What I Learned in March 2016

We've reached the very last day of  March which means that it's time to join Emily's link up again. Here are six things that I learned over the course of this month in no particular order.

How to unclog a bathroom sink. This video is super thorough and it was FAR easier than I ever
imagined.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was an atrocious speller and he also kept a detailed record of his life in a ledger. Fitzgerald happens to be one writer that I really admire, so the fact that his spelling MAY have been as bad as mine makes me feel relieved. As for the record keeping, well, it's nice to know that we kind of have that in common too.

That Mrs. Patmore has a first name and it's "Beryl". This slideshow on what the Downton Abbey stars look like in real life is pretty interesting.

The Chronicles of Narnia ARE worth reading and Holy Week is a great time to do it. Stay tuned for my full review in a couple of weeks, but until then, know that I have A LOT to say about my first time reading this WHOLE series.

Bernie's last name is Sanders, NOT Mac and he is a cute old white man, not a middle aged black man. This will tell you exactly how much I pay attention to politics. Truth be told, I have no idea what most politicians look like. I need to work on this. Any tips? 

If I want to remember what I learned, I have to write it down along the way. I only kept track of a few of these in this draft and the rest of what I learned was contained in a mental list which went away the moment I sat down to type this post out. Oops!

What did you learn this month?  

What I Learned in February 2016

Feb. 29, 2016

We've covered a lot of ground this February. I'm amazed at just how much we packed into this short month. Who is ready for another round of Emily's What I Learned link up? Here are six things from my list!

Francis Hodgson Burnett, the author of "The Secret Garden", wrote other books. To name a few: "The Shuttle," "The Making of a Marchioness," "The Methods of Lady
Walderhurst," "That Lass o' Lowries," "Through One Administration,"
"Little Lord Fauntleroy" and "A Lady of Quality".

How to clean a gas range. Simple enough, but a tutorial gives me confidence that I'm doing it "right". Don't be afraid to pull out the 409 for tough spots.

Command + c = copy. Thanks to my sister for the tutorial after learning how clueless I was about these shortcuts. Rach also commented to tell me about command + z = undo and command + x = cut. Apparently EVERYONE knows and uses these shortcuts except me. What else am I missing out on, people? 

Free Willy was filmed in Mexico City and off of the coasts of WA and OR. This was one of my favorite movies when I was little. I never even thought about filming locations.

About 3/4 of writing fiction is simply making decisions. Setting, plot, time period, character names, and every single detail is a fork in the road waiting for your to decide as an author. I'm hoping it gets easier with practice!

Rosa Parks' collection of papers and pictures are available online. Her reflections after her arrest in 1955, this picture from 1948, and a pancake recipe that she jotted down are some of my favorites so far. 

What did you learn this month?

And...What are you doing with your "extra" day this year? 

What I Learned in January 2016

It's the last Sunday in January. I've got a pot of chili simmering on the stove and I just removed a batch of cornbread muffins from the oven. Before we end the weekend, I wanted to take some time to join Emily in reflecting on what I learned in January. I learned...


1. To thank God for everything. I wrote about it several weeks ago and I've continued to learn about it all month long. It's never uncalled for. Say it out loud. He loves to hear it and you'll grow to love saying it.

2. That I prefer front load washers as opposed to top loaders. As much as I love being able to add clothes to the wash cycle after the water is done pouring in, that convenience isn't worth the beating that the agitator gives to clothes in top loaders.

3. That Psalm 23 is an explanation of Jesus' relationship with the Father. Maybe you already knew this, but I didn't until our pastor preached on it this month. Jesus Christ received all from the Father just as sheep receive (and expect to receive and lie in wait) from the shepherd.

4. To give being an expositional listener a try. This idea came from chapter one of Thabiti Anyabwile's book "What Is a Healthy Church Member?" .  I've got got a list of about 6 goals related to this task.

5. That command + v = paste. I'm not one for keyboard shortcuts, but that one has come in HANDY this month. Are there any that you use regularly?

