The Blessings of My Life

What brings you summer refreshment? A tall glass of ice cold lemonade? Or iced tea? A big slice of ice cold watermelon? A late afternoon dip in a cool pool? A giant sized slushy? Sipping mint juleps under the magnolia tree? Haha! 

All those things have brought me much needed refreshment on hot summer days from time to time except the mint julep. Is it weird to be a southerner who has never tried a mint julep? I do have a magnolia tree. Does that count? 

But those simply refresh in that they are relaxing and cooling because I tend to sit down quietly in the air conditioning to partake. Except for the pool, of course. It's just too stinking hot to enjoy the shade of the magnolia tree as you will pass out from the humidity before you walk the 20 feet. 

What I look for these days are the things that refresh my soul. The things that make my heart happy. The things that give me renewed energy. The blessings of my life.

• Visits from Nashville daughter and DrummerBoy
• daily texts messages from a cherished friend
• grandchildren
•  a sale in my Etsy shop
• a new creation
• visits from friends
• lunch out with friends
• doggie kisses
• someone who understands
• daughters who love each other and show it
• sweet memories of my childhood summers (lightning bugs, freeze tag, home churned ice cream...)

How do y'all refresh your souls in the summer time?

This post is linked to Five Minute Friday where we write for five minutes about the prompt without stopping.

The prompt this week is BLESSING.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles
and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! :)

Does Slow and Steady Win the Race?

Steady. The word makes me think solid, stable, safe. But it also makes me think regular, routine, boring. I suppose it depends on what you pair it with. For example, if I pair the word steady with things like a secure home, a dependable provider (whether it's me or someone else), an available partner, a full bank account, good health, and the like then I think solid, safe, stable, etc. However, if I pair steady with things such as chores, daily grind, meal prep, laundry, work, any obligatory act that has to be done daily or weekly I think more regular, routine, dull, boring, get-it-over-with.

But then I look at how those things are connected- being a dependable provider means working every day and having good health requires the right foods and a regular routine of some form of exercise. Why is it the dull, boring things make the stable, safe things possible? It's all in our perspective.

If we want safe, stable, and solid we're going to have to work for it and that's that. So, how do we do this with a more positive attitude? I thought about this and I recall a few things my grandmother did as she moved through her days in a positive way.

1. Sing. Yep, or hum, or put some music on. No matter what I'm doing music makes it better even if I already love the activity. My grandmother was always humming and singing as she made her way through her daily chores. She always sang hymns, all of which are still my favorites. 
2. Change the way you think about what you're doing and take your time doing it. Grandmother never dreaded doing the dishes or dusting the furniture because she thought of it more as being grateful to have dishes to wash and furniture to dust. My granddaddy owned the local dry cleaners and every Tuesday was the day he took their linens and such down to be laundered. Grandmother did not dread Tuesdays. She was grateful not to have to wash them herself. Grandmother never rushed through a task to get it over with. She took her time and did it right. 
3. Save your favorite things for later. Grandmother always got the chores completed first and saved going out and meetings (Garden Club and Circle) or watching her 'stories' for the afternoon. Maybe that's why it was so easy for her to sing her way through the chores. 
4. Don't wait for someone else to help you, just do what needs to be done. And don't judge them for not stepping in and helping. Grandmother did what needed to be done without the expectation that anyone else would either help her or do it for her. When I was there, I did help her and she appreciated it but never expected it. 
5. Don't waste your time on futile exploits. Everything had a purpose with Grandmother or it was a waste of time. Even sitting and visiting with a friend meant something important to her. 
6. Take that annual vacation. We all went to the beach for a week's vacation every summer. We stayed at the same beach house and had the most wonderful time every year. On the weekends, we might just ride up to the mountains for the day or a weekend. Regardless, Grandmother and Granddaddy took the time to get away and relax and they took us with them.
7. Pamper yourself. Grandmother's idea of pampering herself was having her hair done weekly. It was the one thing she did for herself and it made her feel good. They also went out to eat every Saturday night to the fish camp and took us with them. Such simple little things but they made such a difference.
8. Don't concern yourself with material things. Grandmother did not concern herself with material things but she did take care of what she had. Not that she didn't appreciate or have nice things but she would have been fine without them. Material possessions were not even close to her focus. She did take great care of what she had. Such care that they never had to replace anything until it was worn out.  
9. Take nothing for granted. Grandmother took nothing for granted. She appreciated everything she had, took care of her home and her family, and took time to spend with others. 
10. Reach out to others. Grandmother always took the time to lift up others and encourage them but she took no crap from anyone. She stuck up for herself but she'd stick up for you, too. She also stood up for what was right. She'd give you anything you needed without expectation of return and she'd always tell you how valuable you were as a person. No need to wonder when you were around Grandmother. 

