Where The Roses Never Fade: July 2016

Monday, July 25, 2016

Happy Homemaker Monday

Whew, what a weekend! On Friday, I was sure that my Dave cat, who has been unwell for some time, was gone. He had disappeared on Thursday morning and never came home...he didn't come home Friday either and I was positive that he was gone. I cried all day Friday and most of Saturday. I wasn't feeling well, so while my husband and daughter watched a movie, I napped. Ella woke me up saying,
"Mom, I found Dave! He's home!" He had gotten trapped in a greenhouse near the property...it was a place I had already looked! But, he is home! He is still unwell, and we are doing our best to keep him comfortable.

The Weather: Hopefully, we have some rain coming tomorrow. Forecast says so. I'm hoping so. It has been entirely too dry!

On my reading pile: "A Cold Dark Place" by Gregg Olson and "Back Home to Big Stone Gap" by Adriana Trigiani. I've read all the other books in the Big Stone Gap series and I love them. As far as the other book, sometimes, you just need a good murder mystery novel, no?

On my T.V: Probably nothing. It's going to be one of those crazy work days!

On the menu for this week:
Monday: Butter Chicken
Tuesday: Gabe's cooking: Grilled Cheese and soup
Wednesday: Crockpot Beef Stew
Thursday: Texas style ribs, potatoes, carrots
Friday: Fun dinner: Li'l Smokies, and cauliflower "tater tots"
Saturday: TBA
Sunday: Lasagna rolls that we were supposed to have yesterday, but it was just too dang hot to cook

On my to-do list: Work, work, work, work....clean the bathrooms. Laundry (hopefully, my new dryer will be delivered today)

Looking around the house: It's very quiet. The Sphinx is lounging in a chair behind me.

From the camera: My boss's dahlias are starting to bloom. Gorgeous!

On my prayer list: This whole insane world. My Dave cat, that he may by some miracle, get well. I love that crazy cat.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

29/52

29/52: I have no idea ya'll. Don't even ask.

29/52, Sunday: So. We forgot to take a picture until late. She's actually swishing mouthwash, lol. But, the project lives on!

Monday, July 18, 2016

Happy Homemaker Monday

Oh, good heavens. It's been quite the day today, which is why I haven't gotten a chance to put up this post until now. And I'm dreadfully behind everything tonight. It's one.of.those.days.
Let's begin then!

The Weather: It's warm, and it's going to get warmer. Thank God for air conditioners and cold tea.

On my reading pile: "The Missing" and "The Telling" by Beverly Lewis. Amish mysteries. I love me some Amish mysteries.

On my T.V.: I have nothing planned, because I have to catch up on my massive to do list...and this is one of those weeks where I'd rather read anyway.

On the menu this week:
Monday: Breaded pork chops, potatoes, garlicky green beans
Tuesday: Gabe's cooking: Hamburger Casserole (he liked it so much, we wanted to try his hand at it)
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner
Thursday: Chicken Fajitas
Friday: Italian Beef Sandwiches
Saturday: Potato Soup
Sunday: TBA

On my to-do list: Clean the master bath, clean out the refrigerator (groaaaannnnn)

What I am sewing, knitting, crocheting, or creating: Glow in the dark window clings for Ella's room. Just because we can.

Looking around the house: Ella is cleaning her bathroom and the cats are out on the deck.

From the camera: We had the MOST amazing double rainbow this weekend. INCREDIBLE.

On my prayer list: Several friends struggling with illness, my parents and siblings, as always. This country. Our officers in uniform...I can't even.

