Day At Home

I was just going to tell you how I spent my first day at home in over two weeks.  But I accidently typed 'Day At Home' into my Google search bar instead of my 'Post Title' bar.  And then suddenly I was on Wikipedia, where I learned this:

 

The "At Home" day was a social custom in Victorian Britain, where women of gentle status would receive visitors on a specific day of the week. The woman would print calling cards indicating she would be "At Home" e.g. on "Fridays in April".^[1] Those of her acquaintances who had received the card could then call on her that day. It was considered impolite to visit unannounced on any other day, or to visit without having received a card.^[2] Guests should visit between three or four and six in the afternoon, and stay for a period from a quarter of an hour to an hour, depending on the level of intimacy with the hostess.

Evidently the custom continued in the colonies up until the time of the telephone.  
And then I clicked on Martha Stewart's blog post on what she did on her last day at home (which was sometime last July).  She worked out with her trainer, organized her tool shed (which one commentator remarked was roughly the size of Rhode Island--because, yes, if we are properly sidetracked we read the comments as well), printed labels, and ran a few errands in town.  Focus, focus.  And now on with this post...

1.  worked out with my trainer  Went to Zumba
2.  Organized my paper stack  Browsed Pinterest for a gluten free chocolate brownie cookie recipe
3.  Printed the recipe
4.  Ran a few errands  Took a nap
5.  Colored my hair

Clearly I am better at time management than Martha.  And just so you know, I will be having another day at home tomorrow.  And I plan to really bake those cookies in the am.  And I don't know where my cell phone is.  And I don't have any calling cards printed.  So feel free to stop in anytime (except from 3-4 in the afternoon--because I just may have to have another nap).

Wiki-Research Report

AA recurring piece of public statuary stands in twelve locations from Maryland to California, tracing a historic travel route from "covered wagon days." The statue is the Madonna of the Trail, an 18-ft. tall tribute to the pioneer mothers who traveled west with their crazy husbands (emphasis mine).

If this doesn't have Ms Brenda written all over it I don't know what does.  A tribute to the faith and love of strong brave women.  Plus they weigh 5 tons each.  Oh I am going to see all twelve of these identical women with rattlesnakes at their feet, a rifle in one hand, and a baby in the other.  (Funded and dedicated by my new friend Harry Truman.) 
Roadside America suggests:
To properly honor the pioneer spirit, one should retrace the entire trail, and photograph all twelve cookie cutter statues. Or, with less honor, take twelve photos of one and say you saw 'em all...


1.Bethesda, Maryland
2.Beallsville, Pennsylvania
3.Wheeling, West Virginia
4.Springfield, Ohio
5.Richmond, Indiana
6.Vandalia, Illinois
7.Lexington, Missouri
8.Council Grove, Kansas
9.Lamar, Colorado
10.Albuquerque, New Mexico
11.Springerville, Arizona
12.Upland, California

Oddly enough, my vacation is already scheduled in the Beallsville vicinity.  I love it when a plan comes together.

Ms Brenda's Excellent Adventure

And Reasonable Resolution #3

One of last year's reasonable resolutions was to read one book a month.   Which quickly became two books a month.  Because reasonable resolutions are just that easy to keep. 
For Christmas this year the STP got me a Kindle.  With a great green case.  And before I left for my trip I downloaded Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure  (based on Amazon's recommendation, the fact that my favorite brother is currently reading his way through presidential biographies, and the fact that it was less than three dollars.)  While I traveled East I read the first part of the book in which Harry and Bess also travel East.  And on the way home I finished the book--dropping Harry and Bess off as close to Independence, Missouri as I could from my Boeing. 
A quote for you: 

Truman didn't think much of memorials to the living.  "You can never tell what foolishness they may get into before the get into a pine box and then the memorial sometimes has to be torn down." 

Also, I would like to take a road trip with the STP and stop at bizarre little diners.  And write down everything we eat, and save all the gas receipts in the glove compartment.  I am adding this to my bucket list right after 'Visit Paris'. 

And I am going to do some research on Madonnas of the Trail statues.  Because I think these must be a cross between Muffler Men and the Mother of All Mother statues. 

For the record, I also finished Henry Blackaby's book on Leadership this month.  It is called:

Spiritual Leadership: Movin...                  Henry T. Black...

