Since it is waaaaaay too HOT to work in the garden, I have been spending my ‘garden’ time searching my way through all the local thrift shops for items that have long been on my ‘idea’ list. Not too long ago I was able to find the bike for my bicycle garden for $5.00…seen here.

This week I was able to snag a Hibachi grill that has been on my list….for $3.00.

This is my plan:

A few weeks ago I also found the insides to a tool chest…which I have been searching for at a reasonable price. Found it 1/2 price at a thrift store for $1.00.

This is my plan (thanks to my BFF who had no idea I wanted to build a fairy garden and sent me ALL the fixins – and a gift card for Hobby Lobby to get more – for my birthday.)  She sent a clay saucer to build it in…but after my shopping spree at HL (where the miniatures were 50% off) I needed a bigger container and thought…I have just the one!

The plan is:

And although this has nothing to do with gardening….I did find this gem and the dishes at local thrift shops….I have been drooling over Brenda’s for months now and finally just happened on one for $4.00. The plates were twenty-five cents.

Okay, time to make pancakes for supper. Yum.

Hot…Hot…Hot…did I say hot??????? Even our AC plateaus out and can’t go any lower than like 75 degrees…which may be A-OK with many…but in our home where an extreme case of Atopic Dermatitis exists…this temperature can be categorized as Category Three disaster. Needless to say….we have several ceiling fans in our home not to mention a stand alone air unit in Sam’s (the poor baby with the severe eczema) and five other stand alone fans. And there you go….it is… Hot…Hot…Hot.

A simple pleasure:

Listening to Bruno Mars’ album Doo-Wops & Hooligans on the new Sony Walkman MP3…when walking or riding my bike…both lovingly and thoughtfully given to me by my two peas in a pod.

I am thankful:

For all my friends that called, emailed, left comments, Facebooked me about not only my new hair (which still on some days makes me feel old…old…old) but also to wish me a happy birthday. Thank you!!!

From the kitchen:

That saga still continues….17 years later. I just can’t seem to get my ‘cook on’.

From the learning rooms:

Summer vacation is over and we (emphasis on WE) have begun our grueling MATH only semester. We actually had to back up from Algebra to reassess foundations but that’s okay…otherwise I would not have been much help. Sorry to say…the first Algebra lesson was like seeing a segment of “Dumb and Dumber” with me being Dumber of course….sorry Miss Sam…you are not dumb by any means but I could not help myself with this analogy.

Just finished reading:

Thicker Than Water by Rett Macpherson. This is hands down my most favorite series!!!! This is book eight (I have been reading them ALL summer…read two just this weekend). I would guess that my passion for genealogy may influence my opinion…but the writing is funny, non stop action, and real.

Currently Reading:

Dead Man Running by Rett Macpherson. What can I say, I started reading it yesterday and I am almost finished. Good stuff!!!!

On My Mind:

Fall Semester. It starts today. I have streamlined all my courses. Everything is online. Assignments/Exams/Gradebooks etc. Finally after eight years I may actually know what I am doing….he…he. We shall see. Abnormal Psychology is first up tonight. Will be going over the syllabus and showing the movie NUTS.

Creative Projects:

Big news: I have been taking an online beginning writing course over the summer. It has been incredibly awesome!!!! I am so thankful that the cost has been covered by the college where I work. What an eye opening experience this has been for me. Overwhelming but yet so inspiring.

I have just submitted the paperwork to begin a Write Your Story course. Hope it goes through.

Hearth and Home:

Actually did get our master bath cleaned this weekend. The rest of the house? Uncluttered/organized but dusty….ah well…other interests going on here.

I smile:

Inspirational Thought I’m Sharing:

I finished reading Paul by Charles Swindoll and have begun reading Moses.

Reading through this series has been quite the spiritual journey. My favorite chapter from the Moses book is

Chapter Five: The Desert – School of Self-Discovery

here is a thought provoking excerpt written by V. Raymond Edman which was originally in his book In Quitness and Confidence:

“Something painful happened to me. This is how I met it: I was quiet for a while with the Lord, and then I wrote these words for myself:

First, He brought me here. It is by His will I am in this strait place: in that fact I will rest

Next, He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace as His child.

Then, He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He needs to bestow.

Last, in His good time He can bring me out again – how and when only He knows.

Let me say I am here, first by God’s appointment; sencon, in His keeping; third, under His training; fourth, for His time.”

V. Raymond Edman

Picture Thought I am sharing:

Although I began to embark on this midlife journey of changes last year, it seems to have been accelerated in part due to my father’s death. As with any loss a re-evaluation of priorities takes place. Some we act on immediately, some we place on the back burner and work our way through the emotional tangles that change will often times produce.

For me it has been the physical changes that have taken over my immediate attention. It’s been a matter of getting down to the business of aging and embracing it.

