Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm here to link up with Joyce today for her wonderful Wednesday Hodgepodge. I always love these days and am excited to read what other people share to answer her questions. 

1. What was your favorite part about growing up in your hometown? I attended church in my hometown as a young girl, so I would say that my friends were my favorite part of growing up here in Collierville. I attended school here for one year, and after growing up here myself, I love that my sons were raised here. They went to the schools here in town for several years before we became a homeschooling family, but their friends were all still right here near them. I also love that our church home is here and that they grew up there. It's a wonderful feeling to be loved and to know that your "kids" are loved by so many who saw them grow up! 

Right now, my favorite thing about my hometown is that it still feels like a small town, even though it's anything but. I love that we have an annual Christmas tree lighting on our town square, a Christmas parade down one of the main streets in town, and that everywhere I go, I see people I know. I love that I get to be involved on one of the town boards by serving as a library board member and that it feels like I get to give back to a community that I love. I love my little Hallmark movie of a town that I am blessed to live in and be a part of. 

2. Do you prefer "material" gifts or "experience" gifts? If you answered "experience", tell us about what you received and truly enjoyed. I've never been given "experience" gifts before, but I would love those. I would love season tickets to The Orpheum to see shows that come to Memphis. The thing about this membership is that you need two to have someone to go with! 

3. Is brown a color prominently featured in your home decor? Your wardrobe? What's a favorite brown thing that you own? Of the brown foods mentioned here, which is your favorite and most often consumed...brown sugar, brown rice, pretzels, coffee, dates, cloves, German chocolate cake, whole wheat bread? 

I have a brown leather couch, so I'll answer "yes" to this question. That has been a staple in this home since my sons were young, because it held up to the wear and tear of raising boys and having lots of their friends in and out of my home. It also holds up well with pets who think they're human and who have turned the couch into their nap couch. I don't love wearing the color brown, honestly, but I do love that natural color that I call "oatmeal". It seems like a lighter shade of a brownish color, and I think it's flattering for lots of skin tones. Of the foods listed above, I love German chocolate cake, but I don't eat it often at all. Coffee is another story, though, and I love it and drink it multiple times every single day! Well, sometimes I only have one cup, but you get my drift. 

4. Which Charlie Brown character do you relate to most? 

According to the fun little online quiz I took per Joyce's suggestion, I relate most to Woodstock because I am loyal, kindhearted, and enjoy helping others. (Their words, not mine.) If I'm being honest, I'll confess that I didn't read or watch a lot of Charlie Brown while I was growing up. I loved the Christmas special, though! 

5. What's a favorite item you've purchased this year? My sheets! Every single night when I climb into bed, I have this thought. They feel so luxurious! Here's a link for them. I've purchased several things at the onslaught of my life changing to make things feel differently without him. I wanted to make the spaces more mine after my life changed so much. I feel good knowing that it's so different! Another favorite purchase from this year is my Christmas tree. 

This is how beautiful it was even with nothing on it by the lights. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The closer we get to the holidays, the more my calendar is filling up! I don't mind it one bit, honestly, but that is all the more inspiration to finish my shopping and gift wrapping sooner rather than later. I don't know if I'll meet my Thanksgiving deadline, but I'm going to try! So far I have a staff ladies luncheon at the home of one of our church members on a Thursday, I have a staff Christmas party at a beautiful historic venue called Heartwood Hall, and I have two work events planned for nights leading up to Christmas. I'm grateful for the extra hours this affords me at work, and I was going to go anyway, but now I get to be paid to attend. Bonus! I was dreading the thought of one of the events and showing up alone, but I talked to my friend today at work and will be riding with her and her husband. I will not dread it if I have someone to show up with! 

Thanks for reading my blog today, friends! Love to all. 

Jenn 🖤

how I cope when life is hard

Happy Tuesday, friends! This isn't my normal kind of post, but it's something I want to talk about since it's what I face some days. I want to share what I do to try to help me through the barrage of emotions that often come my way each day. These things that I do can be helpful for a lot of different circumstances, not just what I'm going through. It's such a wonderful, magical time of year, but these days bring up a lot of feelings for so many of us! That being said, I hope you find some helpful advice while you read my post today, especially as we get closer to the holidays.

Because I have had so much change in my life this year, I seem to go back and forth with my feelings, and I have days when I struggle with my thoughts. It's like my mind never stops reeling and I have all of them at once. The first thing I do on days like this is to pray, which I always try to stop right then and do, but sometimes that doesn't seem to work. I'm just being honest, here. There is a verse that I like to pray when I go through such times. 

We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 4b-5

I know that when I have times like this, it's the enemy messing with me. I try to be intentional with my time and thoughts by thanking God for the many things I have to thank Him for, but even still, some days are just hard. I guess I say this to express that even though most days I try to be upbeat and positive, I am not always that way. I know that these feelings won't last, but I do have to sit with them for a minute before trying to move on. Even my counselor suggests that, to give a voice to what I'm feeling and to try to work through it. 

