Currently
Baking
I have talked about it several times. Baking homemade bread using our family’s 100+ year-old yeast starter that I had almost killed from neglect. Have made two loaves recently. One for PC and one to take to my sister when we got together for the library conference. Need to keep baking in order to renew the yeast and keep it healthy. So you may be seeing more pictures than you care to of these sour dough loaves.
Listening To
Ok, this is an area where I have been successful. So it isn’t exactly accurate to say I have just been just brushing and working and brushing. Let’s use one of those carrot top editing marks, you know the one… ^ … above working in order to add listening to. Because while I shelve books at the Cooley elementary school library, I have been listening to a variety of books through Audible.
The Arrangement: A Novel by Sarah Dunn is one of the May titles for The Blended Blog’s virtual book club. Interested in joining our little group? Click here to register and jump in with us. Each month a different quartet of girls selects four titles for the rest of the group to read. Members can read as many or few of the books as they like and then we discuss them in an informal chat room setting. Really didn’t want to read this book based on the brief online synopsis: “A hilarious and emotionally charged novel about a couple who embark on an open marriage-what could possibly go wrong?” So glad I took a chance on it anyway.
Also listening to The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod after joining a group of Facebook pals commandeered by my blogging and fitness friend Casey at Casey Rooney: Inspiring Busy Moms to Live Healthy Lives who will be reading and discussing this together. I am a Type A personality. Wonder if you would have been able to determine that through my posts? I would be interested to know. But anyway, being a Type A, decided to get started on the book right away. Discussion will actually begin on May 8. Join us, here.
And listening to Never Unfriended by Lisa-Jo Baker. Discovered this book through a fellow Blended Blog contributor Carrie from A Stylish Fit. Joined a FB discussion group for it, too. Learn more about it, here.
That’s a lot to listen to while I brush the pool and shelve books.
Loving
This man.
And this message he sent me today. Just for making his lunch (which I do most days).
And this photo he sent in a message last Friday. We had river rock delivered for our gardens in the backyard around the pool. PC was off last Friday and spent all day long carting the rock from the front yard to the back by the wheelbarrow loads. He sent me this photo after discovering a heart-shaped rock among the gazillion rounded rocks he moved. We look for heart-shaped rocks on all of our hikes.
I love that ^^^ man.
Planting
Well, river rock in the backyard. At least, PC has been planting river rock.
And we have been shopping for just the right mix of plants to put around the pool in the rock gardens. Which happens to be a spring bucket list activity. Review the rest of my list here. And you’ll have to come back to see which plants we actually settled on for the yard.
Remembering
With last month’s “Relay for Life” still fresh on my mind, I find myself remembering baby Andrew and so many others who have been dealt cancer’s devastating blow. Just as we were packing up to go home the evening of “Relay”, there was this incredible sunset. Seventeen-year-old cancer survivor Stephanie, a member of our team, snapped this photo on my phone. I would like to think it was God’s gift to all of those who participated in this American Cancer Society’s event…that and the hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Your Turn
That’s my world currently…that and brushing the pool and going to work and brushing the pool. How would you respond to the prompts for today? What are you baking, listening to, loving, planting and remembering? Please leave me a comment below to let me know.
Hope you will come back tomorrow for Sentence a Day. Guess what? I tried very hard to limit the number of semi colons I use in my sentences to three per. You have to come back just to see that.
Have a blessed hUmP DaY, lOvEs!
Hugs and kisses,
Valerie
I was the lucky recipient of a loaf of that homemade bread. Shared a slice with Leslie ( kind of had to) and coveted the rest for me just me; Very yummy. Thank you little big sister. The pool looks great. Finished Tge Arrangement. Love Paul too; for; he does love you. Unlike my sister, are you supposed to meet Collins strained. Have a great hump day
Whitney @ Whitney à la mode
Aww! Your PC seems so very wonderful! You two make me hopeful for the future 🙂
Nancy
The Arrangement in on my to read list! I’m not much of a baker….the only bread I make is the quick bread kind, no yeast required! What a sweet husband! Unexpected things like that sweet note are the best! Can’t wait to see what plants you choose for around your pool! Thanks for linking up!
Michael Ann
You must explain the “brushing the pool” thing! Please!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Geez, this pool brushing! We have to brush the sides, bottom and tile of the pool two or three times a day. It takes about 30-45 minutes. We are getting up earlier these mornings to do the first brushing before work. While the plaster is still curing (first 30 days) we have to brush it to keep anything (insects, dust, leaves) from adhering to it and sticking there. We are just soooo ready to get in!!!
Anne
Wow, your back yard looks awesome! And thank goodness for audio books when you have long household tasks ahead of you, right?
ShootingStarsMag
Oh, opening the pool is not fun. We don’t do it until the end of the month or even beginning of June though. I’m ready for some pool days though. It looks like you’re reading some great books.
-Lauren
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Our pool is brand new so we are still waiting to get in for the first time!!! Do you winterize your pool? I never did winterize my old pool and we swam from March or April til October. And used the hot tub year-round.
I am such a slow (sleepy) reader. But have been able to ‘read’ so much more by listening to the books!! Feels just a little like cheating but whatevs!! I am enjoying being able to read several books in a month. I feel all grown up!!
Thank you so much for coming by and for commenting.
Sarah @ Foxy's Domestic Side
How cool that you have a bread starter that is over 100 years old…So awesome…how does one go about doing that? Interesting. I did this link up too today! 🙂 So fun.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
My great-grandmother did whatever it took to start the yeast starter…not sure what that involved, except my mom has mentioned yeast cakes, so maybe it started with a yeast cake?? The starter is in a jar in the frig and I feed it with sugar between bread baking. I had neglected it a long time but have been babying it lately and it is bubblier and livelier. Need to keep baking my bread.
Sarita G
Homemade yeast!!? Wow. And audio books are awesome!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Yes, our yeast stays in the refrigerator in a big glass canister between bread baking and I feed it sugar. Crazy that it has lasted all this time. Thank you for coming by, sweets!
Daenel T.
Funny how the little things are what mean the most in a relationship, huh?
When we had our pool, it felt like all we did was clean it. I think we actually had one fun day the whole summer, then something came by and blew it in…
I discovered audiobooks about a month ago, they’re the best when you don’t have time to sit and read, but still want to keep your mind engaged.
curlycraftymom
A heart shaped rock? That is so cool! I love the text he sent you, too. What a sweetie he is to you! And you to him!! I love homemade bread, Brian makes it from time to time.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
We look for heart-shaped rocks everywhere. Somehow this load of river rock was full of them. Crazy what you find when you start looking. Wow, Brian makes homemade bread?? Does he cook other things? PC helps in lots of ways but cooking is at the bottom of the list.
Sheila @ Making the Most of Every Day
Are you liking the Arrangement? I chose not to read it based on the excerpt. I’m such a prude!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I was right there with you. I didn’t like the idea of open marriage so really hesitated about reading The Arrangement. But then I read reviews that talked about how funny the book was. Figured it had to have a half-way happy story line or it couldn’t be funny. I loved it!! Listened to it via Audible and the narrator did a wonderful job differentiating her voice from one character to the next. And it does have a happy ending.