High Five For Friday!

January 25, 2013January 24, 2013 / kstrick7 / 5 Comments

January has sure been a month of ups & downs weather wise. We have had some warm weather then, cold, freezing rain/sleet/snow (though not much). Here we are at the LAST Friday in January! What will February bring?? Until then, let’s give a High Five For Friday.

Chocolate covered strawberries (homemade)

These were my 1st attempt at those delectable chocolate covered strawberries you see everywhere, this time of year. I was going to make them closer to Valentine’s Day. But what the hey, there’s no time like the present! They tasted pretty good…

Quinoa

One of my co-workers is such a wonderful inspiration, when it comes to health & fitness. You can visit her awesome blog at www.thewhitedish.wordpress.com She often times has news of what she has been doing to keep fit. One of the dishes she has been talking about is quinoa. She inspired me to try my own version of quinoa. This is roasted red pepper & basil (that I doctored up just a wee bit). It was all good & healthy, though. This was a delicious dish & truly a much needed break-thru in my substandard regular diet! (See chocolate strawberries above, which is fruit, so, in reality, it could be classified as moderately healthy. I said could be…)

Cleaning service arrived!

My favorite cleaning service was in the house this week. Not only does he sweep, he cleans the toliet, empties out my cabinets, throws lots of stuff in the garbage, & can dust the coffee table in his socks. We may or may not tell his parents about all the great things he does each visit. That way, they may or may not let him keep coming back.

Saw some sunshine this week

On the drive in to school & work one morning, saw a rare sight. Little bit of sunshine.

My 1st 5k of the year will be at Jay Bird Park

So excited about my 1st 5k of the year. It will be at Jay Bird Park. My friend Jen said she was gonna get us signed up. Can’t wait to get out there & begin racing, this year!

I hope everybody’s week was good. If not, there are still a few more to go in 2013! I will be linking in with Lauren from my grey desk. Come on over to the link party! We always have a fantastic time!

Link in with Lauren! You will be glad you did!

Confessions of a Math despising mama

January 17, 2013 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

In light of Notre Dame’s linebacker Manti Te’o that got duped & the Lance Armstrong thingy, I have something I would like to come clean about, myself. This has to do with my youngest daughter. It’s something I have been trying to avoid, sweep under the rug, just kind ignore it & hope it goes away. However, I really don’t think it is. So, I thought now would be a good time to just come out & let everybody know. She likes math. There, I said it. I am feeling some sense of relief, but maybe should tell you that I really think she LOVES math. Which now, all of this is just leavin’ a bitter taste in my mouth.

I know ya’ll are thinking, what is the big ol’ deal with that? Really? Well, let me just explain a few things to you. I do not like math. I actually refuse, as an adult, to do simple addition & subtraction in my head. Mostly subtraction, but it’s just because it doesn’t make sense to me or come easy. You see, I was tramatized by math at an early age. Back in 3rd grade we had this awful thing we had to learn, called times tables. Does anyone here know what multiplication did to me?? The good intentioned teacher would pass out these tests, with a bunch of multiplication problems on them. Then, we were timed. (Much the same way, Miss Neenee is this year, in which she has LOVED.) Only, I would work a few problems, then just start bawlin’ my eyes out. I did not have these things memorized. They did not make a bit of sense to me. Why did my math world have to change? I was perfectly content with addition. Now, this junk? My teacher would ask me if I needed to go to the bathroom. And of course I did. It pretty much went that way every day, until times tables were over.

So, when Miss Neenee came home all excited about the multiplication speed tests, I was like, “Whoa, there, missy, you just hold on. Multiplication is hard, I mean crying everyday hard. You just don’t worry about this. We will take care of it. Mama will study with you & you will learn these ol’ dumb math facts….” In which she interupts me in mid- “blessing her heart it’s going to be alright talk”, to say, “It’s not hard.” Then proceeds to whip out a timed multiplication sheet, that she had made a 100 on. I just stood there speechless. My precious little girl, in which we have all things common, is going to like math. I did what any good mama would do. I cried a little to myself, just thinking, this is not going to last. She’s just like me. I hate math, she will hate math…. just give it some time. It will tear her apart, as it did me. Then, I would make sure no one knew about it, because heck, I did not want to embarrass my child, by everyone knowing she was no good at math. Why, she’s my baby. I think she’s great at everything. This will all pass & I will be there for her- dialing up a math tutor, just in time, to get her on the right path. She will be like me, loving to write, tell stories, you know things you love English for. Only, that’s not happening. And I did not want to admit it to myself. But I think it’s time.

