TA-DA Almost

Well, I tried.  One of my favorite blogs to follow is Everyday Living.  Pam is such a beautiful person and has so much talent for decorating, gardening and all thing beautiful.

I love her flowers arrangements and table decor.  I can't help but wonder why I missed out on that talent.

Then this happened!  Pam posted something I thought I could copy.  I almost succeeded.

First, I will show you my version.

It is flowers in a jar.  I had the jar, I had the flowers so----

 

I messed up, but I learned.  I should have and could have changed the table cloth.

Learning, is what it all about, right??? 

Now, my next one will be better.  

Here is Pam's

Everyday Living 

The day my world changed

Was in February of 2018, we had just finished a run to Wal-Mart and were getting ready to head out and do some thrift store shopping.  We had plans to make a little bbq spot in our tiny backyard space.

We were making a new walk, our son Rod,  has just put in new stair for us.  So, I was on the hunt for backyard treasures when:

I head a horrible sound from the kitchen, and I ran to see what was happening.  Steve was clutching his chest and beginning to fall.  I grabbed him, and at least tried to soften the fall.

He had a stoke!

Ambulance, was called . My son somehow made it from work, even beating the ambulance,  then many days of confusion.  flying him to Seattle and more confusion and it all became a blur.

I learned a new word and live with that word and that word is aphasia.  There are different levels, and some have just one part of aphasia.  Steve, has both receptive meaning what he hears is scrambled.  He just hears you making sounds, that are not forming into words.  At the same time he has expressive, the words coming from him are scrambled. So I have no clue what he is saying.  Over the years, he has been able to speak a few words but, mainly our life revolves around a white board.

Steve, can get the drift of what you are trying to say, if he reads it. He does not write, he can not make letters,  I am pretty good at guessing.

So, I am coming to grips with my new world.  I do have a very short fuse, but even that is getting better.  I am getting back to my sewing and playing in the garden.

It is still paradise, you give your whole life to Christ, not just part of it but all of it.

I did the unthinkable

I can't believe I did that!   I have developed such a short fuse, that one tiny little thing just sent me over the edge.

I think this past year has been hard on a lot of us, but when you are already pretty much a shut in, getting even more isolated sure doesn't help.  Add to that pile on's. Steve, hurt himself, nothing serious, just a pulled muscle, but you would think, the worst had happened, suddenly he developed a limp.  the pulled muscle is in his arm, so I am not sure how it caused a limp.  Add  to that it also changed his voice.  I can't understand him as it is, but the pulled muscle brought on a tiny little whiny voice.

I kept hanging on.  I really thought I was doing pretty good until===

I went to the computer to order some Mexican food Steve wanted.  He thought he could hold a fork, holding a coffee cup was out of the question, but, a fork would  be okay.  As I  put in my order,  with a company I have used for over a year,  it suddenly would not accept my card and asked for another one.  I put in another one, nope!! not good enough.  Now, it wanted me to changed my address.  How would they deliver my food if I changed my address??  What do I change it to? 

                                            Any reasonable person would stop right there.  Call the company, right?  you would calmly ask what was happening. Nope, not me! I lost it, after trying over and over to make it take my card.  Again, why would you do that?

I went straight to Facebook and expressed my frustration. After this, I will never condemn people that do that.  It is temporary insanity, at least I hope it is temporary. 

I have gone back and cleaned up my mess, but as I was once told. If I came to your house and threw garbage all over your floor, even if I cleaned it all up, I still have left a bad impression and I fear I have left a bad impression. I hope the rest of the story will be a good one.  I can say it was brought on by isolating  myself from the world,  but we all know, there was no excuse for bad behavior.

I love the plains

Among other favorite places, the plains are one of my favorite places.  I have many friends, that say it is just a bunch of nothing.   Miles of nothing, I guess they are not looking.

For one. a lot of my food comes from the plains.

Wheat fields are so beautiful, to think a farmer has plowed these fields, seeded and harvested.  Just gives a new meaning to a loaf of bread.

At the fair I always head right to the booth that belongs to the wheat framers wives. They have a cinnamon bun, made from a secret recipe, only the upper wives know this recipe. I always get enough to take home.

Night brings a whole new meaning to sunset.

Step one

 You need to start someplace and for me that was my front porch.  My very neglected front porch.  There will be no before pictures.

I picked the front porch, because that is where I welcome guest and it should be welcoming. Also I read blogs😉  very inspiring front porches are on blogs and don't forget pinterest.

First, I just needed to get mine clean.

Bistro set, gift from my sister

I need ideas here.  I am not super fond of this, but it does cover the wall for now. I am open to all suggestions.

Across from the table set, is the swing.  Made by hubby.  The wood is clear cedar, milled in his mill.   Love to sit here and read.

That, is where I am on this journey.  I guess it is time to check pinterest.

I am open to all suggestions, so jump right in.

I am good enough

 Those words keep running through my head.  I am good enough, I do deserve nice things.

where did all this come from, I am not sure, but, I think it has to do with getting thrown into care taker role.

Everything I was doing, was for someone else. To make sure that someone was comfortable, full, clean and for as much as I am able happy.

So, I stopped doing anything and everything, that I considered extra.  Things as simple as setting a pretty table, my mind would go to why bother!

So--I declare today step one day.

I am going to make those special napkins, I am going to decorate my little front porch.

I am going to tell myself, I do deserve nice things.

Lets go Mountain Biking

                Live in the mountains, then get yourself a bike and explore the mountains.

Well, those days have passed for me, but my son really loves being in the mountains and heads there anytime he has a chance.

 

He really, got back into it, after he injured his back at work.   

The doctor told him to help heal his back and prevent further injury, he should strengthen his core.

 

He went out and bought this:

And did this

 and this

and even this

People come from miles around just to see our mountain flowers

They put on a real show.

Then you send all your pictures to mom