AuburnChick's Adventures

Happy Monday, y’all.

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?

It was very laid back around here.

Friday night, the hubby and I started watching Season 2 of The Terminal List. It is actually a prequel of the first season.

I called it an early night because I was still fighting a cold.

The next morning, I woke up around 7, prepared a cup of tea, started laundry, and watched ESPN’s Gameday.

Then, it was time for a whole bunch of football games.

The ESPN app allowed for four games of their choosing to be on the screen at once. I was all about it!

I also prepared a couple of snacks for the day.

I made another Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball.

I’m addicted to this.

Then, I made Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip. The artichokes really made this! It was divine!

I took it easy the rest of the day and kept one eye on the TV and another on my book, which I finished that evening.

If you haven’t read this, run to your library or your Libby app and get it ASAP.

It was amazing!!!! I laughed, and I teared up. It has given me pause to think about older people, their loneliness, and so many other things.

I rated it with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. That’s rare for me.

Sunday morning, we attended church.

Our sermon was about how Jesus grew and how He is both God and human.

I did a bit of closet organizing when we got home, pulled my outfits for the week, and then got to the business of meal prepping.

This week, I’ll be eating this delicious Leek and Potato Soup.

I’ve made this before, so I knew it would be good. Oh boy, was it!

My left shoulder bothered me a lot this weekend, so I decided to lay low the rest of the day. I’ll mention it to my physical therapist on Wednesday. It’s the rotator cuff – a little angry from either last week’s PT or maybe wrong sleeping positions. Who knows.

Sunday evening, while the Mr. watched football, I headed into another room to watch a couple episodes of Survivor. It also happened to be raining, which was the perfect backdrop for a quiet TV night.

You might recall that I once mentioned that I wanted to rewatch the precious 48 seasons in preparation for Season 50, which will air in the spring.

I started my walk through memory lane this summer while I was home recuperating from shoulder surgery. There’s nothing like an episode of people doing things you cannot, physically, while you’re laid up in a recliner unable to sleep at 2 in the morning. Ha!

I’ve been making steady progress and am almost finished with Season 5.

It’s been a lot of fun reacquainting myself with past contestants.

There’s no way I’m going to finish all of the seasons before 50 starts, but I’m okay with that. I’ll plod along as best as I can.

So, what’s on tap for your week? How can I pray for you?

Have a wonderful week, y’all.

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Howdy, friends!

I hope the week is treating you well. How is it October? Sheesh. September flew by!! It still feels like summer around here. I keep waiting for the temperature and humidity to dip, but they haven’t, so I continue to sweat it out as I saunter in to work each morning and back to my car each afternoon.

Here are my answers to the questions Joyce prepared for us.

Y’all have a good day!

1. What’s your favorite fall scent? Would we find this in or around your home right now? 

My favorite fall scent is cinnamon. I used to buy the cinnamon-infused straw brooms sold by Publix, but I don’t anymore more, so my house doesn’t smell much like anything at the moment. 

2. October is Country Music Month…are you a fan of country music? Do you have a favorite country artist? Ever been to Nashville? In terms of lifestyle are you more country mouse or city mouse? 

I went through my country-loving phase back in the 90’s. Shania Twain was a favorite in my home; we had her CDs (remember those?) playing constantly.

I don’t listen to much music nowadays.  If I do, I’m tuned into Christian music or a 60’s/70’s/80’s station. 

We did a family trip to Nashville May 2024.  We rented a five bedroom house that had a lot of room for us, our grown up kiddos, and their babies. 

Nashville offered up a lot to do. We visited a few family-friendly venues, including the zoo, the state museum, the replica of the Parthenon.  

I’d characterize myself as more of a country mouse. I grew up in a tiny town in Alabama before I got married and lived in a few bigger cities. We even spent a short stint in Miami. Talk about a culture shock! They don’t say “y’all” in South Florida. Ha!

I prefer a slower pace of life that includes light traffic, country roads, and sunsets unmarred by city pollution.

One of my favorite streets in Auburn feels like an old country road with lots of curves and trees. It’s a pain to drive home on this road after the time change because it’s only two lanes and not very well lit.

