Happy Homemaker Monday

Daughter K came over to do more cleaning upstairs.  She had intentions of bringing me 3 dozen hears of corn from a community garden near her.  Twenty minutes into her drive, she realized she forgot them.  Sigh.

We have horse flies bad this year.  I have no idea why either.  No goats, no horses, nothing but chickens here.  Best we figure, is that there is a dead animal in the woods.  Urgh.  Every time I kill one, another shows up and drives me off the porch.

I was very glad to have Daughter K over, even for a few hours.  I got to thinking, and I think I have felt depressed because Mom's birthday is coming up.  Either way, I am was glad to have company.  My husband had to work Sunday as well.

• 
  
  

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

The weather . . .

85/65°F, thunderstorms.

As I look outside my window  . . .

Dark clouds are moving in.

Right now I am . . .

Getting ready to wash dishes and purge some cigar boxes that Daughter K left.  I'll be donating the boxes to a friend who has an antique store in a small town about 30 minutes from out home.

Thinking and pondering . . . 

The prices of yarn have gotten so ridiculously high.  My online resource now has cotton balls at $3.49!!!  I used to get them at Wal-mart for $1.50!  Wal-mart hasn't had anything I need lately either.

I'm considering starting to prime the master bath cupboards, but I think I want to paint the walls first.  Not sure.  I still have to clean up the debris left by mainly one kid upstairs.

How I am feeling . . . 

Good.  Pretty good actually.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Eggs, toast and coffee.

On the dinner plate . . .

I actually made the chicken fajitas last night, so leftovers tonight.

What I am wearing . . .

T-shirt, yoga pants - looking forward to a rainy day inside.

On the reading pile . . .

Mom's recipe books.  She kept a lot of recipes.  I'm looking for notes on the recipes she tried and found delicious.  I may be trying a few, adjusting them with organic/home grown ingredients.

On my TV this week . . . 

We just finished watching Alone.  I had a hard time finding good movies, but now that my husband is done with long, exhausting hours at work, we can spend evening out on the motorcycle hopefully.

On the menu . . .

-Black bean cakes with mango salsa, yellow squash patties
-tacos, homemade salsa
-chicken fajitas
-crockpot bbq pork chops, beets

-something grilled, grilled onion for a side

Looking around the house . . . 

Well, handyman came to finish installing the shower, and the bathroom door is now back on where it belongs.  

To do list . . .

(for the week)

-can pickles

-can grape jelly

-can applesauce

-freeze corn

-purge living room, bedroom and upstairs

-buy paint for master bath

-finish weeding flower beds

-clean out fridge

-crochet new item for holiday craft show

-take a trip to donate more stuff that the kids left

From the camera . . .

Daughter K brought her boyfriend with her Sunday, so I gave them Mom's tea spoons.  They will be a nice addition to their black/white themed kitchen.

We finally got my husband's Father's Day gift (from Daughter K) put up on the porch.

Prayers . . .

Daughter K's dog King has had 4 seizures in one month.  Prayers for him.  He may be going to the vet.  He gets a natural calming oil every morning, but he is getting worse and it makes me sad.  He never had them until they moved to an apartment way back in the day.  Poor Kingsley.

Prayers for those dealing with flooding and lost lives in Jackson, KY.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 Sunday I had plans to do some long distance errands, but decided to do them another day.  It was predicted to storm all day, and go figure, it did not.

I, however, cleaned up the kitchen, sorted cookbooks for donation, filled another box for Daughter K, caught up on laundry, and filled one box for donation.  I finally filled a tote with 50/50 vinegar/water to soak an old cast iron pan I was given.

I already have a few cast iron pans, but no one wanted to bother with restoring it, so it ended up with me.  It's always nice to have an extra pan in case we need to cook over a campfire too.  You never know with what's happening in our world right now.

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  I will link up when she posts.

The weather . . .

85°F/65°F, possible rain

As I look outside my window . . .

It's foggy.

Right now I am . . . 

Trying to figure out the plan for the day due to more rain.

Thinking and pondering . . .

