Attitude of Gratitude ~ 9/4/2026

 

Focusing on the good things in life.

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~Beautiful Flowers!  My mom has the entire front porch, and the side porch as well, filled with flowers!  The somewhat cooler temperatures here in Pennsylvania have brought out the vibrant colors of all the flowers but most of these petunias.  It had been a while since I had stopped and really focused on the beauty of the Lord's creation.

My sweet coworker, Anne, brought me these flowers that she had gotten from a roadside stand.  It was such a thoughtful gesture and one that I truly appreciated :)

~I'm very blessed with both of my parents!  Dad turned 79 in July and Mom will be 79 in November!  Time surely does fly by.  

~The cooler September temperatures remind us that the heating season is just around the corner.  We're all so very thankful for family and neighbors who helped us get a new-to-us furnace down in our furnace room.  Many thanks to Dad, the hubby, Uncle Charlie, Shawn and Jeff for giving their time and muscles so that we can all be warm this winter!

~Even though they sometimes wear on my nerves, I'm thankful for our fur family.  This is Oliver O'Mally cat all grown up and as handsome as ever!  He's becoming my bestie and is quick to come for his daily pets.

~My little buddy, Laken, on her first day of Kindergarten!   

And my beautiful, grown up buddy, on her first day of Sophomore year of University.  I'm so glad she spent the time taking a "first day photo" at my request.

~I can't remember if I wrote about Mike and Vickie on my blog before but they are the sweetest couple.  Mike is our preacher and Vickie is our magnificent piano player.  They are also wonderful friends.  I am so grateful that they have come into our lives.  This is a picture of them at our Annual Church Picnic that we had this past Sunday afternoon.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead!

Blessings,

Colletta

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 9/2/2024

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. 

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Hello and HAPPY Monday.  

It was a busy weekend.  Saturday we were gone all day Homecoming dress shopping.  We made the trip to Greensburg to to a dress shop called MB Prom.  They had tons of dresses...and tons of shoppers!  Homecoming is less than a month away so I shouldn't have been surprised at the busyness of the shop.  There were girls EVERYWHERE!

Laken liked a certain bright orange dress that made her look very tan but the shop had already sold that same dress to someone that goes to her school and they won't duplicate dresses so that one was out.  Finally, after much trying on and searching through racks of dresses, Laken picked my favorite out of the bunch.  Pictures don't do it justice.

Laken also discovered that Greensburg is a hidden treasure of malls, shopping plazas and stores.  I hadn't really ever been there shopping before but the rest of the day was spent hopping from store to store and hitting the mall just before closing time.

Over-all, it was a nice day spent together and the dress shopping is in the books...until Prom...

Let's get on with today's Happy Homemaker :)

The weather outside is:

The cooler temperatures are back and it is wonderful!  Looking at the forecast, it is actually supposed to get quite chilly tonight with a low of 44F.  And next Sunday with a high of 68F!  The leaves will really start changing soon.

On today's to-do list:

I actually have a lot on my list for today.  I need to get some house work done such as dishes, laundry and floors.  I'm a bit behind after being gong all day Saturday.

My Mom and I are actually contemplating make some apple pies this afternoon as well.

Happening this week:

This is a fairly full week.  I work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Saturday, I'm helping serve at a dinner for one of our community members who is being appreciated for all his work for our little town.  Plus keeping up with the daily tasks.  I feel like I need to slow things down a bit.  Maybe being off today will help me get some tasks accomplished and I won't feel so overwhelmed.

Currently reading:

I signed up for a JustRead Publicity book review Blog Tour for K-9 Ranch Protection by Darlene L. Turner.  I was so excited to get the email that I was selected to be a part of the Blog Tour!  I've been reading more now than I have in weeks (maybe even months) and am enjoying myself immensely.  My review will be posted on September 27th. 

Listening to:

I can't get this song out of my head!  Enjoy :)

Watching:

Hallmark/Freevee movies.

There wasn't a Steeler game this weekend but I'm looking forward to watching the first regular season game this Sunday!

In the Kitchen:

As I mentioned above, we are probably making apple pies this afternoon.

We're having Cheesy Bacon Potato Soup for supper.  Nate requested it.  He has to leave to go back to college this evening so it was his pick :)

In the Craft Basket:

I think I've decided to switch up the Japanese Fields afghan and make solid Granny squares instead of the flower Granny squares.  So much less weaving in of ends!  I didn't get any pictures so I'll try to get some for next week's post.

Edited to add picture :)

Picture from the Camera

The cooler temperatures and the rain we've been getting are doing wonders for the flowers.  Especially, these geraniums that are in the Church flower bed.

