Happy new week to you Friends!
It's nice to be back, although it was hard to leave. We were gone on a trip all last week to FL to visit our Annie. We got back late last night and I'm just trying to catch up in my world here. But I thought to still do an HHM post would be a good way to check back in with you all. 💗
We were in gorgeous 70 and 80* temps and came back to single digits and below zero with windchill temps. Ugh! Lol But Matt & I had the best time with Annie and her boyfriend Kris, and we are so grateful we got to soak up some warm sunshine. The time flew by and we were so busy in such fun ways. We went to Epic Universe and that was such a fun day. We had 70's pleasant weather and walked almost 8 miles that day according to Matt's tracker. I was able to go on almost all the rides (not the scariest roller coaster - Matt had to go without me) but it was such a fun day and it's a really great theme park. Matt loves vintage nintendo (collects lots of things) and loves the character Yoshi. I had gotten him a yoshi Hawaiian shirt for Christmas and he of course wore it all day and got lots of people talking to him about it. Lol
We also went mini golfing, went to a cool escape room, went shopping, great dining and went to St. Pete which was so pretty and I had always wanted to check out that area. And best of all got to watch Annie play hockey in person instead of a on our tv. The Bulls won both games and Annie had a goal in each!! Yay! It was so hard to leave our beautiful Girl but incredibly grateful for the time with her and her sweet bf Kristopher.
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:
keto toast with a honey spread, coffee
ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:
groceries, errands, appts, projects, need to take a friend to lunch as belated birthday time for her, hospice work
THINKING ABOUT:
The pain in my heart about everything that happened in MN the past few weeks. I don't like to get political here. I don't consider myself a political person as I find it hard to have faith in any of them in this day and age. In my opinion those offices are supposed to be public servants and it feels like it's all about their personal agendas or who has the most money. But that's not what I'm trying to share here.
I love my country. My Bro is a retired combat medic green beret shot in Afghanistan and has a purple heart for that. He's retired now and I have always been proud of him and all he gave for our country we both love.
Matt & I live in northern WI and spend about half of our time in MN. We go to the Twin Cities often (it's less than 3 hrs from us) and I have several relatives and a best friend that lives there. We live a bridge drive over the lake to a city in MN where we do a lot of shopping, dining etc. Our lake property is also in MN. I live a truly kind of bipartisan life. WI is known for being more conservative and MN liberal. I have people in my life I'm very close to and love very much who are pretty conservative and some who are very liberal. I don't judge any of them - I listen and love and respect them for their right to their opinions and beliefs. I live my life by Jesus above all and try to be as giving, kind, caring and moral as I can be.
And I have direct accounts from my family and friends there that have witnessed what has gone on MN these past weeks. My best friend has a masters in psychology and works in a school in the cities and the horrible things she witnessed from intimidation by ICE towards kids and staff sickened me. Annie has several friends going to the U of M and one of them lives in an apt building right where Alex Pretti was shot. She was so horrified she was texting Annie while we were sitting in a restaurant in FL in real time with what was going on. He was shielding a woman that was getting brutally treated and pushed around by ice. He was only holding his phone and his weapon (that was holstered and he had a permit to carry) was taken from his back holster by ICE, so he had no gun. They witnessed him hold up a phone and his other hand which was free of any weapon as they shot him in the head. He was an American citizen and an ICU nurse for veterans and I witnessed for myself how lies were spread and the administration spun about him, when people I know and believe 100% saw first hand what happened. He gave up his life to protect another from our own countrymen. How is this our country? And that is the 3rd death since ICE had been there. One person died while in custody (health things) and there was the death of Renee Good and then Alex. I know witnesses of Renee's shooting that also say that narrative was spun out of proportion and that ICE person was never in danger. This feels like terrorism by our own government. How does this happen here???
I know that over 15,000 people in MN protested peacefully against ICE in frigid below zero temps the day before Alex was shot - as that is the people I believe we are up here. Kind, caring, peaceful, nature loving folks. There is a common term called "MN nice" and that is the kind of people I have known of Minnesotans my whole life. No, I don't believe in illegal immigrants who are criminals, drug dealers being here. I can respect what is trying to be done - but this is not the way to protect people. Or to get real change in my opinion. The head of the police of Mnpls was interviewed on national news and said that his officers were spread so thin because of ICE. He shared that in all of last year 800 guns were taken off the street by the local authorities, tons of drug dealers dealt with etc and they didn't shoot one person. ICE came and 3 people dead in less than 3 weeks. He said it was unsustainable for them to keep things up and more innocent people would be killed.
