In the Storm

52 Lists Series | 13 places I want to go

I began my list of PLACES I WANT TO GO pretty easily. These places have been on my mind for a long time. I knew that making this list would be easy. It would also be a short list. Right now, in 2015, since my hubby and I just returned from Charleston, South Carolina these are the 13 places I want to go (not in any particular order):

1) Ireland. After seeing my Mom and my brother and my sisters photos of Ireland, and it has long been on my list of desirable spots to visit, it is a place I would like to vacation.

2) Israel. I asked Jeff if he'd like to go to Israel, since our pastor from our church takes a group every other year, and he said in a couple of years. So, that's a maybe in my book.

3) Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. While I am not necessarily naming desirable vacation spots this has been at the top of my dream place to visit for very long now. Ever since Anne of Green Gables...and because it is different.

4) Paris. I've been there - once. For a day. I would love to go for two weeks or more. See Paris very slowly. Enjoy Paris slowly.

5) an international mission trip.

6) Washington D.C. Seriously, I've never been.

7) an African safari. I just sounds amazing and adventurous!

8) Speaking of adventurous - white water rafting!

9) New York City. Seriously, I've never been.

10) a Caribbean cruise (somewhere beyond the Bahamas)

11) an Alaskan cruise sounds fantastic also

12) Hawaii. Yes, it's common, but wow!

13) Lastly, Equipping the Saints. It is the mission we support and to go I would need to be in remission for the strength to work because it would be a working trip.

Just 13 dream vacations, places I would love to go visit.

52 Lists Series | one week in my life

I have been reading The Fringe Hours, Making Time for You by Jessica N. Turner, the author of the blog, The Mom Creative. In the first chapter, pursuing balance, she encourages you to take stock of ones own balancing act by first identifying an average week's responsibilities and activities. Needless-to-say, I was intrigued by exactly what my own list of activities and responsibilities might entail. 

It is a first step in a longer learning process of balancing life, discovering and maximizing my time and ultimately in living well in those fringe hours, or having fringe hours for that matter. 

52 Lists  |  Activities and Responsibilities in an Average Week

Work outside the home full-time  |  Homeschool my sons  |  Manage schedules  |  Pay Bills  |  Doctor's appointments  |  Grocery shopping  |  blogging  |  serving at church  |  attending church  |  Bible study  |  chauffer  |  scrapbooking  |  getting dinners ready  |  spend time with husband (date nights)  |  runs to library, gas station, pharmacy pickups  |  homeschool co-op  |  prepare and teach a meteorology class  |  menu planner  |  handle emails  |  take care of generated paperwork: consent forms, dual enrollment college forms, sign-up forms for camp, insurance forms  |  host a small group  |  prepare desserts  |  prepare breakfast for volunteers  |  read  |  pinning  |  social media  |  late night television

I was astounded by my list. As I wrote, the list grew longer and longer, and I was almost appalled by my activities and responsibilities. No wonder I am always tired and feel overwhelmed. Although I am not necessarily responsible for all of these activities in a given week there are on occasion some very filled weeks that are just plain exhausting.

52 lists series | 52 favorite movies.

Not my typical scrapbooking pages but since beginning my 52 lists series with a different prompt for each list I thought I'd also challenge myself to create scrapbooking pages where I could rather than just post my lists to the blog. I figured if I make these pages they become a form of documentation of me, in 2015. Who I am, right now.

This is not made up of the best movies of all times - list, but instead, it is a list of movies I love to watch. Some of them I have seen more than once and others I have seen many times and have no problems watching them again and again.

Is this a complete list of favorites? Absolutely not! I probably missed a ton that I'd be able to easily add to favorites but when I was researching favorite movies most of the lists involved some form of well-made, academy award type movies and while those are wonderful they aren't the types of movies I'd call my favorites. Those movies I can easily watch again and again.