The second thing I do while I'm still praying is to begin thanking God for all that He has done in my life, and for praising Him for who He is. Here are some of His wonderful attributes that are praiseworthy:

• He is holy
• He is omniscient and knows everything that we are going through
• He is loving
• He is merciful
• His word is true and He is completely reliable
• He is sovereign over everything: time, circumstances, and all of creation
• He is faithful
• He never changes and will never let me down

Another thing I do often, even on the days when I don't struggle, is listen to worship music. It's so uplifting to me, and before I know, my mood will have turned around. 

I do not neglect my quiet time, no matter how much I'm not feeling it that day. The thing is, even on our very worst days, it's a great day to be in the word of God. Somehow, even when we're struggling to pay attention even as we listen to the word being read to us aloud, it still seeps into our heart. It's important to keep showing up daily for this time with Jesus, if you're a believer. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, either, and there's no right or wrong way to go about this! This could be time just spent reading the Bible, it could be time spent by doing a daily devotional, or you could just follow a simple Scripture writing plan, like I did for years. That may be one of my favorite things to do, by the way, write out the word of God. For me, to write it is to commit it to my heart. 

If you want to do that this holiday season, here's a link for you to use. This is Shannon from Sweet Blessings blog who put together a writing plan for us for years; she stopped doing this a couple of years ago, but the plans are still available. Go to this page, click on her link, and you'll be redirected to a One Drive link where you can pick your plan. 

I also don't spend too much time alone. If I'm not leaving my home on days like this, I call my people. This could be my mom, my sisters, or my friends. I'm always grateful when they answer my many calls! This is something that is hard for me, because I love being at home and watching movies or shows. As much as I love being there, I can only handle so much of it, if that makes sense. That being said, if I stay home from Sunday afternoon and don't go anywhere on Monday, I am always more than ready to go to work on Tuesdays. It's good to be with people we love to be with!

Lastly, I choose joy. Every single time, even on the hardest of days, I have so much to be thankful for. The minute I start focusing on anything other than my own circumstances, my outlook changes. It's why I share my thankful Thursday posts each week, because it's true and heartfelt. I have so very much to be thankful for, and I never want to take any of that for granted. Trust me when I say that I have my days when I just struggle nonstop, no matter what I do. Even on those days, though, I try to have something to look forward to, no matter how big or small. We should all look forward to things more! I don't know how exactly it is that we can start to have that personality trait, but I equate it to be eternally optimistic and easily excitable. Is that even a phrase? It should be, if not! Even if I'm not feeling joyful, I put a smile on my face and I pretend until it becomes more real. And it always does! 

Here are a few other things we can do to be a good friend to those who are hurting:

• pray for them
• call them regularly
• text them often to check in on them
• invite them into your home and life; don't make them have to ask

These are things I've appreciated the last few months; some of these are things that I would love to happen to me, particularly the one about being invited. Life just feels hard a lot, you know? Regardless of what someone goes through, I think it's so good to be sympathetic and to have empathy for those who are hurting. I think we should always be sensitive to what we share with people who are facing hard things. 

I guess another reason why I'm sharing this is to also ask you to keep praying for me. I desperately need it! Part of my struggle is because I'm facing my first set of holidays without my dad on earth. But mostly it's also because of the death of my marriage, and all the grand thoughts I had pertaining to my future years. It's hard being alone and thinking of showing up to events alone, and though I'm surrounded by people who love me and my sons so much, it's still very, very difficult. I still feel lonely a lot, and I always feel like there's a dark cloud hanging over my head. I am nothing here, if not real with you, and I know when you read this, that most of you will pray for me and my sons. Thank you! So many of you have reached out to me by email or text, and I could never say thank you enough. Thanks for reading a bit of my heart today, friends, and for your kindness. Love to all.

Jenn 🖤

Linking up with:

weekending

 

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you had a good weekend! I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for today's post. Did you do anything fun this weekend? Mine was pretty good, but also kind of meh, if that makes sense. 

I love to start my day off by making my bed. Do you do this? I don't always get up and make this effort, but I did on Friday, and I loved the result. I always add this blanket to the end of my bed when the weather turns cold, but I love how it looks like Christmas with the added festive pillows. 

I thought I'd take a close-up of the tree, and this sign that I added to it. My sister suggested that I try this, and I love the result!

I loved having Crash and Oakley with me this weekend! Graham asked if they could stay with me since he had planned on being out of town all day Saturday, and of course I said yes! I picked up Oakley from the groomer for Graham when they called to tell him she was ready. 