What I want to know is how did we get here as a nation? I always thought of America in such a prideful way. The ways we were strong, caring, worked to help others in the world, UNITED. I have never felt more divided in this country than now. And the over generalizations I hear baffle me. Again, I have very conservative folks like my Mom in my life, and very liberal folks like my son in my life. We all love and listen to one another. And both of them believe, like I do, in Christ as our Lord and Savior. And yet, my Bro who is conservative and served in the military is agnostic and doesn't think there is a God and needs proof. So it's not about God like I hear some conservatives say. And it's now about how all liberals are trying to promote everyone be one sex and get sex changes. Because I am in both conservative and liberal worlds and neither is true. What I see is how we are alike in what we want. We want a safe country for our kids, with good schooling, affordable health care and our right to live our lives according to our own beliefs and be respected within it.
I'm not sure how we got here but I don't like how our Leader likes to call people names, blame Democrats constantly and "sleepy Joe" etc. He does so much name calling and finger pointing that just causes so much more division in my opinion - and gives the okay to be cruel. He makes me feel like his mentality is " you are either with me and if not than you are against me" . How will that get us anywhere if you won't accept that it's okay others may not think exactly as you do?? I personally feel this administration does a lot of fear mongering and intimidation to try to make others only see their way. It does help explain how we keep getting more divided. I don't think life is so easily black and white. It's gray area and compassion and discussion and trying to understand one another. That is the kind of leadership I would prefer. One of promoting us to talk to and understand one another and search for the common ground to bring everyone united together. We would be so much stronger and our country so much safer it were that way.
Thanks for letting me share. I prayed a lot before I did and it was put on my heart to do it. I don't plan to ever make this a political space. I am about faith, family, nature, recipes, crafts etc. But I felt like it would have hurt my heart today more if I didn't share what I knew because I'm so close to it currently. I treasure this beautiful space and my friendships here where I can share my heart and I always feel respect and understanding - even if we don't always agree. I hope you feel the same from me.
And I just remain fervent in prayer for safety and peace for our country always. 🙏🏻
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:
watching my children become amazingly smart, caring, kind young adults
CURRENTLY READING
Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson
*Read a lot of it on the trip and almost done - such a sweet, funny and heartfelt novel and reminds me so much of my time with my kids early after separation and divorce... when I was grieving but trying to be supermom. And then trying to go into the world of dating. It is making me laugh and cry and it's just been so good so far.
ON THE TV TODAY:
Jeopardy, old seasons of big brother & the office, Junk or Jackpot on HGTV, Best Medicine, the Pitt, Shark Tank, Miss Scarlet & All Creatures Great and Small on PBS, cooking shows and movies
ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
MONDAY -
TUESDAY -
WEDNESDAY -
THURSDAY -
FRIDAY -
*We need groceries and I'm not sure about the menu - I know I have chicken noodle soup I had made in the freezer I will thaw, and we have eggs to use up, also some veggies to maybe do a sheet pan something with meat from the freezer? When we go to the grocery store I'd like to make a big pot of some other soup or chili to be comforting from this cold weather too.
TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:
maybe try to wake up my sourdough starter and bake some bread, finish my current book, paint
TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:
FROM THE CAMERA:
I took a bunch of photos (of course) but I narrowed it down to a hodgepodge of highlights from the trip. We did a Tiger Woods mini golf course that was so cool and different than typical ones. I'm an old lady so I need to toot my horn that I tied for first place with Kristopher on the first 18 and we shot under par. And that I took 2nd place on the next 18 holes only 1 stroke behind Matt (who won that round). Pretty good for an old arthritic dame. Lol
Annie's hockey was so fun to watch and it was fun chatting with her roommates and teammates and getting to know her world better.
We had such yummy food moments - highlight for me was the strawberry matcha french toast I had - and Matt loved the BBQ mac and cheese garlic bread cone at the Isle of Berk in Epic Universe.
The Epic Universe park didn't disappoint and the attention to detail was amazing. It was so fun to see Matt in his element in Nintendo World. I was blown away by the details in the Isle of Berk (How to Train Your Dragon world)
We both loved St. Petersburg (St. Pete) - such a pretty coastal town with wonderful local artists. It was such a great trip! :)
We love #16💚 Go Bulls!
PRAYER LIST:
For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence. For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace.
For the Lord's love and peace to fill 2026. ❤️
For Christ's Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere and help the world find its way to loving our neighbors as ourselves. 🙏🏻