Just Something On My Mind

 The coffee is brewing, and the banana bread is in the oven,

and the sun has been shining all week, although we've had some very cold days this month, in the 20's.  It seems January is one of our coldest months here.  I am happy to have taken care of a few things that needed to be addressed, and thankful I was guided to the right people who were helpful in the process.  Have you ever had Dolly Parton's Banana Nut Muffin and Bread Mix?  I made the bread, and it was so moist and filling.  It even comes with an icing packet to mix with melted butter.

I had pork chops one night with blueberry pie for dessert.

Do you know blueberry pie is my favorite?.....with pecan being a close second.  There's just something about the purple goodness of the berries and pie filling.

I had Chinese food to honor Chinese New Year coming up this week.  Their Kung Pao Chicken and Chicken Chow Mein are delicious.  It's funny how we get our favorites every time.

When I went to the store this weekend, I brought home some goodies like this sweet raisin bread, and some Valentine M&M's.

I bought these pink beads, and want to do something with them for Valentine's Day.

I've seen a few posts lately talking about texts and e-mails and such, and that has been on my mind as well, so I thought I'd put my two cents in.  I don't get bothered with too many things, but I get so annoyed when people don't return e-mails right away, or not at all.  I know there are many reasons why people don't respond right away, maybe they didn't see the e-mail, but I'm not the most patient person, and expect replies as fast as I send them, or at least that day.  I think it's rude when they linger on and are not answered for a long time.  I know people are busy, but I don't know anyone that's busier than my Nel, who always gets back to me right away.  She is Professor of English at her college, and Director of First-Year Writing, and she literally gets hundreds of e-mails a day, yet she always responds right away to her mom's e-mails.  I think it's partly because she knows it's important to me, and partly because she's great at managing her time.

And with Jess being so busy with teaching students at elementary school, her and Nel always make time to send me sweet pictures of the kids.  

Fashion Show

What do you think?  Do you find it annoying when people don't get back to you right away on texts and phone calls and e-mails?  You're probably a lot more understanding about it than I am. 😒

~Sheri

Story

 I have been thinking of my dear friend lately, as her birthday is the first day of Spring, and we've had plenty of sunshine this month.  Her name was Mireya, and she was a childhood friend who lived right around the corner from me growing up.  Her family owned the Mexican eatery in my hometown, and she would make me the best red meat tacos, and oh, that sauce!  I often talk about the Mexican restaurant that I go to here in the mountains.  I went there recently, and was talking to the young lady that's new who works there.  She's the sweetest thing.  It was take-out this time, and I picked up my order, and carried on with our conversation.  I asked her what her name was this time, cause she's always so helpful and polite.  She said, "Mireya."  I smiled big, and told her one of my dear friend's name was Mireya.  I asked her how she spelled that, and it's exactly the same way my friend spelled her name.  I went on to tell her that she owned the Mexican eatery in my hometown, and that she passed away and I miss her.  I mentioned that she used to always give me one of the pink cookies or pastries in her shop before I left, and they also sell the pink pastries in this restaurant too.  Mireya was a very good friend, and we would spend many a day at each other's houses, listening to music, going to the dime store, and just hanging out.  In our later years, we would meet for coffee at Starbuck's and catch up on our lives.  I was so surprised when the young lady told me her name, and it brought back fond memories of my beloved friend.

The creek shows hope as it's brimming with water.

Isn't it funny when we de-clutter and are in the process of going through boxes and we find some surprises along the way?  I came across a few things myself.....like the gold rocks, the white rock that I found when me and my son visited the lake, an old discolored doily that my grandmother crocheted, a picture of grandma with the girls (three generations), and the card that she had on her kitchen counter until she passed.  Oh, these things have no meaning to anyone but myself, but still I can never part with them. 

  Going on a bike ride.  Jess said it was so nice to get out after the fires.

Mia having her first friend's house sleepover without her mama.  It was emotional for Nel, and we reminisced about Nel's first sleepover at her friend, Ashley's house when she was little.  

Had a nice chat with my neighbor, Lisa.  She is the neighbor who has the hummingbird feeder at her house.  We talked about the fires that are happening in So Cal.  My brother-in-law from Seattle and my best friend also checked in with me.  It was so good of them.

When I was in the store parking lot, I passed a jeep with a sign on the back of the car.  It said Fear Not.  I didn't get a picture cause I didn't have my camera with me, but it was a beautiful message.

And a few pictures of the home, cause you know it's my favorite place to be.  I love conversation hearts, so when I saw this candle, I thought it was so neat.  It was a bit pricey, but who doesn't appreciate a candle of love?