Where the heck am I going to store that cast iron pan?  My computer area needs a new mug rug.   We need a getaway soon.  Camper still needs water lines checked.  

How I am feeling . . .

Although not ready to take on a Monday, I had a nice weekend.  Daughter K visited Saturday, and Daughter E had a sleep over with our grand daughter A and both came to visit me Sunday.

My husband is on another whacky schedule this week.  We will both be glad when it's over with.  He's working double shifts - 16 hour days now.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Coffee, part of a giant cinnamon roll Daughter E brought us.

On my reading pile . . .

Do bills count? Ha ha!  The mail?

On my TV . . .

Honestly, whatever looks interesting.

On the menu . . .

-pork chops, zucchini/corn saute

-chicken, brussel sprouts, carrots

-leftovers

Looking around the house . . .

The kitchen island is finally cleaned off, but the table needs a complete tidying up job.  Living room is slowing getting emptied.  Kitchen still needs a piece put back up over the sink area, and one blind installed.

The to-do list . . .

-check garden

-freeze green beans

-paint the last of the bathroom trim

-put away dishes

-label and store the peach jam

-clean off kitchen table

From the camera . . .

Prayers/Devotional . . .

-I can't find my devotional right now.  I'm slowly getting my computer/bill paying station back in order.  It's probably in the office yet.  

Daughter visit ~ More Painting ~ and other tidbits

Daughter K came for a visit to clean upstairs.  She filled the trash and her car thankfully, but more has to be cleaned.  She also cleaned out her car. It's not easy to do living in an apartment, so she did that at our house.  We grilled dinner and then she went home.

She did help me finally, after 6 months, help me move my computer back to the desk in the kitchen corner.  She said I should replace my keyboard and mouse, so I'm on the hunt for a wireless set that is affordable.

The clean up process is in progress in the living room. Daughter K helped me sort thru a box full of cables and wires and electronic game parts.  We found the correct cords to a DVD player left by the kids.  I moved the TV and the DVD player upstairs and it will be in the "guest" bedroom.  The room is still under a purge project, but at least it's out of the living room.

I have another problem however.  When I purged my old hutch, I boxed dishes and they are in my office.  They are dishes from one of my grandparents.  I have no clue on where to store those now.  Urgh.  

I found someone to give us a quote to clean gutters (family business), but now my husband said we'll do it ourselves after being over charged on the bathroom repairs.  I'm not sure I want to be on a ladder, and if I am, I have to do it when someone is here, so that is a problem.

I'm finishing up the bathroom trim.  I have one more piece, and the saw horses can finally leave the living room.

It looks like it will be raining all day today, so there will be no outdoor work accomplished, but thankful for the rain.

This and That

I noticed when we stayed at the island the last time, she had black washcloths with the work "makeup" on them.  Genius.  I could just go to the store and buy black ones, but made one myself with cotton yarn to see if it would work well.

I love this pattern, so we'll see how it goes and if the face makeup will stain on it or not.  I'm hoping it works vs. using my other lighter washcloths that do stain.  I don't wear makeup that often, but I am happy with this pattern, and they stitch up quickly.

Thankfully my husband had Saturday off, however, he never took my bathroom door off the hinges for me.  It'll probably happen tonight.  We have a hired handy-man coming to help gut the bathroom (so happy for that).

We finally picked up a new toilet for the bathroom, and wow the prices have really gone up.  $229.00 for one on sale!  Thankfully we had $140.00 in rebates from the kitchen floor repair.

Three of the kids came over to have a lunch for Father's Day.  I was tickled pink to have their boyfriends take a desk down from upstairs and see the girls remove more of their belongings from upstairs.

I've been taking advantage of the weather, and getting the laundry caught up, and dried on the clothesline.  We were to get rain today, but now they are saying no rain.  We are literally having a drought.

I wanted to plant some arnica seeds, although late, but may wait until we do get rain.  My calendula seeds are sprouting, so that is good.  I've had to water daily though.

Progress

I am still cleaning and purging.  I got all the painting done on one side of the kitchen, and trim is next.  I cleaned the window wood work and put the curtains back up.