Even looking at this list I can tell you which are my favorite, of my favorites. Star Trek is easily in the top 5. Skyfall is right up there too. Can you say Daniel Craig? Yes, I love Olympus Has Fallen. Yes, it's cheesy, but, come on - Gerald Butler. After reading Pride and Prejudice at the beginning of the year I fell for the movie Pride and Prejudice too.

On a side note: I am really enjoying finding prompts for my 52 list series. Here are my others: I love the sound of...  |  20 Random Facts about Me

52 lists series | i love the sound of...

 

I love the sound of...

the crashing ocean waves in the dark of night.

my grandsons chatter in the background when I'm talking to Ashley on the phone.

Ian telling me all about the solar system and the planets.

pouring down rain as it pounds on the roof, and the thunder from a storm.

popcorn popping in a pan as the pan gets so full the popcorn lifts the lid.

laughter that makes your stomach hurt.

children singing a song, but getting it all wrong

a baby cooing in the silence

my teenage sons praying out loud in a group of older men

my students calling out the correct answer to a question because they get meteorology

a cat purring as you snuggle and scratch them

the music from violins

the star-spangled banner when it is sung without pomp and flash, just heartfelt and clear.

a 21-gun salute

the call of cadence

a heart steadily beating

a group of voices singing acapella

 

 

52 Lists series | 20 random facts about me

1. I am retired from the Air Force. It still makes me giddy to say that.

2. Swimming is the only sport I dream about. I recently returned to the pool and cried because it had been over a year since I had swam and I had missed it so.

3. I have lived on 3 of the seven continents: Europe, Asia, and North America. I had to go to another continent to meet the man of my heart.

4. I have visited Paris for a day and would like to return some day. For longer than a day. Maybe, 10 days would be enough. 

5. My favorite food is still my homemade tacos. But, homemade pizza is a close second, Italian Chicken skillet is somewhere at the top of the list, and a new favorite, Salisbury steaks with onion gravy.

6. I love my 2013 Dodge Ram white truck. It is really our truck, but I drive it and Jeff always tells people it's the wife's truck.

7. My favorite color is Turquoise. Still. For a long time now. But, I love my blue, indigo blue, and white bedroom with my red chair, too.

8. My favorite part of me is my laugh. When my hair is cut in a bob and dyed red I like it too.

9. I have rheumatoid arthritis and it is very painful. Debilitating at times. Causes tears at other times.

10. I love the ocean in the early morning hours the best. There's this little breakfast club on Tybee Island that serves up a delicious early morning breakfast.

11. I prefer savory over sweet. Except maybe my Aunt Shirley's Carrot Cake.

12. I drink my coffee with sugar and French vanilla creamer (the Wal-Mart brand, or Coffeemate - not, International Delight).

13. My favorite part of homeschooling my sons has been reading aloud to them.

14. My favorite Christian song right now is 'You Are I Am' by Mercy Me. Besides Christian music I really like '70s music too.

15. My favorite season is Winter. Because it's cold.

16. I do not like beans, except for green beans. I realized, fairly recently, it was because of their texture. They make me gag. I can eat garbanzo beans in hummus, and refried beans if they are extremely smooth.  

17. When I was in high school I had posters of Magnum P.I. hung up in my room and a collection of lions and tigers everything.

18. I have never broken a bone. Thank you, Lord.

19. I don't like being scared. When my husband played Yum, Yum, Eat 'em up with my kids (it's a scary monster, hide and jump out and scare them game) I would go into the den (with the light on and which was off limits to the game). I also, don't like watching scary movies, thrillers, intense suspense movies.

