Electric Pencil Sharpener

 

As a retired elementary school teacher I have had plenty of experience with hand crank pencil sharpeners. I can remember near blister status at the beginning of each school year as 22 pencils needed to be sharpened in a timely fashion. 

I remember having to contact the custodian for a replacement sharpener when someone had the bright idea to sharpen their crayons. 

As I neared the end of my career I invested in an electric pencil sharpener which I kept at my desk with strict orders that it not be touched by anyone but me. 

That is until Meet the Teacher Night where someone thought it was perfectly appropriate to sharpen their pencils using the teacher’s electric pencil sharpener on her desk. 

The sharpener was never the same, and I’m pretty sure one of the parents was in on the action. So much for boundaries. 

That all being said, over the years of retirement I’ve settled on using a small hand held plastic pencil sharpener to sharpen my pencils. This was never really a problem until I started coloring nightly, which is one of my favorite things to do. 

Many of my pricey colored pencils found themselves ground down to nubs as I attempted to achieve a fine point. That is until this past Christmas. 

As I was purchasing some replacement pencils at Hobby Lobby I spied a small battery operated pencil sharpener. It was the perfect size to fit in my end table drawer along with my coloring books and pencils. 

I must say that each time I use it, and hear the whir of the motor I’m filled with glee. I mean literally I can’t get the grin off my face.  I am loving this little $5.00 purchase, and my coloring has been elevated to a whole new level!

Coffee Frother

 A few weeks before Christmas I got together with my sisters for lunch. We met at my sister Joan’s new house, and she offered us some coffee while we visited. 

My sister Jean asked her if she had a coffee frother. Joan replied she did not, and Jean went on to tell us how much she loved hers. 

I had never really ever considered getting a frother, but about a week later I was at Walmart, and they had a display of frother on an end cap. I think they were about five dollars so I picked one up. 

I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed frothing my coffee. After adding my creamer I quickly whip it up, and I’m whisked away to a cool coffee shop somewhere!

They say it’s the little things that make the difference in life. Who knew it would be a coffee frother! Thanks Jean!

Woobles

In the spirit of the new year I thought I would take on a new project. I had seen something called Woobles come across my Facebook feed, and was quite taken by their cuteness. 

A Wooble is a small, crocheted animal that is advertised for beginners. Now technically, I’m not actually a beginner to crotchet. After retiring from teaching in 2009, with the help of Chuck’s cousin’s wife Debbie I learned several of the basic stitches. 

The thing I never mastered, though, was how to read a pattern. I spent many an hour double crocheting to my heart’s content making a series of misshapen scarfs. My sweet husband even wore the scarf I made him. 

This year as I reflected on New Year’s resolutions I decided that I wanted to learn more about crocheting, and the Woobles kit looked like the perfect way to do so. 

It got rave reviews, and was geared toward beginners so I was excited when it arrived in my mailbox. As I followed the step-by-step directions on the video I found myself more and more discouraged. 

Apparently I must be a pre- beginner with no real ability to follow directions. At the moment I’ve had to start over three times, and am moving at a snail’s pace. 

Now the actual stitch, a single crotchet, is actually easy peasy. My dilemma seems to revolve around not being able to follow directions. Now, to be honest I’ve had this issue before. I rarely follow a recipe exactly, and as a teacher lesson plans were merely suggestions. 

If my life depended on assembling a Lego creation I’d basically be a goner. Over the last few days I’ve definitely contemplated giving up.

Of course, after spending the $37.00 on the kit my frugal side insists that I keep trying. 

I think about how often I’ve written about embracing new challenges, and learning from my mistakes, and I’m finding myself to be a little bit of a hypocrite.

So where do I go from here? Like I said I’ve already started over three times. Will the third time be the charm or will I have to pull everything out and start again? I guess time will tell. 

What I do know is that after watching the video three times it’s beginning to make more sense to me. In the past I’ve never been much of a “practice makes perfect” kind of gal because I rarely do anything that has to be practiced. 

I’ve streamlined my life into things I can do easily without much trouble. I’ve always admired people who are pretty much fearless when it comes to trying new things.

Perhaps my Woobles experience is a small step in the right direction of doing so.  I’ll set my completion date at December 31st if need be. No pressure!!!!

How are you approach new things that you are not good at?

