Praising Pinterest

                                        



Pinterest...oh how I love thee.

An invite to Pinterest was sent to me about 18 months ago. I signed up. I spent about 10 minutes on the site. I realized that I would actually need to cook something or make something or you know, do something in order to make it worth my time. And I wasn't up for doing much of anything. So, I clicked off and pretty much forgot about the whole business of pinning (which is now a verb).

I would see facebook updates wherein people thanked Pinterest for a recipe or a craft or world peace. I would ignore them...and maybe roll my eyes. Ok, I did quite a bit of eye rolling. I blame my bad attitude on the rain cloud.

Then...once the clouds started rolling out and motivation returned, I figured I should give Pinterest another go. I need recipes. I need mantle-scape ideas. Halloween is right around the corner and I need to decorate. I need crafts in my life. World peace sounds doable!

I am completely addicted.

However, it can't just be a place that sucks my time and ties my bubbly behind to the couch or bed everyday. So, I am starting a little thing I'm going to call "Look what I did"! Because...

1. I like to share. If I like something, I share. If I don't like something, I share. I'm a sharer.
2. I need to be tethered so that I'm not sucked into a black hole of time-sucking.
3. I like to pat my little self on the back every once in awhile...and since I've been beating myself up pretty good for the last year and a half, I think I'm overdue for a little patting.

My first foray into turning a virtual pin into a tangible action was a success. I'll be honest, I went for an easy win.  I made Ranch Pork Chops. 3 whole ingredients not including the can of water. I did go a little crazy with it...I used a packet of Fiesta Ranch instead of plain Ranch. I know, I'm a brave soul.

Hannah helped me whip up some garlic mashed potatoes and the gravy left in the bottom of the crockpot sho- was tasty over the top of them. It was a hit. Mark loved it, his mom loved it, the kids loved it, the chickens that ate the leftovers loved it...mmm hmm. I was/am proud of myself and my three ingredients.

That small win propelled me on. I have made 4 more recipes this week. All winners. All with more than three ingredients.

Which leads me to another segue. I'm going to have another little section on here. A monthly/bi-monthly/whenever-I-feel-like-it posting called Weighty Issues. All this cooking is causing me some concern. I need to be accountable on the weight loss front. Aren't you so excited? Yeah, me too. Not.

Time to meal plan now. Happy pinning!

So I lied...

When I said that I didn't know why I fall off the blogging wagon so often, I lied. I do know. Its a little black cloud that floats over me at various times. A storm cloud that blows in and hangs out...depression.

For me, depression sneaks up. It starts with having a headache more days than not. No, not glaring migraines...dull aches that make it difficult to focus.

 Next comes the tiredness. An overwhelming sense of fatigue...where the thought of just showering seems overwhelming and requires a self-pep-talk. Where anything other than doing the bare minimum to get through a day has me exhausted and craving a nap...a loooong nap.

The backing up of laundry, the eating of lots of fast food, dust bunnies gone wild.

And then comes insomnia. Robbing me of sleep and leaving me cranky. Very cranky.

And my temper gets short. Not fun.

And I start eating bad, then worse, then terrible.

Answer the phone? Return a call? Nope. Too much effort required.

And I don't have a single drop of creative energy in my body. Not. A. Drop. Not for writing, not for photography, not for scrapbooking, not for cooking, not for anything.

Basically, I can read a book and feel ok. Anything more and I feel like I need a week long vacation.

I used to beat myself up about it. I should be better than this. I have nothing to be depressed about. I have a pretty great life. I shouldn't be so lazy. I know better.

Negative self talk that makes the depression worse.

I go from being a creative, passionate, organized, productive wife and mother to an unhealthy, unhappy irritable zombie.

For years I believed if I just prayed more, if I could squeeze in another chapter of scripture, etc. I would be fine. And you know what? I was wrong.

Fortunately I have a fantastic doctor. A doctor that told me that if I had diabetes I would pray to be healed but I would take my insulin in the meantime. A doctor that taught me that what I think I should be able to handle and what my body thinks I can handle are two very different things. A doctor that cared enough to point me in the direction of medicine that would help...and then respected my decision to wean off when the inevitable sexual side effects would take hold.

