Lively in the Library

  What we're eating Monday: leftovers Tuesday: ground turkey tacos Wednesday: ground turkey lettuce wraps Thursday: pesto chicken pasta Friday: salmon, couscous, brussels sprouts Saturday: greek chicken and orzo salad Sunday: pasta and meatballs What I'm reminiscing about I'm reminiscing about falls in years past; every turn of the season brings a bit of nostalgia! What I'm loving I am loving feeling good at my job. I know most students' names. They feel confident in expectations in the library. I feel like I have a good plan for the month of October. It's feeling really good overall. I am also loving watching my son grow - trying new things athletically, finding new characters he loves, playing mario kart with his dad, singing songs he learned at school. I just love watching him become who he is. What we've been up to September flew by! My parents were visiting over Labor Day. We went to a Wake Forest football game. We celebrated my husband's birthday. ...

  1. It's officially fall y'all...in the northern hemisphere anyway. What are three of your favorite things about this particular season of the year?  Oh, I just love the coziness! There is something about misty mornings, the weather cooling down (even slightly!), crisp evenings, spending time hiking and enjoying nature's shift towards slumber... I just thoroughly enjoy it all! 2. Your favorite fall fabric-denim, flannel, tweed, corduroy, tartan, polar fleece, leather? Do you own something made with your favorite fall fabric?  I love the look of leather, but don't own anything other than handbags and shoes. I wear alot of flannel, tartan, and more denim in the autumn. I love when my husband switches his linen flat cap for his tweed flat cap come cooler weather! 3. According to  Everyday Health  here are ten healthy fall foods -  apples  (flavonoids may improve brain health),  pears  (for heart friendly fiber),  cranberries  (helps y...

  1. Something that's had you  'chuffed to bits'  recently?  I am feeling settled and cozy in the home we bought over the summer and it's bringing me such joy! I added some autumnal decorations on Sunday and it makes the house feel even more like ours. 2. Tell us about an instance recently where you were tempted to 'throw a wobbly' ( expression used to describe tantrums thrown, usually by adults or people who should know better)  Honestly, when doctors appointments that have been scheduled for 6+ months get cancelled and rescheduled without consent and then you have to scramble to reschedule knowing full well how far in advance the offices book out. Why make an appointment if it's going to change and then you'll be pushed out even farther? It drives me absolutely crazy, and even more so when the appointment in question isn't for me, but for my child. On a similar note, my insurance changed over the summer and the hoops we had to jump through to get m...

  1. When the Hodgepodge lands on September 11th I want to acknowledge that. Will you purposely pause to remember, pray, or attend any sort of ceremony on 9/11? Share any thoughts or memories you'd like to share about this day.  I vividly remember both September 11 and the one year anniversary. I've shared often about my memories of the day itself, but rarely about the one year anniversary.  We moved from Washington D.C., where my dad was stationed at the pentagon, to Minot, North Dakota in July 2001. While the towers were devastating and are the most vivid image in my memory, its the fear I felt around the Pentagon and the area we had just left behind that appear every year in memory.  On the one year anniversary, we were in our second year in Minot. I had switched from going to school off base to the on base school that year as a result of how the world on military bases changed post-9/11. Our little middle school choir sang at the base memorial for all the command...

I feel it apt to join in the Teacher Tuesday discussions since Tuesdays are my heaviest class day of the week. I see all six grades and have class or lunch duty the entire day. There is no time to catch my breath on Tuesdays it seems! As a librarian this makes the day fly by, but also leads to a massive backlog of returned books to be checked in and re-shelved. I am trying something the school my mom works at does of using laundry baskets for returns - so far it seems to be helping the chaos of how quickly my return box fills up! I'm also currently recruiting a parent volunteer team to help me shelve and shelf-read through the library. How do you keep your check-in and check-out system running smoothly in your library?

Another week passed quickly, and here we are settling into September! I'm enjoying my after school workouts and settling into a rhythm of when we get home each night. Tonight we have soccer practice. Dinner will be leftover turkey larb and green beans we enjoyed yesterday. Tuesday I have a personal training appointment after school. I'm always wanting more protein on those days! We'll be having turkey tacos for taco Tuesday. Wednesday is an open evening for us! We'll be making butter chicken over rice with a side of naan. Thursday is also a day with less happening in the evening. We'll be making fish sticks and coleslaw. our son just decided he enjoyed fish sticks, so we're encouraging that, since my husband and I do too. Friday we have t-ball practice.  We'll be making andouille sausage pasta. Saturday is a big day in our house! It's my husband's birthday and the first soccer game of the season for our son. We'll be trying a new recipe he picks ...

