Monthly Archives: July 2013

Journal Time…July 18-24

Lake fun July 7th 2013 049
(Taken at Milford Lake close to our current home.)

July 18
Question? What are the ingredients for a perfect day?
Year 2012
Positive thoughts. Sunshine. Happy mood. Good self esteem. Full tummy. Pepsi. Someone to socialize with.

Year 2013
Sunshine. Family. Friends. Chocolate. Pepsi. Water. Warm. Laughs. Fun.

I like how sunshine and Pepsi stays on the list! 🙂

July 19
Question? What do you need to throw away?
Year 2012
Negative thoughts. Bad memories. Clutter in the brain as well as the home. Bad debts.

Year 2013
I need to go through all my storage boxes and throw out stuff I shouldn’t keep hanging onto. A bit of a hoarder.

I can tell I am in a happier place this year compared to last. It was about emotions before.

July 20
Question? Does anything hurt today?
Year 2012
Yes, tremendously. All my dad’s friends are here for his burial. I miss him. Hate that he had to suffer.

Year 2013
Nope. It’s been a good year so far. I am also being more positive. No room for negatives.

It has definitely been a better year.

July 21
Question? Who was the last person to make you angry?
Year 2012
Myself. I put off too many things. It comes back to bite me.

Year 2013
Not one person but a whole group, the Media. I hate when they glorify the ugly and try to make something to be what it is not. I couldn’t be a reporter. Once upon a time I wanted to be one.

I am more at peace with myself this year. Not as much putting off of stuff. Glad to be back writing and reading.

July 22
Question? Where do you go for good ideas?
Year 2012
All around. Read. Observe. Learn from bad ideas. Trial and error.

Year 2013
Internet. Books. TV. Observe people in public. Family. Friends. It is endless.

There are so many options for this.
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(Pancakes I made. It never makes as many as the box says.)
July 23
Question? What was the last thing you baked or cooked?
Year 2012
Haven’t baked much been too hot of a summer. Been depressed also. Mac and cheese. Boys love it and hubby.

Year 2013
I made pancakes for the family on Sunday. Yum. Sausage too. Haven’t baked goodies cause its summer time.

My mood really plays a role in my cooking.

July 24
Question? What’s in your fridge?
Year 2012
Lots of condiments, eggs, milk, leftovers, cheese, orange juice, lunchmeat, cream cheese, coke, beer.

Year 2013
Grapes, cheese, lunchmeat, eggs, lettuce, apples, pickles, beer, pop, ketchup, mayo, mustard, dressings, cream cheese.

A few more healthy things, but basically the same. 🙂 Creature of habit.

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Mini Vacation…being roughnecks!

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Our family vacation was camping by Lemmon, South Dakota! A 771 mile trip and 12 hour drive for two days of camping! Call us crazy, but we did it. We went to go spend some time with my hubby’s sister who lives there. We were not completely crazy. 🙂

We actually broke the trip up into two days travel going. We drove to our home in Oberlin which is about a four-hour drive and stayed the night. The next day we got up early and began the trip north with hubby’s brother and fiancé, who is also my good friend. They took along their two grandkids. Our oldest two kids were not able to go which was a bummer but camping was never their favorite thing to do anyway. This was only the second time the two youngest boys had been camping.

Brother-in-law brought his boat and kayaks along which made the trip even more fun. It is a very beautiful lake! I did love the green landscaping all through South Dakota even if it was pretty bare of towns and trees on the west side of the state. I saw lots of other interesting tourist sites that are being added to my traveling list. 🙂

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We had three nights of sleeping in the tents and of course it rained three of those nights as well. Luckily, our tent did not leak! Yay! It would clear up the next day into a beautiful sunny day! We had a great time on the lake with hubby’s family. We had tons of hamburgers and hot dogs, I don’t think I want any for a few weeks. LOL.

The boys were able to play with cousins and be fishes all day long. We now have nice tans! Our youngest fished and at first was catching all kinds of fish, but too small to keep. My hubby finally caught a walleye fish that we gave to his sister. 😉

Our campground was really nice with trees everywhere! Thankfully a normal bathroom with showers was in walking distance! I just don’t like those outhouses. I will use them but will definitely walk a bit further to use the normal ones. It was funny to see all the fancy campers instead of the tents. We were a rare breed with tents. It’s no wonder they stared when they drove by. 🙂 We did go in style with air mattresses! A must have!

Our ride home was a much longer day. We did the whole 771 miles in one day to get home in time for work the next day. It was a great trip with lots of laughs and good times with the family. I would do it all over again. The boys got out and learned lots about the outdoors and was away from electronics! A much needed family time! Good memories! I can’t wait for the next one!

Vacation 2013 048 (the last campfire our son Adric took our picture. I love my hubby’s face!)

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Journal Time…July 11-17

Question? If you were a literary character, who would you be?
Year 2012
I would like to be Nancy Drew. I would live to solve mysteries. Be exciting. Not boring.
Year 2013
Nancy Drew still. Adventure, mystery, and fun.

Question? ______ is perfect?
Year 2012
My immediate family. We love each other even if we don’t always show it. We have fun and we will be there for each other.
Year 2013
Ice cream! It can make a bad day good. Yum and refreshing. Love going for ice cream with the family.

ice-cream-sss-ice-cream-23645836-1024-768 (Bing image)

Question? What are you sentimental about?
Year 2012
Things people give me and stuff the kids make for me. Photos. Letters. Emails.
Year 2013
Letters, photos, gifts, and time spent together. Miss the big family get togethers.

