Mindless Monday

Good Monday morning!

The Gallery Pics are from London AND Matthew's 4th Birthday Party. As you can see from the Showcase Pic, we had a special guest.

RANDOMNESS #1 - In Pinterest news, I've got several projects on my list this week.

1. Clean my microwave with 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Zap the mixture for five minutes on high and wipe the microwave clean. (I can most definitely do this one.)

2. Make Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops for dinner one night.

3. Make Roasted Potatoes, Zucchini, Baby Carrots and Sweet Potatoes the same night.

4. Make Chicken and Apple Salad. (If Mikie is reading this, "This is for me. You don't have to eat this. I promise.")

I've also added three new Boards in the past week or so.

1. Cakes I'll Never Be Able to Make - I'm not kidding. Even if I took "Make a Hard Cake" classes, I would not be able to do these cakes justice. I know my limitations... and baking perfect cakes is definitely one of them!

2. Things That Make Me Say, "Ahhhh!" - These pictures and places make me instantly relax when I see them. The stress fades away. (I look at these A LOT!)

3. Things I Want to Buy - I try to be realistic with my Boards. I don't like to "pin" anything I would never attempt. I don't want to "pin" unrealistic places to visit. (Paris is a real longshot for me, so I keep my "pins" located in the Continental United States and Canada for the most part.) So, as you can imagine, I don't have any really uber-expensive or unobtainable items on my Things I Want to Buy board.

Just a little ol' muffin mix squirter (it squirts out the same amount for each muffin) and a beautiful glass drink dispenser to serve iced tea when I have company. (Love it!)

I think Pinterest is a good thing if you actually "do" what you "pin." And I'm trying. Really, really hard.

RANDOMNESS #2 - Matthew's Birthday Party was a huge hit. He is a die hard Mickey Mouse Club fan this year, so he had a Disney theme. Brandi (my niece) found a Mickey Mouse AND a clown to come to the party, and they were wonderful.

Mickey stayed about 30 minutes and talked with the kids, posed for pictures, etc., etc., and they loved him.

Sparkles, the Clown, was also very entertaining. She made everyone balloon hats and toys (fishing poles with fish, swords, monkeys in trees, etc.) The kids were the perfect age to stand around her and wait their turn while she talked and performed her balloon magic.

Oh, and she did the face-painting thing, too. Puppy dogs, butterflies and Spiderman were just some of the faces she was able to paint.

I was in charge of taking pictures with Brandi's camera while Jared, my nephew, Brandi's husband and Matthew's dad, was in charge of video.

Can I just say I was in Preschool Heaven for a little while? So much fun.

Oh. And Lauren, my NEW great-niece, was there, too. She was beautiful in a stylin' pink and brown bell-bottom pants outfit. (I didn't ask Roxie, but she was a newborn fashionista with her pink satin shoes tied with pink satin bows. I may not be a "boot" expert, but I know my baby wear, and this little chick was working it!)

RANDOMNESS #3 - This will officially be my first "normal" week since the holiday season began. Austin leaves for school tomorrow afternoon to start the Spring Term. Roxie plays basketball. Katie turns 18. Mikie and I get our new mattress Thursday!

Thursday night, we will sleep like well-fed, burped and newly-diapered babies! (I think Thursday is going to be a good day!)

And, yes. That is a pretty normal week for me! Exciting, isn't it?

RANDOMNESS #4 - Pastor Kevin preached a wonderful sermon on "Forgiveness" yesterday. I always need to hear the "Forgiveness" sermons because I have a little problem with letting go of grudges and such. (I know. You're shocked, aren't you?)

I can forgive when someone asks, and I make it a point to do so right away, because when I ask for forgiveness, I don't want to wait a long time to be granted the forgiveness. I mean, it took a lot for me to ask! I want it on the spot, Baby!

My problem comes when I feel someone has wronged me, but DOES NOT ask for my forgiveness.

And they go along their merry way, totally oblivious to the fact they have hurt me horribly... terribly... deeply. I wait and wait and wait for them to make it right. And they never do (because they don't know they did anything wrong, you see).

And then bitterness takes root. In the end, it doesn't hurt anyone but The Enchanting Belinda.

All that to say, I needed to hear the "Forgiveness" sermon ONE MORE TIME.

At 50 years of age, you would think I knew that sermon by heart, wouldn't you?

Have a magnificent Monday. It's a "laundry/cooking/putting-away-kind-of-day" at Faulkner Farms (circa 1842). I'm not feeling the Paul Deen Recipe Challenge today, but you never know. I might change my mind around noon.

I'll be back tomorrow with a Recipe, Randomness, pics and a little more.

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda