Happy Homemaker Monday

 

We are finishing up the wall decor in the living room (see photos below), and moving onto the next painting/repair/remodel project soon.  

I'm still dealing with laryngitis.  I'm told there is a virus that causes this for 3 weeks.  If that it true, I'm rounding week 3, and still sipping hot teas - ginger, sage, thyme, lemon and honey.  Today switching it up with 4 thieves vinegar.

We were invited to trailer our bike again to FL for Daytona bike week.  We declined.  Personally, I do not want to go on trips where there are babysitters and kids (that was a recent disaster).  I'd rather hunker in and get this house in order (greatly needed and deserved), as garden season will sneak up on us.  Plus, there is the cost to go.  We spent too much on the last trip.  We also want to save vacation days for camping this year.

I have to call ODOT today.  Someone hit a deer in front of our house yesterday.  We called the Sheriff and they would not come out with their "list" for someone to remove it.   Basically, they said it was on our property, so it was our job to take care of it (eye rolling here).  ODOT should be able to come remove it today.  

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather . . .

Looks like we'll be in the 30's the next few days and 100% chance of snow again mid-week.  Schools are delayed today due to snow.

As I look outside my window . . .

There is a layer of snow out there.

Right now I am . . .

Drinking coffee, writing up this post, and trying to wake up.

Thinking and pondering . . .

My husband and I are considering adding more chickens to the coop, with a promise to build a new coop (he promised as the coop they are in is a hot house in summer with no relief from heat, and no protection from flying beasts when out in the run).

On my beside table . . .

It's a hot mess and needs cleaned off.

On my TV . . .

Whatever we find interesting.

Listening to . . .

80's music.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Eggs, bacon, coffee.

On the menu . . .

-roast, veggies

-one pan chicken and veggies
-crock pot pork chops and oven roasted veggies
-Soup of some kind, possibly sausage/sweet potatoes and kale
-meatloaf and side crockpot root veggies

On my reading pile . . .

On the to-do list . . .

-clean master bath
-laundry
-bake a breakfast, prep dinner and do dishes
-dehydrate garlic

-finish putting shelf liner in cupboards (an abandoned project for some reason)

-re-pot the cactus plan (still need special soil for it)

-empty dishwasher, load it

Plans for the week. . .

*see to-do list

-moving all the paint supplies to hallway, and others to a storage spot, put all flooring tools back to their home, filling a box for donation, re-organizing family videos, and to-do list.

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating . . .

Not quite halfway done with the blanket.

Made these embellished paperclips for two of the girls for Christmas, and just found them the other day.  These are nice to make for "random acts of kindness" as well.  The top ones are mini dog bones and the bottom ones are flowers.

My simple pleasure . . .

Peppermint schnapps in my homemade hot cocoa (or coffee)

Lesson learned this past week . . .

Something I learned:  Cut potatoes in slices, when boiling to make mashed potatoes (rather than cubes).  They will cook evenly.  I've been cubing my potatoes, as learned from my mother, for years.  Who knew?

From the camera . . .

Guess how much we paid for that sign?  It is 24 x 42 inches and normal price $89.00, with sale price $64.99.  

We paid $6.48!  No kidding!  We had to drive way north for it, and it had a scuff on it.  Online is sold out.  The store clerk gave us 90% off and we literally got the scuff off with a Mr. Clean eraser. My husband fell in love with the sign, so hence the travel day, and in the end worth it.

Another wall project of my husband's.  He's having so much fun with "take back the house" project.

Sign was as gift from a daughter (ha ha!)

Decor went back up on the breakfast bar with framed photos. I finally framed the directions my husband wrote out for me 24 years ago (to get to his house).  I see it's upside down, so I need to turn that around in the frame ha ha!  Back then, we didn't have cell phones, and just had land lines.

My Aunt's chicken plates were put back up.  I have 3 more in my kitchen.  We are thinking of a reading chair at this wall.  Not sure just yet.

(a bit dark as it was a stormy day when I took these photos)

Prayers . . .

...for our friend Hope's husband Steve.  Not sure what happened, but she is asking for healing prayers (and a miracle) almost daily.

Devotional . . .

"As each of you received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God's many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor]. -1 Peter 4:10