Share Four Somethings - May 2021

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I'm running a bit late in sharing my Something Loved, Something Read, Something Treasured and Something Ahead for the month of May. I have to get started on today's to-do list soon, so here's a quick round-up of things to share!

Something Loved

In an effort to be motivated to walk more and to do it consistently, my husband and I decided to try out Conqueror Virtual Challenges. You purchase one of the virtual tours that suits your goals, put the app on your phone, and then enter your miles to see your progress along a virtual map of someplace exotic! My husband walks a LOT at his job, so he chose a longer distance challenge - he is walking the Great Ocean Road in Australia. I'm much more limited because of my current joint problems, so I chose a short trail - Mount Fuji in Japan. So even though I am walking the same section of country road near our house every time, I'm virtually climbing Mount Fuji. There are street views of your challenge in the app, and you get virtual postcards from the places you visit. And when you complete the challenge, you get a really cool medal. A real medal they send you in the mail!

Something Read

I completed five books during the month. That's more like it! You can see more about my reading in my Monthly Bookshelf Review for May 2021 which should be live tomorrow.

The Silver Shadow by Liz Tolsma

The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber

Daughters of Zion: Biblical Retellings by C.A. Gray

Feed the Birds: Attract and Identify 196 Common North American Birds by Chris Earley

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

  

   

Something Treasured

Graduations! Just yesterday I was able to attend the commencement ceremony for the homeschool group we were part of, and celebrate about a dozen young people finishing high school and moving on to their next chapters. A couple of very good friends of my daughter's were in the Class of 2021 and many of the parents are my good friends. Some of the grads had been my students in co-op classes too. What a joy to reflect on all the memories, to see all the hard work the young people and parents have put into their education and upbringing, and to see them continue achieving great things!

This weekend and next we will continue to celebrate with the grads we know by attending their parties. And this coming week, our daughter will graduate from community college. That ceremony will be drive-thru, so not nearly as meaningful, but we will definitely celebrate her achievement!

Something Ahead

We are trying to make vacation plans for the summer, and have one weekend trip planned for Father's Day. We'll need to stay close to home in July, but hopefully we can plan something fun for August! 

Also still working on the admissions and registration (and financing!!) for our daughter to the university she's chosen. A new adventure for us, and so many unknowns, but we're taking it one step at a time.

This post will be linked at Share Four Somethings hosted by HeatherGerwing.com

©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Share Four Somethings - April 2021

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Something Loved, Something Read, Something Treasured and Something Ahead. 

Something Loved

I decided to do a review and promotional post for an online streaming library of kids books last week. And I thought it would be just an information type thing, but it did look very cute and I'm all for promoting reading and books for kids. I was actually delighted with this product and very excited about it! My little granddaughter has been loving it too. She likes books and enjoys having stories read to her, and she also likes watching movies "appropriate for children" as she says on YouTube. But Vooks is so much better and safer than videos!

If you have little ones, do check it out. Unfortunately the giveaway associated with this promotion has ended, but the review post is still available: 

Vooks is a streaming library, of ad-free, kid-safe animated storybooks. An entire library of positive themed storybooks, brought to life with quality narration and sounds. The site is trusted by teachers and enjoyed by millions of children around the world. The interactive reading system helps encourage the love of reading, and I'm certainly on board with that! Vooks strengthens literacy and vocabulary, promotes independent learning, and develops strong values like kindness and friendship.

Vooks offers more than just the storybooks. There are also free, fun, printable lesson plans. Vooks lesson plans offer discussion topics, activities, and more.

Something Read

I only completed two books during the month. Only two!! In fairness, the beginning of the month was very busy, and I do have quite a few books I'm working on. You can see more about my reading in my Monthly Bookshelf Review for April 2021.

Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham

Patrick: A Spark in the Darkness by Jessica Dunn

Something Treasured

Wedding celebrations! We celebrated my son's wedding a couple weeks ago and the day was practically perfect! Everything came together so well, the weather was cooperative, and being able to gather with family and friends for this special day was enjoyably "normal". Our oldest son and his family came for the wedding, of course - he was a groomsman and his little girl was one of the flower girls, so we could also treasure a couple days of delightful family time.

