Sunday Evening Tea

 

Hello, my friends. Sorry about the radio silence last week. To be honest, I did not plan to be gone for so long. If you have read here for some time, you are familiar with my OCD and Health Anxiety battle. I had a setback last week, and honestly, it is hard. Although I have a wonderful support system and excellent tools, if I don't practice when things are going well, I am not prepared when anxiety decides to remind me it is ready and waiting. 

Last week, I experienced a bout of OCD and anxiety and am still working through it. I could say I have no idea why, but I can see how a perfect storm was forming if I think about it. I am adjusting to a new phase in life, that of a mother to older children. Many days I am home alone, and I am missing those days with little ones. My dear mother is doing well, yet I am struggling to accept the fact that she is aging and progressing in her Alzheimers journey. I am also in that phase of life where we women hold on for dear life and try to make our way through the highs and lows of menopause. 

In any case, I suddenly felt all those anxious feelings, heard all the irrational thoughts that OCD throws at me, and I worked through it as best I could. I felt tired, worried, sad, and unsure. I wasn't hungry. And I slept too much. And it sucked. It literally does. I know what is happening; I wish with all my heart it would stop, but I am unable to shake it off. That is anxiety for me. I am learning to ride the wave rather than try to stop it. I am learning to live with uncertainty and am refusing to engage with my irrational thoughts. I am a work in progress, folks.

As I said before, I debated whether or not to share this here, but if I can let one other person know that they are not alone, I am happy to be vulnerable. This is life. It isn't all puppies and coffee cups. Sometimes it is setbacks and tears. And naps. Thanks for listening, my friends. 

Have a cozy week!

Billie Jo

Ordinary Summer Days and Nights

 

All the things that make summer so special. 

I hope you are enjoying your summer days too.

Don't forget this Sunday is July 25, otherwise known as Christmas in July!

In years past, we celebrated with great fanfare. This year, I will probably pull out a Christmas mug, and we will watch a favorite Christmas movie. Just our stage in life!

Have a cozy, restful, exciting, healthy weekend, my friends.

Spend it doing what brings you joy.

Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

Let's Talk About Bedrooms!

Through the past thirty years, Steve and I have lived in several different houses with various children in each one at different times. Today, social media is filled with images of elaborate nurseries and bedrooms, and I am so thankful I did not have that kind of pressure on me back when my babies were born! I remember ordering a cute little set from the J.C. Penney catalog for Madison, adding a rocking chair, and knowing it was perfect. 

I always felt it important that our children's rooms reflect who each of them is. I let each of them choose the color and theme, within reason, for their bedrooms. The fluorescent green stage of Rhett's room is proof of that! And I never forgot that bedrooms were just that. Rooms with beds in them. If they are not picture-perfect, who cares?? As long as each of my kids was happy and cozy, I was happy. I remember a time years ago when no one in my family was sleeping in their own room except me!

Flynn was little and had been very sick. She was sleeping with me because she was waking in the night coughing very badly. Steve slept downstairs on the couch, and Rhett slept down there with him. They watched tv together and fell asleep with the television still on most nights. Madison had her own room, but she didn't sleep there. She preferred sleeping in Peyton's room with her because Peyton had twin beds, and they liked to stay awake talking and laughing. Sometimes Rhett would sleep on the floor in our room. Sometimes Flynn would. At one point, Steve and I had a dresser and a crib in our room for Flynn, and I wouldn't have had it any other way!

What is my point here? As always, I encourage young mothers to do what works for you! Look at all the elaborate and fancy nurseries and bedrooms out there, and then choose what you and your child like. Think about more than the aesthetic. Remember your child will be playing in that room. Toys and books need a spot. Favorite characters like SpongeBob and Barbie will be in there too. Someday you may need to squeeze another bed in there. So relax. And do you.

Peyton recently moved into her sweet home with her new husband Chris, and that left a small extra bedroom here. I have not had an extra bedroom for a long time, and it made me sad! So, I decided to make it a happy place and put a few things we had together with some new sheets and cute signs to make a guest room for friends and relatives who come and spend time with us. What is happier than Mickey Mouse???

What about you?

What are your thoughts on bedrooms?

Have a cozy afternoon, my friends.

Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee

 

Good Monday morning! We are smack dab in the middle of summer, and although my heart belongs to fall, I am enjoying these long, cozy summer days. Our weather has alternated between hot and sunny and torrentially stormy and humid. I know many are dealing with much more severe weather, and I am praying for you all. 

In other news, you know how much of an advocate I am for this wonderful world of Blogging. In a few weeks, I will mark nine years of sharing my simple, cozy life here. Through the years and along the way, I have met many women from different places throughout the world who share my love of home and family. Some of these women became real-life friends. They were kind enough to travel so that our families could meet and spend time together. This past weekend was a wonderful example of the power of Blogging.

My dear, sweet, fun friend Danielle and her family drove way too many hours to visit and spend time here with us! They arrived Wednesday afternoon and left Sunday morning. In between, we went to a charming tearoom, played cards and trivia, watched movies, rode around the lake on the boat, took the kids tubing, sat on the deck and drank coffee, laughed, ate out, ate in, celebrated Danielle's upcoming birthday, and made plans for a return visit. My entire family enjoyed every single minute. And to think that had I not started sharing my thoughts on this little blog, Danielle and I would never have known that out there somewhere was a woman who loved family, home, coffee, cozy, and Disney as much as each one of us do.

Oh! And you know you have a lifelong friend when she comes and thinks nothing of the fact that you are celebrating Shark Week!

Today is laundry day. I have already picked up my groceries and put them away, so I am ahead of the game. I am making an easy and delicious garlic and lemon fish recipe tonight and will serve it with egg noodles, steamed vegetables, and a salad. After that, we will watch The Bachelorette, always a positive commentary on the youth of our world finding love by dating numerous people and choosing one in the span of six weeks to spend a lifetime with. 

Have a nice Monday, my friends.

Thanks for visiting!

Danielle has a beautiful blog HERE.

Billie Jo