Queenies Little Kingdom

I've found that the best way to prevent getting stuck in a rut is to JUST PLAN something and then do it!  So, while I wind down the last few weeks of school….I'm thinking of all the fun I want to have during my summer.  Some of my ideas aren't necessarily fun but if I'll just do them…I know I'll feel a sense of accomplishment.

Week # 1 — ORGANIZING THE PANTRY

I can only imagine what other's must think of me when they visit my house and have to throw something away in my garbage can.  The can is inside the packed & stacked "to the top" pantry.  I hate it.  It's like a magnet for extra stuff.  Surely, other people have stuff too.  I need to clean out the clutter.  

Week # 2 — CLEANING OUT CLOSETS

This one might do me in.  I can't even begin to describe the condition of the closets in our house.  It's the burden of not having much storage space and mixing it in with a family of disorganized people.  Disaster!  I really worry that the hoarder tv show people might visit and call me out on the packed mess.  Stuff equals stress to me.

Week # 3 — PAINT

I know I said that I had a bunch of painting to do over spring break….but, it didn't happen.  The hallways, kitchen, stairwell, family room & family room ceiling all need a new paint job!  I swear (imagine Scarlett O Hara) by all that is in me, I WILL PAINT MY HOUSE!  This might take a couple weeks but I'm willing to sacrifice.  Crockpot dinners will be a necessity or maybe even ordering out.  I can't do everything!

Week # 5 — WEDDING

I'm blocking off any frivolous items to attend my favorite Tennessee bumpkin friends SON'S wedding!  Woohoo!  I'm really excited to visit them and to watch as Dustin & Kandace begin their journey of love & commitment.  Congrats, lovebirds!

Week # 6 — VACATION

I'm not positive but since we are traveling to a wedding down south, it only makes sense to go a little further and visit the beach.  Fingers crossed, we will take a little hiatus and enjoy some fun in the sun.

I'm going to have to get back to you on the rest of my summer.  I've just counted the weeks and it looks like I'll be free for around 10 weeks.  Can you believe that?    I better get busy thinking of more "projects" to keep me on track.  Idle time seems to suck you into the blues and I don't need any blue days during my summer.  Know what I mean?

Here's to summer break!  Right?

I woke up yesterday feeling congested and itchy throat-like.  The itchy throat thing comes and goes around this "allergy" riddled time in Indiana.  I could sort of ignore it….but the chest congestion, not so much.  I thought I was having asthma problems.  The pressure was heavy and chronically annoying.

But you know me….I pushed on, people!

I worked all day, raced home for a fun exercise walk with my school bestie and cooked up a mean dinner & dessert.  By bedtime, I was seriously miserable.  I remembered that I have tons of prescription decongestants–why not take something?

Ding Ding!

I'm here to tell you (consider this a public service announcement).  DO NOT TAKE A DECONGESTANT AT BEDTIME!

My night of sleep was more of a date with disaster.  I was up and down, I flipped from side to side.  I was hot then cold.  I was jittery like a jumping spider and I probably got up to use the bathroom 7 times.  The night seemed to last forever.

Only, it wasn't refreshing.

The worst part?  I still feel terrible this morning.  The congestion is still there and my throat is now at level fire.  And sister's got the med shakes.  Not cool!

It's Friday and Prom weekend….I can't be ill.       

Hope your Friday is full of love and blessings!  I know many of you are finally getting your sweet college babes home–hug them, feed them and be ready for some new independance!  College seems to make them grow up right before your eyes!  Don't worry, they still need you.  Just make sure to step back a little and let them fly.  They won't disappoint you.

While my hubby was out of town last week….I stumbled upon a recipe that involved chicken and the crockpot.  Two of my favorite hobbies (finding a new way to cook chicken and using my handy-dandy crock)!  It looked too easy to be amazing.  The entire recipe takes 3 ingredients.  Unheard of, right?  

Oh friends…..this is a keeper!

My family could not stop eating.  When that happens, I know that I've struck gold.  How happy can a mama get over finding a jackpot recipe that the hardest part of the whole process is remembering to THAW OUT THE DANG CHICKEN??

Seriously!  Make this, now!

