Beautiful Summer Day

Beautiful - Summer- Day - in July???  What's up with that?  Yes - it is hot and humid - it's mid-July in Arkansas.  Historically, the only thing harder for me to face than mid-July in Arkansas - is AUGUST.  I have not been a summer person since moving to a job that required working all summer.  You know - summer has always been fine until the 5th of July, then I'm ready for it to be over.  Let's just move on to Labor Day with the promise of cooler days to follow.

I had an "ah-ha" moment this morning.  I am enjoying this summer.  I will admit that the hot days have been interspersed with some not-so-hot days, but even the hot ones have been OK.  We've done some traveling and visiting and I've spent time working in the yard - cooking - sewing - reading - studying - and it has all been good - because of summer not in spite of it.

I've read and done my Bible study outside - early in the morning.  It has been wonderful.  Menus and activities have been planned - taking the heat into account.  Curious that it has taken me so many of my adult years to figure this out.  It is possible for me to enjoy summer - when I work with it and not fuss about it!

Speaking of planning menus for summer.  I decided that I wanted to make a cool, light dessert - easy to make - and not too bad for us.  I found a promising one on Pinterest yesterday.  I followed the link to the original blog and it has great pictures and easy-to-follow directions for a "No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Dessert".  Checkout her recipe and directions at http://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2012/03/no-bake-chocolate-eclair-dessert.html.

Now for my version.  I used her recipe, but substituted lower fat and lower sugar options through-out.  If it tastes nearly as good as it looks and smells, we are in for a treat tonight.

My version of the filling has sugar-free vanilla pudding, low-fat milk, and Cool-Whip Free layered with low-fat graham crackers.  The chocolate glaze has cocoa, Truvia Blend, and butter.  Chocolate glaze needs butter.  I tasted the pudding/cool whip mixture and the chocolate glaze and they were both super yummy.  It is chilling now and I can't wait to pull it out for dinner tonight with my grilled lean chops and fresh green beans and new potatoes!

Have a great beautiful summer day!

Blessings ~

King and Ballard Antiques and Collectibles

Sounds impressive, or at least official.  Jenn and I started talking about getting a booth at an antique mall/flea market several years ago.  We started buying a few things here and there - carefully logging them in our journal and packing them away.  Next, came the desire/need to downsize my collection of "stuff" because there was NO place to put anymore of anything.  My little house was full. Then I got married and I only thought it was full before.  THEN, my Dad brought down all of the boxes of stuff that had been packed away for years.  OH MY - do I ever have stuff!  I have taken the plunge.  On May 5, the first of many things to sell went to our dealer booth at a nearby antiques and collectibles mall.  Hopefully, we will sell enough to pay the rent.  Either way, it's fun and I just have to remember to SELL and not to BUY which is very tempting when you walk by neat stuff 3-4 times a week.  Enjoy your day!

Blessings ~ Letitia
                                                                                         

A Beautiful Monday and More

Good Monday Morning!  The sun is shining - the air is warm - flowers are blooming and the birds are singing.  It is a beautiful day in Central Arkansas.  I'm taking a short break from my spring cleaning and thinking about what I want to plant this year to write a bit.

So - for an update on More.   I know that Less is the idea that people are pursuing now.  Less stuff - less stress - less waste, etc.  But Less isn't where I need to be.  In January, I set my goals of  Praying More - Volunteering More - Sharing More and Finishing More.  If you read this blog,you know sharing more hasn't happened so let's just skip that one.

Praying More

 I am doing an online book study with Renee Swope, author of "A Confident Heart."  Have you ever read a book where you feel the author is talking about your life in EVERY chapter?  Yes - pretty much - this is it for me.  To do this study requires much prayer and soul-searching - or at least it is for me.  I am also using a wonderful devotional that John bought me for Christmas, Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in His Presence.  Each daily entry has 2-3 scripture references that I am spending time with.  Between the two books and the time spent in prayer, I am in a better place than I have been in for a long time.




Finishing More

I am finding time every single day to do a creative thing - sewing, knitting, writing, whatever the day brings.  I was raised believing that no play happened until all the chores were done.  Well heavens - the chores are NEVER all done.  I still struggle with this and I am trying not to feel guilty writing right now, because I have laundry to do and spring cleaning to continue.  I know it is about balance and for me that involves pushing through some guilt to do the things that make me who I am.  So laundry and cleaning can wait a few more minutes while I write and think.

Volunteering More

I have always thought that my volunteering needed to be something with kids or something about missions.  After all - I was an educator for 35 year - I am a Christian.  Surely that's where I am SUPPOSED to volunteer.  I have discovered that volunteering isn't about where you think you SHOULD be volunteering, but rather about where your heart is.  I love to sew and knit and make things and garden and so much more.  I have loved going to Mountain View for 30 years and talking to the artisans and craftsmen and listening to the music.  Thanks to a good friend telling me about the Committee of One Hundred for the Ozark Folk Center and getting me involved, I have found my place.  I am working with a great group of women on the Board, in PR, and on the Committee at large doing things to support ideas and people who are dear to my heart.  Volunteering isn't work at all when you love what you are doing.  (Thanks Carol!!)  Check out our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/COOHOzarkFolkCenter and the Ozark Folk Center State Park website http://www.ozarkfolkcenter.com/  for more information on some great things that are going on in our state.  (Any hints for managing a Facebook page would be appreciated since I am very new at this.)

