Well.... I had to get out....

I had to leave our home today for someone coming to do some things in the home. I threw on a comfy dress (it is almost a moo moo) and headed to the library. I felt that would be a calm place to go and I could stroll easily and sit if needed. I could also hang out in my car as well. Our library is surrounded by beautiful trees, so it is a really calming place to park. I will be honest I am wiped out from it. I even had a random stranger ask me if I was okay and told me I looked pale and exhausted. LOL!! Well, it was true I suppose. 

I did check out a book and for the life of me I cannot remember the name of it. I know that is bad! Haha! I haven't really been able to read because I am so foggy brained but thought I would try to read it.  I have it in a book basket now so I will have to share the name of it later. 

I am also trying to wean myself off soda. I love a good coca cola. Sigh. Like daily! Sigh. It is more about the fizz than anything. I just feel like I need it. So, I tried this drink from Aldi called Waterloo. They have a lot of different flavors. I am usually not a fan of flavored sparkling water drinks, but I was so pleasantly surprised that this was so good. 

I think it is a nice healthier alternative to help myself wean off sodas. It is definitely not a coca cola, but it has a nice crisp fizz and a good flavor. It will have to do. 

I did some laundry, watered some plants, and rested today. I put some meatballs in the crockpot for Italian Meatball Subs for our supper. 

Do you like Sparkling Water? Curious if anyone does! If so, what are your favorite brands and flavors?

Until Next Time,

Chrissy T

Bed Resting~ Hot Flashes~ Shows Keeping Me Entertained

Well, I have been put on bed rest for a few days as we wait on my scheduled-out surgery in June. They are trying to get my hemorrhaging to slow or stop by me resting and taking medications. So, far it has not worked 100. I need to get my iron up to do the surgery, yet I need the surgery to keep my iron from dropping more. I am in a bit of a conundrum. 

Anyway.... it is so funny. Funny in the fact that there were years all I wanted to do was rest and do nothing and now that I am that place, I am anxious and do not like it. Oh, the grass is never greener on the other side, like we think sometimes, is it? LOL!

Me totally not feeling it today. I am posting for my memories. LOL! Basically, I will rest and take the medication and when my "flow" stops I can get up for light duty but if it starts back I have to get back to resting. SIGH!

So, what have I been up to, you ask?! Nothing... truly....

I have been watching lots of shows, listening to an audio book, and sleeping. I am so exhausted. I sleep around 10-11 hours a day at this point. 

Just now in the last two days I have been able to get up and cook some basic meals like tacos and spaghetti. I have had to utilize grocery delivery WHICH I DESPISE. 

One of the series I have been watching. It really is good and clean so far. It is hard to find clean shows nowadays.

I like dark mysteries as well. This has been a great series. I have been watching this show for years. 

If you are squeamish, Silent Witness, it is not for you! This is solving murders from a coroner's angle.

Another favorite I usually like is Brokenwood Mysteries. I just wish they didn't start pushing hidden agendas this season. It has always been a clean and nice show, but this season has been different. 

I do not normally sit around and watch so much on my computer. I do not have cable or anything. I watch stuff off my laptop with streaming, but I can't focus on reading. I can't really do puzzles or diamond painting in the bed. So, this is where I am at the moment. 

I have been doing a lot of research on perimenopause and menopause. Trying to research foods, supplements and other helpful things to help me during this time and to be prepared for after my surgery. I am pretty overwhelmed. I do not like to be put under. I do not like medications because I have so many sensitivities and allergies. 15 to be exact. Sigh. 

I have been watching Dr. Axe on YouTube for perimenopause and menopause information. I love his natural approach. 

I also have been watching Dr. Mary Claire Haver M.D. She isn't a holistic natural doctor, but she is very realistic and informational about hormone care.

Anway, not much really interesting in my world, but I want to post for posting sake and for myself. So, I can look back and remember this moment and season in my life. 

I am reading and learning more about certain healthy diets and supplements that I believe would be beneficial. I have really let my diet go in the past year due to all the symptoms I have been dealing with. So, I need to get back at better nutrition and slower paced living. I used to be this way when our kids were home and I was homeschooling, but I have lost a lot of discipline once the nest became "empty" or I wasn't responsible for the now young adults. I have not found a daily routine and rhythm without them and schooling, I don't cook as much as I used to, and I fill my days with stressing things to not deal with the fact the house can feel empty and lonely feeling at times. 