Ok, my time ran out waaaaay back there somewhere before I started the list. Oops. I had no idea where the word, steady was going to take. Now, I do. Ha! 

This post is linked to Five Minute Friday where we write for five minutes about the prompt without stopping.

The prompt this week is STEADY.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles
and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! :)

We All Have Worth

How often do the words we speak and the actions we show devalue another person be it inadvertently or not? Human beings can do more lasting damage with our words than almost anything else at our disposal. We open our mouths and before we know it we've made someone feel useless. undesirable, unworthy of our time or effort, like less than human, like they have no meaning and bring nothing to this life.

It happens every day from the highest positions of power in our country to the everyday life of a small child. Many of us do not stop to think before we open our big fat mouths, do we? The simplest word can make someone else feel devalued. Sometimes it's on purpose, sometimes it's to make ourselves feel better or bigger, sometimes it's an accident. Does it really matter why? No, because once it's out there, you cannot take it back. The damage is done immediately and deeply and usually, it lasts a lifetime.

Making others feel unworthy can be done using our body language or tone of voice. I can some words that aren't damaging to someone but said with a nasty tone of voice, it becomes obvious the words are not truthful. The tone sinks the heart of the listener and trust becomes an issue.

What can we do to put forth a concerted effort not to make others feel unworthy? (STOP timer but I'm going on)

1. Be a student of others. Take the time to get to know the people in our lives. Just taking the time to do this makes them feel valued, wanted, worthy. 
2. Develop a heart of kindness. I know quite a few kind people and I have yet to hear an unkind, devaluing word uttered from their mouths.
3. Spend time with the people in your life. Let them know they are worthy of your time and effort. That they have someone on whom they can depend to listen and share and laugh and love. 
4. Keep a close watch on our mouths. When we take the time to know others around us we must be careful not to use what we know against them. 
5. Do not fall into the 'he said it to me so I'll say it to him' trap. If someone else chooses to try and devalue you, that does not mean you need to give it back to them. Rise above, y'all. Don't fight back and kill them with kindness are good ideas. 
6.  Don't sit back and watch someone devalue another person. Step in and step up. Coming to the defense of the one being devalued doesn't mean we have to stoop to a lower level. We can do it with determination and firmness and it will make a huge difference to the one being devalued. They will realize they do have worth. 
7. Don't believe your worth is dependent on the views of others. It really does not matter what others think. We are worthy, we have value on our own not because we are or do what someone else wants us to be or do (it has taken me three decades to realize this). If you are in a toxic relationship, get out. If you cannot find a way out, seek help.  
8. Do not make assumptions. Remember, we do not know the whole story and assuming we do can lead to all sorts of wrong words and actions. Don't assume everyone will ask for help. Some people do not feel worthy of help or are embarrassed to ask for it. 
9. Do not be afraid to ask if someone needs help. People have caused great harm to themselves because no one bothered to ask a simple question. 
10. Care more about others than we do about ourselves. Or at least care as much. It seems the people who care more about others than they do about themselves are surrounded by people who care equally about them. It's much more healthy to build one another up than to try and destroy their feelings of worth. 

