Tag Archives: 31 Days

31 Days of Journaling Prompts: Summer

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Day 24: Summer

Over four days, I’m going to write about my thoughts on each of the seasons. I’ve written about Fall, Winter and Spring, so Summer is the last season in which to write. The cat’s out of the bag that Spring is my favorite season, but I’m pretty sure that when I was still school that summer was my favorite season because of the summer break between school years.

My dad worked a lot when we were growing up with both a full time job and the National Guard. Our summer vacations were usually spent wherever my dad’s summer camp with the National Guard was. He wasn’t an officer, but he was ranked high enough that he could stay off post at night in a motel nearby so that we could have dinner with him. A few years his summer camp was at Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I have some very fond memories of Mississippi summers in Hattiesburg, Camp Shelby and nearby Gulfport and Biloxi. I have a not-so-fond memory of a summer afternoon in Mississippi when my brother went missing (spoiler: he was found, safe and sound!). During a couple of these trips to Mississippi, I talked my parents into taking us to New Orleans. As a pre-teen, I was fascinated by the city. I haven’t been back to any of these areas as an adult but should probably add that to the list of places I want to (re) visit some day.

While growing up, we didn’t have central heat and air in the house, so I remember at least one summer (maybe two) when I was around 12 or 13, my parents had bought a used camper. My dad hooked it up to the power, and my brother spent most of the summer in the cooled camper, both day and night. I think we only took the camper out once or twice to the campground, but I have no doubt that my parents got their money’s worth out of it with Matthew and me playing in it.

The summer when I was 14, my parents opted to skip a summer vacation and bought an above ground swimming pool instead. Over the years, we had a few of those cheap pools you can get at WalMart, but that year they invested in one of the good ones. That would have been around 1991, but that pool is still standing today. They’ve replaced the liner a few times, as well as the filter and steps and whatnot, but the sides have stood strong, and we’re still enjoying that “summer vacation” to this day. Well, not today since it’s too cold, but you know what I mean.

When I first started this post, I wasn’t sure I would have enough to write, but now I feel like I could keep going, talking about trips to Opryland, playing outside with my cousins, trips to visit my parent’s friends in Florida (and visiting Disney!). We might not have had a lot of money when I was a kid, but Summer seems to be where a lot of happy memories were made with my family. There’s a lot that could be learned from that statement.

“People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.” – Anton Chekhov 

What’s a memorable summer vacation for you? Have you ever had a Staycation that turned out awesome?

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Today’s recommended 31 Day Blogger: 31 Days of Social Media @ Gretchen Louise

 

31 Days of Journaling Prompts: Spring

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Day 23: Spring

Over four days, I’m going to write about my thoughts on each of the seasons. Yesterday I wrote about Winter, and the day before that I wrote about Fall. Both days I mentioned that neither are my favorite season. Did you guess that maybe Spring is my favorite season? Well, you guessed correctly!

I love Spring because of all the new beginnings in nature remind me that our lives have seasons, too. Sometimes in life there’s miserable heat like Summer, then changes like Fall cold and dark like Winter, but then Spring rolls around to give us a fresh start. There’s almost always opportunities in life for a do-over or a restart, and if it doesn’t fall exactly like that then we can always learn from our past so that we’ll be better prepared for the future.

For about as long as I can remember, I have loved Spring, especially when it starts warming up and the color returns to the earth. I am usually in a much better spirit when Spring arrives, and I often start wanting to do more. A few years here and there, I have planted a small garden, and this year was one of those years. I love cooking with fresh herbs, so my dad helped me transplant some sage and rosemary that I had grown at my parents house a couple of years ago, then I added some dill, cilantro, oregano, thyme and basil to my garden this year. I live in a suburb with very little land, but my dad built me some boxes for square foot gardening, which made it a bit easier to weed and not take up too much space. I also grew some tomatoes, banana peppers and tried to grow some bell peppers (that never really grew before the bugs attacked them). Dad also got me two cabbage plants that I didn’t think were going to make it, but just in the past couple of weeks with the weather cooling, I think they might end up producing. I’m already looking forward to seeing what green I can add to my garden next year!

