Thinking about Lent

Having been raised Catholic and raising the kiddies Catholic, it's always been fish on Friday.

Lately, it's been inexpensive fish on Friday and today will be no different.  It's fish cakes!  Been making some really good cakes and enjoying them too.  Don't know about the hubby, so we will see. 

Been working on the house, and it's ready for the weekend.  Been reading like a demon and thank goodness the library is within walking, biking, or driving distance.  We moved here to be near hospitals, doctors and the library.  Back then those were the priorities.   In another 20 years, they will become the priorities again.  But for now life is good.

Weather is still lovely and balmy, but a cold front will have us in sweaters this Sunday.

Spring, glorious spring

Not even checking email, so I can't get started with things that annoy me.  I have been doing, wait for it, wait for it, is laundry.  Yes, it's a joy to be pressing and sorting through the wonderful spring and summer things I have.  

Several years ago, I came to the realization that, instead of spending a small fortune on clothing I wear for three months, I needed to invest in things I wear almost year around.  I know, it was a duh moment, we all have them, this was one of my best.  I spend good money on good fabric, classic style and clean lines and it works for YEARS.  I have linen pants that are ten years old.  

At the end of the season, I got to the outlets online and score even more.  On top of that I sew, so it's a joy to see these lovely things, carefully selected, maintained, and worn with the joy of good stewardship.  

Had to replace the orange linen big shirt with one from Sundance, the retail outlet/organization formed by Robert Redford.  This may become my next big goto online shopping misadventure.  I can just see the bill now.  Considering I picked up a pair of Brooks Brothers slacks (never worn, tags still on) from Goodwill for my hubby for $3.50, I can swing thru the Sundance outlet page and see what's moving.  I won't mention the brown linen bell bottoms for $4.00 and the $1.39 camisole I snatched at the outlet mall three weeks ago.  

Shopping is a skill, and when I score Perry Ellis for 9 dollars, dress shirts and casual stuff, my husband and son win.  When I find that perfect hoodie online at Target for my daughter and help her mend it and clean it so three years later, people ask her where she got it, we all win.  It's my job to feed and clothe my family and teach them to seek and maintain things, to renew and reuse what is already in our closets and when she says, "halter tops this spring," well there are two already made and more to come.  Thanks to my mom for hiring someone to teach me to sew.  Thanks to thrifty thinking that allows me to comb the racks or consider online things that bring my current wardrobe up to date, and yes I am seeking the perfect yellow blouse, top, something to brighten up this summer.  Wish me luck!

Taking care of business, everyday

We are working on the house, doing some updating in the rooms and I have turned my eyes towards the bathrooms.  We replaced wallpaper and now I want to update the cabinet fronts going with a new color and hardware.

Also up is replacing the heating and  cooling system is also up, but we are having problems with getting people out to give estimates, they want to do it over the phone!!!  30 minutes is just so short a time to get here.  They could write it up and mail or fax it and they won't.  

Family again this weekend and then on to Mardi Gras.  Have a bunch of errands to run and things to do.  But I am keeping up with this and that's good.  Boring, mundane, but constant.    Oh, it's Valentines day, but I already have the card and chocolates!

Brett Farve retires, again

Trust me, it's not easy to say goodbye to a fab job, Sunday adoration, but he's done it.  Goodbye.

Hubby tried to retire, went back to school and was so unhappy, I requested he consider going back to work.  He did and we are alot happier.  I know I am.  We can plan and implement projects without so much pain.  You can plan for retirement, but time management is a different animal.  Because he was in school and I was working we couldn't travel.  The there was the school projects and then grad school wouldn't transfer his hours, so it would be years before he got his masters and it was "I am going back to work" and "hurrah" for me.

After all this, I am very grateful for the education we have, but really makes me question going further.  Especially when the educational system makes it so tough.  People who are considering returning to school for a career switch should be very careful, after two years, you could be deeper in debt and unhappy.  Tread carefully.