Some of us live with people who devalue us for decades and survive. Others are not so lucky. Let's keep an eye out for these souls in an effort to reach out and offer help. 

This post is linked to Five Minute Friday where we write for five minutes about the prompt without stopping.

The prompt this week is WORTH.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles
and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! :)

Expectation Leads to Heartache

When we expect something to happen we believe it will happen. Then we attach other expectations to it such as how it should happen when it should happen, who should do it, how they should do it and if they don't we tend to let them know about it because we're disappointed in how they did it. Why? Because we believe they should do things the way we would do them. That's not cool, people.

Everyone is different. All of us. Our individual uniqueness is a wonderful thing. So why do we want others to do things our way and then get disappointed when they don't? It's ridiculous when you think about it. And I believe it is a control issue. And maybe a bit of arrogance that our way is the best not only for us but for everyone else as well.

Expecting certain behaviors and ways of carrying out tasks is going to lead us to disappointment which can present in behavior on our part that can change a relationship. I see this happen with empty nest mothers who expect their adult kids to text or call them every day or always respond or get upset if the kids forget to send a card on Mother's Day or birthdays. (STOP- that's my 5 minutes but I'm going on, of course...)

These moms go CRAZY and assume their kids are ungrateful or hate their parents. I've not heard a single one say their adult kids didn't think about it but contacted them later or must have been super busy or whatever. These moms go straight to the worse case scenario and assume the worst. Here's the thing, when you expect someone to do something chances are they are not going to do it. Nor should they. My mother loves greeting cards. She loves to send them and she loves to receive them. I find greeting cards a pain to look for and way too costly when you do find the perfect one. I rarely, if ever send a card and Mother does not understand this and gets disappointed. I'm not a card giver. I don't even think about going out and buying cards until Christmas rolls around. And let me say here that using our expectations to try and control what other people do IS NOT GOING TO WORK. It's that mom guilt that I try never to use and it's almost always based on expectations gone wrong. Which is something expectations will do a lot of the time.

It is not fair to put personal expectations on others regardless of the relationship. If you are a person who goes out of their way to please others (a people pleaser) do not assume the other person is or should be the same way. It doesn't work that way, y'all.

Most of the empty nest moms I come into contact with who are having a difficult time are doing so because their expectations are not being met. They have put the responsibility of their happiness and feelings of worth on their adult children and the adult kids are responding with a bit of rebellion. Frankly, I don't blame them. Sometimes, stepping back and giving people space will lead to surprising results. Besides, do they really want attention because they've demanded it? I would much rather have my girls around and have communication with them because they want to not because I demand it or expect it. And guess what? That's exactly what I have. The girls are not pressured into a grown up relationship with me. We simply have one. I suppose I do have expectations of them, though. I expect them to be the best people they can be. I don't expect them to feel responsible for my happiness and I do not understand people who do have this expectation.

No one likes to do something because someone expects them to do it. We like to do things for people because we want to do it and we don't really feel like doing something when there is pressure to carry it out. Doing things for others really should come from the heart, not from expectations.

Bottom line, putting expectations on others is unfair. Especially when you assume they will do what you want when you haven't bothered to communicate your wishes to them. Even if you have told them exactly what you want/like do not follow that with the expectation that they will do it. We are all individuals and do things our own way. You do it your way, they do it their way and neither is wrong unless an expectation rears its ugly head.

I have found not having expectations to be liberating.



This post is linked to Five Minute Friday where we write for five minutes about the prompt without stopping.

