Observing My Senses

For Today, November 10, 2012...

I am seeing...cloudy skies but no rain.  We haven't had rain in two weeks, since Hurricane Sandy passed us by.  The weather has improved drastically - humidity is down and the highs have been in the 70's or low 80's.

I am feeling...great after having found some excellent deals at Walmart!  I went through the toy clearance aisle and found expensive board games reduced to $5, and a couple of Zhu Zhu Pets playsets, one for $5 and the other for $1.  I love finding bargains!

I am hearing...just the whir of the computer and the refrigerator.  Oh, wait, I just heard my youngest son's voice.  He's awake.

I am tasting...hash browns, sausages, a fried egg and my morning coffee.  I took a break from my pumpkin spice Eggo's today.

I am smelling...the clean fresh air coming in through the windows.  Since Sandy came and went, I've barely turned on the a/c thanks to the gorgeous breezy weather.  That's a bonus - a lower electric bill is sure to come this week!

It just takes a moment to observe your surroundings.  Won't you join me?

Five Question Friday

My allergies have been bugging me as of late, so I took a Benadryl a little while ago.  It's making me sleepy, so I'm gonna go ahead and get my Five Question Friday post done before I conk out.  You can too - just hop on over to Mama M's at My Little Life.


1. If you had c-section do you wish you would have had vaginal? Or vice versa?
I had 3 c-sections, and I wish I could have had all vaginal.  Recovery time with c-sections is murder.  I didn't dilate so after 15 hours of contractions they went ahead and cut me open.  I was totally bummed.

2. If vaginal did you go drug free?
Three c-sections, the first two I was put under, the third I had an epidural.

3. Did you have any complications?
With my last pregnancy I had placenta previa so it was a delicate situation, but thank God nothing serious happened.

4. Who was in the delivery room with you?
For the first two, no one.  They were emergency c-sections and no one was allowed in the OR.  For the third c-section my husband was in the room.

5. Did you document your labor and delivery? (Photos, videos, etc.)
I refused to have pictures taken of me during labor (let's face it, women don't look or feel their best at that time).  Since no one was in the delivery room with me for the first two I have no pictures of those deliveries either.  I do have pictures of the third.

6. Pick the birth story of one of your children and tell us ALLLLLLLL about it!
Okay, well, I'll try to make this a quick recap.  My oldest son was born on his due date.  I had just stopped working on Wednesday, and my water broke early Friday morning, about 2 am.  The amniotic fluid was gushing, to the point that I arrived at the hospital and soaked the entry floor.  I was so embarrassed!  I was taken upstairs and put in a bed with a monitor on my belly.  It was uncomfortable, and I was in pain, and when I was checked I was at 2 centimeters, which told me this was gonna take a long time.  And it did.  My son wasn't born till 5:01pm.  I wasn't allowed to walk around to help my contractions because my water had broken.  I couldn't move around much because of the monitors.  To help with the pain I was given Demerol, which made me feel so light-headed I couldn't open my eyes but I still felt the contractions.  It was so uncomfortable, and felt so unproductive.  If I'd known then what I know now, I'd have opted for a home birth!  Of course once I woke up (still in pain and unable to move) and saw my gorgeous son, I forgot about the whole ordeal.  He was worth every minute of it.

Redecorating...Again

Last month my youngest son was struck by a stomach flu that made him miserable.  He spent one entire night throwing up.  It would come upon him so suddenly he couldn't control it long enough to get to the bathroom, which meant there was puke in several areas of the house.  Among these was the bed skirt on my bed.  

I remember well how sick he was when, after dinner, he said he didn't feel well and wanted to go to bed.  His stomach was hurting, but I didn't know if it was just a matter of an upset stomach or a virus, so I had him go to bed early and I retired at 10pm.  An hour later I heard my poor son throwing up violently.  As I turned on the light I realized there was throw up all over my bedroom floor and sheets, and the bed skirt.  At that hour I had to get up, take everything off the bed and throw it in the wash, while cleaning up the bedroom and kitchen floors.  It was not the pleasantest of nights.

I had to wash the bed linens twice in order to get the yuck and smell out, then I put them in the dryer.  To my horror, when I pulled out the bed skirt it was in shambles.  It had gotten torn up, probably in the washer, then it shrunk in the dryer.  It was useless at this point; I had no choice but to throw it away.

