What I learned in June

I've decided to play today and link up with Emily's' What I learned in June' linky party.

I've been thinking about it all week.

Should it be lighthearted?

Serious?

Quirky??

I was stumped.

In the end I decided to just blurt it all out regardless of it's style, so . . .

Here it is  . . .

What I've learned in June:

1. I love making pretty, tasty or unexpected gifts for people (sometimes all three at once!). What I learned in June is that it's been much longer than I realized since I've actually done this for anyone. Lesson learned. This is going to be one of those non negotiable things in my life, not a 'they would love it if I. . . but I just don't have the time, energy, resources, desire to . . .' 

2.  I have been wasting a lot of food! Something that has really struck me this month since I can finally bend/crouch down low enough to clean out the fridge myself again after nearly a year, is just how much food gets thrown out at our house. It makes me feel rather sick and I haven't figured out just how to fix it

 Which sounds crazy I know. After all if I were just to buy less food, or meal plan better, or have a 'Leftover' supper once a week that should fix it, right??

 Not so far it hasn't. Our life has changed. How we eat, who's home to eat it and what we like to eat has changed a lot in the last few years and I'm only really noticing it now. I've come to see that fixing this problem is going to require relearning the whole approach I've taken to food in our house.

For example. . . If I buy 36 buns at Costco and most of them go in the freezer for later? Or look at leftovers, realize no one will eat them now, so I'll put them in the freezer for later? Or buy the warehouse pack of hamburger, don't feel like cooking it it or separating it into 1 pound portions and instead throw it in the freezer for later?

Later never comes.

My freezer is full of frost covered, dried out, unrecognizable bits of . . . something.

Finding a new way should be an exciting process. Truthfully? It makes me tired just thinking about it.I want this area of my life to be simple. Right now it is taking up waaaay to much space in my brain.

I'd welcome any and all ideas. . .

3. I have a long way to go when it comes to being a good wife. Have you ever been super aggravated with you spouse or even just impatient and dismissive thinking about how little they do for you? Perhaps, like me, you feel as though they have slipped in the cherishing department lately.

 Something happened at the beginning of June though. I heard myself talking to Henry about something I wanted done and I really heard myself.

People??? There was not a whole lot of cherishing going on . . . just a whole lot of impatient "Will you just do it right now!!!"

It's pretty hard to cherish a cranky, rather demanding spouse but that is what I had become. Oh, not all the time of course but a whole lot more than I've wanted to admit.

It was  time to do better. Much better. It was time for me to cherish him.

People??? Life is just lovelier when you make the effort to do nice things for your husband. When you pray for the ability to show your husband the grace God rains down on you everyday.

Lesson learned.

When he invited me out for lunch yesterday? I decided to be thrilled that he wanted to do something special with me rather than annoyed that he just didn't get that our funds are too tight for stuff like that.

Lunch at Joey's in Mayfield Common beside the pool, garage door windows rolled all the way up, thus  allowing cool breezes to blow by?

Priceless. (Although not paid for with a credit card!)

4. I'm braver than I thought I was!

5.I am blessed.

6. I can garden this year!

Hmmm. . .

There was a lot of serious learning going on this month.

I wonder what July will bring? I'm hoping for a little quirky. . .

What have you learned this month?

Drop by Emily's and check out all the other linky participants.