45 THINGS LIFE HAS TAUGHT ME

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19.. It's never too late to be happy. But it's all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

 39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

YET ANOTHER WEEK HAS SPED BY.....

I/we have been so busy. I find myself wondering if I am going to bed or getting up!  
We have the garden in and most things are coming along nicely. We are harvesting asparagus daily and look to be pulling radishes as soon as the ground dries up. We planted full 20' rows of mammoth sunflowers, dwarf marigolds and giant zinnias. I finally convinced him that we-as a couple-don't need 20 tomato plants or 15 pepper plants or 240 onion sets. We can get by(LOL) with 6 tomato plants and 5 peppers and 60 onions. Hope this doesn't wind up biting me in the a**.
Hubby has decided to grow berries in the extra space.  ( Obviously, I decided on more flowers.) He has planted thorn-less blackberries, red raspberries and blueberries. They are going to be so yummy with our yogurt. We had a rhubarb/strawberry/blueberry crumble ( from frozen berries and our garden rhubarb ) on Sunday and it was absolutely awesome. This is the best part of the year. Being able to eat home-grown vegetables and fruits is one of the greatest privileges.
See picture I posted? It is a lazy Susan, of sorts. If I just knew someone who could cut holes in 2 pie pans for me, I would have one of these!
I was crazy busy for a couple days. I had an on-line yard sale. Boy, it was fast-paced and frustrating; not all that profitable but thank goodness, all that stuff is gone. We took all the leftovers, and everything that was too big to even try shipping, to Goodwill. I still have things I am holding on to and things I want to craft with. Most importantly, the garage is clean and you can actually walk around the car. No mouse remnants in the rafters thanks to one industrious husband!  I will need to finish clearing out the summer kitchen, rearranging things so I can find them when I need them. There just might be another sale later on. ***sigh***
Next week starts the 'senior class' insanity. There are band concerts, piano recitals, dance recitals, receptions, Mother's Day, doctor appointments, end-of-year activities, graduations...... I am hoping to get a lot of the family together for pictures during the festivities. I try to take advantage of all the opportunities presented.
I took a few minutes to update my blog. I may not be around as much as many others are, but I do keep trying. I am trying to make life more 'manageable'.   Bear with me....  

I HAVE A DATE.....

Yes, I do! My hubby, sweet as he is, is taking me to see the PIANO MEN!
Front row seats! May 10th--at 7:30 PM  We haven't been to concert for a very long time. Back in the day, we were seeing some great band every weekend and sometimes, more than one! This one is at the Sandheim in Fairfield, just 14 miles from home. It is their Civic Center, therefore, a small venue. Just the kind of venue we appreciate these days. It may be the beginning of a new trend for us. We've heard that some very well known bands/performers have been there. Mike was really disappointed to have missed 'Riders in the Sky'. I am hoping Joe Bonamassa  plays sometime! We both love the blues.
 It is my goal to get Mike to a play. They are semi-professional plays/actors. I know they would be awesome. 
Blessings for the rest of your week!

MENU PLAN MONDAY

boy-oh-boy--i was all gung ho first thing today. and i did run hard for a couple of hours. forget how hard yard work can be. and then there was the little rodent infestation to clear up. i got it partially done. i can climb a ladder--too chicken of heights. so the junk in the rafters has to wait for friday. this weekend is spring clean-up in our little town and unlike some of the others, we don't leave our crap sit out for days, especially with rain in the forecast. so we only live about a half block from where they put the dumpster, so we will carry it over as we decide it is a goner. believe me, there isn't much to save once you've had rodents all over it. and it is all my fault, so i have to help clean it up. see, last fall we went and picked up ear corn after the neighbor was done with harvest. i was lazy/spacey (?) and didn't put the corn in the covered container. i just tossed it in a big wood box. and i never went back to the garage to do it later. i have no excuse. anyway, we started noticing little styrofoam balls on the trunk of the car. then we saw the 'evidence' such rodents leave behind. we got rid of the corn and put out bait. they are gone now but there is a lot of mess to clean up. i worked out there for 2 hours and never got close to the rafters. crap--we'll have to have one of the kids come home and help us with this one....