The prompt this week is EXPECT.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles
and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! :)

Sadly, I Don't Need Shades

These days the future doesn't seem much more than bleak. Every morning I turn on the news looking for hope and all I get is disappointment, embarrassment, fear, and deep sadness. I need to stop turning on the news. After all, if I don't hear it it isn't happening, right? Ha! I wish. What I probably need to do is stop hoping for anything less on a national front and just stick close to home. With that in mind, I see a much brighter, happier future. But I also see a great number of people who are either talking without acting or acting but not long enough to make a difference. Important issues go unanswered and are left to die down. Why do we let them die down? Do they become less important? Do we allow our daily busy get in the way? Do we give up too soon? Whatever the reason it seems the powers that be know this about us and they sit and wait patiently. Like predators.

When I say I need to stick close to home to see a brighter future, I mean right here at home because the issues in our area, much like the national level, need to not only be addressed but changes need to be made at the elitist level and I don't think there are enough motivated peons to secure us a bright future. What is it that shuts people down? How do we lose our compassion? How do we sit and just let 'them' do things we know in our hearts are wrong?

So, what gives me hope for a brighter future here at home? This kid right here:

Perhaps it will be her generation that grows up and makes that difference in the world that is just and good. Maybe her generation will be fair and honest. Maybe their compassion will stay strong all their days. Maybe they will have the key to standing up to elitist leaders and make those much needed world changes.

This post is linked to Five Minute Friday where we write for five minutes about the prompt without stopping.

The prompt this week is FUTURE.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles
and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! :)

Those Little Visits

Since I quit teaching this year to stay home and keep my granddaughter, I find that visits from friends are the most wonderful things in my little world. I have a friend who faithfully visits me on Thursday afternoons and I seriously doubt I'd make it through the week without her visits. I a few other friends with whom I visit every chance we get which isn't very often because of their work schedules and life in general but all visits from friends are treasured no matter how long or short or frequency. I also visit with a friend every morning via text message and I am sure those little visits get me through my days as well. I also visit with my dad via text messages and phone calls daily and visit the same way with Nashville daughter and there are the texts and pop in visits from teacher daughter. And I don't dare leave out those blogging friends whose visits I cherish as well.

Visits do not have to be in person. In my mind reaching out and connecting is a visit. The whole purpose of a visit, for me, is the connection regardless of how or how long. I find a bit of rejuvenation in these visits. I am energized and don a smile. The connections I make with friends and family are vital to my daily life. I honestly don't know how I would get through each day without these connections and I know these visits are not by chance. Just as these people are not put in my path by chance.

I feel quite fortunate to have such wonderful, caring, supportive, and encouraging people in my life. Yes, I can actually list these people. They are incredibly important to me. Our visits bring us closer and closer together as we learn more about one another and love each other anyway. 😉  Sharing laughter, dreams, hopes, fears, life through visits with each of these people is one of the dearest and most cherished blessings in my life and I am indeed deeply grateful for each of them.



This post is linked to Five Minute Friday where we write for five minutes about the prompt without stopping.

The prompt this week is VISIT.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles
and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! :)

The Truth of the Matter

Whose truth is it? Have you ever heard someone repeat a truth, but they share it wrong? Was it wrong? Or is there perception simply different from yours? When someone shares a truth belonging to someone else, was it their's to tell? Whose truth is it?

Some of our truths are shared but I find that I have many of my own truths that are not shared by others. For example, there are some pieces of art in which I see beauty but others see as just a painting. Many see beauty in the art of Picasso. I have yet to find one bit of beauty in his works. My truth is, he was weird. And so are his paintings. It's the same way with poetry, music, dance. I can see truth in all forms of art. There is way more truth in art than there will ever be in people. Which is odd to me considering the fact that people are the ones who create art.

When sharing our truths with others, some find it easy to do. I do not. One thing I hate is being judged and people will certainly judge you based on your truths. Especially when they know nothing of you or your situation or your truth. Many will not listen or decide they know everything about you when they hear that your truth does not align with theirs. Unless you say something as simple as 'all living things die at some point' there may very well be some judging and assumptions being made about the way you believe the world to be. (OK, my 5 minutes were up somewhere in this paragraph but I'm going to keep on keepin' on...)

