foolishnotions.net

• ernie is a resume producing machine… lots out there, no response yet.
• getting used to eating in more.  starting to find a rhythm.  makes me wonder why i thought it was so hard before.  makes me wonder how many other things i dismiss under the pretense of being to busy or tired. i have a feeling i may find out before this is all over.
• dumbfounded by the number of people who i do business with who have lied to me or withheld information from me in order to charge me more money.  really shocked.  wonder how long this has been going on and how much money it has cost me over the years.  brrrrr [shiver] - - i shutter to think.
• staying in wilmington for the holidays.  we are blessed with tons of local family to share memories with.  but i’m really gonna miss going up to see my mom and brother.
• $ hot tip:  got a sam’s club membership today.  they are running a special for students… $15 gift card with $40 membership.  if you are not a student you get a $10 gift card.
• pretty sure i broke my finger the other day.  i dropped one of the stage monitors on it.  it hurt sooooooo bad.  i honestly thought i would pass out.  fortunately, it’s just the tip of my left ring finger.  i went to cvs and bought a $5 splint.  i’ll live. but it’s kind of hard to type.
• so thankful gas is down.
• $ hot tip: i quickly discovered that i have been too spoiled by fresh herbs to go back to dried.  but they’re pricey and i can never seem to use all of it.  i read a great tip to solve this issue at barnes & noble today.  this is how you do it…  cut up the herbs;  grab a ice cube tray;  fill up each cube about half way with herbs;  add only enough water to cover the herbs; freeze; put frozen cubes in airtight tupperware and stick it back in the freezer.  now each time i need fresh basil, i just grab a cube out of the freezer and drop it in whatever i’m cooking.  brilliant!  i can’t wait to try this.
• i’ve discovered that buying a whole bag of onions is cheaper than buying one at a time even if some go bad.  this totally goes against my traditional way of thinking.
• $ hot tip: i have perfected a homemade version of starbuck’s salted caramel. you ready?  international foods dark mayan chocolate made in milk instead of water + ready whip + smuckers caramel topping + a little coarse kosher salt on top = bliss.  just as good as the $4 stuff… seriously.
• thinking i should get serious about getting in shape.  after all, i just licked eating out and we now only have about 5 enjoyable channels on tv… that’s at least 73.2% of the battle. right?
• thanksgiving is next week - this is it!  hands down, no contest, my all time very best favorite holiday.  because, quite frankly, it’s just the perfect day.

what are you doing for the holidays?
will you brave black friday?

we are so blessed to have friends and family (and friends who also happen to be family) who constantly check on us, pray for us and ask us how it’s going. so, i thought, in the interest of keeping conversations not all about us and the layoff, i would post periodic updates. so, it’s week one; here’s what i know…

i am a spoiled rotten selfish american. [sigh]

i spend more time than i care to admit dreaming of my now financially forbidden pleasures. so in the spirit of this, accompanied by the hope of becoming a more grateful individual, my first update will be dedicated to the things i am thankful for…

1. bread, milk, eggs, sugar, milk, butter, pasta and the spices and condiments already paid for that line my cupboard and fridge.  did you know you can make just about anything you can buy in the store or at a restaurant with these basic ingredients?  who knew?
2. we have 2 cars that are paid for.
3. i managed a sandwich comprised mostly of the ingredients from #1.  got into one of the two items noted in #2 and drove myself over to my friend’s workplace to take her to wendy’s and catch up on life.
4. my friend, allison, is not embarrassed in the slightest by #3… she was just glad to see me.
5. i’m thankful for the library, which has zillions of books that they are willing to let me borrow any time i want - - for FREE!
6. rainy days and vacation time… which, in combination with an item procured from #5, makes me a decidedly happy and rested person.
7. free starbucks just for voting and half a priddyboy sandwich pastor norma shared with me today.
8. we are out of debt and have a seriously modest mortgage.  and though the bank account is dangerously thin and we are having to make big lifestyle cuts, we are quite comfortable. we really have everything we could ever need and so, so, so much more.  all of this makes me deeply sorry for ever complaining before about our income and what we were not able to have.
9. my family, my job, our friends, our church…. wow.  i am uncommonly blessed to really truly love every aspect of my life.  what an amazing gift.
10. we live in america.  we voted this week and our voice was heard.  we have choices.  we are free.  our success or failure is completly independent of governmental or social influence, because this is america, and that is what america is all about.  how did i get chosen to be born here?  i don’t know… but this week find myself overwhelmingly grateful for it.
11. and the #1 thing (not #1 from above, the best- - oh, never mind. you know what i mean).  the thing i am most thankful for this week is my husband.  he is absolutely the man of my dreams.  i know no one who is more determined or driven than him.  he is an amazingly patient and loving father, a generous provider and the love of my life.  i am so excited to see him find his dream.  i desire more than anything for him to find that career path for which he was uniquely designed.  i long for the day i see him energized at the end of his work day, because he accomplished something that was in his heart rather than merely earning a buck.  if you are wondering what to pray for… please pray for that.  i want more than anything to see him truly come alive.  i am convinced that when that happens…. the world will never have seen the likes of my amazing man.  really.

so, this week gratitude. maybe, hopefully, next week i’ll graduate to generosity.  thank you all so much for your prayers, blog love and friendship… y’all are great.

so, until next time…
i desperately need my life to not become all about me, so…
what’s going on with you?
how can i pray for you?
(i really need you to comment - save me from myself!)