I think about her family & don’t know why this has not dawned on me. My Daddy – for double digit years was a cost accountant (who must love math). My Mama worked in finance (evidently dealing with math, a lot). My father in law & mother in law, her grandparents, owned businesses all their lives(somebody was doing math). My mother in law was especially smart when it came to numbers(thus another reason she was awesome). My older girls, both understand & enjoy math(is this genetic?). Just this week, looking through her weekly sent home papers, I don’t think this is going away anytime soon. (She had a 96 & 99 in there, on Math).

Proof that loving math is real- unlike Manti Te’o’s girlfriend

More real math love

Why I did not see this coming, I don’t know. But here it is & there’s nothing I can do about it. I am just sorry you had to hear it this way. If you see me out at the store, or church, please don’t mention this to me. Because I am still having a bit of pain, upsetness, trying to digest & understand what’s going on here, with it.

So, with all of that, I guess I need to say thank you to her teacher, this year for making Math so fun. (Where were you when I was in 3rd grade???) Thank you to my family for passing this (mutant) math gene along to my daughter (in which I missed out on). Hopefully, her world will make far more sense to her, since she is not mathmatically challenged as her mother. And, too, I forgive you, Miss Neenee, for loving the math that I hate. It’s alright. I will get through this.

Oh, and one more thing, those Math Awards, that she’s been getting for the past few years, well, I guess I owe them an apology, too. I am sorry for not acknowledging you all sooner. It takes a lot for me to admit me & my sweet Miss Neenee might have one teeny weeny thing not in common. Which is ok. Maybe. I don’t know. I will get back with you on that one. Furthermore, I guess my life could be worse. She could like bananas. I hate bananas. They feel so squishy & nasty in my mouth. Oh wait. She does like bananas…..You know what, I am going to be going now because I should be washing clothes.

Taking some advice from Honey Boo-Boo’s Mama

January 8, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

We could take some financial lessons from Honey Boo Boo’s Mama. I just read an article on OMG! In which Mama June tells about what she does with the $15,000-$20,000 per episode they receive. The answer? The money is equally divided into 5 different trust funds (one for each of her children.). The children are not able to access the funds (except for schooling or medical emergencies) until they are 21 years old. Read below an expert from the article:

“I want my kids to look back and say, ‘Mama played it smart. Not like those other reality TV people,'” she told the website, adding that she never actually receives the money. “TLC puts the money into the girls’ trust accounts for me and then I get an e-mail telling me how much everyone gets.”
June said Sugarbear (Honey Boo Boo’s father) provides for the family by working as a contractor and no matter how much dough they rake in from their reality endeavors, they will never blow it all on material items.
“You’re never gonna see me drive a Range Rover or a Mercedes,” she said. “I’ll drive one if someone else pays for it. Never gonna live above my means.
“
I don’t know about you, but sometimes things just aren’t what they seem. I know there has been lots of speculation about this show, the way they live, how they act, what they were thinking…. It may seem that these folks are ignorant or dumb- However, I just don’t think Mama June is too far off, when it comes down to what it’s all about. Not blowing money on material items, with the thought that material things more important than they really are. She says she’s never gonna live above her means…hmmmm, There is a lesson in that all of us can learn.

In the gospels Jesus says we can only serve one master. He says if we serve man, we cannot serve God.
Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Also, the apostle Paul talks about what we should regard as important. Not our standing in society, not our car, not our home, land, or any other tangible thing. We should love one another, be kind to one another, ….

Galatians 5:22 & 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such there is no law.