3. How about ‘country cooking’? (loosely defined as rich flavors, familiar foods, large portions, often fried, and often associated with the southern region of the US of A)? 

chicken and dumplings-fried chicken-shrimp and grits-biscuits and gravy-mac and cheese-fried green tomatoes-cornbread-collard or turnip greens-deviled eggs-‘barbecue’-gumbo-banana pudding 

Which of the foods listed is your favorite? Any on the list you haven’t tried or would say a firm no thank you to if offered? 

As I mentioned above, I grew up in the Deep South. Back then, I wasn’t a vegan. My favorite southern dish was chicken and dumplings. I also liked collard and turnip greens, deviled eggs, and banana pudding. 

Nowadays, I’ll gladly eat vegan versions of all of the above if I can find decent copycat recipes for them (or someone was willing to make them for me).

4. What’s something that always has a positive impact on your mood? 

Hearing the ring of my FaceTime app always puts me in a good mood. It signals that a grandchild is on the other end.

5. As we say so long to September share a noun, a verb, and an adjective that tells us something about how that month looked for you. 

Progress

I injured both of my shoulders last September. I had surgery on my left shoulder in December and surgery on my right shoulder in June.  In fact, tomorrow marks 16 weeks since my second surgery!

I’ve been in physical therapy since December 23rd.  It’s been a difficult year, but this month, I’m finally seeing tangible progress in both shoulders. 

I still have weekly physical therapy appointments because I’ve got a ways to go with my right shoulder until it’s functioning normally again, but the pain in both shoulders continues to decrease while the number of hours I’m sleeping each night increases. All glory to God for His healing touch. 

6. My Random Thought

Gambit got himself a bath last week. My vet’s office is the best. They know him well thanks to the two brushes with cancer he’s had. 

He came home sporting an adorable Halloween bandana. 

He’s almost 15 years old, and he is the sweetest boy.  I’m so thankful for each season we have with him.

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Hola, friends!

How was your weekend?

Mine was fairly chill. I stayed in pajamas the entire two days, and I’m not even ashamed of myself.

Friday afternoon, I came home to these beautiful flowers, which the Mr. had picked up for me when he was at the farmers market grabbing a bag of raw peanuts.

Nothing says college football like a pot of boiled peanuts.

We use this recipe.

We watched FSU get beat by Virginia, and we weren’t mad about it. We lived in Tallahassee for five years many moons ago. Being an Auburn fan amidst FSU fans wasn’t pleasant, so we’ve always rooted against them.

College football, y’all.

I finished reading a short story, which I’d gotten free through Prime’s First Reads offerings last month.

This was a big nope for me. The story was predictable; the characters were flat.

Books have been such a miss for me lately. I’ve been sorely disappointed by many of them.

I checked this book out from Prime Reading. It had been on my Kindle a long time.

The writing was horrendous. The plot was rushed. The characters had no character.

I gave it ⭐️.

Another book I recently finished was this one . . .

I think this might have been another free book from Prime’s First Reads. I was generous with the ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I gave it. It had too many cliches, and the plot was rushed.

Where are all of the good books?

Saturday

I got up raring to go Saturday. We had an away game, which meant we would be spending the day at home. As much as I love attending football games, I relish the days we can take it easy.

This was my idea of relaxing . . .

I started off by prepping this Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball. I had seen the recipe on Instagram and knew it would be perfect for a football Saturday.

It was very easy to prepare.

That’s not the most appealing photo. My apologies!

But seriously, the texture and taste were absolutely amazing! This recipe will be on repeat from this point forward.

Then, for whatever strange reason, I jumped right into preparing another recipe.

I had seen an Instagram reel for Vegan French Onion Soup, and I knew I had to give it a whirl.

I used my mandolin to slice four yellow onions. I’d read that caramelizing onions is best done in a cast iron skillet.

The recipe states that it should take 40 minutes for the onions to caramelize. It took mine over an hour, but I was patient, and they finally looked like this.

I added toasted slices of a baguette the Mr. had picked up for me, along with Daiya mozzarella cheese.