I felt like once I was done, I wasn't done.  I always seem to find more that has to be done.  We are so pleased with the progress however.

My daughter K left an entire set of baking dishes of my Mom's.  She said she had zero room in her apartment.  So....I've inherited those and have a place to put them, but that also means purging my old ones.  Mom's are prettier anyway.

My new salt and pepper shakers. 

We decided that if the three pieces of furniture do not sell, we have other plans for them.  We'll see.  The used furniture store is unable to buy them right now (her partner in the business passed away).  My husband used to work with her, and we knew she would be fair, but that didn't happen.  Selling on marketplace is so frustrating.  So many scams to deal with, and people wanting to pay with phone apps.  If anything, I located a consignment shop, but they want 50% of what it sells for.  I can't believe that amount!  Times have changed for sure.

Speaking of "times" our favorite local place to get a good burger stopped selling all food at their bar.  Due to lack of employees they had to go that route.  It's so sad, and yet that same town is trying to build a Culvers there.  I can't see that happening right now.

The weather is warming up again, so I am hoping for new shoots of asparagus, and beautiful, fragrant lilac blooms.  It won't be long now, for my clothesline to be in full swing.  I have a bed quilt I want to wash and dry outside.

Daughter E reminded me to take time out of the day for myself.  I realized I haven't made time to crochet/read/write or anything for "me" time.  Sticky notes are very much needed right now in all this craziness.

On a good note, we have wood cut and ready to split, to get ahead on next year.  It is too dangerous to clean our own chimney, so that's on the list, and I've already received a discount from our current resource.  I'm just nervous to find out yet what the price is this year.  Everything, and mean everything has gone way up.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

We had beautiful weather over the weekend.  It was in the lower 80's, but Sunday the wind was pretty nasty.  We took off on the motorcycle to a friend's house, but retreated home after our experience with the wind.  Back at the homestead we got some work done.

I ordered a single rolling pin holder for hanging on the wall, and the Etsy dealer specifically said it was for only Pioneer Woman's rolling pin.  

Well, my husband spent some time sanding it down so it would fit.  I was in no mood to return it, so that has been done and up, to make more space in a cupboard.  I love it on the wall anyway.

I spent time putting shelf paper in the cupboards and re-organized my drawers, so all of my utensils are in drawers and no in a utensil spinner on the counter top.  I am super happy, because I always felt like it was looking sort of chaotic with it on the counter top.

I'm no longer feeling like a "hot mess" and now sort of like a semi-hot mess.  The kitchen is slowly coming together, and the purge continues.  It feels weird, but good to downsize some baking dishes.  The boxes are filling up for the donation station.  I still need to purge tablecloths, but have a few washed, folded and in a box as well.

Our asparagus is starting to come in.  I'm thrilled, but it also puts me in panic mode about all the work we still need to do indoors.

I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather . . .

Rain all day today.  I was hoping to use my clothesline today, but that's not happening.

As I look out the window . . .

It's dreary, cloudy and rainy.  The last hired help we fired, left our front porch a mess. It's on the clean up to-do list.

Right now I am . . .

Making a list, getting ready to pull food from the freezer to make the breakfast, and making a pot of coffee.

Thinking and pondering . . .

The half-bath project is on hold.  I thought about it, and told my husband, that it would be better to start that project after the living room floor was done.  I figure if we have to hire someone, they will use that bathroom, and I do not want it messed up after all that work.

How I am feeling . . .

Tired, but ready to get some order in my kitchen.  

On the breakfast plate . . . 

I'll be back with a photo possibly.

On my reading pile . . .

I'm almost finished with this book.  I've had limited time to read.

On my TV . . .

We are doing an eenie-minee-mo sort of pick.

On the menu . . .

-asparagus/bacon breakfast casserole

-Moroccan Stew

-Chicken crock pot dish

-Leftovers

Looking around the house . . . 

I still have two more kitchen chairs in my living room.  Those will be wiped down and moved back to the kitchen.  Daughter K left boxes of "trash" in the living room.  Those will be removed Tuesday after trash pick-up.

