Share Four Somethings—April 2023
—Grace & Truth Linkup
Near the end of each month, I share four somethings at Jennifer’s linkup: what I’m loving, reading, learning, and eating.
And last month’s One Second Everyday video . . .
[click here if you can’t see the video]
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What I’m Loving
- LEGOS???
I’m a jigsaw puzzle girl, through and through. Puzzles captivate me. I can work a puzzle for hours on end and lose all track of time.
So when Jeff came home last summer with a LEGO kit of a Vespa 125 as one of his retirement gifts from coworkers, I had no interest. This would be his project alone, not our project together.
Months later, when my friend Kay told me how relaxing it was to assemble a bonsai tree LEGO kit, I decided to give it a try, too. I asked Jeff if we could tackle his LEGO project together, all 1,100 pieces.
And wow, I loved putting together this LEGO Vespa this month! Who knew I was a LEGO person? The instructions were clear enough to feel easy, and challenging enough to be engaging. Now I look forward to doing another one someday.
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What I’m Reading
- 2 NOVELS
Of the books I read, 90% of them are nonfiction. I enjoy having several nonfiction books going at the same time.
But novels? While I always want one novel in every pile (they’re my 10%), I only want one of them at a time.
Except when two library holds become available at the same time. Oops. I’m currently reading both Fresh Water for Flowers AND Lessons in Chemistry.
They’re different enough and entertaining enough that it’s working out so far, even though it’s breaking my informal rule to only read one novel at a time.
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What I’m Learning
- IT’S OKAY TO START OVER
An ongoing mental stressor for me is keeping my digital photos organized. A few years back I was determined to set up a system to keep them under control. It worked for awhile. I felt caught up. But now they’re out of hand again.
So I’m starting anew. I’m ready to tackle it again.
I’m giving myself several months, starting now, to go through the last 6 years of digital photos. I want to print out a few photo albums (I still love having physical photos to look at). Then I’ll put the rest on USB flash drives and the cloud, create a better system of managing photos moving forward, and then, most importantly, rest my brain from obsessing about having so many photos.
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What I’m Eating
- A GO-TO MEAL
Do you have a go-to meal when you’re too tired to cook, but don’t want to go out? Jeff and I often fall back on baked potatoes and BBQ pulled pork.
When we came home from a trip to Indiana this Wednesday, neither of us wanted to cook. So we microwaved some potatoes and added some BBQ on top (we often have leftover pulled pork in the freezer). It’s not the most nutritious meal, but it’s not the worst either.
What’s something you’re learning or loving this month?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
I’m linking at these blog parties
Grace & Truth Featured Post
What if I fail?
Does that question ever stop you from trying at all? It can stop me.
But in today’s featured post, Ashley has an even better question to ask ourselves:
What exactly would constitute failure?
Maybe the definition of success isn’t as fixed as we imagine.
Read all of Ashley’s post here to remind yourself of this: If you’re showing up, then you’re succeeding. Let God handle the results.
“When the Fear of Failure Paralyzes You, Remember This”
Add your own links below.
Review the rules here about adding your most recent Christian Living posts and how to be the Featured Post. Visit all four hosts social media here or websites here: Maree Dee, Lisa notes, Lauren Sparks, Tammy Kennington.
Now Let’s Link Up!
- 8 Books I Recommend—April 2023
- On the Blog—April 2023
This is the first time I noticed your grandson looks a lot like your husband. And oh, I remember Hot Wheels tracks!
Wow, I had not seen a LEGO kit like that! We went to a LEGO display last year, and I was amazed. Our boys played with LEGOs long after they outgrew other toys. They say it’s good training for putting together IKEA furniture. 🙂 I don’t think I have put any LEGOs together since the boys were young. A couple of our most elaborate sets were a pirate ship and a tree house, complete with trap door and a rope that could be lowered and raised.
I’m the opposite with books, reading mostly fiction. But I do have a couple of nonfiction going at the same time as well.
I’d love to know how you organize your photos. I need to redo my old albums, I have boxes of physical photos not yet in albums, and then tons of digital photos. I like having the physical albums, too. I’m thinking about trying to designate some kind of regular time for it–once a week may be too much, but maybe a couple of times a month.
We discovered John Soules Chicken Fajita strips a while back and used them for my gluten-free daughter-in-law and grandson. But then they proved to be good for quick meals for just Jim and me. I like them as tacos rather than fajitas, so I cut the meat in smaller bites. We keep frozen pizza on hand for quick meals, too. And grilled cheese sandwiches (sometimes with thin-sliced ham inside) and tomato soup are great and quick, too.
