#blogging – Page 13 – Cookies & Moo

Making A Plan

Published on March 18, 2018 by Wanda2 Comments

Daily Prompt: Patience, Incubate, Wrinkle

How do you come up with a good plan? Well, I think that you need to have patience, utilize the principle of incubation, and smooth out the wrinkles in your ideas.

Here’s what I mean. To devise a good plan your thoughts cannot be rushed. It takes time to sift through all of your options and do some research. If these options are not considered, your plan may not be successful.

As you are considering these options, you have to ponder their value. Hence incubation. These ideas have to be twisted and turned in your mind so that you do not miss any important information. They sort of simmer there for a bit.

As for the wrinkles, well these are the thoughts that cause some doubt or they present an obstacle to your plan. With the right information, we can determine the best course of action.

Now, that is not to say that we still cannot come up with an unsuccessful plan. But, if we make our decisions with the best information we have, and for the right reasons, our plan is not faulty. Rather, the information available to us was incomplete.

It is important to note that our life experiences, education, cultural experiences, and geographic location affect the information that is readily available to us. When I was a young mother, I did not have the experience to make all the right decisions about my daughter. By the time the next one came along, ten years later, I was much better equipped to raise him. My oldest constantly tells her brother and sister that she broke me in for them. There is a lot of truth to that statement.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Published on March 17, 2018 by Wanda3 Comments

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all the Irish. Let’s face it everyone is Irish on March 17th. Any big plans to celebrate? Back in Pennsylvania, I would go to the parade our community had. Then most years went to a St. Paddy’s Day party usually at one of the local churches. There was a big group of friends who went together. It was a lot of fun. Of course corned beef and cabbage were on the menu and lots of green beer. And a multitude of green dyed desserts. We would have a grand time dancing and laughing with friends. Good times, good memories.

This has been a quiet week. Last weekend I was away with my daughter and granddaughter for Alannah’s dance competition. She did very well both in her solo and her group dances. She competed in five dances. Clogging group and solo, hip-hop, jazz, and tap.

We stayed in a new hotel close to the college. My only complaint about the long weekend was there was no place to get a decent meal. Everything was fast food. Not being familiar with the area, we were reluctant to drive too far to search for restaurants. Google was no help either. Daylight Savings Time hit too. It really messed with our timing on Sunday. There was a lot of confusion for sure.

Last week I was visiting a friend in Cary. We had a great time sewing together. This time we mostly worked on hand sewing. I did put a quilt top together while I was there. I have it in line to be quilted this week. I got home just in time to leave for the dance competition.

I got home Monday afternoon. I had left my car at my daughter’s house and when I got back the battery had died. Triple-A came out and jumped the battery and it’s been fine since.

I haven’t done much all week. It took me a day or two to recuperate from the weekend. Each year the recuperation time increases. 🙂 I guess that’s to be expected. I did a short run to the food store. Made some delicious chicken stew. I posted on my blog. Saw a little basketball. I got back to reading the book I started a while ago.

I skipped quilting this week. I was told I missed a wonderful show and tell. That’s one of the best parts of the meeting. Getting to see the beautiful work from all the members.

One of our guild’s outreach projects is making hats for the newborn nursery at our local hospital. I took my yarn and needles with me and have completed 28 baby hats. I am trying to crochet one every night while I sit in front of the TV. They don’t take long to make.

I hope ya’ll have a good week.

Wanda

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Published on March 17, 2018 by Wanda4 Comments

Linda G. Hill’s prompt for #SoCS March 17, 2018: green

I love where I live. I live in a clearing in the middle of the woods. It’s quiet back here and there is a lot of wildlife. I often see bear tracks on my property. I even had an alligator in a small pond once. It wasn’t a big one, but still an alligator! Of course, there are deer, rabbits, squirrels, red foxes, coyotes, anoles, and raptors that fly around all the time. I have to be careful because one could easily swoop down and pick up my little Gracie.

Gracie is my little 12-pound Cairn Terrier mix. She’s a sweetheart and so much company for me. So when she goes out into the yard, (woods) I have to check on her often.

One of my favorite critters are the tree frogs. I love the noise they make singing to each other. At night they gather around my porch light by my front door to feed off the bugs. I get the biggest kick out of seeing them on the storm door and on the wall of the house. They just sit there getting fat. They don’t even move when I get close. They are always kind enough to stay still so I can take photos of them.

