Transition

The drywall guy was, once again, here this morning to put another coat on the ceiling.  And, once again, what to do while he's here?  

Transition came to mind.  One day we're wearing short sleeves and flip-flops and then all of a sudden we're looking for long sleeves, jackets, and sweaters.  So up went the ironing board and out came all the long-sleeved shirts that were put away for the summer and I ironed!  My husband will be very happy.  : )

The other transition is cooking.  All of a sudden there is a desire to warm up the kitchen and take more time in it.  Baking is a pleasure again.  Cooking seems more relaxing rather than something that has to be done.   We loved the summer fruits and vegetables but now we look forward to the apples and the squash and the pumpkin. 

I'm sure if you look at past posts, whenever it comes to the end of one month that is going into another, you'll find me saying that I can't believe the month is gone, but it's so true!!!!  Tomorrow is OCTOBER.  Well.........here is what my notebook has for OCTOBER:

*clean the lawn mower/garden tools before putting them away for the season

*turn off outdoor water (if you live in the arctic winter months like we do)

*bring (can I say this?) snowshovels out and snowblower (there, I said it)

*replace furnace filter/have furnace checked

*store summer clothes

*rake leaves (have fun with this one - it's something the whole family can do together)

*clean gutters

*make emergency kits for the cars

*apply fertilizer to the lawn

*empty old dirt from planters

*winterize the house and cars

*start buying gift items for the pantry for the upcoming holidays

*stock up on cold/flu medication, gingerale for tummy problems, etc.

*check winter wardrobe needs and fill in gaps

*wash the walls

*clean upholstery/shampoo carpets/wash rugs

Whew.   That's a lot.  Some things will get done.  Some things won't.  It helps if you prioritize the list and everybody's list is going to look different.  But doing some of these things is for everyone's benefit.  

Also in OCTOBER it's a good time to have fun as a family:

*fire nights 

*pumpkin carving parties

*go on a hayride

*go on drives to see the fall color

*have a fall picnic

*put a fall puzzle out on the table

*press the pretty leaves

*take lots of pictures

*make apple desserts

*decorate the house and yard

*put up a scarecrow

*go for walks in the cool air

Whatever you do, enjoy your family (or friends) this month.  : )

We also had something strange happen to us today.  While we were eating at the dining room table, we looked up and saw a kitty looking into our front screen door and meowing.  We opened up the door and it came in.  Now, unfortunately, we have a stray kitty.  It desperately wants to go back out but we hesitate as it doesn't have a collar and I don't just want to let it go.  But I don't want to keep it either!!!  I am NOT ready for another kitty.  So, I typed up a message and put it around the neighborhood hoping and praying someone calls us.  

That is my day so far.  I hope your day is going well and that you are feeling good about what you are getting done.  I know some days I feel like I'm spinning my wheels and then others are very productive.  God bless your efforts!  Like I've said before, it's worth it.  : )  

It's All About Food

Today is a day where I haven't left the dining room and kitchen.  The dining room table is where I planned my menu and wrote out the grocery list and it is also the place that I organized all my recipes into "theme day" categories.  Here, once again, are my themes:

*Meatless Monday

*Taco Tuesday

*Whatever Wednesday

*Thrifty Thursday

*Fish Friday

*Soup Saturday

*Special Sunday

I had some packets that were overflowing with recipes (Whatever Wednesday for example) and others I barely had anything at all (Meatless Monday).  So, this project wasn't futile.  I learned a lot as to where I need to find more recipes to fill in with and the others not so much.  Right now I just have them categorized in plastic sheet protectors in a big three-ring binder, but hopefully I will make separate little recipe books out of them.  It would be fun to have little binders all in a row (pretty them up of course) with the names of each theme on them to just take down from the shelf when planning my menu for the week.  I  think it will be a worthwhile project.  : )

Then this afternoon I need to take my "To Make" list and begin:

*Breakfast Granola

*Pudding mix

*Harvest Bread for the freezer

*French Dressing

*Salsa

*French Bread

*Pies for the freezer - mixed berry and then rhubarb

I won't be able to get to more than 2 or 3 of these today but I'll at least get to something and they can be crossed off the list.  That should take me up to the supper time hour.

My menu for tonight:

Baked Taco Pizza served with sour cream, cheese, black olives, and salsa

Spanish Rice

Fruit

Butterscotch pudding with homemade whipped cream

So, it really IS all about food today.  : )

What are you cooking up for your family today?  Hope it is going well for you and thank you for dropping by!  

