My Favorite Things RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE, Monica's Wedding, Mikie's 59th Birthday Celebration AND Judith's "P" Adventure

Good Tuesday evening!

My Favorite Thing RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE - I am loving working on 1,000 piece puzzles on the deck with Mike and Roxie.

And I am loving that the puzzles are White Mountain State Puzzles.

We completed Michigan first (a place I want to visit) and started Oregon a few days later (a state we visited last Fall).

As the following photos show, I accidentally dropped a piece of Oregon through a crack on our deck last week. We continued to work on the puzzle knowing a piece would be missing...

And although we thought we were mentally and emotionally prepared for the huge HOLE it would leave...

Not only on the table, but in our hearts as well...

Well, words fail me.

I had no intention of suggesting Mike remove boards from the back of the deck and belly crawl to the front of the deck to retrieve the missing piece.

I really didn't.

And I never expected his reaction without any prompting.

We looked at the hole, and it took maybe five seconds before he said, "I'm going in after it."

And a few days later, that is exactly what he did.


I worked up a sweat trying to edit this pic (rotate) for this post...

And failed.

Maybe not as hard as Mikie worked to find the missing piece, but pretty close.

See how long it takes you to find the HOLE!




I'm not certain if this pic was taken going IN after the piece or coming OUT with the piece in hand.

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - Actually, after closer inspection I am certain. No blood dripping or spider webs hanging so it is evident he was just going IN for the piece.

Florida arrived this weekend, so we'll be getting busy with that one after the 4th, I do believe.

RANDOMNESS #1 - Monica's Wedding - Monica and Roxie were born a few days apart 23 years ago, and although they went to different schools, lived in different small Alabama towns while growing up, went to different churches...

They remain sweet friends. You may remember Monica from our New York City Trip last May.

Not last Pandemic May.

Last normal May.

It was 2019, I believe.

Uh-oh.

I went on a little tangent.

Let me just say...


Monica had a lovely wedding day!

RANDOMNESS #2 - Mikie's 59th Birthday Celebration - Mikie turned 59 this month...

Which means I will turn 59 very soon.

Heavy, heavy sigh.

Anyway, since we were doing wedding stuff on his actual birthday, we all got together for a family party the Sunday after.


Little Miss ME came for the birthday lunch.


Judith and RT helped blow out the candles on the beautiful Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Melia made.


And then we all retired to the driveway for swimming and such.
















When we were certain the kids were all tuckered out, we headed inside for dry clothes, blankets and a movie.

I really don't mind Mikie getting older when the parties are like this one.

Easy, breezy...

With a little cake!

RANDOMNESS #3 - Judith's "P" Adventure - Our alphabet adventures continue. Our end goal was originally finishing "Z" in August (along with the book we've been making). The Pandemic cut into some of our planned adventures, and I realize we are probably going to go into the month of September just a tad when we actually hit the "Z" mark...

But that will be okay.

Flexible is my middle name.


PRAYING before eating PIZZA in the PARK.

I do not understand Judith's one-handed PRAYER. She is being raised in the Bible Belt, and she knows what "assume the POSITION" means.


PURPLE.

Lots of PURPLE.


Standing in a PUDDLE.


Eating a Cotton Candy POPSICLE.


This should be evident to everyone.

PRECIOUS!


PURPLE from a different angle.


PLAYING hard.


PUSHING hard.

There were other "P" words represented, but I think you get the general idea.

A PLEASANT time was had by all!

I hope y'all have a great week. I am looking forward to the 4th and a family get-together...

And maybe a humidity-free day somewhere in the mix!

Take care, and I will talk to you soon.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Sleep when the baby sleeps. Fold laundry when the baby folds laundry.

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - This would have been very helpful to me back in the day. I think it would have removed some of the "new-mom" pressure!

My Favorite Thing RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE, Weighted Blankets... A Short Story, I Call These "Fizzy Popping Colored Stuff in Ziploc Bags", Church Parking Lot Picnic Pics, Judith's "O" Adventure, Water Balloons, Giant Bubbles and a Teeny, Tiny Mess, Grandtot Catch Up AND Upcoming Post

Good Tuesday morning!

My Favorite Thing RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE - Beginning last Summer, I started going to local nurseries for no other reason than to walk around and enjoy the colorful flowers and, most of the time, quiet. This Summer, I have taken it up a notch, and I go a little out of the way to explore new-to-me nurseries...

I've discovered each nursery has a personality all it's own. Although I was born without a green thumb, and I struggle each and every Spring and Summer to keep my three hanging baskets and asparagus fern alive, I am learning.

Who knows?

One day, maybe I'll adopt a lemon tree!

Now wouldn't that be something?

RANDOMNESS #1 - Weighted Blankets... A Short Story - Everyone in the world may already know this, but there's a newish-to-me thing called weighted blankets that are supposed to help with relieving anxiety.

I was curious, so I looked up the benefits of using the weighted blanket, and decided to give it a try.

Basically, it's swaddling for adults, and that didn't sound bad to me.

Not bad at all.

I found the blankets varied in weight from five to 25 pounds.

I also talked to a few people I knew who had tried them. They suggested the 10- or 15-pound blanket.

My way of thinking is a little unique in that I figured if 10- or 15-pound blankets worked well with relieving people of their anxiety, a 20- to 25-pound blanket would eventually cure anxiety all together.

I was mistaken.

So, so mistaken.

First of all, a 20-pound blanket is a heavy, heavy thing. Initially, when I laid down on my back and evenly distributed the blanket from my neck down to the tips of my toes, I closed my eyes and gave it a minute or two to work.

