The Good Old Days

January 24, 2020April 20, 2020 | resumeofamother

Philippians 2:14-15

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent.”

Colossians 3:15

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

The Great Depression, this is a time in history that I can only read about. I was not born in that time, but I can learn to appreciate what happened and how the way of life was then. Many times I have sat and listened to my dad talk about a meal called Scrumptial; his father would make this for them on Saturday nights with the leftovers from the week. This unique pot of leftovers was the highlight of his week.

Recently, I was listening to an older lady talking about living in the Depression era, and she recalled one of her fondest memories. She remembered that on Sundays they would go to her aunt’s house, but her aunt could not afford heat. So they would grab the kitchen chairs and huddle around the stove while lunch was cooking, and they would get warm by the fire. She went on to say that they would sit facing the stove to get the front of them warm, and then have to turn around so their backs would get warm. As she talked about this, she was giggling and repeating, “Oh the good old days.”

Fast forward to 2020, and what do we have? Central air, heat in our homes, cars to drive, and so many other advantages. We have plenty of food, clothes, and almost everything we could want or need at our fingertips. Yet, I never hear, “These are the great present days.” What has happened to us? Why do we not seem like a happy people? You would think with all these “things” that make our lives more convenient and stress free, that we would be overjoyed.

Many times I have said to my husband that I almost wish we could go back to a time like that. A time when we as a people appreciated what we had. Working in a guest service position, I see the side of people that is ungrateful and demanding. I see this at church when we want what we want and demand our rights. What happened to being thankful, grateful, and appreciative? I personally am challenged to look at what I have and learn to be content in these things and to appreciate them even more.

Lynn A. C. Wilson – Resume of a Mother

Welcome to my home and life…

January 23, 2020January 23, 2020 | resumeofamother

Life is definitely a journey and an adventure if you know anything about me. Every day brings new and exciting things and also some overwhelming moments. For the past two weeks my husband has had two major falls from having seizures which led him to be in the chiropractor’s office 2 to 3 times a week plus having to have physical therapy and wear a back brace.

Because of this we decided to take a quick weekend away that we called a Saturday vacation. While on this vacation he had a seizure, his scooter that he uses to get around in large places died in the middle of the museum. This led to us having to push it out of the museum, to loading it in the car manually, and causing me to be completely overwhelmed and having to have a good cry.

If you asked me is it all worth it I’d say 100%. If you asked me what I marry this man again I would tell you absolutely 100%. He is the man of my dreams and if he comes with an extra package called epilepsy …I wouldn’t change a thing. Now having said all that… I have stated over and over it many times that I have found “my new normal and it’s a moving target”. so what does all of this mean, for me there is no normal, normal is only for a moment and that changes again. And I am OK with that. I’ve had to learn to be OK with that… Otherwise I would not have survived life and all that has been part of it.

This is made me in the long run realize how precious life is, it is giving me the desire to encourage other women and their walk and their journey, it is also encouraged me to invest in peoples lives whenever I can.

But having said all that… I have a new journey in life and an adventure and that is my YouTube channel. Come and join me and come and visit me and see what this crazy life entails. I hope you will find encouragement along the way, maybe some new ideas that you’ve never thought of before, maybe a few laughs, but most of all I hope that you leave feeling a little bit better about yourself, a little bit more encouraged than when you first started to visit with me.

Lynn A. C. Wilson – Resume of a Mother

YouTube Channel name: “At Home with Lynn Wilson”

Planner Overload….

November 25, 2018 | resumeofamother

Let me start by saying that I just love all my planners and I love planning. Recently I have found myself in a “planner overload”. I would not pick up my planner for days or even a couple of weeks. I became so “planned out” and almost felt done with my planner.

Then a few weeks into this….I missed sitting and writing in it. I missed confirming my schedule or just making some notes in it. I began to realize that my life had become so crazy busy and so overwhelming in general that I hadn’t even noticed how bad it had gotten. Then I realized it wasn’t my planner but just time in general that had become too busy and crazy and that I needed to slow things down and regroup. In doing this, I found that I needed to simplify my life in any area that I could.