Making The Most Of Monday

I'm going to quickly post between to-do's.  : )  

The morning found the drywall guy in our bathroom re-doing our ceiling.  Whenever there is someone in the house to do a job, I never know what to do with myself.  I can't just go downstairs or outside and work on something because you need to be available for any questions or requests they may have.  The back door that he uses to go in and out of comes right into our tiny kitchen so doing any work in there is impossible without getting in his way.  So I did the Monday laundry and put fresh bedding on the beds and then I brought up from down in my sewing room three projects that I've been putting off.  They were perfect to bring upstairs to work on from the dining room table where he could pop his head around the corner and talk.  It worked out great and I actually got a lot done.  What I thought might be a wasted morning turned out just fine.  : )

Did you see the eclipse of the moon last night?  It's always so cool to watch.  My husband and I built a fire to sit by and watched the moon rise, eclipse, turn red, and by that time the fire died down and we were getting drowsy.  So lovely to sit outside in the evenings.  A cool breeze blowing, a bunny hopping by, and a flying squirrel flew into the tree we were sitting under.  Nice.  : )

I hope you all had a good weekend.  The weather was beautiful here.  Saturday was spent mostly outside cleaning up the yard and then inside to watch a couple of cooking shows.  I'm hooked on cooking shows.  It feels like I'm taking a class.  I have my favorites - America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Country,  Lydia's Kitchen, Nick Stellino (not sure if I'm spelling that right), Sara Moulton's Weekday Meals, to name a few.  If they are cooking something that I know I will never even try, then I go and do something else.  But, for the most part, they are all good at explaining what they're doing and why they are doing it.  I'm always hungry by the time they're done.  Everything looks so good.  I know you can find all of these on-line.  

Tonight's meal will be:

Baked Cod (again, it should be Meatless Monday but I'll be starting my theme meals next week)

Rice Pilaf

Steamed broccoli 

Easy peasy.  

Well, I think that is it for today.  Now that the drywall guy is gone, I CAN go downstairs and begin sewing on the projects that I cut out this morning.  Oh happy day!!!  : )

Have a good rest of this day and a wonderful evening.  

Encouragement For This Day

A word from God to Joshua (Chapter 1, verses 6, 7, & 9):

"Be strong and courageous......."

"Be strong and very courageous."

"Be strong and courageous."

Isn't this what we need to hear today?  Being strong to handle what the world throws at us and to keep standing under the pressure.  Being courageous to fight for what we know to be true and right according to what is written in the Bible.

May you have strength and courage today!  Enjoy your home.  Enjoy your family.  : )

Definitely An Outdoor Kind Of Day

It is going to be absolutely gorgeous today as far as the weather goes.  I just can't stay indoors.  Some much needed yard work will have to take place today.  There are always those weeds to tackle and then the moving around of certain things and the putting away of some items and then the re-organizing in getting ready for ...... dare I say?........winter.  But we won't think about that right now.  

That will pretty much be my day.  So my post today is focused on when you can't make it to church on Sundays.  Whatever the reason - illness, lack of transportation, etc. - worshiping our Lord doesn't have to stop or take a back seat.  During the week while I am doing my chores I have the radio on from 6:00 am to noon and listen to the line-up of preachers they have every week day.   These are strong, Bible teaching men, who do not practice the feel-good theology.  They teach the Bible and they teach it well.  No mincing of words.  They get right to the heart of the matter.  Along with opening your own Bible and taking notes and having your own prayer time, it's important to have a pastor explain what the Word of God says.  So if you can't go to church to hear what your pastor is saying, we have a wonderful resource of pastors on the radio (who are also on-line).  There really is no excuse for NOT hearing the Word of God.  We all have the resources at hand.  

I want to give you the list of who I listen to and if you find you can't go to church tomorrow you can certainly go on-line and listen.

*Thru The Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee

*Walk in the Word w/James McDonald

*Pathway to Victory w/Dr. Robert Jeffress

*Truth for Life w/Alistair Begg

*Turning Point w/Dr. David Jeremiah

*Back to the Bible w/Warren Wiersbe

*Living on the Edge w/Chip Ingram

Please don't get me wrong on this - church should come first.  This is only for those times when you can't go.  

