Thoughts on Lunch

Know what I like most about the summer at this point? Not having to pack a lunch for the day ahead & hope I'm going to be in the mood for it when that time rolls around. I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want...and it can be fresh! No soggy sandwiches and limp lettuce and re-heated leftovers. I can actually enjoy a salad without having to bring a single serving of dressing in a Ziploc bag, hoping it will be enough, and risk it spilling all over my lunch box. First world problems, I know. But it is really nice having the luxury of relaxing, non-rushed meal. Even breakfast doesn't come with a time limit. It just occurred to me today how much I am loving this. That's all!

Disney In Pictures

Josh and I just returned from Disney. I feel like I've been hit by a truck. SO TIRED. I have no idea how many miles we walked each day but I can guarantee it was at least eight.

Right here, you are looking at the first people in line for the Animal Kingdom! We got up at 5:30am & stayed in the park until 6pm. That is a LONG day.

The hit ride was Expedition Everest. Josh insisted on riding it three times. As you will see in the following pictures, he grinned from ear to ear on all the roller coasters. Loved them. The first pic is what Everest Looks like from far away. Then we have the before and afters. It was scary!

Day 2 was Magic Kingdom day. We did got there early and did Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Carousel of Progress, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Its a Small World...then took a break and went back to the hotel for a nap. It was getting hot and crowded and I was fading. Here are the pics from Round 1: My face says it all. 

Like the troopers we were, were returned to the Magic Kingdom at 6pm, in the rain, hoping for no lines. Apparently lots of other people did had the same idea. We prepared with ponchos and they came in handy. When we got to the park all the outdoor rides were closed down because of the lightening, so we got on as many others as were open...mainly little kid rides like Winnie the Pooh and Little Mermaid, but I still love all those. 

Poncho Picture

And here are the pictures of round 2 on Splash and Space Mountain. Again....my face. That's how I felt. I'm posting them with no shame! Also, I love the last one on the Buzz LightYear ride. You shoot things with lasers and one of us was really into it. I'll let you guess who. 

Until next time, Disney!

What Are You Doing This Summer?

Tomorrow afternoon Josh and I head out to The Happiest Place on Earth. I haven't been to Disney World since middle school and he hasn't been since he was five years old. I'm not sure he "remembers the magic," so I'm really excited for him to see it all over again as an adult.

When we return, I have a long list of things I want to do this summer. None of them are earth shattering. They are pretty mundane, but that's how I like to spend these months away from work. It helps me to recuperate and feel like a human again.

There are a few places I want to eat. I love going out to lunch over the summer so holla if you want to join!!
1) Charlotte's Confections (on Wilmington Island)
2) Starland Cafe
3) Joe's Homemade


There are also a few new thrifty/antique-y stores I'd l also like to try out...
1) "Sass" 37th/Abercorn
2) Picker Joe's on 41st & ....something
3) Pinch of the Past on Whitaker & Victory

I've never been to the boutique E.J. Scandals in Sandfly. I know is been around for awhile but I've just never made it in. That will be changing soon.

Another plan I have is to do some coffee shop blogging. Foxy Loxy has an interesting atmosphere so I might make that a weekly gig. We'll see.

Getting my passport is on the to-do list. I'm not a world traveler by any stretch of the imagination, but it would be nice to have on hand.

There is a place on Bull & Henry called The Savannah Community Arts Center ( I think ). A friend told me about how they offer all types of different classes there. She did a metal working class and I was eyeing the bracelets she made. I wanna learn!

My back porch is asking for a citrus tree to add to it's collection of flowering plants, veggies, and herbs. I'm thinking lemon or lime.


The Savannah Food Co-Op used to be something I was really into for local produce and somehow I got out of the habit. It takes a little planning because they are only open on Thursdays as far as I know. Someone please tell me if that changed, but I would like to start using them again. I am also going to use Davis Produce to get some fruits for juicing. I've been off the juicing bandwagon for awhile now and I need to hop back on.

I was told about using Polyurethane spray as a sealant on painted furniture so I'm going to spend a day roaming around at Ace Hardware on Wilmington to see what I can find. Talk about the happiest place on earth....I could get lost in that store.

Savannah Furniture Consignments and Two Women & Warehouse will also be getting some attention from me this summer.