January is passing swiftly.  Have a splendid week. 🍩

~Sheri

Just Because January

 The fires are still going strong in So. California, and the Palisades fire is 52% contained.  The Santa Ana winds have come, and the region continues to battle these blazing fires.  Thank you all for your prayers. 🙏  

My brother-in-law was in town for a dental appt., and he stopped by to visit for a while.  I always love when he comes by, and this time he brought me an apple pie.  When he first got here in the morning, I made him some Polish sausage and eggs and coffee.  I sauteed the onions first, and scrambled the eggs.  He enjoyed the breakfast so much.

"Like the grasses showing tender faces to each other, thus we should do, for this was the wish of the Grandfathers of the world."

~Black Elk

Another day, I made some biscuits with butter and honey.

I had some ham leftover, so I made a potato and ham dish with bell peppers and seasonings.

Jess loved the red coat I got Charlotte, and she looks so warm and cozy wearing it.

A few things I am looking forward to.....the fundraiser dinner in my hometown coming up.  I will see all my family then.  And we will celebrate my birthday that weekend too.  It's a big one, that's all I'll say about that. ; )

I had a long talk with my sister one day on the phone.  It was good catching up with her.

Like many of you, I've been going through things and de-cluttering and sorting to give away or keep.  So far, I've given away 7 boxes and bags, and it does feel good to clear out some of this and that.  I guess we are all thinking the same thing in January.

Have a beautiful January week.  It's supposed to be sunny this month, but then, we're expected some rain and snow in February.

~Sheri

Worry-Filled Week

You may have heard of the fires raging in So. California right now.  One of them is the Palisades fire, and it has destroyed so many homes and buildings.  There have been 24 deaths, thousands of evacuations, and the fires have burned more than 12,000 homes and other structures.  It's so scary - Nel and Jess are Ok, but Nel is only about 20 miles from one of the fires, and Jess is about 30 miles from another.  Jess' school has closed where she teaches, and Francesca's school is closed.  That's all this mama has been doing all week is worrying.  Prayers are greatly needed.  Thousands of firefighters are working around the clock to get them under control and contained.

gettyimages

I have been hunkered down trying to wrap my head around all of this, and feeling very saddened and thankful I have a home myself.  I had to get out today, and went to a few stores.  What is it about purple that makes me stop and gaze?  I feel mesmerized when I see anything this color, it's so exquisite.

I bought some purple silk flowers and a purple cup.

I've been eating comforting foods, as the worry seems heavy this week, like baked ham sandwiches, homemade brownies, and lots of tea.

Please pray for So. California, my friends.  And I thank you very much.

~Sheri

Harry Potter Nook

 When my kids were young, they used to enter the magical world of Harry Potter by reading all the books and watching all the movies.  They joined the three wizarding friends up until they were older, but they especially enjoyed the trio who shared such a bond with each other in their younger days.

Nel recently worked on a project in her home - a Harry Potter nook for Mia.  She had wanted to do this little "home improvement" project since they moved in last year and she discovered the closet under the stairs.  This little space sparked her imagination.  She thought it was the perfect time to build a Gryffindor common room.  It was used by the previous owner as an ordinary storage closet, so there was a lot of work to do.  She started by ripping out the original carpet and installing black and white carpet tiles to make the floor look like the chess board from the first Harry Potter book, the Scorcerer's Stone.  She bought a wizard chess set to complete the look and added a couple more Harry Potter themed games. She hung battery powered floating candles from the ceiling and stuffed a red velvet chair with a gold plush blanket into the corner.  And finally, she stacked a few Harry Potter books next to two house mugs in a vintage suitcase for the reading nook.  Mia was so excited to see it, and her and Francesca  will have many fun times sharing this space in the years to come.  Here are some pictures of the work in progress until the project was finished.

Nel and Jess ringing in the new year.

My Christmas stuff is put away, and I kept a few white things out with a pop of blue for the new year.  I got this glass bowl for Christmas, and I think it's so neat.

My son made a big pot of jambalaya for the new year with sausage, shrimp, and rice, and I think it was his best batch yet.

Had to fill out some paperwork, and it was the kind that asks questions from 20 years ago, really?  I try to live in the moment, and dates are hard to remember if I don't write them down.  Most of the time I do, but sometimes we forget or they get tossed out.  After, I went for a ride to clear my head and see the views in town, but I stopped first to get some teriyaki wings at the deli.  They just made them.

I will always love this tree carved with a face on it.

I saw a family of deer on the edge of the highway, and another one laying on the side of the road.  It breaks my heart when they get hit, as I have become quite close to this special animal up here.

I hope the new year is being good to you so far.  Have a wonderful week.

~Sheri