Something Ahead

 Next on our family to-do list is ending the school year, and for our daughter, that includes planning for next year. There's just a few weeks of classes left at co-op, and I'm looking forward to the summer break! Also just a few weeks of college classes left. Kennady will be relieved to have it finished, I'm sure, but there's also some anxiety over her grades (virtual learning doesn't go well for college level classes either, as it turns out. In fact, a couple of her classes have been mostly frustration and confusion, with the instructors doing almost zero instruction). We're looking forward to celebrating her graduation from college - in a drive-through ceremony, which is pretty lame - and she is working on making decisions for next year. Next week we'll do a campus visit for the university that's top of her list. Whether the finances will be there for her to attend that school remains a matter of prayer.

This post will be linked at Share Four Somethings hosted by HeatherGerwing.com

©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Share Four Somethings - March 2021

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Happy Spring! And Happy Easter! As we wrap up the month of March here's Something Loved, Something Read, Something Treasured and Something Ahead. 

Something Loved

So a little background: I have been dealing with very stiff and painful knees for a long time, and to the best of my knowledge, it's arthritis. (I have to get an appointment booked soon to get an update) I've had a couple of flare-ups of bursitis in my hip, and I've also had plantar fasciitis. ⇚ With all of that going on, sometimes just walking out to the mailbox is tough. So on the one hand, it hurts to exercise, but on the other hand, I need to get some exercise to help with weight loss and with keeping those joints mobile. Kind of a Catch-22. In a conversation with a good friend a couple weeks ago, she mentioned that she had bought trekking poles to help her hike more safely since she has some neuropathy. And a light came on! I remembered that I'd been thinking about trekking poles myself a couple years ago, but had forgotten all about it. That reminder sent me straight to checking prices and since I had some birthday money left, I decided that was the best way to spend it.

So I got a pair of trekking poles and have had a chance to go walking a couple times with them. I've been able to go for walks with my husband, keeping up a good pace and even gait, and with a lot less pain! Why didn't I do this a long time ago? I'm looking forward to trying them out on some easy hikes and being able to do more walking this spring and summer.

Something Read

I completed three books during the month. I'm definitely off the pace! You can see more about my reading in my Monthly Bookshelf Review for March 2021.

The Purple Nightgown by A.D. Lawrence

The Sly Governess by Everly Rosabell

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

  

Something Treasured

Warmer spring weather, spring flowers, the birds visiting our feeders, rain (instead of snow), and spring peepers! Signs of spring, and of hope. Even the annoyance of ants returning to their annual attempt to take over my kitchen is tempered by the fact that it's an annual occurrence as the days get longer and more pleasant. This year we have additional reasons to be excited about spring as we prepare for our son's wedding, and our daughter's graduation from college.

I'm still reminding myself to treasure the crowded quarters in our house, because the young couple is planning to move out as soon as they can find a place to move into, and although our daughter strongly prefers to transfer to a four-year school close by, there's that possibility that she'll wind up at a school where she'll have to live on campus. And I don't think I'm ready for that. 

Something Ahead

The wedding! Now less than two weeks away! Most of the details and plans are falling into place and well in hand, but obviously there's quite a bit left to do. My big job is the rehearsal dinner. Other than that, I guess I am just offering my services wherever needed. 

And then yesterday, I found out that my Mother-of-the-Groom dress - the one I ordered a month ago and paid for expedited shipping, and the one that I thought had been shipped a week ago - that one? Yeah, now the website is showing that it is scheduled to be shipped the Monday AFTER the wedding. That is not going to work for me, and I'm very upset. I'm contacting the company to find out what is happening and hopefully get it shipped immediately. But I suppose I will need a backup plan. I'm praying that the dress still arrives on time; otherwise, I will have a relatively expensive semi-formal dress sitting in my closet just in case I ever have opportunity to use it. Plus I'll have to spend more money on another dress. 

First world problems, right? But it is important to me, because it's my son's wedding and the whole family will be here and there will be all the pictures and all of that. 

