The past few months dinner time has been a not so wonderful experience for me. For some reason I have had the hardest time planning meals, finding recipes I want to cook, and shopping to carry out the plan. I have said multiple times that I did not want to grocery shop the "major" trip until I planned our dinner menu so I could spend our budget wisely and create more fulfilling cost smart meals. When I did not go to the store I would then have to resort to last minute planning asking Daniel for help to get something on the way home or make way too many trips to the store everyday flying by the seat of my pants.Thus starting a spiral effect.
The other day I was emotional about this. Seems to be a silly thing but really, a woman's ability or lack thereof to plan healthy meals for her family that don't cost an arm and a leg does affect their feelings of being a good homemaker or not. I knew I lacked in this area and could not figure out why I was having a hard time getting my act together.
In a desperate emotional moment I told my husband "Please do not let me forget. Please do not let me go to bed without having made a meal plan and go to the store to get what I need to carry it out."
Our evening rolled on later then I wanted. We had dinner late. An AMAZING dinner he so sweetly made for us. Then we got kids ready for bed and then played Apples to Apples with the kids. I had fun even though I did not want to play because it was already late and I wanted to menu plan and go to the store.
After playing the game and kids were in bed I decided it was too late to go shopping. I made a menu plan off the top of my head based on what items I knew we already had. I then decided I would go to the store in the morning. Daniel so sweetly reminded me that I made him promise to not let me go to bed without going to the store yadayadayada..
This made me mad. I was tired and that was the last thing I wanted to do. Alas, I climbed out of bed threw on shoes and took off out the door to the car without really saying much. Maybe a quick mumbled "I Love You"
As I neared the closest intersection near our home to turn left towards our local WalMart I was ready to turn left on green as soon as the light changed. Of course yielding to the oncoming traffic. I admit my crankiness was resulting in me driving over anxiously and aggressive. I saw a car at the light as the light turned green but decided I could speed the left turn before he started to get going. (don't judge me) As I was about to gun it, I heard something tell me "Look again". Hmm,That's odd. So instead of gunning it I did a quick check again and in front of that truck was a vespa like scooter. A little black scooter. No headlight on. No helmet. The girl riding it was in all black.again, NO HELMET. No lights. She was practically invisible. Had I not heard the voice or not listened to look again I would have surely smashed right into her.
My first reaction was anger. What the? How stupid could a person be driving at night without a headlight on without a helmet and in the same black color her scooter was. (I also thought If I ever got the scooter I wanted I would surely stick to bright yellow or aqua) Then my thoughts quickly turned to peace. Amazement. Humbled to think how she was so close to possible death.
Weather you believe in the Holy Spirit whispering promptings to help us through life, the Universe, or an individual Guardian Angel I believe we can all agree there are miracles that happen everyday. Miracles we never know. How many times has our own life been spared because another person was listening?
This experience was a blessing in my life. I wish I could tell that woman how special she is. How God had more for her to do here on earth. How she came so close to a major accident but an Angel saved her. But instead, I tel you. I tell you that you are here for a reason. Everyone comes and goes at some point. W all have different lives and experiences to live. Life is precious. Don't waste your time away. You are saved even when you don't know it. I also am here to tell you please be smart and be more visible on your very cool vespas.
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| (Photos from my trip to California with my brother when my Grandfather passed away in the Spring.) |
Have a beautiful Day! Make it special!
Jenn-Lee
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| Photo by: Remi Stoneman |
so glad you listened or you would have been telling a VERY different story on here today.
ReplyDeletei'm sorry you're having such a hard time with menu planning. if it makes you feel any better, i completely SUCK at menu planning. i don't know that i have ever planned a menu in the almost 13 years that we have been married. for some reason, i have a mental hang-up about planning a menu because it feels like i am locked into what we are eating (even though i know that's not totally true) and i never know what i will feel like making each night. basically, i just go to the store and buy all of our staples and then whatever produce happens to be on sale. i have a few go-to recipes that i always know i have the ingredients for and then adjust that as necessary with the produce we have on hand. we always have a healthy meal on the table, even if it is something as simple as a giant salad (which the girls love to help make) with some whole wheat toast. it may be a little crazy and disorganized, but it works for me.
where that plan is lacking, however, is that i have PILES of recipes i want to try and i have been horrible about working those in because it involves shopping with those recipes in mind so that i have all the random ingredients that i don't normally have on hand! yes, i really should plan out menus... but i really don't know that i will ever get there!
We've talked about this menu planning rut many times...we both ahve issues in that dept. blek. It is so true the way it makes us feel when we have to rely on our husbands to bail us out at dinner time. I guess we just keep trudging along and figure out a way to be better, one day at a time!
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