A Deep, Dark Secret

I've been with my husband for nearly 12 years. We've been married nearly 10.
I'm going to let you all in on a deep, dark secret.
Two, actually.
I didn't want to marry my husband.
And.
The first SIX YEARS of my nearly 10 year marriage were a nightmare, for both of us.
Let's deal with the first secret first.
We didn't want to be married.
We loved each other. We had a 3 month old together. But...
I didn't want to marry him. He didn't want to marry me either.
We got married at a Court House in Marble Falls, Texas, because his parents made us.
Boom. There ya have it.
Would I have married him eventually? I don't know. I like to think so, because now that we're on the other side of that nightmare bridge, our marriage is strong and good and I love being married.
I thank God every day that when the Justice of the Peace asked us "do you...?" that neither one of us went running for their lives.
I think, that because neither one of us was truly READY for a marriage and all that it brought with it, we were woefully unprepared for all the stuff that comes after.
We both did extremely stupid, hurtful things.
We had some marathon fights, and I'm sure that our daughter heard things she shouldn't have. That's something my husband and I are going to have to live with the rest of our lives.
Marriage was a nightmare. I wanted out. I said as much.
Because neither one of us had wanted to get married in the first place, I figured that he'd give me an out.
Instead, he got sober and begged me to stay. Wait, what?
In 2012, right after I made the tentative decision to stay, I was in a car crash. I called my husband from the hospital and said something along the lines of, "Hey, I was in a wreck. My arm's kind of messed up, but they'll fix it."
My arm was more than "kind of messed up" and I ended up having to go about an hour away to have surgery. I made a brief stop at my husband's workplace to let him know I was headed to another hospital. His eyes got as big as saucers and he said, "Why didn't you tell me it was this bad? I've been worried out of my mind about you! Don't you know how much I love you?!"
And I didn't.
Up until that point.
Because all I had seen up until that point were the fights, and the hurt and the disappointment. I failed to see my marriage transforming.
I've been married for nearly ten years now.
I'm going to let you guys in on another secret.
I'm grateful that I got married because we "had to."
I'm grateful for those nightmare years, because now I appreciate what we have that much more.

Sunday, July 17, 2016

28/52

28/52: Hopscotch!

28/52, Sunday: This girl is so lovely, I may weep.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Happy Homemaker Monday

Good Heavens! It's my first HHM in FOREVER. Life's been crazy, to be sure, but I've missed blogging on the regular, so I'm going to try harder. I SWEAR.

The weather: Sunny and warm. Thunderstorms later this week, and I know my garden will be glad for the rain!

On my reading pile: Nothing. Ugh! Ella and I have a library date this evening, though, so I'm sure I'll find something good.

On my T.V.: Old-school Disney movies (Lady and the Tramp) and Amelia (the Hilary Swank movie)

On the menu for this week:
Monday: Cube steak in a mushroom/wine sauce, potatoes, carrots
Tuesday: Gabe's cooking. Pork tacos
Wednesday: Ella wants hamburgers, so we'll make that happen
Thursday: Pork Loin roast
Friday: I'll be in Asheville for work all day. NO IDEA.
Saturday: Pizza soup
Sunday: Pasta, per tradition

On my to-do list: Clean the bathrooms, library date, check the gardens, clean the fish "cage", maybe pick green beans.

What I am sewing, crocheting, creating: Goodness. Nothing. I need to get my rear in gear.

Looking around the house: I need to move my plant stand outside. The house smells amazing, as dinner simmers in the crockpot.

From the camera:

After my most recent miscarriage, the loss of my unborn son, Thomas, I was moved to do something healing, something constructive. I've planted a little garden with amazing plants in it. The lavender is in bloom right now.

On my prayer list: This country. How can we have so much hate toward one another?

Where Have I Been?

I've not meant to neglect my little corner of the blog-verse, but life's just been happening at an extra quick pace.

I took my first vacation in 17 (!) years and Ella and I went to visit my Mom and Dad in Wisconsin. We had planned to hit Chicago as well, but my Dad ended up getting sick about 4 days into my 8 day stay, and his health is more important than a visit to Chicago. Besides, we'll be in Chicago next year.

Ella and my parents. The last time they saw each other, Ella was 4...she is now 10!

She had a blast in their pool!

My Mom and I worked on things while I was out there. A lot of people tell me we look alike!

I literally waited SIX YEARS for this picture. My Daddy! He's a hero!

We are terribly unphotogenic, but it's the first parent/kid selfie in forever, I think.

So, I'm back for the moment. Work has been insane, and I THOUGHT today would be my first Monday off in forever (besides my one vacation Monday). Whoops, I was wrong. I'll do better on here, I swear.