A Relaxing but Productive Day

Homemade turkey soup from Thanksgiving turkey.

I love Sundays during football season. After returning from church, it's usually a day for puttering, watching the game, eating comfort food, and checking scores to see how my game picks are doing.

I can do my thing in the kitchen, while listening to the games, and popping in now and again to watch some of the action. W, being a huge fantasy football player, will have several games on at once, but when the Patriots are playing, we're all New England.

Every Thanksgiving I plan to do something with the leftover turkey, once sandwiches have lost their appeal. And every Thanksgiving I end up throwing the turkey in the garbage feeling quite guilty about wasting perfectly good food. So this year, being focused on being more creative, I vowed to finally do something with the remaining turkey carcass. I really don't like using the word carcass when talking about food, but it is what it is! I've been in a soup mood lately so I searched online for a soup recipe and found one here, at the Santa Monica Patch, I didn't follow the whole recipe exactly, but I did follow the stock instructions to the letter. It came out very tasty, and I have lots of stock left over that is now in the freezer for later use. Before I simmered the carcass for the stock, I was able to get enough turkey meat to make turkey croquettes. Tuesday's dinner is done! And since today's comfort food was Pot Roast, I've got the makings of another meal for later in the week.

Today I'm thankful for our new worship community at St. Christopher's, the workout that my kitchen got, a little more decorating for Christmas, time to watch the Patriots game with W, and a nice brisk walk with Molly just before the sun went down.

All's well.

Being Stuck

One of the horses that my hubby owned long ago. Love her name.
Maybe I should adopt it for myself.

Why am I stuck? I worked on my painting daily, (for about 5 days) and then just stopped. I know I need to find a way to work through the hard parts. I suppose it's easy to continue with something when it just flows   beautifully. When I hit a snag I am very likely to stop, and not go back for a long time.

I had hoped to have completed the painting and started a sewing project by now,  as well as plans for spending time with the grandkids and reconnecting with old friends. But maybe I shouldn't be too hard on myself, I did almost complete the little 'nook' in the kitchen. There's still a bit more to do though.

I suppose this could be said for many of us. Once something stops being 'easy', and we see a challenge up ahead, we tend to pause. Or it could be I'm the only one that does that. It's the same with diet and exercise. I get to that one point and then put on the brakes. Or worse, go backwards!

When I went back to school, many years ago, (sixteen to be exact), I remember saying to myself, 'well, if it takes four years to get a two year degree, so be it. The four years will pass either way. If I go for it, I will have achieved something after the four years is up'. So I guess I need to take the 'one day at a time' approach and just do something!

I've never been successful with New Year's Resolutions. So perhaps an end of November resolution is what I need to propel me.

Today's prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for all you've blessed me with. Give me rest when I need it, and a nudge to get busy when I'm being lazy and wasting your gifts for me. Amen

It's Official. House for Sale

After months and months making sure that practically every inch of our home is in pristine condition, it was put on the market in mid July.

We worked virtually non stop, cleaning up the landscape, eliminated every possible weed, fixing the pool liner, rebuilding a deck, staining, replacing columns, re-grouting tile, replacing fixtures, rebuilding stone walls, and on and on and on. Matt (nephew) was an enormous help. And whenever a ‘never been tried’ project had to be tackled, together they figured it out. 

It’s still not the best time to try to sell real estate, but we are going to give it our best shot. There have been three showings and an open house. I’ve decided that I am not going to obsess over it. I’m leaving it in your hands Lord. When the right family comes along, it will sell. And that’s that.

So anyone that hears me obsessing over it has permission to slap me. Not too hard.

Thoughts on Sunday's Message

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect.” from Romans 12. 


This was part of the second reading in church several weeks ago.

It’s not easy to renew the mind in our busy, noisy, fast paced lives. I think it takes considerable effort, but the payoff is huge. I find myself wondering “what is God’s plan for me?” Am I following the path, His path?  Do I really listen for God’s voice? Or am I aimlessly checking days of the calendar with no real knowledge of my purpose? I realize I haven't used the gifts he has given me to the fullest. 

Is it enough to follow the commandments? He knows when I’ve stumbled and messed up. And I know that I’m forgiven, Jesus gave that gift to all of us. 

Perhaps a real effort to spend quiet reflective time is in order. Freeing my mind from much of the unnecessary clutter of this world will hopefully transform it, and leave it open and ready to hear and understand God’s plan for me. 

Don't Be Mad, Mom. I Painted the Dresser.

I’ve had this little dresser for over 30 years. It has been in our family for over 80 years. Mom gave it to me when our first child was born to use for all the little baby clothes. It was the perfect size. I used it for all the baby clothes that came into our home for all the babies (four of you!) that came into our lives. 

And when all the babies were grown up, I used it to hold various miscellaneous items, photos, office supplies, etc.

One important note. When Mom gave this dresser to me she said, “Whatever you do, don’t paint it!” She had a particular dislike for all the painted furniture of those days. Lots of folks did. There was something about putting paint over nice wood, like cherry and mahogany. So even though it looked a bit worn back then, with the faded and worn flower decals and the loose top, I didn’t paint it. Try as I might, I didn’t have the nerve. She had that “Mom Power” over me. I wonder if she even remembers that she said that? 

Several years ago I got an estimate of over $300 to have it refinished. No thank you. And since some of the veneer was cracked and peeled away, a refinishing job was not something I felt I could do at the time.

So about a month ago I got the courage to defy Mom and actually paint it. I thought I might freeze when it was time for the first brush stroke, but I didn’t! And I’m am loving how it is coming out! Pictures soon!

Mom, I think you'll like it.

Exploring A Creative Life

I think this is what I am doing. I am exploring, attempting, and sometimes obsessing, about getting the hopes, ideas and plans out of my head and into reality. I am exploring what it really means to live a more creative life, from painting, repairing, and exercising, to gardening, cooking, playing, and just living a more healthy lifestyle.


I've been blessed with a commodity that is widely sought after. Time. But I haven't really used it to the fullest.


I hope that keeping a blog will be a motivational tool for me to use the that artistic and creative gifts that God has given me.


The last time I had painted anything was during the Nixon administration, so it's not a stretch to say I felt a little rusty. I enrolled in a watercolor class at the art college that my daughter was attending. I didn't finish my main painting, just the classroom exercises we worked on. And for some crazy reason my sweet husband persuaded me to paint something for our church fundraiser. I did. The painting sold. I was thrilled. I did another painting that I was very happy with, a gift for my Mom. Then a few others, and then none. I found excuses for not starting a new painting.


And then I got back into sewing. And tried to find a way to start a small business around it. But, again, didn't follow it through long enough.


Then I got hooked on trying to re-purpose thrifted, flea market finds. And it happened.


I found my people. I didn't even know they were out there. I found blogs about turning an old door into a chalkboard memo board, remaking a discarded 80s chair into a modern accent piece, and how about using old weathered pallet wood to create an outdoor love seat? How incredibly talented and thrifty is that? There were even people who were at total odds as to what styles they were drawn to. Hey, that's me! As in: "I'd like this room to be a beachy cottage look. No, wait. Danish Modern all the way, that would be fantastic. Oh, but that Queen Anne desk is calling me. Can't you hear it?"


And it was enough to propel me to action. And it was somehow made clear to me that it's okay, even very good, to want to pursue many different avenues of a creative life. I don't have to settle on 'one thing'.


So perhaps all the thoughts in my head, the scribbles and sketches, and my hesitation on throwing away perfectly good and useful junk will take some shape in the real world. The only way to know for sure is to begin. Andf this sounds vaguely like you, explore with me.


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We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T. S. Eliot