CROCKPOT CHICKEN TACOS

4 chicken breasts (thawed)

1 small jar of Salsa (any kind you prefer)

1 package taco seasoning (your choice again)

Place chicken into crock.  Pour over salsa.  Add taco seasoning over all.  Stir a little.  Put the lid on and go away.

Hours later, come home and sniff the delicious air in your house.  Shred some lettuce, slice tomato's (whatever your family likes for tacos).

Shred your chicken and place back into crock (get rid of bones/skin).  Stir to mix in well with sauce/cooking mixture.

Serve on your crunchy or tortilla shells.

BE AMAZED!!

People are going to love you and your delicious dinner.  I also made a cake that night that I'd found on a blog.  It was a vanilla version of my Wet Chocolate Cake.  Everyone acted like I was on track to earning my SUPERMOM status back.

Look out, Mama's on a comeback!

What happened to me?  I used to be funny!  It didn't take much thought for something witty or intelligent to come out of my mouth.  These days, I'm boring and dumbstruck the majority of the time.  It's as if I've undergone a fun-endectomy.  All my brainy humor is gone.

I'm dry.

But in my defense……

I am mothering teenagers and young adults.  Everybody knows parents are idiots at this stage of their lives.  I remember thinking the same thoughts.  Wow, what a moronic way of thinking.  Glad I made it through those years.  I certainly deserved a shaking!

I'm not picking on my kids, really.  I've just come to realize (sort of slowly) that this may be the hardest stage of my parenting so far.  All the worrying, fretting and praying for their safety doesn't hold a candle to the many LIFE DECISIONS they are now making.  This is a crucial time for each of them.  Big ideas and flippant choices can make or break them.

How's a mama to deal?

I heard myself saying—(yes, I listen to me every once in a while).  When can I stop worrying?  Will they make it?  How much longer will every step they make affect me?

I'll answer.  Forever.

I'm their mom — for goodness sake.  I'll always care about what's going on in their life.  It will matter to me forever that they are making wise choices and self-supportive.  That's just how God wires us (ladies).

In the meantime, I need to find my sense of humor again.  I need to learn to loosen up and let go.  Life is meant to be lived abundantly….Jesus said so himself.  [Thank you Jesus]

SMILE, FRIENDS!!  The week is half-way over.

My hubby has been sprucing our yard up a bit. No easy task when you live under the tallest trees ever. Flowers are just a pipe dream for people like me. If it cannot survive in the constant shade, it ain't living here. But it's nice and breezy!

This is the pond emptied and gross during the clean-out!

Blowing away the fall leaves and fallen limbs.

This is my new flower bed that he built for me.  He planted some beautiful Clematis bulbs along with some other shade/sun loving plants.  The new pup thought it was her new DIGGING PLAYGROUND and then the fancy chicken wire had to be put around it.  FANCY, HUH?

Yesterday, he climbed up on our roof and cleaned out our ancient gutters. While up there he scraped off some very useful moss and relocated it to my front walkway. Thank you Honey, it's really pretty!  Plus, he took it a step further and made a moss growing concoction with Buttermilk and painted the rocks around my pond.  Yay, more moss!

After some rain, everything turned even greener and made itself at home forever where it was planted.  I like that!  It's almost like I can have a pretty shady yard.

The pond is cleaned and a new family of fish have been moved in ….hubby believes the frogs have returned (I accidentally scooped out all the baby larvae) to lounge around our little oasis.  Life is booming around my palace.

It doesn't take much to make me happy (no comment, hubby) when it comes to yardwork.  I love just about any improvement that takes place.  I know that a beautiful yard takes work much like a strong relationship does with Christ.  I've been lazy in both.  I miss opportunities to lounge in His presence just like I miss mowing because I go do something more fun—only to have rain when I'm home and available.  The yard ends up showing it's neglect just as my heart and attitude.

I need the Master Gardener in my life and I don't want to miss a chance for pruning even when it's painful.  I can tell when the weeds and vines are out of hand (of my heart) when tensions rise and frustrations are plenty.  I appreciate how God so gently loves on me and calls me to Him.

Like a beautiful yard….I want to be pleasing to my Lord when He looks at me — I pray my life is a reflection of Him and His love inside me.    

Father,

Thank you for the picture of your love for me through the beauty of my surroundings.  I'm nothing without you but a bucket of weeds and dried up rocks.  Help me to tend to the garden of my heart and make me grow to be more like you!

Amen