CHiPs

 

Photo Credit Chuck Hughes

One of my three grandsons’ favorite show is CHiPs, the crime drama from the late seventies and early eighties. Now coincidentally that was one of  my favorite shows back in the day. I must admit I was quite taken by John. 

One of their favorite things to do is to play CHiPs. As fate would have it, the three year old was given a white balance bike for Christmas. It’s the perfect “motorcycle,”and he rides it like a pro. He has no trouble  keeping up with his two older brothers.

I’ll hear him say, “I’m Punch!” I can’t seem to convince him that it’s Ponch. LOL! Another will say, “I’m John!” or “I’m Sarge!” Sometimes one of them will be the bad guy, and the other two will be in hot pursuit on their “motorcycles.”

Once I saw the middle grandson hand his three year old brother a “ticket” which the three year old immediately signed. You can’t make this stuff up!

I’ve gotten the biggest kick out of watching them play make-believe. They are having a blast. When they return inside oftentimes they will settle in to watch another episode. 

The lessons learned from the show are timeless even though the show stopped airing in 1983. Good guys, bad guys, people helping each other, and friendship. 

I’m glad my grandsons are CHiPs fans! By the way, a couple of years after the show ended I met my own “John” and we will be celebrating our fortieth anniversary this coming summer. 

The Power of Small Steps

 

On the way to babysitting this morning I heard a familiar phrase, but one I needed to hear again, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”

As I reflected on my habits I acknowledged that it’s hard for me to do something half way. It’s usually all or nothing at all, and lately it’s been more of nothing when it comes to adopting healthy eating habits. 

In theory I’ve jumped aboard the MAHA train, but the engine is having trouble leaving the station. 

My “all or nothing” mentality has become a deterrent, and is holding me back. The Japanese have a philosophy known as Kaizen. In his book  One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer, Kaizen is defined as: “…a Japanese philosophy that emphasizes continuous improvement through small, incremental changes.”

In other words there is power in small steps. I want to embrace this idea. Rather than set myself up for continual failure I want to strive for continuous improvement in small ways.

An example of this might be swapping out one unhealthy snack for a healthier option. Getting up and moving each hour is another example of a small step.

The other consideration is that I’m no longer in my thirties,forties, or even fifties. I’m at the back end of my sixties, and  the expectation I have may be unrealistic for the age that I am. Maybe I’m allowing the “perfection enemy” to win. 

I’ve recently read a book by Joyce Myers about aging. She addresses the idea of a new normal, and how accepting and adapting to this is the wiser choice. 

I’m tired of beating myself up, and constantly feeling like I’m losing the battle. At this point it seems easier to just give up.  However, I know in my heart of hearts I would not be happy with this choice. 

Maurer reminds us that, “…taking small manageable steps can lead to remarkable results over time. This approach reduces the feeling of overwhelm and makes change more accessible.” 

I think the concept of results happening over a period of time is somewhat foreign to me. I want immediate results or I throw my hands up in defeat. 

Here is a place where Carol Dweck’s growth mindset comes into play. Embracing growth and development as a life choice will inevitably result in a more fulfilling life. 

Also focusing more on the process than the result probably is the best course of action. In actuality you may even have to adjust your goal as you go along. What you first envisioned as possible might end up being unrealistic for your present circumstances.

However, those small changes that you do accomplish should be celebrated. In doing so your motivation can remain steady as you continue along your journey. 

How are you with small step wins? Have you allowed perfection to get in the way of the good?

“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft  might win by fearing to attempt.” William Shakespeare

Welcome 2025

 “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” Melody Beattie

The new year is upon us, and tradition dictates that this is the time of year to set New Year’s resolutions. According to the Oxford dictionary a resolution is, “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” 

The new year seems the perfect time to make changes, but sadly most people fall short when it comes to these resolutions.  Forbes Health found in a 2023 poll that people generally fall away from their resolve after about four months. 

This year I’d like to explore the concept of 90 Day goals. This is actually based on the book The Twelve Week Year. I’m taking a mini course given by Dr. Edie Wadsworth these next few days, and am hoping to gain more insight into this concept. 

I’ll keep you posted as I determine what my first 90 Day goal will be. 

2024 Revisited

 It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. For some reason this year seemed to slip by much quicker than usual. 

As with all years there have been some good and bad. In February I ended up with a UTI which took several months, three rounds of antibiotics, and five trips to the doctor to get it cleared up. I thought I was doing well until December when I got another infection.  Luckily this one seems to be clearing up quickly with both an antibiotic shot, and a round of oral antibiotics.

