Category: HOME

Eat, Pray, Love… what would you do with your final hour?

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment
Image via http://www.imdb.com

Something to think about… (thanks to WordPress for the topic) WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD ONE HOUR TO LIVE? Hmmmm. Not something I like to think about… I would want to spend time with my husband, I would want to talk to my family (after all I only have an hour, not enough time to jump in a car and get to Summerville OR on a plane and get to Michigan!) and I would want to take a few minutes to write a letter to those who have made my world a much better place. I would want them to have something that shows them how much I truly loved them and how deeply I felt about them. Then I would just want to be close to Fred and say goodbye to Charlie…  I. WOULD. PRAY. Oh, and if I was so lucky as to have a box of See’s dark chocolate caramels in the house I would go ahead and eat them, well, I would save Fred a few, but what the heck… might as well. I would still want to quick brush my teeth at least. Then I think I would set the house up for Fred, make things exactly as he likes them.  Personally I’m hoping when we’re very very old, once we’re no longer healthy, that we fall asleep in each others arms and wake up in Heaven. If that happens, no one needs to be sad for me I will be thrilled! What would you do with your final hour? By the way, Eat Pray Love was a good movie if you need something to rent! Until tomorrow…

Visit my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com!

Rain… sleet… SNOW?

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments
Image via http://www.pacificcoast.com

I grew up in Michigan. I know about cold, or at least I USED TO KNOW about cold… I’ve been in South Carolina for the past 22 years so I know less about the cold than I used to! I remember vivid details of one ice storm when I was young. I remember it being SO EXCITING! How nice to be that age with no worries, everything is an adventure! I remember how we didn’t have power, but we had a fireplace and had that puppy going strong!  I remember tree limbs breaking and big hunks of ice jamming the river. I remember neighbors coming over to use our stove/oven because ours was gas and theirs was electric. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. I remember moving the furniture in the living room which is fairly large against the walls and bunches of us spread out our sleeping bags to be in the room with the fire. We had a radio that was tuned to a station that told scary stories, ohmygosh, I will never forget that! Fast forward to today… As I type this sleet is hitting the window and Charlie (Jack Russell) is barking at it, he’s not sure what this stuff is! Why does it make noise? Ha ha… When cold weather and rain strikes we usually go to the store to gather supplies, ha ha… Get food to cook/bake as well as treats, because anytime bad weather strikes, you must have a ‘Storm Party’ (per our nephew, Maxwell).  So we usually get a fire going in the fireplace (ha, I say ‘we’, but it’s Fred that does all that, and an awesome job of it I have to say… wish he was home now!), pour a glass of wine, read, talk, and if I get my way we’ll play cards, play with Charlie and generally just have a big time. We love a good storm party, how about you?

When it’s time to hit the hay we crawl into our bed that has a Pacific Coast down (www.pacificcoast.com) comforter (lightweight). You wouldn’t believe how warm it gets QUICKLY! A wise investment indeed (we bought ours on sale at Macy’s last year, also available at Amazon, etc. etc.). We turn our heat almost all the way down at night, it rarely comes on. We both like sleeping with it pretty chilly (high 50’s/low 60’s), ahhhh, I’m already looking forward to crawling back into that bed tonight! Until tomorrow…

Couldn’t stay away… hee hee

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment
Image via http://www.staples.com

I know yesterday I said I might take the weekend off, but since WordPress is offering a topic a day to blog about I hate to not participate… Today’s topic: How do you stay focused?

Well, let me start by saying I have a pretty great system that works well for me… on the other hand sometimes I think I’m stuck in the zone, and on paper I am über organized, yet I haven’t actually gotten anything done yet, ha ha… I have a journal that I write notes in basically, what I need to do for the day, what to make for dinner, what I need at the store, who I’ve contacted, medical notes, notes about pretty much anything during the day. IT COMES IN HANDY. I can refer back to it at any time and pull up important details that would otherwise be lost. I also have a monthly day planner like the one in the picture. I prefer the cheap thin ones to the thick ones, I seem to use it more. So between the journal and the monthly planner, oh, and my BlackBerry Calendar I know where I should be and when I should be there… How do you stay focused? Hope your Saturday is a great one! Until tomorrow?