To do list . . .

-bake a breakfast casserole

-laundry

-bedding

-clean master bath

-put dishes back into the kitchen cupboards we took out

-paint areas of kitchen where my hired help didn't paint, and hopefully move my computer and printer back where it was.

-check asparagus

-water plants

-find a new home for a stamp collection (possibly someone in Boy Scouts)

-box up more teacup/saucer sets for donation

-order a decal for my bread box

-start clearing a space upstairs for the treadmill. I feel like we need to order a dumpster, and start tossing stuff out the upper window, she left that much of a mess up there.

From the camera . . .

The ornamental apple trees are in bloom, and the wild violets and dandelions are up now.

Devotional . . .

I can't find my book since I boxed my office area up.  I do not have any special prayers requests at this time.

Spring Blooms ~ The Great Purge

 

The daffodils are in bloom right now.  I decided not to can wild violet jelly this year, and concentrate on low sugar jams.  Our biker friend we hire now to mow, has already mowed anyway (and then there was snow).  I brought the daffodils in just before the snow arrived.

I decided, as I was cleaning out my hutch, that it was time to pass on the Wilton cake decorating books and cake pans.  An old neighbor, who used to babysit for us way back in the day (another town) is now considering buying them.  All the kids are moved out and the pans are for kids birthday cakes.  Oh, and this person actually decorates cakes and sells them from her home, so it will go to a good home and to good use.

Funny story, while in High School, I used one of the pans to bake a cake for Biology class.  It was a bacteria cell!  Ha ha!  My husband got a laugh out of that.  I'm sure I have a picture of it in one of my photo albums (somewhere).

I also used the same cake pan to make and decorate it for one of my sister's birthdays.  It was decorated like a pack of gum.  Yeah, I did a lot of cake decorating over the years.  I taught the kids the talent as well, but they have zero room to store it all.

I didn't finish cleaning out the pie safe, so today is the day.  I also need to clean two more kitchen chairs and put them back in the kitchen.

Daughter K visited and packed up her car.  I gave her one of my 3 crock pots.  Yes, that is right, I had 3 of them.  We used to entertain for my husband's side of the family, but now that his family is growing and buying houses, they started offering gatherings at their places.  It was time to let go of one.  

It will be a while before we have people over.  We still have a lot to do at the homestead.

It's another chilly day here today, but I'll be staying warm with all this work to do, ha ha!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 I hope your Easter was a nice day with friends and family, or just a nice weekend.   I was whisked away last minute, by my husband.  We went to our favorite Amish area almost 3 hours away.  I wasn't really looking for anything while we perused the antique stores, but I found a chicken cookie jar for $8.00!  What a find.  I have that wrapped up safe until the half bath and living room work is done.  I will share a photo when it's out of it's packaging.

I'm glad we did.  We were recharged, and arriving home on Easter Sunday, we got right back to work and hooked the kitchen heater back up, cleaned more floor glue (urgh) off the floor, moved the hutch, kitchen table and most of the chairs back into the kitchen.

My husband pre-ordered a take out meal (smart thinking), and we went to pick that up.  Daughter E was the only kiddo that could come over and we met her new boyfriend (very nice kid, has a nice truck and works and went to the same school with her).

While chatting out in the driveway, I mentioned the truck bed cover that has been sitting there for 2 years.  I talked my husband into giving it to daughter's boyfriend.  Wha-la!  One more thing out of the house we are not using.

They left, and we went into the "big city" to pick up supplies to change the oil in the truck, see if the feed store was open (was closed), and to pick up supplies at Home Depot.

It will be a real treat to cook in my own kitchen again, but we are considering sanding down and staining our table, and painting parts of it, and the chairs white.  We actually got information for a guy in the Amish area that does it, but I'm sure the cost will be high going that route.  We were very impressed with his work however.

Today I am back to joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  I guess now you could call me a Homemaker.

The Weather . . .

Snow!  Can you believe that?  1 inch or less, and then they are predicting 82°F next Sunday.  Crazy!

As I look out my window . . .