Sadly my Aunt Claire passed away, but I did get to visit with three of my cousins and see my aunt one more time before she passed. She was the last of my mother’s siblings to die. The priest who said her funeral mass was a boy we grew up with at St. Elizabeth’s, our childhood church. 

In May Chuck and I traveled to Destin to spend time at Jean and Dan’s beach condo. We were joined by our nephew Jacob, and enjoyed relaxing several days in the Florida sun. Our favorite part of the trip was the beach side Sunday service. Worshiping while listening to the crash of the waves, and wiggling your toes in the sand was heavenly. 

On the trip home we stopped in Louisiana to visit Chuck’s great-grandfather, Alexander Michwich’s grave. We met a caretaker there whose aunt had at one time been married to Chuck’s great uncle. 

While at the beach I completely broke out in some sort of itchy rash.  I never knew for sure, but suspected it might have had to do with stress. I took some time to reflect on my people pleasing nature, and the impossible burden it puts on my body. I took some proactive steps, and ended the year in a much better state of mind. 

A week later we traveled to Oklahoma to attend the wedding of Collin and Logan, Dean and Debbie’s son and new daughter-in-law. We were able to see Ted, Loree and Chimene who we had not seen for several years. 

This summer the boys spent the night, and we hosted a summer Olympics at the ranch. A fun time was had by all. 

We also enjoyed sitting out on our back porch during the summer watching our hummingbirds dive bomb each other as we drank our coffee. The summer was so pleasant this year, and we only had a few weeks of typical Texas heat. We enjoyed every minute of the milder summer. 

Chuck had a garden again this summer, and did well with zuchinni and summer squash, but did not have much luck with tomatoes again. His jalapeño peppers were quite prolific in the fall. Once again I have mixed feelings about the whole garden thing, but Chuck seems to really like it. 

We raised another flock of chickens in the library this year, and ended up with two roosters which we were able to give away. One of our girls died unexpectedly, so we are down to five, with one not being an egg producer anymore. However, between the other four they keep us in eggs, with some to spare. 

In August we attended a Blue Phrog Reunion. This was the church singing group that I was a part of after graduating from high school. It had been twelve years since our last reunion, and although not everyone was there, it sure was fun. 

Another big reunion happened in October when my high school graduating class celebrated fifty years since graduation. I enjoyed myself, but was a little sad at the loss of my dear high school friend Kathy, and my other friend Jane not being able to attend due to helping out with the hurricane victims on the east coast. 

In November we all celebrated when Donald Trump was re-elected as our 47th president. As he has been announcing his cabinet I’ve told Chuck it’s like Christmas every day! LOL!

In November Chuck and I were able to travel to California to see both the Regan and Nixon Presidential Libraries. We enjoyed our time there, and I did get to dip my toes in the Pacific. 

We also enjoyed watching Casen play baseball, football, and showing his pigs for the first time. Hayes was able to participate in Tribe Ballers with his brother, and we got to watch them perform at the high school basketball game. 

I continued to watch Levi three days a week, and I must say that boy keeps me laughing. Chuck and I did a good job of attending the gym two nights a week throughout the year. That is until I broke my toe on Cooper’s dog stairs, and was out of commission for about six weeks. I could really tell the difference when it came to my ability to lift Levi. I’m looking forward to getting back in the new year. 

I was able to continue my 31 Day Writing Challenge in October, and chose the topic of Wabi Sabi to explore. I generally was able to read about two fiction books a month, and squeezed in a few nonfiction books as well. 

I attended my retired teachers meetings each month, participated in my Bible Study, and tried to get together with the Yee Haws as often as I could. In this season of my life that is only possible a few times a year, but I do enjoy spending time with them. 

This year we had some home improvements done on the house and could not be any more pleased. We had the cabinet in the kitchen fixed and added trim around the microwave. We had a wall in the master bedroom ship lapped to cover up a crack. We had a linen cabinet built in the bathroom to hold our towels, and a custom coat rack built and hung on the wall next to our carport door. 

Chuck also had a loafing shed and tack room built in anticipation of someday raising sheep. It matches the barn and looks just great. We had our automatic gate fixed and have really enjoyed not having to get out of the car to open and close the gate.

I’d say overall 2024 turned out to be  a great year!