There are those who feel that partial truths are sufficient. I prefer whole truths. Some see the world in such a distorted view their truths sound more like a science fiction novel or a myth. But to them, it's everyone else spouting fiction.

Some people would rather not hear the truth of anything. For example, a lot of people do not want to hear a blogger's truth but would rather read nothing but sunshine and roses. Life just isn't like that. How many of us really share our life truths on our blogs anyway? Personally, I'd prefer truth- the good and the bad. I like to read/hear people's stories. I find truthful stories fascinating.

Sometimes we hide behind the truth. Sometimes we distort the truth and sometimes we are victims of that distortion of the truth. Most of us seek the truth but many are only willing to accept it as truth if that truth is the same as our own truth. When we don't agree with the truth of others, we tend to start the judging process. The lack of truth can change relationships permanently and not for the good. Truth is directly related to trust.

There's no doubt truth is an interesting concept.

My truth right now is this face.

I believe every single thing she tells me even though the only understandable words she says are, dog and that.

Have a wonderful weekend, y'all!


This post is linked to Five Minute Friday where we write for five minutes about the prompt without stopping. Well, mine went on after the timer stopped AS USUAL.

The prompt this week is TRUTH.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles
and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! :)

What's the Secret to Getting It All Done?

I wonder how the moms who write, have online stores (or some other form of work from home or work outside the home) get any work done at all. Do they not sleep? Are they actually super humans? Do they simply never tire? Are their SOs so involved with the family it's like the moms have 24/7 hired help? Do they have actual hired help? Do they take their coffee intravenously? What. Is. The. Secret?

I'm not the same age I was when the lovelies were little but I'm not ancient, yet. So, why does it seem close to impossible to take care of Baby M five days/week, run an Etsy shop, and do everything around the house no one else will do? What is the dang secret?

It doesn't help that grandchildren are so cute. 

I interact with Baby M the whole time she's with me unless she scoots off to the side and entertains herself- which she enjoys doing but it doesn't last long enough for me to get anything done because she's so cute I have to watch her play by herself. It's not that I mind her having time to herself it's just she's still little and can get into things in a matter of a fraction of a fraction of a second. And the cuteness factor. And I'm not as fast these days. But still...

I prefer advice that is truly helpful.

Someone suggested putting your work on the dining table so your kids feel a part of it or something like that. Perfect for me since my dining table is my work table and Baby M certainly feels a part of it as she reaches for the keys on the computer or wants to hold the paint brushes and pens. And that woman is a published author? Wow. Great advice. Anyway...

I don't remember how I did it when the lovelies were little but I did. I always had the energy to spend my day with them and the night with cleaning the house AND I got to sleep! These days, I can give up the house cleaning or the sleep. It's crazy.

This year, I'm shouting out to the working moms.

So, Mother's Day weekend is here and I'm shouting out to the moms who have full-time jobs inside or outside the home and still manage to do EVERYTHING else because no one else is going to do it. I have nothing but total respect and admiration, ladies!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who can do it all!

And live to tell it. 

This post is linked to Five Minute Friday where we write for five minutes about the prompt without stopping. Well, mine went on after the timer stopped and I didn't want to lose my train of thought but I don't remember where I was when the timer beeped. So this is probably about 10 minutes.

The prompt this week is MOM.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles
and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! :)

There's Humor in the Word, Should

Should.

My first thought is, just because you can doesn't mean you should. Have y'all ever said that or felt it about something?

How about when a 50+-year-old wears a bikini or thong or speedo? No thank you. Just because you think you have the body for all that trust me, you do not. I can tell the difference between a 30-year-old man without a shirt and a 50-year-old man without one. Don't think it's a huge difference? Pay attention next time you see. One leans towards eye candy while the other leans towards that candy is going bad. Some middle agers might think they look fit and probably do. For 50+. Still...

Same thing with the yoga pants. Yes, I wear them here at the house because I take care of my 10-month-old granddaughter Monday-Friday and I'm not going to crawl around the house in regular clothing. But I see them everywhere I go and some of us, just because we can, shouldn't.

