No Whining Allowed

Hey Guys! We are on vacation this week! I have much to tell but don’t know when I will get to give a run down. I will type at you soon-ish! Love Capri K and Crew

Honey and I.

I want one.

I definitely want one.

Kisses!

Have a happy Valentine’s Day!

These pictures were from an e-mail I received from my Father and his wife. There were some really good ideas!!!!

This was a goodie.

This was probably my favorite. Replace the circular, lazy Susan thingy that I don’t even use.

I can see where this could be handy.

When you are done, push it back down!

There is a pineapple on my counter right now I would like to try this baby out on!

Ingenius!

Gets those ugly power strips off the floor.

This looks Ikea-ish to me. Probably not very cute or comfortable either way, but interesting.

I am all over this! Get that nasty rinse cup off the counter!!!

I like storage and multi function!

Now, where would one get these things? Hmmmm.

Have a great weekend!

Hi Guys! Thanks for stopping by. Thanks go out to our hostess Joyce, for gathering us and giving us something to talk about.

1. What do the words ‘freedom’ and ‘liberty’ mean to you? Does your mind go more in the direction of not being persecuted or discriminated against or does it head in the direction of doing what you please?

I think the first one is more what our Founding Fathers had in mind. Unfortunately, there are those who have not grasped the concept that doing what you please is usually not good for the majority of folk. We can’t all have our own personal code of ethics that conflict in every way possible. There has to be some framework for peaceable living. God’s laws give us a good foundation for this.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly^[a] with your God. Micah 6:8

That’s a good place to start.

2. Nathan’s sponsors a hot dog eating contest every 4th of July. Last year over 40,000 people attended the event and almost 2 million watched it on TV. The winner ate over 60 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. How do you like your hot dogs?

I don’t do dogs. Except for about once a year when I am forced to eat a dog at an event or function, or else starve to death. I always say I have a one dog a year limit.

3. If you were going to enter an eating contest what would be on the menu?

I am fairly fond of the kettle chip. Tim Horton donut holes call my name. Loudly.

4. Do you run your house more as a dictatorship or a democracy?

I would say it is a combination of both, if that is possible. There are always things that can be discussed, tweaked, changed, added or discarded.  But again, just like God’s laws, there are also things that are not open for debate. We operate freely within a set of rules. How’s that?

5. Where was your favorite summer place when you were a kid?

We spent a lot of time at my Aunt Nancy’s pool. She was not really our aunt, but a good friend of my Mom’s. I was frequently allowed to bring my best friend and next door neighbor, Tina.

There and the Alfred Noble public library. I loved the smell of that place.

6. Do you have a guest room? Would you want to stay there?

We do and I would. It has a comfy bed with my favorite kind of pillow. It’s in the basement, so it is cool and dark. It has the added bonus of it’s own bathroom. People don’t seem to mind it, it has been booked all summer so far!

7. Next Wednesday America celebrates her independence. Do you have any special plans for the 4th of July? If you live outside the USA when and how does your country celebrate its own patriotic holiday?

We usually head out to my Dad’s. He lives on a lake that has a very nice fireworks display. We will have lunch and make a day of it.

At some point around that time we will also see parts of Independence Day on tv. To miss that would be un-American!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I went to a second garden walk this week, I will have more pictures later this week. It was delicious!

Can I get an amen?

Love this pot.

Thanks for stopping by, I need to git walking, Keelyody’s waiting!

Read this. I feel exactly the same way!

Hi Guys! Thanks for stopping by the Hodgepodge this week .My thanks as usual to Joyce From This Side of the Pond for thinking up questions for us to answer.

1. What gives you goosebumps?

When people tell about something that is a total God thing.

2. Halloween-are you a lover or a hater? Okay, that sounds harsh…Halloween-yay or nay?

I neither love nor hate it. Our kids always participated, costumes and trick or treating. I knew some people that were against it because they felt it was evil, but I never thought that. I remembered Halloween as one of the most fun nights of the year and wanted our kids to feel the same.

We have never done much as far as decorating for it, and we never celebrated the scary side of it. No creepy stuff, I am a world class weenie.

3. Can you respect someone you do not trust, and can you trust someone you do not respect?

I don’t think so, they seem like they go hand in hand to me. If I can’t trust someone, I don’t respect them. It’s an integrity issue.

4. Apples or oranges? Yes, you have to choose.

This one is easy, apples. Fuji, Golden or Honeycrisp preferably. Oranges me no likey. All that nasty, white, pulpy business, YUCK.

5. What is something you wish was in your town? (shop, restaurant, attraction, etc)

Hmmm, I am fairly happy with our town. I used to always say I would never have to leave our city if we had a Homegoods, Old Navy and a TJ Maxx. We have the first two, still no TJM, but we do have a Marshalls! And now that the kids are older, no one ever needs to go to Old Navy, so I totally wasted a wish on that.

The Value World is in the next town over, and The Big Cheap Store is in Virginia, so clearly, there can be improvements made.

6. What non-food item is in your refrigerator or freezer?

Well, the only things I can think of are Honey’s hummingbird food and Super Glue.

This does remind me of something that was in our freezer for years.The Boy had a fast food toy that was The Invisible Man, or woman or something. For some reason, to become invisible, he needed it to be in the freezer. It’s grey self was in there for many moons!

7. Are you at all superstitious?

I don’t think so. Honey says I am not.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I just read this in my BSF notes this morning.