Thankfully the actual comforter hadn't suffered any malady, but it was short and didn't cover the bed properly.  The bed skirt had covered the box spring, but the comforter only covered the mattress.  I figured I'd have to get a new skirt if I could find one, or a new comforter set.  This created a problem:  I've been trying to get away from using the credit card.  I used to use the credit card for everything, but I was finding myself overspending, something I wanted to get away from.  By using the debit card I'm forced to stay within my budget, which is great, but a new comforter set for a king sized bed was certainly not in the budget.  I decided to leave it in God's hands and let Him provide for us.

A couple of weeks ago I got a Kohl's Yes Pass, one of their discount cards, in the mail.  I've always loved the household items at Kohl's and their prices are also right up my alley, which is great.  I sat down and crunched some numbers, and figured out that I could spend no more than $125.  Obviously that is a paltry amount for bedding for a king sized bed, but I had already made a promise to God that I wouldn't use the credit card other than for groceries and gas which I pay off at the end of the month, so I knew I had to keep my word to Him.  What made it even more difficult was that I didn't want to have to buy new curtains.  The curtains in my room are fairly new and in excellent condition; having to purchase new ones was out of the question, but that meant I'd have to find bedding in the same burgundy and green so that it would match.  It seemed like there were a lot of obstacles, but I trusted my Father and went with my discount pass to my favorite store.

And God did not disappoint!  Take a look at the comforter set that I got:

Isn't it gorgeous?!  The colors are slightly lighter than those on the curtain but they still work well.  The set brings the bed skirt, comforter, two king sized pillow shams, two European pillow shams, and two decorator pillows.  But wait, there's more!

It's reversible!!  The top look is a tropical motif, while the bottom is a more contemporary style.  They are both lovely, and I have trouble deciding which I love most!

Now, here's the best part.  I've seen comforter sets like this in stores like Bed Bath and Beyond for upwards of $400.  Clearly that would have been way over my budget.  The regular price for this complete set at Kohl's is $299.99, but they were having a 50% off sale, so the price was marked down to $149.99.  Add to that my 20% off discount, and the price was further reduced to $119.99!  With tax the total came out to $127, just $2 above my budget, which bugged me but not enough to turn it down ;).  The other great thing is that the skirt works perfectly with my old comforter set, so I can keep it too and interchange them whenever I want.  God honored my desire to stay within a budget and not get into debt, and He gave me a beautiful bedroom to boot!

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch

Welcome to another friendly chat day with Patrice and Wendell at Everyday Ruralty.  With the weather here being in the upper 60's, breezy and filled with sunshine, I think it's the perfect place for a porch day.  Join us!


1. Are you planning on doing most of your Christmas shopping in stores, or online?
Good question!  I've done some shopping online and some at the stores.  I look for specials in the stores, and if I can find prices better than Amazon then I shop at the stores.  Otherwise, I love the convenience of going online from the comfort of my home and saving on gas :).

2. Have you ever been to a bonfire?
No, I haven't.  I've lived in the city or suburbs all my life.  No bonfires allowed here :(.

3. What would "simplifying life" mean to you?
Getting rid of satellite TV.  There's nothing on television worth watching, anyway.

4. Tell me about one blog you really enjoy reading.
Well, there's Everyday Ruralty of course.  But I guess you mean other than this one ;).  I love reading the Lockwood Family's blog (you can read about the Lockwoods here).  They are a missionary family living in and preaching the Gospel in Baja California, Mexico.  It's a very encouraging blog.

5. Have you ever had someone who isn't in your family, but felt just like family?
When I was growing up, there was an elderly lady that took my dad in when he first moved to New York.  We called her Grandma Carmen even though she wasn't related to us.  She was as sweet as anyone could be, very loving towards us.  She passed away many years ago but I still have nice memories of her.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, November 6, 2012...

Outside my window...it's overcast and humid.  A cold front is coming through tonight, which means humidity will be up a bit and we might get some rain before the evening.

I am thinking...of the election, and who will win.  I know one thing for sure:  no matter what the outcome, God is in control.

I am thankful for...the honor and privilege of voting for the candidate that best reflects my own values.

I am going...to vote today!  Just waiting for mid-morning when, hopefully, there will be a shorter line.