What about choices? Just because I can choose to let something go doesn't me I should. When I let things go or put them on the back burner, they simply pile up. It's not like the good fairy is going to come along and kindly complete the task for me. Nor is anyone else around here.

When we make choices we have to accept them. I get that. This is why I am so very careful about the choices I make. Doing what I should the way I should makes less work and stress for me later. And keeps the guilt out of my head---why didn't you just do it right the first time?

Of course, it's for the sake of others that I do not don that bikini on the beach.

I made it on Friday! This post is linked to Five Minute Friday.  The prompt this week is SHOULD.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles!
Mother's Day will be here soon!
AND there's a 20% off sale! 

Please Sir, I Want Some More

It seems everyone wants more of everything these days. I remember a time I wanted more. More house when the walls felt as though they were closing in on me while raising 4 daughters in a 1300 sq ft house. More car when I needed more room to haul those 4 delightful creatures and a golden retriever. More weekends and holidays when they were in school. More time when it seemed they were growing up way too quickly. As I've gotten older. the things I want more of have changed.

I want more of less. I want more quiet. I want more alone time. I want more creative abilities. I want more motivation. But do y'all see the problem here? I'm still wanting more of something instead of being happy with what I have been given. 

No matter what it is, it seems it is not what I want so I want more of the things I want without being as appreciative as I should of the things I have been given. How's that for wordy? Goodness.

When do I arrive at the place where I appreciate the quiet times I have as well as the not so quiet ones? When do I become ever so thankful for what creative abilities I do have and stop wanting better or more? When do I become happy with what I have without wanting more?

When does that time come when more is not even a thought because satisfaction with the gifts we have are quite enough?

It's not that I believe wanting more is a bad thing but, when we forget to appreciate the things, people, abilities, etc that we do have, wanting more seems rather silly. (My 5 minutes stopped here)

I get it. I see the better out there. I see the more out there. And I believe we somehow learn it at a very early age- do more, get more, be more... How do we draw the line between wanting more just because it seems bigger or better or the people seem happier and realizing what we have is enough for us?

Perhaps seeing the value in what we do have, the fact that these things and people are gifts will help with drawing that line and being happy right where we are and show future generations that happiness doesn't necessarily lie in having more.


I'm a day late. This is becoming a habit, y'all. This post is linked to Five Minute Friday.  The prompt this week is MORE.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles!
There's a special running through the month of April!
$10.00 OFF your purchase of $30.00 or more! 

Lacking that Tune in the Proverbial Bucket

Lovely2 has one of the most beautiful singing voices I've ever heard. When she auditioned for high school chorus I was standing outside the door. I hear the most gorgeous voice and wondered who was singing. It was Deanie. She still sounds like an angel when she sings.

Now, for the rest of the Lovelies and myself? We can barely carry a tune in a bucket. Well, Lovely1 and Lovely3 can, sort of, but Lovely4 and me? Nope. Guess who loves to sing more than anyone else in the family? That's right. DoodleBug and I.

We try not to expose others to our singing if we can help it but we have been known to let loose when in the car together or separately. The most fun is when we're together though. We might not be able to carry a tune in that bucket, but in our hearts, we've got music. We've got soul. We've got what it takes to sing in our loudest voices. And it's not like we sound like the rocking chair on cat's tail--though we sort of get close.

When we accidentally hit a note right on key we get so excited we sing even louder. But hey, most of the time we do get the lyrics right.

No matter, DoodleBug and I LOVE to sing. We LOVE music. We love to sing together. And I wouldn't have it any other way.



I'm a day late. Again. Goodness. This post is linked to Five Minute Friday.  The prompt this week is: Sing.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles!
There's a special running through the month of April!
$10.00 OFF your purchase of $30.00 or more! 

How Does Your Empty Feel?

Empty.

