little pocket

Why is it that the thing you are looking for is always in the very last place you look for it?! I mean, seriously?

I don't just mean it like, since you found it obviously you would stop looking for it after that. Which would naturally make the last place you looked for it.

But. I was looking for something today. And I look Everywhere. Everywhere. In every single closet. In every single bag [well, except for one]. And in every single room. I looked a lot. And then, at the end of my rope I decided I would look one last place and if it wasn't there then I would stop looking and consider the said item gone forever. I looked in the big part of the suitcase that was far above my reach. Not there. I looked in the biggest pocket on the outside. Not there. Then. Then . . . I looked in the smaller pocket. And what do you know? Right there in front of my face. Or more like hand. I fished it out and then saw it was exactly what I was looking for.

I love finding things. But sometimes I don't like the looking so much. eh. what can ya do, I suppose the go hand in hand with each other.

Anyhoot.

return of the studd muffin

The Hubs came home. Finally. Boy is it nice to see him again. It was very quiet and lonesome while he was gone. I found myself frequenting Target more than I would like to admit. Just for something to do. Just for something to keep my mind busy - thinking about how cute this or that was and how I needed something or rother that I naturally never left the store with. But going gave me some interaction with people. In that I actually saw a real live person as opposed to seeing only pictures of people online or people in movies that I watched. Or only seeing and talking to Puppy.

Anyhow. When The Hubs came walking through the gate I was expecting [and prepared] to see my Hubs. You know, the hottie in jeans and a UK t-shirt or hoodie.

Instead, this guy walked out . . . 

 studd muffin, eh?

He told me he wore it special for me. oh, dear. He also told me that he got a lot of interesting, crazy, and weird looks while walking through the airport. Just cause he was wearing something a little untraditional to us Americans. eh, what can you do?

I didn't look at him all funny like. I just laughed at him. But he did too. So it was all good and fun. Cause it was like he told me later, he was just wearing it for fun. See? No hurt feelings.

ok. well. I just thought I'd let you all know he is back. And back to wearing his normal jeans and t-shirt clothes again. Not that you really care about that part.

Alrighty then. Happy Weekend to you all!

Water for Elephants

I finished reading Water for Elephants and I must say I quite enjoyed it. I had no idea what to expect before I started reading it. Oh wait, maybe I did. A guy is a vet and he joins the circus. That's pretty much it. But other than that, no idea. It was really good though. Parts were a little bit funny and I chuckled, "ha ha." Parts of it were intense. Parts were a little bit gross. And there were a few racy bits.

As is says on the back of the book:

As a young many, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and for Jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray home for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was ultimately their only hope for survival. 

 

I'd say that's a pretty good summary of the book. Somehow book covers always say it best : ) I would go into more details but I don't want to ruin it for any of you if you are reading it or want to. Apart from that it was entertaining and was the reason I didn't do dishes for about two days straight. Books will be the end of me.

The next book on my list is The Help, one of my friends has it so we are going to swap books! I'm so excited! Really. It's a little sad how excited I am about reading a book. I just can't help it. I LOVE reading!!

I heart baking

Baking = therapy : ) -which in my experience is waaaay cheaper than actually going to the doctor.

No matter what I've got going on in my little life baking is my therapy. It's true. If I'm stressed or worried about something, I bake. It's amazing how wonderfully relaxing it is to me. I love it. Today I had a bunch of stuff going on (well, kind of, I made myself have stuff to do) but then after the dishes were put away and everything else was in it's home, I pulled out my brown bananas and mushed em up, added some flour and sugar . . . and a few other things, and popped two little loaves into the oven. Then for an hour I had the sheer pleasure and delight of inhaling the sweet and comforting aroma of baking banana bread. There is nothing better. It smells like home when something is baking. Maybe that's why I bake so much, cause I love my house to smell like a home.

Some people like running, or exercising, or talking, or eating, or cleaning when they are worried or stressed. I bake. Not that I was really stressed today, but my heart rate was up and I was running around the house like a chicken with it's head cut off. Actually, that's not true, I've seen a chicken get it's little head chopped off and the running around that it does while headless. It is a frightening sight. And there is also quite a lot of blood and feathers involved. Thankfully there was none of that going on here today :)

I just wanted to share my love today. I like the tried and true too. You know, the simple stuff. The good hearty homey stuff. Nothing too fancy smancy.