In our neighborhood, everyone seems to treat Saturday as the day of rest and then when Sunday comes everyone is out mowing the lawn, or working on projects in the yard, and we've even had delivery trucks come rolling through. It doesn't seem like Sunday. It feels like we've gotten so far from what Sundays where meant to be.  A day of getting up and going to church, having a special meal, having an afternoon rest and being with friends and family.

So, I hope that you can prepare yourself today for getting up tomorrow and joining in the fellowship of other believers and worship the Lord.  Dress pretty.  Plan a wonderful Sunday meal.  Rest and relax.

Enjoy your day today!!!!!!!  God bless your work.  : )

Friday Afternoon

The colors are already starting to pop here and there.  Orange, red, yellow.  It's a miracle every year.  : )  

Our Friday:

*met with the drywall guy 

*baked molasses cookies - once again, it's all about making the house smell good  : )

*errands - needed a new ironing board - I can't say how long it's been since we bought an ironing board!

*bought red roses with sunflowers for the table - you wouldn't think the two would go together but it's very pretty

*bought a white pumpkin for a little wagon outside the front door - I find I have to spray shellac on pumpkins if we want to set them outside - the squirrels tear into them something fierce  : o

*after lunch I put my beef stew in the oven to simmer away for supper tonight

*I "needed" a brown skirt - found one at a consignment store for $10.00 - happy girl : )

*took bags of stuff to the thrift store - feels SO good to get rid of stuff - again, happy girl  

*now relaxing a bit and waiting for supper - having father-in-law over

Menu:

Beef Stew (my theme meals haven't started yet so it's not Fish Friday)

Bread & butter

Homemade applesauce

Molasses cookies w/coffee (for father-in-law) & tea (for me)

Recipes:

Oven Beef Stew

Put 1 -1 1/2 lbs. stew beef in 2-qt. casserole.  Add 1 medium onion, chopped, 3-4 med. carrots, 3-4 med. potatoes, cut in chunks, 4-5 stalks of celery, chopped.

Combine 2 cans of Golden Mushroom soup, 1 can of water or beef broth, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a bit of Kitchen Bouquet for color.  Pour over all and mix well.  Bake, covered, in 200 degree oven for 5 hours.

Applesauce

In Dutch oven, combine 3 lbs. (9 med.) cooking apples (peeled, quartered, and cored).  Add 1 cup of water, 1/3 - 2/3 cup sugar, and 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or till tender, adding more water if necessary.  Remove from heat and mash w/potato masher.  Serve warm or chilled.  Stir before serving.

Molasses cookies

Mix 1 cup packed brown sugar, 3/4 cup shortening, 1/4 c. molasses and 1 egg.  Mix in 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground ginger and 1/4 tsp. salt.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.  Heat oven to 375.  Shape dough into balls by teaspoons and dip tops into granulated sugar (I use the organic since it's a bit more granular).  Place on parchment lined cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.  Bake around 8 minutes.  Remove immediately from cookie sheet.  For an added yummy-ness drizzle w/powdered sugar frosting.  Oh, yeah.  : )

There you have it.  Another day coming to a close.  Another evening beginning.  Have a wonderful one.  : )

Thursday Afternoon

Cloudy, rainy, day today.  This kind of day motivates me more than a nice, sunny day.  And, once again, the week flies by.

So far today:

*spent the morning cleaning father-in-law's house

*doing several small loads of laundry so that I can easily hang them up downstairs

*called a new drywall guy hoping he will be the one who can get the bathroom ceiling right

*homemade applesauce is simmering away for tonight's supper (making the house smell wonderful)

*chatting with you!  : )

I will need to:

*get to the basement (I have decided to give that area extra time as it has been quite on again, off again and I do want it clean)

*make molasses cookie dough for the freezer (I am finding that when company comes over, fresh baked cookies are actually a very nice dessert - just pull out the cookie dough and bake right before serving - again, YUM)

*make supper which will be -

Simple, Pan-Fried Pork Chops (from The Pioneer Woman) - recipe to come

Smashed Potatoes (just boil red potatoes with skin on and when done smash them not mash)

Homemade Applesauce

Doesn't that sound like Fall?!

That is it for this day.  I'd better hop to it and carry on.  : )  I hope this day is finding you motivated and energized to get done what you need to get done.  God bless your efforts!

Whatever Wednesday

Whatever Wednesday.  That's what I'm starting to call this day when it comes to meal planning.  It could mean taking whatever I have in the fridge and pantry and make a meal from it or it could mean trying a new recipe which I love to do.  