Family in town and family gone back home

It was a great weekend, we celebrated birthdays and had a lovely time together.  Mom in law is back at her home and now I have other family members in town and we will hook up this weekend.  And soon Mardi Gras arrives.

I have been trying to get to this blog and write daily so it becomes a habit.  This being important for me, because writing has always been a pleasure and I have gotten out of the habit.  I have gotten out of many good habits and all it takes is a change of attitude, an effort made to recognize that certain things, writing, reading, exercise, and diet are important and do deserve attention and time given to them.

Keeping it lowkey and private is working out, because unless I share this info, no one family wise will even know about this blog.  They just won't go looking for it.  It's hiding in plain sight.

Fab weekend, kid turns 30

I have no idea about the rest of the U.S. but the weather here has been amazing.  The rails to trails ride we took Saturday was great and the meal at the brewpub was amazingly good.  Came home, did laundry and cleaned house.  We had to get ready to celebrate my kid's birthday.

We did bbq and chocolate fondue for dessert and life is good.  Family has been behaving extremely well and it makes the day go so smoothly.

It's a busy week next week and I look forward to enjoying the weather and getting out more on the bike, riding to the farmer's market and library.  It's true, the simple things are the best, of and by the way the bottle Presto Rose Brut did put a nice pink glow to the meal.  Life is good.

CNN, life and national prayer breakfast

The hubby and I were enjoying the morning oatmeal and watching CNN when we get to the National Prayer breakfast and receive the short history lesson on how and why it came into being.  Enjoyed the Obama speech, history lesson and all.  Had to get online to check out the Palin/Judd smackdown and wondered why to lower 48 would even consider anything done by helicopter as fair play against wolves and other predators.  Hunting, done on the ground, without bait and with skill is honorable and if you clean, dress and consume what you catch, no problem.  As far as moose and caribou being staples on tables in Alaska, well I've been there and I don't think so.  On the coast, it's  fish, salmon and halibut, crab and other goodies.  Smoked and canned, cleaned and frozen, it provides alot of protein for the table.  Now inland, it may be moose, but it takes time and money to get to, track and kill.  Hunting as a hobby is expensive.  

The dog slept with us last night, on his blanket and he seems less wound up today.  This is good as my dog has always been weird and has in old age, gotten even quirkier.  Calm is nice for everyone.

With the unemployment news, memories of trying to obtain unemployment benefits come back.  Today, I will say a prayer for everyone applying that they have more success that I did.  At least, it's online now and you don't have to deal with the office staff.  Any way, good luck to all who apply and success to you during your job search.  Here, in our home, it's keep the head down and keep it between the ditches.  The toughest thing is attempting to educate our children about what is coming and how to deal with it.

My hubby's a saint

Had time today to truly consider everything that has happened to us over the holidays and to consider behavior I have witnessed since M's dad's death.  I had an "aha" moment regarding some of his brother's behavior and it wasn't a bad thing, just a sad thing.  D. was much more human and less defensive at the memorial event and after than he had been at Thanksgiving.  Time is making things easier for him (and us) and the less people around the nicer he and L. are.  So will his mom quit inviting the whole kit and carload over to her home for the holidays--NO.  But it will help to remember his brother and his wife can be pleasant when they wish and to remind myself, it may not be us the puts them on edge but the others may do it.  I wonder if he has said unpleasant things about us to them and feels it must put up a front and be rude to underscore what he's said.  No, now I am overthinking things.  

Speaking of over thinking things, I have way too much time on my hands now that I am at home.  I can see where some of his mom's issues come from, time on you hands has you focused on really strange things, like your kids, their future, your weight, what you eat, your husband and his feet(he didn't limp today) and other details to boring to relate here.  But if my goal is to write and write daily, this is a start.  The fact the few of the people mentioned here would even check for a blog and see this here is funny to consider.   No one I know has gmail and figuring out regular email is a challenge for some of my family, so we will see.

Off to the store, I need (there's that word again!) dairy products and dog food.

LaRin