12 Years of Change and Growth

 It has been 12 years since I began this online journal. March 22, 2014 found me looking at retiring from teaching in a few months. I had spent 31 years teaching and quite honestly that had been my predominant hobby. From March to June that year I was juggling a lot of plates; winding down from managing a large DoD grant for 5 elementary schools, recovering after planning a wedding for my daughter, and spending my weekends and some weekdays traveling and taking care of my stepdad who would die of cancer that May and helping Mama with all which that entailed. ---I seem to never garner the quiet life!

Funny though when you read any of those months' posts you would not know any of that.

Those months were busy but I was so hopeful for what was to come. I was scheming of things to come post teaching.

As I was thinking about this anniversary, I decided to stroll down memory lane and look at all the posts from the first year of blogging. LIFE AND my focus in so many areas has changed. 

I mean really changed.

This post is going to be a little like those first posts. A reflection and some forward dreams too.

One of the most notable changes from the first year of blogging was the length of a post. I don't know when I decided to start writing such long posts. My guess is when life got so busy I could not blog often. I had recently decided I wasn't even going to try and write anything other than a monthly post. This stroll down memory lane has me thinking on that. By the way, this one is going to be long:)

The biggest life changing thing that we will get out of the way first is the Parkinson's diagnosis for Jeff. That came in September 2023 after I had worked hard to get Jeff to go to the doctor for what I had already self diagnosed. This was also the summer when Mama fell and I had to sell her home and move her to senior living. 

I spent that Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2023 doing 2 things which may seem at odds with each other. I realized life was going to change and that I would not be able to keep up...

Less decorating and more purging went through the set up for those holidays, BUT at the same time I realized how important those holidays were and my role in them. As a family, we were in shock and as the Mother Bear I needed to BE was a Mama Bear willing to lead the family.

Parkinson's entering our life alone may me want to quit blogging. I don't think God wanted that because trust me HE and I had lots of conversations about it!!! Have you ever experienced a rough patch and needed encouragement from those who have walked that road? I have felt Him whispering to me that very thing and I am going to be completely honest I have told Him - "I don't want to be that spokesperson."

Also throw in a little bladder cancer for him last April...yep, it has been a tough time.

I am still here ---so we will see ---

You see that title - change and growth. Not always fun, but they are part of life and our faith journey. He walks with me and He talks with me and tells me I am His own. And yes, there is JOY there. If you know the song ----

The other hard thing that we will get through and move on to the more interesting changes is -Mother. Mother was always so strong when I was growing up. My dad died young and she raised me well. However, in May of 2014 when my stepdad passed away, she just couldn't be strong anymore. One thing I had not put into my dreams about retirement was being in charge of so many things for her. She did her part for me, so now I reciprocate. She turned 91 yesterday. She has had some really good days since Thanksgiving. She does get very winded with any exertion now, but like I said, she has been doing well. I realize it could change anytime. I have had to do so much more than I realized I would be doing. It is very tiring, but it is a necessity and one I won't be sorry I did.

 NOW, let's move on to some lighter topics!!!

I have loved roses since I was in the 8th grade. I babysat for a couple that lived across the street from us and the man grew roses. He had a whole row on them down one side of his home. Think morning sun and richer soil in south Alabama than coastal sand. I always wanted to grow them. In the early 2000's just before we moved in our current house I had planted some at our old house. I was having fun with them and then we decided to move. 

As soon as I retired I set out to plant roses. Oh my goodness, what I didn't know was how hard they would be to grow in my environment. I was stubborn and never considered some varieties that might have worked here. I kept pursuing those that I had loved so many years ago. 

Change and growth with the growing of roses. I have decided I am truly tired of the struggle. Some years ago, I gave up trying to grow them in the ground in our sand. I changed out our beds and now those same beds that left roses with no leaves by July are lush and bring so much joy to me. Bottlebrush, day lilies, and amaryllis are much more fun to walk out and see than roses that aren't happy. I have 3 left in pots but they aren't happy and I am truly ready to give that struggle up and maybe just buy me some every now and then to enjoy.

While I am on the topic of growing things which I do love, I got over a house full of plants inside. Mostly because I got a good case of fungus gnats in my kitchen. Out went all of my houseplants except one and guess what I haven't missed them once! That surprised me. I kind of like the look of less clutter. I had way too many!!!

Sewing is next. Strolling through that first year of posts, I realized I did sew a good bit. I really thought that was something I wanted to do, but I really really didn't enjoy said sewing. I came to realize knowing how to do something and it being your hobby are really 2 different things. My mom was the seamstress and was amazing at it. I do a wee bit, but it is not something I am running in my little room to do. 