My doctor also encouraged me to study depression and it's effects on my own. To read reviews on new medicines and weigh my options.

I've spent the last year and a half fighting it on my own. With diet and exercise and sunshine. With no relief. The last six months were THE worst. THE worst.

So, I began researching options again. Reading up on the latest medicines and homeopathic remedies. I found a new medication and asked my doctor if I could try it. It has all the benefits of an anti-depressant without the sexual side effects. And it's working.

I have cooked more in the last three weeks than in the last year combined. Even better? I'm enjoying it! I've cleaned out closets and cabinets and drawers, began working on the interior and exterior of the house, making lists, crossing things off. I feel like myself again. And I like me again.

I feel like writing again. I've held back writing things on this blog over the years. Worried about who would say or think whatever about me. I censored myself out of fear of rejection. I'm mostly done with that.

Here's to more authentic writing...and to rain clouds that pass over instead of hang around.

Helllllooo out there...

It would appear that it's about time for my yearly update. I have no idea why I fall off of the blogging wagon so routinely...especially when I go back and read past entries and am reminded of some little wonder of my life.

Today is the first time that I've even looked at this blog since the last post...11 months and 4 days ago. I realized that there are basically two years missing from my chronicles. I also realized that I gave a teaser about two major life decisions and never said what they were. And now they seem like odd bits to throw out there.

But, I've always been a fan of odd bits, so I'll do it anyway.

1) We moved. We bought our dream home...and we shall never move again. Ever. (Mark and I plan to live in Chicago for at least one year...maybe two...after the kids graduate...but we will be keeping this house). This is the house where our grandchildren will come to visit us. That's a weird thought.

2) We adopted a son. He is a family adoption...and he was 18 months old when he became more than a second cousin to my husband and a third cousin to our children...when instead he became our son and their baby brother. He is adorable and smart and full of life. He definitely shook things up around here. (And for those of you that have lost count, he brings our offspring count to 6).

Kind of some major news there, huh? And you know what? I'm sad. I'm sad that I didn't keep up with this blog during all of that. The ups and downs...the minutiae of the past two years...gone. I've done Project Life most of this year...so memories have been recorded...but not in this format. Scrapbooks feel like they are for my family. I enjoy creating them and they fulfill certain aspects of creativity that I crave...but they have never fulfilled me in the same way that writing does. 

No matter how many times I walk away from it, and no matter how many months pass between posts, I'm drawn back to this spot.

So, here I am. Back again.

Call me a cynic...

This bumper sticker annoys the ever-loving-heck out of me.




These are a few of the random thoughts that leap to mind when I see some guy driving around advertising the fact that his better half keeps sensitive parts of his lower half in her purse...

-Hmm mmm, sure you do.
-I wonder if the wife put the sticker in his Christmas stocking.

-I'm positive there's a statistic regarding how many serial killers/stalkers/perverts have been found to have that very same bumper sticker.


-Who are you trying to convince? Me? Your wife? Yourself?


-That sticker lowers the resale value of your pick-up truck by about 50%.


-I wonder if I can convince Mark to slap one on the back of his BMW?


-I wonder what Mark would do if I surprised him by slapping one of those onto the back of his BMW?

Blogging...Take 3

A few weeks ago I decided to begin blogging again.

So I created a new blog. Somehow it seemed like the "right" way to start fresh. Clean slate and all that. In reality the new blog idea was driven by my perfectionism. I needed to have a blog that didn't have a whole year missing... so starting a new one would make the 14 month gap less obvious. Makes complete sense, no?

Have I ever mentioned that I have issues?

After being asked by husband "Now why did you start a whole new blog again?" no less than umpteen million times...and being chastised by a friend with a few less issues than me (thanks Stace) that I was "being silly" and "that doesn't even make sense. Just pick up where you left off already"...I decided to do just that.

Besides...this blog feels right and the other felt uncomfortable and contrived. I may have mentioned that I have issues.

