Our Simple Saturday

Ah! The joys of a Saturday at Home!

It's a luxury to wake up with not one single reason you MUST get out of bed.

It's funny that I am actually ready to get on with the day earlier when I don't have to.

I thought about slipping out of the bedroom and going to the art table that has remained set up all week and getting some painting time in. I decided to do a little housework first since I am on a mission to get the entire house cleaned before we go to the ranch soon.

Even so I had the kitchen table ready for breakfast at 11:30 - that's still morning time!

Louis Dean doesn't like to eat at the table which - I am being real - kind of bothers me at times. 

So today I requested we sit there and eat and he was gracious and did just that! It was nice.

I have taken to weighing myself every morning to remind myself the scales are slowly inching up. I had hit the 5 pounds heavier mark and today was another pound more. I laugh when I think of Levi calling pounds 'libs!' I'm 6 libs heavier. I do think libs sounds better than pounds. 

Pounds sounds so Heavy!

Louis Dean accidentally took a double dose of his blood pressure medicine this morning so he spent several hours in the guest room bed reading and sleeping. It really scared me when he was stumbling around and all dizzy. I got him in bed and took his blood pressure and it was really low. That's when we figured out he must have taken two pills. They are so tiny it's hard to even see them!

I painted and cleaned and bagged up another sack for Goodwill - this time from my 'Jacket Closet' which is a tiny closet in the guest room. I am getting rid of stuff! You would be proud of me!

I made tacos for a late lunch but the taco shells where broken so it turned into more of a taco salad.

Louis Dean ate once at the table but twice was pushing it so he ate in the den while he watched the news.

About 4:00 I started getting ready to go to church.

We attended Fellowship in Grapevine for the second time.

I mailed my tithes and offering to our church since we will be out of town for the next couple of Sundays. I love Fellowship and a young pastor preached tonight. 

It was the second in a mini series called 'Piece of Cake.'

It's about tithing - something I am a firm believer in.

This young man started coming to Fellowship when he was 14 years old. 

I remember him. He was on the praise and worship team - and still is. He's a gifted musician. He jumped around like he was on a pogo stick and was a complete delight. He has been tithing since he was a teenager. What God has done in this young man's life amazes me. He married at 21 years of age - the same year Louis Dean and I married. After 12 years he now has 4 children and some pretty amazing stories about how God has provided. He has never NOT tithed.

As soon as we got home - and before I even changed clothes - I went on a walk through the neighborhood. It's been awhile. I walked last night but it was already dark and still hot so I didn't last long. It was still in the 80's tonight but a cold front is coming - so they say.

This is what Louis Dean has been working on this week.

You can see the stone wall still standing on the left side. The right side fell this summer and LD is using the stones to better define the planter. He enlarged it and has plans to make it nice. This has never looked very good so I am excited about what he's doing here.

The Texas Sage is blooming which is a sure fire sign that weather changes are on the way.

You can see Texas has not experienced FALL yet. Some years we never do.

I loved walking through the neighborhood.

Some of the houses that had been vacant now have new owners. Another one is up for sale but still occupied. Cars were lined up and down one street and there was a big Bounce House in the front yard and kids were playing and laughing. People were walking up the drive carrying gifts and food.

Around the corner a couple of teenage boys were playing basketball on the driveway.

Still further up the curve I could hear the Mexican music and smell the hot dogs grilling and hear the kids playing. I love happy neighborhood sounds. I love seeing families do things together.

I felt a tiny touch of fall when I crunched across a sidewalk of crisp dry oak leaves.

The only sign of fall I saw.

It felt good to be able to walk. I had on my sensible shoes but I didn't overdo it.

Every day I try to either walk, do 20 minutes of yoga or Tai Chi as well as a few toning exercises.

I used to be truly faithful to exercise every single day. I need to get back to that.

I accomplished nearly everything I set out to do today.

The house is clean EXCEPT for the kitchen and den - which I will do tomorrow.

Keeping all the lights lit is a bit of a challenge.

I strung up a 50 count strand here in the living room to replace one that burned out.

After Christmas I will need to buy MORE lights than I did last year.

I only have one 50 count strand left and no 100 count.

I recently renewed my contract with our electric company and it showed a pie graph of how much energy we use and what we use it for.

Only 4% was for lighting.

Much was for cooling! 

Next came appliances.

I keep telling Louis Dean all my tiny lights pull less energy than some of his honking big ones!

I will bid you goodnight from the Chapman's!

It's early and Louis Dean wants to watch a TV program before we go to bed and read.

I bet he stretches it into two programs!