Yesterday after writing out my 2-week menu/grocery list so that I can go shopping today, I thought back to the time when I used to have a theme for every night of the week and it seemed that the planning went so much faster.  I do, however, have to change it up a bit if I know we are having company and they may not like Fish Friday or I need something more than Soup Saturday and is dependent on what night the company is coming.  If they come on Taco Tuesday that would definitely be a fun meal to serve them.  : )  So this is my theme night plan:

*Meatless Monday

*Taco Tuesday

*Whatever Wednesday

*Thrifty Thursday

*Fish Friday

*Soup Saturday

*Special Sunday

This doesn't mean you have the same meal every time this day rolls around (although you certainly could).  For example, on Taco Tuesday you could, of course, have tacos.  But it could also mean burritos, or fajitas, or enchiladas.  Fish Friday doesn't just mean fish sticks (ugh) it means baked cod, grilled salmon, shrimp pasta, etc.  This is meant to narrow things down a bit so you won't have to overthink meals and will be quite motivating.  : )

What's going on today:

*grocery shopping

*making mixes to put aside in the pantry

*any baking or making ahead of food

*start cleaning the basement 

*and, as we all know, try to reserve some time in the day for the unexpected things  

I truly hope you enjoy your home today and that you remember to thank the Lord for it.  It's an important place to be and take care of.  : )

Remember to:

*Praise God today

*Ask for help and guidance

*Be thankful

*Read your Bible  : )

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Good Tuesday Morning

I love mornings.  I am definitely a morning person.  One of the things I used to look forward to in the morning was coffee.  I really like coffee.  I like the feel of a hot cup in my hands.  I like the rich smell of it wafting through the house.  I like the taste (with creamer and sugar).  But I have decided to give it up.  : (  A few months ago I was diagnosed as having an extra heartbeat which is a very unusual feeling.  Sometimes a scary feeling as you wonder whether or not it will get back to a normal heartbeat.  It's not suppose to be dangerous or serious or life-threatening but it is something to get used to.  In doing a little research, people with this shouldn't be having caffeine.  : o  So, that's the reason for no coffee.  Bummer.  Especially at this time of year when everyone talks about those Pumpkin Spice Latte's!  But then I thought of all the people who can't have gluten (I LOVE bread), or people who can't have dairy (I LOVE milk), or people with peanut allergies (I LOVE peanut butter), or people who can't have shellfish (I LOVE shrimp).  So, I thought to myself, giving up coffee is not that big of deal is it?  : )  I have kind of found a substitute though - it's the Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice herbal tea which is caffeine free.  It's not coffee but it does taste good with a little of that creamer and sugar in it.  : )  Yum.

I thought I would post early today and just get to my work for the day.  Along with my daily work I am in the basement this week and that's always a challenge.  Also, when we got home from vacation we found the rug in our bathroom soaked which means the roof still leaks which means a roofer is, once again, coming out today to take a look in the attic and hopefully find out what's really going on. And our bathroom ceiling has to be done over again!  And so it goes.  Part of home ownership - especially owning an old house - things constantly need replacing or repairing.  Give me patience, Lord!

Today:

*iron -which I didn't get to yesterday

*the two-week menu and grocery list to go with it

*clean the fridge

*clean tub and tile

Menu:

*Baked chicken

*Pasta w/garlic sauce

*carrots and peas

Well, I'd best get to it!  Enjoy your homemaking day.  Thanks for dropping by.  : )

Back to Monday

Before we left for vacation, I thoroughly cleaned the house, so on this Monday I really didn't have too much to clean since we've only been home a couple of days.  Just light cleaning.  Which left time to bring some Autumn decorations up.  I went pretty simple this year.  There were years when every room and every surface was decorated but this is my "less is better" year.  : )

I haven't started outdoors yet.  Hoping to get to that this week too.  Again, I will be keeping it simple - just like to make sure the front and back doors have something pretty to look at when coming in and out.  Looking forward to more mums and, of course, pumpkins.  

Monday work:

*laundry/iron - which I will be finishing up after chatting with you  : )

*light housekeeping

*paid bills/budget

Need to:

*make birthday cards for sister and her husband

*make breakfast granola

*hopefully get to a little sewing/crafting

Tonight's meal:

*baked salmon

*rice pilaf

*peas

*frozen yogurt

That is that!

A while back while cleaning out some papers, I ran across this that I would like to share with you:

"One minute each night during WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace.  This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped."