20. I am not religious. I have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

52Lists | 20

52Lists  |  Week 20 List my summer goals

3 large black and whites of grandkids for living room wall Done

cover blue wall with 4 x 4 (in progress and modified)

go swimming regularly

hit the beach

read books

fireworks on Riverstreet

preparing for John and Jarrod's 10th grade homeschool year

bowling

have a picnic

take photo walks

make homemade ice cream

jump Atlantic Ocean waves

visit the Farmer's Market

go outside everyday

water balloon fights

Yum Yum Eat'em up

go to the movies

putt putt golf

go-carting

go to the Tea Room Done

make homemade lemonade

make a piece of pottery

volunteer

tour Savannah

eat at a place featured in Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives

go berry pickin'

make homemade creamcicles

a weekend in Charleston

 

I love these lists. If you'd like to join in visit Moorea-Seal and her 52 Lists project.

52Lists | 19

52 Lists  |  List the things you want to be known for

* being a godly woman

* being a woman of integrity

* being a woman of self-control

* a woman who loves good

* a woman who builds patience

* a most awesome grandmother

* someone who is filled with laughter

* keeper of a hospitalable home

* a superb meteorologist

* a fun, firm homeschooling mom

* a life artist

* a tremendous cook

* a woman after God's own heart

* a woman who lives free 

* a woman of simplicity

* compassionate

* a woman of no compromise

 

Making these lists have been interesting. While I am behind on my lists I still am excited about the look-see into me after completing all of the lists. It will be a well-recorded year.

If you'd like to join in on making lists about yourself head on over to Moorea-Seal for her 52 Lists Project.

52lists | week 18

I immediately realized that I am making a list about things I should be doing because they are those very things that energize me to do more things. I also realized that when I am not doing these things I am least moved to do - anything. I need to place careful attention to these pieces of life because I'm a better me for them.  I receive immediate gratification from these things. I rejoice in doing, in accomplishing these very things. I am never bored when doing these things that energize. Such a good exercise into me:

lists   &   swimming   &   a clean house   &   organizing areas   &    purging   &   a good nights sleep   &   a long walk   &   hot showers   &   the sunshine   &   cups of creamy coffee   &   scrapbooking and documenting life   &    eating healthy   &   reading the Word of God   &   prayer to God   &   lots of water   &   coming home from work   &   camping   &   a clear, crisp, cool morning   &   checking stuff off lists   &   complete a project   &   putting really great dinners together

 

52 Lists is brought to you by Moorea-Seal

52lists | week 17

I'm a little behind on my lists but I'm good with that - I know I'll catch up. With Ashley home I'm not spending near as much time on the computer as I might normally - which is also good for my neck and shoulders too. Here is my week 17 from Moorea-Seal.

I realized that putting pen to paper (not literally pen to paper - but you get the drift)...anyways...I realized that it isn't easy writing how your feel, or in this case what I admire about someone. It is blatantly obvious for some, but not others. Maybe, it is those I should have considered leaving off. I don't think admiration necessarily reflects whether one loves someone or not. I most assuredly left off someone, more than someone.

I think it is interesting how we can admire someone for this or that but also not admire them for something else. God has really given us a huge capacity for grace. So my list of week 17 is complete. moving on...

52lists | week 16

I think over the years I've had pretty much the same 'most favorite' reads with a few subtractions, replaced by something new, and a few additions, not necessarily replacing but adding to my 'most favorite reads'. When Moorea-Seal sent out the 52 Lists for my favorite reads I took some time to carefully select those books that are in fact favorites. I have to admit that some of them surprised me. When I assessed why I enjoyed something, and why I kept some of the books on my favorites list and why I was removing some of them.

My reading tastes have changed only slightly over the years, and I've really come to realize the types of books I fully enjoy: strong women, military connected, police dramas, smart- aleckness, humor, playfulness, and the occassional Christian-based theme.

Then, there are those books that I've enjoyed reading aloud to the boys. Some of them have become my favorites too.

While I've enjoyed many books, I've truly paired down my list to a few. When you consider the series it isn't really a few, though. And because I read and reread them (at least twice a year andthere are 35 in the series), I can probably say, except for the Bible, that J.D. Robb's In Death series is probably my favorite - really. Sure, some are better than others, and I do have my favorites of the series, they just simply fulfill the need to I have to laugh - more so than many other books.