Prayer Requests

~Please keep my work situation in your prayers.  I absolutely do not like having to work on Sunday morning but it seems like they keep scheduling me to work then.  (continued)

~Laken is now taking 4 college courses.  Please pray that she does well with them and that she stays healthy.  (continued)

~As always, prayers for the safety and well-being of all those going back to school.  (continued)

~Our Country, our Leaders and the Election coming in November.

Bible Verse

"For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD.  ' They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.' "  Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Have a great week!

Colletta

Friday Favorites ~ 6/7/2024

 

How can it be almost the second week of June already?  Why does Summer fly by so fast and Winter drag so long?  Maybe I'm meant to live where it is perpetually Summertime.  I think I would miss Fall too much though.  I'm just going to enjoy each day as it comes :)

We had so much happen that I missed blogging about the past two weeks as I was very busy and missed a few posts.  A few of those happenings were:

~Memorial Day and all the fun and relaxation it entailed

~Nate's graduation and party

~Laken's Summer course in POD

~Traveling to Lancaster, PA for the weekend for a soccer tournament and lots of shopping

~Prepping for some big meetings at work that I'm glad are over

~Getting a new-to-us Subaru (so happy to have another Subaru!)

~Developing tendinitis in my Achilles Tendon and getting it treated

~etc, etc, etc (for all my "King and I" fans)

I think that catches us up!  Whew!  I'm ready to slow down a bit...which brings me to...

I'm getting ready to start reading "Living Slower" by Merissa A. Alink.  If I get the time.  I used to read voraciously and now I'm lucky to get 5 books read in a year.  I guess there is a season for everything.  I do hope I can get sucked into this book though and get some ideas to "make time for what matters".

The hubby and I saw this sunflower at Lowe's and it reminded me of my mother-in-law, Carrie.  She loved sunflowers and always had them growing in her garden.  I think of her every time I see one :)

I love taking pictures of paths.  This one in particular is at Shawnee State Park.  There is something about standing back and looking forward that fills me with hope.

This picture was taken on Memorial Day, but we're hoping to fire up the grill again this weekend.  I'm also hoping that we can find some good corn-on-the-cob to go with it.

We had some pretty severe storms this week but there were also beautiful, sunny days.  This evening (Thursday as I type this) we got the best of both worlds and were treated to a faint but beautiful rainbow in the sky.  Look closely and you'll see the sign of God's Promise and the reminder that He is faithful to His children.

Hopefully, I won't let time get away from me and I'll be back with Hello Monday to let you know all about our weekend. I hope you'll stop back!

Here's to enjoying the now and documenting one day at a time :)

Thanks for stopping by :)

Colletta 

Hello Monday ~ 5/27/2024

 

Holly & Sarah

I want to take a moment before getting into my Hello Monday post to REMEMBER and HONOR all the brave men and women who gave his/her life so that we could be free.  I think sometimes we look at this day only as a reason for a three-day-weekend and don't truly remember and honor the ones who so greatly deserve it.  So make sure to pause for a moment Monday or whatever day you may be reading this and be grateful.

With all that being said, I am super grateful and excited to have this three-day-weekend.  It is Sunday night as I write this post and it feels so good to still have another day off to look forward to!  I'll let you know how we spend our Memorial Day in my Friday Favorites post (make sure you stop back) but for now I'll share our weekend adventures.

I came home Friday from work and was greeted by these two wrestling.  Oliver and Flynn are so funny together!  I couldn't help myself, I had to snap this picture and share it!  It cracks me up :)

Laken finished up her AP Language class which was her last class of Junior year.  Does that mean I have a Senior???

Every year, on the last day of school, we eat out to celebrate finishing up another school year.  This year Laken decided that she wanted Cracker Barrel.  Only my youngest daughter would order a hot chocolate on an 85F day  :)

The hubby likes to play the peg game at Cracker Barrel.  I don't know the technical name of the game, but I do know that the hubby cheats so that he's not a "plain old ignoramus"!

We went grocery shopping Saturday morning and we couldn't pass up these gorgeous orange Dahlias.  The hubby loves orange flowers and something about these really caught my eye as well.

One the way home, we once again saw the geese by the pond near our house.  Look how much the babies have grown just from when I posted about them last weekend!

Saturday afternoon/evening we stopped by Kaylee and Shawn's.  We spent some time looking at their newly planted garden and the flowers that are coming back up from last year.  Kaylee had just got her hair cut and was worried I would think it was too short but I think it suits her and she looks beautiful no matter what!

