Celebrating and a Little Talk about Houseplants

   I am sharing a family moment that wrapped up January. Tyler turned 33 and the tradition since they married and moved close to us has been gathering at Outback. This year we ordered Outback and brought it to their house. I snapped a few pictures after dinner. There are no posed photos ---just the family as we are sitting around.

Tyler opening his card and don't you just love Lindsay's new cabinet behind the couch where the bookcase was. The bookcase was one Jeff made so Katie and Paul Allen have gotten it.  Lindsay is looking for the perfect picture to go above it.

I sometimes love the captured life photos as much as those posed ones.

Tucker is the center of attention these days and will soon have a brother to share it with. For now though, he is center stage. He was showing off his skills with his remote controlled truck that Uncle Paul Allen gave him for Christmas. He has a new name for Uncle Paul Allen as well. Uncle Pap. He adores Katie and Paul Allen.

The truck is not the tiny thing in front but a larger truck past his mom's feet. He can move it in one direction, but turns the remote upside down to move it backwards. Mimi thinks he is gifted!

Lindsay and Tyler also celebrated their 7th anniversary to ring in the still cold February. We went out and babysat so they could go eat out. IT was a lovely day 7 years ago in early February. This February has caused me to have to make another list to work on in the house because it is way too cold for me. I am complaining and will probably have to be reminded in October when it is hot that I was whining in February. 

This list is some projects that I will share in my next stitching post. 

I am dreaming about gardening so I will talk about indoor gardening. As I said in my last post, the entire Internet is one big advertisement and I was influenced to try my hand at some indoor bulbs this December. I started with paper whites. Many on Instagram for the last couple of years were showing off their paper whites and amaryllis. 

My verdict on paper whites is that they are quite lovely and if I were going to do them again I would need to do them in a very short dish rather than the tall one I used. They were so tall I really didn't have anywhere to put them and of course they fell over which explains why I saw the ribbon tied around them all. I don't think I will do paper whites again. They were lovely and I am glad I tried, but I think I would like just a little poinsettia or some grocery store flowers.

I planted an amaryllis in hopes that it would bring in the new year with a bright coral bloom. 

Does that look coral to you????

It turns out they sent me the wrong one. It was beautiful though. Again, it should have been planted in a shorter pot.

I loved it and am days away from it blooming again. My verdict on this is that again I think for indoors I would rather have a houseplant or some grocery store flowers. I will transplant this one outdoors when it is done though. Mother has a whole row of them in her back yard and they are very pretty.

So that influencing done by all those influencers is over and I will move back to my normal programming.

It is camellia season and I have a couple of camellia bowls around the house.

I have been fluffing my houseplants to survive the changes in light with winter. For those of you who think it is all green thumbs around here. Not so. I am diligent and do have lots of luck in places where there is abundant light like my kitchen. 

My geranium that I brought in for the winter from the back deck is getting leggy and moving up in my fern. I will trim her this week and root some of that tall stuff. Soon she will go back out until September when it gets so hot she is unhappy and I bring her in for a bit. You will notice the amaryllis on the floor getting ready to pop out again.

Cold and cloudy again:(

I nearly lost my Christmas cactus this year. She had gotten too big for her pot and I failed to repot her. She fell over for the second time and the second time really messed her up. I lost a good portion of her -probably half, but she is back in business and I think will live to show off again next Christmas. 

Just another mishap. I had a spider lily in my living room that had begun to really limp. I tried a clay pot rather than the plastic one she was in and she went from bad to worse. Coupled with the loss of light from the Christmas tree blocking her light I put her back in the plastic pot and moved her to my bedroom to either survive or go to the place plants go to die. Oh and I gave her some fertilizer for good measure. Well, she decided to come back. Some new growth is happening in the middle and I think she has found her new happy place. 

A new plant was bought for the living room.  This is my little sunny area where the Christmas tree is placed. 

I have plants in 4 rooms upstairs and the big room downstairs. I don't try to grow them in every room because I am not in every room nor do they have enough light to maintain them. I do love houseplants though.

One other little helpful tidbit. I downloaded the app Overdrive on my phone and now I can listen to books from our public library just like Audible and all for free. Thanks Carol! I also stopped by the library and checked out a large print book for Mother. I am so hoping it will be something she can do. Her eyes bother her so reading has almost been given up by her. She once loved to read like me. 

Thinking about spring,

Sandy

Just Thinking

     As I took my blog break in January, I knew when I returned that I would come back different or maybe as the "original intent". I have a by-line at the top of my page that says...A blog about decorating, stitching, baking, gardening, family, and walking a faith-filled journey.