A couple of other people have mentioned that our grandson resembles Jeff some. I’ll tell him you said so.
I admit I was clueless about the LEGO project. Neither of our girls played with LEGOs so I never thought of trying a kit. But surprise, surprise; I loved it. The tree house sounds like it would be a fun one to put together!
I’m probably overthinking my photo project but I have begun by just cataloguing all the places that I have digital photos: on USB flash drives, external hard drives, on my laptop. Not to mention several photos I’ve already printed. It’s quite overwhelming. I’ve made a step-by-step list for the process to help with the overwhelm. 🙂 Today’s task was to order more flash drives.
I’ll take a hefty helping of that pulled pork please, Lisa!
Wish you were close enough to share some pulled pork with us, Linda! 🙂
I’m definitely going to bake some taters next time I make pulled pork !!!
I may have it again for lunch tomorrow myself. 🙂
Legos can be so much fun! I used to help my boys out quite a lot and did find it rather relaxing. I just started (within the past year or so) to read multiple fiction books at the same time and I find as long as the storylines are different enough it works rather well for me; especially if I pair a rather heavy/sad book with something light and fun and easy.
Yes, it helps to have the right pairing of novels if you’re going to read more than one at a time. The two I’m reading now are a little too similar in certain ways (they’re both centered around a quirky female character with one child and a deceased husband). But I think about all the various TV series we keep straight with no problem, so why not books? 🙂
When you finish organizing your digital photos, maybe you can do mine too? 🙂 I love your Vespa project! My daughter Molly is a Lego girl too … we actually have the Statue of Liberty and a Volkswagon bus in our living room as sort of temporary decorations. I need to come up with a better system for ordering holds at the library … it seems like I’m always getting several in at a time and not finishing them before they’re due.
IF I ever finish my digital photos might be the better way to put it. ha. The last time I caught up was 2017, and I vowed to stay on top of it after that. Yet here I am. 🙂
I wish my library holds for physical books would work like they do for Kindle books…with the option to hold the hold. I’m constantly delaying a Kindle hold for another week then another week then another week. 🙂 I guess that would be too hard for physical books since they actually have to pull the book off the shelf before they alert me it’s ready.
I definitely need to organize my digital photos, too … I was also thinking this morning I need to organize my Pinterest recipes as well – the tried and true separately from the “want to try” recipes. But mercy! that will take some time.
Love the Vespa lego kit!
Yes, please, on the pulled pork on top of a baked potato. I tried that the last time we had pulled pork because I am burnt out on sandwiches. It’s pretty good served that way.
Yes, my recipes need organizing as well. I still have several recipes handwritten on 3×5 cards in a kitchen drawer that I use the most. 🙂
Go-to meal? Baked potato with toppings is a good one. I also like to do a big salad with fixings – tuna, cheese, olives, etc. – that people can choose for themselves, along with couscous (so quick and easy).
When I switched computers recently, I took the time to go through mine and delete a ton that I did not need. I tend to just let them pile up until it becomes overwhelming. It would be good to organize more as I go along, but I’m not terribly hopeful I’ll change my ways. I hope you have better luck there!
I recently switched computers too, and had the grand intention of cleaning things up before I transferred the data. But alas, when I logged in to transfer some things, ALL the things transferred over! I was surprised and disappointed that now my new computer is already low on storage exactly like my old computer was. But the bulk of the problem is photos! Once I get them transferred elsewhere, my computer will have breathing space again. 🙂
I have a lot of photos that need organizing, too. In my fantasy life, I have them all organized, printed, and put in scrapbooks. But I don’t think it’s possible that I will live that long. LOL
I totally understand that utopian dream about organized photos, Donna! 🙂 I used to love scrapbooking and I’m so thankful for the ones I actually did complete in the early 2000s. But I don’t think I have enough lifespan left for that anymore. If I can just print a few to stick in an album and get the rest organized as digital files, I’ll have to be satisfied.
I loved lergo as a kid, and I know I’d love it as an adult. i look at the van gogh painting ones but it’s the price stag that stops me, nothing more. That vespa is COOL! #ShareFourSomethings
Yes, the disappointing thing about the LEGO kits is how expensive they are! I looked up the price tag for the Vespa one (it was a gift to Jeff), and it was $100. Yikes. I would never have bought it on my own. I’ve been used to buying jigsaw puzzles for $.50 at the thrift stores to meet my hobby needs. LEGOs will be a treat only now and again. 🙂
We love Legos! The Vespa looks really cool! They are so much fun. I do love puzzles as well. I have not read Lessons in Chemistry or Fresh Water for Flowers. I hope you have a fabulous May!