Now, I can't figure out how to copy and paste the two posts on the other blog to this blog...so if you want to read about the garden and the chickens follow these two links:

The garden...

The chickens...

From now on, you can find me here.

Thankful...

In general, I consider myself a thankful person. A grateful person. An appreciative person.

Honestly? I know that I am blessed beyond measure or reason. To the point that I am almost embarrassed by the heaping mound of goodness that has been bestowed upon me.

Because I know that I do not deserve one single drop of it. (Those of you that know me, know this is true).

I have been thinking about this quite a bit lately. And, of course, thinking about it has led me to random blogs, news articles and such, that reiterate the fact that even at my most thankful state of mind, I am not thankful enough.

Thanksgiving should be an intentional part of our life. Something that is celebrated each and every day, not just in November with a heaping plate of turkey and carbs followed up with a nod in the general direction of our blessings.

Here are a few things that I am especially thankful for right now...

-5 healthy children

-my husband

-my husband's job

-the right and ability to homeschool my children so that they are educated in a way that lines
up with our value system

-time at Mark's family farm in Tazewell...the peach that I picked off of a tree in the orchard, the
sweet nectar that ran down my hand and dried into a sticky map of my forearm before I
could make it back to the farm house to rinse it off

-watching my kids do the same thing

-the fact that none of us were stung by the bumble bees that were sharing the orchard with us

-peaceful nights gazing up at the stars while on vacation

-Jesus. Oh, how thankful I am for his grace and his mercy. Seriously, the greatest thing that
ever happened to me was hearing that He loved me, he forgave me and forgives me still. I
remember the first time I walked into an apostolic church, received the Holy Ghost and was
baptized in the name of Jesus just like it was last night. I am so thankful for that experience.

-peace

-air conditioning

-a full fridge...and the ability to refill it when it is empty (like right now)

-hope

Life is so very good.

Loooooooooong time, no blog...

Things that have happened since my last post (in no particular order):

~Cammie-Lou-Who turned 7. I cannot believe my baby is 7. Sad. Scary. Exciting. Sad. Scary.

~Marks Grandma passed away. We went to Morristown for the funeral. I learned how to say the word "You'uns" in a sentence, got fried in a circa 1992 tanning bed, drank an unsweet tea handed to me by a woman with three teeth, read a book and ate at Golden Corral...twice. And I fell in love.

~I am now the mother of a 2nd grader, a 3rd grader, a 4th grader, an 8th grader (*sniff, sniff, tear) and...........an 11th grader (dear Jesus in heaven, how did this happen?!?!?!?!)

~My sister and her lovely husband informed me that I will be an aunt in February. YAY! YAY! YAY!

~I fell in love with a baby named Miles. I want to gobble him up. But his mommy would disapprove. So I will settle with kissing his fat little cheeks raw.

~We took a spur of the moment trip with the kids to Hot-lanta. We toured the Coca~Cola museum...super cool. Forrest made friends with the Polar bear. I fell in love with Ikea.

~Craigslist became my friend. I sold Chloe's Gator, a big screen floor model TV and the Pottery Barn Play kitchen. I am addicted. I am also looking around my house for things to sell. My children are scared that they are next.

~I have made 7 trips to the Goodwill to drop off tons and tons and tons and tons of CRAP!!!

~I have witnessed a miracle. My mother-in-law recovered some of her lost kidney function...which means that she can forgo dialysis for a few more months. THANK YOU JESUS!

~We made some monumental-life changing decisions...that I will disclose later :)

~We are contemplating another monumental-life changing decision...that may or may not be disclosed later.

~I ate sushi with a girlfriend and it was yummy.

~Mark's role at work changed and he is loving it.

~I missed someone terribly.

~My papaw died...and I am still not ready to write about it.

~Someone told me that I was a good friend and I felt like I had won the lottery.

~Two of my girls got glasses.

~My boy is officially 6 inches taller than me.

~I read several books, cleaned out closets, cleaned out drawers, cleaned out the garage, and felt better!

~Hit a rough patch and kept going.

~I was blessed beyond measure.