Spring flowers are blooming, birds are singing despite snow in the forecast.

Right now I am . . .

Getting ready to make a breakfast casserole.

Thinking and pondering . . .

I have a few boxes to donate yet, but thankful that Daughter E took those two orange/brown afghans.  I have much to do, but it's a bit too chilly yet to do any painting, so I haven't gotten a plan for the day/week yet.  We will start tearing out living room carpet this week (after I figure a way to get the treadmill moved upstairs).

-I need to get to town to get paint swatches for the living room 

-considering painting the kitchen hutch as well as the table

-considering adding valances to living room windows after the floor issues are repaired and re-floored

-emptying the pie safe to downsize/purge and selling the pie safe

How I am feeling . . .

Rejuvenated from a weekend away from our "hot mess."  I'm also happy that Daughter K will be here again to load up more of her stuff.  She still has boxes in my living room.  We are happy to also have someone willing to help gut the bathroom, but he will be having a hernia surgery later this week, so it may be me doing it, or delayed (or finding other help).

On the breakfast plate . . .

I need to make a casserole.

On my reading pile . . .

I actually got some of this read on the drive to our weekend getaway.

On my TV this week . . .

CSI

On the menu . . .

-leftovers

-roast, and veggies

-lasagna stuffed chicken (new recipe to try)

On the to do list . . .

-purge cookbooks

-laundry

-purge cake decorating books/supplies

-clean out pie safe

-clean TV armoire and put it up for sale

-purge tablecloths

Looking around the house . . .

It's still a hot mess, but the kitchen is looking much better, as we put it back together.

From the camera . . .

Had to take a photo of this and chuckle!  My husband said we need to do this at our house ha ha!  Feed the chickens via a vending machine for a quarter!.  Cute set up for the chickens at a handmade leather goods store.

After so many trips to Amish country, we finally toured the Victorian home in one town.

Prayers . . .

Us - to find someone reasonable to do the most difficult joist/sub floor/under layment work for the living room.  It's still in the works.

Old Crocheted Blankets

 

Here are the two blankets that my sister sent home with our Daughter K.  Of course she tells me to take care of them.  Urgh.  I'm sure that my Grandma on my Dad's side crocheted them.  I have no use for them, so I guess they will be donated.  The colors!!

I cleaned out the walkway from garage door to garage.  Daughter K left a box of flavored waters in there from 2 years ago.  Sheesh.  Now I have room to store flooring for the living room.

I also went upstairs to fetch packing tape, and found dishes in her old room.  She has a lot to clean out yet.

Snail Mail ~ Kitchen Updates and Jibber Jabber

 

I kept flowers from Mom's funeral (casket flowers), and dried them.  I sent the petals to an Etsy seller and had these made.  I also got a necklace for the two younger girls.  I am so pleased on how they turned out.  I'm so glad I did it too.  

I ordered myself a bracelet from another store, that I absolutely fell in love with, and wanted to wear it in memory of Mom.  It popped up on social media one day, and it's from a store in FL, where they hold bike week, so I figured the sale would be legit.

This is what they shipped me.  Ugly to me.  Not what I ordered.  I sent emails back and forth, and they told me it was one of a kind, and already sold, but yet it was on their site and he description clearly stated what I ordered.  

On a good note, and I won't believe until I receive it, they are having the person make another one and shipping it directly to me.  It is handmade.  I'm waiting on a shipping label to return this one.

Although I nearly broke my back, I got all the vinyl flooring glue off, but two places.  I'll work on that later today, or pick up a different remover.

We still need to screw in the desk supports, install the kitchen heater back in (painting is done there), and move the hutch and table/chairs back to the kitchen.  

Daughter K finally made a trip home to pack up another load.  However, she left an entire box of things from Mom's house she didn't want (or didn't have room for), and a few very old afghans for me to deal with (photos on another day when I can unbury them from the living room.

I did however save this for me. It's for grating garlic or ginger.  I grate a lot of both.  I will most likely only use it for ginger though.  I have a mincer for my garlic.

