Pioneer Woman at Heart

  I got the chance to go on a new outing, and with a surprise outing with one of the kids.   I was over joyed to get out of the house and do something fun.  It really has been a year for "first" times for so many things, and it is bringing me (us) pure joy, adventures, and fulfillment.  Big or small. First, I received gifts!  A bag, new Spring bathrobe, garden gloves and a coffee mug. The garden gloves are touch screen, so I can keep them on to use my cell phone if needed.  They work too!  Fit great! Love them! Oh, and here is the "first time" part of the special day. . .we went to a coffee shop that we have never been too ( first visit ).  It's been open for many a year or so.  It's small, quaint, and oh boy, sells used and new books (gulp!).  They also sell locally made crafted items as well. I got to try hot and iced coffee flights for the first time ever!!  Oh my gosh, these were delightful. My first ever blind date with ...

We are to heat up to the 80's today.  They sky is looking strange this morning.  One direction looks like a storm brewing, and the other, the sun rising with very dark clouds above it.  We had very bad wind yesterday. Once again, you are being entertained with a blog draft from J une of 2017 .  To be honest, I don't remember buying the book.  I think a blog follower sent me her copy, but anyway, a very old draft to entertain you with.  It does have me thinking about other herbs now.  I have, as of last year, started to harvest our wild growing goldenrod.  I had to laugh reading this draft, because I do not remember growing Gotu Kola seeds indoors either. We are blessed with a lot of wild growing herbs and weeds, but you do have to know what you are picking as well.  Stinging nettle requires some very thick gloves, or your hands will be pricked by the stinging part of the nettle.   When we had barn cats, I never had a problem finding...

  (this was a few days ago) Me to my husband:  Sure looks like it's about to come down out there. Husband to me:  Oh great!  Another 1000 green beans (ha ha ha!) We have been getting rain off and on.  We are also getting heat.  We canceled our first camping trip as fast as we booked it due to the heat.  What's the fun in camping, if you can't enjoy a campfire meal?  Not only will the heat be here this weekend, so will thunderstorms.   I decided to only freeze shredded zucchini, and not diced this year.  I prefer to be able to squeeze the water out prior to freezing.   I sent a large bag of squash with my husband to work.  I also picked more, and reduced the numbers by about 10 of them with some baking and cooking (and freezing). The muffins are delicious, but a bit sweet.  I may make them again and swap the honey for maple syrup, and only use half amount. Although we recently got a small bit of rain, it was not e...

  To our surprise, guess who showed up?  Yep. Our handyman showed up, took all of the flooring out and started to put it back in.  It is looking so much better though. Two kiddos came out for a visit.  I made a batch of hummus, and it did not last long.  I'm glad they showed up, as one was needed for some work on the computer.  I had to link up late, as it was doing many updates (see yesterday's post for an update on the living room). Bad weather is heading our way, and we are down to one vehicle due to broken down parts.  Lovely.  I think I can hitch a ride with one of the kids for groceries this week (so I don't have to do it after dinner). Just to be sure we are stocked up good for a few days. They are predicting snow, 50 mph winds, possible power outages and more.  I stocked up on extra oil for the oil lamps and wicking as well, so that is off the list.  I do need to fill water jugs for the chickens (just in case).  If the ...

The refinery my husband works at had an explosion last night and two (last I was updated) were badly burned.  Please send prayers, although I do not have names. Update:  The two people died from their injuries. I have been distraught since we heard about this.  My husband has been working a supervisor position with lots of over time lately.  If you haven't watched the movie Deepwater Horizon, you really should.  Then you would understand why I stay busy when he is at work, to keep the worry bugs away.   Speaking of busy, I had a special request for a hair clip, so I'm working on that between everything else.   Daughter K showed up late, but showed up.  Her stuff is out of the living room, and she also helped me out by taking a small table. She always has stories to share and gives us the giggles and shares interesting stories. Her latest one was saving baby birds.  She literally had to hide them at her work place.  I guess...

Although we got zero rain, we had a beautiful sunset for a short time.  We can't really see all of it, due to the woods behind our home, but the sky was a pretty pink. I spent about 2 hours cleaning stuff from the upstairs.  Mostly, I spent time bringing down any larger items to donate.  I may have found a home for a pole lamp she left up there, and I have a kitchen floor full of boxed up stuff to donate somewhere.  I filled the trash, and put a few things in the burn pile.  Today, I need to spray Lysol up there, as I realized she had 4 animals up there, and I am not sure how well she cleaned, as in sanitized.  There is still much to clean out. I cannot tell you all how happy I am to have an entire summer of wicked, miserable work hours end for my husband.  He was home, and out mowing after work!  The handyman finished the bathroom, but left without putting the bathroom door back on.  My husband and I put that back up, installed a new toilet ...

  Although late, and due to rain again, I planted some shasta daisy seeds in the flower bed. I also planted basil, cilantro and parsley for indoors.   Made Einkorn pancakes and blueberry sausages for breakfast.    Baked another peach crumble, and a chicken/brussel sprout/carrot sheet pan dinner. I love rainy days and yesterday was one of those. I also printed another new crochet pattern.  Like a need another pattern...ha ha! Daughter E came over and raided my closet.  She is attending a country concert soon.  She left with some cowboy boots, a summer dress and a jean's skirt.  Well, she helped purge my closet anyway, ha ha! Our smaller bathroom now has a functioning toilet and sink.  The rest of the shower goes in today. I filled a box with old dvd's, and it's ready to be taken to donate somewhere. The green beans, cucumbers and squash are rolling in now.  Thanks to the rain, and the bell peppers are on, but not ready to harves...

  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...

I am so thankful I have my husband, and his full and complete support in life.  No matter what is stressing me, he is always there for me, even with this long, long hours at work. He continues to work (coffee pot is pre-set for 4:15am) 12 hour days, 6 days a week, with about an hour to work and back.  If someone asks for his help with something, it needs to be super important, because he is exhausted when he arrives home.  He only gets one day off, and yesterday we had a date. Many people also assume I have all the free time in the world, because I am not employed.  I'm frankly tried of explaining how busy I am lately as well.  Between the garden, the kitchen painting, herb garden, and flower beds, I am exhausted by 6pm.  Sunday was a well over due sanity saver day off with my husband. Well, most of the day off.  We worked on a list of things that had to be done up until about 11:30am, and I got 3 things out of the garage we don't use anymore as well. ...

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 de...

  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.

We didn't have to make breakfast Sunday.  Our niece and her husband invited us over.   To top that off, she baked my husband's favorite cheesecake.  I'm sure we'll be sharing as he shouldn't be eating it, ha ha!  So good though. We picked up another load of stuff at Mom's house.  There is much more to do there.  I just put all the gardening stuff in the barn and will go thru it all after we finish the kitchen floor project. Sorry for my lateness this morning.  I am easily distracted with my multitasking today. Joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  It is Monday right?! Ha ha!  Oh boy.... The weather . . . 34°F/21°F As I look outside my window . . . Nothing but gray skies right now. Right now I am . . . Doing too much multitasking and not enough of one job, ha ha! Thinking and pondering . . . Trying to figure out a plan for today.  I have to start moving Daughter K's stuff to an area not in my way, and out of my kitchen....

  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 co...