Happy Homemaker Monday

 The weather ... is lovely this morning with the sun shining brightly and the temperature already in the mid-twenties. According to the forecast we should be getting a bit of a break from the cold, cold weather we've been having.

Outside my kitchen window ... the squirrels are enjoying their feeder.

Right now I am ... writing this blogpost while sitting on our ancient rocking recliner. I'm guessing it saw its best days over thirty years ago, but it is still comfortable even if its hopelessly ugly and outdated.

Thinking ... about some dreams I had last night. They were so vivid and interesting. Most mornings I remember only faint wispy bits of my dreams but occasionally they will stick around a bit longer.

On my reading pile ... The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin, and The Shady Hollow Mystery series by Juneau Black are next in line to be read.

My to-be-read pile is always quite large and I keep adding books to it.

Yesterday I read People Pleaser by Jinger Voulo. It was a quick read, had some food for thought, but I don't see myself wanting to read it again or adding it to our home library. 

On the menu for this week ...

Monday - Cream of Chicken Soup, Herbed Dinner Rolls
Tuesday - Meatballs with Orange Glaze, Asparagus Casserole, Ranch Potato Salad, Dinner Rolls
Wednesday - Mashed Potatoes, Sweetcorn, Potsticker Salad
Thursday - Jailhouse Rice, Loaded Salad
Friday - TexMex Potatoes, Lamb Burgers, Green Beans
Saturday - Hotdogs and Chili
Sunday - Meatlovers Pizza (homemade)

On my to-do list for today... clean the refrigerator, cook up a batch of tapioca pudding, do laundry, grocery shopping, and take care of the daily dozen.

Listening to ... Sharon play the piano. She plays beautifully and I could happily listen to her for a long time. Most of the time she's too busy studying to play, which makes it even more special when she does.

I'm thankful for ... red light therapy. LV has suffered a lot of pain with his ankle and foot since his accident almost three years ago. He would come home from work hobbling. On harder days it would be black and blue and swollen. In December we decided to give a red light therapy boot a try after hearing good things about it. 

The difference it has made in less than ten weeks is amazing. He no longer has constant pain. We are very thankful!

A simple pleasure ... playing games with Steven. This past week we've been pulling out Mancala quite regularly.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Breakfast time, what was on our plate this morning ... I usually get up an hour before anyone else. I love having my Bible time and morning routine, and then get breakfast ready before I wake the rest of the family at 6:00.  This morning I woke up, looked at my alarm clock, and nearly flew out of bed. 5:53 it said, quite unapologetically. I hurried downstairs, made coffee, threw some eggs in a pan, slapped dishes on the breakfast table and then calmly woke the family at 6:01. There was no time for anything special. Eggs and then cold cereal is what we had for breakfast this morning.

On today's "to do" list ... Laundry. I used to do laundry once a week while LV worked at a job that provided their own laundry care for his work clothes. Now-a-days it seems I'm doing laundry every day. I'm trying hard not to be sick of it, because I know I should be thankful for the convenience of my electric washer and dryer, and I am. I'm also extremely thankful for the people in my life that are the cause of the dirty laundry, but every once in a while I wish I could go an entire week without thinking of laundry.
Vehicle maintenance ... there's an issue with one of the seats in the back of our vehicle, in that it seems to identify as a rocking chair. I'm taking it to the dealership to be taken care of. I've already selected my book that I'll be taking along to read as I wait on what they told me would be a two hour repair. A chunk of reading time like that hardly ever comes my way, so though it's a little annoying that I have to do this, I am looking forward to reading.

Currently Reading ... In the Bible. Psalms. I finished up the New Testament last week and decided to enjoy the Psalms again before reading through the New Testament again. I've read the Bible cover to cover once, but now I usually pick and choose which books of the Old Testament I read between reading through the New Testament.
In fiction I'm reading the Emily books by L.M. Montgomery. Her Anne of Green Gables series is still my all time favorite series of books, but the Emily books are really good as well. I don't know if it's just me though, but I detect slightly darker undertones in them than I did with the Anne books.