That's when I discovered weighted blankets on the top of my toes was very uncomfortable. I have arthritis in my toes which is not a particularly great place to have arthritis...

Or a weighted blanket.

Trying to sit up and redistribute the weight didn't work well, so I tried rolling to the edge of the bed and pushing it off of me.

I decided to start over, but my cardiac workout getting the thing off of me the first time made me think going to the bathroom one more time before trying it again would be a wise decision...

But I was wrong.

I didn't notice it while it was happening, but when I made a final push to get the blanket off of me and onto the floor, my feet and ankles slid onto the floor WITH the blanket.

So when I stood up to run to the bathroom one last time before trying everything again, my feet/ankles were encased in the cement (I mean "weighted") blanket, and I fell flat on my face.

Not kidding.

No exaggeration.

Just the truth.

By the time I went to the bathroom and returned to my side of the bed, I was exhausted...

Mentally, physically and emotionally.

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - I was pretty good spiritually as I had been praying the entire time I fought it to the floor.

That first night, I went to sleep quickly and rested peacefully...

No anxiety.

And no blanket.

Now I am happy to report whenever I DO need the blanket, I simply do the following...

I go to bed 10 minutes earlier than normal. (Prep time, you know.)

I keep my toes FREE.

I do not partake of any liquids two hours before bedtime.

I do NOT put it anywhere near my neck...

For obvious reasons.

And I do think it really works!

RANDOMNESS #2 - I Call These "Fizzy Popping Colored Stuff in Ziploc Bags" - I completely copied this from FaceBook, and it worked.

I poured 1/3 cup vinegar into a Ziploc bag, and added several drops of food coloring.

Then I twisted the bag closed and fastened it in the middle with a clothespin.

I sprinkled a good bit of baking soda into the top half of the Ziploc bag, and then I sealed it normally.

That's it.

I practiced before Judith arrived just to make sure something would happen, and I had all of the bags ready to go when she walked in the door.


In this pic, Judith is holding a bag patiently (kinda, maybe) awaiting my instructions.

Remove the clothespin...

Shake the baking powder into the vinegar portion of the bag...

Drop it on the grass as the bag expands.


As you can see some of the bags expand until they pop themselves open...

And some do not.

We decided to drop kick the ones that remained closed across the yard, and that sent fizzy colored stuff flying.

That part of the scientific experiment was not mentioned in the original instructions, but we found it to be fun just the same.

All in all, it was an enjoyable little five-minute activity which she has asked if we could do again one day.

I put it on a to-do list somewhere!

RANDOMNESS #3 - Church Parking Lot Picnic Pics - Mike and I met Austin, Melia, RT and ME at the church parking lot for a Chick-Fil-A Parking Lot Picnic.


Our VBS theme this year was Concrete and Cranes.

VBS was virtual because of COVID-19, so the Children's Ministry had parents picking up craft packets to work on with the lessons...

And there were several BIG machines in front of the church for that very reason.


RT was pretty happy about that.



RANDOMNESS #4 - Judith's "O" Adventure - The Pandemic has really made Alphabet Adventuring a little more difficult than 23 years or so ago, but we still keep on truckin'.


To begin our "O" Day, we made an Ocean in a two-liter bottle. We filled it a little over halfway with water, added food coloring and then topped off the liquid portion of the craft with vegetable oil. (Back in Roxie's day, I used baby oil because it was clear, but in the interest of realism, I used the vegetable oil.)

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - I personally like the clear oil better.

After you are finished with the liquid part of the Ocean, you can add glitter, sand, tiny sea animals, small stones, little shells, etc.

Judith and I kept it simple this time. She quickly added 20 or so fish and was ready to make waves!

ANOTHER NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - If you're going to keep the Ocean for any period of time, always hot glue around the lid after closing it tightly. You do NOT want an oil spill in your house!


We didn't do anything in Target "O-ish", but Judith wanted to stand in the "O" as we left, so it kinda worked.


Although we had a Lite-Brite Octopus picture to make, we didn't quite finish it.

And that's okay.

Alphabet Adventures must have structure AND flexibility.

Fifty-eight years old and I'm still working on the flexibility part.


Pop came home in time for some Oreo stacking competition.






Winner ate an Oreo.


Loser did not.

RANDOMNESS #5 - Water Balloons, Giant Bubbles and a Teeny, Tiny Mess - On any given visit with a Grandtot, I have a pretty good idea what we'll be doing inside AND outside. On this day with RT, we played in the baby pools with water, balls and water balloons...

We worked on chalkboard easels...

AND we made giant bubbles.






Except for the slow leak in the shark pool, we had a pretty good time.

Giant bubbles and water balloons for the win!

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - The shark pool has been replaced. I'm sure it bothered me more than it bothered you.

RANDOMNESS #6 - Grandtot Catch Up


This one loves all things water.


I always thought you needed some kind of college degree to make bubbles this big.

This one proved me wrong.


This one is constantly on the go!


This one is now a very happy non-stop talker.

Photo creds belong totally to Boss!

RANDOMNESS # 7 - Upcoming Post - We had two pretty big family events this past weekend.


Any guesses about this one?


Or this one?

I'll tell you all about it next time!

I hope you and yours are healthy and doing well. As for the Faulkners, we are enjoying the slow re-opening of our state. We are planning on worshipping inside our church this Sunday instead of watching from our den. That will be a joy!

Take care, and I'll talk to you soon.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

If I had a dollar for every time I didn't know what was going on, I'd be like, "Why am I always getting all of this money?"