They have a Mock Orange Bush that reminds me so much of my Gram.  Gram loved plants and flowers and had a Mock Orange off the back porch.  I think the new owners of her house cut it down, which makes me very sad.  Moving on to happier things!

My grandpuppy, Dahlia, hated that we were outside and she was inside the house.  I made sure to say hi to her before we left.  She is a Great Dane and is such a lover!  Sweet, sweet Dahl Baby!

Aunt Donna and Uncle Charlie invited us to dinner that evening so we took corn-on-the cob to contribute to the meal.  It was our first corn-on-the-cob of the season which is always exciting!  What was even sweeter was getting the corn 10 ears for $2 at Weis.  That price is unheard of these days!  I wish we would have gotten more, to tell you the truth.

Aunt Donna had these cute little piggy corn-on-the-cob stickers.  I had to snap a picture of the hubby using them.

When we got home after dinner, we watched 2 epidsodes of Tracker.  We still have 2 more episodes to watch to get caught up.  It might even be over the season.  If so, we'll have to find another show to watch before bed.  Any suggestions?

Sunday morning we got up and the hubby made us cinnamon rolls for breakfast before Church.  He usually either makes us cinnamon rolls or muffins.  They are out of a can or a mix but I appreciate it SO much.  He's a sweetheart and I love him so much.

When we got home from Church it was time to catch up on some housework which included laundry, dishes and floors.  I had dumped the clean clothes in a pile on the bed and came back to find Oliver "helping".  He did not like me moving the clothes and messing up his little cocoon.  I tried to not disturb him, but I really wanted to get done with the housework and sit on my swing for a bit.

Which reminds me...I didn't get my swing painted the weekend...BUT, I still have all day Monday.  I'm hoping to pick up the paint when my hubby goes to Lowe's and get it finished before the rains come.  

Finally, I'll leave you with a picture of the beautiful "blue" rose that is blooming right off the back deck where my swing is.  Isn't it gorgeous?

So those were our weekend highlights.  I can't wait to read all about yours!  Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful week ahead :)

Colletta

Friday Favorites ~ 5/24/2024

 

We did it!  We made it through another work week!  Well, almost, anyway...  I'm so excited to have a 3 day weekend ahead.  But first, let's talk about the past week.

The hubby was on vacation all week and I enjoyed having him home during the nights.  I slept so much better which is weird because he's been on third shift for a long time and before that he worked swing shift.  I should be used to him being at work while I sleep.  There is a chance that he might be able to transfer to first shift but we have to wait and see.  I'm really hoping and praying that it happens.  I think it would be good for us at this stage in our lives.  We'll find out more when he gets back to work on Tuesday.

Monday evening was Nate's Senior Awards Ceremony.  We won't be able to attend graduation because he only has a limited amount of tickets, so we wanted to be at the Awards Ceremony to show our support.  We're very proud of Nate and feel very blessed that Laken has him as part of her life and that he allows us all to be part of his life.

After the Awards Ceremony, we went to a close by ice cream stand called The Penguin.  While waiting for our ice cream we witnessed the strangest thing.  At first I thought it was a normal traffic stop with a state trooper pulling over a speeding car.  Next thing we knew, it was as if we had stepped into an episode of "COPS" !  The car took off and then about 10 police vehicles went flying after it.  We were witnessing a car chase!  It was unreal and a bit unsettling.  What an interesting way to end the evening!

We had a very cool, rainy stretch which was a bit miserable for us but the flowers loved it.  Especially our little rose bush off the back deck.  It has been pitiful the past few years but this year it is going to town!  There are tons of buds and the roses are rich and beautiful.

Now that I'm getting used to my new phone, I am starting to fall in love with it.  Especially the camera!  It is so good that I was able to actually take a picture of a jet flying over as the hubby and I were sitting on the porch swing Tuesday evening.  It was really neat to zoom in on the picture and see the jet "up close".

Wednesday evening, before Bible Study, the cats were playing in the middle of the Family Room floor.  Flynn and Oliver were going crazy!  I took quite a few pictures of them because my camera is so stinking fast!  I picked this picture out because it shows their personalities off the best.  Oliver thinks he's big stuff and Flynn is telling him he's small potatoes.

Thursday morning I woke up with an ear ache :(  I was able to get into my PCP and it was verified that I have an ear infection.  My appointment was at 5pm and the pharmacy closed at 7pm so I made it just in time to pick up my antibiotic.  My PCP also told me that my ear canals were red which indicates allergies and recommended that I use Flonase as it is really good at keeping the ears clear.  I stopped on the way home and picked some up so hopefully I'll be feeling better in no time!