With Spring, we get all the beautiful flowers blossoming and showing us their beauty. The previous owners of our house planted a couple of irises and daffodils that grow in front of my house. Tennessee is more known for purple irises (our state flower), but our irises are a beautiful white. Forsynthia bushes with their bright yellow flowers are another favorite of mine. Seriously, I could go on and on about my favorite flowers!

What’s your favorite part of Spring? Do you plant a garden or flowers where you live? 

“Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!”” – Robin Williams 

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Today’s recommended 31 Day Blogger: 31 Days of Organizing Fun @ Organizing Made Fun

31 Days of Journaling Prompts: Winter

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Day 22: Winter

Over four days, I’m going to write about my thoughts on each of the seasons. Yesterday I wrote about Fall and mentioned that it’s not my favorite season. If you came here today to see if Winter is my favorite season, then you won’t find that. Sorry! You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see if perhaps it’s Spring.

With the potential of snow, the holidays, my birthday and my anniversary occurring in Winter, you’d think it would be my favorite season. I do love Winter for all those reasons and more, but I’m not a fan of the cold and the lack of humidity in the air that causes my hair to frizz and my fingers to zap from static. So I don’t hate it or anything!

In Middle Tennessee, we don’t get much snow in the Winter, and when we do get a snow day it’s usually just here for one day, maybe less. As much as I love snow, I’m glad to live in an area that doesn’t get frequent snow that lasts for days or weeks. To be honest, I’ve never really been to an area during Winter where there was a lot of snow, but I hear that those areas are usually much better prepared to clear the roads than we are in Nashville. Seriously, the entire city, county and state close down if there’s snow on the streets. Maybe it’s the perfect excuse for a day to play in the beautiful, white, fluffy stuff, but we REALLY don’t like driving in it. There’s a few snow plows, and they will throw out the salt on the major roads, but we all panic and just cannot drive in the stuff. Laugh if you want, because non-southerners have been for decades. We’re content with the way we are.

My parents live in the country on 26 acres of land surrounded by big trees. It’s gorgeous out there when it snows! The trees are all covered in glistening ice, and the hills roll like a white wonderland. But do you know what’s best about being at their house when it snows more than a dusting? Redneck Sledding! Years ago, my parents bought a heavy duty sled, but there’s really not a big enough hill to sled down, so my dad tied the sled to the back of his truck with some thick ropes, and pulled us through the fields. It’s pretty much an understatement for me to say that it’s some of the most fun I’ve ever had! I laugh and giggle and belly roll watching and participating in this rarely occurring event. My mom will even get out there and sled with us, and the dogs chase us around the field until their short, little legs tire out.

I have lots of awesome memories in Winter, including the snow days we might get once or twice a year, my birthday in February, and as of this year I’ll have my anniversary to my wonderful husband to celebrate at the end of February. Winter also has those snuggle-up-on-the-couch moments, as well as Christmas that makes for great memories, too.

What’s the best thing about Winter for you? Do you have some momentous memories of Winter? 

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” ― Edith Sitwell

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Today’s recommended 31 Day Blogger: 31 Days To Redeeming Christmas @ Little Juan on the Prairie

31 Days of Journaling Prompts: Fall

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Day 21: Fall

Over the next four days, I’m going to write about my thoughts on each of the seasons. I’m starting with Fall because it’s the season we are currently in, but it’s not my favorite season. What a bummer way to start, huh? I was initially going to write about why I Fall isn’t my favorite season, but I don’t want to be all negative about it, because there are still plenty of things about fall to like.

My absolute favorite is watching the leaves make their color changes and bless us with their beauty. If you’re in the Nashville area, I highly encourage you to take a drive down Highway 840 from I-65 in Franklin to the Almaville Road exit before you get to I-24 in Murfreesboro. That stretch of miles is one of the most beautiful to see this time of year, because the land in that area is still heavily wooded with rolling hills of open land filled with some of the most beautiful trees I’ve seen. It’s one of my favorite drives this time of year.