Oh and that room, the gift from Jeff that Lindsay is responsible for getting off the ground. I LOVE that room even if I don't sew as much as I thought I would. It is MY little space. 

Stitching was definitely on my mind. I had taken a break from it due to teaching and life being too busy for a season, but I was scheming in March of 2014. I had no idea how much the stitching world had changed, but I soon met many of you who inspired me and taught me all the new. It along with reading are 2 of my favorite things to do and keep me sane with all the growth and change going on in life.

Reading is one of those things that hasn't changed. I still love reading the same things...lots of nonfiction and happy fiction. Although, I read all types of things. I love learning. I will say I am very annoyed with publishers these days, as I see an agenda being added to all new releases that I don't approve of or agree with. I guess I am going to have to go back and read oldies but Goldies. 

Lots of decluttering and organizing have taken place in the last 12 years. I spent the first 6 months painting some rooms and finishing up that layer of my home. The one thing that the first year brought to light is that I broke ALL of MY OWN RULES for decorating that year. The stuff I bought to put in my home and blog about makes me shudder these days. Almost all of it ended up at Goodwill. I came back to myself after that first year. 

One thing I didn't have on my radar  was the growing family which has been my greatest gift. To keep the 4 munchkins that God has gifted me called GRANDchilren has been truly the most wonderful unexpected GIFT. He truly knows best!

I will be back later with updates on those grandchildren, my stitching, my gardens and so much more, but this post has been rolling around in the noggin for the past 2 weeks.

There are more chapters to write, more beach strolls, more flowers, more family moments, more stitches AND just more life.

Looking forward,

SANDY

P.S. What is a spring post without an azalea picture?

No Back to School

Kids are going back to school today. Today marks year #3 that I get to just watch and not participate.

I think this may be the best one yet. The first year was a fog, the second a letdown that it hadn't been just what I thought, but ....this year I am just totally grateful.

Grateful for the opportunities that teaching brought to me, and thankful that I can now just be a homemaker.

I am grateful that I can cook supper now after a hard day of household chores rather than a hard day of teaching and then trying to cram all those chores in after school.

Grateful that I can take a lot off of my husband by taking care of all the stuff that happens and needs a repairman called and someone to be here and to help the kids out in the same way.

The past two years I made a point to go to the beach on this day, but it has been cloudy and gloomy this week, not as rainy as predicted.

Today, I am just going to hang out at home. Two reasons: one that I finally feel like I can just do that and second I have my colonoscopy tomorrow so it is just clear liquids today.

I am hanging on to summer this year. The heat has been killing me as I am pretty sure August is the hottest month ever or that July has just worn you down.

The flowers have loved the rain from the past few days. They were pitiful looking until then. You couldn't water them enough.

There has been a hummingbird hanging out at the lily everyday. I try to go and look for her a couple of times everyday. 

I also am getting to watch for some little birdies each day outside my sewing room window. I promise there is a bird nest in there. I can only see them when the mama bird is moving. I am hoping to see them start to fly. One year I did get to watch that happen.

That is it for me today.

Just grateful and taking it easy,

Sandy

Back to School

I have no idea where this week went. It is Friday, and I am left wondering what happened to the time.

Monday and Tuesday I went back to one of the schools that I had previously worked at and helped organize the science lab and do a refresher training for the teachers. It was fast and furious and at the end of it, my little feet were swollen and tired. My throat a little dry.

Little glimpses of my sewing room that speak ... she was once a teacher.

Wednesday was an attempt to catch up on just a bit of housework and laundry. It was a crazy day with all kinds of running around. My computer started acting real funky, so I had to drive to Destin to Best Buy. Thank goodness the traffic has let up or I would have been on that task all day. I have had this little MacBook Pro for three years this month. I am not even going to act like I don't just have a little love affair with it, so when it started doing the strange things, I was so sad. I thought maybe it was a goner. Hubby purchased the three year Geek Squad thingie with Best Buy when he bought it. It was one week from expiring...I really didn't even know he had done that, since it was a birthday gift. I had the box that it had all come in, so that is when I realized it. It did have a virus, and they were able to fix her. They called yesterday right after I got back from my Mama's and I rushed out to get it. That was fast.

Thursday was spent going to my Mom's. 

Y'all, it is unbelievable how much better she is. I can't get over it. Two months ago, I was visiting a retirement home and thinking things were fixing to be a downhill slide. She is up and back to her old self. I don't know exactly what happened. Maybe it took that long for the antibiotics to work or that long for the two sinuplasty surgeries to work...OR if God just took care of it, but I am rejoicing.

