What's Up Wednesday - Turning 50, Kiawah, and Job Hunting

Here's the monthly link-up with these ladies!!  I didn't realize until I logged into Blogger today that I haven't posted since the LAST WUW in January.  Ugh.  I'm not busy. . .just uninspired I guess.  Actually, though, when I reflected on this last month there is some catch-up to do :)

Happy Wednesday and thanks for reading!!  Feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts too :)

What’s Up Wednesday {February 2022}

1: WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK

Ummm. . .nothing.  Really.  With Tom's stomach and lack of desire to eat and my inability to cook for one we just don't eat together.  I try to make a good mid-day meal for myself and otherwise just get by on granola bars, fruit, and snacks.  Not very exciting :/. I do miss the days of having family meals and routine. . .another season gone.  A cousin texted last night saying they will be in town on Saturday so we'll be doing our first grilling meal of 2022 then -- burgers, potato salad, veggie tray and peanut butter pie

2. WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT

My 50th birthday two weeks ago :).  It sort of snuck up on me (literally) and at the last minute a friend and I went out to lunch:

We are not "big" birthday people around here, but always do celebrate the person, do a dinner together, dessert, and gifts.  Since my birthday was in the middle of the week we planned for Saturday and everyone came home.

Dinner was great -- everyone was here and Barbara made Chicken Pot Pies (Stephen's request), my favorite Asian salad, and the chocolate cake that I am the biggest fan of.  Many in our family don't like chocolate so this is a huge treat :)

Robert also brought donuts home from our favorite donut place in Cookeville -- this is also a fun birthday tradition since donuts are NOT a regular part of our lives

My kids treated me to a Lulu tennis skirt (can never have enough of those!) my husband got me a pair of shoes that I've wanted, my mom sent me money that I bought a purse I've had my eye on, and my MIL is so great about getting me a few new things to wear each year.  My brother sent me a lottery ticket from FL and I won back his investment ;). 

My sister invited me to spend President's Day weekend down in Kiawah Island with her, my niece, and two of my bestest friends from Florida.

It was a perfect weekend.  My sister and niece flew down Thursday and I was able to get them from the airport, then my friends drove 8 1/2 and 5 1/2 hours to come to the coast from their homes to be together. We all left Monday morning to get back to "real life". It was just a perfect, perfect way to usher in a new decade :). 

3: WHAT I’M LOVING

The promise of spring!!!

This is an unedited picture I just snapped out our back door. . .really, the sounds of spring are there, the temperature is 58 degrees, and you can just smell it in the air.

4: WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO

This isn't so much a "we" as "I". . .

I've got a couple projects that have been stalled due to timing or weather (too cold to paint)

First up is this buffet from Tom's grandmother -- I've been too chicken to paint it for years and years but got a color in my head (thanks Pinterest) and started.  I will do the final coat in a darker shade -- I just use samples for projects like this and this one ended up being a tad too bright but I need more anyway.  The hardware is bought so hopefully it will be put back in place by the weekend:

The second project is thanks to great advice from a friend from my past that I found on the McGee & Co Facebook page. . .I texted her when I saw some of her posts, she invited me over for another "project day" (she helped me to create the "Bell" mantle piece in my card picture years ago).  I took this mirror over and told her I didn't know what to do with it and voila!  By the end of the day we took it from "90's" to "now"!!!  I still might sand it down a bit further, but, for now, I'm loving the updated look.

Next up is the table that goes with it. . .

5: WHAT I’M DREADING:

Honestly, nothing.  There are tough things going on, of course, but dread is not a word I would describe for any of it.  Our poor dog got bitten at the dog park Monday (a dog jumped her for what looked like "no reason" -- we were right there and the other owner leashed the dog afterwards. . .we didn't notice the wound until yesterday though) and is hating the donut she has to wear when we can't be around her. 

We're flushing the wound (on her right side) because the vet can't fit us in until tomorrow. . .I don't know if it hurts or itches because it's healing. . .she hates the vet so that would be a "dread" I guess.  