6. So many things about Emily Dickinson that make me love her even more. She loved: her friends, Mount Vernon and George Washington, gardening, walks, New England, and writing. She was afraid of being alone to the point of not even being able to sleep with the window open when her sister traveled. This list of things to like about her is always growing.

7. That E.B. White was born in Mount Vernon, NY on July 11, 1899. I think of E.B. White often and keep a book two books of his essays back for reading when I need a boost. Coming across this tidbit unexpectedly in a book I happened to be reading this afternoon was a nice piece of trivia. You'd think I would know when one of my favorite writers was born, but I didn't until just a few hours ago.

What did you learn this month?

10 Things I Learned in 2015

July 6, 2015 // Favorite Shot of 2015

1. Making your own hot chocolate is a great idea. The first recipe I tried came right off of the Hershey's cocoa powder box. In August, I discovered an even better recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Also, Old Fashioned donuts go GREAT with the latter recipe.

2. I really want to move back to South Carolina. The winter of 2014-2015 is responsible for this lesson. Going back again in the fall to watch my brother graduate from police academy sealed the deal.

3. Living to make yourself happy, only makes you uneasy. God says a lot about this in His Word and there's a reason why. Stay in the Word and listen.

Jan. 7, 2015 // Three of six.

4. That you should wash your clear shower curtain in the washing machine once every three months. The first day of each new season is a perfect reminder.

5. That ants can apparently eat or at least carry off seeds. If you have an ant problem in your garden, take care of the ants and THEN plant your seeds. I usually do this, but this year I didn't and I ended up having to plant my cucumbers several times.

6. Cosmos really can bloom anytime during the summer and will continue blooming until the plant is killed off by frosts.

March 17, 2015

7. That theatre life is HARD and also very rewarding. The schedules require a lot of evenings away from home right around dinner time. Once shows start, there go your weekends too. Seeing my brother and sister SHINE and having countless audience members rave about the performances makes it all worth while. I'll never forget the little boy who sat in the front row at one of the shows...It was his first time to see a live performance and the JOY the show brought him could not be hidden.

8. That the Holy Spirit's main ministry in the life of the believer is to mediate the presence of Christ.  Packer's book "Keep In Step With The Spirit" taught me this!

9. How to poach an egg. I've been doing it at least once a week ever since. If you want to learn, you should check out this video and especially this video.

10 . The wonders of essential oils. The latest victory was adding two drops of lemon EO to the washing machine while I was washing some kitchen towels that just needed a little extra help.

Bonus - That I really enjoy preparing for and putting the work into photo shoots for sponsored posts. After working with several brands over the last few years I realized that this part of blogging is really inspiring and FUN.

What did you learn in 2015? 

What I Learned In July 2015

July 6, 2015

* How to process leeks (and make Leek Soup). Jerry and Kay gave me a bunch of leeks from their garden and sent along a recipe to go with them. After a little help from the internet, I learned all about which part of the leek you use (the light green part of the stalk and also the bulb) and how to clean them (rinsing well, cutting in half, and soaking water for a bit).

* Blogger comments can only be 4,096 words long. Since Jessica took the time to answer all of these questions, I took the time to comment on every one of them! Needless to say, I ended up e-mailing her instead! 

* Geocaching makes for some great stories. I don't make this stuff up.

* The Korean War started in 1950. I've heard about this war. I've met people that served in it (one even took a wife who now goes by "Maria from Korea"). Somehow, it's always been pretty hazy in my mind. Now I know when it began (and was SHOCKED that it followed so closely after WWII), but I still have no idea what it was about.

* Summer vacation is worth waiting for. My brother and sister were in school for most of July this year. Our summer may have been cut a little short, but we made the most of it!!! (They started back up with Algebra last Thursday.) My sister and I got through a large chunk of "The Help" (and raced through other books on our own - she won), my brother and I went for bike rides, we made ice cream, we stayed up late watching movies, they got in a fair amount of boating with our Dad, and they had plenty of pool days with their friends. The slowness and spontaneity will continue until their full course load begins and that's what summer vacation is alllll about.

