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.