Wouldn't this be a wonderful thing to do for the United States?  Each one of us could bring this up to our small group at church, our neighborhood, our friends, our family, etc. and decide upon a time in the evening hours that we would all get on our knees before the Lord (in our own homes) and collectively pray for the state of our country.  What kind of impact would that have?  Something to think about!

I will leave you now as I have to get to my work.  God's blessing upon you as you build your home and take care of it.  

Good Sunday To You

A beautiful, cool day here.  I hope you are enjoying this Lord's day.  A day of rest from what we just came through and to get ready for the week ahead - Lord willing.  I hope you can relax, be with family and/or friends, and make this day special.  : )

Our message from church this morning (in a nutshell):

*worship in Spirit - God wants our hearts!

*give glory to God - be a person who can't stop!

*don't put confidence in self - only in Christ's work on the cross!

So good to hear.

I stress this a lot, but I hope you can get into the Word of God today (and every day).  It is THE only place where you can find truth.  And truth is what we need to discern.  There are so many things today that can confuse.  And confusion doesn't come from God.  When we are in God's Word it becomes a part of us and we are able to see right from wrong.

And prayer.  Let it be personal.  Let it be genuine.  Let it come from the heart.  Pray God's promises from the Bible.  He is a promise keeper.

Have a wonderful day ahead.  God bless you.

The Break Is Over

Breaks are so nice.  Breaks are especially nice when we've gone out of town for a little vacation. Having been born and raised in South Dakota, my longing to go back gets stronger the older I get.  I was VERY young when I moved out and when you are young things get taken for granted.  On this trip back out to South Dakota I made it a priority to write down as many things that I enjoyed seeing along the way.  For my husband and I, the journey is a major part of a trip.  The destination is nice and that's what you went to see, but it's the things along the way that make it special for us.  Here is what we saw along the way:

*golden soybean fields

*a man picking apples

*4-H club signs

*wide open spaces

*cornfields

*church steeples

*small towns

*smell of freshly cut field grass

*vintage tractors

*prairie flowers and grasses

*cows, horses, donkeys, sheep

*old country school houses 

*windmills

*historic downtowns

*barn quilts

*birds on telephone wires

*American flags

*trains

*tractors and combines

*bison on the prairie

*"Jesus is Lord" billboard

*harvesting corn

*Missouri River

*fields and fields of sunflowers

*"Jesus Died For Our Sins" billboard

*cowboy hats

*lots of deer

*Badlands

*beautiful sunset

*gorgeous cloud formations

*fellow vacationers

*Mount Rushmore

*pristine lakes

*prairie dogs

*tumbleweeds

*"Choose Life" signs

*homeschool families - because vacations are VERY educational! - historic sites, geography, science, cultures, reading, writing.......... : )

*country churches

*a rodeo

* "Jesus....... John 3:16" sign

What a lot to see!!!!   So Americana.  : )  The ONLY thing I DIDN'T like seeing was the sign that said - "Beware of Rattlesnakes" - that kind of puts you on alert.  : o

Our days begin early but we end in the late afternoon so that we can relax in the evenings.  I don't watch but a couple of TV shows when I'm at home, and we don't have cable, but on vacation I got hooked on the Food Network channel and the Create channel.  I watched cooking show after cooking show and a flea market show.  Love the "Pioneer Woman!"  Sixteen-minute meals.  Wow.  She motivated me.  I've seen her name before but never watched her so I'm hooked now.  I'll have to go on-line to see more.  : )

On the way back (which always seems longer than the way out) I decided to write down everything lovely and desirable about a country home.  You see, I WANT to live out in the country but KNOW I won't so I wanted to look at each home carefully to get an idea of what country is so that maybe I could emulate it (even if just a little bit) here in the suburbs.  Here is my list:

*wagon wheels

*gardens

*clotheslines

*shade trees

*rock gardens

*well maintained lawns

*lots of flowers

*animals (real and statues)

*American flags

*welcoming tables and chairs to enjoy the outdoors

On the drive home I was praying that the Lord would help me in my contentment.  When a person doesn't want to be where they are it can cause discontentment and I need help in remembering that because for this specific time I am where I am for a reason and I have to make the most of it.  Let the work begin!  : )

I hope that all of you have had a good week and I hope you have a wonderful Sunday tomorrow. Thanks for dropping by.  

