A Beautiful and Productive Week

I didn't plan on not blogging at all this week, but I have been productive, so I am hoping that gives me a pass.

This will be a random memory of the past week. IT will be long...sorry...If I don't get it all down, it will fade from memory.

First up --- the weather.
I spoke of the cold that just blistered my geraniums. I was so sad. It really got cold. Three nights of freezing is rare here. In 2014, when Birmingham and Atlanta got all the ice that shut them down, we had ice on our bayou. I had never seen that before and really thought that was a "once in a lifetime."
But, it happened again. Not quite as bad.

When I first walked out on Monday, I saw this... recognizing it from three years ago.

You can see sheets of ice across the bayou. Don's Bayou on Choctawhatchee Bay, Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Gulf Coast ---Panhandle.

I grabbed a piece of lettuce from my pots to check out if my eyes were deceiving me.

I dropped it right by the boat. Yep, frozen ice.

Dropped the rope. No doubt.

Next up on my thoughts is --- my week.

I popped in on Monday to show you the painted bookcases, and then I worked liked crazy around the house this week.

Remember I told y'all I feel like I have just been plain unproductive in 2016 blaming a lot of it on dealing with Mother and the move. 

I am determined to be steadfast in my faith walk, but also in just living life. I also added JOY after my last Sunday's message at church.

I am blessed with a very large home, but at my age that can be hard also. Hubby asked me did I want to move. He is not serious at all, so why answer that? But, let me say...when I tell you the rest...no, I don't want to move.

This week was productive. I got up on Monday with a renewed energy and decided to make a detailed list of all I needed to accomplish. I tackled the main tasks that make for sane living first and then tackled a section of the home each day. I touched all surfaces with the exception of baseboards. I cleaned out some closets. I did such a great purge last year, that they actually weren't too bad overall.

The house looks a ton better with just a few big ticket items to handle on my list. I will tackle the baseboards all at one time. Actually they aren't too bad because I use a long handled Swiffer regularly.

Y'all, I am a list maker and love to cross out things. Great motivation. 

I hit the gym and walked with Mother. I have to get her moving. We also made it to the doctor one day and a few other interruptions, but I kept that STEADFAST attitude.  Now, the JOY thing I had to work on a couple of times. I am a work in progress there.

Now --- the weather. I took Mother for a walk on the beach Thursday morning.

She was all wrapped up, but it was very pleasant. In fact yesterday, I worked outside and almost had to go back in and put on shorts. I had short sleeves and a very thin pair of knit pants. It was perfect spring weather....but wait... it is January ---- and it was freezing last weekend.

Yep, that is Florida on the Panhandle. My favorite place in the world. Home SWEET Home.

Which leads me to my last thing for the week's memories. Why I would not want to leave this big old house. The bayou is amazing. I have no real pictures of what I have seen this week being home and working like crazy, but the life on the bayou has been amazing.

January is cold and quite frankly not my favorite time of the year, but it is crazy beautiful on our bayou every year.

Pelicans, ducks, and herons park in our bayou and have what I call conventions. I didn't take any photos of them this week, but the goings on were simply amazing. I would just stop and stare almost every day at the sights. Hundreds of ducks and pelicans. Even Hank, the heron (as we have dubbed him) had a partner one day. He fishes from our boat house and is a regular fixture. 

This was him on one of the cold mornings all hunkered down.

AND the best, I saw an eagle yesterday. Hubby is always calling me to come and see him, but I always seem to miss him, but I finally saw him. Beautiful!!!

I didn't stitch not once this week, so I will remedy that this week. I have my projects lined up and will do a post soon. Waiting on some thread in the mail. I truly give up on Walmart and Joann's. They never have what I need.

I have a top that I am going to cut out the pattern for today on the sewing table.

I am almost finished with a good book, so I will be back with updates.

I also want to go on a few quick road trips. I have a great aunt that I am going to visit very soon in Jay, Florida. She is very special to me, and she told me over Christmas that she had fallen and wasn't feeling too good. I know how quickly a fall can run down an older person after witnessing that with Mama.

I do love blogging, for the simple reason that I love to chronicle the good things in life and that I love the sharing of ideas and life, but I am not the best blogger. I tend to get a bit busy and don't take the time to share.

I guess I should add that to my list of things to work on or maybe just accept that I am a sporadic blogger.

Living life,

Sandy