i got some pretty nice tomatoes this weekend, never tried them before. they are all on one stem, about baseball size. they smelled good. we had some on a spinach salad last night and they were good. so...tonight we are having BLTs  and some stir-fried asparagus ( from our own garden ).

tuesday--drunk chicken
the recipe for this one is one my other blog. it is pretty to look at and delicious. gonna have a cottage cheese salad with this.

wednesday--walking taco
this has become one our favorite meals, using the last of our experimental tomatoes and 1/2# of our hamburger.

thursday--meatloaf muffins
using the other 1/2# of hamburger and served with garlic mashed potatoes and fried green beans

friday--stir-fried veggies and noodles
i love to take one of these noodle bowls and add some stir-fried veggies; like sugar snap peas, cabbage, peppers, celery, etc. 

on saturday, we will be eating out somewhere. it will be MALLORY'S last band competition on the high school level.
sunday--chicken fried steak
 with cheesy mashed potatoes, both smothered in gravy and green beans with onions and cashews
no real plans for the week, just yard work, gardening and a continuation of our spring cleaning. everything is out in our summer kitchen. all there is is a path to get around. mike just hates moving the same stuff over and over, but it is necessary so we can decide what goes where. i am still hoping to sort out some things to sell or swap. there is just so much. i am truly entertaining the thought of joining eBay.
sending best wishes your way. hoping spring has joined you all and that happiness resides in your home.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL THURSDAY WE HAD!

 We stopped at a Tag sale. there is this gal in our area that has a business called TAGS INSTEAD. She goes into people's homes ( at their request ) to help them dispose of their household goodes, due to their downsizing or a death in the family or whatever. She is awesome and we've gone to a few of her sales and never left without some awesome deals. See the 2-5 piece place settings of yellow Fiesta ware? I got those for $5. I collect Fiesta and we use it. These 5 piece plate settings cost $25 + new. I got a great deal. The tools and wood pieces were marked down to half price. The sale had started on Thursday and we were a day late. Who knows what we missed? That long paddle is a soap stirring paddle of the lady selling's Grandmother's. So was the Kraut cutter. I didn't have one like it. The rusty tins are an old baking powder tin and something else. It's hard to see in the picture but there is a wood garlic press and a butter paddle. The all metal spice boxes were 30 cents each!
The jars and oak bucket were auction wins. That's right. We left this sale and scurried down to an auction. It was awesome, as well. Mike scored 172 like-new vinyls for $40. He is in heaven. 

 After the auction, we hustled back to the tag sale and got this wicker chair for $10. Pay no attention to the junk in the wood box. Mike is waiting for the wood to dry out some before he stacks it in the wood box. BTW~ we already had the wicker table; last year's yard sale find for $5.

 I was really interested in this little sofa table and she still had it. I had no idea where to put it at home but I knew I wanted it. i really have to stop this kind of buying. Someday.....

 I found it a temporary home here, with some of those recent purchases for now. Had to rearrange my firkins and  buckets under it but it works for now.

 Highlight of my day was coming home to find my FAMILY HEIRLOOM WEAVER coverlet. Mike bought it for me after we had cleaned/purged so many things to the summer kitchen. You have to get rid of something to get something!

 About a month ago, we went to another TAGS INSTEAD sale and I bought this rinse tub and several enamelware basins full of hen and chicks and other sedums. Look at what is going on in the rinse tub.

And this is year 4 for my Sweet Annie in a basin. Last fall, I didn't even put it in the garage.  I am trying to find a place in our garden for a bigger stand of it!
I hope you all get some pleasure from my great day and the terrific finds. It makes me feel like just maybe it will be a great summer! Blessings to all!