In the meantime, I am purging my pie safe.  Due to limited space in my kitchen cabinets, I was using a pie safe to store my mixer, food processer, jam maker, platter plates etc. 

I have two boxes of stuff already boxed up to donate somewhere (nothing that was of my Mom's).  I'm giving a food processer to my best friend (I had two), and some books.

The pie safe will be sold. and if not, we'll look into an antique store and remove it completely from the living room.  

Blue Roses

 

My husband is simply the best!  I was surprised with this delivery yesterday.  He knows exactly what I need and when I need it.  Mom loved blue roses and so do I.  They don't exist in the real world, but one year I found a blue rose plant at Home Depot.  I could not for the life of me get it to bloom blue.  It takes a certain soil to bloom blue, but I really, really love my surprise delivery.  I very well may search for a hybrid plant this year and try again. 

Although Daughter K is "officially" moved, there is much still here for her to move to her apartment.  I plan to box up anything for her if needed.  Now that she is out, I spent a good day cleaning (but oh my, she left the upstairs, downstairs and bathroom a mess).  My fitbit has finally gotten back up past the 10,000 mark.  Yeah, there was no way I was logging my "stress" on that fitbit, as it was at a all time high (for several reasons).

As soon as we toss the couches into the burn pile (her dogs chewed up the cushions, we'll take down the kitchen tables and start ripping out the one half of the kitchen (hopefully very soon).  That repair job is first on the list, and a must-do job before garden season is in full swing.

I had to be stern with Daughter K last night.  In no way are her dogs to visit us.  We will visit them at her place.  Once they are out they are out.  Now she will be forced to better train them, as she is in an apartment.

It's raining today, and it's the only thing holding us back from starting on the kitchen floor project (need to empty the living room to make room for two kitchen tables, all the chairs, cupboards, hutch and stove.  It really stinks not having a crawl space to do this repair, so cupboards and all will be pulled out to rip out the floor and replace the joist, sub floor and then new flooring while the kitchen is empty.

Tuesday Tidbits

 Although I thought  my brain would re-set, after a break, it has not.  Yesterday I forgot my husband's birthday.  Sigh.  My husband told me yesterday I was a "hot mess" and not to drive anywhere today.  There is nothing worse than instinctively picking up my cell phone to call Mom and realizing I can't.  I guess the ol' journals will be coming out again. Maybe designate one solely for chats with Mom.  It will take time to get thru this for sure.

The chickens however, are back to laying a good amount of eggs.  I never got around to baking a breakfast, so that must be done today, or my husband has no to-go breakfast for work.

The weather is warming up enough for drying clothes on the clothesline, so I'm going to tackle all of the remaining laundry today.

I felt like everything, at a point of the day where I just wanted to relax, went wonky.  First my scanner froze in scan mode.  Then, when that was fixed, my emails were not going out.  It's all working again this morning thankfully.  Electronics can be a headache for sure.

I still have a huge pile of mail to sort, toss and take care of. My computer desk area is in total disarray.

Meanwhile, Daughter K continues to move stuff out of the house.  Her rabbit is now at her new apartment.  However, I am constantly on dog duty, meaning that first early am trip out is on me.  I am not eagerly excited about taking two dogs out in the dark.  Her cat Jasper is acting funny, and possibly needing a trip to the vet for a check up.  On a good note, her new job will almost double her pay.  

Hopefully this crazy schedule and mass load of things to be done will taper off soon.

New Recipe ~ Greens and Tibits

 

I am saving this recipe to try this summer.  I thought I would share it.  Has anyone made this?  I am just now learning about it.

I got some organic dandelion greens blanched and in the freezer.  There is only one store that sells them this time of year.

It was another day at Mom's house.  I made two trips to the re-sale store in town (benefits area businesses).  It's been difficult, but the busyness keeps my mind off things.  I've been able to pass on some kitchenware to our Daughter K, for her new apartment. Clothing has been donated to a soup kitchen.

My house is a crazy mess, so once Daughter K is completely moved out, we will start major repairs and updates.  We also plan to do a major clean up in the garage when the weather gets better.