Sunday

Today may you:

*worship the Lord

*praise Him for who He is

*confess your sins before Him

*thank Him for everything

May you also:

*get into His word

*have a time of prayer

As homemakers:

*present a good meal

*set a pretty table

*dress pretty

It's enjoyable to set a day apart from all the rest.  I hope you can rest and relax today in preparation for a new week ahead.

I will be on a blog break this upcoming week.  Enjoy the work in your home.  Stay safe.  Take care of your families.  : )  Again, may God bless your homemaking efforts.  See you in a week!

September 11th

A piece of the World Trade Center in New York.

Like all of you, I distinctly remember that day.  My son and I were getting ready to go out for an early morning bike ride before school (we were homeschoolers).  I happened to glance towards the TV and noticed a portion of a building on fire and they were talking about a plane hitting this building.  I didn't think too much of it because small planes hit buildings.  It wasn't to be taken lightly, but the TV anchor people weren't making too much of it so we left on our bike ride.

When we came home, there were several messages on the answering machine telling me to turn on the TV.  I did.  That was 9:00 am in the morning and I never left it till 11:00 pm.  And then the next day - going out for an early morning walk to try to think things through.  In our metropolitan area we are used to planes overhead.  Not THIS morning.  Nothing.  Quiet.  While walking I was thinking that our country has just changed.  Things will never be the same again.  And they aren't.  For a few days after that when all planes were grounded there was nothing but the sound of fighter jets so high in the sky.  Circling.  Morning, afternoon, at night. It was ominous.

The images of that day are burned into my mind.  One plane.  Two planes.  Three planes.  Four planes. Knowing that these weren't accidents, that they were planned.  Attacks on the United States.  We've been attacked before, but now this was IN the United States.  All of those people who didn't go home that night.  All those people.  And their loved ones later holding pictures up of those they lost.  Not quite sure yet if they were dead or alive - looking.  All the bravery.  Firemen, policemen, office workers, people in the planes trying to overtake the evil, clergymen, bystanders on the streets.  It looked like something out of a movie.  Can this really be happening?  It did.  

Please remember to say prayers today for all the families, who, still years later, will NEVER forget.

And please remember to pray for our country, lest not we think that this could never happen again. It could.  Here is a prayer from a prayer booklet on how to pray for our nation:

Most High God, I come to You in the name of Jesus, asking for divine protection for the people of this nation.  I pray for the safety of every man, woman and child.  Keep us from harms way and provide protection from plans of destruction that our enemies have plotted.  Stop strategies of destruction that our enemies would try to evoke.

Give wisdom, understanding, and discernment to those who provide protection.  Help us to be watchful and alert to signs of wrongdoing.

Provide insight to national and local authorities on ways to guard, defend and insure the safety of all American citizens both at home and abroad.  Help us to unite with government leaders and law enforcement personnel in making this country a safe place to live, work and play; allowing Americans to enjoy freedom without fear.  Amen.

A Very Fine Thursday

This is why it was a very fine day:

*three loads of laundry done

*crockpot meal simmering away

*cleaned a couple of rooms at father-in-law's house

*light cleaning done in our house

*an afternoon visit with a friend

*side dishes made to go with supper

*now - blogging  : )

The crockpot meal is a Korean pulled pork.  It smells very good.  I will let you know how it tastes and post the recipe.  : )

I found out that having a cleaning caddie is such a handy tool.  When cleaning at my father-in-law's house (and, of course, cleaning in my own home) it's so easy to have all your cleaning supplies in one place.  In it I carry my all-purpose cleaner (homemade), dust cloths, sponges, roll of paper towels, old toothbrush, deodorizer, and cleaning gloves.  Then all you need to go with it is the vacuum cleaner and a "Swiffer-type" floor duster.  With just those things I am pretty much able to clean without running around looking for stuff.  I know I will add a small bottle of vinegar and a box of baking soda to it as well.  It's the little things that make a difference.

Short and sweet today.  Back into the kitchen for me.  

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a restful evening.  

Wednesday Afternoon

Well the bathroom ceiling, as of an hour ago, is finished.  I have a hard time having workmen in my home.  Some have been nice through the years, but some - not so much.  Why do some men think that it's OK to use profanity in someone else's home?  Why do they automatically think that I wouldn't mind?  It REALLY bothers me and I came SO close to saying something.  Why I didn't I'm not sure.  I even have a hard time watching movies in our home that has swear words in it.  A friend and I was talking about this a while back.  We think that there are a LOT of people who use swear words and not once thinking that it's unusual.  It's so prevalent in our society that it's never considered obscene anymore.  It's one of the reasons we left our State Fair early.  We couldn't believe how some people were talking - with children around!  And what's even more vulgar is when women talk as coarse as the men.  THAT is VERY sad.