I finally understand now why so many people love legos! 🙂 It’s a whole new world to me. Where have I been? ha.
The lego project looked great! I enjoy watching the grandchildren engage with creative lego projects. Children are my source of joy. My husband & I spent a week with our 15 month old grandson recently, loving his energy and seeing him learn new things .
Our grandson turns two tomorrow so I totally understand your love of seeing your grandson’s energy and curiosity at learning new things. These early years are so fascinating to watch! Our little guy has really gone through a talking spurt the past few weeks in tripling the numbers of words he knows. It’s very fun!
I understand the photo battle – and it is a battle! LOL I could almost become a LEGO building with that cute little Vespa! I think I’ve stepped on to many of them to because a builder, though! What a beautiful month you’ve had! This month has had some very precious, straight-to-the-heart moments watching my boys being there for each other. It left me in tears their love for each other.
Ha. Stepping on legos is quite painful so I get what you’re saying, MaryLeigh! 🙂 My heart is warmed thinking of your boys stepping up for each other. That’s every mother’s dream.
I loved hearing about your month Lisa! I didn’t know Lego had become so sophisticated!
I always have left over meals in the freezer for those nights when we don’t want to cook. As I always cook family size meals when I do cook for this very reason. ?
blessings, Jennifer
It took me awhile as an empty nester to learn to still cook family-size meals sometimes to specifically have leftovers. 🙂 It’s so nice to have meals in the freezer on those nights when no one wants to cook. I’m sure it’s especially handy for you when you have bad flareups with your chronic pain.
…that Vespa is GREAT!
The rest of the story about the Vespa is we dropped it a few days after putting it together. We were able to put it back together, except for 3 pieces that we couldn’t figure out where they belonged. Oh well! 🙂
What a neat LEGO kit! I don’t remember seeing that one, and I do pay attention since I have a son and a someday-son-in-law that absolutely love LEGO. I like that the project was one you and your husband could work on together. Isn’t it fun when we discover a new hobby or project to do together? Visiting from SFS today.
Yes, I was so glad that the LEGO kit was something fun to do together! I really thought we’d give it a try for 10 minutes together and then I’d hand it off to my husband. 🙂 But I ended up loving it even more than he did. We ended up working together by him finding the pieces and me putting them together. lol.
I love Legos. I keep seeing an ad where two women are working on something, and it turns out they are playing with Legos that make flowers. I am intrigued. I love adult coloring even though coloring was traditionally associated with children. Legos may be the same deal now, huh? Thank you so much for your kind words this week and the feature!
I’ll have to look up that ad so I can send it to my friend who did the bonsai tree! She’s since bought another kit with flowers; I wonder if it’s the one in the ad. 🙂 I saw the price tags of the kits though, and decided I’ll wait a minute before I actually buy one. lol. Yes, I think you’re exactly right that marketers are now targeting us adults with the things we loved as children. Smart. 🙂
I like the Lego Vespa – it’s fun to try something different sometimes. And I look forward to hearing what you think of Lesson in Chemistry. My aunt gave me that book recently. I haven’t started it yet but it looks interesting.
I’m enjoying Lessons in Chemistry so far, Lesley. It’s been unpredictable, which I like! 🙂 I don’t like being able to figure out the ending after reading just the first chapter. This book is definitely not like that. It’s been humorous along the way too.
Loved lego when I was a kid, but never had any of these “build this” kits. Do you know the old “What it is, is beautiful” adverts?
Reading two novels at the same time is difficult — lately though I’ve had a bedtime novel (a favourite Wodehouse or Stendhal) and a daytime novel (scary detective, tense political) and that has worked.
Comfort food is strange. For me, part of the comfort is in the cooking (risotto milanese is my #1, even preparing the stock I fantasise about future risottos). A favourite EZ-comfort is baked sweet potato — like a little sweet potato pie, with honey and cream.
Love your reviews Lisa!
Wow, reading your blog post felt like having a conversation with a good friend!
I totally relate to the struggle of managing digital photos, and it’s reassuring to know that it’s okay to start over. And your go-to meal sounds absolutely delicious, I might have to give it a try. I just have to say, I really enjoy your writing style, it’s so easy to read and engaging. Looking forward to your next post!
Aritha