You know those Oprah episodes where all the guests think
that they’re at the show to see something about how to look 10 years younger or
witness a major weightless transformation? Then, just as Oprah starts to address her guests,
the background curtain goes up and she yells, “It’s Oprah’s Favorite things,”
and reveals table after table filled with all of her favorite things covered by
boxes. The anticipation gets me every time!
Well, just when you thought you were about to get a usual
blog post from me about some goofy thing the kids did or an exciting field trip
that I took them on, I shock you with this…it’s a post about AMANDA’S FAVORITE
THINGS! YEAH (yeah, right)! Not quite as exciting, I’m sure. I wish that I could gift you all (and a
friend) each of my favorite things, but my Honey would have a heart
attack. Have I mentioned that he
doesn’t like it when I buy things, even for other people, without chatting with
him about it first? You should
have been there when I told him that I offered to buy our sitter a Ricker’s pop
in addition to her hourly pay!
Yikes! Just kidding (kind
of).
FYI: This list
only includes ‘things’ that I love…and no matter how strong my attraction is to
them, I COULD live without them…but I don’t like to think about that.
·
My cast iron skillets – These things are
AMAZING! I’ve made dinner, or
something for dinner, in them every night for the last week. I’ve had them for some time; however,
they weren’t seasoned correctly and were a little rusty. Everything I cooked in them came out brown :( Thanks to a magazine article that I
borrowed from a friend, a little Internet research and a few conversations with
my mother in love, they are in pristine condition once again and are aiding in
meal prep for our family of five.
They were originally my great grandma's. I’m in love with them even more because I imagine her,
several years ago, making fried chicken or cornbread in them to serve her
family.
Who wants to guess what super foods I can hide in my pizza?
·
My iPhone – Yes, I said it! What was my life like before wifi
capabilities on a handheld device?
I couldn’t play Scrabble with my friend in Goshen, IN (or my mom whom I see twice a week) in
the school parking lot while waiting for Gabe to walk out. I couldn’t listen to Pandora while
walking out to get the mail or while making dinner. Heck, I didn't know what Pandora was! I wouldn’t have the little Netflix trick up my sleeve while
waiting at the dentist office with Adrianna or a game of Angry birds at hand
when the boys get a little crazy at the grocery store. And, my goodness, what would I do
without Facebook access, no matter my location? All jokes aside, I also really love it because I can quickly
see what the boys’ school calendars look like if I forget to peek before
leaving in the morning. I also can
take a quick glance at the weather or the news before even getting out of bed
in the morning. But, most
importantly (this might be a little bit of a joke), I wouldn’t get to tease
Matt that I have an iPhone and he has a work issued Blackberry that won’t allow
him to download any fun apps!
·
Our chickens – Did anyone doubt that these
beautiful ladies would make it on the list? I do feel a bit guilty, though, listing them as some of my
favorite ‘things.’ It just
doesn’t’ t seem right that they made the same list as my cast iron
skillet! We just won’t tell them :) One of my favorite
times of day (unless it’s raining,
snowing, or so cold that my rubber boots get stiff) is gathering eggs and
taking treats out to our ladies.
Their idea of treats are whatever is leftover on our plates at each meal
or any fruits or veggies that got too ripe before we had a chance to eat
them. They’re not picky. Their favorites? Strawberry stems and overly ripe
avocados. I know their favorites
because I care. I love the way
they run towards me when they see me walking out the garage door to their
singles pad (we don’t miss you Mr. Rooster) and I REALLY love how easily they
go to bed at night. I don’t even
have to tell them…they're better behaved than my kids!
* By
the way, Keely definitely has a special place in my heart, too, however, she
most certainly isn’t a thing, and I think it would be hard for Oprah to send
all of her guests home with a Golden Retriever...and chickens, too, I guess!
·
My sewing (and soon to be embroidery) machine –
If you didn’t think I was a 1950’s wannabe wife before now, you certainly do
after I mentioned that my sewing machine made my list of favorite things. I’ve missed a lot of sleep (because
that’s when I get the best work done) sewing Halloween costumes, pajama pants,
curtains, quilts and blankets, hemming pants, and mending stuffed animals with
boo boos that the kids just couldn’t bear throwing out. It’s my love machine (next to Matt, of
course). I had someone tell me at
Hobby Lobby several years ago that she loved her sewing machine because it
reminded her to pray for and ask for blessings for the person she was doing the
project for. She spent hours
sewing quilts for grandbabies, all the while, praying that the quilts be a reminder
to them, even as adults, how much their Mammaw loved them. I try to do the same thing. Sewing is therapy for me :)
*I won't include a picture of my sewing machine or my sewing area...it's too scary. It's the one area of my life that I allow to get messy. If I showed you, it might change your opinion of me or distort my reputation of being cleanly and organized :)
My Bunn Coffee Pot - I'm not fancy enough for a Kurig. That's all I have to say about my coffee pot :)
My Great Grandmother's (Gram) recipe box - I think I've tried almost every recipe she had in her collection...things like apple cake, drop dumplings, broccoli balls, homemade noodles (with my ladies' eggs), etc. I love pulling out those old cards, most in her handwriting, and little things go through my mind when I'm putting together the recipe. Things like, "Don't leave all that goodie in the egg. Use your finger to clean out that shell," or "Level off that baking soda with a knife," or my favorite, "After we finish this cake, I'll let you lick the spat." I miss her...everyday :)
·
Our
fireplace – This is something that we haven’t had long…just under a year. It takes me back to a time when Matt
and I were first married and dreaming frequently about the future (which is different than now because I'd like to pause this time in life and live these days over and over again like on Groundhog Day). We visited an old restaurant in
Bloomington that had a fireplace similar to the one we have in our home now and
imagined that ‘one day’ we’d build our dream house and have a fireplace in it
just like that one. I envisioned
holding my kiddos while sitting in front of it, having sleepovers on the floor
next to it, and gazing into it, thankful for our wonderful life. And yes, it’s just a ‘thing’ in
our home, but if you know me at all, you’re fully aware that I’m an sentimental gal and pulled towards things that have a story. It reminds me when I see it that our dreams can come true.
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