Cleaning Checklist

In an attempt to keep my home neat throughout the week, I made a to do list this weekend that, hopefully, by sticking to it our home will be clean and inviting in between those deep cleanings. Here's my list. . . (if you have suggestions, please leave a comment).

Kitchen

• Clear out and wipe down the sink. No piles of dirty dishes!
• Wipe down countertops and stove.
• Sweep floor and wipe spots on floor.

Bathroom

• Wipe out the sink.
  
• Clean splatters off mirror.
• Wipe the toilet seat and rim.
• Spray the shower and curtain liner with a shower mist.
  

Bedroom

• Make up the bed.
• Fold or hang clothes.
• Straighten the night stand and dressers.

Living Room

• Pick up crumbs with a handheld vacuum.
• Wipe tables and straighten the magazines or books.
• Clear any major clutter.
  

Accomplished This Afternoon

This afternoon I had my to do list made out and after a power nap and cooking a late lunch, I was set on getting all items crossed off.

1. Finish menu plan for week and buy groceries.
2. Put gas in van.
3. Clean stove top and oven.
4. Clean range hood.
5. Clean refrigerator.
6. Finish laundry.
7. Sweep and mop kitchen floor.
8. Clean bathrooms and mop.

I enjoyed making out our menu for the week and getting things done that I had put off doing (cleaning the oven and refrigerator). I want to eventually try my hand at investment cooking, but I need to do more research before I undertake that task.

Give Yourself a Break!

Ever had one of those weeks? The kind where you just felt "off". Everywhere you look you see reminders of things that need to be done. Everything thing feels URGENT. I have those weeks quite often. . . the kind where I feel disorganized, scattered, overwhelmed and uninspired. During those weeks my life doesn't feel very beautiful. It feels, well, blah.

I've been asking myself, how do I find balance and beauty around me regardless of how I feel? This is one of the real struggles in life.

How do you live the beautiful life you want when you are just not feeling inspired?

Do you give yourself a break?

Sometimes I just get in a rut in daily life and I need a break. When I feel overwhelmed and am not seeing the beauty around me, I need to leave my responsibilities behind and do something for myself. I grab the camera, take a walk, visit with a friend, go to a movies, or read a good book.

A reprieve from the daily grind does wonders for my emotions. It doesn't take long and I can suddenly see life in it's beauty once again. And, thankfully, I can enjoy the daily routine again! The responsibilities and struggles may not change, but I can manage them so much better when I have taken time to recharge my energy. I need to consider ME into my balanced week!

It seems counterproductive at the time, but the quality of my life actually improves when I slow down and take time for myself. It'll be there waiting when I return refreshed.

Next time you are having one of those weeks, give yourself a break!

Menu Planning

After a conversation with David today about meals and the fact that we tend to eat the same thing week in and week out, I have given some serious thought in how our family could benefit from using menu planning. Through a friend I found a very helpful website (thanks Lori), Organized Home, that has suggestions for menu planning among other wonderful tips. This is just taste of the suggestions that I found on the website:

Menu Planning Basics

Okay, it's food ad day. Ready? Time to rough out a simple menu plan. The goal is two-fold: shop efficiently to obtain food required for seven dinner meals, while minimizing expenditure, cooking, shopping and cleaning time.

Here's the overview of the process:

• Scan the food ads for specials and sales. Rough out a draft menu plan: seven dinner entrees that can be made from weekly specials, side dishes and salads.
• Wander to pantry and refrigerator to check for any of last week's purchases that are languishing beneath wilting lettuce or hardening tortillas. Check for draft recipe ingredients. Review your shopping list and note needed items.
• Ready, set, shop--but shop with an open mind. That 59-cent fryer won't look like such a bargain next to a marked-down mega-pack of boneless chicken breasts at 89 cents a pound. Be ready to substitute if you find a great deal.
• Return from shopping. As you put away groceries, flesh out the menu plan. Match it up with the family's calendar, saving the oven roast for a lazy Sunday afternoon, the quick-fix pizza for soccer night.
• Post the menu plan on the refrigerator door. Refer to it during the coming week as you prepare meals.

This website also has printable menu planning sheets like this one.

Who Am I Trying to Please?

