Here it is again! Wednesday seems to come more often for some reason….

I no longer get up and go out to my office each weekday. That has not happened for many years. Wednesday was called “hump day” back then because after that, the weekend was in sight.

When you work, there are certain things that must be done in preparation for the the following morning when every second counts! As a rule, clothes were selected in advance, things you needed to take with you were lined up and some thought may have been given to what you were going to eat for breakfast the night before.

Life, for me, at least, was much better organized in order not to waste a minute. Now, if I stay up late and sleep longer the next day, it does not matter. I don’t rush through breakfast to avoid getting into traffic, because I don’t go out now. Things are just different.

The “big events” have become looking at the grocery ads and prayer meeting at church on my IPad. Yes, routines change because conditions change. I am grateful for my working days, for seeing my coworkers and going to meetings, when necessary. I was much more disciplined in those days.

Even in retirement I still went out for meetings and had some deadlines for various reasons. Then along came the pandemic! That was a “game changer” of sorts. Now, I don’t go out. It does not matter if I oversleep, if that should happen. In my case, most routines went by the wayside. One thing is the same now. I have my Bible study with Dr.David Jeremiah at 7:00 AM each weekday.

I take my morning medications without fail, but the time may differ depending on when I wake up. I don’t have a strict routine now. It is more like “go with the flow,” I am not complaining. I know how blessed I am and I constantly thank God for this stage of my life and for being able to stay at home during these trying times.

I write “Jeansjournalblog” for the benefit of my two daughters and my grandchildren more than for anything else. Sometimes I write about growing up when times were totally different so they will have an idea of how much lifestyles have changed. At other times I talk about current conditions we are all experiencing. There is no theme or even any rhyme or reason of why I make a certain journal entries. By writing “something” they know that I am thinking about them and that I am exercising my brain! That is important! As an old saying goes, “ The mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

Julia Child, Nathalie Dupree or Paula Deen I am not! I am a Brenda Gantt wanna be!

Ever since I discovered Brenda Gantt on Facebook, I have wanted to spend more time in the kitchen! My kitchen is not small and when I began watching Brenda as she prepared everything on her chopping block, I have wanted one! Brenda uses a very long knife, which she sharpens from time if it seems a bit dull to her. It is very old. I want one of those, too.

She uses a pan to mix many things in. It is enamel, with a few nicks in it! My Grandmother had a large dish pan that was enamelware. She also had a pan like Brenda uses, for us to use to wash our face and hands, but never for preparing food. I also remember a pitcher of the enamelware that Grandmother used in the kitchen for ice tea. I wasn’t born in the dark ages, but I do remember a lot of things that are now considered antiques.

During my lifetime I have had numbers of pots and pans to cook with. The world is constantly changing and manufacturers jump on the bandwagon with new and better products so homemakers will buy them! And we do!

I wish that I had kept more of the things from my Grandmother’s kitchen, I was still very young when she died, so my Mother inherited them. We all make bad decisions from time to time and little by little , all the old utensils were replaced.

But, back to my hero, Brenda, some of the things she cooks and what she uses in her kitchen. Brenda has demonstrated everything you can imagine on her Facebook page. She has “millions” of followers, I’m sure! Her sweet ways and the manner in which she explains everything from making biscuits to baking a turkey, from pound cake to fried apple pies, is so educational, as well as entertaining!

Fans from every state and some from around the world, follow Brenda! She has compiled a cookbook, along with many photos of the finished products. She writes for a popular magazine and has appeared on the television show, Huckabee, several times. Recently Mark Lowery came to her church, Bethany Andalusia, and she shared the video, along with a display of all the food the ladies of the church prepared for the event. She even had a video as Mark and some of his staff ate with her at her home I know I would fit right in her kitchen, if and when I ever get to go there!

Today, I wanted meatloaf for lunch, along with black eyed peas and a dish like I ate many years ago at a restaurant called Berry’s on the Hill. It was very thinly sliced cucumbers, green peppers and onion with sour cream and a little vinegar to make it taste so good! Some cornbread, baked apples and my “signature” pineapple congealed salad, completed the menu. (It is good, you all!)

So, I got out my “what to do “ list …put a follow up date of tomorrow and I made just what I had my heart set on! As Brenda says, “ It’s gonna be good, you all!”

It is that time…again

During the wee hours, time changed. All my clocks had been reset because we gained an hour overnight. When this happens, my body seems to have a hard time adjusting.

I can’t explain it, nor can I understand it, but now my internal clock doesn’t make the change easily. In the past, I don’t remember ever having a reaction to losing or gaining one hour.

For over a year, my life has been very different. Losing the freedom to go about my previous way of life came as a huge adjustment. I was fortunate not to have to go out to work, but I did go to church, meetings and grocery shopping. I also enjoyed many trips with friends. My volunteer work was put on hold for fear or spreading the virus that caused all the lifestyle changes.

I have always been able “to go with the flow.” Even if I did not experience some changes, things remained “business as usual.” It is only for a day or two that I will notice the change, I am sure.

The additional hours I have now that I am at home almost all the time should allow me time to have my house in perfect order. It should, but it doesn’t. It is very easy to pick up bad habits of wasting time. I confess to being guilty of putting things off until “tomorrow” or to just to ignore them completely.

I think I have said enough about nothing important. The sun is shining, there is a chill in the air, I can enjoy the warmth from my fireplace, I can watch church services on television, I have food to eat and friends and family to talk with. I am so blessed, I have forgotten why I even mentioned the time change. Oh, I had been very slack on posting anything on my blog, so I guess I can call this, “Much ado about nothing!” As Mr. Rogers always said, “It’s a wonderful day in my neighborhood!” God bless each of you and lets continue to pray that the pandemic will end and maybe since South Carolina has passed a bill not to observe daylight saving time, I will write about something more important next Spring! Enjoy today!