Josh finds all kinds of cool music on NPR Tiny Desk Concerts. You can YouTube it... lots of artist play small gigs in this radio show looking room. I always love hearing live music.

Also...today I went to Big Lots for a few last minute Disney trip items. That place is CHEAP and they have a little bit of everything. My mindset of "I don't need a basket because I'm grabbing some rain ponchos" trip, turned into me juggling trail mix, kitty litter, cucumber face wipes, etc.....$26 later. I'll be back next time, Big Lots. With a buggy.

Last Minutes of April

This morning I was reading my favorite blog and re-realizing the similarities I had with the writer. She talked about the importance of noise. Being an introverted homebody, yet not able to focus or feel fulfilled in her work when she is alone and the house is quiet.  Here is the link if you can relate:

http://www.flowerpatchfarmgirl.com/2015/04/the-importance-of-noise.html

In certain ways, I feel much the same...especially when it comes to my work environment. With summer approaching and the school year wrapping up, I'm feeling even more ready to get the heck out the door at the end of each day.

Example: I got a Snickers blizzard after work today, ate it on the way home, and immediately crawled in bed for a nap. My nap lasted until my sister called at 7:57 PM and freaked me out.  I thought I was late for work. I thought I had slept through the night and it was a new day. First there was panic and then sweet relief when she assured me that it was Thursday evening, not Friday morning. All this to say- I'm thoroughly exhausted. A break from work is in order. 

But when the end finally arrives, something coincidental happens. I'm lost. I miss the routine of my day. I suppose I find a strange peace in the buzz of the classroom, of papers rustling, scissors cutting, quieting a tattle tale, answering a nagging question. Same goes for the never ending paperwork that my job requires. As I try to type up the ever official and important documents, I pray to my lucky starts that I could have a moment without hearing my name repeated 5 times in a row or a tiny finger tapping me on the shoulder. But when they are gone, my motivation goes out the window. The effort it takes to stay focused on the task increases x10. Maybe it feels more urgent if I am writing in the midst of something else....multi- tasking if you will. It lights a fire under me & I feel a sense of accomplishment.  

The same also happens with my writing.  I need a certain amount of noise to churn out what's floating around in my head. Same way I need some white noise in the background to sleep at night (thank you, Honeywell rotating tower fan.) Anyway, FlowerPatchFarmGirl' s blog spoke straight to my heart this morning. As introverted as I am, I still thrive from connection with others. Its human nature I suppose.

Fan Club

I just joined a club & its kind of embarrassing as to which one. Okay, I'll tell you. I joined the DQ Blizzard of the month fan club. I've been all about the MyFitnessPal app lately, very diligently counting calories. Somehow on Sunday I ended up with lots of leftover calories. It happened in the middle of my yoga class. I realized that Dairy Queen was on my direct path home. It consumed my mind for the last half of the class. When that glorious moment came & it was finally time to order my blizzard, I quickly chose the Blizzard of the Month and stuck to my decision. No wavering.

Grasshopper Mousse Pie. It was better than I had even imagined. Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, graham cracker crust crumbles, chocolate chunks, and whipped cream.

Trying to be as devoted to MyFitnessPal as possible, *nerd alert* I went to the DQ website and took copious notes about the serving sizes and calories of each Blizzard flavor. I've got to at least earn my calories, ya know?

You thought I was kidding... but no. This list will probably stay in my wallet. Never know when I might need a quick reference! Plus...if you know me, you know that I like to go in order and check them off.  :)

Real Life Love Story

Now that I've had some time to process, it's really setting in with me how blessed I was to have the grandparents that I did. I've always known how special they were, but sometimes its not until they are gone that we realize what wonderful people we have had living in our presence. As most of you know, both of my dad's parents passed away within two days of one another.

They had both been sick and for the last month, they had been in different places in order for us to care for them the best way we knew how. Papa was in Hospice in Statesboro and Grandma was at Candler in Savannah. Their declines happened within the same time frame even though they were in separate cities. I feel that they were truly communicating with each other on a spiritual level during those last few weeks. Papa passed away very peacefully on Valentines Day (Saturday). My dad and his brothers decided it was time for Grandma Joan to go back home to Statesboro to keep her comfortable, as she was not getting better. On Sunday morning, she was moved to Hospice in Statesboro.