Have a great week!

Blessings ~ Letitia

Finish More - Knitted Color-Block Throw

Last winter I visited Rabbit's Lair, which is an amazing quilt and fiber shop in Northwest Arkansas. They are one of my favorite shops and time spent in there - surrounded by much beauty - is time well-spent.  Of course the trick is to carefully manage the money spent at the same time. 

When I walked in the door, a beautiful jewel-toned color block throw caught my eye,  The pattern called for a lot of yarn, but was easy to knit and I decided to buy 1 skein of each color to give it a try. It turned out to be super easy to knit and was as beautiful as I remembered.  I bought the rest of the yarn to finish the throw.  For the past year the project was a "knit in the car" project and progress was fairly slow.  I recently finished the first strip of 4 and now I want it finished.

I'm now 20 inches into the second strip and I'm loving it.  Knitting and football playoffs go well together so - NFL - keep it coming and I will too!

My friends all know how many projects I have to finish and for 2013 - this will be the first of hopefully many "Finish More" projects.

Blessings ~ Letitia

A New Year - 2013

Happy New Year!!

Where did 2012 go?  I had just retired this time last year and was looking forward to the year with great anticipation.  February rolled around and I was blessed with the opportunity to take a part-time job - big enough to fund some extras, but not take all my time.  I have a 4-day weekend EVERY week!  Talk about too good to be true...

2012 passed with knitting and sewing and reading and gardening and cycling and hanging out with my DH, John.  We exercised and cooked more and ate out far less resulting in a maintained weight loss of 16 pounds.

So onto 2013...

I'm not one for making resolutions because that just makes me feel guilty and I fight that enough already.  Last year without realizing it, I looked for a theme that I wanted to to tackle - like "Cook More" that  had great results.  Now that "Cook More" is an established way of life I'm turning to my attention to thoughts of this year's theme.

Not in a "make me feel guilty" way - but in a "because it's important" way - I want to pray more, volunteer more, share more, and finish more.

Not all once because then none will happen - but in 2013 - yes...

Blessings ~ Letitia

Wednesday Wanderings - Sarah

Today is Sarah's birthday and it is the 7-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.  Thank goodness Sarah and 2 of her 3 kids were here the day that Katrina blew into New Orleans and inundated her home.  After all was said and done, the water covered all but the rooftop of her 3-story apartment.  Sarah's apartment was on the ground floor.  All of the official reports said that no one knew what was happening in Chalmette and that no one could have known.  Yet - we knew.  Sarah maintained cellphone contact with a neighbor who stayed.  Everything was intact with no flooding throughout the worst part of the hurricane.  The water started rising after they thought the worst was over.  The levees had failed allowing unbelievable amounts of water to fill her neighborhood and her home.  Try to imagine water to the rooftop of a 3-story building and hers was a ground floor apartment.  She didn't cry but began planning.  Her home was gone and her job was gone.  Her children and Mother were safe - 2 here and 1 with her Mother in central Louisiana.  The company Sarah worked for had locations elsewhere in Louisiana.  Within a couple of days, she had a job in a new location, had the boys enrolled in school here, knew where there was room in a shelter, and was headed south to start over.  Seven years later, her daughter is a sophomore in college, the boys are juniors in high school, and she owns her own home.  Sarah is in her final semester at a college in her new hometown and will complete her Associate's Degree in December.  The shelter was at a church and through all of the hard times and hard work, she found God.

Sarah - I am so proud of you.  I love you and hope you have a wonderful day.

Garden - Progress

When we started, the yard looked far worse than the picture on the left. The ENTIRE yard - or at least all of the beds - were full of weeds.  This is one small section that had already been treated 2 times with Round-Up.  For 4+ weeks, we pulled weeds, dug weeds, used the tiller on weeds, and chopped weeds with the hoe.  It felt like they would never be cleared.  Of course, in a 4-week span of time, the weeds that had been cleared began to grow back.  Slowly, but surely, we made progress.  The waste management people had to wonder where 4 straight weeks of huge piles of yard waste came from.

The weeds, trees and vines came out, timbers were replaced or new beds were built and bags and bags of mulch were put in place.  The results were amazing.  The yard has become a pleasant place to be.  The beds still have to be weeded frequently and watering is critical because it has been so hot and dry.  We have 1 small section left to clear to expand the brick patio on the far backside of the house. 
We have a gazebo cover on the patio that is providing a great place to sit. The fountain is working well and the birds are loving the access to fresh water. 

 The pictures above and to the left show the fruits of our labor.  It is well worth the pain and effort.