When I was unsaved and unchanged, I never gave a thought to this kind of thing. But because of salvation, my heart, soul, and mind has thoroughly changed and now it cuts to my very core.  When I hear swear words now, it's like someone has hit me.  It catches me off guard.  In my opinion, that's a good thing.  It means that I have been changed from what I used to be.  What I think I'm going to do is start praying for the two workmen that just left and pray for God to be the hound of heaven for them and for their salvation so that they can experience the awesome joy of a changed life.  

I hope you can enjoy the rest of this day and have a restful evening.

A Glimpse Into My Household Notebook

Our Labor Day weekend ended on a nice note with having a remnant of family over for Chinese take out.  It was a weekend of work (rightly so since it was LABOR Day) so it felt good to just relax, not cook, and converse with each other.  : )

This morning was Part 1 of the bathroom ceiling being fixed.  I didn't know there was a Part 1 and Part 2 of this project.  Isn't that kind of the way things go?  I really did think they would do it all today and we'd be done with it, but now they need to come back again SOMETIME this week to finish it.  Can you sense the impatience in my words?  I don't mean to.  I really do understand that we are not the only people in this metropolitan area that needs to have something done in their homes.  I am grateful that it is being taken care of and I am thankful that we have the means to do it right now so I need to definitely have an attitude check!

While they were here I did manage to get my 2-week menu done:

*Crockpot turkey breast, baked potatoes, green beans

*Hot turkey sandwiches w/mashed potatoes, gravy, corn-on-cob

*Korean pulled pork tacos (new recipe), coleslaw, fruit

*Grilled salmon, rice pilaf, fruit

*Crockpot Roast beef, oven roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and onions, dinner rolls

*Oven Beef stew, bread, fruit

*Baked chicken, rice, vegetable

*Crockpot Hamburger soup, homemade bread, fruit

*a couple of leftover days

*and then a few camping days which would mean hot dogs, hamburgers, and grilled ribs  

I will need to get busy and make:

*Turkey soup from leftover carcass

*Homemade bread

*Coleslaw dressing

*Breakfast granola

*Cookies and cookie dough for freezer

*Cinnamon rolls for camping : )

Here is a little inside look at what a few pages of my household notebook looks like:

It's pretty much like scrapbooking for me.  I cut pictures and captions out of magazines and then glue them onto whatever paper I'm using that details the day's work (or week or month, etc.).

The ideas for what I'm going to do on a daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis is from years of trial and error.  It's also from taking homemaking books out of the library and writing notes from them.  Or it's from magazine articles I found and just worked and re-worked schedules until I found one that worked for me.

You can write them in your own hand as I did here because I found that most of the time it was the daily schedules that seemed to change.  I get sad when I see "check Carl's area" - he used to be our kitty who is no longer with us.  : (

It's fun to find beautiful pictures to put into the notebook.  It just makes it pretty to look at.  I also us page protectors to keep it fresh.

As I was flipping through my notebook, I noticed that I have more pictures of bedrooms than anything else.

Since it's "week two" I thought I'd show you this page.

And it IS September!

Then towards the back I have typed up different "recipes" for household cleaners that I have found over the years.  I also use a 3-ring binder that has pockets in it so that when I see an interesting homemaking article, I can just put them in there to be read later.

That pretty much does it for my notebook!  It's easy to do and it can be fun when you apply some creativity to it.  I hope you have fun with this project if you decide to do it.  Just remember that my schedule won't necessarily be yours.  Each home is different and each homemaker has different ways of doing things or just that some things don't seem as pressing.  

I also have to say that I don't have young children anymore and I don't have grandchildren yet so that makes a huge difference too.  If I had all of that going on, there definitely would be days when some things wouldn't seem as important to get done as they do to me right now.  But a home still needs to be maintained.  A notebook is just a reminder of what COULD be done if you have the time and energy to do it.   : )

I hope you are enjoying your day after the long weekend.  Now, as you can see from the "Tuesday" to-do's I still have a few things I need to get done before supper!  May God bless your efforts.

Happy Labor Day!

One of the barns at the State Fair.