“No opposition can stop an eternal work of God in a believing, committed heart. These Antioch converts learned that the entrance to God’s kingdom is accompanied by trials, opposition, and even persecution. However, the supernatural joy and transformation within, by the new creation by the Holy Spirit, far outweighed the opposition. Difficulties deepened their spiritual roots and confirmed their confidence in Christ’s power to cause His own to triumph over every situation”

Pretty powerful stuff!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hey Guys! Time for the Hodgepodge. Many thanks to Joyce from This Side of the Pond for gathering us together.

1. Summer’s here-whoohoo! What’s your favorite sight, sound, AND smell associated with summer?

My favorite sight would be purty flowers. Since I have become such an early riser, I hear all kinds of happy birds in the morning. I especially like the mourning doves because The Kids always liked them and called them Swing Set Birds. Barbeque smells yummy, so does my Japanese honeysuckle, it’s blooming right now as we read.

2. Fireflies or lightning bugs…what are they called in your neck of the woods?

I think the term is used interchangeably here in The Mitten.

3. What is something from the past week that reminded you of your childhood?

The Boy and I went to Sears to get new glasses last week. They were having a handy dandy sale, 2 pair of glasses for $99. The salesgirl said you could choose from ones in a particular area, or ones with an orange tag. There was quite a large selection, but The Boy had a particular look he was going for. The particular look was not part of the handy dandy selection. Of course. They were part of the one pair for $189 selection.

I then felt the need to tell him how it was when I was a girl. The insurance said you had to choose a pair with a green dot. I chose a pair with a green dot. The End.

Luckily for him, the salesgirl said she could offer us the bonus of giving him the 2 for $99 deal and we would only have to pay the difference of his higher priced, particular frames, so he got another pair for free. Sort of, like.

Then it was my turn. I chose the ones with the orange tags. It’s too late to change me now.

Sears called today to tell me they are in. I’ll show you when I get them!

4. Define ‘the good life’.

I thought about this question a lot last night. I asked Honey what he thought. He sent me to Ecclesiastes. Then I asked The Boy. He just said Jesus. Then grace, then some big words that I don’t use. I knew the Lord was the key ingredient to “the good life”, but I felt I should have a verse to back it up.

I know many people see “the good life” as a sort of trouble free existence, no hard responsibilities, full of blessings, material gifts like wealth, homes, cars, and possessions, robust health, the ability to travel and do as you please. All those things can certainly be a part of the good life, but they are not the defining things. Can you really even appreciate all that bounty unless you have never had, or been stripped of it?

In James 1 it says

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

That verse is completely opposite of what the world says is “the good life”  It talks about trials, perseverance, developing your faith. Hard things, not a life of leisure and comfort. I especially like this part:

“4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

It says you have to go through the hard stuff before you can get the good stuff. Being mature, complete, not lacking in anything? THAT would be the good life for me!

I also like this verse, because I always like to know what is required of me.

Micah 6:8  He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

I’m not there yet. It’s a goal. Following Jesus IS the good life.

5. Tell us what we’d see if you took a snapshot of your desk/work space?

Well, here’s where the magic happens! All the necessary things computer, camera and cord, kleenex, idiom book, Bible, some pictures for Way Back When-sday. Plus, there is a ceiling fan that you can’t see. I like for everywhere I go these days to have a ceiling fan.

6. Peaches or watermelon…yes, you have to choose.

A good peach is dreamy, but sometimes it’s hard to get a good one. And a mealy, bad, peach is yukky.

7. Ever been skinny dippin’? Is that too much for the Wednesday Hodgepodge? Rest assured we won’t need details…unless of course you feel you must but remember, this is a family friendly blog so keep it G rated.

No, I have never been that brave! It doesn’t sound appealing anyway.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Yesterday was The Boy’s birthday. The night before, he received a special treat from Button. She works at our friendly, neighborhood, Carvel’s and made it for him! It was SCRUMTRULESCENT!!!!! We all got a piece, then we watched episodes of Castle from the library, because we are all pretty wild around here.

Thanks Button, for being so sweet to The Boy! And for the cake, WE LIKE CAKE!!!

Thanks again, Joyce!

Mousey is always one to try something new in her quest to have soft, loverly, blemish free, skin. Products, gelatin and masks made from all sorts of common kitchen ingredients. I came home from shopping to this one. YIKES! She had called me at the store to ask if we had nutmeg and cinnamon. Afterward, she said she smelled like pie. The jury is still out as to effectiveness.

I ran up to Marshall’s to use my FREE, $10.00 off coo-pin. I heart those coo-pins!

I have been perusing the tree skirts for the last few years. I made ours years ago, and it is fine, but sometimes you want a new little somethin’, somethin. My other one was definitely in the red family, not exactly matching our decor. They seemed to have oodles of brick-y red ones this year, ones that match our color palate better.

It’s a little foofy, but the other ones were foofier. I knew the kids would not be fans of the cheetah print, as they all call animal spots. Personally, that is my favorite part. I am still thinking about it.

My personal decorator, aka Capri Patt, is coming by this afternoon to get her hairs cut. Perhaps she will help me with my indecisiveness.

I am happy to say that our tree is UP and the lights are on. But, it is totally ornament free at the moment.I will get around to it. I am only one person.

Mama Mia seems to be giving it the paws up. She found it a suitable place for bathing.

What do you all think. Be honest, I can take it. I am not afraid of the return line. Yet.