Hi, how are you?

It's March! The kids started climbing this tree in our front yard, and it's got these little yellow things on it that the kids pretend are bananas (except they do not eat them). Turns out, they are the male version of a pine cone. I may be phrasing that wrong, but I got several messages on Insta that said basically that. When you break into one, they smell like lemon (someone said that's where the name PineSol comes from - makes sense!). Anyway, they also carry or produce pollen. Is that a big thing where you are too? In a few short weeks, our yard and cars will be covered in yellow dust.

It also reminded me of a part of my childhood. When I was a kid, we lived in Mississippi for 5 years. For about 1 of those years, we lived out in the country. That house holds some of my favorite childhood memories. My brother and I would ride our bikes behind the house and into the woods, to a creek. Across the street was a full-on blueberry farm. Next door was an abandoned house whose owner had also owned a video rental store. So that house was filled with old VHS tapes! And right in the front yard, there was a giant (to me, as a kid) magnolia tree. It was perfect for climbing! I remember climbing that tree, all the way to the top, and just sitting there, seemingly for hours.

We never know what experiences will become those deep memories, you know? Anyway, on to this week's email!

Some fav IG accounts

I've got a running list of accounts I really enjoy. I was going to wait until I had a full list, but I realized that it makes more sense to share them in batches. This week I'll share 5 of them, and in a few weeks, I'll share 5 more, and so on!

1. Vincent Bal - He calls himself a Shadowologist. He creates shadows with a variety of objects, then he turns the shadows into a doodle. They're very creative!

2. Nancy Birtwhistle - She is just delightful. She shares recipes, home stuff, homesteading, cleaning, a big variety. I recently made the lemon cupcakes she posted, and they were excellent.

3. Karsten Belt - He plays the saxophone. He adds a sax solo to a lot of different songs, and they're so great!

4. Scott Fairchild - Sharks! And beaches and surfers and occasionally waterfalls. Mostly sharks, though. He has taught me a lot about sharks and honestly, I didn't care for them before I followed him. Just like with snakes and spiders and other "scary" things, the more you learn about them, the less scary they become!

5. Bridget Beth Collins - She goes by Flora Forager on IG. She posts a lot of flowers and other plants, but recently she's started adding in more art (makeup, watercolor, etc). Everything goes back to flowers, though! It's very lovely!

Two linked recipes

Many years ago (think 15+), I tried Indian food. And I'm not sure what it was that I tried, but I did not care for it. So I decided then and there I did not like Indian food.

Fast forward to last year. I asked people to submit an ingredient for me to try, and I randomly selected 10 of them. One of them was the seasoning called Garam Masala. Then, once I shared the 10 ingredients, someone suggested I try making Butter Cauliflower, which is like Butter Chicken but with cauliflower. I was certain I wouldn't like it, so I only used about half of the called-for seasonings. Lo and behold, I loved it. It's become a regular meal in our household (with full seasoning)!

Since it isn't my recipe, I won't type it out in full. Here are two links for you that I use every other week or so:

• Butter Chicken (here's a link for butter cauliflower instead) - serve it with basmati rice!

• Naan (a flat bread that goes beautifully with butter chicken!)

Bathroom reno

Back in September, we decided to replace the panels in our shower - you know, the big sheets that are glued to the wall? When we tore off one of the panels, we found a ton of mold behind it! We found a company to come out and professionally remove the infected drywall and also make sure it had not spread anywhere else.

We then had a big hole in the wall. We just have the one bathroom in our house; thankfully we have a shower out in the shop. But going outside to shower gets old pretty quick. We found someone to put in some new drywall and apply some new shower panels for us.

Well... we really didn't like the panels. We used the shower until February. It was unattractive but functional. That's when we decided to get someone to take out THAT paneling and put up tile instead. And guys, it's so pretty. It's a green-gray color (it looks green in the kitchen but gray in the bathroom, go figure). And it matches our cabinets perfectly!

We still want to get a door that swings, not a sliding door, but for now, it's a shower curtain that says Merry Christmas. :D

Here's a little transition video showing the new shower tile!

Phone holder tab thingy

I used to have a pop-it on my phone. You know, the thing that attaches to the back that helps you hold onto your phone easier? Then one day, our church gave out these little loops that stick to your phone, and I LOVE them. I've bought several more since then, as the elastic gets too stretched out. You've probably seen the Loopy brand of phone cases? It's like that but it's a strong sticker rather than a whole case.

Here is a link* to this sort of phone grip! There are several prints to choose from! *That's an affiliate link by the way!

Quick trip to Houston

A friend of ours lives in Houston at the moment, but they're moving further West as soon as their house sells. So before that happens, we're going to take a last minute trip to Houston! We've been 2-3 times in the last few years, and we really like it. I love that it's just 3 hours away. It's a big city (the 4th most populous in the USA) with lots to do and good food. Once we do that I'll have to post a roundup of the great things to do there!

A few random notes

1. We watched Akeelah and the Bee. We really liked it! And the next day I watched Black Panther. Angela Bassett is in both movies. I don't know that I've seen her in much, but she's great.

2. We're under a tornado watch today and throughout the night. That's what happens when you live in "Tornado Alley!" UPDATE: We only got a thunderstorm and some light wind. ❤️

3. If you haven't yet, you should add diced and cooked potatoes and onions to your scrambled eggs. Yum!

4. Cam and I started working out together using a new (to us) program. I am sore. all. over. But hopefully in a few weeks I'll start feeling strong and not just sore! (I'll share the link later, once I stick with it and start seeing some results.)

5. This week, I started getting dressed in real clothes for my day (rather than wearing a tank top and leggings) as well as go for a walk outside after breakfast. It has made a big difference in my mood, for the better.

Ok you, if you have any feedback, questions, suggestions, prayer requests, anything at all, just reply to this email!

That's it for this week. Have a good one!❤️ Bethany