Do you dash around trying to make everyone happy? Does it bother you if someone doesn't like you?

If you answered YES to any (or all) of those questions I can so relate with you. Seriously, it will eat away at me if I think that someone doesn't think highly of me. I know it, I'm a grown woman for goodness sake, why should it bother if someone doesn't think highly of me. Why do I care? Because, for far too long, I have been a people pleaser! I hate to admit that, but it is true, oh so true. But I would venture to say that quite a few people can relate to that very statement too! Am I right?

I love this verse I found in 1 Thessalonians 2:4b, "We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts."

Be a God pleaser, not a people pleaser! Until I STOP trying to please everyone else and START trying to please God I will forever be stuck in that cycle of being a people pleaser. Here is a little bit of truth that I am beginning to understand. . . I can't be everything to everyone, so I just have to try to to be the best ME that I can be for HIM. Because in all reality HE is the only one that it really matters what He thinks of me. Right? If I want to be a woman who lives with a passionate purpose then I can do it for HIS glory!

Source of Encouragement

Christ is preparing a place for me.
Christ is coming again to receive me to Himself.
Where Christ is, I will be also.
Where Christ goes, I will know the way.
Knowing Christ, I know the Father.
Seeing Christ, I have seen the Father.
The works Christ does, I will do.
Whatever I ask in Christ's name He will do.
I have a helper given by the Father that abides in me forever.
Christ will not leave me.
Because Christ lives, I live also.
I am loved by the Father.
Christ will manifest Himself to me.
Christ will come to me.
The Holy Spirit will teach me and remind me of things Christ has said.
Christ has given me peace.

Pet the Calf

I was talking to a friend earlier today about going out yesterday to take pictures of the eagles and how I managed to get a picture of the eaglet. This friend was warning me not to get too close up on the nest because the momma eagle might get defensive. I explained that I understood the concept that a momma will get upset when you mess with their children. This friend then went on to explain (he's always trying to educate me) that this was where the saying, "You pet the calf to get to the cow." came from. Being from redneck country I thought I had heard all those type of sayings, guess not.

Eaglet, Flower and Sunset

After work yesterday I ventured back out to check on the Eagle's nest. I was surprised to actually get a shot of the eaglet in the nest while it's parents were in trees away from the nest. I love capturing nature on camera.I always manage to find some type of flower or bush that I'm unfamiliar with and yesterday was no different. After checking on the eagles, I drove up to the dike and watched the sunset.

Elderberry Bush

I'm not sure if this is an elderberry bush or not, but that is what a friend said it might be. If you know what it is, leave a comment.

FLW Tour 2009

Turtles

I've been trying to capture a family of turtles sitting on a log just down the road from me. Every time I get close they dive off the log into the water. I did manage to capture this one before he went for a swim.

Eagles

This morning I received a phone call telling me where to go to capture two bald eagles nesting. I am still in awe of these beautiful eagles. I know I will be making numerous trips out there to see them.

Aunt Ginnie

I'm going to be an aunt again!!! Okay, so it's not blood relative but who cares. My ex-sister-in-law found out this past week that she and her husband, Ron, are expecting. I'm looking forward to meeting this precious little one that God has created.

Your Will Be Done

Lord, as this nation swears in a new president, I ask that You bless, guide, and protect him. May he seek wisdom from You. Give him the wisdom to choose right and object wrong in all decisions. May he be the president of all the people. Give him the strength and courage to protect our country against all enemies. I pray the citizens would recognize that you have placed this president in authority over us according to your will. I pray that we would respect that authority and put differences behind us as we support the one you have appointed. I ask You to forgive those who have had any uncharitable thoughts about people who feel differently about political positions. The Bible shows that You work through leaders who follow You and through leaders who don't, so I know that You will is being accomplished. Amen.

Walking Away

Sometime ago I was reading a photography coaching series on walking away. The author gave suggestions on the 'walking away pose'. Yesterday while in Palm Beach with a group of Angela's friends we drove down to the beach to take some pictures. As I was snapping away this coaching series came flooding back to me. I enjoyed experimenting with the suggestions I had read previously and was pleased with the results.