I just want to thank Honey Boo Boo’s mama, June for reminding me of what I need to keep my focus on. It’s not anything tangible, that’s for sure. I will heed this reminder with COURAGE. Courage to be thankful more for people than things. Courage to appreciate what I have & not think I have to have more. Courage to know that no matter what amount is in my bank account, my family still loves me. I think that’s a good way, today, to use my one word for 2013. I am so glad you stopped by to visit with me today & listen to me ramble about Honey Boo Boo’s mama. I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes.

New Year’s Resolutions for 2013

January 1, 2013January 1, 2013 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

Today, I am going to list my New Year’s Resolutions. Here goes:

1.Stay connected to God.
2.Remain a student of the Bible.
3.Lose 10 lbs FOR STARTERS.
4.Make my family healthier.
5.Be a better blogger.
6.Encourage others more.
7.Be more humble.
8.Love more.
9.Sew more.
10.Exercise more.
11.Walk weekly.
12.Do at least (5) 5k races.
13.Learn to let go of offenses. Because really, how important are they??
14.Read the Old Testament.
15. Less talk, more action, please.

Alright, that wasn’t too painful. I think I might could add- Be on time more & spend less. But good grief, let’s save something for 2014! I am hopeful that everyone at least attempts to make a list of resolutions (whether on paper or a mental list). The New Year is always a good time to take inventory of things that can be improved on. And, I can always make an extended list of how I am going to make these things happen, as well. All I know is, 2013 is going to be a wonderful year!
Thank you so much for stopping by today. I would love to hear about your New Year’s Resolutions. Comments are free & they make me very happy! However, I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes!

Merry Christmas to all!

December 25, 2012December 25, 2012 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

Wishing you happiness & peace this Christmas Season! Merry Christmas y’all from I should be washing clothes.

Introducing our Elf on the Shelf

December 16, 2012December 16, 2012 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

I bought Miss Neenee an Elf on the Shelf. After I took her & had her pick it out & bought it, I had the thought, ‘Perhaps this Elf on the Shelf was just supposed to “appear magically” from Santa’s Wonderland.’ Well, I mess that up. We got her home, read the book, named her Gracia (you say it GRAY-Sha like the girl we fell in love with on the Voice that yodeled.) Anyway, we also registered her on line & of course Santa Claus sent us an email. He is just awesome that way. For those of you, like me, that may not be sure what to do with an Elf on the Shelf, let me give you a short run down of what’s up with it. So, the elf is at your house to watch your kids to make sure they are being good for Santa. Each night, the elf magically goes back up to the North Pole & tells Santa what they saw the kids doing that day. The next morning, you wake up & the elf has moved somewhere else in house, for you to find. On Christmas, Santa takes the elf back to the North Pole to stay until about oh, let’s see, Thanksgiving the next year. Then the elf comes back. Miss Neenee told me we could not touch the elf or it would lose it’s magic & die. Some elves are mischievous. However, I think ours is not too bad. The 1^st day, well, let’s just say she did not feel too welcome.

Let me explain this situation. Some of Miss Neenee’s other toys must have gotten jealous of this new toy. They tied Gracia up & the duck is holding a sign that reads: “GO HOME! This is our house!” Poor Gracia. Not exactly the welcoming committee. Miss Neenee did spank the 4 dolls bottoms & explained in pure Southern tongue, that what they had done was NOT acceptable. It went something like,”Lord, have mercy, ya’ll. Ya’ll all are gettin’ lumps of coal!”

The 2^nd day, Gracia must have got to looking for something sweet to eat. We found her in the pantry, no less, drinking pancake syrup. Miss Neenee said elves LOVE sweet stuff.

We will see what all this elf gets in to. I will say a friend of mine told me she saw on Facebook “The Belt on the Shelf”. Which as you can imagine was supposed to be for kids that did not respond properly to much anything else, especially an elf watching them. I saw some kids in the grocery store yesterday that could have used that. It was a dad with a boy around 6yrs. & a little girl about 4yrs. They were acting like a bunch of wild Banshee Indians. He was telling them to quit this & quit that. I just thought, why don’t you tell them Santa’s watching? That usually does the trick, this time of year. Or stop talking & take them to the bathroom & make them understand that acting good in the grocery store is the right thing to do- with his belt. I cannot stand hearing parents over & over telling their kids to behave, stop it, quit it. We were not raised like that. If my Mama had to tell us past once, she would definitely tell us in a way we understood. And if we didn’t there was always Daddy.

