It's the little things...

Like how Nece wore swimming goggles because she was chopping celery while I was chopping onions and didn't want her eyes to tear.

Or getting to take pictures with my lil darling Sunday School baby...

Elisabeth Arona

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Expectations.

The feeling is back. That sad mopey feeling...but for now it is identified as a mixture between missing the way our thanksgiving normally goes (my favorite holiday was okay, but nothing near the usual euphoric feelings on that day) the miserable black Friday, and expectations. Let me clarify.
THANKSGIVING for the last four years has been spent two states over with my sister (and before she was married, it was just with her fiancée and his family.) Generally there is a flurry of activity, every one of my sisters-and I-have a dish to make, and after it's all done then somehow my sister's brother-in-laws (all four of them) manage to show up and eat. Sometimes even a couple of our friends will come too, and after we eat we play cards or monopoly or talk and laugh, and make general noise. :-) This year for several reasons that didn't happen. My sister Sarah is in college, and my sister, brother-in-law, and their new baby are at home two states over, while the rest of us stayed here in Georgia. I started off the morning by calling my younger sister-aka partner in crime-and then went downstairs to help my mom in the kitchen. It's about time we got the two youngest involved so we put them to work chopping onions and stirring things and washing dishes. We had a good time. The dressing and macaroni (neither are my normal dishes) we quite the hit, and my apple cobbler was tasty too. Long story short: After dinner I went over a close friend's house and hung out with her and her family, then went to pick up my cousin from the airport and drop her off at our grandmother's house...Cue beginning of Black Friday.
BLACK FRIDAY. Technically it wasn't even Black Friday, but my mom had a vacuum cleaner at Walmart that she had her heart set on. Julia (other sister) and I arrive around 11:15 and I went to wait for the plastic to be torn off of the vacuum cleaners. I was tired...had run around the kitchen too long...my cell phone battery was dead so no communication with the inner circle so to speak...We didn't leave there until 1:20! I made myself a plate, checked in with my friends, and was ready for bed by 2:30.
I woke up at 5 AM to meet my friend at Michaels. I took my sister. Due to some strange miscommunication, we ended up in the same car although we had discussed that I didn't want to go to Target and she did...when we finished at Michaels I told her to go ahead to Target and I'd ride to my friend's house with my friend, and she (my sister) could pick me up as soon as she was done shopping.. Five hours later my dad was picking me up at my friends house because my sister drove home (five hours before) without picking me up. I will admit that I did have a few violent thoughts, but they will not be acted on because Christ lives in me. Lol as my sisters and I like to quote from Madea "Jesus just saved her life."
Ironically, while I was tired to the point of tears people kept telling me "calm down". I was not screaming. I didn't raise my voice. I simply vocalized in my confusion and frustration with the events surrounding my being left somewhere other than my home when I started out driving. Pardon me.
EXPECTATIONS are funny things. If you expect too much from others you get disappointed. If you expect too much from yourself it can cause a plethora of problems. If other expect too much of you and vocalize them constantly it can cause frustration, irritation, sadness etc. I don't have a happy medium. I try to give others what I would expect from an average person that loves me--or even likes me a little-but when I give and give and then only hear negative feedback it feels pointless. I will admit that although I won't go into who said it, or why it matters, or any of that nonsense, I will say that the things someone assumed about me today were inaccurate. It discouraged me. Yes, I will get over it, and yes, I am still thankful for the many blessings that are too innumerable for me to even name, but once in awhile in spite of all the wonderful things going on it's still possible to be just a little...human.
And I miss the rest of my family.

Elisabeth Arona

After the dust clears: The Accessory Exchange/Swap

Remember the blog swap I held here? I do!! What I received in the swap had me smiling for days :-) Since I had included that my favorite color was blue Debi (my swap partner) sent me a blue bracelet that she made herself just for me! I was surprised to see a sweet card with a handwritten note too! THE best partner, seriously!

Beautiful, right? I immediately put it on :-)

The box had this great little zipper pull on it, and my mom was so busy examining it, that she didn't realize there was another gift IN the box lol.

The pretty card included...

Yes, I'm blessed.

Feel free to check out her shop and see some more of her pretties! 