She is terrified of riding in cars! When he got her, as she was being brought to Memphis from Arkansas in his friend's vehicle, he was involved in a terrible wreck, and the kennel broke in the wreckage. The dogs were so scared, and my boys went to help keep them contained while they were on the side of the road. To this day, I think she remembers that. 

I went to Marilyn's house Friday night and helped her get her tree up! We didn't do much else besides that, but she made us a delicious dinner, and then we just talked and caught up with each other. I went out with my mom and sister on Saturday, to an antique mall that we love going to, but I didn't buy anything. And for the rest of the day, I didn't do much! I came home and got comfy for the evening, ate dinner, and watched this cute Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Christmas movie.

It was better than I thought it would be, actually, so you should find this one and add it to your list of movies to watch. While I was watching, I was also busy getting sourdough ready to bake on Sunday afternoon. 

I preheated the oven as soon as I got home from church, and was surprised at the rise on both loaves! I stretched and tucked it one last time that morning at 6:30, so this was six hours later. 

Both loaves turned out perfectly! I'm always excited when that happens, and of course I had to taste it fresh out of the oven. I sent the second loaf home with my mom and stepdad.

This may be my newest favorite Christmas movie so far this season! I love that it was done like The Amazing Race, and I love both Andrew Walker and Ashley Williams. 

I was back at church by five to open up the bookstore that nobody came into, then I joined my mom and  Bill in the fellowship hall for a Sounds of the Season concert given by our orchestra. It was so good! And that's all I did this weekend. What did you do that was fun? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all! 

Friday Favorites, 11.15.2024.

 

Happy Friday, friends! I'm linking up with Andrea and Erika for today's blog post. How has your week been? Mine has been pretty good, in spite of a rough start. I'm glad that day passed by quickly and that I had an incident snap me out of my emotions! I love it when that happens and that it reminds me to stop being sad. Enough about all of that! I had some favorites from throughout this week, and also some things that I actually love right now that are useful. I'll jump right in!

If you've been here for any amount of time, you know that all things pertaining to Christmas are my favorite! I love, love, LOVE waking up and turning on the lights of my Christmas tree, and this new one is my absolute favorite. I'll link it here, for anyone who is curious, but it was an investment. I'll pay it off with three payments, probably, and will be glad to have that behind me. I never intended to purchase a new tree this year, but I've always wanted one that is pre-lit, and honestly, I feel like I've earned this tree in the last five months. I have no regrets even though someone gave me a very hard time about this. It was on sale for $189 when I bought it while I was in Denver. 

Speaking of Denver, which I never recapped and probably won't now, this is my favorite place to be when I'm there! This is Lisa's room in her adorable house, and yes, we sleep in the same bed when I'm there. I love this about us! 

I mentioned my sheets yesterday, and that leads me to one of my favorite places: my bed! I love this blanket, the cozy lights, my comforter, the tree I have in there with white lights on it, and I really love my sheets! Here's a link for the ones I ordered from Amazon in white. They're wonderfully luxurious, wash really well, cool, and inexpensive. You should look into some if you are looking for sheets for yourself! 

I'm sure you know this already, but I am Chloe's favorite place to be! She loves to sleep in my arms when we first wake up each morning. I love this about her, and if I ignore her, she lays her head down on my chair until I let her get in my lap. She's such a baby! 

Breakfast with sweet Marilyn on her birthday this week was a favorite, and so was this amazing bowl of potato goodness! I am not a breakfast person, at least not at that hour of the day, so this meal held me over all day until her birthday party. We had appetizers while we were there, which is one of my favorite things to eat! 

In getting my nails done this week, I overhead the nail techs talking about this sweet older lady that was there getting her nails done. She is 99! This will be me, most likely, getting my nails done until the day Jesus calls me home. 

This is my newest favorite nail color! It's called Scarlett Letter. 

Even unlit, this is still my favorite view. I'm also still enjoying my new arrangement of furniture and this rug in my living room. 

This is my favorite candle at the moment! 

My favorite night this week was spent sitting right here drinking out of this mug while watching a Christmas movie. 

I'm also still loving my kitchen with this table in there instead of the one I passed along to Graham. This little bowl of lightbulbs and ornaments is my favorite; Dad's old fashioned Christmas lights are in this bowl. Christmas lights were his favorite! I am so thankful for the privilege I had of helping him with that over the years along with my sister and my sons. He loved displaying lights on his property, because he always thought they pointed to Jesus as the Light of the world (John 8:12). 

It's so hard to believe how much has changed in my life in less than a year! It overwhelms me sometimes and tears sneak up on me. 

Lastly, I wore my favorite sweater to work yesterday, but I didn't love how it kept growing throughout the day. I started off loving this outfit and ended my work day with being ready to come home to change for my book club dinner last night. 