First and foremost I haven’t colored my hair since January. One last cut (which will be tomorrow) will have my hair totally and naturally gray. The new cut will be:

Bought new glasses last week:

Next step will be to get some professional help with eye makeup…I hear purple is good for sexy women such as myself.

The most significant step in this journey. FINALLY enrolling in a writing course:

Beginning Writer’s Workshop

Thanks to the College of Central Florida for providing the benefit of having the $110 fee waived. I am so excited about this new step. Will keep you posted on my progress.

Other midlife transitions…..

• donating all the books in my To Be Read pile. This may seem trivial to some individuals but for me it was quite freeing. My To Be Read pile resulted in five recycled bags that were like an anchor around my brain…sinking me deeper into the realm of “jeez, that doesn’t interest me anymore, but I need to complete what I set out to accomplish” guilt. Gone. No more reminders of things I thought I would do but just wasn’t motivated enough to follow through.
• finding another way to bring joy to people through my photography. As stated in this post I have found a wonderful way to not only use my photos but also to incorporate my deep desire to begin reconnecting with people through different venues other than email and Facebook…that would be, once again, SEND OUT CARDS. I absolutely have been exploring all the possibilities. This tool has remarkably simplified my life and pared down that annoying ‘to do list’ that continually replays itself in my head. I love.love.love it!!
• I also have begun to make more of my “bookmarks”. I had someone comment on mine the other day. She loved the photo and the spiritual message I had “photo shopped” onto it. What a wonderful opportunity she provided for me to spread the Word. I left the bookmark along with her tip. I am going to make a stack of the bookmarks to keep with me and when the opportunity presents itself….I will just “leave it behind’ for another to pick up and use.

And so there you have some things that have been raising up the dust here in my corner of the world. Like the title says:

Midlife transition ~ bring it on!!!! Will update with pictures soon.

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Rainy…rainy….rainy….steady and wonderfully pleasing to all the senses.

A simple pleasure:

My office is surrounded by almost full length windows and it also opens onto the sunroom. Being able to view the rains as they nourish all my gardens and listening to the rains beat out a delightful song on the sunroom’s ‘tin’ roof is what I would term as one of the most exquisite simple pleasures ever.

I am thankful:

For Hospice. Not only for the care they administer with loving hearts and hands while a loved one is terminally ill but also for the time they invest in providing memorial services “of hope and healing to remember those we love”. I will be attending one for my father in two weeks.

From the kitchen:

God bless Winn Dixie and their BOGO specials. I honestly believe it is the only way some families are surviving the economic decline of our nation. This week I bought one of Sam’s and my favorites….Hormel Pork Shoulder Roast with BBQ seasoning. After it cooks in the crock pot for eight hours I drain it, shred it, and then add a bottle of Wholly Smoke Sweet Georgia Red BBQ sauce and simmer for a half hour. One of John’s co-workers markets it and I highly recommend it if you are a BBQ aficionado.

From the learning rooms:

I am so proud of Miss Sam. In anticipation of becoming dual enrolled at the College of Central Florida, Miss Sam took her College Placement Tests this week. She did absolutely over the top with her English scores. She was advised that once dual enrolled that she should take the tests to CLEP out of Freshman English. On the other hand her Math scores were not enough for Fall admission (which was expected). Therefore, with the guidance of  Linda, a very gracious and well seasoned homeschooler, I was able to reassess Miss Sam’s academic path to achieve her goal of being dual enrolled in Spring 2012.

This reassessment has meant the discontinuation of Florida Virtual School - where she has met all but the math high school core curriculum. What a wonderful learning experience FLVS has been for Miss Sam and all of us as a family but it is time to move forward.

Moving forward entails enrolling Miss Sam in an intensive math program for Algebra and Geometry through Thinkwell (a wonderful site recommended by Linda).

So there it is. Sam gets a two week break from academia and then it’s…ALGEBRA and GEOMETRY 24/7. Okay, maybe not 24/7 but pretty darn close. Sam….are you reading this? You HEAR me right!?!?!?

Just finished reading:

I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg. So not sure what I think about this book. I don’t even get why she gave the book this particular title. I did have to finish it to see where the lead character ended up but overall it wasn’t all that Fannie Flagg is cracked up to be. I do have a copy of Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven but I am going to hold off on reading it for awhile.

Currently Reading:

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. I first learned of this amazing book from Bellezza at Dolce Bellezza. I checked it out from the library and  half way through reading it I have made the decision that this book is a keeper.  Good use of my 40% off Borders coupon and my 10% Borders Rewards Plus membership. For me it has really gently nudged me out of my writing slump.

On My Mind:

Trying to decide whether to clean the kitchen or take a nap after writing this post….or go out to the sunroom and continue reading Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. Ah, the blessing and the luxury of having such options to choose from on a rainy day.