The soup was delicious!

My shoulders were done, though, so I spent the rest of the day on my recliner.

We watched our Tigers play Texas A&M. Sadly, we lost.

Ugh.

The game was painful. Our defense was incredible; our offense could not get itself together.

We spent the rest of the evening watching football. Unfortunately, Georgia couldn’t pull out the win against the other school in our state. We were not having a good football day.

I called it a night rather early. I’d been fighting a small cold ever since our trip to our daughter’s house. Every time I fly, I come home with a bug. I decided to give my body the rest it was craving.

Sunday

I woke up coughing, so I decided to watch church from home.

I did eventually shower and wash my hair. I even changed into a clean pair of pajamas.

Ha!

We had a lovely little FaceTime session with our girl and her babies. Our grandson had asked to call; the first word out of his mouth when my hubby answered was, “Jeep.”

The Mr. has a jeep that our grandson has been talking about for over a year. He likes to call and make the Mr. walk into the garage to see it.

Nothing lifts my spirits quite like talking to my grands.

I spent the rest of the day with a new book (I’ll report back when I’m done) and just, in general, took it easy.

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Happy Wednesday, friends. I pray that today is finding you well.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for me as I am fully immersed in the gauntlet of this season. Whew!

For now, I’m taking a moment to answer the Fall-themed questions Joyce came up with.

Thanks for visiting! I can’t wait to read your own answers.

1. Fall officially rolls into the Northern Hemisphere on Monday (9/22)…what’s your favorite thing about fall? 

College football season is my favorite thing about fall. All of my grand babies were born during the fall, so that now means that we do a lot of traveling in between games. It’s a busy time for us after lazy spring and summer seasons.

2. What’s one thing on your real or proverbial autumn bucket list? 

I don’t have a bucket list for this season. I have a to-do list a mile long that includes shopping for birthday presents, arranging travel back and forth to my grands’ homes, and trying to finagle the Mr. into doing more traveling during Christmas.

3. Apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and cranberries are some of the top fall foods. Which one is your favorite and how do you like it prepared? Any on the list you don’t eat? Which one have you had most recently? 

I’ll take apples please, just peeled and raw. I’m not a fancy girl. I often eat an apple for breakfast each day.

Do not even attempt to get me to eat sweet potatoes. It won’t happen. I won’t prepare them for any holiday dinner and will almost gag if I smell them at someone’s house.

4. ‘Fall is proof that change is beautiful’ is a popular sentiment. Would you agree or no? Elaborate. 

I would agree with this statement. I’m a bit resistant to change, but I recognize the blessings that come with it. The seasonal shift to each season forces me to change perspective as I view the world through a different lens.

5. Is there a spot near you where people go to see the leaves change color? Will you try to leaf peep somewhere this fall? Lonely Planet lists the following ten places as the best for leaf peeping…of those listed which would you most like to visit? 

Stowe, Vermont~Shenandoah National Park, Virginia~Columbia River Gorge, Oregon~Zion National Park, Utah~Tennessee/North Carolina border~West Virgina~Northwestern Wyoming~Wisconsin Northwoods~Northern Nevada~Ozark Highlands Scenic Byway, Arkansas

I don’t think there’s a location near me that people purposely visit to see the leaves change. I live in the South where the change isn’t nearly as dramatic as other places in the country.

Leaf-peeping isn’t my thing either. I’m not ever going to plan a trip to go leaf peeping. I appreciate the beauty of a crisp, red leaf if I happen upon it, but that’s about it.

6. My Random Thought

Did you watch the memorial service for Charlie Kirk?

Wow.

Just wow.

To see so many leaders of our country stand on a stage and proclaim the Gospel was something nobody saw coming.

What a reminder of the impact that one servant of God can have.

One person being obedient to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

One person not wasting a second of his life pointing people to Jesus.

My tears flowed as I watched Charlie’s wife take a deep breath and whisper a prayer followed by “I love you” before approaching the microphone.

The pain on her face and the tears that she shed were heartrending as she proclaimed that she had forgiven the person who took her precious Charlie’s life.

What a testament to her obedience to God even in the midst of unspeakable grief.