Too bad you aren't here to enjoy the yummy smell of my bread . . . and maybe even eat a little piece of it. If you want some you should come over. I will share with you : )

ok.

better than Christmas.

Do you know what's better than Christmas?! Finding a treasure. 

It is true. 

Like this . . . 

I was going through a little (or medium size) bin I have in our hall closet. This bin holds the extras. You know: shampoo, soap, hair products, deodorant and such. The stuff that I sometimes find on mucho sale or I had a coupon for. Just a few odds and ends. Things that we use every day and some of which would be a terrible thing to run out of suddenly (for example: deodorant). Although, it wouldn't be that terrible, just a little inconvenient maybe. You would have to go to the store a hot smelly mess to get something to remedy that. So, ever since The Hubs and I have been married I have tried to have a few extras. Or at least one in the bin for when the other runs out. A very bad thing to suddenly run out of is contact solution. Although there are many others : ) 

But . . . I digress. Like I was saying, I was going through the bin. Looking to see what we had and kind of organizing it too. I tend to do that about once a month. But. Yes. I was looking through the bin and found two little treasures. 

Contacts! 

my little life eye savers : ) 

Fine. Don't think it's a treasure. But whatever, I know the truth. It is. A big one too. It's a treasure because I had just called the day before to make an eye appointment because my prescription had expired. You see, I had ordered some contacts. But then they told me my prescription was expired so I couldn't. Which meant I was going to have to pay for the eye appointment and then the contacts too. joy. Not that I couldn't use a little eye check up. Sadly enough I think my eyes have gotten worse in the past year and a half (thanks, Mom - I get my blindness from her. real sweet of her huh? : ) 

That is why finding boxes (of the current prescription) of contacts in your closet is better than Christmas. 

Almost. I really love Christmas. But is pretty dang exciting. I know, you all wish you had my life cause it is stock full of exciting times, huh? ; )

toodles.

 

lofty goals

Today I had two goals.

1. make a skirt.

2. do the laundry (including folding and putting it away).

Not too hard. Not that much to do. Shouldn't take forever. Not too lofty of goals. Right? Right.

Well, I forgot. I live with a puppy. Although, Puppy is almost not a puppy . . . but I still have another month or so.

Needless to say. The skirt did not get sewn (granted there are a few more hours to my day and it could happen, but I know that it won't so I won't even pretend like it will).

But thankfully by the time the clothes were fully dried Puppy was snoozing under the couch. Which allowed me plenty of time to fold and even put away the laundry. Obviously the more boring goal is the one Puppy allowed me to accomplish. Although, I suppose laundry is a little more important than sewing.

Maybe tomorrow Puppy will cooperate and I will be able to sew and snap a picture of my little creation. I sure hope so.

that's all I've got for today, y'all : )

"Choosing to See"

I finished reading Choosing to See the other day. What a story. In the pages of this book Mary Beth Chapman (the wife of Christian musician Steven Curtis Chapman) opens up her heart and shares her life story. Parts of it made me chuckle at some unfortunate and embarrassing moments but for the most part I was pretty much blubbering, sobbing, and crying the whole time. This woman and her family have been through a tragedy I can't even fathom going through, and through it all they keep their hope and faith in Christ. It is incredible. You will be blessed when you read this book.

Mary Beth Chapman shares her journey from the time she was a little girl, to when she met Steven Curtis Chapman, the beginning of their marriage, children, adoption, and tragedy. She shares her life and through it God is glorified. 

Read it. You will see the power and grace of God and how He is the Creator and Father of us all. You will also cry, a lot. Guaranteed. I was just telling The Hubs about different parts in the book and he started tearing up. The Hubs does not cry. I told him to read it, but he said he didn't want to cry and after seeing me in uncontrollable tears while I was reading it he didn't feel so adventurous. But that should not stop you.

The Chapmans adopt and she shares this journey, I am grateful she did. Reading this book only reaffirmed my desire to adopt our children. The whole time I was reading (and after) all I could think about was how I want too, need to adopt. Even before reading this book I felt the calling on my life to adopt our children, but this was a definite source of encouragement and reaffirmation of that call. And it makes me want to start now. But we can't . . . so we will wait for the Lord's perfect timing.