I am pretty sure there is more to the title than that, but that is all that fits on my Kindle screen.  I like my Kindle but I have not mastered it.  I can highlight and take notes, but I'm not sure how to access them.  And I have no idea how 'big' the book is.  I know how far along I am.  37%...52%...86%   Which is one step better than holding your book closed with your finger marking your place and guessing how far along you are.  But there is no sense of how thick the book is.  Like is it a little paperback, or a big honking thick book?   For some reason this is important information for me.  I will have to judge my kindle books by how long they take to read.  A bubble bath book.  A two day I am not getting off the couch book.  A month long book.  An I'll never finish this I need the space on my Kindle I might as well delete this book. 

Reasonable Resolution #3--Read two books a month in 2012.



Special Ladies

 Me with the sisters I grew up with.

Me with the sisters I gave birth to.

Four generations. Three moms.  Three daughters.  Two grandmas.  Two granddaughters.  One great grandma.  One great granddaughter. 

You can probably see some family resemblances.   Genetics is a scary thing.  (Remember there are no lifeguards in the gene pool.)  Only one lady pictured here can not hot dog roll her tongue.  She better hope that the dementia gene isn't on the same chromosome, or she will be the only one to remind us when to take our pills.

For Crying Out Loud

I don't think I cried when my parents dropped me off at college and drove away.  But I think I've cried everytime I've left home since.  By the time I was a Junior in college my Mom would take me to the bus stop and put me on the bus because she couldn't stand me crying for the two hour trip back to school.  After I was married, the STP hated the drive away from my parents house whenever we visited because I cried for the first part of the trip.  I don't have a particulary hard time being away from home.  But I have a really hard time leaving home. 
My Mom and Dad took me to the airport yesterday and I teared up as I hugged them goodbye. "How old are you?" they asked.   Not too old to cry, obviously.

30,000 Pageviews

Today I will reach 30,000 pageviews on my blog.  You could be the thirty thousandth pageviewer.  Lucky you.  Did your day just get better, or what?

While I Am Gone

Tomorrow am I am leaving on a jet plane.  Well, a regional jet plane.  And I will be arriving on a less than a jet plane.  Like a propeller plane.  Where every seat is a window seat.  And an aisle seat.  (Rose Tenenhier will have to sit  somewhere behind me.) I am traveling light.  Like amazingly light.  Clean underwear and my Kindle light.  I downloaded three books.  (I don't mean to brag, but I did that all by myself.) 
I am going to have lunch on Saturday with my girls and their husbands.  And the BGsITW.  And my Mom and Dad.  And all of my favorite brothers and sisters and most of their spouses and all their kids who can make it.  Since I am traveling light, I have made arrangements to bring the rolls.  I am giggling already just thinking about it.
I.  Can't.  Wait. 
When I get back I will be older than I am now.  Five days older. One year older.
I was going to tell you how I am not having a problem getting older.  How a birthday is a cause to celebrate.  How I am embracing my age.  But I still need to color my hair before I go to bed. 
See you when I get back. 
 

Creative Time Wasting

Pinterest.  Where I spend each evening finding new ideas, recipes, projects, colors, etc. that I don't have time to try.  Was just wondering why I have no new projects or things I have done to tell you about and realized that I have done nothing.  So in the interest of more interesting blog entries (as well as a more interesting life)  I am swearing off Pinterest for the rest of my life for the rest of the month week day till after I shower.
Did you know you can make ice orbs for your winter garden with balloons and food coloring?

3:17

Not in John but in Daniel.  If I ever get around to setting real goals for 2012 this will be my verse for the year.  Daniel 3:17 ...the God we serve is able..., and He will...  The fact that it is about being thrown into a fiery furnace concerns me just a little.

Reasonable Resolutions

2.  Delete all of 2011 pictures from camera.

Ms Brenda Gets Her Mojo Back

Like Amidala, I have been in somewhat of a funk since Christmas.  And then one day this week I got up and made the Goob chocolate pancakes.

And the same day I took down the Christmas decorations (with a little help from the ever-getting-taller Goob.)

And I actually put an exercise DVD in the DVD player.

And I logged 10000 steps on my pedometer. 

Not to mention 5 loads of laundry.






And I think 2012 may be the year that I lose that extra weight and organize my photos. 

One Wednesday in January

On Wednesdays I go back to work after three days off.  (I don't really like going back to work on Wednesdays.)  But the good part of my Wednesday schedule is the time. I don't have to go early.  And I don't have to stay late.  So I don't have to drive in the dark.  And on these short winter days I get to see the sunrise on my way to work.

(The bad part is that I never have extra time on my way to work, so I have to take blurry pictures out my car windows.)

And on the very same day, on my way home, I get to see the sun set.

(And on my way home I have the luxury of pulling over to take a picture.  Because this just doesn't get old for me.)

Sunrise, Sunset.

I love Wednesdays.

Reasonable Resolutions

1.  Blog less