No ordinary person could stand up under that enormous weight – only someone who walks daily with the Father, leaning into Him for strength.

As I was driving home from dinner last night, I thought about Charlie Kirk and the impact he had on this world.

An old song I used to listen to way back in the day came to mind as I pictured Charlie in heaven, being greeted one day by every single person whose life he touched.

Tender hugs to all of you. I pray that this week treats you gently. I pray that you look for opportunities to share about Jesus. Time is fleeting.

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I took Friday off of work so the hubby and I could jump on a plane to visit our girl and her crew.

Guess whose bag was whose. Ahem.

I normally work half a day when we take afternoon flights so I don’t have to use as much personal leave, but I decided to give myself a break and take a whole day. It was nice to get ready at a leisurely pace. My favorite yoga pants and tank top from my summer wardrobe fit the bill perfectly.

We fly Southwest a lot because the fares tend to be manageable. I was surprised when we approached our gate and saw this.

That guy right there was a deejay, and he was playing music for those of us waiting at our gates.

I saw a couple of ladies at a different gate dancing.

When he queued up Cupid Shuffle, I couldn’t hold back any more. A gal sitting in a chair behind me said she’d go if I would. So we did, and we danced our little hearts out with a small crowd that grew as the song progressed.

It was an unexpected bit of fun that was sorely needed.

I was in the middle of dancing to another song when my group was called to line up to board.

Chicky picked us up from the airport. Traffic in south Florida is beastly. I cannot imagine ever moving back down there despite my babies being there. I love the slower pace and less crazy roads up here in Alabama.

The kids were in bed, but that’s usually the case when we take an afternoon flight.

We did see this.

South Florida homes are not built with fireplaces. My daughter’s house has a very long wall, so they decided to build their own faux fireplace. They’re at the mercy of a friend who’s been helping, so they won’t have it done for awhile.

Little J man heard us arrive. His mama was sweet to let him come out for quiet hugs before returning to bed. Be still my heart.

Saturday morning, we hit the ground running. J is doing soccer at the Y. They do a 30-minute practice followed by a 30-minute game. J freezes up around a lot of people, so he mostly wandered around. He did have one shining moment where he dribbled the ball down and tried to score. Chicky said that he opens up a little more every week.

Little Miss watched her big brother and the other kids. This girl does not stop moving.

She is very close to walking. I think she’s going to be climbing soon as well.

After soccer was over, we headed straight to a park for J’s third birthday party!

He loves all things with wheels and adores the Cars movies.

South Florida is hot, hot, hot most of the year. Saturday was brutal, so we were spent by the time we got back to Chicky’s house.

The kids went down for their naps after lunch, and we settled in to watch the Auburn/Oklahoma game on the new TV Chicky and her husband bought Labor Day weekend.

Don’t even get me started on the pass interference call the ref missed, costing us a touchdown as well as the illegal play Oklahoma made that resulted in their own TD. We were not happy. Auburn didn’t play its best, but when refs can’t get their acts together, it’s even tougher to turn things around.

When the kids woke up, J opened up his gifts. We bought him the cutest coffee machine. It makes the noises that a real machine makes. His parents have a fancy one, which he “helps” with regularly.

We enjoyed watching him use his imagination to create all kinds of coffee drinks with steamed milk.

Sissy was very interested as well.

Chicky’s in-laws live in town, so they came over and ate tacos with us that evening. We always enjoy their company. It’s so nice when you enjoy the other set of parents. It was a late night as we talked long into the evening.

Sunday morning, Chicky and I took the kids for a walk down the street to the small park that’s close by.

Little Miss is big enough to sit in the jeep with her brother. They had a fine time riding around in the field.

We attended church later in the morning and got the kids down for their naps after lunch.

Then, when they woke up, we met Chicky’s in-laws at a local eatery that has several restaurants inside.

I got a vegan pizza and this glass bottle of Coke – such a throwback!

There’s also a place that serves up the best ice cream. They usually have a couple of vegan options that are absolutely the best! This was some sort of vanilla upside down Oreo creation – perfection!