This post will be linked at Share Four Somethings hosted by HeatherGerwing.com

©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Share Four Somethings - February 2021

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

A warm welcome to my thoughts about Something Loved, Something Read, Something Treasured and Something Ahead for this month! It's certainly warmer now at the end of the month than it was a couple of weeks ago, but I'm looking forward to even warmer days ahead.

Something Loved

My birthday is in December, and I've been spending my birthday money this month! As usual, I treat myself to books and coffee. And a coffee cup - a travel mug featuring the little alien beings from Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle. So many cute things at Threadless if you are also a fan!

Also loved this month - kindness rocks. I've been an occasional participant in painting and hiding rocks, but it's been a really long time since I found one. One extremely cold morning, I found this rock on the windowsill as I arrived at work. I only wish I knew where it traveled and who found it when I rehid it. And I could say that about most of the rocks I've painted and hidden. 

Something Read

I completed two books during the month, but have a couple more that I'll be finished soon! You can see more about my reading in my Monthly Bookshelf Review for February 2021.

Messiah: Biblical Retellings by C.A. Gray

The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman

 

Something Treasured

I've been especially frustrated over the past couple months when my house seems chaotic and overstuffed with . . . well, stuff. There are six people living here, and two of those people are acquiring stuff in order to set up their own household very soon, so there is a lot of stuff. Every now and again I'm able to purge some stuff of mine that it's time to part with, but finding time to really sort things and be tough about getting rid of the unnecessary things is a challenge. I have some ideas in mind for the rooms that I'll get "back" once the kids move out, so part of me is anxious to get started on that redecorating project and have more control over the space in my house. A couple days ago I was upset at my dining room and front hall being cluttered by stuff that wasn't all mine and I wondered to myself, "When will my house ever be tidy and organized?" Then I realized that if my house is ever tidy and organized, it will probably happen after all my kids have moved out. Yeah, mixed feelings there. I love having all my people here - just don't love having all the stuff. 

All that to say, I am trying to remember to treasure the time I have with most of my people under my roof, and not be unduly impatient. And related to that - oh how I treasure the warm and loving family and in-law relationships we have. I loved my mother-in-law dearly, and miss her very much. My parents have always had a wonderful relationship with my husband. I love my daughter-in-law and my (soon to be) daughter-in-law so much and it's been a delight to have my son's fiancee living with us and become such a natural part of our family. 

Something Ahead

Still full steam ahead on wedding plans! The bridal shower was lovely, and we are now about six weeks away from the wedding day! I need a dress! I'm sure there are wedding details that need to be finalized. The biggest practical concern right now is whether the newlyweds will be able to line up a house or apartment to move into right away. They had hoped to buy, but it's a seller's market right now which means they are priced out, and nice properties to rent at an affordable price are not that easy to find around here anyway. So things are up in the air, but I know that everything will work out because God will provide.

This post will be linked at Share Four Somethings hosted by HeatherGerwing.com

©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Share Four Somethings - January 2021

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

Happy New Year!

It's a new year and thus we begin a new series of Something Loved, Something Read, and Something Treasured and Something Ahead monthly collections.

Something Loved

It has been a frustrating couple of months of getting a new computer set up. Ugh. We had been planning to replace our desktop for awhile, but around Thanksgiving it actually shut down. Like for good. So we had to hurry up on our replacement plans. We purchased a new computer and when it arrived we took it and our old one to the Best Buy Geek Squad so they could salvage files from the old hard drive and transfer to the new computer. As you might imagine, they were busy and  things took longer because of restrictions, so that took a couple weeks. And then the new computer didn't work right. Whaaaaaat?!? Tried letting the Geek Squad work on it remotely, with limited success, so at the beginning of January we took it in and they determined that it was something faulty with the computer itself, so that was returned another new one ordered. We now have that computer up and running, BUT we have been unable to get the backed up files (photos, documents, and the like) onto it so there is still work to be done. 

But here's the takeaway and why I'm telling this story in the Something Loved category. We love having the technology of our computers and phones! And honestly, the Geek Squad and Best Buy have done a great job helping us out. Big thank you to all the technology experts that keep all of us running and connected, especially during times when we are more dependent on these devices than ever. 