Great is the Lord

and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. ~Psalm 145:3

For thus says the LORD,

Who created the heavens,Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it,Who has established it,Who did not create it in vain,Who formed it to be inhabited:“ I am the LORD, and there is no other. ~ Isaiah 45:18

You are Worthy,

O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things and by your will they exist and were created. ~ Revelation 4:11

The Heavens . . .

declare the glory of God: the skies proclaim the work of his hands. ~ Psalms 19:1

Beauty Gazers

A few weeks ago our associate pastor preached on the beauty of God. This week my blog will be dedicated to the beauty of God that is around us each day. So often we go through our day oblivious to the beauty that God has created.

Changes

Once the floors were vacuumed and mopped, laundry done, groceries purchased, bathrooms scrubbed, and furniture dusted; I spent the better part of my day making a new header for the blog. It took me hours and I'm still not 100% satisfied with the results. But I can live with it for a while. It is such fun learning and creating. You can see the results at the top of the blog.

After my adventure in creating the header I opened up Paint Shop and practiced with the object remover tool. In the picture below I actually turned everything to black and white prior to using the object remover tool. I'm becoming more confident in my abilities with each experience.

God's Providence

Earlier this week I was reading a blog of one of our friend, Jonathan Brooks. One post in particular caught my attention. The post was concerning how we will view God's providence in 2009.

Jonathan was using 1 Samuel 9 as the text. As Jonathan has so often done, he caused me to ponder heavily on this text. As I read his post I couldn't remember this account. I was actually shamed that I couldn't remember it, especially since we just finished studying 1 & 2 Samuel in Sunday School. In this account Kish, Saul's father, had lost his donkeys. Saul and one of the servants had been sent to look for the donkeys. Saul, growing tired of looking for the donkeys, began to complain and kept coming up with excuses as to why they should just return home (hmm. . . how like me to complain and think of reasons not to do it if it's not on my agenda). However, the servant convinced Saul to press on. About the time Saul and the servant are looking for the donkeys God is telling Saul , "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me." (1 Samuel 9:16)

As Jonathan points out in his blog post, what Saul thinks is a useless search for lost donkeys is actually God's providential leading of Saul to Samuel. Wow! God leads us. Whether we realize it or not there is a reason certain things happen. Here is how Jonathan put it:

God is a God of means. In this situation he chose to cause Kish’s donkeys to walk away. How often have we grumbled and complained when God is using means in our lives to accomplish his purposes? Of course, the difficult part of trusting God with the interruptions to our lives is that we don’t know the outcome. When we read 1 Samuel we have the advantage of knowing how the story ends. In our lives we may never know why things happen to us. And, it would often be a mistake to speculate. But, the one thing we must do is trust that God has his good purposes for all things that happen in our lives, even what we would call annoying interruptions (Rom. 8:28).

When our plans change by circumstances out of our control, God would call us to trust that they are perfectly in his control. The long line at the checkout, the fender bender on the way home, the lost keys that make you late for your appointment are all for the good. It could be that the house your car broke down in front of has been waiting for the gospel to reach their ears. It becomes difficult to think on such things if we’re kicking our tires and screaming on the telephone.

I've thought about Jonathan's post all week. And let me tell you, when you are looking at God's providence with this perspective you will certainly see it. Thanks Jonathan for encouraging me, once again, to trust God's providence in my life.

Water Drops

"Joshua, I'll be right back. I'm running home to get my camera. There is a picture on my desk that I want, but I don't have my camera."

Joshua is our associate pastor and he must have thought that I had lost my mind. But being the nice person he is he never voiced it. After showing him what I wanted to take a picture of he must of thought I was even more strange. Who wants to take a picture of a drop of water?

But when you have editing software and go from this. . .

and get this. . .


Am I hooked? Yes!

Then & Now

With the help of Corel Paint Pro Shop x2 we found out what Angela would look like with red hair and blue eyes. Here's a before and after picture.

Before

After

The older I get it seems the years fly by. It's hard to believe that in less than 13 hours another year will have come and gone. Where does the time go? What was accomplished in the year 2008? What will be accomplished in the year ahead? Uncertainty abounds and each of us will experience different depths and widths of uncertainty. Some of us will be looking behind and others will be looking ahead. Many will be going through this coming year wishing that time would rush by and others will be wishing for time to stand still. Whatever it is you are wishing for in 2009 I pray that it would be to make a difference in someone's live, to grow in a your relationship with Christ (and if you don't have a personal relationship with Christ that you would have one before 2009 ends) and that your time, money and talents would be used to glorify Christ.