I am looking forward to day at home to catch up on cleaning, laundry, and maybe even a bit of yard work. That is if I can stand the heat. I keep hearing others say it is getting cooler where they are, but I am not feeling it yet. I am ready for the cooler temperatures, just not the shorter days.

The week picked up for Hubby tremendously. High school principals are busy!!! I could see the tired creep in. I tried really hard even with my busy week to make sure he had a good supper on the table and a pleasant evening. I really have to tell you that I love just being a little old housewife.

I made these bunnies about 25 years ago. They were popular at the time. This set was for my classroom. I made another for my daughter.

The world is just a little more nutty every day. I only have to be at a school and start hearing the stories to think how sad and how much trouble there is in this world. It reminds me quickly how much I need to pray for our country. I am so grateful for my many blessings, but most of all for my faith and family.

The globe never made it to a classroom. It was purchased with S&H green stamps when I was in the second grade. It was always in my bedroom. 

Well I am off to the day's tasks,

Sandy

Going to Enjoy August

Honestly this year, I can say I feel like I have retired. Last year, not so much....due to many reasons.

I went to Target on Friday and found myself determined to avoid the back left corner of the store at all costs. That is where school supplies are located. I was sure there was some little teacher like me trying to stock up her classroom. Last year, I was just so tired that August and back to school seemed like a blur. 

On Saturday, I just did errands with my hubby and then spent a little time in my sewing room just trying to get acquainted with my sewing machine. I have had it for two years, but it is far more complicated than my old one. 

Did these two for a friend.

After church and my nap, I got back outside and worked on my flowers. They have taken a beating to the hot July we had. I fertilized everything with Miracle Gro and trimmed up my roses to get ready for the fall growing cycle. Everything looked a little brighter this morning. 

I am taking a break this morning, because I have been working at a few more of the things on the checklist of home repairs. I stained some window sills and baseboards in the foyer from the leak damage a year or so again. Hubby got a cabinet company to mix up some stain to match. It really looks a lot better and I put some on the back door that comes in from the garage. The door has a window on the top, and the minute you walk in the garage, both Lemony and Lucy are looking out from it which means their little paws have taken a big toll of the door. When we went to see the movie, Marley, years ago, there is scene that shows the door where Marley had clawed it. I could so relate, but I am a dog lover!!!, so I put up with it.

I also painted the letters on our sign out front in the side yard. The pump had broken and was leaning, and the sign had seen better days. Last weekend, Hubby had fixed it and repainted it, so it just needed the letters redone.

I have been washing sheets, and am about to paint my front door on the inside. It is just plain white. The foyer --pre leak damage had been white and the door didn't look so stark. After we had the damage to the foyer repaired, I had someone come in and paint the foyer the same as most of the rooms in the house. The foyer is a tall, two story deal, so I didn't tackle it myself. I am going to paint the door a little darker color.

I am going to make the most of August and be glad I am retired. 

I have said yes to doing a teacher training at one of the schools I worked at before retiring. So, next week, I have to give up a day to train them in using their science lab. I will do my best to get them fired up and inspired, because I do know it is tough these days. 

An old training picture.

I am also going to try and help Hubby's days of starting the school year off to be relaxed when he arrives home. He is the principal of a very large high school still. He will be really busy for the next few weeks.

I would look forward to cooler weather if we could keep the long days of summer, but for now I am just going to soak up an August. 

Well, I am back to my list of to do's for the day and try to think of something for supper. It is a running joke at our house that I should like to cook since I majored in home economics, but nothing could be further from the truth. I like to sew and decorate, but not so much cook. Love to bake, but not cook. 

Sandy

A Year of Retirement

It has been a full year since I walked away from the classroom and into retirement. I will say it has not been all that I expected, but yet, oh so wonderful too.

With Mama being sick so much and the many trips to her house taking care of business following my step dad's passing, it has been much busier than I had hoped. I had visions of so much leisure time that hasn't quite panned out. However, I am very GRATEFUL that I wasn't teaching and trying to do all that has come about this past 12 months.

I have made an effort to enjoy my morning coffee on the deck and enjoy the great area I live in.

One of the things I haven't been able to do is sew. I have so many things I want to accomplish there, so I am going to try and make an effort to do more of that. The house will never be perfect, so I am going to have to settle for that and put in a bit more time on the things I long to do.

My latest projects have only been monogramming things my daughter has bought to give as shower gifts.

My cross stitch project that I started last June has been a wash. I just lost motivation. Got to work on getting it back.

I am looking forward to the second year of retirement, and I am hoping I can do a better job of living and doing, instead of worrying and fretting.

The latter I have done a little too much of this year.

