Go Mighty & Getting it done

I'm all about sharing things I've found on the interwebs that I'm enjoying lately.  This is not a sponsored post and I haven't been asked to post or been compensated in anyway.  All opinions are my own.

I've posted before about a bucket list or life list of sorts but I haven't put much energy into checking off the items.  What good is putting the list together if it's just an item collecting dust and leaving me feeling like I haven't accomplished much with this fleeting time I've been given?

Not that I totally haven't been working on some of the items, says my little inner voice needing to feel vindicated and seem a little less, well, lazy.  There are at least two to-dos I've been slowly completing and I'll be sharing them here in the near future.

To help organize my thoughts, my list, and my goals to help fill up the bucket before it gets kicked over, I've joined Go Mighty. I love the site's easy to use interface, it's clean lines, and probably all too silly-it's little orangey-red arrow that seems to point the way to goal fulfillment.  At least, that's the way I see it.

Come back soon and I'll share a couple of goals I've been working on! To see my ever-growing list of goals I'm compiling, click here.

Pin it & Spin it: Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I've been on a Pinterest hiatus as of late.  My creative mojo is nowhere to be found.  Perhaps it's on vacation with my motivation and gumption.  Or, it's dissipated with the arrival of a true HOT Arkansas summer.

Whatever the case, I'm easing back into pinning: a little bit of wedding {yea, there is that} and a whole lot of looking for some quick, easy summer eats.  What's easier and tastier than ice cream?  Nothing-that's what I say.  True, it's probably not the best, most nutritious meal, but hey!  We can't have it all now can we?

The Pin:  Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream from The Little Red House which happens to be an adapted recipe from the blog Life is Great by blogger Pick Yin.

 The Spin:  For the peanut butter swirl I used a crunchy peanut butter with fabulous results!  Loved the bit of salty crunchiness it lent to the chocolate ice cream.

 The verdict:  Let's just say that if I weren't already engaged to Thom and marrying ice cream was an option-it'd be a difficult decision.

It's my new favorite thing in the world. 

Get the recipe at The Little Red House.
See more of my I Scream, U Scream board.

Have you put any good pins to use lately?

The Cove: A New Perspective

I awoke early yesterday morning-my day off. Over and over again I closed my eyes and willed myself back to sleep but over and over again they'd pop back open.  It was five a.m.  Daylight was just beginning to peak from behind the bedroom curtains and I knew that the sun would be up in just an hour. As sleep was elusive I thought why not just stay up and wait for the sun to make its usual appearance up over the mountain across the lake? 

It's not the first time I've awoken with the sole purpose of watching the sun rise. I love the view from the deck. The cove is peaceful and quiet.  The birds don't start singing until the sun pops up.  They, too, like to sleep in.

However, as I lay staring out into the side yard through the sliver of the parted curtains, it occurred to me that I'd never actually watched the sun rise from the bedroom window.  There isn't a direct view of the lake but if you stand at the window and look to the left you can see the cove, the lake, and the mountains surrounding Heber.

I have the timing down.  I knew exactly when to get up and open the curtains.  Sure enough.  There was the sun-just a bright burning crescent starting to rise.  I lifted the window and detached to screen to get a clear view.  It was spectacular-maybe even more so than our front lake view.

 I only gazed a moment but I left the window opened and the curtains, too.  A lovely golden glow appeared.

And on the other side, in the hall outside our bedroom-more golden goodness from the window downstairs in my craft room.

What moments are you noticing?  Are you taking a moment to enjoy them?

It's Good to get Dirty

I tend to do this thing where I pretend to not  be a nature girl.  Ask me and I'll tell you;  I'd rather be indoors, reading, writing, baking, or even cleaning.  But, it's not the truth. I am  a nature girl-not in a "lets hike Sugar Loaf Mountain today" way or "lets get out on the lake" way but more of a "lets look at nature and appreciate her beauty" kind of way.  That's legit, right?

Over the weekend I was responsible for finishing the potting of our vegetable plants into the container garden and my boy Sal needed re-potting.  But first-I had to mix up the dirt.  Last year's pots needed to be turned over and some more perlite needed to be added.  I like pretty dirt {and I can not lie-had to go there}.

The gardening gloves I bought last year had been lost in the shuffle of the utility room {unused, I might add} so I just dug in.  Bare hands, fingers in the dirt, at one with nature is the most natural way.  And, I liked it. I liked getting dirty.  I liked the feel of the plants in my hand as I gave them new homes where, hopefully, they'll thrive and provide hardy, tasty dinners.  I liked quenching their thirst and watching their leaves sway in the breeze of an approaching thunderstorm.  When the rain came I retreated to the safety of covered shelter and contemplated my handy work.  There's something very satisfying about gardening, and livin' offa the fatta the lan.  Oh, Lennie. You were so right.

I'm feeling sort of proud for diggin' in and getting dirty and not just standing by photographing the details.  Must work on doing it more often.

Currently

Digging- Visiting my old friends Harry, Ron, and Hermione. 
Drinking- Plenty of water...it's becoming a good habit.
Eating- Peanut butter. Still.

Listening- Nights with Alice {Cooper}
Wearing- Bean2Blog t-shirt and khaki shorts.  Hair is in a pony tail.  For some reason I feel like a camp counselor.

Reading- Chamber of Secrets.  The Count of Monte Cristo. Still.
Feeling- Sleepy.  Unproductive. Sad for the weekend to end.  Looking forward to fresh clean sheets and a cool breeze at bedtime.

Weather- Surprisingly cool for June 2.

Wanting-  A magic wand.
Needing- A haircut.
Wishing- For time to slow down.

Thinking-I should become a soybean farmer.

Enjoying- Watching the bean grow.

Loving- Summer!  I know it's not official but June is just SO summer.