6: WHAT I’M WORKING ON

I'm "officially" looking for a job now.  I left Mesa Associates (I was a Training Specialist) in September.  I thought I was going to start working someplace else but in the end that fell through.  It's been a good "ride" here at home but I'm lonely and aimless. . .plenty of projects, for sure, but the money I make funds our "fun" and that is about out.  I WANT to work but this time at home has shown me that if I go back to a 9-5 M-F gig it will be very, very difficult.  I've had some interviews, and yesterday an on-site presentation but nothing has really "hit" yet.  It's almost like I know more what I DON'T want then what I do.  There was a job that I really, really wanted but that door was shut last Thursday so I'm back to the drawing board.  The one I went onsite for yesterday is kind of going "backwards" -- not sure if I want to do that or not.  I had one very strange interview process with a national company headquartered here and spent hours and hours with them in December . .they said they would get back to me after the holidays and I've never heard from them since.  I know someone who works there and she told me they sent all their employees home a day or two after I had my last onsite interview (5 hours!!!) and they haven't been back.  Hmmmmmm. . .I'm not sure how excited I was about the job, but it was still weird to never hear from them again.  So. . .there isn't so much a shortage of workers (of course there is in education, the medical field, and service industry) but a lack of ability for companies to know what they want, I think.  Even this position I went in for yesterday was a little bit like. . ."well, we are growing and we think this is what the position will look like but we really don't know".  Strange.  So. . .I would say I'm passively working on getting a job :)

7: WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT

I'm not sure. . .summer?  It is no secret that I hate the winter and the cold so maybe I just need some "spring" in my life :). Nothing really "big" is on the horizon. . .this period/season of stillness the Lord is giving me is very hard to embrace but I know He's in the middle of it and for that I am grateful.  I have a GREAT life!!

8: WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING

I am NOT a television watcher, for sure, but lately have had more time for it.  I do like movies (and my husband is not a big fan) but he got King Richard for us to watch together on my birthday.  

It was excellent although a little slow.  Even being the tennis player I am, I didn't know much about the Williams' lives so that was all very interesting to me.  Four stars

I'm still trying to get through the Call the Midwife series (love it -- just drawing it out) and Tom and I have been watching Fixer to Fabulous.  I just love Dave and Jenny -- my kind of people :). I shamelessly liked the first round of Love is Blind (on Netflix) and see that they have a second season so I might tackle that once the entire series has been released (I hate waiting for new episodes to drop!). Tom and I started The Queen's Gambit but it's a little "much" for him.  I won't finish it if he doesn't want to. . .too many other things out there for me to spend time on -- other shows people recommend but I don't make watching television a priority and am not one of those "in the background" people.  It gets my full attention or not:/

I have been reading and/or listening to quite a few books lately.  I finished You Were There Too when I was in South Carolina and I'm not really sure what I think about it.  

I almost quit the book around chapter thirteen but was driving and didn't have anything else downloaded.  I'm glad I continued because it wasn't at all the direction I thought it was going to go (why I wanted to quit) but still unsure if I would want to read something like it again.  Three stars

I was "between books" and picked up Danielle Steele's "Royal" and it ended up being pretty good.

I would give this one 4 stars

The 5 star book I have read recently, though, is Our Woman in Moscow.  

This one is a must read for anyone who likes historical fiction.  And Beatriz Williams.  She tells a great story.

I'm currently reading Big Lies in a Small Town.  

I have so many books on my TBR list -- there are NOT enough hours in the day!!!

9: WHAT I’M LISTENING TO

Besides books and my Spotify playlists my sister has recommended a couple new podcasts but I haven't tackled them yet.  I regularly listen to The Big Boo Cast and The Bestie Breakdown but have even sort of petered off on the others because audio books have taken over!!!

10: WHAT I’M WEARING

I don't buy new things for interviews anymore and I have "enough" to get me through my days.  I'm not a huge shopper so this is a boring topic/category for me.

11: WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND

Looks like we have company Saturday and I get to play tennis both Saturday and Sunday :). The weather, unfortunately, doesn't look fabulous BUT Robert told me he's coming home for the UT game on Saturday so that is something to look forward too!!

12: WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH

Springtime!!  Erin and I were planning a trip to see relatives in FL but now she's been invited to go with some of her friends someplace else on Spring Break. . .so. . .we'll see.  Regardless, the Lord will fill my days and, from experience, it's always with something unexpected so I'll just wait and seize the moment!

13: NEW FAVORITE AMAZON FIND OF THE MONTH

Apparently Shay said Sheaffer wanted to add this topic and it's a good one, right?  

Shay had a great Valentine's gift guide and I bought this for my boys.  They both said they like it.

14: WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Tom finally, finally bought himself a new truck!

This photo is kind of a joke/ode to a high school buddy who thought he was "all that" with his Toyota back in the day :)

It sure does look great parked in our driveway though!!

I'm so happy for him. . .he's wanted another pickup since our oldest totaled his old one 6 years ago.

That's it from here (if you've stuck around)!  Happy Wednesday Friends. . .link your own posts up or, if you're not a blogger, drop your latest in the comments :)

Jenni