GOLD-MEDAL BLOGGING

JOINING JANE AND GROUP...

I LOVE THE IDEA of inspiring us to BETTER blogging.

As Jane, noted with her Latin mantra from the Olympics motto:

CITIUS,  ALTIUS , FORTIUS

(FASTER, HIGHER, STRONGER)

 

When I ponder how to incorporate these thoughts to blogging, here are my thoughts: 

1. short, concise info is GOOD (wordiness bores) 
2. spelling and usage counts  (effort shows)
3. bloggers LOVE big, clear pictures (focus matters)
4. give credit for others' work/images
5. announce 'time off'  (retains readers/commenters)

 

WHAT TIPS do you have to share with us?

 

John 8:31  "If you continue in my word, then you are truly Disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

Blessings,
Skoots1Mom

16yrs ago FAST PHOTO-PAST
(DisneyWorld w/ a 4yo)

THIRTY WEEKS DOWN, 22 to go…

JOINING SARA AND GROUP
SUNDAY, 7/22
Slept late having spent most of the night with an unhappy tummy…no pics that day




MONDAY, 7/23
BS&K and I spent late morning cleaning and sanding the chairs I picked up for FREE at a local restaurant that was closing.  On my way home, I stopped and bought a ton of veggies from a road-side market who carries, bar none, the BEST tomatoes I’ve ever put in my mouth. 











TUESDAY, 7/24
Here it is cooked…oh my goodness, gracious!  Bless the Lord for our bounty, for He provided.











FRIDAY A.M.
BS&K and I worked hard stapling new covers on the cushions…I borrowed her picture, thanks!













FRIDAY P.M.
We were part of the billion+ people throughout the world watching Great Britain kick off their Summer Olympics. 

I still think Daniel Radcliffe should have been in his Harry Potter costume and lit the cauldron…how awesome would that have been?





















SATURDAY, 7/28
Leftovers were for lunch, but later in the afternoon I decided to make some beer bread (using a new beer we’ve found)…it made it taste like sourdough.





HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK, EVERYONE!

WK 30 HODGE PODGE

JOINING JOYCE AND GROUP, PUTTING MY TWO CENTS ANSWERING HER QUESTIONS:

1. The Summer Olympics officially begin this Friday night...AND I'LL BE WATCHING...WILL YOU? I'D LOVE TO SEE THE GYMNASTICS EVENTS IN PERSON

2.  Lazy days make ME FEEL RESTED, WONDERING WHAT TOMORROW WILL BRING

3. July 25th is 'officially' Threading the Needle Day...I CAN SEW SOME...NOTHING TOO DIFFICULT. 

I ONCE MADE A CIVIL WAR CONFEDERATE UNIFORM FOR COLLEGEGIRL TO WEAR IN A 4TH GRADE CHORUS SHOW...

AND A TEA COZY FOR A GIRLFRIEND. 

I'M PROBABLY SOMEWHERE AROUND A 5 ON THE 1-10 SCALE.

4. 'Threading the Needle' can also mean to walk a fine line between two things or issues (think awkward social situation). The last time you had to 'thread the needle' ...WHILE PUTTING OUT THE GARBAGE LAST NIGHT AROUND 9PM, MY HEART ALMOST JUMPED OUT OF MY CHEST AFTER A LARGE, BLACK DOG CHARGED ME FROM OUR DARKEST SIDEYARD! 

I KEEP A VERY LARGE WALKING STICK IN MY GARAGE, SO I GRABBED IT IN CASE HE CAME WITHIN HITTING DISTANCE. 

CARRYING THE STICK WITH ME, I CONTINUED TO ROLL THE CANS TO THE STREET.

HE BACKED OFF...MEANWHILE, HIS OWNER CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET WHILE YELLING FOR HIM TO RETURN TO THEIR FENCED BACKYARD.


EVERY PART OF ME WANTED TO ANNOUNCE TO MY NEIGHBOR THAT MY NERVES HAD JUST BEEN SHATTERED
BUT I DECIDED TO 'SPEAK TO MYSELF'...
MUMBLING: "IF I HAD BEEN PACKING, HE WOULD HAVE 'BEEN NO MORE!"

SO GLAD I DIDN'T BLURT OUT MY GUT REACTION
HIS SCARING ME TO DEATH
AND MY UNHAPPINESS OF THEIR NOT FOLLOWING OUR LOCAL LEASH LAWS. 
BUT IF THERE IS A NEXT TIME, WE WILL BE HAVING A NEIGHBORLY DISCUSSION.