If you get a chance, check out my other blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Share something that makes you smile…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment
Image via http://www.t-mobile.com

The WordPress daily post subject today is to share something that makes you smile… OK, it seems rather sad that I pick a phone as the “something that makes me smile”, it’s not actually the phone (although, I have to say I love this phone, and it DOES make me smile, well, most of the time)… It’s what’s ‘inside’ the phone.  A sweet message from Fred (my husband) that he left several months ago. I love his messages, his kind words, his enthusiasm, THAT is what makes me smile!  What makes you smile? An interesting subject no doubt, I had so many possibilities, then I tried to think of something where I could have the post and the image go together and tada… Blackberry Bold it is…

Here’s to many things that make you smile today! Until tomorrow…

For the irreverent and slightly jaded…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment
Image via http://www.eyebobs.com

Eyewear for the irreverent and slightly jaded… Hmmm, have you seen Eyebobs reading glasses? If you’re of the age where your vision up close is heading south, you may want to try a pair of these! They’re ultra cool, check out their website! www.eyebobs.com. I know we all fight it as long as we can holding objects (omg, the MENU!) farther and farther away but there comes a point in time where you have to give it up and get some glasses, oh it’s so nice to see again.  What fun, huh? This is the pair I bought, they have lots of funky styles, check them out!

What was your best accomplishment of 2010? Hmmm, I try to think of what my best accomplishment was and I think of lots of little things but nothing substantial. Nothing that will make me sound important, ha ha… I guess to do good, help those who need it and not take the small things in life for granted. I’m very fortunate to be married to the most wonderful man in the world. I have a great life, a sweet (well, at least when he’s sleeping) dog, a house we love in a city that offers so much. So I will keep in mind during this new year not to take things for granted, no matter how small. I will love and APPRECIATE my family even more, and mostly from a distance, sigh… Until tomorrow…

Have you met Mrs. Meyer’s? AWESOME hand soap!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME1 Comment
Image via http://www.mrsmeyers.com
Have you tried Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day hand soap? It’s wonderful! We started using it several years ago when we spotted it at Whole Foods. It has a wonderful scent (and many to choose from!), I remember our first bottle was Geranium scented… it doesn’t dry out your hands and all that jazz, very nice. I’ve seen it at Target, Walmart, even the grocery stores, keep your eyes out for it! I would like to try some of the rest of their line, check them out at www.mrsmeyers.com.
Well, my husband is on the dreadmill, uh, I mean treadmill, good for him. When he starts a (self inflicted) “get fit” program he goes 110%, while I think of different (more healthy) dinners to make, and make notes and THINK… now’s the time to get off my duff and do too… ha. I think I’ll start the year slowly deep cleaning the house and (re) organizing all the drawers and closets. I am good at that! Ha… time to get rid of excess which we are really good at since we don’t have space to store items that aren’t used. I think we’d be in trouble if we had a big house with lots of storage.
I hope the beginning of 2011 is looking bright for you! Until tomorrow…

Happy New Year… and New You??

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment
Photograph via http://www.vitamix.com

Happy New Year and welcome to 2011!  It’s going to be a great year, right?! I’m starting off the year with one resolution crossed off my list (starting this blog!!), ok, so I don’t really do resolutions, but at least SOMETHING crossed off my list, which feels good!

After a month (or so) of eating food that I really shouldn’t have been eating, it’s time to scale back, find something halfway healthy and get a grip. I would include a photo of our own Vitamix, but this one is prettier, ha ha… Have you ever tried a Vitamix? Awesome smoothies, they can crush ice in an instant they can even make soup! If you get a chance, give it a shot, maybe you can sneak some veggies into your day, hee hee.

I am excited to be starting another blog and I look forward to hearing your comments throughout the year. My other blog is a photoblog, you can check it out at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com, it began as a project to try to figure out HOW to blog. It quickly became an addiction! 

Until tomorrow…