Wednesday Hodgepodge

When did someone last suggest you 'chill out'? Or, when did you last tell someone (or want to tell someone) to 'chill out'? Or, when did you last tell yourself to 'chill out'?

The only person who ever really tells me to 'chill out' is Kyndal. I normally don't get too wound up to be told to, but her and my personalities are the opposite so I react more to things she is doing and she thinks I am unreasonable. I constantly tell Eli to 'chill' because he is a tad high strung. Rick also gets pretty fired up about some stuff and I tell him to 'chill', as well. I tell Dawson and Brynne to 'chill' for totally different reasons ... they love to wrestle, run, play, scare each other, etc., etc., etc., and this mama who needs quiet has to tell them to 'chill' pretty often! I don't like disorder and chaos and outbursts so needing a good 'chilling out' around me is often necessary. But it's not all about me, and kids need to be kids. For that reason I have to remind myself to 'chill out' pretty often, too.

What most recently caused your heart to melt?

My great niece Ellie grabs at my heart strings pretty often these days. She is two months old and her "talking" and smiling just gets me. I love her to pieces!

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered." ~ G.K. Chesterton. Your thoughts? When did you last experience either an adventure or an inconvenience? How did you see it at first, as an adventure or an inconvenience? Does it feel the same in hindsight?

True. This would go right alongside "chilling out"! Most inconveniences are not nearly as big of a deal as we make them out to be. I can't think of anything recent that has happened. But last winter our central furnace went out in our 100 year old house. And our gas fireplace stopped working. Basically we had no heat. We needed to replace our unit and with the cost of the new unit and extensive ductwork, we didn't have that as an option. I didn't want the kids to freak or for Rick to feel bad that we didn't have the money to properly heat the house. So, I put on a very positive attitude and made the most of it. We ran a quartz infrared heater in our living room along with another space heater, ran space heaters in each of the bedrooms, used electric blankets on the beds, and shut off our kitchen and bedrooms from the main part of the house. We made it a daily thing for us to all pile up in the living room with layers of clothes and socks and blankets and watch movies and television series together. It was actually a really great winter for us as a family because Kyndal was living here and we spent so much time actually together in a small space. I think we drew closer together as a family last winter.

Looking back? Oh my goodness that was an inconvenience that I had no intention of repeating this winter if possible. Sure I treated it as an adventure, but not one I wanted to do again! We purchased a direct-vent furnace for $1,000 at the beginning of this winter that heats our house perfectly. We are warm and toasty. I am so glad I do not have to put on a positive face in light of those circumstances again!

A Wendy's Frosty, root beer in a frosty mug, or a frosted chocolate cupcake ... of these three, which one is your favorite 'frosty' treat?

I'm not a big ice cream eater or soda drinker. I would pick a frosted chocolate cupcake every time. Actually I prefer salted caramel, but I wouldn't turn away a chocolate one!

Would you say your life so far this year has been more like a circus or a symphony? Explain why.

This has been a very peaceful and harmonious year so far. Things actually are moving along like a symphony. Now, I know that is soon to change as we have a son graduating from high school and then starting college and a daughter getting married. Things are going to really get crazy here in a couple of months. I am trying to appreciate every moment of our symphonic winter before the circus arrives.

Since it's a 'snow day' here, what's your favorite song containing the word 'white'?

Of course "White Christmas" is my favorite. I don't care who sings it. But for something a little different, how about "White Horse" by Taylor Swift?

If you had to leave the city you currently live in, what would you find the hardest to leave behind?

Definitely my family. Other than my brother and his family, we all now live here. My mom and dad live about a five minutes walk away in one direction, Kyndal and Collin another five minutes past that. And my sister and nieces live a five minutes walk away in the other direction. We can all get together and attend each other's events and just be there for each other when needed. Even last night we all gathered for dinner at my parents'. I would also miss the simple life we have carved out for ourselves. We know from experience that life away from here is hectic and difficult. I don't ever want to give up the peace we have.

Insert your own random thought here.

I swear one of these days I'm going to beat my husband at Words with Friends. Just not today. Urgggghhh!!! It makes me so stinking mad how badly he kills me in this game!