Pioneer Woman at Heart

  Yes, we have Christmas themed bedding.  It is coming out of storage today.  I'm very behind, but it's happening.  In fact, I have another King Christmas comforter to give away, but it may be next Christmas.  The kids have apartments, and no room, nor a place to wash a King comforter.  Any who, I'm hoping the new view of the bedding will put a spark in our Christmas spirit.  We've had some bumps in the road for sure this season.  I think it will make the house a bit "brighter" and happier.  I have a bad habit of worrying about things that rob my sanity and happiness.  Do you have a prayer in regards for not worrying? As long as we have life, we have problems.  It's how to be able to laugh and smile, to get thru the problems, worry, or setbacks, and what not. The Christmas tree is up, grocery shopping has taken place (although we had to go to three stores because most were lacking supplies), and we both got haircuts.  The hairc...

We paid our handy-man a partial payment the other day, and low and behold, he never showed up yesterday.  I did get some rest however.  One the of kids wanted to deliver something late, and they didn't show up until almost 8:30pm.  It may sound early to you, but when you are under the weather, it's early. I've been drinking goldenrod tea, and taking our homemade Four Thieves Vinegar.  The Four Thieves seems to help the annoying cough that developed after everything else.  Thankfully, I have kombucha and other probiotics in stock too. After speaking with someone who works for a hospital, if your "what feels like" a sinus infection is viral, they do not prescribe antibitiotics.  I'm watching my symptoms closely.   I also talked to someone locally who has the same symptoms, and they too, thought it was a sinus infection (from the severe early on miserable pressure).  It was not.  Again, watching myself closely, but things seem to be better ...

I keep a binder for printed recipes, that we make often, and I just don't have the room to hand write them on recipe cards.  I have had it open and sitting out for months now. I have been working on removing any recipes we don't make any longer, and adding ones we currently do, and it's (yay!) back in it's proper place. If feels good to get more done around here.  Here is more updates on home projects. Window project :  The new window is installed, siding back up, window trimmed on the inside, drywall replaced, mudded/sanded and painted.  We still have one outlet to replace, but very happy with the progress. In the process of this project, 3 flooring transition pieces were finally installed (after a year of the last guy not coming back to finish them).  Yay! Office project:   The old desk was completely emptied, items sorted, some thrown out, some donated, and some given away.  An old lamp removed, and some wall hangings taken down. An old broken books...

The start of August regarding rain. . . I do not have a rain gauge here, but I will be getting one for next garden season.  The news finally called it a drought, but said lots of rain was coming.  We had a tornado warning, and a boat load of rain with it, but that has been all we've gotten this month (so far as of today August 14, 2024). The squash bugs were infesting all of our squash.   Do you have a sure fire solution to organic pest control for squash bugs?  We have tried Captain Jack's organic garden dust, and we have tried organic neem oil spray.   We may not plant squash next year, in hopes to eradicate the nasty varmits (squash bugs).  It will mean no squash at all. I don't know what continued to eat the greens, but the neem spray did not keep it away.  Just when it was looking great, it started looking like this.   Frustrating for sure. (2 1/2# that I had planned to can into hot pepper mustard sauce, and I still had another...

We are greatly anticipating outdoor spring activities and garden prep.  Not to mention the finishing of the new coop.  I already have a plan in place for moving the chickens. We have friends that just sold their house, bought an RV and are living/traveling in the RV now.  I'll admit, it sounds interesting, and could imagine a life with a lot less taxes. I'm on the hunt for Arnica cream/lotion.  Sigh.  Just trying to avoid buying all the ingredients to make it.  If you know of a resource, be sure to comment.  By the way, I have tried to grow arnica here a few times, and with no success for some reason. We had unexpected guests all weekend, so I feel like we did not get much done around here.  We did manage to pick up a few bales of straw (at a high price), from a farm store for now.  We are having trouble locating a larger amount from a local farmer, for the chickens.  We've sent a few messages, so we are waiting for responses. ...

Do any of you own one of those box style choppers, that also work as a mandolin?  I have a hand chopper and food processer, but I'm thinking the box chopper would be easier to use, and wash and store.  It could utilize it in the camper as well. I'm just thinking ahead for garden season, when we bring in tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and the like.  I need to replace my mandolin this year, so I'm curious about this type of chopper/mandolin. I have been getting outside for fresh air as often as I can. I think this is mentally and physically important.  Whether it is to pick up trash thrown in the yard from people driving by, to muck the coop, pick up or clean up the porch/patio, or ... ...to simply put on a jacket and sip a hot beverage and sit and enjoy the sunshine. Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. The weather . . . We still have a bit of snow on the ground, but we are to get up into the 50's again this week. Right now I am . . . Drin...

  I dropped my readers, while looking up at the ceiling for some reason, and they fell off my head. Ha!  I've been using them this way for a few days now.  I hope to replace them soon. I feel like the hallway repairs/renovations are one step forward, and two back lately.  First, we are painstakingly painting a second coat of paint to all of the trim in the hallway.  The hall gets a lot of light, and I'll be honest, the second coat does look a lot better.  It will take some time to complete that job now.   Next up, we discovered that one outlet is not working at all, and another is on the fritz.  We will be replacing both of those in the hallway too. I am a journal junkie, and yes we have a home journal.  I have been good at taking notes, and stapling/or taping the paint chips on appropriate room pages.  I log the store, the cost, and sometimes include the receipt.  If we need to touch up paint or buy new anything, it's been wri...

Sunday weather started out at 12°F (wind chill of 5°F).  It was snowing as well. Stray cat chasing a bird?   I have not seen any cats around here lately.  Interesting.       Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. The Weather . . . 19°F  with a wind chill of 8°F Right now I am . . . Brewing coffee and posting this blog post. Thinking and pondering . . . If you have chickens, are you team "fill the roosts with straw/bedding"  or nothing team?  We put straw in ours, and our eggs are clean.  I was given some eggs a few weeks ago (team nothing in the roosts), and the eggs were very dirty.  Also, since I have not been putting straw in the roosts, they are laying on the floor of the coop, so I'm going back to putting straw inside the roosts. How I am feeling . . . Pretty good. On the breakfast plate . . . (before they cooled completely) Egg/sage sausage/cheese cups to go with an oatmeal bake.  When I bake ...