Empty nest season and then entering perimenopause has been very difficult for me. Lack of sleep, sugar and carb cravings, weight gain no matter how much I walked and hiked, hot flashes and sweats. Increased anxiety and mood swings. DID I MENTION THE HOT FLASHES!!!!!!!!!! The never ending sweating. Sick to my stomach from it. The aversion of meat I have. Constant long 30–40-day heavy periods. 

It has not been fun to say the least. Hopefully, there is HOPE around the corner at some point and until then I am going to try to see how I can make it somewhat tolerable by changing some things in my life. 

ANY TIPS would be appreciated!!!!

Yes, I am in my late 40's but my grandmother was 39 when she entered menopause. My mother was 48. It has become more and more common for women in their late 40's to deal with symptoms beforehand or even younger. 

Until next time....

Chrissy T

Happy Mother's Day

For all my USA and any other area readers that recognize Mother's Day on May 10th, 2026, I want to wish you a Happy Mother's Day! I know this can be a hard day for some but let us find some joy or peace no matter what the circumstances are. I pray you have a lovely day.

With Love, 

Chrissy T

Mississippi Petrified Forest

 

Hello all.  My husband and I took a little stroll at Mississippi Petrified Forest a bit back and amidst all the LIFE (check yesterday's post) I haven't shared the memories. So, today is the day. 

This is a piece of petrified wood that looks like a frog! :) 

All that on the ground around the tree is petrified wood. It is amazing how this is stone. So fascinating

. 

This little squirrel kept following us. LOL!

It was short 1/2-mile stroll. The weather was 70 and the sunshine was perfect. It was a beautiful day. We finished up with ice cream at a local ice cream place. I got German Chocolate Custard. It was super delish. 

Before our wandering we had lunch at new Italian restaurant, and it was fabulous. I ordered a new dish which I never hardly do. Usually, I stick with my normal favorites because it is usually safe and good. This time I ventured out and tried a pasta with sundried tomatoes, alfredo and rigatoni and bacon. It was delish. 

Thanks for popping in!

With Love,

Chrissy T

When Life is "Lifing!"

Hello everyone. It has been a week and two days since my mother-in-law passed unexpectedly and tragically away. I will not share details for personal reasons, but I will say that it has been a difficult time. Then two days after we buried her, her sister passed away unexpectedly as well. It has been a real hard time for Derrick's side of the family. In the midst of that I have had some serious health problems. I was standing for hours during the visitation, and I began to have female issues. If you are a consistent reader, you will know that I have anemia. Well, I began to hemorrhage which led to emergency care for this and many doctor's appointments and female biopsies. 

To say Life is LIFING is TRUTH here in this season of my life.

I have said that saying for years... way before I knew it was coined a modern slang. 

According to google...

Meaning of “Life is Lifing”

“Life is lifing” is a modern slang phrase that means life is actively happening — often in intense, unpredictable, or overwhelming ways — and you’re fully experiencing it, whether it’s joyful, chaotic, or challenging.

I will say I feel the chaotic and challenging part ever so much right now. 

I have to have a hysterectomy and I am terrified. I will be down for quite a bit and to be honest, my anxiety is through the roof. I know I try hard to keep this space positive, uplifting, joyful and encouraging. I like to post all our adventures and special memories. BUT THIS SEASON (look at my blog title) is different. All the plans I had for this spring and summer seem to be floating away. My new part time job has been put on the back burner because I can't even stand for long periods, walk down the block, or lift anything heavy because of my current hemorrhaging. My iron is dangerously low, so my breathing is labored by the simplest of tasks and my heart begins to pound just taking a shower. 

So, while I do like to keep my blog drama and "woe is me" free; this season I am rolling into is not void of that. We will have to roll into this next season and embrace it. I am sharing here because this is what my life looks like right now. I love sharing the good memories and all my fun goals BUT life is taking me on a different path. I will try not to share much about it all on the blog and my blog posts may seem a tad less interesting but for my sanity, comfort, and only form of creativity I will keep on posting as I can. 