Have a blessed, safe, and happy new year!

More Learning. . .

One of the Christmas gifts from David and Angela was Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate. It arrived yesterday and I have so much to learn. I can't wait to learn more as I get accustomed to this new software.

Highlands Hammock State Park

Quote

I love this quote . . . "I don't love you because I need you, I need you because I love you."

Watermark It

I found this great tutorial that walks you through the steps of creating a watermark. This is a great way to protect your pictures when posting them on the web. Not that I think anyone will ever want to use any of my images, but it was a fun challenge to learn how to do it. The results. . .

Photo Editing

I've been teaching myself how to edit pictures. I'm becoming more comfortable with the editing software that I currently have (a downloaded trial version of Adobe Photoshop). I have been searching online for a less expensive photo editing software and found this one that I think I will enjoy. In the meantime I 've enjoyed learning by trial and error. Today I practiced on applying filters. Filters let you change the look of your images, for instance by giving them the appearance of impressionistic paintings or mosaic tiles, or adding unique lighting or distortions. You can also use some filters to clean up or retouch your photos. Here are the results from today.

I used the Craqueluring filter which paints an image onto a high-relief plaster surface, producing a fine network of cracks that follow the contours of the image. Use this filter to create an embossing effect with images that contain a broad range of color or grayscale values.

Editing was done on this one(above) by using the render filter and then the lens flare. I choose the movie prime option and set the brightness at 62%. Lens flare simulates the refraction caused by shining a bright light into the camera lens.

The stylize filters produce a painted or impressionistic effect on a selection by displacing pixels and by finding and heightening contrast in an image. The wind option (shown below) places tiny horizontal lines in the image to create a windblown effect.

Blissfully Domestic

While browsing the internet (as I often do- admittedly too much) I came across this blissful website. It has something for everyone. I am especially fond of the photography tips found there.

What We've Been Up To

It's been busy in the Fountain household lately. At times it seems that we are all going in different directions. I guess that is what happens when the kids get older and their lives get busier. So how busy have we been? Here's a run down:

Thanksgiving went by in a blur. Angela and I had Thanksgiving lunch with a friend of ours while David worked. I miss the days of him being home on holidays. His job is such that he has to work most holidays because the full time employees get the day off.

I'm still enjoying learning the ins and outs of my new camera. David and Angela say I can be pretty annoying, but at the same time are glad that I have found something to entertain myself with. Personally, I think they are glad I'm not constantly nagging them. I've been trying to find the time to drive up to Highlands Hammock State Park and just spend the day taking pictures. So far, my schedule is just to busy to do it. Maybe once the holidays are over I'll find the time. I managed to get our tree decorated on Saturday evening after attending the Living Christmas Tree at Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center with two lovely friends.

Angela's still enjoying soccer even though they have lost their last 4 games. Soccer season will end in January and then she'll be trying out for the softball team. In addition to playing soccer she's doing remarkably well with school this year. Next week are final exams for this semester. It will be a week of studying hard and getting to bed early for her. Last week she was out of school for 3 days with a severe headache, which we later found out was due to an urinary tract infection. She's feeling much better this week and is back to her old self.

David has been extremely busy with school. Last week he had a research paper, a PowerPoint presentation, a speech and a test to prepare for. Luckily this week has been much slower and he's not as stressed as he was. I guess the stress paid off though because he made an A on the research paper and an A on the speech. Time will tell how he did on the test and the PowerPoint presentation. He's registered for the spring semester and looking forward to the week after Christmas with no school and no work.

That pretty much recaps what we've been up. As always we are blessed beyond measure!

Lets Say Thanks

I received an email today from a friend about something cool that Xerox is doing. If you go to this website, www.LetsSayThanks.com You can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. It's FREE and it only takes a second. The site has suggested messages or you can write your own message.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our guys and girls over there need to know we are thinking of them. They are fighting for us and so often we take our freedom for granted.