February 1st

One year ago today, my sweet girl married the perfect match for her. Lindsay met Tyler at Auburn her Freshman year, shortly after she arrived on The Plains. 

January 29, 2014 brought an ice storm to the south like we Southerners have never seen or at least the kind of 100 year stories. Tyler's parents are from Atlanta and spent the night in a Publix parking lot. Two of the bridesmaids lived in Birmingham where they were iced in safely thank goodness in their apartments as many spent the night in cars and classrooms.

I can tell you that a kind of strange sensation flowed over Lindsay and me. There were no longer any worries or stress over flowers, decorations, plans for the wedding, etc, etc, etc. Those quickly went to ...is everyone going to safely arrive at the wedding? We quickly settled into the mode that is was no longer in our control and that we just wanted friends and family to arrive safely. 

It is so funny to think back to the weather. The bayou we live on actually froze over almost all the way across like a lake in the northern states. The South was quite a scene. We don't know how to drive or even walk outside in that kind of weather.

Santa Rosa Sound - Hurlburt AFB Officers' Club

As you can see from the photograph above, the weather changed quickly and warmed up to give us a very nice day. There were a few clouds during the day, but the sun shone through enough to give us some wonderful outdoor pictures. It wasn't cold at all during the day. The sunset was magnificent and all our family and friends from Alabama and the Atlanta area were treated to that beautiful sunset. I think all but two people we invited made it to the wedding.

They spent a weekend away in Savannah this weekend relaxing after a year of many changes. They started out in Jacksonville, but have moved back home, but they go in opposite directions each day for work and have rather long commutes. I am praying that God sees fit to help them out on this soon, but in this economy good jobs are hard to come by and they are lucky on this account.

I told her that her weather story had come the year she got married. Her dad and I were married on September 1st, 1984. On our one year anniversary, we were trying to evade Hurricane Elena. We went to my mama's house across the state line into Alabama. Why? I am not quite sure, because they get about as much damage as we do from tornadoes and sometimes straight line winds as with IVAN. Any who, we ate our frozen wedding cake with threats of a hurricane. It went to Louisiana. And...BTW, I can tell you where I was and what I was doing for every hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Camille in 1969. It is our way of life.

I pulled out their top layer of the wedding cake to have ready for them to take home tonight. She said it was still good and she was glad that I had done that, because she really didn't remember what it tasted like that night:)

Blessed indeed,

Sandy

Praying for my dear mom as we are dealing with some health issues. 

January Update

January has proved to be fruitful in some ways and quite challenging in others.

First up on the update.... how I am doing on my goals for 2015.

I posted about my goals for the year here. I made a general goal list, project list, cleaning and organizing schedule, etc. I think writing those things down is very good for me. As a former school teacher, I know I always like to plan out things on paper to guide my instruction over the course of the school year. I always kept that in my plan book and referred to it often to keep me on track.

One of the many lists I made in my planner.

Now for the progress on my goals. 

SEWING: I have started a project for a friend, but really more practice for me than anything, but I got sidetracked on it. Bottom line, I haven't had much time for sewing (more on the reason why later).

The only project I have touched.

COOKING: I have done fair on this one. I do have a few recipes picked out to try very soon.

CLEANING SCHEDULE: This one is a kind of winner. I have found that I do very well with that printed cleaning plan. Must be like having a lesson plan on my desk!!! If a distraction happens that gets me off schedule, I try to pick back up and get back on track much like I would have done in the classroom. Bottom line, I think it is working for me because I am thinking of it as my work. 

I love my everyday tasks. I sort of think of them like the things that I would never skip in the classroom (daily math review). I also love my daily cleaning schedule. I go down the list and pick up on the next day if something happens which it does!!!

ORGANIZING: I am working on that bit by bit trying really hard not to stress over things. Rome wasn't built in a day kind of thing. I have picked a few things to work on such as photos and have done well there and am trying to do the room by room weekly challenge at A Bowl Full of Lemons. I was doing well until Week 4 (this week) and here it is Thursday, and I haven't been home to even start this challenge.

My photo organization is slow but steady. I am taking all of the loose photos that I placed in bins and slowly adding them to albums. I am only starting with those that I know who the photos are of. I am using regular sized 3 ring notebooks, tagboard, the old fashioned photo corners, and page protectors. Hopefully, the closet will one day be a collection of photos in labeled albums that anyone can open up and pull the one out they want to look at. I will then occasionally leave one out of the coffee table for  a month to look at and rotate them out. I want to enjoy them.

Lots more ideas floating around in my old head.

READING: I have kept on schedule with my reading. It never ceases to amaze me how truly the Word of God is alive. It doesn't matter what passage I read, just that I am faithful to open His Word. He always has a message for me.

I am also reading other things as well. Currently, I am reading George Washington's Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade. I really enjoyed the History Channel's program on Samuel Adams.

ENJOYING THE CABIN MORE: I will post an update on this one later. I plan to share my little cabin with you. We call the place "Serenity".

SPENDING TIME WITH MAMA: I have been going once a week to her home and spending the day with her. However, she has given me quite a scare. She has nursed a sinus infection since October when she came down sick on a trip with her brothers and sisters on their annual trip to the mountains in the fall. I had to take her at Thanksgiving and Christmas to the immediate care clinic here. She hates taking antibiotics and has failed to finish either of those that have been prescribed to her. I have truly never seen anyone as sensitive to medicines as her. Everything has so many side effects with her. This weekend, my aunt and uncle were with her (PRAISE THE LORD) when her blood pressure shot up to the danger zone. I do think she almost had a stroke. I am so grateful that they got her to the ER in time. We have spent the week in doctor's offices, and I am sure for the next few, we will be doing more of the same.

To sum it all up, I have learned that no matter how much you plan, there will be life's happenings, interruptions, tests, whatever you choose to call them and that we must learn to keep going and not let them overcome us.

I will be back soon, because I have some thoughts I want to get out on blogging, projects that I want to do and share, but first things first....getting Mama well.

Counting my blessings and naming them one by one...

_My daughter is celebrating her 1 year anniversary to the most wonderful man for her.

_That man has a birthday today, and I am so thankful for him.

_Mama has good friends in her town that look out for her.

_I have a wonderful hubby and son who look out for me.

_and many more.

Be back soon,

Sandy