Blessed and looking forward with anticipation,

Sandy

Lemony, the Water Dog

I went out yesterday on my paddle board, but the wind was kind of kicking and there was lots of boaters with kids on tubes. Sunday afternoons are usually like that, and since I am a beginner most of time on the paddle board has to be done on the weekdays. I had made it back to the house to be greeted by the hubby and my lovely dogs.

Lemony, the Golden has always loved to steal your float, so I could tell she wanted to get up. I moved in close to let her get on. 

She is definitely a water dog.

In fact, the other day, I was out and she managed to come out with my mom. I was three docks down when she caught up with me. I had to stay right close to the shore and get her back home. She whines if Hubby goes fishing on the boat without her.

Lucy, the Springer was quite jealous, but did not want to get on. She just didn't want Lemony on there.

So, I got off and babied Lucy while son, Paul Allen took Lemony for a ride.

The weekend was definitely a leisurely one. Went shopping with my daughter on Saturday, napped after church on Sunday, then paddle boarded, followed by just sitting Sunday evening, so I have to get my tail in gear today. Sometimes those leisurely weekends are just what you need though.

Off to do some housework and laundry,

Sandy

My New Water Toy

I love looking at the water. I love wading in the water. However, I don't like swimming. I never ever get in the gulf. Undertow and sharks keep me in shin deep waters.

I am not the greatest swimmer (long story behind that one), but I am capable. If you could swim with your head never getting wet, it would be wonderful!

So, I know my family wondered why in the world I would want a paddle board. We live on a bayou that during the week is very calm and peaceful. I see paddle boarders and kayakers going up and down. It looked like such fun.

I requested a paddle board. Hubby bought me the cutest one too.

I can't believe I am sharing my ugly self on it, but you would never believe I am using it if I didn't prove it.

This is from my second time on it, so not the steadiest, but I am getting better everyday.

It was kind of funny. You know sons don't always get mushy and tell you they love you. Paul Allen kept coming out to watch over me every time I went out on it. I am pretty sure he didn't think I needed to be out there alone. Warmed my heart good!

Anyway, he took a video of me.

I am getting better and more relaxed with each time out. It is great exercise and I am loving it.

Venturing out in retirement. Making up for lost time.

Sandy

The beginning of summer...

Well, getting out of school was just like always....busy, busy busy!

Two birthdays right out of the starting gate, but I promised myself a morning on the beach for my first official morning of retirement.

My view for a couple of hours.

Then, it was home to bake a cake.
Hubby had his usual...the yellow cake with the chocolate frosting.

The cake is made with a box, but the frosting is a family recipe from my mom and mom-in-law. Both had the same recipe for the most incredible frosting ever. It hardens like a candy almost. Melt in your mouth goodness.

I made many small layers, to get the best use of the frosting. And let me just say, the cake mix shown above is the ONLY cake mix to be used with this frosting. No other cake mix will do. Trust me on this one.

June 10

And we are off... 

next up, my son's birthday.

Off to a Busy Start

Well, busy I have been, but with lots of interruptions. My plans were to redo my sewing room/office, but my hubby surprised me with a gift of new cabinets in there. Someone is coming out next week to measure and plan it, so that is on hold. I kind of went on a lark and started painting my kitchen Saturday evening. It didn't need it at all, just a whim! It has been a golden yellow for years, and I loved the color, however, I have seen all of these gray kitchens on blogs, magazines, Pinterest, etc., so I thought not...why not?

Photo Credit
http://unskinnyboppy.com/2011/07/from-yellow-to-blue-kitchen/

The picture above was my inspiration picture. I don't have white cabinets, but she went from yellow to a blue/green/grayish. I like very much!!!

I have only a portion done, because I am physically exhausted from the last year and keep getting interrupted to take care of other things. I really don't know what I was thinking starting this before I had some kind of order in the house. It is birthday week at our house too. My hubby and son have a birthday this week, so in the middle of painting a kitchen, I have to bake a cake today too:)

Anyway, I am loving the color. As I said, I really liked my yellow, but I just thought the gray might be a change of pace. It is amazing how well it looks with my oak cabinets and white countertop. Before, I think you noticed the color on the walls, now, I think you will notice how pretty the oak cabinets are.

I will share B&A pictures if I ever finish.

Sunday was a great day at church. Chris Cauley of the Voice led worship. It was fantastic. I was presented a retirement bucket with a JoAnn's gift card during our Waumba Land meeting (our preschool environment). That was so sweet of them.

Yesterday,  two of my colleagues in this grant took me to lunch and gave me such sweet gifts. I love the necklace.

All in all, I am off to a busy start to the summer...oh no, wait my retired life.