This blog is mine; my personal story. Every post doesn't have to be of interest to anyone but me. If you are only interested in stitching for instance then this post is not for you and that is OK. There will be another stitching post another day, and I won't have my feelings hurt if you don't comment on those that are of no interest to you. 

When I started this blog almost 7 years ago, I did so because I loved reading them myself. I have always loved biographies. I still do and most of the ones I choose are someone who has caught my eye. I am intrigued by them and want to know more of what makes them tick. My fascination with biographies began in 6th grade when I discovered a series in the public library. I think I read every single one that year. I remember Rachel Jackson being one of my favorites. I can't tell you why ---too long ago. So you see, I just like reading about people. ---Which makes blogs my modern day series of biographies.

Today's post is a no picture, lots of words that have come out of my quiet, reflective January. Sometimes I write a post to help me remember. This blog is a journal of sorts, most of which are only the good things in life. The hard things are kept in a paper journal or talked out with family members. One should never read my blog and think, "Oh, her life is so perfect!" Nope, life is full of hills and valleys and most are not immune.

I thought I would record a few things I read, watched, and thought about in January. Honestly, I did a lot of quiet. I don't care for TV. That is not something new. As a kid and teen, I spent much of my time in my bedroom reading or listening to 45s on my record player. I am still that person. Although now, I do love information and can be quite a nerd listening to podcasts or YouTube all in the search of information. 

I was also the kid who loved the World Book Encyclopedia set as a kid. There are two things that are still at Mother's that I would absolutely want one day. One is her sewing machine and the other is the set of encyclopedias. 

But, you know in this world of information everywhere you can just plain and simply take into much and hence January was myself telling myself I needed an information overload break.

When I taught in the youth group many years ago I was constantly reminding the high school girls about being quiet at times so they could hear the Lord speak in an otherwise too busy world. IT was so true then and even more so now.

My month has taught me to I need to make it a priority to not overload my mind with the clutter of others' thoughts and opinions. Of course, if you are still with me in a sea of just print you are reading mine.

One thing I left off was FlossTube. Well -other than Marlene at Stitching by the Lake. I simply must listen to her. I found I was being influenced to want a pattern or such. Now being influenced is nothing new. Isn't that the goal of advertisers, but it seems now the entire Internet is one big advertisement? I just needed to stop. What does Sandy want to stitch today or does she even want to stitch today? Other than Marlene, I didn't watch much stitching. 

I turned off the news completely except for the day of the Capitol upheaval. You know what, I am still informed. I decided which news shows I would watch and basically it is one a day along with following SmartHer News on Instagram. I am also going to her website more and rooting for her to get that up and going so I won't be dependent on social media. That decision alone made me calmer!!!!

I read a biography that my mother and daughter had both read long ago. I read Megyn Kelly's biography. I enjoyed it and have started listening to her podcasts. I listen on Apple on my phone. When a topic or guest interests me I put it on and listen while cleaning house. I have found her to have a variety of unusual and interesting guests. 

I would say that in the entire month of January, that I watched the one news program I chose on some days ...not all. I listened to Marlene, Megyn on some days and that is all that I allowed in. I gave up Twitter completely. I decided I didn't need to read people arguing all day. I didn't even want to read sports because Auburn had gotten rid of another wonderful coach and I was just not listening to that either. So no point in getting on Twitter. I may never go back. So far, I haven't.

I scrolled Instagram once a day and left if off at the beginning of January for a week.  I scrolled my cousins on Facebook once a week. 

I have decided all of those habits are good to continue. 

I did come across this and have followed faithfully. Kirk Cameron (remember Growing Pains) is doing a 100 Day Campfire Revival on social media. The longest time has been about 17 minutes. It has been so good and has furthered helped my feelings about the nation. I am really really enjoying it.

I am over trying to stress about the dividing line drawn in the sand. I am ready to focus on what I can do and that is pour into my family. I will pray and let God do His thing. I will learn and teach my family about this great nation and the importance of following Christ in life. That is it. 

A simple life lived. I am going to carefully choose what I put in my mind. I want to be informed without being over informed if that makes sense. It does to me.

Some verses I have pondered over this past month...

Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father so is in heaven. (NASB)

Philippians 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

Micah 6:8 He has told you, o man what is good; And what does the Lord require of you; but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.

That is January in a nutshell. Now, what comes next? A return to my byline. An occasional post about all those things when and if I feel like it:) 

Sandy