I feel blessed to live in an area where the change of seasons is noticeable. As much as I wanted to complain about about how it’s cold in the morning but warm in the afternoon in the Fall in Tennessee, deep down I love that it’s that way. We have a pretty awesome variety of weather that really isn’t one extreme or the other any time of year. I once heard someone refer to Florida’s seasons as being Summer and January. It’s funny but true!

Fall is also the fun time of year to plan outdoor activities after being stuck inside all summer standing over the cool air vents. This is usually when I see a lot of charity walks and runs so that people don’t pass out from heat exhaustion. There’s also Fall festivals most weekends. Yesterday I took my Little Sister to a local farm where we went through a corn maze and picked out pumpkins to take home while enjoying the cool, crisp air of the morning. When we left, she said, “That was awesome!”

So while Fall may not be my favorite season, I will admit that it’s my second favorite season. There’s just so much beauty this time of year to dismiss it and see only the negative aspects.

What do you like about Fall? Do you usually decorate pumpkins?

“Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter.” – Carol Bishop Hipps

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Today’s recommended 31 Day Blogger: 31 Days to Savour The Season @ The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking

 

31 Days of Journaling Prompts: Cooking

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Day 20: Cooking

Continuing on yesterday’s Confessions post, I must confess that I enjoy cooking most of the time. The caveat to the “most of the time” reference is that there are those times after a long day where cooking is the last thing that I want to do, but luckily that doesn’t happen on a regular basis. I don’t, however enjoy spending a lot of time preparing a meal. I tend to stick to simple recipes and usually double the recipe (or more) so that we have leftovers for the next night or for the freezer. Since I usually cook just for David and myself, it’s easier for me to cook for 4 or 6 and save the rest.

Earlier this year, David and I had a cooking day where we prepared enough dinners for an entire month. It’s an understatement for me to say that it was a lot of hard work. We spent at least 5 hours in the kitchen that day and were completely exhausted by the end of it. It ended up being worth it, and we’ve talked about doing it again, but so far it hasn’t happened. To prepare for the big cooking day, we invested in a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer and has turned out to be one of our smartest purchases. While we haven’t had another cooking day to plan an entire month’s worth of meals, I do tend to freeze the extra meals now instead of eating leftovers for days and days because we don’t want to waste food. I can only handle eating the same leftovers once or twice before I am ready to move onto something else. Pulling a meal out of the freezer helps on those days when I don’t want to cook after a long day.

Another long-time favorite of mine is slow cooking, and with the invention of the slow cooker liners that I discovered a few years ago, I’m definitely more likely to use the slow cooker now. There’s a ton of recipes on the internet for slow cooker recipes, and I love discovering new ones. There’s usually not too much prep that goes into a slow cooker meal, because it’s usually as simple as dropping in the ingredients and turning it on. The slow cooker liners are a bit costly but sure beat scrubbing the baked on caked on mess that comes with cooking food in a hot bowl all day long.

My favorite part of cooking is discovering new recipes. I’m a sucker for a cookbook or recipe website. I’m always looking for ways to mix it up and try something different. Plus, I have to admit that it can be fun to see what David’s reaction is to new foods. He’s not one to eat many vegetables, so I have to sneak them in sometimes. It’s pretty awesome when he’s surprised that he likes something that he wasn’t sure he would.

I’m not one to post recipes often, because I usually get my recipes from someone else and either follow them precisely or change them up slightly to fit my own tastes. However, what good is a post about cooking without one of my tried and true favorite recipes? I found this recipe several years ago in the coupon section of the paper. I’ve made this recipe so many times that I don’t even have to look at the recipe anymore but luckily found it online.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

1 pkg Mahatma Red Beans and Rice Mix
1 1/2 lbs cooked chicken, diced
2 tsp chili powder
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups chicken broth
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
tortilla chips, crushed

Directions

Prepare rice mix according to package directions. Meanwhile, toss chicken with chili powder. Combine undrained tomatoes and chicken broth in large saucepan. Bring to a boil; add chicken. Reduce heat and cook 7 minutes. Add prepared rice mix; heat through. Spoon into bowls. Top with cheese and tortilla chips.

