn't happen!

I managed to get it cut apart, but couldn't get the breast cut in half and it wouldn't fit on the grill, so I just roasted it in the oven. I put the rest of the turkey pieces on the grill and brushed italian dressing on them. It took quite a while, but I liked the end result. It was a bit messy. I managed to get spattered with grease.

Between the stinky water and the grease, I was a mess. Needless to say, as soon as supper was over and the kitchen cleaned up, I took a shower and spent the rest of the night in my jammies. (Hanging out in my jammies is the best!)

And that, my dear blog readers, is a day in the life of... entertaining, huh? :)