That's one thing I hardly ever feel unless I'm exhausted and have nothing left for the day which usually happens when I've chased Baby M around the house on our full days together. Let me tell you following a 9-month-old around at my age is doable but it will leave you exhausted.

I can't think of a time in my life I've felt empty. I never felt empty when I was growing up and nowadays, there's always something going on with people living here or calling and texting and then there's the fact my mind never shuts down with all the thinking and the stopping of thinking LIKE THAT. Empty is not a feeling or a situation around here.

My house is full of people and too much stuff so, no emptiness there. My life is full of people and activities so, no emptiness there. My nest isn't even empty anymore. And that's the empty I wish I had.

I LOVED my nest in its empty time. There was never too much noise or too much mess or having to plan meals for more than 1 or 2 or having to consider someone else before doing anything. I LOVED it that way.

Empty is good when it comes to my nest. When the nest is empty, I get to decide what to do and when to do it. No one is hovering over me to offer unsolicited advice or opinions. When people come over it's great because you know they're going to leave. Of course, this is much easier when they only live 10 minutes away. It's not that easy when the one who lives 8 hours away leaves after a visit.

Yes, I miss my empty nest. And was ever so hopeful to have it back in another month or two. Until teacher daughter decided she'd like to move back in for one year while her BF finishes training in VA or TN for his new job. (STOP TIMER)

My nest may never be empty again.

I miss it.

I'm not ungrateful that we are a close-knit family and enjoy being around each other. There is no need to hand down the mom guilt trip (not that I would anyway since I only like having people around because they want to be not due to feelings of obligation) because none of us ever feel forced to spend time together. Our family genuinely enjoys spending time together. I appreciate it very much especially when I read the horror stories of those moms who don't have this with their adult kids. In my naivety, I thought everyone had what we have. They don't. There are moms out there who are drowning in a vast, dark, deep ocean of total emptiness.

I have no answers for them other than strongly suggesting they seek help before they drown in the emptiness. I just can't imagine being so devoted to my children that I depend on them for my happiness. Do y'all think that's unfair to the kids? I do.

So, yes. I miss my empty nest. It's messy and noisy and crazy around here nearly every single day of the week but I'll take it. Because the emptiness that some moms feel is a dark empty I hope I never experience.




I can't believe I'm getting this post up on Friday. Ha! This post is linked to Five Minute Friday.  The prompt this week is: Empty.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles!
There's a special running through the month of April!
$10.00 OFF your purchase of $30.00 or more! 

Is There Ever Enough Time?

It's Saturday and that means Five Minute Friday a day late.  The prompt this week is: ENOUGH.

Here we GO:

I feel, most of the time, like I have enough of just about everything except time. There never seems to be enough time. Time moves quickly. Time is elusive. Time comes and goes and I have to snap mental photos in order to savor moments at a later point in time. There is never enough time with the ones I love. To this very day, I miss my grandparents and they've been gone a long time. I had my granddaddy for 21 years and my grandmother for about 40. It wasn't enough.

Raising four daughters was FUN! These four relationships are four of the best I have or have ever had. It was exhausting and wonderful and interesting and educational and I wouldn't change a thing. Except the time FLEW by speedy quick. It wasn't enough.

The times our family spend when we're all together at the same time comes down to a few times/year. It's not enough. When we get together there is nothing but a good time filled with love and feelings of comfort and familiarity. There's good food and games that fuel our competitive nature (yes, we all possess this) that leads to uproarious laughter. These good times are the BEST. But it's never enough.

It seems nothing good lasts long enough. It all flies by and it's done. I suppose making the best of every situation is the way to handle this lack of enough time. I mean, when we look back and remember the love we shared with those special people in our lives I think we want to know that it was, at the very least, enough.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles!
There's a special running through the month of April!
$10.00 OFF your purchase of $30.00 or more! 

How Do You Define the Mom Role?