I hope everyone is taking in your Christmas traditions. It will be over & gone before we know it! It’s been wonderful visiting with you today. I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.

The cure to Black Friday’s chaos

November 27, 2012 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

So, you know I was blogging about Black Friday, not too long ago. I saw a picture on Facebook that really drove it all home.

When did we become so obsessed with material things, that it’s more important than God? People will get up in the middle of the night, stand in line, & wait as long as they have to for a deal. Those same people won’t wake up in time on a Sunday morning to worship God. We have it all backwards. People tend to put so much emphasis on what they can buy & possess, that they miss the point all together. How many people have you seen with a U-Haul behind a hearse? We can’t take it with us. However, we will give up our families, our friends, God, or whatever gets in our way, to have worldly objects.

When we are sick, do we depend on a new car to take care of us? Does it make a difference to our house if we had an awful day? What about the property that we own? If we get bad news back from the doctor, can it help us? All of that may sound silly, but this is where many people put their love & attention. They treat these things sometimes as being more important to them than their family & friends. We need our family & friends. If you don’t believe it, see if you can get you new big screen t.v. to bring you gas, when your car runs out- on the side of the road.

However, to have loved ones, you have to love others. If you don’t, you have a long tough way ahead of you. I love to hear the story about my great father watching a long a funeral procession pass by. My Dad said to him, “That man had a lot of friends.” In which his grandfather replied, “ Well, son, he was just a friend to a lot of people.”

Jesus said in, John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Love for each other is the most important thing in the world. I pray that we all can show love to others this week. I am so glad you stopped by & visited with me. It makes me immensely happy! I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes….

Side note- Just so you know, I am not bashing all Black Friday shoppers. The extreme parts of it, well, are just a little unnecessary.

Christmas shopping is a trick

November 15, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

I was listening to the radio on the way to work. There was a commercial talking about black Friday. Evidently, if you don’t start camping out, outside of Best Buy right now, you are a loser & won’t have anything for your loved ones, for Christmas. Or at least that’s what the announcer implied.

Deals! Deals! Deals! Oh the joys of saving money-for the holiday, of course…..

I will say this, the retail stores have done a great job of trying to get what little left over money the country has. I mean, the Christmas decorations are out earlier every year. At Halloween, we went over to our town’s trunk or treat for Miss Neenee to get some candy. We were driving along & the Miss said, “Look Mama, snowflakes.” Then, she proceeded to point to the light poles, that already had the Christmas decorations on them. Go. Figure. Let me tell you this, I have 5 kids & a grand child to buy for. I do not Christmas shop all year round. I do not go to black Friday. I wait until December to start shopping for Christmas. And you know what? Every year, they get Christmas presents. I am not usually too stressed or coming apart. My problem is, with such a large family, spending too much money. Aha! You may say, perhaps I need to visit black Friday! No, I would rather go thru all the money I have, than put myself through that. Everybody has their rathers. I would rather make a couple of mad dashes here & there & get it done.

Mind you, there was a time I loved Christmas shopping. When my Mama was living we loved to shop together. She loved shopping at any time of the year. Christmas was just an extra special treat! Even when she was in a wheelchair, she would have my Daddy take her to the Walmart Supercenter at midnight. Not just at Christmas, but other times, through out the year. Her thought was that it was less crowded. So, if she wanted to take time looking at things, she did not have to worry about being in people’s way. Her Mama loved to Christmas shop, too. I remember going to the store with her. She would let me pick out what I wanted. It was a toy, sometimes, or make-up, as I got older. I got to help her pick out presents for my cousins, too. We would do a lot of window shopping, as she called it. You know, looking & admiring, not so much buying all we saw. In times past, I would go with my sister-in-law & brother shopping on Friday after Thanksgiving. We usually went to Memphis shopping. We would go to the Mall of Memphis & to Goldsmith’s on Poplar. It was always a fun time making my brother carry our bags. Perhaps one day I can Christmas shop like my Daddy. He did all his Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve, every year, for every one, at Radio Shack. My Mama was not too much on electronics. So, he would have to pick her gift up somewhere else. But boy did me & my brother always get some cool stuff! One year we got a remote control airplane. Another time my brother got a hand held electronic baseball game & I got a tape recorder. Good times.