Tonya’s Tips

  • I try to always use Mahatma Red Beans and Rice unless I can’t find it in the store. Zatarain’s will work in a pinch.
  • I cook the red beans and rice in the microwave.
  • I have made this recipe in the slow cooker, but be aware that the rice will expand so much that it becomes a bit mushy. It was still delicious that night and the next night for leftovers!
  • I am not a fan of using canned chicken, but it can work in this recipe.
  • I usually use a Mexican blend of shredded cheese.
  • I add garlic, but I add garlic to most non-sweet recipes, as I confessed yesterday.
  • Recipe found at http://www.mahatmarice.com/en-us/recipes/286/EasyChickenTortillaSoup.aspx

Do you enjoy cooking? What’s your go-to recipe? 

“I think careful cooking is love, don’t you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who’s close to you is about as nice a valentine as you can give.” – Julia Child 

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Today’s recommended 31 Day Bloggers:
31 Days of Freezer Cooking @ Good (Cheap) Eats  
31 Days of Slow Cooking Deliciousness @ With Elephant Grace

 

31 Days of Journaling Prompts: Confessions

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Day 19: Confessions

Before you start thinking that I’m going to spill my guts of everything I’ve ever done in my life or even a couple of major confessions, I’m here to tell you that this is going to be a fun post. Sure, we all have secrets, though I don’t have too terribly many secrets, as I am a TMI Oversharer kinda person. However, I don’t think a public blog is where I need to be airing my dirty laundry. I’m just going to have fun with this and list some fun, and somewhat random facts that make me who I am.

  • I am still afraid to be outside in the dark. For real. I can handle it if someone is with me or nearby, but no way if I am alone.
  • I feel compelled to brush my teeth right after drying off from a shower, even if I happened to brush my teeth before I took a shower.
  • I have a slight OCD issue of things being in pairs or equal numbers. I can remember being this way even as a child. It’s hard to explain but one example I have is that sometimes I will sort out things like Skittles or M&M’s and eat them in a particular order
  • My other OCD is all things related to time. I like scheduling things in advance and knowing what I am doing at all times. I’m very much a planner kind of person and not very spontaneous.
  • I often eat things in layers. KitKats are the best for this!
  • When cooking, I add garlic to most every not-sweet dish and cinnamon to almost every sweet dish.
  • I want to consider myself a writer, but I have no real desire to be published for various reasons. I don’t feel confident enough to classify myself as a writer but more of a journaler. I often compare my writing style to others and wish I could write like other people but try to convince myself that my style is fine.
  • I love to sew and make crafts. Friends have always told me that I should sell what I make, and last year I tried my hand at running a small business making purses. Once it turned into ‘work’, I lost interest in it and let the business go. Maybe I’ll get back to it someday, but in the mean time, I’d rather to stick to making them for myself and as gifts for my friends and family.
  • I cannot roller skate to save my life but would LOVE to be a roller derby girl.
  • I don’t like the feel of wet russet potatoes but the smooth, wet surface of red/new potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes don’t feel weird.
  • Sorting, organizing and counting relaxes me. When I worked as a teller at a credit union, I enjoyed sorting and counting coins to wrap.
  • I have a dream to build a tiny Victorian-style cottage to have as a second home. I keep a print out of my inspiration house on my desk at work so that I never forget that dream.

What “confessions” do you have? What quirky, weird, random or fun things make you who you are? 

“Confession of errors is like a broom which sweeps away the dirt and leaves the surface brighter and clearer. I feel stronger for confession.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Read more about the 31 Days of Journaling Prompts
Today’s recommended 31 Day Blogger: 31 Days of Beach Lovin’ Photos @ Bonita Rose

31 Days of Journaling Prompts: Gratitude

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Day 18: Gratitude

Talk of gratitude is popular around this time of year as Thanksgiving approaches. It’s the time where we take note of both the small things and the big things in our life that are important to us. It’s usually the small things that we overlook until we take inventory, then we see just how important those small things are to us.

It’s an awesome lesson to those of us who have plenty to witness someone who has little but is still grateful for everything they have instead of dwelling on what they don’t have. It’s very humbling. I know I am guilty of immersing my thoughts on what I don’t have in my life when I should be thankful for what I do have. That’s where the first world problems jokes come from, and while we’re recognizing that they’re trivial problems, we’re also laughing at them, too. I know I am.