I'm giving Five Minute Friday another go this week. Y'all, 5 minutes is either too short or too long. There doesn't seem to be a happy medium here. Regardless, it's a fun practice and there are some fabulous writers participating who make for some good reading.

If you'd like to check it out, just click the button and head over.

This week's prompt is: DEFINE

GO!

Defining myself as 'mom' is one of the easiest things I've ever done. Not only easy but in all likelihood one of the things I've done better than anything else. I never minded putting in the time and effort nor did I mind putting my four daughters needs/wants above my own. I've never really done that for anyone else but never gave it a second thought with my girls.

Redefining myself has never been difficult.

Fast forward a couple decades and, while still defined as 'mom' the meaning changed. I had no trouble with this either. After all, one of the main goals of raising children is to prepare them to go out in the world and make their mark. Make a difference. Be world changers. Be happy, loving, kind...so changing the definition of 'mom' was not difficult. But then, two moved back in and defining the 'mom' role became quite interesting. Surprisingly, it was not me who had the problem.

Redefining the mom role is not easy for some adult children.

It seems when your grown up daughters move back in the house, they tend to think you are still functioning within the parameters of the first 'mom' definition. In other words, you are still going to pay for everything, cook and clean up, etc. That's not the way I defined my role as mom to adult children. 

STOP.

And that's it. Sooooo, I may have to revisit this next week. Seems I've many things to say about this topic.

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles !

Embracing the Moments

I've been following Katie at Heading Home for a while now because of my curiosity about Five Minute Friday and I LOVE her last name. I have no idea whether I pronounce it correctly or not but it's a cool last name. Yes, I know my mind errs on the side of lunacy.

Anyway... Five Minute Friday seems like fun. Katie gives a prompt, you set a timer and write on the prompt for 5 minutes. The reason I've been so hesitant to join in is because some of the participants write beautifully and I did that comparison thing and fell short as I always do when I compare myself which is why I should never do that and just be happy with what I do. You can find a link to Five Minute Friday on the right sidebar over there. →

This week's prompt is: EMBRACE

Here we go:

Every single moment that passes does so at warp speed. My girls were born and then, the next day, they were all grown up and out on their own.

I feel I failed to EMBRACE those moments.

Or maybe I just couldn't keep up with the warp speed.

Or maybe that's just the way life is.

Now, I'm trying my best to EMBRACE each moment with this little bug.

Who is already changing and growing at warp speed.

No longer a baby but looking more like a little girl.

In a week or so, I'll be looking back at my time with her as a little bitty thing while sitting at her college graduation.

EMBRACE each moment because they don't last longer than a nanosecond.

But the journey, however fast, is well worth it.

Remember, y'all, there's a giveaway of NuNaturals stevia!
FOUR lucky winners will each get THESE:

So, here's the deal:

• There will be FOUR winners
• Each winner will receive one bottle of Vanilla NuStevia Liquid, one bottle of New Sugarfree cocoa syrup, a package of new cocoa powder, and a 50 packet box of the NuStevia no-carbs Stevia Packets, PLUS a FREE BONUS item. 
• Winner's will receive package directly from NuNaturals.
• Giveaway is open worldwide.
•  They cannot ship to PO BOXES.
• If you want to purchase from NuNaturals you can get a 15% discount by entering BLG0617 through June 30, 2017. Also, shipping is free when orders exceeding $35 (this is just to CONTINENTAL US)

 All y'all have to do is leave a comment here, on my FB page, Instagram, or Twitter that you would like to be entered to win! IF I see a comment on my social media, I'll give you 5 extra entries per comment. AND you can comment every single day if you'd like!

Now, if you'd like TEN extra entries, go and 'LIKE' NuNatruals FB page. Please let me know if you do this so I can give the 10 extra entries! FYI: They have tons of recipes over there.

I'll keep this giveaway open through next Thursday (March 30) and announce the winners on Friday, March 31.

Please visit my Etsy Shop!

All items are HANDMADE with love!