The First Jam & Slam

Jam (stuff I am loving)

Avacados. 

Having a second family car.  Although along with this comes the realization that we must be middle aged. May it pass inspection in the spring. 

Ladies Bible study. So good to hang out with the ladies from church.

Keeping a Clean Fridge. This is not a blog post that I could write but I can aspire!

Funny stuff on Dorcas Smucker's blog. The kind of crazy that I love.

Birthdays are fun.

Slam (sad things)

Sales people that follow you around the shoe store asking more than twice if you are doing ok. I have been since wondering how to let sales people know that, "I am shopping by myself and it's amazing, do not bug me today!"

Huge disappointments in others lives, Stuff that has the potential to make them bitter and I'm standing back watching and holding my breath wondering, are they going to make it? Will they let this make them a more beautiful person? Please God, yes. 

Bench hoggers. Let the back benches at church for the families with little kids, I plead with you. 

The Haircut

At the barber school the other day Nate asked for a fade. 

Now usually haircuts at this barber school take very long. Like an hour. Well this time we were walking back out in 20 minutes. The very new barber that Nate got, he took off like a bandit. Before we knew it the teacher guy came running over saying things like, "You went too high" and "There is nothing left to fade." So I'm sitting there smiling and I can't stop. Nate taking it like a man. 

Winter Living

To replace couch cushions yourself...

Open the cushion and measure the thickness of the old cushions. We failed this step and shorted ourselves an inch. It works for now but I'm dreaming of that extra inch. Ha.

Take a 50% off coupon to Joanne Fabrics and purchase foam in correct thickness.

This piece cost me about $50.

Cut them out using an electric knife (cuts like butter). Hold that knife as straight as possible when going around turns. You don't want to cut too much away on the backside. 

Insert in zippered cushions sleeves. Yay! This was a 40 minute project from tracing to back on the couch done. 

I sat on the yellow couch all afternoon with a friend and it sat nice so I think it will be replacing the very sat out orange couch. I hate to send it to the basement but 3 sofas in one room seems a little overkill. It was fun for hosting but I am missing my single soft chairs in there for daily living. 

Whole Wheat Honey Bread

I made this bread last week and while it seemed awesome, I could not taste anything at the time. Terrible cold that lasted for 12 long days. Today as I was slicing the bread  for supper I said to Nate, "This bread!" and he laughed at me for obviously I had just gotten my sense of taste back today.

This Pond

 Aunt Mary's pond is looking fine. 

A few weeks into our married life Nate and I came over here skating. Never told anyone. It was dark outside. We were happily skating around the pond holding hands even, when I remembered that the pond does not always freeze evenly. Just like that we went through. I was swimming for all I was worth, thinking "that was a short married life" assuming we were about to die. Nate informed me that we could stand. It was about waist deep. We managed to climb out and drove home thankful that it was only a mile away. 

The pond seems to freeze more evenly these days but I make Nate go over it very rigorously before the children may skate on it.