Saturday, October 14, 2017

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!



15 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

Your wreath is beautiful! Are those pumpkin cheerios I see? I love them! Your table is so beautiful! It is torture for me to decide what clothes to give to Goodwill! You are doing excellent! Your neighborhood looks so beautiful and manicured. And of course your lights are so beautiful! I wish I had some strung around here. But it would look awful, I do not have the talent for placing them like you do, wish I did.

Linda said...

I don’t think you need to worry about the expense of burning your little lights, burn all you want. In Texas it’s air-conditioning that eats dollars. I would use some tiny lights if I were talented like you. Today I did work on additional light sources in the living room/dining room. Winters here are often dreary so you need a lot of light inside. In lamps I use only to make the room more cheerful I put those awful curly LED bulbs. I hate those things but they’re suppose to be cheaper to operate. I also tuck some indirect fluorescent lighting around. I think I may be the only Texan that loves Oregon’s dreary rainy days.

Linda said...

One more thing, eating at the table is highly overrated! I’m with LD on that one. Nothing beats the comfort of a recliner for eating.

Kathy said...

Most of the time we eat at the kitchen table, but if there is something we want to see on TV we eat in the living room off of TV trays. We used to do that a lot but lately have decided that a good conversation is better than a TV show.

I also had a stay-at-home Saturday but you got a lot more accomplished than I did.

Wanda said...

You inspired me in your last post, so this afternoon I filled two bags for Goodwill. One of clothes, and one of shoes. Put my summer clothes away, and amazingly have so much more room in my closet. Thanks Linda....!!!

We don't eat at the table very often. Mostly on the balcony or in the TV room.

Have a blessed Sunday. Hugs.

Bluebird49 said...

We always ate at our table until hubby wanted a tray in front of TV for football. Then in there whether football or not. When our son was 12, his dad let him do the same. I ate at the table with our daughter until she got an apartment at 19. After she left, I joined my menfolk in front of the TV, but I've always love sitting around the table with our families. Never do I ever remember not eating at Mama's table nor my in-laws'! I miss that. You can not talk about everyone's day scattered here and yonder...nor above television noise!

We believe in tithing, too. I've heard the "We just can't afford it!" spiels. I think one will see they'll still have plenty---or even more --- after trying it 6 months or so! No, it's not a commandment, it's love for our Father. (It all comes from Him, after all.)
Enjoy your Sunday!
xoxos!

BeachGypsy said...

we dont have "Fall" yet either. Sometimes we never do. It's been so hot here this week, but we still walked. More like melted! ha ha LOL What is frost? LOL LOL LOL

MadSnapper said...

our power bill is all AC, since April the AC has been on and that has never happened in 33 years. our bill has been the highest ever each month. that is scary about the pills, so glad he was ok. wish we had a second home in the 'country' to go to when we want to.

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

It was fun to hear about your day. Maybe LD needs one of those daily pill boxes and only takes what's preloaded into it. That's scary about him taking two!

We are slow getting our fall color here too. We've had warmer weather than usual.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I love all your lights and it's true they don't take much electricity at all to burn. I have several battery operated candles that come on each evening here and even they add a cozy glow to the house. We all got to let our light shine! Hope you have a happy Sunday !

Susie said...

Linda, I am so glad you knew what to do for LD. That is scary. Even though you woke up with nothing to do...your day was full. I like those twinkle lights. I have been thinking that maybe the twinkle lights would make me feel happier come winter, when it's gloomy. Those dreary cloudy days can make me sad. I am a whole lotta libs over what I want to be. I am ashamed of myself. I used to stay on top of my weight better. If I could walk and run like I want ...it would surely help. I think people can be 20 pounds over weight in their old age...cause if you get sick it's a cushion . LOL. The first thing people say if someone is sick...did you see how very thin he or she is? :):)
Take care in the heat . Make sure LD stays hydrated. Love you guys, Blessings, xoxo, Susie

NanaDiana said...

Linda, That is kind of scary when you realize you have taken a double dose of something like that. I have done that int he past with an anti-inflammatory pill and it makes me dizzy and lightheaded, too.

I like to eat at the table, too and we don't do much of that anymore since John's cancer because he doesn't really eat meals anymore.

Hope you have a wonderful, living room full of light, kind of evening. xo Diana

Carole said...

Linda, I totally agree that eating at the table is the way to go - we do this almost 100% of the time. I think you notice what you are eating that way. But I confess that we do have a tv we can watch while we're eating and cooking. Cheers

Hootin Anni said...

The only time we eat at a table is holidays! Most times it's Tv trays. What I do for my meds so I know I've taken them is to turn the Rx bottle upside down...then turn them right side up at night just before bed to start over the next morning.

Debbie said...

another "slow" day!! hehehehe

i LOVE the texas sage....and i remember all those boxes of lights you bought - i can't believe you have used them all. if i remember correctly, the boxes were red and you pictured them in your trunk????