In The Refiner's Fire

We've been so very busy here this season of our life.  In the midst of all the house organizing, school starting (for all 4 of us), rearranging of plans, getting ready to certify as a Jazzercise instructor and the typical fall household and yard things that need to be done, I was assigned to work on a project with a woman that I would never, ever in a million years have wanted to work with. I was so upset and frustrated by it. I didn't want to meet with her, talk to her or spend the large amount of time together that we would have to work through for this project. This woman really bothered me.  She was snide and rude.  She would scream at her teenage children over the phone (including swearing and calling them names) in front of other people and complain about every little aspect of their behavior.  She would moan and complain about everyone and everything.  I really didn't like her company and I couldn't even imagine working with this woman....

I only have a few short weeks until I go through my "final" workshop as part of the Jazzercise Instructor certification process.  I'm a bit pumped, a bit scared, and just plain really excited about the whole thing. The hardest part of this journey has been learning to do all the things I've been doing wrong right. Yep, you read that right. I had been doing several things wrong for years and just found out now.  In the last few weeks, I've been up on stage, behind the current instructor, practicing during class.  What I've noticed is that a lot of people are doing things wrong too - almost everyone in the room. Can I offer some unsolicited advice to anyone doing aerobic exercise?  (If you don't want it, you can skip these next two paragraphs - you won't hurt my feelings.  Really.) Good posture is really important and it will make your workout far more effective than if you don't have good posture.  Keep that tummy tucked in and that pelvi...

I can hardly believe how fast this year has flown by and how quickly we have entered fall.  The leaves on the trees are starting to turn crimson, gold and orange, and I'm lovin' almost every minute of it!  We have a giant pumpkin and a few smaller ones in our garden that the kids are way excited over and we still have some spaghetti squash to harvest too.  We've had an over-abundance of apples - all free from various friends and family.  I have plenty of applesauce in my freezer now!  Good thing we like it! So, what are we eating now that the weather has turned cooler?  Well, here's what we're eating this week: Sunday, October 2:      Breakfast: Oatmeal with Cranberries and Cinnamon      Lunch: Out with Company      Snack: Popcorn      Dinner: BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, Cole Slaw, Apple-Pear-Grape Salad Monday, October 3:     Breakfast: Sour Cream ...

Earlier this spring, my cousin Diane did all of the frosting on this fabulous cake that we had for my kids' 6th birthday. My cousin Diane is so special to me.  I'm the youngest cousin by almost 20 years on my Mom's side of the family.  I am an only child, Diane has two brothers and we had 2 other male cousins.  So, Diane and I are the only girls.  Never mind that Diane is literally old enough to be my mother and her son is only 5 years younger than me.  Never mind that her two step-sons are my age and she has grandchildren.  Once I hit my teenage years, we've always been very close. Diane lives about 3 hours away and it has never stopped her from being here for our kids birthdays, recitals and programs.  She comes a few times a year for the weekend - just to visit and spend time with us.  She and her husband, Bo, live on a very limited income and are so generous with their time and energy and what they do have.  She always shares ...