Cars are tools not mirrors

I drive a 1996 station wagon. It seats 8, it gets 25 miles to the gallon, has 88,000 miles on it and I like it. To me it is a tool much like a hoe or a rake. I think a shiny red one would be pretty but my old one is perfectly useful and already paid for. It gets me from A to B. I personally don't even like to drive, so paying extra money to do something that I dislike is ridiculous. People feel sorry for me at times, I can see it in their eyes. I have even at times contemplated a new car purchase just to prevent the discomfort other people express about my less than new transportation. I personally am curious to see how many miles I can get out of it. I love experiments and am very much enjoying this one. When I was first married we had a car that cost $380 per month for 6 years by the time we paid the car off we had 3 kids and then had to buy a bigger car. It wasn't worth it. For 2 years we loved it and then it became a thing of stress and lost its luster. We paid it off a year early and still only got $3000 out of it.We ended up paying $30,000 for a car that we drove for 5 years. That is a $27,000 loss over 5 years or that is over $5000 per year posted as a loss. I could think of a bunch of different ways to spend that money if I was just going to throw it away anyway. Ballet class for the entire year, gymnastics for all of my daughters, a YMCA membership for the year that includes 2 date nights per month. Summer Camp for all 3 of my kids for 5 days so my husband and I can get away together and a week at the beach with the entire family which we could pay for with what was left of the $5000. Shiny car or shiny memories without a shiny credit card.

You are Worthy

Over the past 2 years I have been working and observing human nature Existing in a sort of autopilot work mode while expending the majority of my energy on understanding the psyche. What drives us, what encourages us and what debilitates us. It varies from person to person based on many factors including belief systems, economic standing, material goods, health, job security but intensely surrounding the state of our relationships. Do we see our worth? The answer for me is yes and no. We are fragile no matter how high we build the walls around us. An opinion carelessly stated can take that answer of yes to no or I am not sure in a matter of moments. Regardless of these negative factors: poor health, job loss, financial hardship, a few solid relationships that yield encouragement  and a consistent reminder that we are worthy of love can bring  more peace and comfort than any amount of prestige or financial gain could afford. Do you see your worth?

 Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. -Hebrews 10:25 ESV

Easy Florentine Chicken 25 minutes and done :)

Cut up tomatoes, yellow squash and spinach (as much or as little as you want)
saute in a pan with a tiny bit of oil (grape seed oil for light taste)

cut up chicken( whatever you have on hand)

using milk butter and favorite cheese ( parmesan, romano etc.)and pepper make your own white sauce if you want to thicken it add a little flour.

5 minutes for prep
20 minutes cook time

Corvette and 20 year old tennis shoes

Who does that? Drives a corvette and doesn't bother with a nice looking pair of shoes. I truly admire this trait of not trying to prove something! Doing it because you like it not because someone will give you a nod.

Years ago I remember hearing about a guy who lived in a shack and had more money than Elvis. He didn't show it off and I think that is truly remarkable in a world where the Joneses are on every city block.

Random Rantings Quotes from the trenches of Motherhood

regarding falling over the baby gate 1000 times, "I hate that gate! I'm going to sacrifice it to the fire!"

You know what driving has taught me, "to believe that people everywhere are unintelligent and prone to murder by default!"

"I'm whipping up some junk- pretty sure Martha Stewart would never day that."

"Gum gives intelligent people cow-like qualities."

"I am not June Cleaver!"

"So I cooked an oven mit, it's happened before."

FEEL FREE TO ADD YOUR OWN QUOTES FROM THE TRENCHES I'D LOVE TO READ THEM!

A way whe there is no way

My Dad has explained creative people as lazy although I understand his point of view I disagree.

I believe that creative people work very hard for a little while perhaps harder than anyone else to secure a more desirable outcome whether that be a way to spend less money and have what you need and like or by creating something yourself because it doesn't exist and it's existence would greatly increase quality of life.

This next person I'll call Miss Resourceful

I have been observing her for years and she is an inspiration for sure!
When she first got married she had furniture with upholstery that she didn't care for so she went shopping and reupholstered everything transforming her entire home.

She would shop for something and not want to pay for it and create it herself for a fraction of the cost. From shower curtains to bibs. In some cases she generated things that she could very easily sell. Talk about a proverbs 31 lady.

She is very organized and you would never know that she in a lack of a pantry, stores boxed cereals under her bed. When I laughingly questioned her about it she said, " there is not a square inch of this place that we don't use." But you would never know it her house is beautifully arranged and not a bit of clutter.

She has grapefruit and tangerine trees in her yard and her family eats them regularly she used wood from a pool deck she had as a kid to construct her children a swing set and fort and it is pretty great if you ask me! This should be an indicator to everyone that creativity is intelligence with a purpose!

Funny thing about Dreams

The I wish kind of dreams or I'd like to have... kind of dreams is that once it's a reality it loses it's flavor. It become a.. I am thankful for..

The best dreams are ones that are possible but not realized. The I wish I could fly dream has no possibility so it stops shortly after we first think it. Dreams that are possible are fabulous if they are not quickly gratified because you can spend a large amount of time detailing every aspect of it's greatness! Designing, redesigning and walking through it in your mind. The mind is a fanciful thing, the thought is generally exponentially greater than the object. Even if the object is all it's cracked up to be when the dream becomes reality we are left with a void where that dream used to sleep. We then develop another dream to take it's place.

A dream I have had since I was a kid was to have pink Barbie Jeep, I never got one but we have been pondering buying one for out girls. They are crazy expensive and we like my parents have been afraid that they would never ride their bikes again, become sedentary, and be unhealthy all because of one purchase.

Nonetheless I still want one... I long to ride around in it with my hair blowing in the wind I even lost enough weight to abide by the no more that 110 pound limit stated on the box. Now that I'm here I understand that 5 miles per hour will not produce the desired thrill seeking adventure that it would have when I was 5 but it will for my kids and that's enough for me.