What was a favorite of yours from this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Jenn 🖤

Thankful Thursday

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I don't know if you're ever glad to see these thankful Thursday posts that I write each week, but I have come to love them more than any of the others that I write each week. I love them, because it helps me to focus on what I have to be thankful for. There are always so many things! It also changes my outlook on life, and more right now than ever before, that is something I really need. With that being said, I'll jump in! 

This week I am thankful for:

• the Lord hearing my prayers, even when it isn't always obvious
• a sense of humor and the gift of laughter
• simple joys around my home that bring a smile to my face—added lights of the tree, a pretty Christmas mantel, Christmas pillows, cozy blankets on the beds, seeing Chloe wear a t-shirt so that she'll leave an injury alone
• cold weather at night—I sleep so much better when it's cold!
• quiet mornings drinking coffee and listening to Christmas worship music
• evenings at home spent sipping hot chocolate while watching a Christmas movie
• candles that smell good
• the kindness of strangers that offer a blessing
• the companionship of my sons
• the opportunities of hospitality that my job offers—I love taking care of people and making them feel special
• sunshine
• plans to look forward to
• my bed—I have the most amazing sheets ever, and I love climbing into bed each night! What a luxury that is. 

What are you thankful for this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all! 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joyce for today's blog post. I'll jump right in!

1. What's something that you think is underappreciated? Explain. 

As is my style, I have a few things that I feel are underappreciated. 

• nature
• good rest at night
• to quote a line from my favorite movie: "a home that is warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and that looks great in Christmas lights" (Bonus points if you can guess the movie)
• eye contact and a genuine smile
• laughter
• the first cup of coffee (or your own drink of choice) in the morning
• experiencing the love of God
• the art of aging gracefully (life is such a gift!)
• memories with loved ones

We don't have to have a lot of money or travel all over the world to experience an abundant life. There's nothing wrong with doing that, but the majority of people are unable to experience that. I believe that there are millions of little things each day that we get to experience and reap joy from that are very much underrated. I could go on and on with this question alone, obviously! 

2. As winter approaches, how do you stay productive?

How do I ever get to be productive again? Please, someone elaborate on this for me! I have no idea what to answer this one with, except that I try to treat those months the same as any others. I have things I am constantly doing around the house to keep things organized, clean, and clutter free. I'll be doing more of that as time goes on this winter and prepare for a move that will be in my future. 

3. What's a popular food you don't like?

The first thing that came to mind is pumpkin anything: pie, lattes, bread...but I do like muffins that I make with a spice cake mix that I add a bit of pumpkin to. Of course, the chocolate chips and cream cheese icing helps! 

4. What do you think is more interesting: art or history? Elaborate. 

I love art, but I am fascinated with history. I love to know the stories of things, and the events that happened leading up to other bigger events like wars and battles. On that same note, I also love getting to know people, and history feels a lot like that to me. 

5. What advice would you give to someone half your age?

Work on becoming independent. Do things by yourself! Don't be afraid to try new things. Don't lose yourself in your marriage. Speak up! Don't just try to always keep the peace. Don't be too self-absorbed, but do also take care of yourself. Remember that in your relationships, you are not one half of a person, you're a whole person. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'm listening to Christmas music as I write this blog post. On that note, here are a few of my favorite artists to listen to this time of year:

• Francesca Battistelli
• The Tenors
• Leslie Odom
• Phil Wickham (he has a phenomenal Christmas album that just came out!)
• Meredith Andrews
• Kristin Chenoweth
• JJ Heller
• Ben Rector (His Christmas album is one of my favorites!)
• Audrey Assad
• Harry Connick Jr.

I really love Christmas worship, so I don't care for the usual traditional songs as much with the artists that most people consider to be iconic. 

I'm excited to read your posts today! Feel free to chime in (with kindness, please)! Have any of you noticed a really rude anonymous commenter on my blog? Are you getting these as well? I'd love to know. Thanks for reading my blog today, friends! Love to all. 

Jenn 🖤

three things

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I thought I'd talk about a few random things today. There's no particular order or rhyme to any of these, it's just a list of things that popped into my brain as I sat down to write. 

things I'm appreciating

• the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree
• random texts or messages on social media from people telling me they were thinking of me
• the gifts of laughter and inspiration

things I'm loving

• Christmas movies! The more, the merrier.
• the new color on my nails
• having plans at night that get me out of my house

things driving me crazy

• the condition of my car
• my lack of motivation and energy
• my thoughts when I'm at home alone at night

things I'm avoiding

• talking/texting with a certain someone
• on some days, reality
• starting projects on my home

things I'm looking forward to

• seeing Wicked when it comes out in theaters
• Noah coming home the day before Thanksgiving
• this weekend and the plans I have ❤️

What is something you're looking forward to that's coming up soon? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

I'm linking up with Joanne for today's blog post. 

Jenn 🖤