On the TV this week ... nothing much. There's too much life to be lived to be glued to the TV.

The weather outside is ... drab, dreary, and cold. Perfect for baking, crafting, and working on fun indoor projects. I do feel sorry for my guys who have to work outside and look forward to warmer weather for their sake.

If I have a few minutes to myself I will ... I have so very many options to choose from for things I would like doing in those few minutes to myself. Write, read, work on my lettering skills, sew, journal, art, the list could go on for a while.

 What I'm sewing, crafting, and creating ... I want to finish up a black and red apron for a young boy from our homeschool co-op who asked me to make it for him. I have a beaded project that also needs to be finished up this week, and then I need to focus on creating some photo projects on Word.

A new recipe I want to try this week is ... I don't know that I will be trying a new recipe, but Rosie Mae has this goal of making every recipe in her Rachel Khoo cookbook. Every Tuesday I turn the kitchen over to her and she cranks out a delicious meal planned from that cookbook. I don't know what it will be this week, but I'm looking forward to it. So far everything from that book has turned out fabulous, and having a night off from cooking is pretty sweet even though I enjoy working in the kitchen.

Favorite photo I took last week ...

I took a lot of photos last week, but I'm choosing to share this one. I love the splash of color cardinals provide during the winter.

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather..... is lovely. The sun is shining through the clouds and it's a balmy seventy-one degrees.

Right now I am .... sitting here at the computer trying to make a blog post while I wait for the next load of laundry to dry. Steven is on the floor beside me setting up his track to play with his cars.

On my reading pile ... my Bible. With school back in session it doesn't give me a whole lot of time for pleasure reading. I'll probably dig something out of the book cupboard tonight when I take Sharon to her piano practice, but as of now I'm not sure what it will be.

Movies or shows I watched this weekend ... the only thing I really paid any attention to this weekend was Battlebots. I never imagined I would ever want to watch fighting robots, but somehow it's something the entire family enjoys.

On my TV ... not watching anything at the moment. Later tonight there will probably be baseball, but I usually don't pay a whole lot of attention to it.

On the menu for this week ....

Monday ... Pork chops, mashed potatoes, applesauce.
Tuesday ... Comfort meatballs, broccoli salad, fried potatoes.
Wednesday ... Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Fried Rice, salad.
Thursday ... Pizza and ice cream.
Friday ... Steak, seven layer salad, sweet corn.

On my to do list ... the daily dozen, school, desk work, and hopefully some writing.

What I'm sewing, knitting, or creating ... I'm not working on any sewing or knitting projects at the moment, though it seems there is always something in the mending basket waiting on me. I can't even remember the last time I tried knitting something. Creating .... some fun desserts for later this week.

Looking around the house ... it's tidy, though t appears I should wash the windows again. There are several families of spiders that have laid claim to the outside of three of the windows and the mess they create is a constant battle trying to clean up.

From the camera ... we got to enjoy fresh sweetcorn. I'm not sure which was the best, the actual corn which was delicious, or the fun we had shucking it and feeding the husks to the cows.

 

What I'm wearing today ... a pink top and my favorite charcoal gray skirt.

 

One of my simple pleasures ... a warm chocolate chip cookie. They're once a week treats that we all enjoy.

 

Inspirational Quote, Bible Verse, anything you want to share ...

 

Several different hymns have been on my mind a lot these past few days as we grieve with friends who lost their 18 year old son in an accident.

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather..... is absolutely gorgeous right now. The sun is shining, making the dew drops glisten in the morning light. The sky is a clear blue with nary a cloud in sight.

Right now I am.... writing a blog post while the girls are starting their chosen daily activities. I'm trying to ignore the floor which has still not received its morning vacuum run, but it will have to wait until after Steven wakes up.

Thinking.... how biting one's tongue occasionally, while not the most comfortable, is really the best thing to do. Or when it comes to Facebook ... just keep scrolling, just keep scrolling. Not everything needs my opinion added.

