Happy Homemaker Monday ~ Coyote Season

I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom today.  Although I posted late last night (go back a post to read about our weekend).  We took Youngest and she had a blast.

Nothing like a coyote to wake you up in the early morning.  I took Jesse out to do his business in my PJ's.  He had his light on  (Hubby wasn't up for work just yet) and I was looking directly at him, and it came out from behind the wood barn.  Jesse tried to go after it, I reached for my gun, but realized I was in PJ's, so I screamed and ran off the porch, which prompted two girls to come screaming.  It acted like it wanted to come back, but ran off thankfully.  However, where there is one, there are more.  Now, while my heart palpitated, I realized it's going to be a rough spring.  I'll not go outside without protection (including in my PJ's) and I'll be going to the barn to check the chicken barn to make sure they are okay too.  Ugh.  What a morning.  


On the breakfast plate. . . 
Scramble.  I have 1 egg in my egg basket this morning.


The weather outside is . . .
We are up to the 70's.  It rained last night though.


On my reading pile . . .
My magazine that I planned to take with me over the weekend, but forgot.


On my TV . . .
A dvd series from the library called Yellowstone


On my menu . . .
Egg/cheese/sausage sandwiches
Salmon romanoff (never got it made), beets
Possibly something with freshly made tomato sauce
....have no idea.  



On my to-do list . . .
work out
make granola bars
wash bedding and get it on the line
library returns
deliver dish scrubbies
dishes
floors



What I am creating . . .
Knitted dishcloth.  I need to restock my netting and get scrubbies restocked asap.


Looking forward to . . .
Getting the bathroom remodel done so we can have family gatherings here again.  We haven't had time to shop for a new shower or check on flooring yet.  Always something going on.


From the camera . . .

On of the bedrooms a the historic hotel we stayed at over the weekend.


One of my simple pleasures . . .
Target practice


Praying . . .
Friends, Family, special requests.  While we were on our weekend trip, a MI motorcyclist riding a 3 wheel bike on the highway passed away.  A tire came off, throwing him into the concrete median and he died on the scene.  There were tons and motorcycles out this past weekend due to the change in weather.  The accident was in our county.

Happy Homemaker Monday

It's Monday and I'm joining Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  You know, many years ago, when I attempted to do the cleaning routine from a book author, I revised my own routine.  I can't remember the book, but I signed up for the daily emails and it was very overwhelming.  I got tons and tons of emails on what to clean and organize.  I deleted the program she offered and simply made up my own routine.  

Monday became my "attack it with gusto" day so my week would start out fresh and clean.  So far I've managed most of the my list on Monday.  

Also, here is a cleaning tip:  if I'm taking off for a weekend getaway (which doesn't happen often enough), I clean the bathroom the day before we leave, and finish up laundry.  I I also make sure the kitchen is cleaned up, dishes washed sink empty etc.  When I return, I don't feel like I have jumped back into reality too fast, or add more stress from a chaotic home.


On the breakfast plate . . .

Happy Homemaker Monday

Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  This photo is not from today, but if the weather is good, I'll be using my clothesline next week.

On the breakfast plate. . .
Farm fresh eggs, toast and coffee


The weather outside is . . .
Snow.  Enough to delay school today.  More like slush out there, but enough to make roads slippery.


Right now I am . . .

. . . thankful.  Thankful we found a truck load of split wood for only $60.  Snow moved in too quickly for us to cut our own.  I'm also secretly hoping school is closed.  I could use an extra hand at decorating the cake today.


Thinking . . .
It's gonna be a busy week.  We have a birthday dinner to have, and a wedding in the family.  Oh, and Daughter's Cosmetology speech contest is this week too.  Also, I'm "wait-listed" for a March craft show.  By the time I found out about it, it was already booked full.  Our Army daughter's Co. was deployed, but she didn't have to go.  There were too many with her job apparently.


On the reading pile . . .
Library crafting books (lots of them, ha ha!)


