Summer is off to a great start..........

We are having a garage sale on Saturday. I can't wait to get rid of stuff. I share a home with a husband, two daughters and a grand baby. We live in 1400 square feet. I love living in a small home because you really need to think about what you fill it with. Do I really need that magazine? Will those cotton balls fit in the drawer in the bathroom? I already have five pair of shoes--do I really need a sixth pair? I remember a few years ago at a church luncheon speaking to a woman who had just retired and she announced to the table that she was moving now that she had retired. I thought for a moment before speaking and I said, "Oh you are downsizing?" She said, "No, I'm moving to a bigger house." I asked, "Why?." She said, "So my grandchildren can visit." I asked, "Do they live in town?" She said, "No, Minnesota." What the heck? Pay more taxes, utilities, maintenance for a twice a year visit. Yikes. I responded rather abruptly and stunned the table by saying "Have them stay at the hotel down the road." I wished I could recant---oops. I think of that day quite often because it has made me realize that every one thinks differently. I still love my little house and I can't wait to get rid of 200 books. Maybe the next time I'm at the store, I'll buy that magazine.

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My favorite holiday is almost here!

While watching the Food Network station this weekend, I decided to try a new recipe for cranberry sauce. The link is

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/cinnamon-apple-cranberry-sauce-recipe/index.html
It sounds great!

Working outside

Wouldn't it be fun to work outside at least two hours a day? Can you imagine how great your yard would look? The advantages are huge, fresh air, vitamin D conversion, building immunities and digging in the dirt for frustration therapy. I do believe that ALL elementary schools should have a required gardening education. How can we get that going on?

On Reading

I have always been an avid reader. When I was a child I read under the sheets with a flashlight. I considered myself a slow reader because I just couldn't get through a book fast enough. In high school I was in a college level English class, we read a novel every two weeks. I told my teacher "We have lives you know." She snapped back, "You'll have a better life if you can get through my book list." I hated her for the torture she put us through. Some of us cried, pulled all nighters and wrote papers like we had nothing better to do. To make matters worse, we had a foreign exchange student from Japan that year and she learned to read, write and speak English the summer before she took Mrs Lipski's class. She was the top student, I was the second to the top. I always tried to out do her, but Mrs. Lipski would always announce the best and then say Lisa had the second highest grade. One day I cornered the super smart girl from Japan and I said, "Why do you have a need to out do us?" She said, "I have this opportunity, I am trying so hard to do my best." Well, you can't argue with that. Years later I saw Mrs. Lipski at Winns, wow Winns-remember that 5 and dime store? I saw her from a distance and I slowly walked up to her, all the while thinking of what I would say, and I said, "Hello Mrs. Lipski, I had you my senior year for English, I saw you and I wanted to thank you for making us read your book list. I am so glad that you put me through such a hard time in your class. It paid off. Thanks. She said, "Lisa, I will never forget you in my class, you were the only student I ever had that argued with me about things that didn't even need an argument. We both laughed and said good-bye. My life is better because of that book list. I smiled the whole day.

Our Garden

The year is almost over.....my doesn't the time go by fast. In January I prepared the soil for my planting venture. I planted tomatoes, mint, every pepper you can think of. During the summer we had tomatoes and mint---nothing else. Then when we got the late rains our garden exploded. We have so many peppers I am walking around like a homeless woman with a brown paper bag. I am giving and giving by the handfuls. Then a friend came over the other day and gave us some squash and basil. We were so shocked, he also gave us a handful of peppers.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It doesn't get loud attention. The decorations are minimal and no one fights in the aisles or complains about what to get Aunt Susan. Thanksgiving is about making good food, talking to family and spending time together. If it is a beautiful day, it is spent taking a walk either before or after the feast. Clean up is not always bad if you use the clean as you go philosophy. I love Thanksgiving. Why do we have it only once a year? I think it should be quarterly.