On my reading pile.... in my search for books and other materials for our country/cultural studies I found a new series that I'm loving. It delves into life in Botswana and I've been thoroughly intrigued.

Yes, they're fiction, but you can tell the author is knowledgeable about, and has a love for Africa and the country of Botswana.

The writing style, and subject matter are so different from anything I've ever read before, but I'm loving it.

On my TV..... nothing at the moment. Yesterday Rosie Mae and I watched a Hallmark movie (Love at First Glance). It was predictable as always, but this time also strangely unsatisfying. At the end we didn't care for either main character, and wished the girl with amnesia would have been able to reclaim her true love.

Favorite blog post last week.... unfortunately I haven't had a lot of time for reading blogs. The few I read last week were ones that had participated in the Wednesday Hodgepodge.

Something fun to share.... we've been going berry picking regularly. The freezer is filling up fast, and we're looking forward to many yummy treats.

On the menu for this week....

Monday ... Barbeque ham sandwiches and a garden salad
Tuesday ... Burgers with a mango Pico de Gallo
Wednesday ... Chicken enchiladas and a salad
Thursday ... Pizza and some kind of salad
Friday ... Breaded and baked pork chops and you guessed it, a salad.

On my to do list.... Go blueberry picking. Transplant some houseplants into bigger pots. Cancel a certain brand of office software subscription that has been nothing but a big headache. Work on more school scheduling and planning.

In the craft basket.... making a fitted sheet for an odd sized mattress.

Looking forward to this week.... getting our dining room furniture stripped of the old lacquer that gets soft and sticky every time the weather gets slightly humid. I'm not really looking forward to doing it, but I am looking forward to having it done.

Looking around the house.... everything is clean ... other than the floor that needs vacuumed.

From the camera.... we all love spending time outdoors. Our cameras are full of nature pictures.

What I'm wearing today.... a fuchsia shirt and a charcoal colored homemade skirt.

One of my simple pleasures.... wildflowers.

Happy Homemaker Monday

I'm joining in the Happy Homemaker Monday again today.

 

The weather..... is interesting right now. The skies have that eerie pre-storm look, and it's really windy. Kenneth came in a while ago and informed me there is a tornado watch for the county just south of us. That's a little disconcerting because we are only a hop and skip from the county line, and the last I heard tornadoes don't necessarily pay attention to county lines. So I'm keeping my eye on the sky, my children nearby, and have the basement prepared in case we need to make a run for it.

Right now I am.... writing a blog post with Steven here beside me doing some school work. The older three are on summer vacation already after meeting our 180 day requirement and completing all their books, but Steven will be continuing school through summer.

Thinking.... that how interesting and funny life is, depends a lot on perspective.

On my reading pile.... I have several different things on my reading pile right now. My Bible of course, and a few magazines my mother-in-law gave to me, a book of science experiments, and the first book of my favorite series. Then there's also a Jen Turano book that I'm reading while waiting on Sharon at her piano lessons. It's really good. Last week I was so engrossed that I didn't even hear the piano in the same room and was taken off guard when the lesson ended and it was time to tuck my book away and go home

On my TV..... beautiful instrumentals. I rather enjoy listening to it in the background as I go about my day.

Favorite blog post last week.... Rosie Mae particiapted in the A-Z Challenge again this year and I always enjoy reading her posts. You can find her blog here.

Something fun to share.... spring is such a lovely time of year for being outside. After the grass dried off the morning Steven and I headed out to make some nature bracelets.

Blog hopping (newly discovered blog).... Sharon signed up for a blog and made her very first post today. You can find her blog here.

On the menu for this week....

Monday ... Poblano hamburgers, layer salad, and for dessert pineapple cookies
Tuesday ... Chicken ~n~ dumplings, homemade dinner rolls, and baby carrots
Wednesday ... Rice casserole, salad
Thursday ... Baked at home pizza and salad
Friday ... Baked chicken breast, broccoli salad, and cupcakes for dessert

On my to do list.... Take Sharon to her piano lesson, cook supper, and work on next year's school schedule.