Creative Projects:

Most of my recent projects have been with my backyard gardens.

Yesterday I braved the heat and humidity to finish my “potting bench”….a mish mash of inexpensive useful items brought together and labeled ‘potting bench’. No pictures. Too much rain at the moment to venture outside.

This is the time of year that I  rummage through all the racks of 66% – 70% garden items at Hobby Lobby and Joann’s. Every year I have been able to purchase  items at extremely discounted prices that I have had my eye on all season and this year was no different.  Will try to get photos on those items as they are placed in my gardens.

Other projects include old favorites:

• • • family history
    • photo organization
    • journal organization

And a new one. I hate.hate.hate. skinny bookmarks. I like something solid to mark my place in a book. I have been using the magnetic ones, which are good, but still not sturdy enough for me. So now I make my own. I use my photos/photo shop a favorite saying on them/laminate them (4 x 6)….and voila……a bookmark that is perfect for me:

Hearth and Home:

Love having the extra time with my summer teaching schedule to just ‘nest’. I love our home. It’s small – cozy – lived in.

I smile:

Inspirational Thought I’m Sharing:

So far I have read two of the books from Charles’ Swindoll’s Great Lives Series: Job and Esther. Currently I am reading Paul: A Man of Grit and Grace.

Here is what touched my heart today as I read about change:

“…there’s no need to be afraid of change. Change brings adventure, and adventure stretches your faith. All that spells growth. Growth happens within us when we face risk. Head-on. Faith and risk go hand in hand.”

“Funny how human nature is put together, isn’t it? Since we’re often ill informed, we form false conclusions and struggle with reality.”

“Do not allow a lot of activity to dull your sensitivity.”

Although I have taken these quotes out of context from my readings on Paul (Chapter Nine)…they definitely can stand alone in what they have to relay regarding fear/change/risk/human nature/fast paced living.

Picture Thought I am sharing:

…when I hear my father’s voice, feel his presence, or smell his cigar. Although I have many memories of my father, my most blessed are folded deep within the moments of the last week of his life. Holding his hand and rubbing it softly as he slept and kissing his cheek so soft with age as I arrived and left on my daily visits. It’s the significance of these snippets of time that comfort me when he stops by to say ‘hello’ and leaves again in the wisp of a moment.

There was no funeral. There was no memorial service.  Just a squeeze of his hand and a last kiss goodbye.

No place to go and place wildflowers (his favorite). No place to go and rest my heart. No place that marks the life and death of a man that was both complicated and simple.

That is until I remembered.

My father was a loyal supporter of the Veteran’s Park of Ocala Florida. When the park was just in it’s infancy my father donated enough money to have a bench built and placed near the entrance:

This is where I go when….

I miss him and need to talk with him.

I miss him and want to tell him I love him.

I miss him and just want to ‘sit’ with him.

I miss him and have a newly picked wildflower to share with him.

Thanks Dad.

……the tough go shopping….thrift shopping that is….my favorite hobby when much is weighing on my mind.

This weeks finds pretty much centered around my garden projects. Here are the treasures I hauled home with me this week.

Yes, everything in this photo is a thrift shop treasure from this week. The rack will be a focal point in one of my garden projects.

This is the “finished product” rack with all my finds (even the clay pots). Now to work on the surrounding garden area and to plant some lovely flowers in the planters.

This is a treasure I have been hunting for months!!! It was marked as $15.00 but I got it for $5.00. What am I doing with an old bike in my backyard leaning against a tree??? I hope to one day create a garden around it….perhaps like the one Tootsie Time has created.

I put the Mexican sun in my succulent garden.

As you can see, it is still a work in progress. I bought two more bags of stone today to spill into it. It is going to take at least 12 more bags. And then I can begin the happy task of filling all my containers with succulents!!

And what is a week of thrifting without picking up a few good books on the cheap:

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

In the Memory of the Forest by Charles T. Powers

The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom

Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Hope to do some seriously exquisite writing in the next few days. Stay tuned.

Yesterday I was blessed with several gifts….some tangible…others intangible.

The gift I received that is such a fitting tribute for Memorial Day is the stack of letters that my mother so graciously gave to me. They are letters that my father wrote to my mother while he was stationed in Vietnam.  What better way to spend Memorial Day than to start transcribing an integral part of history through my father’s eyes. He was military through and through and thanks to the support of my mother – an exemplary military wife – he had an outstanding career.

God bless our active military and the families that support them and our fallen heroes and the families that gave their all. I am honored and humbled to be a part of our country’s military history.

Now for a tall glass of cold sweet tea, a keyboard, leftover bratwurst from yesterday’s cookout and some reading glasses.

What are your plans for this Memorial Day?

Fresh from the garden

To a little slice of heaven

To table…or rather…to my ‘happy place’ out in the garden to sit and enjoy God’s provisions. Yum.