Throughout the year I will switch from a ringbound, to an A5 Filofax, then to a mini or a Travelers Notebook …. and I enjoy them all. My planner is not only my “dailies”, but my calendar and also my journal, notebook, and A-Z files for just about everything that I do. Sticky notes and stickers have become my best friends as well and all the bells and whistles that you can add to your planner. But when life is busy this stuff is busy too to look at….or at least in my mind.

So what is a “Planner Girl” to do…..I decided to go simple for a while and use a Dollar Tree basic planner and planner inserts that I came across. They are basic and just perfect for where I am in life. I found that the simplicity of it keeps my mind clear of business in my planner and a basic and simple calendar helped too.

Someday I am sure that I will find myself back using my “chunky” planners with all the perks and goodies …. but for now simple is better for me.

How about you….do you change-up your planners? What makes you decide to change things around?

Lynn A. C. Wilson – Resume of a Mother

Fall Treats, Treasures & Decor!

November 22, 2018November 24, 2018 | resumeofamother

I think the fall season is my favorite time of the year! Pumpkin pie, fall spiced candles and of course the movie “You’ve Got Mail”.

I love to hit the Dollar Tree… Target Dollar Spot, thrift stores and any other local stores for some new fall decor and goodies for the house.

The house is usually filled with faux pumpkins, lots of fall scented spice candles… And white twinkling lights throughout the house. Candles are lit every evening, mood lights are turned on… and we sit and enjoy some pumpkin spice coffee while watching a good movie. I have quilts and throws over the chairs to make it a cozy home for us to enjoy during this season.

Here is some of my new goodies for this year that I will be using around the house as well as some fun Fall day trips, and some adventures of the season. I love watching some of my YouTube friends who I like to call my friends… and to see what they post on their channel, for some new Fall items that they get for their homes as well. It gives me some great ideas of what stores are selling each year and where they shop….before I head out to look for my goodies.

What do you use to decorate your homes? Do you have traditions that you do when it comes to decorating for the seasons? Send me some comments and pictures below so that I can get some ideas from you as well.

Lynn A. C. Wilson – Resume of a Mother

Bonfires

Tea for two …for you and me!

September 30, 2018October 2, 2018 | resumeofamother

How great is it to have a “girls day” out? I so enjoy getting together with friends and enjoying a cup of tea. I was privileged to have a double duty day the other day with two “Teas” in one day.

The first one was at my church for our kick off “Ladies Fellowship”. It was designed to gather the ladies for a fun morning filled with some yummy food, tea, a devo, a few games and some fun costumes to wear.

The second one was just for me….yup just for me! My daughter-in-law took me out for a belated Mother’s Day present to a “high tea” at a tea room. What a treat….not only to have a day for me but to spend the entire afternoon with my daughter-in-law and one of my best friends! We drank one cup of tea after another, we enjoyed tea sandwiches, tea cakes and treats and of course scones. I just loved the fact that when we first walked in….we were able to smell all the teas in little cups so we could choose just the right one for us to make a pot of tea from. The twinkling lights, the decor, the cute little tables …..the entire place was so charming! I can’t wait to go back for a Christmas High Tea and then to do some Christmas shopping with the girls this year.

How about you….do you ever host a tea at your church? What ideas can you share with me? I would love to see pictures of your teas as well. Send me some comments and pics below.

Lynn A. C. Wilson – Resume of a Mother

Frixion Pens…..The erasable pen.

March 6, 2018 | resumeofamother

Well it is “Planner Tuesday”! This will be a simple post….as simple as, “I love Frixion pens”. I first saw these pens on a You-Tube channel. I had never heard of them and I was intrigued with having an erasable pen for my planner.

I just had to find them right away…so where else would I look but Amazon Prime. Sure enough I found them, and I was able to get them in many different colors.

I am not a big color coder in my planner; I found that using too many colors can be confusing for me. I do however use red for family, blue for work and green for anything unusual. (KISS – Keep it simple). But there are lots of choices that you can choose from if you do like to color code.

With my crazy busy life…..my planner keeps me in check and sain. But now that I have erasable pens to match my ever changing schedule. So when life changes as it does, I can just erase and reschedule.