On Monday, we held Papa's visitation from 5:00-8:00 and welcomed old friends. It was so nice to hear their stories about what a wonderful man he was and how he had impacted their lives in such a positive way. Many people from his adult Sunday School classes came to visit and a few even divulged that they hadn't been back to Sunday school since then because they never found a teacher as good as he was. He was so well respected within the community and known for putting God and family first. I am very proud to call him Papa. When the crowd had left, our family gathered, exhausted, back at Grandma and Papa's house to the chili, macaroni and cheese, blueberry cobbler and all sorts of other goodies that their church had left for us. It warmed my heart to see how the people of their church showed us so much love.

As we were warming up the food, about to fix our plates, Hospice called to let us know that we needed to come be with Grandma. It was almost as if she had waited until we finished visiting with everyone who loved Papa, then she went on to heaven to be with him. If ever there was a great love story, this is one of the truest. We were able to hold a double funeral and burial the next morning, much to the surprise of many who were showing up to celebrate Papa's life. Little did they know that Grandma would be right beside him.

They set such an example of love for each other and for family over the years. One of my family's running jokes is that once when Papa was asked what his hobbies were, he commented, "loving Joan." And that he did. Back when they were able to drive around and live their normal lives, Papa was always pretty adamant that they shouldn't be driving the dark. He would always comment on how it was getting dark and they needed to get home. My Aunt Chris put it well; when she returned from Hospice on Monday night after Grandma passed away, she said it was as if Papa was telling her, "Come on Joan, the Kingdom's here....it's getting dark!"

I want to give a great big thank you for all the well wishes, thoughts, and prayers sent my family's way. I hope I can speak for us all when I say: we felt them and we all feel so blessed.

Visiting at Grandma Joan & Papa's house in Statesboro years ago

Obituary for Papa

Obituary for Grandma

Sickling

I was tooting my own horn before Christmas when everyone was getting the crud that was going around. Earlier in the month, I had stocked up on all kinds of immune building potions from Whole Foods and I never did get sick. I told everyone about my natural cures... Mrs. Mother Earth.

 Well, last night, it caught up to me. I went to bed with a little bit of a sore throat but it really kicked in at 1:30 in the morning with my whole body aching like I had been hit by a semi. I couldn't get warm despite my flannel sheets and space heater.

Finally I decided to take a hot bath with lavender mint sea salt. I took a spoonful of honey, chewed on a on a slippery elm bark throat lozenge (special potions from Whole Foods) and by 2:00 AM I was back in bed asleep. Ha! I had kicked it!

Well- By 7:30 I was searching the Internet for which essential oils work best for flu like symptoms. Peppermint and Eucalyptus- perfect! I had both. I rubbed some on the bottom of my feet, on my temples, and directly onto my achy back. I was determined to knock this out, naturally. After all, this is one of my New Years Resolutions! New year, new medicine cabinet.

I fixed some hot water with lemon and honey, I took my vitamins....I used my Neti Pot. Apparently I added way too much salt to the water because it burned my nose and made my eyes water. Not pleasant. Those were all the "natural cures" I could muster. It wasn't working. I needed relief!

Around 9:00 I shuffled my way into the kitchen and made myself a blueberry smoothie for some sustenance. Anti-oxidants, right? Had to help. It took me about 10x as long as it normally would have to make the smoothie because I was so weak and achy. Every few minutes I'd have to pause and rest because I kept getting light headed. Back to bed.

 I tried to lay on the couch and watch TV for a change of scenery, but the lady's voice on the Today Show made me angry and hurt my head. Back to bed again.

Throughout the morning I had been texting my mom telling her how miserable I felt. She told me to take some cold medicine...that it wouldn't kill me just this once. I refused. I had to be NATURAL.

1:00 PM- I shuffled into the kitchen again and made myself some brown rice with chicken broth. The whole 30 minutes that it was cooking, I went back and forth in my mind about whether or not I should break down and take some medicine. By the time it the rice was ready, I'd had enough.

Thank God for 800 mg of Ibuprofen and my heating pad. It's now 2:30 PM and I'm good as new. I gave it my best shot.