Something Read

I completed three books during the month, but I'm behind on writing reviews! You can see more about my reading in my Monthly Bookshelf Review for January 2021.

The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

A Pretty Deceit by Anna Lee Huber

 

Something Treasured

Treasured friendships have been on my mind more this month. You see, one of my very best friends is moving out of state soon. Their decision to move went from zero to sixty very quickly, their house sold quickly and they are in beast mode for getting their stuff purged and packed and ready to go. Yesterday I managed to get her and several other friends together for an evening of fellowship. Not sure whether we'll be able to get a group together like that again before she leaves, but what a precious time it was. And how greatly we will miss each other when our weekly coffee break dates have to end. 

Our group that met together has a name - we are Homeschool Moms Emeritae. We are all homeschool moms, either recently "retired" or with only a year or two left in our homeschool career. Once your youngest student nears graduation day and you realize that you will no longer be a Homeschool Mom, you also start to realize just how much of your social life and support system is tied to the homeschool community. My friend and I began to see that a few years ago when her youngest was about to graduate, and we wanted to be intentional about staying connected with each other and with other friends in a similar place in life. We also saw that with our collective years of homeschool experience we might be able to mentor and encourage new homeschoolers. We're still figuring out exactly how to do that, but thankfully we've got our little unofficial Homeschool Moms Emeritae circle started. 

Something Ahead

We are in wedding planning mode around here! Less than a month until the bridal shower, and a bit more than two months until the wedding! My son and his fiancee both live with us - she is already a daughter to me! - so although I don't have a lot of tasks that I'm actively involved in, the planning and preparation are still front and center in our daily lives. My daughter is the maid of honor, so she and I are both focused on planning for the shower. And also, I need a dress for the wedding! 

This post will be linked at Share Four Somethings hosted by HeatherGerwing.com

©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Share Four Somethings - December 2020

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

Just barely sneaking in before the end of December to look back on Something Loved, Something Read, and Something Treasured for the month. Let's hope that 2021 holds good things for Something Ahead.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas! Wishing you a Happy New Year!

 

Something Loved

Some general shout-outs for services I've really appreciated recently: Our county library system has been outstanding and greatly appreciated for a long time. Although the buildings have been closed for the majority of the past year, the library system did their best to make their services accessible anyway. We've been able to request books and materials online for pick-up at our local branches just like always, and the staff came up with a system to package our pick-ups to be picked up quickly in the local branch lobby by appointment. The library is also automatically renewing books when possible. 

Online ordering apps for restaurants and stores. This may come as a surprise to some people that know me, but I hate ordering at drive thru windows, especially when I'm the driver and there are other people in my car that I'm ordering for. Very stressful. Using the app and just pulling up to collect my order is the best. And most of the time, the restaurants are getting the orders correct. 

Something Read

I completed four books during this busy month, but still have to post a review for a couple of them. The review for Everyday Confetti should appear in the next few days, but I did write about it on Homeschool Coffee Break as it was my contribution to the Online Book Club. You can see more about my reading in my Monthly Bookshelf Review for December 2020.

To Dwell Among Cedars by Connilyn Cossette

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Everyday Confetti by Karen Ehman & Glynnis Whitwer

The Christmas Bargain by Shanna Hatfield

   

  

Something Treasured

It may be the cliche answer, but this has been another month in which time with family was something to be treasured. Early in the month my kids planned a low key Christmas party with a family and a few friends and it was so much fun. I've had opportunities to go shopping with my husband and with my kids and even though shopping isn't my favorite thing, spending time together is. Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with my people at home is something I treasure every year. And after Christmas we were able to spend a few days having another Christmas celebration with our oldest son and his family - reading stories and having fun times with a sweet granddaughter is the perfect way to end the year with a positive experience!

Something Ahead

Happy New Year!

Despite all the uncertainties and chaos around us, when we put our hope in Christ we have hope and peace and look forward to the new things God will do. I pray that 2021 holds good things for our family and for all of us.  

This post will be linked at Share Four Somethings hosted by HeatherGerwing.com

©2008-2020 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.