What is your favorite pen for your planner?

Lynn A. Wilson – Resume of a Mother

Are you writing your Eulogy?

March 5, 2018March 5, 2018 | resumeofamother

I know this is a very odd question to ask, “are you writing your own eulogy”? This is not something that we usually ask each other. Let me explain. Recently a friend of mine lost her dad. As we were talking she said that the service was graciously done but that they were really struggling with what to say. You see he had lived a very hard life. The life that he lived was not a very good one; the choices that he made in life were not the best.

Just prior to chatting with him….I was discussing with another friend about what people think of us in general. We were discussing about when someone walks in the door and what you immediately think of them. If I were to walk in the door ….do my friends get excited to see me? Or am I one of those people who when you see me, you say “great….she here now”. You know what I mean…there are those people who we love to see and those we don’t. Why would you want a personality that no one wanted to be around?

I heard someone say a long time ago….while you are living you are writing your eulogy. What a thought…but so true. What you do now, how you treat people, how you are around others will ultimately be in the end, what you are known for.

What do people say about you now? What will they say about you then? Something to thing over today! See if you need to make some changes in your life!

Lynn A. Wilson – Resume of a Mother

Grandma’s brownie Recipe …the best recipe comes from a box!

March 4, 2018March 4, 2018 | resumeofamother

Grandma had the best outlook on life. More than anyone that I ever met in my lifetime! She loved life and her family and always wanted us to feel at home in her home. She did not come from money nor did she ever have a lot even in her later life. That never stopped her from always giving to us with the few pennies that she had.

She was known for her pot roast and potatoes ….I have never had anyone make it soooo good and delicious as she did. I can remember one Sunday afternoon we headed over to her apartment for Sunday lunch, and of course for the pot roast. After lunch she asked me to get the table set for dessert. Normally Grandma was not a baker of any type. Her best effort was a crumb cake from Entenmann’s bakery. But this day was different…she told me she had some brownies instead. ‘YES”…I was so excited since I love brownies.

I helped her get the table all set with coffee cups, the sugar and creamer, cake plates etc….As everyone gathered back to the table for dessert she handed me “the box”…yes a brownie box. Then she told me to put in on her special fancy flowered plate. My eyebrow raised….and I looked at her with a silly look. “Grandma did you bake these already”…she replied, “no they come all made in the box already”. Oh dear….as she called back again to me she said…”look at the picture on the box”.

Well lesson learned that day! Grandma learned that brownie mix is a mix only and yes it needed to be baked. The whole family had a good laugh about it over a cup of coffee. That day I taught her how to make the brownies and we enjoyed them all yummy and warm with some more coffee.

These precious memories are still with me even after almost 28 years after her passing. She was a remarkable woman and taught me so much about life and living and how to handle myself in tough situations. And I was glad to be able to teach her one thing….even if it was just brownies.

Do you have any funny stories to share about recipes with your grandma? Leave a comment below and share with all of us!

Lynn A. Wilson – Resume of a Mother

High Tea….Girl’s Nite Out!

March 1, 2018 | resumeofamother

Do you ever just need a night out….does life get crazy at times for you? My days are filled with an 8 – 9 hour work day, followed by homeschooling, a barking dog, Autism, Epilepsy, and one crazy full schedule after my normal working hours. Phew….that’s a lot of stuff to handle!

Many times people ask me how I do it all. If you follow me on Facebook you can see how nuts things can get. They will ask “so what do you do for you”? Well, a long while ago I made it a point to have a night, a day or even an afternoon just for me. It might be just running and doing a “Tuesday Morning” Haul to find some goodies, or a walk around the lake near our house or something similar.

I work with a great group of women and about every 6-8 weeks they will plan a girl’s night out. This time we decided to try a new Tea Room for some “High Tea”. What fun we had with dressing up, eating scones, sandwiches, specialty teas and more. Have fun looking at the pics.

What do you do for your “Moms” break? Do you ever think to take some time for you?

Let me leave you with a verse for today and some fun pictures. I would love to hear from you ….leave a note in the comments below, follow me on Facebook and Instagram too.