In the craft basket.... mending. Somehow I always let it accumulate for a while before I sit down and get it done.

Looking forward to this week.... nothing all that monumental. Hoping to have ordinary days of cooking, cleaning, laughing, loving, working, playing, and simply enjoying life.

Looking around the house.... the table in our school room has the curriculum for next year piled on it waiting for me to get through all the books in order to write up the scope and sequence I'll be submitting to our school district along with our affidavit. There are remnants of the girls crafting adventures of the afternoon. Today that happened to be making decorated envelopes to use for their pen pal needs.

From the camera.... This morning the sun was making the water in the creek sparkle and shine so I grabbed my camera and headed outside. After taking a number of pictures I noticed the pair of geese having fun on top of the waterfall. I took some pictures and then included this cow.

I had to laugh when she moved to get into my next shot with this funny expression on her face. (Click on it to enlarge.)

 

And then posed perfectly for me. Who knew even cows are getting into this selfie culture?!

 

 

What I'm wearing today.... An odd purple shirt and one of my favorite dark gray skirts.

One of my simple pleasures.... receiving dandelion bouquets from Steven.

Happy Homemaker Monday

I'm busy planning my posts for the April A-Z Challenge which is swiftly approaching. The first one is scheduled for Saturday.

Instead of coming up with something new to post today, that could potentially work as an A-Z post, Rosie Mae suggested I do a link up she discovered. It looked like fun, so here I am doing my very first Happy Homemaker Monday.

The weather..... A rain has washed the fog away and the sun is peeping through the clouds making the raindrops that are clinging to the tree branches and twigs glisten in its bright light.

Right now I am.... writing this blog post while listening to the sounds of children talking and laughing.

On my reading pile.... The only book I read everyday is my Bible. I am reading a Jen Turano book as I wait on Sharon when she's at her piano practice. Then there's the stack of homeschool catalogs I have been poring over as I plan our next school year.

 On my TV..... A music channel. I enjoy listening to music throughout the day and have found having the Beautiful Instrumentals playing softly is excellent when writing.

Favorite blog post last week (mine or other).... Sadly I didn't get to visit blogs last week, or write a lot on mine. Hopefully that will be different this week.

On the menu for this week....

Monday ... Jalapeno Shrimp Enchiladas, Salad, and Banana Cream Pie
Tuesday ... Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Salad, and Pie
Wednesday ... Pioneer Woman's Comfort Meatballs, Scalloped Potatoes, Layer Salad, Dinner Rolls
Thursday ... Pizza ... cooked at home. :)
Friday ... Crockpot Cube Steak, Applesauce, Bread and Cupcakes
Saturday ... Fried ham and onion sandwiches and pudding.

On my to do list.... spring clean the storage room, get some states ready to be appliqued on the States Quilt project the girls are working on, plan next year's school schedule - all 180 days.

In the craft basket.... this isn't exactly a craft, but my basket is filled with small gifts and items waiting to be wrapped. LV's mother will be celebrating her 70th birthday and each of her children are supposed to contribute to the 70 gifts she'll be receiving. I still need to buy several, and so far I haven't wrapped any so that will be a chore, even for someone who usually enjoys wrapping gifts.

Looking forward to this week.... nothing that exciting. Hoping to enjoy another week of ordinary days.

Looking around the house.... There's a puzzle on the floor that Steven did this morning. A few items are on the sewing machine waiting to be mended, and the couch cover needs to be fixed ... again.

From the camera....

Our first attempts at making a deep dish pizza,

 

What I'm wearing today .... a dark gray skirt and a pink top. Don't know why I have so much pink in my wardrobe, I don't even like it that well.

 

One of my simple pleasures .... is organizing. I know that may sound strange, but somehow I really enjoy organizing things. Not events .... things around the house. I'm looking forward to getting to do more of it later today.

Bible verse, Devotional....

I was reading the account of Samson this morning. There's a lot of food for thought packed into it.