Question? Do you have a secret? More than one?
Year 2012
Nope, not good to keep. Someone always know about them. There is no secret.
Year 2013
Nope. My hubby knows everything. 🙂

Question? What is your heroic downfall? Your Achilles’ heel?
Year 2012
I find good in everyone so the bad ones tend to treat me bad without learning to not trust them. I speak before I should.
Year 2013
Trusting to soon. Friends tend to walk on me.

Question? Are you wearing socks?
Year 2012
Yes, I am a tennis shoe kind of person. Rarely wear sandals and hate flip flops cause of the toe thing, bothers me.
Year 2013
Nope. Inside right now.

socks (Bing image)

Question? How can you help?
Year 2012
I try to spread positive thoughts. There is too much negative in the world. Too much talk about the wrong.
Year 2013
Be a good parent and raise good kids. Help others when I can. Be positive.

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Our Very Old House

This is the beginning of what will be our new bathroom at our house in my hometown. The last of the dirty slat wood! Yes, it is a very OLD house. Actually, it was two buildings that were put together way back when and made into a house. It looks to have been a second hand store at one time.

This is what we found when we took the siding off to put new on. We have asked around but no one remembers it. It might just be that long ago. Interesting.

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Back to the bathroom, the history of the bathroom has had many occupants before now.
First moved in:
Oldest son’s room (he was a toddler and didn’t sleep in it much) 🙂
An office
The daughter had it as her bedroom for years.
The two youngest boys shared it for awhile.
My dad’s room for about six months.
Lastly, a computer and art room.

It’s final purpose will be our wonderful big bathroom. I bet it takes a good year to get done. I am just glad we don’t have to live in it while we are working on it like all the other remodels. A short weekend will be just enough time and then high tail it out of there back to where we currently live. It has definitely been an interesting challenge. Hubby and I call it “An Adventure”! 🙂

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5 Yr Journal – July 4-10

July 4
Question? ______ is funny.
Year 2012
Grocery shoppers, they stock up on a lot of junk food and a lot of alcohol, but it is fun.
Year 2013
My boys are funny. They come up with the craziest things. It was a fun trip to Oberlin.

July 5
Question? What is your motto?
Year 2012
Try to be nice and not judge others. Try to forgive those that hurt me. Try not to gossip.
Year 2013
Just be me and not what others want me to be. Smile. Be positive as much as possible.

July 6
Question? Who is your best friend?
Year 2012
My husband. He is the one who encourages me to be my best and to shoot for my dreams. Really no close girl friendships.
Year 2013
My husband. Always making me laugh and smile. We like a lot of the same things.

July 7
Question? What’s the next book you want to read?
Year 2012
Reading the V.C. Andrews series from start to current. Love her books. Have almost all of them.
Year 2013
My new found blogger friend and author, Maddie Cochere, her 2nd book Big Apple Hunter. Love the first book!

July 8
Question? What do you have to lose?
Year 2012
Nothing, if I play smart and use my head. Treat others nicely, even if they don’t me. Karma will win.
Year 2013
I hope nothing. I have lost a lot in the past. I think I have learned. Not a lot of close family left to lose.

July 9
Question? Today was delightful because _____
Year 2012
It is getting closer to when hubby and daughter are coming home from overseas!
Year 2013
The boys and I just chilled today. I finished reading a book. Hubby was home and we watched TV. He made me a tuna melt. YUM.

July 10
Question? When was the last time you spoke to your parents?
Year 2012
My dad in 2009, he is now passed on. My mom a few weeks ago when my dad died. We text though a lot.
Year 2013
Dad passed a year ago. It has been a few months since talking to mom. They didn’t raise me.
Lake fun July 7th 2013 049

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365 Questions 5 Years 1,825 Answers…Journal Away

I don’t know why I didn’t think of this when I began this blog, but now a bright light has went off in my head. Unbelievable uh. 🙂 I bought a neat 5 Year Journal last year that asks question everyday of the year for 5 years. It is neat now to see what I wrote last year compared to this year. I have to admit I didn’t always remember to write on that day last year. I sometimes had to go back and remember or think of something. I will try harder to remember this next half of a year. Wow, half the year is gone already.

Of course, I won’t do it everyday and blog down your emails or screen but maybe keep with my weekly blog.

I bought it thinking it might give me some writing material. I was thinking more of for my novels but hey this works. It is like having a daily prompt!

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Begin with July 1st:
Question: Water, Ice, or steam?
Response year 2012: Water, good to drink, good to play in. Need it for everything.
Year 2013: Water still! If I ever get to the lake or pool! 🙂 I’m drinking way more water this year! Feel a lot better! Now live where it rains more!

July 2nd:
Question: Today you cancelled…….
Response year 2012: My thoughts, don’t want to think right now.
Year 2013: Facebook. I made myself stay off so I could edit my novel#1. One more chapter and partial of another! 🙂

July 3rd:
Question: What was the last beach you went to?
Response year 2012: Too long ago. I don’t remember. Haven’t made the pool or lake once this year. Bummer.
Year 2013: Milford Lake in early May. Terrible I haven’t been back yet. 4 miles away. Makes me sad. Lazy? Fatness? Heat? Who knows why. 😦

If you would like to play along, answer the questions in the comments. 🙂 Look forward to hearing them. Have a Happy 4th of July everyone!

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