What did you learn in July? 

What I Learned in June

June 14, 2015

* Rubbing alcohol takes sap out of clothes. I did have to apply a stain stick to it and wash it again because the alcohol left a ring where it was used on my khaki skirt. Just so you know,  I got sap on it YEARS ago. I washed and dried it, soaked it, and tried every treatment I could come up with, all to no avail. UNTIL now!!! ( The credit for this amazing discovery goes to my Mom via the internet!)

* A solvent is something that dissolves things. Makes total sense, but I never knew that! (via Al Mohler on The Briefing. You learn things in the most unexpected places!)

* Mary Higgins Clark was first published at 28 and she made $100 for that short story. Keep writing!

* Glenn Miller's career only lasted about 3 1/2 years. He got his start in the spring of 1939 and then he was killed in a plane crash in the fall of 1942. You never know what you can accomplish in the time you've been given!

* Sparkling Lemonade = YUM! Alice treated me to one of these after we finished pulling the flowers off of her family graves from Memorial Day. It was strange to accompany a 91 year old woman and realize that she has said goodbye to so many people whose lives here have all been lived.

Jamberry Accent Manicure - week 1

Jamberry Accent Manicure - week 2

* Jamberry nails aren't weird after all. Have you tried them?

* A capsule wardrobe is an excellent idea and I CAN do it! You can too, here's how!

What did you learn in June?

*I'm linking up with Emily!

What I Learned Over the Winter

December 19, 2014

My blogging habits have been all over the place this year.  I haven't done a "What I Learned" post in a while. I didn't stop keeping track of what I learned, I just stopped posting about it. Here's a list of SOME of them. Over the winter I learned that:

* As far as I can tell, Levi's have quit making Ladies 518s. These happen to be my FAVORITE jeans ever.

* Trivia Crack is a ton of fun. Thanks to Luke who got me hooked, to Garrett for showing me how it worked, and to my Mom for saying, "GAME ON!"

* When weird facts come up, take note! They will be very useful in Trivia Crack.

* H.O.M.E.S. is an acronym for The Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan,  Erie, Superior. And that I can never remember what lake the "E" stands for.

December 18, 2014

* I-85 is still my favorite road to travel on.

* How to eat and make corn souflee. Both are super easy and this dish is pretty much the best thing to serve with ham or chicken divan or just because you want it.

* Sprite and peanuts are EXCELLENT together.

* How to make all the changes I wanted to make to my blog! Thanks to all of you who answered e-mails, did Google searches, and shared your codes with me!

December 21, 2014

* Distance and years melt away when you're with the ones you love.

* Netflix is different in different countries. Shout out to Jayda for NOT laughing at me! :)

* My friend Jay knew Mr. Rogers' REAL neighbors!

* Time with God in His Word is never a waste of time.

What did you learn this winter? 

What I Learned in November

November 27, 2014

Miracle on 34th Street is ALSO a book.

Book clubs on Good Reads are a great idea!

Shopping by myself is not TERRIBLE, but I really do hate it.

First novels CAN be wonderful. Leave it to Madeleine L'Engle to teach me this lesson with her very own first novel, "The Small Rain".

It is both OKAY and AMAZING to bust out Christmas early. This year, I pulled out the music and movies on November 1st and I decorated two whole days BEFORE Thanksgiving.

My Grandma used to sing this song called "We Need a Little Christmas", but I had forgotten all about that song until I heard it on Pandora. It's a favorite once again!

Frozen turkeys are injected with a bunch of salt. This means that when you brine a frozen turkey you can and should use way less salt. After several years of SUPER salty gravy, this year's brine led to the perfect gravy. This year we used 1/4 cup of kosher salt even though our recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of kosher salt.

What did you learn in November?

PS - I'm taking the rest of the week off!

May you all have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!