I am wearing...a mint green top, green skirt, and flip-flops.  It's 74 degrees out, comfortable even though it's a bit humid.

I am noticing...the night light that's still on.  I need to turn that off.

In the kitchen...easy chicken and stuffing in the crock pot.

I am creating...a stash of Christmas presents in my closet.  No peeking!

I am reading...still on Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst.  I'm reading it as a study so I'm taking my time.

I am hoping...I can find some jeans for my son who is growing faster than I can keep up.

I am looking forward to...the end of the elections, which means no more political ads!  They make me sick!

I am hearing...my son playing a video game and my daughter practicing on her guitar.

Around the house...everything is in pretty good order.

A favorite quote of the day...“In short, ours is a peculiar country with a unique history.  What is best in America can be traced back to our Judeo-Christian heritage.  What is problematic in our nation is our departure from that heritage.”- Dr. David Gibbs Jr. (from the book “One Nation Under God”).

One of my favorite things...crock pot cooking.  Whoever invented the crock pot, Thank you!!

A few plans for the rest of the week...voting today, Awana tomorrow, and that's all that's planned right now.

Wanna join in the fun?  Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman's Daybook.  God bless.

Move It Mondays Update

I've gotta post this and give some praise to God for His goodness!

On Friday, as I was doing my grocery shopping, my car radio started acting weird.  It was playing a CD, when suddenly all the controls froze.  The CD player was still working, technically, because the CD was still playing, but I couldn't get any of the controls to work.  I couldn't raise or lower the volume, I couldn't take the CD out, I couldn't switch to radio; it simply would not respond.  When I got to Walmart I turned off the car and hoped that when I came back the radio would have reset itself and would work.  Quite the opposite happened; the radio was completely dead.  It wouldn't turn on or anything.  Worse yet, the CD was still in the player and I had no way of getting it out.

I knew I'd have to take the car to the dealership to see if the radio was still under warranty, since the car is just 15 months old, but I didn't have time on Friday, and I certainly didn't want to go during the weekend when the dealership is packed.  It wasn't anything urgent, so I decided to wait till Monday.  Saturday I went out shopping and to dinner with my daughter, and the radio didn't work.  We went to church yesterday morning, and still nothing.  I was prepared to spend the morning getting the radio fixed.

This morning, as we got ready to have breakfast, my son E and I prayed and thanked the Lord for a new day, for the food He'd provided, and while I was at it I prayed for the car radio to be fixed and not to cost me anything, since I wasn't sure the warranty would cover the radio.  I got in the car, turned the key, and to my shock and surprise the CD started playing right where it had left off on Friday before getting stuck!  I pressed the button to remove the CD, and it popped right out!  The radio works, the CD player works, everything works as though nothing had ever happened!

It reminded me of Jesus' words, "You have not because you ask not." (John 16:24).  It's not that God can't do for us what we want, it's that we don't ask Him because we think our request is too menial, not important enough to bother God.  But He wants us to approach Him with all our requests, all our desires, and trust that He will take care of them.  He certainly took care of my car radio!  Thank You Jesus, for Your kindness and generosity!

Monday Quiz About Me

I'm taking a break to post my Monday Quiz post, courtesy of Heather at Acting Balanced.  Four questions are provided, with the option to add a fifth question for you to answer on my blog.  Here we go with this week's questions:


1. What is your favorite thing about November?
Why, Thanksgiving of course!  I love a holiday that isn't about getting, but all about giving.  Giving thanks for blessings is a beautiful thing.

2. What was the last thing that you bought that you regretted soon afterwards?
I think too much about purchases beforehand so I don't often regret.  I think in this case it's a video game I bought my son for Christmas which he now says he's not that into.  I think once it's in his hands, though, he'll get excited about it.

3. What is your go to snack food?
Raisins.  Specifically, vanilla yogurt covered raisins.  I always have them on hand, they are yummy and nutritious.

4. Do you believe that newspapers should charge for their online content?
Only if they take all the ads out and charge only for actual news.  If I have to pay AND see the ads, it's not worth it.

And now my fifth question:

5.  When will you start decorating your home for Christmas?
Unlike department stores that were already putting up trees and wreaths in October, I wait till after Thanksgiving.  The very next day.  I have lots and lots of decorations, and I enjoy putting them up and seeing them for as long as I can, so they go up when everyone else is at the Black Friday sales.