We met back up at Chicky’s house and spent the evening playing with the kiddos before they headed to bed.

We had another wonderful night of conversation before they left and we turned in.

I ordered an early Uber since we were flying out at 9. Our driver did the best job avoiding the traffic snafus. We tipped him well.

Here was the view outside the window after we got to our gate. It was so early!

The flight was short – hence why we fly instead of driving since it’s an all-day affair if we motor ourselves – and got home around 12:30. I’d taken off all of Monday as well. Recovering from travel takes longer as you get older.

Gambit had a new dog sitter. She did a great job, but he was overjoyed to see us.

As I type this, he’s snoring beside me in my chair while the Mr. is snoozling on the couch.

I pray that your weekend was filled with lots of laughter and that you have a good week, friends!

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This bowl of dum dums sits on the counter in front of my desk.

I originally placed it there to provide a little treat to the people who visit my department.

It’s become a lot more than that.

If you look behind the bowl, you’ll notice the glass windows that provide me with a view of everyone who walks past my office.

Not only can I see out, but people can see in, and when they notice the bowl of dum dums, they often drop in just to grab one.

Sometimes they ask if they can have one, and then they leave.

Sometimes, a small conversation ensues. I’ve gotten to know the Fed Ex guy, the UPS guy (we get a lot of mail), maintenance workers, and the children of other employees who work on my floor.

There’s a classroom within view of my office, and students have to pass by to leave the building.

A couple of weeks ago, one gal came in, asked if she could have a dum dum, and, to be polite, started chatting with me.

The Holy Spirit has been speaking to my heart about making other people the center of my focus during social interactions, so with those lessons in mind, I started asking this young lady thought-provoking questions – questions that went beyond yes or no answers.

A friendship started that day, and now, when she leaves her twice-weekly class, she stops by to say hi.

And to grab a dum dum.

I was in the back of our suite yesterday grabbing a snack from the kitchen. When I got back to my desk, she was waiting for me.

Be still my mama heart.

My introverted, awkward, old self was touched by her thoughtfulness.

She’s not the only student who has come by. Earlier this week, a young man came in after spying my bowl and asked, point blank, “So, what do you do here?”

I had to laugh and quipped back, “According to my work bestie, not a lot.”

Of course, I was joking, and my bestie laughed uproariously from her little cubby.

This was the perfect opening to start a longer conversation with this young man.

I learned that he grew up a hop, skip, and a jump from where I lived back in Florida. We had a few other things in common.

A connection was forged.

I invited him to stop by again. I sincerely hope he does.

I am thankful for these opportunities to be a friendly face to these students – especially the ones who are living away from home for the first time – unsure of the path they’re going to take with their studies and future careers.

So, I’ll gladly keep filling that bowl with the hope that it serves as a welcoming beacon to anyone walking by.

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It’s been an emotional week, y’all. I’m sure you can relate. Getting back in the swing of things feels odd.

Here are my answers to the Hodgepodge questions Joyce prepped for us.

1.  Are you more life of the party or more party pooper? If your answer is somewhere in the middle which side of the middle do you lean towards more? 

I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t enjoy being the center of attention. I’m not opposed to a party, if I know other guests, but I prefer more intimate conversations than standing out among the crowd.

Birthday party, beach party, cocktail party, dinner party, charity fundraiser, surprise party, costume party, garden party, Christmas party, reunion...what’s your favorite kind of party? 

My favorite kind of party would probably be a beach party. I like fun, informal settings.

2. Cheese, wine, and balsamic vinegar all improve with age. What would you personally add to the list? 

I believe that most people improve with age. We tend to be more calm and settled, and, hopefully, more sage.

3. How do you feel about your birthday? How do you want to be celebrated? Or don’t you? 

I don’t want to be the center of attention. I want my children to call me, but that’s really it. With my children grown and with families of their own, and after having my husband forget my birthday two years in a row when our kids were younger, I realized that it’s just another day – no biggie.

4. What remarkable feat, interesting piece of trivia, or historical event occurred on your birth day and month? Not necessarily your same birth year, just the same date/month. 

