what's that you say?

oh, you were wanting to talk about the greatest show on television??!! Gotcha!  

{source}

No joke. 

Scandals. Forbidden love. WW1. Brits. English accents. Fashion. Royalty. Class division.

It's fascinating to watch a world that seems almost nonexistent anymore.  

I ran across an episode briefly several months ago, caught maybe the last five minutes - needless to say, I was very intrigued. And then, I hit the jackpot when I realized that Season 1 is on Netflix. I think I watched the entire season in a three days time. 

Season 2 just ended - and went out with a bang! 

Seriously, you should watch it. You'll thank me.

Now, I just have to figure out what I'm gonna do until Season 3 . . . sigh.

winter & jasper . . .

We've had one of the mildest Tennessee winters that I can remember this year. Sad, in the sense that I love winter . . . snow, dark evenings, cute kids in cute coats; My Mamaw did tell me Monday that she remembered a very mild winter here once & then they got about 23 inches of snow in March! So, you never know?! . . . but, it's good, in the sense it's made for some wonderful breaks from the indoors - and you know how much the Tharpe kids like to be outside! 

It's also given us a lot of fun times to play with this guy . . . .

Meet Jasper. The newest member of the Tharpe house.

Yes, he really is that cute. And yes, we're all totally smitten with him.

He may even help with my baby fever . . . well, at least for a little bit. ;)

what's been going on . . .

and the award for world's worst blogger goes to . . . {drumroll here} . . . Bethany! {applause . . . er . . . boos here?!} 

ok, seriously,  I love blogging. I really do. But I really don't see how people have time for it. You've read my rantings before on here about having time for all the social media outlets, so I won't bore you - I canceled my fb for all of like 6 days and then started her back up . . . I missed keeping up with people who I actually "do" life with {thank you fb creators for the "unsubscribe" option! Boo for telling people when you unfriend them, though . . that was a horrible idea!} 

I think I've found that, while I am organized, I am awful with time management. Manager of time - not in my resume. This could be the source of my social media downfall. That and just plain ole' conviction.

Sometimes, I think, being up in people's business causes our ugly sides to come out - yes, ours because I know I'm not the only one who feels this way . . . we're all sinful humans. 

Jealousy. Envy. Hate. Pride. Hypocrisy. Shame. Guilt. Insecurities.

They all rear their ugly heads when we're faced with seeing how others do life. When we're constantly comparing our life to everyone else. And while I'm not arguing that these mediums are all that bad - fb is a great place to find out about needs in our friends lives - I would argue that the majority of the time, the medium does way more harm than good. That, my friends, would be really hard to deny. 

Ah, alas . . . I am rambling again. And so, I digress. 

For now, I'll continue muddling through this new way of life.  

All kind of sucks, if you ask me. 

Why can't our lives all look like a Little House on the Prairie episode? 

Once again, I'll remind myself that this "social media" outlet is for us. It's to remember our story.

It's not a place to advertise. It's not a place to make $. It's really not even a place to ramble and rant. {ok, yeah, like that's not gonna happen} 

Back to the Basics, friends. Simplicity . . . I'll embrace that. 

Hope you're not bored to tears.

the runner-up . . .

 Ella was first. Now we have a runner up!

 We are, once again, one tooth less in the Tharpe house . . . 

homemade chicken noodle soup . . .

a yummy, warm treat for these cold winter evenings . . .

This is, by far, one of my kids favorite things during these winter months. We've usually always got some around to eat & it's a perfect meal to pack in the girl's thermos' for school lunches.

It's a a mixture of a few recipes I've tried & I've tweaked it to my liking; that's the beauty of soups! I'm not saying that it's the healthiest meal in the world, but it's not just poured out of can & warmed up, which in my mind, makes me feel a little better.

1 bag no-yolk egg noodles

10 C H20

5 bouillon chicken cubes

3 bl/sl chicken breast; cooked & chopped 

{or if you're running short on time or just lazy 2 cans all white cooked chicken; drained & shredded}

1 sm. can cream of chicken soup

salt, pepper & onion powder to taste

chopped carrots {optional}

Bring H20 to boil; add noodles - stirring occasionally until soft

Add all remaining ingredients & simmer.

I usually let mine sit at least 30 mins or so {always remember to stir} to let the flavors mix well.

That's it. You're done. So easy.

It keeps well in the fridge for a few days & like I said is a great school lunch! 

Haven't tried freezing it yet, so if anyone does, please let me know.

enjoy!