With love,

Chrissy T

Prayers Please~ A Loss

Hello everyone. My husband's mother passed away last night. We got a call she was being rushed to the hospital at 5:15 p.m. yesterday evening. He began to drive that way. We were under the impression that it was dehydration. Unfortunately, that was not the case. It was a long ride to the hospital from where she lives and by the time they reached the hospital she coded. Sad to say after many traumatic hours of coding 6 times in 3 hours and trying to save her she could no longer hold on. I made it right before she passed. Two of our children were pulling in. It was almost a 2-hour drive for us. She was 72 years old. Her name was Carolyn. It was so sudden and totally unexpected. She apparently had pulmonary embolisms in both lungs, and one went to her heart. She never mentioned she was feeling any certain way. She just said she didn't feel good, but she had her teeth pulled for dentures recently and we all assumed it was pain and not feeling good from that. 

My husband lost his dad a few years ago to cancer. While death is never wanted and you are never fully prepared for loss; we had time to say goodbye and talk to him before he passed. We all knew he was passing away and was there at the time. This time with his mom was so different and so shocking. 

He just keeps saying I can't believe my mama is gone. So, if you could please lift up our family at this time I appreciate it much. 

With Love,

Chrissy T

Sunday's Special Moments ~ Birthday Lunch, Hosting, and Time with Jesus

 

Hello everyone! Today was full day but special. Lots of cooking! Lots of food! Lots of laughs and a nap! Let's start from the beginning. This is our oldest son, Ethan! We had his birthday lunch today after church. He will be 26 tomorrow (April 27th) and we are teasing him that he is close to 30. He is refusing to accept that. 

This morning started at 5:50 a.m. ONLY because we had a terrible storm last night that kept us up all night. I finally decided to get on up and start cooking because I had lots to do. We had our son's lunch as well as we were also hosting a small group of men from church for a Men's Bible Study and Taco Night. 

I had to lead worship today so off I went after cooking lasagna, MY SPECIAL green beans and preparing the home. 

Heading out the door!!! You can see Ethan's gift behind me!💗💜💚

My husband had put up this below on our monitor at church today. I loved it and needed the reminder!

Now, after a beautiful time with the Lord and our church family I headed home to get lunch served. All the kids came over and we celebrated Ethan. He is a HUGE and I really mean HUGE St. Louis Cardinal fan. He watches the entire season! He has loved them since we took him to his first ball game in St. Louis when he was 4 years old. So, his gifts reflect that. We lived in the area for 15 years before moving to Mississippi.

Here is Ethan, Hannah and her boyfriend, Clayton.

Our youngest son *KYLE* is NOTORIOUSLY always late. Like always. We even tell him an earlier time to help him be on time but usually he is still late. :) He did end up arriving... EVENTUALLY. We love him though. HE BRINGS THE LAUGHS! ALWAYS! It isn't that he wants to be or being selfish. He has ADHD so schedules and timing is very difficult for him. He does try, bless it. :) 

 Kyle and Ethan!  

He loves honey buns! He has lost almost 100 pounds this past year, so this is a special treat. Hannah wrote some funny things on the box, and we all got a laugh! She gifted him these and a sweet card!

It was a nice day. The lasagna was a hit. It was probably one of my best homemade ones I have made yet. 

After we cleaned up and everyone went there way. I headed to the bed and slept for two hours. I needed it so much! I am so thankful. 

THEN ROUND TWO!!

I set up for our Men's Small Group this evening. They are studying being Battle Tested men and it has been a great enjoyment for the group.  My husband (aka...THE PASTOR) liked the taco bar our ladies did last week so we did that this week for the men.

I made a Queso Rotel dip. It was good. It was with queso Velvetta white cheese not the normal yellow block. They seem to have liked it. 

Here are a few snapshots of the men that attended. Oh, yes, they know I took pictures and that I am posting the pictures. 

My husband is in the green shirt!

It was great and busy day! I am thankful. Thankful for the ability to be able to serve, host and bless my loved ones and church family. I am thankful I had the means to do it and that I had the strength. To be honest, it has been a few hard months physically for me. I am so thankful for the energy to do what I needed to do. 

NOW.... I am blogging and drinking a nice cold coke. (yes, I know, it isn't healthy 😆) and I am about to watch some of my favorite hiking and camping youtubers. 

A great way to end my Sunday!

Blessings and with MUCH LOVE,

Chrissy T