Hmmm. I had to do some research on this. I was born on Easter Sunday. Bridge Over Troubled Waters was the number one song in the U.S. and Great Britain.

5. Share two good things about your life right now. 

There are so many good things about my life right now. I have the sweetest little grands, and they all have birthdays coming up soon, so I’m going to be doing some traveling to join in on the celebrations.

I have a job I love to go to with colleagues who are more like family than mere coworkers.

I could list so many good things, but I’ll end with the best “good” thing – I’m a daughter of the King, forgiven from the penalty of my sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Nothing will ever top this as the best thing in my life.

6. My Random Thought

I did something for the very first time in my life Sunday.

I saw a movie by myself – Downton Abbey.

The Mr. has never watched an episode. I’ve watched every one of them plus the first two movies.

So, I didn’t have anyone to go with me, but I didn’t want to miss out either.

The movie was EXCELLENT. I felt like I had been transported to England and with that beloved family that has carved out a special place in my heart.

The closing scene was EVERYTHING.

That’s me – after the movie – missing mascara from church and the movie’s ending. My emotions have been in overdrive for almost a week.

Take care, y’all. May you seek out quiet to soothe your souls and find moments of joy in the midst of the craziness running rampant these days.

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It feels strange doing a recap of my weekend given the horrendous things that happened last week.

I’ve been a very sad mess since Wednesday afternoon and have found myself tearing up at random times.

It’s been a lot.

I had my last follow-up appointment with my orthopedic surgeon Wednesday afternoon, and while I was waiting to be seen, my husband texted me the horrible news about Charlie Kirk’s passing. I’d already been praying for him, but hearing about his death threw me for a loop, and I fumbled my way through my exam, forgetting to ask the questions I needed to ask, and running in late to my weekly physical therapy appointment. Thank goodness they’re in the same building, but I was quite stressed by the time I got to PT.

One of my coworkers was out Thursday and Friday, so I wore a couple different hats those two days.

Friday afternoon, I stopped at Chick fil A on the way home to grab the free sandwich the app had generously rewarded Auburn fans who live in Alabama. That’s how I cook the Mr.’s dinner some days. A free order of fries accompanied the sandwich thanks to oodles of points I’d accumulated. The fries were for me because carbs and stress go together.

Friday night, the hubby and I watched Erika Kirk share her first words to the public, and my heart absolutely broke for her. I cried the entire time she spoke.

Saturday morning, I slept until 8. Gambit had gotten me up a couple of times in the middle of the night. My body was worn out from that and the week.

We had an early game, so I quickly got ready. Every home game, there’s a suggested color for fans to wear. This particular day, we were asked to don our white gear.

It was a hot one. Whew. We tried putting sunscreen on my scars, but one of my shoulders still caught the brunt of it.

It was Homecoming. The alumni band sat a few sections away from us. They sounded so good!

The eagle’s flight was incredible.

The highlight of the pregame festivities is always the National Anthem . . .

Followed by the flyover.

This was a C17. It was a HUGE plane that flew low.

Ms. Homecoming was crowned, and we won the game.

I grabbed a selfie under a rolled tree during our walk back to our car.

We were a nasty mess when we got home. The heat drained us, so we grabbed our showers, and then I put together a pot of Two Bean Chili from this cookbook.

I used canned beans to save time. It’s a recipe I’ve made many times, and it always turns out great!

I spent the evening reading while keeping my eyes on various football games.

Sunday morning, we got ready for church.

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect given the week’s happenings.

My church is usually well attended. We have a lot of college students who are there each week. Yesterday, I felt like we were busting at the seams. It did my soul so much good to see these young people there in droves.

I teared up through each song. I kept thinking about how Charlie Kirk was singing in heaven now. I was also reminded that God is still so good, and evil will never win.

After church, I watched a movie and did laundry. I spent the afternoon relaxing.

I recently quit watching Big Brother, so my nightly TV viewing has changed. I had been tiring of this show for a while. Some of production’s recent decisions and the fallout from those decisions, as well as the ridiculous shenanigans by the contestants, made me realize just how stupid this show is.

