A lot of our focus this year has been to stop saying and start doing. . . There are a LONG list of things my husband and I have
“been meaning to do” for years. The to do list just keeps getting longer and longer and the accomplishments list is . . . well, not as lengthy. It’s not that we don’t know what we want to do or how we want to do all the things. . . it’s just that there’s usually more to it than that. See, when I met my husband, I met a kindred spirit in that he’s a fellow problem child like me.

For example, we need to replace the flooring in the kitchen… we have needed to for years now, but we don’t want to just go to the home improvement store and pick out a floor based on style, cost, color… all the normal stuff that non-problem children do… We want something unique, something still useful, something that is salvaged and/or rescued or something we can create ourselves. Something. . . well, “we’ll know when we find it” – ish… and it doesn’t bother either of us to live with the ratty old floor until we find something we really want.

And… if I’m being really honest, neither of us have had the time, energy and focus (ALL AT THE SAME TIME, mind you) to put into personal projects in a long while. But this year, we’ve made tiny steps. We are beginning to accomplish some of the to do list… (the Four Musketeers photo was one of them!) and this past weekend we’ve been working on the back yard. Back in the spring, we were able to salvage a fence that we both really liked and it has been waiting patiently through all the really good opportunities of spring and summer and almost alllllll of fall to finally be installed. . . I’m gonna be really brave for a minute and share . . . It’s a HOT mess back there.

We managed to get the fence line mostly cleared and the last remnants of an old storage building removed. Hopefully, if, this weekend cooperates, there will be progress to share next week! Maybe. Even. A. FENCE!!! So exciting!

But. . .

I promise, I swear! I had high hopes of sneaking out a couple evenings this week and tackling more bits and pieces to be better prepared and ahead of the game come Saturday. The weather has been Beautiful. I finish up earlier in the evening. This was a totally viable plan!

Except

My partner problem child doesn’t get home until almost dark which means I was left unattended and completely to my own devices…. ANNNNDDDDD when we cleared the fence, we cleared piles of wild grapevines that needed a new purpose and see, there was an old tomato cage just hanging out underneath the deck. . . and well…

• 1. I still have a BUNCH of grapevine to rescue (Pinterest, here I come!)
• 2. I really hope we don’t come up one tomato cage short for anything next year, and
• 3. Hey! Look! A Christmas Tree!!!!!!

And just in case it seems that I couldn’t get more distracted from the true goal of completing the task we started. . . The “tree” trimmings were salvaged from some fairly beat up Christmas arrangements I acquired when a friend cleaned out her storage unit this summer. One arrangement had fake “candied fruit”, so I added the pears to the tree and am currently in search of a partridge! Now, if I can only find some turtle doves and French hens, I think I have the vines left to do a series, and… oh, yeah. . .<Sigh>, I’m gonna wish I done more with that yard come Saturday.😲🙄😁

about most things, in general, but today, about blogging and managing a website… but it still intrigues me. I’ve spent most of this year, trying to steal moments to take courses, watch videos, study other sites, just trying to figure out how blogs and websites work, what do I want to create, what do I want to share, what don’t I want to share, how do I share what I want to share that I created. . . It’s a lot, but then life is a lot, because most people expect me to go around behaving like a full-fledged adult, like, EVERY DAY… I mean, I am old enough, and I am socially mature enough, but I really don’t like it. It takes a lot of self-control to adult daily. . . So, need an effort to create a safe and appropriate place to express myself and, frankly, escape the never-ending demands of adulting, here I am, sharing something I talked my husband and my brother, (who already know) and my daughter and my son-in-law (who are just figuring out that adults are all just faking it) into helping me create…because it’s quirky and it’s fun and the thought and vision of it in my head made me smile just as much as the finished product does. I hope it makes you smile too:)

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Happy Halloween

All for One and One for All

From our gang to yours!

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_{The moon from our driveway at 11:30ish on New Year’s Eve, 2022… being a brat and reminding me that that the light won’t go out just because I won’t look at it 😀}

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So… Y’all, I’m stubborn. I mean really stubborn. I mean really, REALLY stubborn. I’m a Taurus if that tells you anything.

At least 4 different times in my life I have said out LOUD:

“I’m gonna put myself out as an artist!”

“I’m gonna photograph!”

“I’m gonna write!”

“I’m gonna do it!”

“I’m gonna, like, create stuff!”

And at least 4 times I’ve said OUT LOUDER:

“Nope!”

“That sh*t’s scary!”

“I don’t need that!”

“I’m good!…I’m good… Really, It’s fine!”

“There are just too many other priorities in my life right now. . .”

“NOPE! No time for that!”

The truth is… sharing creative thoughts and ideas is some SCARY sh*t, but it turns out it’s something I do need. Shutting it out has not left me good or fine. It’s left me cranky. And as it turns out, one by one the priorities that I have thrown in front of it have all resolved themselves… and at this point in my life…. I actually DO have time for that. Well, <insert profanity of your choice here> !!!.

(I used the big one, but that’s kinda rude.)

So, here we go, again…

One year after my last attempt, the moon decided to prove to me that no matter how tightly I may lock it up… that spark’s not going anywhere and in fact the longer it sits in darkness, the brighter it gets. . . Brat!

(It wasn’t even a FULL moon, that’s just how the meanie photographed!!!)

I don’t know if the thoughts or ideas or whatevers that happen to come out of my brain are worth sharing, but I do know where I will be putting them if you happen to want to tag along. It’ll be right here… And so will I . . . Doing stuff, posting things, trying to have a little fun with it for a change. Sharing the nuttiness that lives in my head, consequently making room for new nuttiness because that seems to be how it works.

S’all good. . . . . . . . . I think.

