Sweet Potators

Spring is on it's way!

As I sit here on this lovely Wednesday, 11:15 in the morning, eating Homestyle popcorn (isn't popcorn just the best! such a cheery food!) lots of happy thoughts are rushing through my head... if I count, there are about 8 things on my mind every three seconds. Does that even make sense? Probly not. Oh well.  It does to me right now.  But I am, however, worried about tomorrow when I'll have no clue what the heck I was talking about. Recently I've gotten into Duck Dynasty... and boy do I love to watch... especially the wives!  I love the wives!  One of the things I love is that this family eats dinner together.... a lot!  It's awesome to see them lining both sides of this mega long, king-sized table... I'm sure sometimes it's for theatrics, but it's based on the fact that meals together have always been very important to them.  I also love the prayers the patriarch of the family offers... they're usually two lines long... but totally heartfelt.  ...

Louisiana, Alabama or NW Florida... like Pensacola... no desire to be anywhere near Miami.

I am actually up waiting for my cat to come home. Really. It's not as if I haven't been doing this for the last 10 years.... but I thought I was just about through with it.... And now I have to do it for a cat. I let her out thinking she'd come right back (since it's raining), and now she's nowhere to be found. *sigh* So anyway, while I wait, I'll post something. I've had several doctors appts for my heart lately. Today I had an ultrasound. When the tech starting looking at it she said right off (and maybe they do this with everyone for encouragement) "you have a great heart.... looks really strong!" I have to say, even if she was just saying that to make me feel good, it totally did the trick!  The ultrasound took like 45 minutes and the room was dark and quiet... so while she did a lot of looking, I did a lot of thinking.  These weren't new thoughts... more like REnewed thoughts.  Like, how grateful I am for a strong body....

A few days ago I came across this painting (don't know who the artist is) with a poem by 'author unknown'.... I knew this would be my Valentine present to Ally.... as Maddy still comes up at least once a day.  We still miss her so much! I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep. I could see that you were crying, you found it hard to sleep. I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear, "It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here." I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea, You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me. I was with you at the shops today, your arms were getting sore. I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more. I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care. I want to re-assure you, that I'm not lying there. I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key. I gently put my paw on you, I smiled an...

I LOVE Valentines Day! Like, BIGtime love it!! And for me it's not about romance.... at all.  Of course it is in some ways, but for the most part I think it's a day for letting others know you love them.  It's about heart-shaped waffles for breakfast, heart-attacked doors, dangling from long ribbons the large wooden hearts I had each of my family members paint when my kids were younger, delivering heart-shaped, pink frosted sugar cookies, fondue for dinner, hanging my red rose heart wreath on the front door (though I didn't get to it this year :-(( ).... so many things.  And hey, it's only noon and we've already gotten Valentines from three people and none were about oohlala love. A friend (and I got her permission) who lives down the street posted this on fb yesterday... and it couldn't illustrate my point above any better... February 12 So I just need to share…..today while I was in for treatment (#4 of 12 btw!) there was a young mother with her 3...

But in all actuality, it's often times my phone that puts me TO sleep...

You can buy this cute print and lots of other fun art by Stephanie Ryan on etsy:   https://www.etsy.com/shop/stephanieryanart

Or to love so deeply only to see it end? One of my favorite woman in the whole world is dying of cancer.  She was one of my young woman leaders when I was growing up, I babysat her children while she and her husband traveled, she was an amazing support while I was preparing for and on my mission, she had my big bridal shower for me when I got married.  And then, she NEVER gets on fb, but on my birthday this past month while she was very sick in the hospital from starting chemo, she posted the sweetest message to me. Last night one of her daughters posted a photo of her surrounded by all her grandchildren and a reply by another of my young woman leaders, and one of her dearest friends, really hit home as to some of the things I've been thinking about the past few weeks. "This is the sweetest picture and this is Heavenly Father's plan, love, risk, pain, love. All entwined. When you love someone so much you risk losing them temporarily and that causes great pain because...

"The practice of sport is a human right.  Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which require mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."  -Olympic Charter (from the google homepage^^) And I'm so excited for them to start! Wearing my USA Roots Olympic beret, and instead of cooking something Russian (I usually make something that has to do with where the Olympics are being hosted), I went with some all-American kind of food.  I really wasn't in the mood for borscht, I don't drink Vodka... and I felt like hamburgers, cream soda and apple pie anyway. It's been a 'snow day' here in winter wonderland and the kids got out of school.  So, it's the perfect night to snuggle up in front of the telly and ooh and ahh and cheer on the USA.... YAY! Let the games begin!

As a warning, I can tell before I even start this post that it's going to be a rambler.... and it might take me a few days to make much sense of it.  Though I've already been trying to understand these feelings and put them into words for quite some time. Anyway. Lately I've been thinking a lot about why we bump into each other during this journey on earth.  There's lots of ways you could describe how the relationships we've made or formed have come together.  Some are made by merely a pass in the night... or the afternoon.  Some by complete collision.  Some we just sort of bump into, spin around, bump again and so on.  Some are a tangle.... and we wouldn't know where to even start the unwinding to make sense of it all.  Some are a complete joining of the heart and difficult to comprehend where they begin and where they end, and if they even do. And are they meant to be... all of them? Or are some forged or even forced and we work on them u...

My cute friend made these for our ward Relief Society quilting bee... And then, because I'm lucky enough to know her and I loaned her my pans, she brought me one of these...