2024 has been a roller coaster! I feel like so many aspects of life have changed this year for our family, and it's amazing how simultaneously fast and slow this year has seemed.  I need to find a better rhythm of finding time to read scripture and read for pleasure. I already don't consume much visual entertainment, so it's not a matter of reprioritizing that, but creating time that I don't currently have. I'm ready to find a new church home. We had such a great church and community in our old town that I miss dearly. I'm ready to find that same belonging again. We've been in our house almost two months and I have yet to enjoy a bath in my new bathtub - hopefully soon! I love a good relaxing bath. I want to find ways to incorporate more protein in my diet. I'd love any recipe recommendations! I'm enjoying going to the gym again. My weight and body confidence are not great right now, and I'm working hard on feeling strong, confident and healthy. ...

 Does anybody else feel like finding time to get into a show is impossible these days?  I'm lucky if I can squeeze in an episode of a show on Food Network or HGTV where I only have to mildly pay attention. I don't have the time or mental capacity for anything scripted at the moment.  This week, with all our visitors, I've been able to watch the finale episode of The Great Food Truck Race, a show I got into when I was hospitalized with an ulcerative colitis flare in 2019. It's fun to see the variety of food trucks and how they tackle the challenges. Having the highest till is the most fair way to determine a winner, since food styles are so varied and you never know what cuisine people in the community will be interested in trying.  I've also been trying to watch BBQ Brawl on Food Network, but am several episodes behind. Generally if our TV is on, it's either on a sport (Olympics, baseball, football, tennis, golf, etc.) or a PBS Kids or Disney+ show.  What are so...

 I love the start of the "ber" months that September ushers in and the fullness of this time of year. School is in full swing for all members of our family and fall sports have begun. My son is involved in soccer and t-ball for the next couple months and loving them both!  This Labor Day weekend my parents were visiting from Colorado and we enjoyed our time with them. Friday after a long day of work for my husband and I, and a fun day of grandparent time at the house, we all headed to t-ball practice. After practice we stopped at Dairio for burgers and ice cream.  We spent Saturday wandering around Old Salem and learning about life in the Salem community before picking up pizza on the way home. Saturday afternoon naps were had and the opening day of college football was celebrated.  Sunday we visited the NC Zoo and had a wonderful time exploring and seeing all the animals. It's always such a nice way to spend a couple hours and I love how large all the animal habitat...

I want to share our weekly meal plan as a way to hold myself accountable. This week is a little different with the holiday weekend and visitors in and out of our house. Today is Labor Day and my parents last day of their visit. We also have soccer practice tonight. We are eating turkey tacos. A meal that is always easy and satisfying. Tuesday afternoon I have a staff meeting after school and then my best friend and her husband are stopping over on their drive from Alabama to New York. My parents also head back to Colorado early Tuesday morning, so just a bit of a chaotic day! We are making pasta with sausage, a salad, and garlic bread. Wednesday after school I have a virtual test coordinators meeting. That night we'll be eating leftovers and just trying to catch back up on life.  Thursday we're having leftovers again and working on cleaning out the fridge. Friday we're making ravioli and salad before t-ball practice.  Saturday night we've got tickets to the Wake Forest ...

 Hello! Welcome to my new corner of the internet. I have blogged on and off on various platforms since around 2007. Some seasons have seen time for lots of opportunity to blog and share about my life, and others have had no time to even think about logging in to blog. I am feeling the itch to re-enter this world I once loved and share about life and what is inspiring me and where I'm growing. My name is Sarah and I am an elementary librarian, wife and mother. I grew up in a military family and married a professor, so I have had the privilege of living in multiple states. We currently live in North Carolina, where we moved in 2020. We love it here and see ourselves setting down deep roots. I love slow mornings with a cup of coffee and a beautiful sunrise. My favorite color is yellow. Each season has its own beauty to me, but my favorites are the transition seasons of spring and autumn. I love watching the world come to life and go to sleep. I enjoy traveling, cooking, watching sport...