Over the next few days, I’m going to try to stop worrying about the things that I don’t have and start counting my blessings, including the ones that could be considered small…or I should say ESPECIALLY the small ones.

How do you show gratitude? Are you also guilty of being more concerned with what you don’t have instead of being grateful for what you do have?

I am grateful for the beautiful sunsets God gives me in the evenings on my way home from work.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” – Melody Beattie 

Read more about the 31 Days of Journaling Prompts
Today’s recommended 31 Day Blogger: 31 Days of Gratitude @ I Gotta Create

 

31 Days of Journaling Prompts: Strength

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Day 17: Strength

Have you ever had one of those days where it seems like you don’t have the strength to keep going but when you compare your struggles to someone else’s struggles it puts things into perspective? I go through this every once in a while. As an introvert, if I am on the go too much in a short period of time, I withdraw and don’t want to do anything until I have regained my energy. But really, what kind of struggle is that compared to someone terminally ill? I’m not downplaying the idea that we all have degrees of problems, but it helps me to put my issues into perspective and gain the strength to keep going. Sometimes it’s just what I need.

What other ways can we find strength?

  1. Journaling or writing – Let out those thoughts that have filled your head and put them into action. It also helps to have an archive to look back upon and see how you dug out of the hole to get going again. Both fiction and nonfiction can work.
  2. Praying or meditating – Clear your mind of worries as much as you can, and let the peace of being calm and still give you strength.
  3. Reading – Find an inspiring story of someone who found the strength to keep moving.
  4. Exercise – HA! Remember a couple of days ago when I wrote about exercising? If not, go read it and see why I am laughing about this suggestion. Seriously, there are times when I am exercising that it helps me not only feel physically stronger but mentally stronger, as well.  I’m sure it has to do with endorphins that give you the natural high where you feel like you can conquer anything.
  5. Talking with a friend – Friends can be the best for giving encouragement or just listening when you need it.

There are just a few of the ways that we can push aside the negative and look toward the positive to gain the strength we need to stay in this world.   I encourage you to find what works for you, and it might be a variety of ways, as I’ve just mentioned five that work for me in various situations. How do you find strength when you’re a little low on fuel?

“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.” – Eleanor Roosevelt 

Read more about the 31 Days of Journaling Prompts
Today’s recommended 31 Day Blogger: 31 Days of Life Lessons Only Cancer Could Teach @ Pinked Perspective

31 Days of Journaling Prompts: Pets – Cats

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Day 16: Pets – Cats

I decided to split todays post into two and write separately about the dogs and cats that have been a part of my life. I don’t currently have a cat, but most of my childhood was filled with feline love. We had two cats in my lifetime who lived a very long time, Brownie and Sam.

Brownie was a cat that had belonged to my aunt and came to live with us when my aunt and uncle lived with us for a few months. Brownie liked it out in the country so much that he stayed when they moved. My most favorite memories of Brownie are when he would comfort me when I was sad. He had this knack of knowing when I needed someone.

The last cat to live a long life with us was Sam, short for Samantha. My aunt had rescued Sam and her brother, Milo, when I was thirteen. They had wandered into her yard, and since she already had an indoor cat she couldn’t take them in. She lived in the city and thought they would have a better life living in the country, so my parents thought they would be perfect for my brother and me. We adored Sam and Milo (named after the movie Milo and Otis)! We had Milo for a few years, but he was definitely a wanderer and got hurt several times, making his life a bit shorter. Sam, however, was a local hunter, and stayed around the house more. She was never comfortable being indoors, even when we would offer her a warm bed inside during the winter. In her old age, she loved staying in the garage my parents built because she was able to come and go outside  as she pleased.