5. Kidney, pinto, black, or navy...BEING FROM THE SOUTH WHERE MANY BEANS ARE IN SEASON, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CHOOSE A FAVORITE. 
I WOULD HAVE TO SAY IT IS A TIE BETWEEN GREAT NORTHERNS AND FRESH LIMA BEANS
(WITH SOME PORK FOR SEASONING, OF COURSE)!

6. Have you ever hosted a garage sale?  THROUGHOUT MY YEARS OF HOME OWNERSHIP, I HAVE HOSTED TWO GARAGE SALES...
ONCE WHEN I WAS RENTING MY SISTER'S OLD HOUSE ...
I MADE OVER $500 IN ONE DAY, MY BEST SELLER: OLD STEREO ALBUMS, OLD POTS/DISHES. 

THE SECOND SALE WAS AFTER MY DAUGHTER STARTED SCHOOL,
AND I SOLD A LOT OF HER BABY THINGS. 
THAT SALE WAS NOT AS SUCCESSFUL ONLY $300,
GETTING RID OF LOTS OF MATERNITY CLOTHES, BABY TOYS AND UNWANTED FURNITURE.

7. MY EYES BEGIN TO ROLL IN MY HEAD:  WHEN I GET TO HEAR MY HUBBY MAKE COMMENT ABOUT HOW MUCH STUFF I HAVE IN THE BASEMENT...
THAT DIDN'T SELL AT THE GARAGE SALES, HAHAHAH!

8. MY RANDOM THOUGHT:   TODAY I BOUGHT A BOAT-LOAD OF VEGGIES AT A LOCAL SIDE-OF-THE-ROAD MARKET ...
purple hulled peas, corn, okra, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, sweet potatoes, zipper peas, pink-eyed purple hulled peas, crowder peas, lettuce, a pint of strawberries and two cantaloupes. 
I LOVE SUMMER-TIME VEGGIES! 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VEGGIE TO 'OVER-INDULGE IN' THIS TIME OF YEAR?

John 8:31  "If you continue in my word, then you are truly Disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

Blessings,

29TH PROJECT 365

Week 29 with Sara and group...
7/15...SUNDAY, Driving home from NC, I pondered the daily lives of these two beautiful women (hubby's aunt on the left and his mom on right)
who find themselves in the category of 'lonely' these days, yet thankful they are in good health...at 95 and 86 years old, they look wonderful!

7/17: TUESDAY, With the BIG heat we've been experiencing, my portulaca has bloomed, and our grass needs cutting...AGAIN! ;)


This planter was given to us by my mother-in-law the year we moved into our home, 22 years ago now.







Below are the various bird houses I've bought at local thrift shops...can you find them all? I'll have to make another picture when the sun is in a different location...this is kind of hard to see. I believe there are five in this shot you should be able to see.


7/20: FRIDAY, Collegegirl and I pulled into the driveway AFTER visiting the salon for hair cuts, to see a box sitting next to the garage door...FLOWERS! They were from my sister-in-law.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 










7/21: We love looking at lake homes and dreaming of retirement: we drove all over northeast Alabama yesterday; focusing on Lake Weiss

first...the front looks small but it is much larger inside and has great bones...

three bedrooms and re-done bath upstairs, large master with his/her bathrooms on main floor, large sun room facing the lake...

the backyard was 'to die for'...large flower gardens with four japanese maples, multiple cedars, multiple dogwood trees, very large white oak trees and many azaleas...

outdoor kitchen, two out cabins, dock w/ slide, diving board, skidoo lift, pontoon deck, ski boat lift, are awesome!

Later, we drove over to the other side of the lake closer to the marina and saw this one:
Large two-car separate garage, side-yard vegetable garden, windows all across the back of the home...

2 guest rooms, a small office, large master w/ sitting room overlooking the lake
large screened-in back porch (length of the house with jacuzzi)

completely remodeled inside with hardwoods, new appliances…granite countertops throughout large-island kitchen and baths (with rustic-tiled showers)...
beautiful!

7/22: Due to unforeseen circumstances with my 'ever-changing' body these days, I woke up late and then hubs called me from church to go have lunch...I ate a turkey sandwich but he had ribs! Love those Spiced Right ribs!