Last fall, there were a ton of baby frogs. Around the light that is on the wall by my door, there is a small ledge about a half inch wide. There were five baby frogs in a row sitting DSCF4676 on it. Too cute.

I almost think of the frogs as pets. I check on them each evening. They just make me happy. I don’t particularly like to hold them or anything, just like to look at them.

Here is a picture of the first frog that has come to the house this year. I always get excited when I start to see the tree frogs. It means winter is over and spring is on the way.

The color green always reminds me of Kermit the Frog and his famous song It’s Not Easy Being Green. You remember the Muppets right? Kermit was lamenting about blending in with so many ordinary things. I always thought it was cute. Maybe that’s why I love the tree frogs so much. 🙂

Friendly Fill-Ins Week 97

Published on March 16, 2018 by Wanda3 Comments

FFBadge

Here are my fill-ins for Week 97: March 16, 2018.

1. When I am nervous, I eat whatever kind of junk food I can find.

2. When I am angry, I cry, yell and usually walk away from whatever makes me angry.

3. Today, I know for sure that I am just where I am supposed to be.

4. For St. Patrick’s day, I used to go out to celebrate. This year I will stay home and have corned beef and cabbage for supper.

Harry & Joe

Published on March 15, 2018March 15, 2018 by Wanda3 Comments

Three Line Tales, Week 111

three line tales week 111: two puffins ; ireland st patrick's day

photo by Wynand van Poortvliet via Unsplash

Hey Harry, where ya been all winter? Oh hey Joe, I’ve been sunning myself in the Caribbean. How about you? I have been sitting right here waiting for spring. It’s finally here, ain’t it grand? Sure is. Just look at all the colors.

Spring

Published on March 15, 2018 by Wanda2 Comments

Daily Prompt: Provoke

I love spring. I love seeing all of the plant life wake up after their long sleepy winter. When I see the leaves bud on the trees and the daffodils popping through the ground they provoke memories of my childhood.

The spring brought with it daylight savings time so I could play outside after dinner. All of us kids in the neighborhood would play hide and seek until it was time for bath and bed. We usually fell asleep right away from all of the running around and fresh air.

Spring also brought Easter one of my favorite holidays. We went to Mass in the morning, meeting my aunt and uncle and cousins, then to my grandmother’s for brunch. My dad did the cooking for everyone. Then my dad and uncle would take all of us kids to the cemetery to put flowers on my grandfather’s grave. My mother, grandmother, and aunt would stay home saying they had to clean up after brunch. When we got back, there was an Easter egg hunt. What fun. I loved those family days.

When I got married and had a family, the Easter celebration moved to my home. My kids got to have the same kind of memories that I have from my childhood. It warms my heart when my three kids are together and they start talking about the family times from when they were young.

I sigh as I look out my window, I see the grass turning green, the forsythia is blooming and the sun is brightly shining in the most beautiful Carolina Blue sky.

Noise

Published on March 14, 2018 by WandaLeave a comment

Daily Prompt: Noise

Sally just wanted peace and quiet. She had worked all week, ran the kids around after supper, did laundry, cooked and cleaned. What a week! All she wanted to do was sit and relax today.

It had been years since she had to do so much all by herself. Jeff had had to go out of town for work leaving her to fend for herself. Having a family was certainly joyous, but right now she was exhausted.

Sally’s mom had taken the kids for the day. Finally peace and quiet, Sally thought. As she made her cup of tea, she was thinking about the new book she had picked up and planned to just sit sipping tea and reading.

All settled in her favorite chair, Sally opened the book. Barely through the first chapter and her first cup of tea, there was this loud, hammering right outside the house. She jumped up to look into what was causing this noise. As she came around the corner of her house, she discovered her neighbor jackhammering his sidewalk.

Totally annoyed, she asked her neighbor what he was doing. Her neighbor told her he had a leak and needed to remove part of the sidewalk to repair it. Sally just shook her head and walked away.

Sally grabbed her car keys, her book, walked out of the house, got in her car and drove away. She could not remember a time when she needed some quiet time more. Where could she go? Where could she find some quiet? It was too cool out to sit in the park. The library was closed. After driving around for a bit, she found herself at her mom’s house.

Walking into the house she called for the kids. They came running asking why she was there since she had said she needed peace and quiet. Sally explained to them that although they weren’t really quiet, the noise they made was music to her ears.