Whether you decide to go to black Friday & line up with all the folks to buy your goods, or if you decide to lay back & wait to start your shopping later on- I won’t judge you. I will just be snoozing blissfully, on my day off, while some unshowered, lady(who has been up all night) snatches an Easy Bake Ultimate Oven or Furby away from a well meaning shopper down at the local Walmart. There will be chaos, nasty jeers, yelling, & tramplings in some stores, all in the name of Christmas presents. Who wouldn’t want to miss that?

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today. I would love to hear about some of your Christmas shopping experiences. However, I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes……

High Five for Friday!

October 26, 2012 / kstrick7 / 4 Comments

Another week has past & today I hear it’s about 60 or so days until Christmas! I hope everybody had a wonderful week. Ours was still unseasonable warm here in Mississippi. I do know it is supposed to be down to 39 degrees Saturday night. That will be right on time, since our church hayride is that same night! With no further delay, here is my high five for Friday:

Mr. Cutie Pants ready for church

Mr. Cutie Pants spent the night Saturday night. Just in time to go to Sunday School on Sunday! Can’t believe he is already 1 year old.

Pickwick River Run 5k

Did the Pickwick River Run this past weekend. When I say “did” I mean walked briskly with my long legged, fast walking friend Jen. We had a really good time. We talked & laughed the whole time! Walking is way more fun with a friend!

Miss Neenee putting color in the homemade play-doh.

I made some homemade play-doh. Miss Neenee decided it would look beautiful if we made it blue. She was right!

Thursday night grilled

Last night my husband grilled & barbequed bologna. If you have never had it, stop what you are doing & go get some right now. It’s. that. good. I made those cheesy potatoes in the oven. However, you could wrap them in foil & put them on the grill. Delish!

Pink polish for Breast Cancer Awareness month

Scored some new pink polish for Breast Cancer Awareness month! I painted my toes…now, I must get to painting my nails!

Today, I will be linking up with Lauren From My Grey Desk blog. We get together there, each Friday to tell about 5 things that made us happy this week. So, what are your plans this weekend??

High Five for Friday

October 19, 2012 / kstrick7 / 4 Comments

So glad today is Friday! It has been one more week! I hope all of you are having a great Friday. I will be linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk. She has an awesome link party there every Friday. It’s the place to be to give a High Five For Friday. So, with no further delay here is my H54F:

What would October be without pumpkins?

We went, with a group of friends from church, to a heritage day at a plantation. The weather was wonderful. Yes, it was fall. Yes, there were pumpkins.

Indian performing a native hoop dance

We saw Indians performing native dances. This one was a hoop dance. He made things like a butterfly, a bird, an alligator, & Mickey Mouse with the hoops. It was entertaining.

Miss Neenee doin’ a little cotton pickin’

Miss Neenee found the cotton patch. She was so happy that she got her bag filled up. If this were for real & she had to do this, probably not that much fun!

RIde to work

If you can look past my dirty windshield, you will see some pretty amazing fall colors. This is a little spot in the road on my drive in to work. I have been wondering where fall was…looks like it’s on the side of the highway here. It’s been warm in Mississippi this week. However, looks like fall colors are here, so where’s the cool weather??

One 3rd grader’s pledge of alleigance to the flag

Each week Miss Neenee brings home papers for me to look at. As I was thumbing through her work, this one caught my eye. They were writing out the pledge of alleigance. Her’s went as follows….and to the Republic for Riches stand…. Well, you can see above there were other slight misspellings, too. I will be keeping this one for the scrapbook!

We have more fall activities planned for this weekend. We are attending a girl scout fall gathering tonight, I have a 5k on Saturday, & Miss Neenee is going to a fall festival with a friend on Saturday, as well. So, what are you doing this weekend??

Be sure to link in with Lauren!