I have a busy week ahead and will be working through lunch to make up some time I’m taking off.

Please let me know how I can pray for you this week. It would be my honor.

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Hello friends! It’s Wednesday, so you know what that means.

I appreciate the thoughtful questions that Joyce prepared for this week given tomorrow’s somber date.

Thank you for visiting. I’m looking forward to reading your answers as well.

1. What gives you energy? What takes it away? 

Things that give me energy:

• Fridays during Fall because football season, y’all 
• Saturday home football games cheering on my beloved Tigers – War Eagle! 🧡 💙
• Driving to the airport – headed towards a vacation spot or to see my  girl’s crew and my beautiful grand babies
• Leaving early on a Friday to drive north to visit my son’s crew and my sweet E girl
• An office full of visitors when we haven’t been told, ahead of time, that a university function included a visit to our office (this happened last year and kicked my behind into gear to figure out how three advisors were going to have an individual session with each person)
• A good night’s sleep – a rare thing since I turned 50 and especially since injuring my shoulders last September

What takes away my energy:

• Math problems
• Family drama
• Constant physical pain
• Too much sensory stimulation (I cannot stand going shopping for this reason)
• Conversations that don’t have a point
• Small talk (I’d rather have a long conversation that goes deeper into a topic)

2. How often do you shop for clothes? What accessory do you always wear? 

I follow several influencers on Instagram, so if I see something I like, I will order it. I don’t make it a point to go out shopping. I despise it. I’d rather try something on in the comfort of my own home. 

I always wear jewelry – my wedding rings, a ring on my right hand, earrings, a necklace, and bracelets. I even wear an anklet if it’s going to be seen. 

3. What’s something free that you feel grateful for? 

I will never stop being grateful for salvation from my sins – free for me but which came at the ultimate cost to Jesus. 

4. Breakfast, lunch, dinner…which meal of the day do you enjoy most? What’s your go-to comfort food? 

I prefer dinner the most. I’m not a big breakfast eater and would quite honestly skip it if I was retired and not getting up so early.

There’s something about ending the day with a little dinner and either a good book or something on a streaming service. 

Mexican food is my comfort food. Give me a bowl of chips and salsa, along with a bean burrito, and I’m a happy lady. 

5. This week the world remembers the tragic events of 9/11. Do you mark the day in any way? How do historical events shape your perspective on your personal challenges? 

Oh my heart. This anniversary breaks me every year. I’ll never forget where I was when I learned about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center – the all encompassing sadness that flooded my body – the shock that continued to increase throughout the morning as the events unfolded. 

I was a stay at home mama at the time and was on my way to a hair appointment. I cried in my car in the parking lot as I imagined what every single loved one was experiencing at the sudden and unimaginable loss. I’d lost my dad very unexpectedly that April and was still grieving very heavily. 

I mark this tragic day by remembering, through tears, that horrible day and the ones that followed. 

A few years ago, when I was still teaching, I presented a lesson about September 11th to my students, and I couldn’t get through it without breaking down. It’s a sadness that will never go away completely. 

I think it’s natural to ask, “Why?” What’s the purpose in the hard when it touches my life? 

Looking back at historical events helps me see that in the moment, something can look quite bleak, but when all is said and done, good always comes from the event. God uses every single thing to bring us closer to Him and, ultimately, to bring glory to Him. 

6. My Random Thought 

Speaking of hard stuff, our little corner of the world was rocked Saturday when a retired professor was killed while walking her dog at a local park. This happened in broad daylight. Here’s the link for an article about what happened.

I am so sad for her family, friends, colleagues, and students. I didn’t know her personally, but the tributes others have written speak volumes about the impact she had. 

I’m not gonna lie. I’m also mad. Why should I be afraid to go on a walk or even to a store? I remember years ago, when I taught school in Florida, and I’d go for runs in the wee hours of the morning before the sun was even thinking of making an appearance. I usually felt safe except for one morning when I noticed a car slowly following me. I made like I lived at one of the houses before booking it home when the car disappeared. 

I often pray for Jesus to return to take His children home where every tear is dried, every heartbreak is mended, and where evil no longer exists. 

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