Hope you've had a great week!







John 8:31 "If you continue in my word, then you are truly Disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

ENOUGH in a little

I'll be leaving an encouraging comment for the person who linked up before me; and if you want to play along, come sign up after me, then you can leave me comments :)

If you are interested in joining up....check out LisaJo's blog. 

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

I'm setting my timer, clearing my head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.

THIS WEEK's CHALLENGE: 

ENOUGH

While driving along roads heading to our Campground, the radio meteorologist reiterates his speculation there will be thunderstorms by 7:30ish. 

"Lord, please hold off the rain until then", I mumble to myself. "...we'll have eaten the food by then and canclear away our empty dishes, throw away any used paperware and skoot under the Arbor for the preaching...and that will be just ENOUGH time."

Cutting off the main road to the smaller, cut-through, I quickly turned the corner without getting caught by the light.  I like knowing my way around our little city and getting out of traffic because of my knowing exactly where I am.  There are several other cars up ahead waiting in line to turn left into our old 1880's Campground...(the holiest land I've ever stepped onto in my brief 53 years.)

"Wonder what Word God will have for me tonight?"

John 8:31  "If you continue in my word, then you are truly Disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

Blessings,

THRIFTY GROOVIN' CARMEX

DIANN @ THRIFTY GROOVE is sponsoring a neat Summer-related giveaway...with one of my favorite products:  CARMEX...looks like they're carrying some new flavors...I'm eager to try them.

Lips dry out quickly at the beach and even in the hot, dry days of

commuting to and from work.

Hubs and I NEVER go anywhere without it...
 keeping Carmex always in our front pocket of the vehicles.

Sister-in-law and I both use Carmex on small kitchen burns...

it quickly removes pain and begins quick healing. 

How do YOU use Carmex? 

John 8:31

"If you continue in my word, then you are truly Disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

Blessings,

HODGE PODGEYNESS

JOINING JOYCE at
 FROM THIS SIDE OF THE POND...

1. If I had the chance to go in person to the Summer Olympics, the (non-Olympic) London site I'd most like to visit: Westminster Abbey then grabbing some fishNchips.

2. Something in your life right now feeling like an Olympic event:   drowning in the pool of 'post surgical menopause'...where are you Mark Spitz?...or Michael Phelps...or Johnny Weismiller?  Pull me out of this 'ever-present' deep end of hormonelessness.

3. My favorite supper (to prepare and serve) when it's too hot to cook:  California-BLTsandwiches, black-bean/corn/tomato salad and sweet, peach tea

4. July 18th is National Get Out of the Doghouse Day...I last took refuge  'in the doghouse when I woke the hubs with my 'snoring' (and he had already left the room to go to bed...)  I woke him up all the way from the den, oops!

5. The television advertisement  particularly irritating me recently:  pizza rolls in the freezer...

DID YOU NOTICE THE BOY puts the phone down in the freezer, picks up the rolls and closes the freezer?

"Just HOW LONG will it take him to realize the phone's in the freezer?" ...somehow this reminds me of my husband and not being able to find ANYTHING worth eating in the pantry or freezer.

6. Share an interesting news event from your birth year. My favorite toy was born the same year as me...her name is BARBIE, and I didn't care that the new state, Alaska, had been added to our country. 

7. The best part of my average day is: literally WAKING UP...once you've had cancer, it forever changes one's perspective.

8. Insert your own random thought here.  Having spent a week with my mother-in-law, my perspective continues to change on life and the elderly...It is so hard to see someone lose all their friends and be unable to care for themselves.  We each should make it our goal to do something for someone elderly or ask them about their day; they need our interaction and love.

John 8:31  "If you continue in my word, then you are truly Disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

Blessings,

READING...slowly or quickly?

VERIFYING things...analyzing them from a realistic standpoint for quality and success is something I enjoy...so I just had to take Linda up on her recommendation to check my 'reading' rate.

Over at her blog,  MOCHA WITH LINDA, she has a link for checking 'reading' rates...this was fun and only take 30 seconds! 


My score was:     314 words/minute reading speed

... it said at this rate I could read   

The Bible in 41 hours and 17 minutes

or Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone in a little over 3 hours

      

Go over and take the quick quiz and get YOUR score!

John 8:31

"If you continue in my word, then you are truly Disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
Blessings,