Happy Labor Day everyone.  It really IS hard to believe that we are saying good-bye to summer, but loving Autumn the way I do it's not a difficult thing.  : )  Around here our Autumns can be beautiful and last quite a while.  

Well, as is often the case, the weekend turned out differently than planned.  On Saturday we spent a good part of the day over at father-in-law's to do some major cleaning and organizing and cleaning up of the yard.  We got two rooms deep-cleaned and now they just need weekly maintenance.  Then we will slowly get to the other rooms and do the same.  It's so fun to watch the transformation of cleaning - the wood glows, the pictures are shiny, the room smells clean.   

Unfortunately, my husband (who was working outside), was sick yesterday (Sunday) because of heat exhaustion.  The heat index on Saturday was in the 90's and he was out for a long time.  So yesterday was different than I thought it would be.  Instead of going to church and then going out to do something afterwards, it was spent at home pushing fluids, keeping the house cold, and getting a lot of rest.

Every morning I always think of Maria's song on Sound of Music.  You know the one where she sings "What will this day be like, I wonder?"  We just never know, do we?

I did, however, get a few things done here this past weekend:

*finally made the Crockpot Caramel Sauce - all I can say is yummy.  : )  It really worked.

*I finished embroidering my retro kitchen towels - they are in the dryer and will be ironed later - for my Etsy shop.

*we brought a lot of curtains and pillows home from father-in-law's to be washed and those are ready and clean to go back today.

No plans for today.  Just playing it by ear and taking it slow and easy.  : )

I did, however, open my Household Notebook up to "week two" of cleaning:

Bathroom cleaning:

*wash window/blinds

*clean light fixtures

*clean pictures

*dust off shelves

*wash trash container

*wash brushes & combs

*if you keep up with cleaning the tub, vanity, mirror, and toilet throughout the week, these will already be done.  : )

Bedroom cleaning:

*wash curtains/windows/blinds

*clean light fixtures/lamps

*clean pictures

*dust off shelves

*move furniture and clean behind

There you have it!  : )  That's where my time will be spent this week.  

I truly hope you have a wonderful day today.  Stay safe.  God bless you.

Sunday

Ship on Lake Superior.

Today's Bible verse:

"Has not my hand made all these things, 

and so they came into being?" declares the Lord.

"This is the one I esteem:

he who is humble and contrite in spirit,

and trembles at my word."  Isaiah 66: 2

1.  Recognize our need for God and His Word.

2.  While reading God's Word, let us be awed and affected by it.  It should change us.  If we find ourselves to be no different than we were before we came to know Jesus as our personal Savior, then we have not been affected by it.  

Where is the fear of the Lord in our lives today?

May God look upon you with favor.  Remember to open the Bible.  Read.  Listen.  Take notes. It will make such a difference.  : )  Have a blessed Sabbath.

Friday

Yes.  It's Friday.  I always thought myself strange that I didn't like the end of a week.  I mean, everyone looks forward to Friday.  I don't know whats wrong with me.  Now Monday.  That's different.  I usually look forward to Monday.  Is anyone else like this?  I guess I'm a routine gal.  I love my daily routines of getting things done.  But the weekends are kind of "whatever" (except for Sunday).  I'm not good with "whatever."  I like to KNOW what I'm going to be doing.  And it's not your typical weekend.  It Labor Day weekend!  An extended weekend!  What is going to become of me?  : o

It is still very hot and very humid and tomorrow is supposed to be worse.  So once again, it's indoors for me.   That's OK.  In the morning I will watch my cooking shows and then I am going to try this:

Crockpot Caramel Sauce.  I found it on, yes, Pinterest and I can't wait to try it.  We just so happened to have a leftover bottle of caramel sauce in the fridge.  Here are the ingredients - corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sweetened condensed skim milk, water, disodium phosphate, sodium citrate, salt, artificial flavor, caramel color, xanthan gum, yellow #6, yellow #5.

Here is how the crockpot version works - you pour a can of sweetened condensed milk into a canning jar.  Put the lid and ring on and tighten.  Put jar into crockpot and fill the crockpot with water up to the milk line of the jar.  Put on Low for 8 hours.  Remove.  Cool.  That's it.  Now the ingredients for this caramel sauce would be milk and sugar.  Nothing else.  Yum.  : )

And, I have plenty of sewing and crafts to keep me busy.  Maybe it won't be so bad after all.  : )

May you all have a fun and safe holiday weekend.  God bless you.