What do I do ALL day?

A little history about me... I have worked in the "real world" for 28+ years of my life as a Pharmacist. In 2013 my husband was transferred to Singapore and we decided that living apart was not for us, so I quit my job and three days later I was on a plane to Singapore. We lived there for about a year and then got sent back to Houston, Texas. We travel home to Lindale, Texas every weekend and have been doing this for two years now, Whew! This is a four hour drive on Friday evening and Sunday evening so we have put many miles on ourselves as well as our truck. OK, so back to the point of today's post... What do I do all day?

I get SO tired of trying to answer this question! I know that people are not trying to be unkind but I really don't know how to answer this question in one sentence. Is this just a question like "how are you today?" Your answer to this is "fine" and they go on to other things. So, here is my answer...

I take care of my husband... He gets a good homemade lunch every day and a hot supper when he gets home. I make sure the house is clean and the clothes are done and everything is comfortable for him when he gets home. We spend our evenings together and this has brought us much closer. I shop sales and try to save money where I can at the store and do not make frivolous purchases. (There was a time when I was working when I would just buy something because I could). As I am getting older, my priorities are changing and I don't need so much "stuff." My days are spent doing things that I like to do... Taking Violet (my dog) for walks, working on pottery pieces, studying my bible, reading a good book, exercising, crocheting, experimenting with new recipes (I love making something from what I have in the cabinet and am notorious for not writing down the recipe for later). I now have the time to do exactly what I want to do and am so thankful to my husband for his support and love. Then on Friday, I drive back to Lindale and clean that house on the weekend and enjoy my home and family. Then on Sunday night, I drive us back to Houston where we have an apartment and live during the week. No, it is not glamorous, but it is my life and I know that some of you out there have similar struggles when you are a "stay at home" person"! So when someone asks, "What do you do all day? Just smile on the inside and know that they are wishing that they had a life as good as yours... No, your life is not any better than theirs but they only see what they don't have. 

The lesson that I need you to learn today is to try and find something good in your life... It is yours and you need to embrace it. Every day is an adventure and you are telling the story!

Some of the Wonderful People We Met in Singapore

We have had an amazing adventure in Singapore and have met some wonderful people that we now consider close friends. From my pottery friend Pippa, who is from Tasmania, to my friend Temprince who is from Lindale... We have a world full of friends here now. As we leave this country our hearts are sad because we have to leave them all behind, but are happy that we were able to meet such wonderful friends. MingHui is now considered a son to us and Emiko will always be my Japanese/Mexican sister as well as LiLian who always had a smile and a kind word of encouragement. Bob Buchanan was a wonderful preacher who stayed with us on his way to other countries as well as Ed Brand and Allen Malone. Temprince and Dal and Jess and Taegan were a refreshing boost to each day! Mariann and JD and the boys were so much fun to be with and we will miss them but hope to see them again in Texas. Everyone from church will always have a special place in our hearts as well as the young people who we studied with while we were in Singapore. God has blessed us with each of these people having a special place in our hearts. Thanks to Ms. Karen for teaching me pottery so I can enjoy this craft at home!

Orchid Gardens in Singapore

Well we have had yet another amazing adventure here in Singapore. I walk through the Botanic Gardens quite frequently because I love the atmosphere and plants but I had never been to the Orchid Gardens which are located within the Botanic Gardens. Today Mike and I decided that it was time to see the orchids... Wow, I am sure glad that I didn't miss this! I have never seen so many beautiful flowers in one place. I can tell you this, if you look at the amazing beauty here and still don't believe that only God could have done this... Well I will continue to pray for you anyway! There is even an orchid for my gothic friends out there... It was beautiful! My favorite is one with pink and orange mixed together. They even have a VIP garden where orchids were renamed after famous people such as William & Kate, Princess Diana and Laura Bush. The pictures are good but the flowers are much more beautiful than pictures could ever capture. I would come to Singapore just to see this. It was a great morning to go to the gardens with a cool breeze and if you get too hot they even have a "cool house" where some of the orchids grow. What a wonderful day!