There's A Spring In My Step

I think there's a direct link between the sunshine and my moods.  I rarely get in 'bad' moods, but when the day is sunny, I have a better outlook on life. I get energized, I become more creative, I embrace the day!  Though our little spot on the map has relatively mild winters, we do have a lot of overcast weather that time of year. Combine that with shorter days, and I often find myself bordering on the glum side of life. Though we're still dipping into the 30's at night, I think spring has finally sprung. Today's forecast is for a high of 73 (perfect!). The sky is blue, and the sun, she is a shining.  Hallelujah!

We made a whirlwind trip to see our daughter, Nikki, in Colorado Springs last month.  I think it's the most fun I've ever had visiting her. Mr. Studley had to deliver some trailers to Denver, so I rode along with him. Nikki and I got to spend a lot of one-on-one time, something we so rarely get to do anymore. When she visits us in Texas, there are so many relatives and friends to see, that she often feels stretched thin. Most times we've visited her at her home in Colorado, other relatives have visited concurrently, so again, not much time for just the two of us, or even three of us, including Mr. Studley.

It seems that most of what we did while there was eat. There are some great restaurants in that city, and we tried out a few of them!  I do wish I'd removed that ugly, plastic ketchup bottle before snapping the pic above, lol.

Nikki introduced her daddy and I to our first sushi experience. I'd always resisted the idea of eating raw fish (and yes, I realize not all sushi is raw fish). I hear so many people talk about how much they love sushi, and finally decided, that many people can't be wrong!  Nikki took us to a nice little place near her home. The atmosphere was fun, and the food was fabulous. I am now a sushi convert.  Seriously, I love me some sushi!

I'm still struggling with understanding the blogging process. Before, I'd go to Picasa, add the pics I wanted to post to the photo tray, then click "blog this" to add each picture; plus it would give me the option of the size picture I wanted. The 'blog this' button is no longer in the updated Picasa, so I am now forced to use the 'insert image' icon at the top of the blogger posting page.  It doesn't give me an option of size, though.I don't like these tiny little pictures (stamping my foot)!  If anyone has tips or suggestions, or knows something I apparently don't about it, I'm open to advice.

Studley and I spent a week last fall by this lovely river in Arkansas. It was a perfect week in October. The air was crisp, the foliage colors were brilliant (tho not so much in this picture), and the temperatures were just right for bundling up and sitting by the campfire.  It was a tad nerve wracking at night when we'd hear packs of coyotes howling at the moon...or howling at something. They were loud, and sounded too close by for comfort.  We really did have a good time, though. Fall camping is the absolute best. When I say 'camping', I'm talking about the kind of camping where I have a bathroom indoors, along with a plush mattress for snoozing. The youngsters can have the tent camping. I prefer our 5th wheel!

I've had an unrest in my soul for some time now. I wasn't sure if I was going into a depression or not. I'm not prone to depression, though I did go through a spell of it a year or two ago (hormone related, I'm sure).  Mr. S read something to me the other night from a book he's reading. The author mentioned something that grabbed my attention. I can't remember the exact phrase (Studley & his book are both out of town, or I'd go ask him), but I think it was 'spiritual unrest'...or maybe it was the word was 'dissatisfaction' . I can't remember, but the gist of it is I think that's what is going on with me. I think God's put something in me that needs to come out, or that He wants to lead me into doing.  Because I've not been able to put my finger on what's causing the 'unrest', or 'dissatisfaction' in me, I thought maybe it was depression. I believe that line from the book is God's way of saying to me, "wake up and listen to what I'm saying; seek me with your whole heart".  I think, in these latter days, God is likely causing this unrest in a lot of people's hearts, to get us busy about doing His will.  Food for thought.

And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.~Matthew 17:8 KJV

I Was In The Neighborhood...

A year has passed since I last shared here.  I'm somewhat rusty.  I'm not sure I even know how to use Blogger now.  I've forgotten a lot, and what I see looks very different to me now.  I'm not sure I can keep up with the technology.  We've all heard the saying, the older you get, the faster time flies.  I feel like it's  moving at warp speed.  I sound old. I'll stop now.

There haven't been many changes in my life.  I'm mostly satisfied with that, as I'm one of those who struggle with change. Mr. Studley, my polar opposite, could stand with some changes (he'd like to move), but mostly we're content.

My daughter, Nikki, did get married last summer.  She seems happy, which makes me happy. They will possibly (likely) be relocating out of the country again at the end of this year.  That makes me sad. With all the technology we have today, at least we can still 'see' each other (skyping or facetime).  That makes me happy.

I had both my kids here this weekend, which made me very happy. They flew out together this morning for a vacation in the sun, in a nice resort which sits on a nice beach. That's making them very happy.  Nikki's husband is working out of the country, in a cold, cold, land, far, far, away, so he didn't go.  Maybe we won't talk much about it to him. ;-)

Mr. Studley & I are grandpuppy sitting for our daughter's sweet dog, Macy. She is intelligent, beautiful, loving, and challenging!  She seriously cannot be left unattended for 5 minutes or she'll clear off the kitchen counters. The second night she was here, she inhaled half an angel food cake! This morning, she pulled down a bowl of kitchen scraps I'd created while cooking breakfast.  I was only in the next room at the time!  I'm thinking there's no way Mike and I can both be gone from the house at the same time. Nikki gates her in her kitchen at home, keeping everything off the counters. Occasionally, in her rush to get somewhere, she'll forget something left on the counter. It will be eaten/destroyed upon her return. Once, while Nikki was showering, Macy chewed open a bottle of naprosyn's.   The dog is a mess, I tell you. It's a good thing she's so lovable.

I still knit a little, but not too much. Our weather is beginning to warm up, and I lose the urge to have a pile of wool in my lap. I have taken up a new hobbie, sewing!  I have always known how to use a sewing machine, and have sewn simple stuff for crafts. I even sewed my daughter simple little outfits when she was small.  I never seriously took an interest in it, though. Now, it seems I have. Currently, I'm sewing baby stuff, mostly for gifts. Hopefully, I'll be more proficient by the time I BECOME A GRANDMOTHER (are you listening, kids??).

I just love youtube and all the sewing blogs out there. It's so helpful when learning something new. My biggest hindrance is reading patterns. They could be written in Russian, and I'd comprehend them as well, which is not at all. I'm learning a lot, though, from what I'm seeing others do in the videos, so I'm encouraged.  

I'll post some pictures of  some things I've sewn  when I get my....er I mean my son's camera back. It's on perpetual loan to me, but he decided to take it on vacation with him. The nerve!  Meanwhile, here's a random shot of my mom when she was young. I think she was darling. And would you look at that figure. I did not inherit her body shape.

Well, I tried to insert said random picture 'here', but it went 'there' (at the top of the page). Like I said, Blogger's different. Looks like I'm going to have to learn some new tricks, and frankly, I feel like an old dog.

But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. ~Psalm 3:3 King James