Yeah… S’all good.

Happy New Year, Y’all!!

Love, M

Sunday, January 30, 2021

Hmmm… Still cold outside. There is a Star Wars marathon is on TBS. I need to finish some stuff. . .But the dog is settled. . . The cat has climbed on my lap. . . And even the turtles are tuned in . . .

OK, this is good.

Sounds like as good a plan as any. . .

Quiet days are the best.

Saturday, January 29, 2022

With the child moving on, one of the things we inherited was turtles. 

She and her husband will be moving around a lot in the next few years, and she just wasn’t comfortable taking them with her.  She offered and even tried to find them other homes, but in the end, it was me and her dad who weren’t willing to part with them. 

Sammie is 20 years old and came to live with us 10 years ago when his owner was looking to re-home him.  He and the girl are the same age.

Pancake came during us during the high school years, from a classmate who had taken him on and then wasn’t as into turtles as she thought she would be… He was the size of a silver dollar pancake… hence his name.

Ironically, we are still getting to know each other.  Until now, my daughter was their primary caregiver and they have lived their entire lives in our home in her room. Now they are in the living room, so that they still have daily interaction with people and so we don’t forget to feed them. . .

So far, here’s what we know. . .While they both agree that celery is a nice little snack, Sammie loves strawberries and thinks Pancake is an idiot for not liking them. . . Pancake likes to climb on top of the aquarium top (which is still safely inside his enclosure, I promise) and hurl himself into the water below. . . to which Sammie maintains his opinion of his young roommate: He’s an idiot.  And also. . . I doubted her when she told me, but my daughter knows her turtles. . . They really DO love to watch Disney cartoons… So far Nemo, Finding Dory and the Atlantis movies are strong favorites.

Friday, January 28, 2022

On this snowy day, please take a moment to enjoy the innovative work of art of our amazing Artist in Residence, Rudy Bagah:

“Winter Wonderland”, January 2022

and it’s companion work

“Aftermath”, January 2022

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

About four times a year, I host a literacy class for infants and toddlers at a local establishment.

Yes, you read that correctly. Literacy (yup, reading) for children birth to three years old.  No, the babies don’t do the reading, nor do we try to teach them to. 

The entire focus of the class is to create a love of books at a REALLY early age.  We do that by combining books (with their parents sitting with or holding them) with activities (that parents help them complete) that relate back to what we just read and talk about the book and the activity and do our best to grow these little people’s vocabularies.

Honestly, though, it’s the overall experience that matters to me.  If they are able to enjoy the experience and meet new friends and associate all those good feelings with sitting down for a book, then hopefully, they will develop a fondness for books and reading and learning in general. 

My winter class starts next week.  It is virtual this time around and even I will admit. . .

Virtual is NOT fun.

Attendance, which was never huge, has dwindled. The class is free, and it frustrates me beyond belief that more people don’t come. It’s 45 minutes to spend with your child fostering a love of reading. . . and you get a free book! I don’t understand why it is sooooo hard to spread this message, but that is another rant. I just keep powering through because as long as someone shows up, it’s a chance to foster literacy and language skills. 

Hopefully we will be back in person and feel safe to bring the little ones out again soon. Hopefully parents will come. After years spent isolating in our homes, I feel like the class will have even more importance for developing social skills. . . When we get there.  Maybe in the spring. 

But for now, I confess. . .The procrastination is strong in this one. . .Wish me luck!

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents”

Emilie Buchwald

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

“Home is the nicest word there is.”

Laura Ingalls Wilder

This week, this momma is tired. I don’t seem to bounce back as soon as my ego tells me I will. . . And while COVID appears to be behind us, at least for now (and for all of our loved ones, as well, we think), I’m still coughing.  I’m still run down.  But this week is a lighter workload, so there’s that and I’m trying to stay away from people, just because.  When I have to go out, I mask up, stifle my cough and try not to talk.

Sinusitis likes to think it’s my best friend, so there is always that to tease out of this pandemic mess. . .

But my husband made me this fancy coffee and the dog is just as worn out as me and our cats are their version of happy that we are home… So it’s all good.

Sunday, January 22, 2022

Georgia

South Carolina

North Carolina

Tennessee

Kentucky

Home!!!!

Saturday, January 22, 2022

Today, we are going to the beach. 

The high in Georgia today is only 47 degrees. And in Georgia, that’s COLD. But it’s currently snowing at home, and I’ve reached an age where I don’t like missing opportunities to see the ocean.  AANNNNDDD we’re taking Rudy!!!

We chose Jekyll Island for a few reasons. 

First, dogs are allowed on certain beaches and welcome in general around the island. Being first time dog tourists, this was important.

Second, there is an island wide treasure hunt in January and February.  Every year island locals hide plastic globes all over the island and if you find one, you take it to the visitor’s center and exchange it for a beautiful hand-blown glass ball. We stopped in the visitor’s center and looked at them.  They are stunning!

We didn’t find any though. I kept getting distracted by the beauty of the island, itself, and forgot to look. Spanish moss growing down from giant ancient trees, sand, salt, and driftwood… It was gorgeous. The newlyweds came along, and we crossed paths with them a few times. They did their thing, and we did ours. . . because well, they’re newlyweds:).

The boy loves the ocean… I got to spend the day on an island… and walk on a beach for a little while…. my toes weren’t in the sand, but my boots were, and I’ll take it this time. Because a cold day at the beach is better than no day at the beach…any day of the week.

Bonus! For lunch, there was local jumbo fried shrimp and barbecue. And I sampled Brunswick Stew for the first time — YUM!

It was an awesome day.

It was cold… but it was awesome…. and we can’t wait to take the boy back when we can actually play in the water.