Which brings me to now, Thursday night.  One more day of work for me and one more day of school for Laken before we can enjoy the weekend and the SUMMER!  I'm so excited!  It is supposed to be nice weather  Saturday and Sunday but rain on Monday.

My goal for the weekend is to get my swing repainted before the rains come again.  I still need to pick up the paint so I'll probably do that Saturday morning after Oliver's vet appointment.  I thought I'd add a "before" picture showing the fine job the hubby did replacing some of the boards on my swing.  Good as new!  Hopefully I'll be able to show an "after" picture Monday.

I also hope that everyone has a wonderful long weekend!  Let me know in the comments if you have any special plans or if you have to work the weekend.  I'd love to hear!

Thanks for stopping by :)

Colletta 

Friday Favorites ~ 5/17/2024

 

After a week of frustration and irritation, I think I finally have my new phone set up!  Creating an apple ID about kicked my butt.  I was trying and trying on my phone to remember what my apple ID was from way back when the girls got their ipods.  That was years ago!  Maybe I tried too many times on my phone but I absolutely couldn't get a new ID set up.  Finally, I tried on the hubby's new phone and it accepted right away!  I could have screamed!  I wish I would have tried that sooner and saved myself so much frustration.  

Then my phone wouldn't let me download Facebook, messenger or instagram.  Finally...I figured out how to turn my phone off (yes, I had to Google it) and then they downloaded.  Then..I had to remember the passwords for those apps because I apparently didn't update my password document the last time I had to reset.  Ughh....  BUT, as I said, I think I finally have everything set up and I am so glad to be done with it :)

Anywhoo.

Oliver has discovered that he can now climb up on our bed.  I was so tired Thursday that I came home from work, ate supper and promptly took a nap under a fuzzy blanket.  I woke up to the hubby and Oliver!  Isn't he cute?  We've had him almost 4 weeks and he has grown so much already.  He goes back to the vet next week and I'm curious to see how much weight he has picked up.  At his first visit he was only 1.9lbs.  Clover (aka Miss Kitty) has finally accepted Oliver into the pack so no more hissing and swatting, for the most part anyway!

It has been a bit cooler and rainy the past week which has done wonders for the azaleas.  They are in full bloom and so beautiful.  This bright pink color is my favorite.  

I am loving the camera on my new phone!  It is so much faster and clearer than my phone's camera was.  This was the main reason I wanted to upgrade phones, so I'm pretty happy about this.  With my old phone, I would never have been able to snap this picture of the green mountains as we were driving.  I can't wait to have time to take more pictures as this is something I've been meaning to do.

Laken's school work is winding down.  It has been a crazy year for her.  She started in-class school and then had her gallbladder issues which led to gallbladder removal surgery (after a very difficult time getting diagnosed).  After recovering from surgery and getting behind on her classwork, we decided to have her cyber school for the remainder of the school year.  She has finished all her classes early except for Latin and AP Language.  Latin is due to be finished today (Friday the 17th) and AP Language has to be finished next Friday (the 24th).  Laken has been working so hard and is REALLY looking forward to Summer break. The crunch is on but the end is in sight :)

This song is a bit how I feel about the weekend.  The hubby works third shift and I work daylight so we don't see much of each other through the week.  Hang Tight Honey by Lainey Wilson is such a fun song.  Enjoy!

I hope you had a great week and have an even better weekend!  Do you have any plans?  Leave a comment and let me know.  I'm always looking for fun things to do over the weekend!

Thanks for stopping by :)

Colletta 

Tea Time ~ 5/5/2022

 

Grab a cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate or your favorite drink
while I share a few things about my life lately...

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~I hit 4000 posts this week!  I think this post will actually be 4004 :)  I've been blogging since 2009 so it has definitely taken quite a while.  I've been watching the number CREEP up for a few months now and was excited to hit publish on that 4000th post :)

~Laken is going to Virginia Beach this summer with my brother and SIL!  She is so excited but has to keep her mind on the prize of getting through her freshman year of high school first.  Only 3 1/2 weeks to go until her deadline to have all her work done and handed in!  Whew!

~The hubby will be working a fixed shift starting May 31!  He has been on swing shift for right around 22 years so we're hoping that the fixed shift will be permanent like the higher ups say it will be.  I'm looking forward to figuring out a good routine for all of us.  (BTW, the hubby PICKED 3rd shift) :)

~ The Azaleas and Lilacs are blooming!  Lilacs are my all-time favorite :)

~I signed up for the "20 Books of Summer" but have elected to read "10 Books of Summer" :)  You can see my sign up post HERE.

How was your week?  What's new with you?

 

Colletta