Elisabeth Arona

Tempting Tuesday-Educate yourself first

The following clip strays a little from my usual "Hey, this is a funny/cute movie you should watch" stance. This film is about the dire straits our nation is in. I literally teared up when I saw this movie. Take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt (since it always seems like I'm chiding my own people), but minorities in the US are constantly saying that they're being done wrong and that everyone is out to get them...but my thoughts have always been that no one can bring another person down if that person has educated himself.
As for everyone, minority or no: you can't fight wrongs that you see done if you can't read or write, and you can't expect the world to become a better place if you're not learning how to make it better. What I see in this trailer makes me sad--but I think it's spot on-because it's a sad reality. So for this Tempting Tuesday, I'm hoping I can tempt you to educate yourselves, by first watching this trailer, and then watching the movie. I will...






Elisabeth Arona

Monday Madness

Thought you might need a laugh...

I sent that forward to ten people, and I'm still waiting for that miracle...

:-) Elisabeth Arona

Farmer's Market visit

A few months ago I took Taylor to the Farmer's market near us (DeKalb farmer's market) and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. When I was very small, my parents use to take me there. My sister's and I loved going over to the HUGE live catfish tank and have my dad dip his hand in the water and make all the fish jump and splash water at us. We would all squeal and dodge the water before begging him to do it again and again. Once I reached about the ripe old age of ten I started to think of the Farmer's Market as synonymous with the strong fish odor that would greet you at the door...and since my dad stopped going with us because he started working normal shifts, it was no longer "fun." 

Taking Taylor brought back so many memories, and the only thing more fun than seeing her discover all the wonderful items they have, was rediscovering them myself. Here are the pictures :-)

Taylor enjoyed the samosas in the cafeteria (mmmm fresh cooked food!) 

From chicken salads, to cole slaw, to baba ghanouj (no, I didn't make that up, it's a dip made of eggplant,) the dip area is a mouthwatering sight!

The amount of cheese there will blow your mind :-)



Elisabeth Arona

Honesty is the best policy.

I'm going to be very honest and tell everyone why I haven't been keeping up with my blog so much lately. I want my blog to be a positive place, a place where you can find a laugh, maybe some cool recipes, and interesting advice...I've been going through some "moments" as I call them, and I didn't want to rain on the lovely parade. Maybe I can help you though, as I find my way back to sanity.

I've never been the type of person to going through long periods of sadness. I'll have a burst of moping on bad days, be very dramatic, then move on. The last couple of months have been difficult though, as in can't-seem-to-have-two-good-days-in-a-row kind of difficult. It was as if I was always thinking of the negative. I believe I've found the root of my problem, or at least part of it. My mom asked me today if I really do feel that because I'm the only one left at home that makes me less important or less able to be happy, and if I were honest, I would say yes...It stinks for everyone else to be headed toward exciting things while I am at home struggling to be more disciplined with sewing and creating, be helpful around the house, and find the smile that I used to have so much more often!
I'm not off at college (I did love college,) I'm not loving on a new baby, and I'm not preparing for a wedding--those are the things my sisters are doing, and I am happy for them. Perhaps I'm a bit jealous also (ya think??) Sometimes life isn't all flowers and hearts; sometimes you have to take what you have and be grateful to God for all the bad things that aren't happening to you. This is me sucking it up. Want to come along for the ride? I'm sure this won't be the only lecture I give myself...

Coming up later this week...

1. Pictures from the blog swap.

2. Pictures from my attempt at making apple cobbler. 

Stay tuned!

Elisabeth Arona

Toy Story 3

How many of you have watched, or are planning to watch Toy Story 3? I caught about half of the movie yesterday and saw the part where everyone seems to be crying, but maybe I just wasn't in the mood...Either way, this seems to be a fairly good movie for those of you who don't want to be bored stiff while having movie night with the kids :-) This trailer has most of the best moments in it lol.

Accessory Exchange/Swap Update

Today is the day...or almost! The deadline is November 6th, which is tomorrow (Saturday.) Don't forget to send out your package if you haven't already...someone is waiting to receive it :-) More on the exchange later...

Elisabeth Arona