My brother was deployed to Iraq in 2009, and during that time Sam really started showing her age. She wasn’t as active as she had always been, and one day we noticed some blood on her neck. A few days later it hadn’t gotten any better, so we took her to the vet. The vet said that most likely it was cancer and gave us a few options. We opted to have the tumor removed but not treat her with chemo because she would never understand or most likely never tolerate us catching her for frequent trips to the vet. She got better for a while but soon before my brother arrived home from Iraq, she took a turn for the worse. We prayed that she would live until my brother came home, as my mom didn’t want to break the news to my brother. Thankfully, she did make it a few weeks after my brother returned from Iraq. That stray cat that my aunt rescued lived to be 17 and brought so much love and joy to my family.

October 16th is National Feral Cat Day. My friend, Rebekah at We Live Inspired is writing this month about how a colony of feral cats in her neighborhood entered her life during a time that she needed some extra love. Go check out her blog to read about her experiences with pets and homeless cats.

Tell me about your pets. Are you a dog person, a cat person or not a pet person at all? 

“Time spent with cats is never wasted.” – Sigmund Freud

Matthew & Sam the night he returned from Iraq.

Read more about the 31 Days of Journaling Prompts
Today’s recommended 31 Day Blogger: 31 Days of 2×4 Projects @ More Like Home

31 Days of Journaling Prompts: Pets – Dogs

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Day 16: Pets – Dogs

I decided to split todays post into two and write separately about the dogs and cats that have been a part of my life.If you’ve known me for about 5 minutes, then it’s possible that you know that I am a mom to fur children. I have no human children, but my fur babies mean the world to me! I have three dogs, one of which lives with my husband and me. The other two live with my parents because they have much more room, and the dogs really love living out in the country where they can run free and hang out with my retired father.

Shelton is my oldest and will be 13 next month. He’s a small, 5 pound maltese dog and will steal your heart before you know it. I got him during a lonely time in my life. I had been married to my first husband for a little more than a year and we had just graduated college and started our careers. I worked a regular Monday-Friday 8-5 job, and my husband worked crazy days and hours in the 2nd-3rd shift range. I was coming home to an empty apartment most every night to cook dinner just for myself. There were some days that I would take the  long way home or find something else to do after work just so that I didn’t have to go home. When Shelton came along, it was SO INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL to have someone (even if it was a dog) so excited to see me! His whole body wagged right along with his tail. You know what’s even better? 13 years later he still has the same excitement when I come home. Shelton has a Facebook Fan Page because everyone who meets him falls in love with him. He has a following.

Copper is 10 and my second oldest dog. He came along right after my first husband and I bought our house in 2002. Since we had more room and a back yard, we talked about some day getting a larger dog and companion for Shelton. One day at work, someone came in asking if anyone wanted a puppy, and I WAS IN LOVE! Copper is a Bassett Beagle, and one of my favorite childhood movies is The Fox and the Hound, so naturally I named him Copper. Copper is the biggest of my three dogs but is the most lovable and cuddly dog among all three.

Penny is 5 and is my youngest dog and only girl, but she’s the roughest among them all. She came along when my first husband’s co-worker said that she had Corgi puppies. I had a Corgi mix in high school named Patti, and I adored that dog! Even though we weren’t looking to add another fur kid to the family, I couldn’t resist. I swear, I’d be an old dog lady if my husband let me! Penny may be rough and tough, but she is very sensitive, too. She likes putting her head on your feet and rolls over on her back for belly rubs. She and Copper are like peas and carrots…always together!

I would also like to add that my dogs’ names were not planned around The Big Bang Theory, though that is definitely one of my favorite shows. I had all three dogs way before I started watching the show. I would also like to note that while it DOES seem that I probably named Penny because I already had Copper, I actually didn’t plan those two names to go together. Someone pointed out to me that I have a Copper Penny about a month or two after I got Penny. Copper doesn’t like having his photo taken, and even let me know when I snapped the one of him below.

October 16th is National Feral Cat Day. My friend, Rebekah at We Live Inspired is writing this month about how a colony of feral cats in her neighborhood entered her life during a time that she needed some extra love. Go check out her blog to read about her experiences with pets and homeless cats.

Tell me about your pets. Are you a dog person, a cat person or not a pet person at all? 

“Pets have more love and compassion in them than most humans.” – Robert Wagner

Shelton, Copper & Penny

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Today’s recommended 31 Day Blogger: 31 Leaves @ Egg Thoughts