On the TV . . .
Whatever looks good on netflix


On the to-do list . . .
-bake a birthday cake
-laundry
-canning, but it may get pushed into next week
-Work out
-fold dried laundry that's been on the drying racks
-clean down cobwebs, and dust
-sweep and mop the kitchen
-sanitize kitchen counters etc.
-take trash out
-make a breakfast scramble or frittata
-make homemade dog food
-vacuum carpets



On the menu . . .
Monday:  Meatballs/BBQ sauce, wild rice, brussel sprouts
Tues:  Chicken spaghetti, corn, beets, birthday cake and ice cream
Wed: Chili, cornbread
Thurs:  leftovers
Fri:  Baked chimichangas and steamed broccoli
Sat:  leftovers
Sun:  have no idea yet, depends on leftover status


What I am creating . . .

Booties, knitted dishcloth, more pot holders.  Trying to think of something new as well, as spring craft shows are booking now.


Looking around the house . . .
Just need to tidy up for a birthday dinner tomorrow.


On the camera. . .

We had a very short, but beautiful sunrise Sunday morning.

Praying for . . .

Us, the kids

from the handiwork journal . . .

...finished the blueberry hot pad set.

. . . finally finished the knitted dishcloth.  Started another set and also finished it.  I literally sold this set I put together right after I put it up on my other blog (who also ordered the second set).

....got more of the yellow netting cut, but still need to cut pink as well.

....finished a coral set of hot pads.  Started a yellow set.

. . . finished a hat for myself, and I love it.  It's very warm.  I will use this pattern for making some to sell for next year's craft shows.  I hope I can get more colors at a good price.

...crocheted these paw print ornaments for the fall craft show.

...crocheted a few cows.  Just need to get eyes on the cats next. 

. . . got a set of coffee cup coasters done.

. . . I got a few more wine cork Christmas trees done. I'll put up a "how-to" soon on my S.C.R.A.P. blogspot.

The clock is ticking closer to the craft show, with a holiday in between it all (3 for us, sigh...), so I'm busy, busy, busy with handiwork.

I'm up early to get the fire stoked.  We got snow last night.  I'll be working on more wine cork Christmas trees.   I can't believe I'm finally using them all up (and no I didn't drink all that, ha ha!  I had a restaurant save them for me many years ago and found them cleaning my closet).

Happy Homemaker Monday

I'm joining Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom today - 1/12/2015.

The weather outside is. . .

On the breakfast plate this morning . . .

I kind of made this up as I went.  I'm out of bacon, so I simply made it with baby kale and beets - breakfast quiche.  I opened a jar of home canned (spiced) beets for this breakfast.  The ingredients I used:  onion, garlic, chopped baby kale, fresh eggs, Greek yogurt, beets (canned spiced beets from this past garden season), and salt and pepper.  It was actually pretty good.  I saved some for Hubby.

Winter has arrived, and other homestead ramblings

It rained here again.  No big news, considering our monsoon year.  In with a bang, out with a bang.  Although it is a new year, so it can stop now.

I'll let you know of the weatherman was right.  We are to get an inch of snow tomorrow.  We haven't had any snow that has stayed this winter yet.

Prosperous Weekend

(garden before we tilled it)

 
The garden is getting back into shape.  We secured the pea fence again, dug out the plastic and stakes, and mowed down weeds.  We started to till it, and get it ready for next year.  We battled tons of mutant lady bugs though.  Just standing to take the photo, I ended up covered in them.  I moved back pretty far to take the photo, and even then, you can't see all of it.

Weekend Updates

(Today's rain)

We've had a few dry days, but planting hasn't happened.  Hubby is over worked and sick, and tilling wasn't going to get done.  I may have to hire someone for some work around the outside of the house as well.  It's frustrating, but I can't change his work schedule.  We have lost one jalapeno plant to the last storm, and maybe one tomato, but all others still look good.

Saturday I ran errands all over the "big city." Picked up chicken feed, stopped at the bank, visited Mom and took her some lasagna, stopped at the grocery store and finally found organic fresh broccoli, and picked up another 453# of mulch.  Had to load the darn bags myself, since they only had one guy helping and it was too hot to just sit and wait for him. 

....when I'm unsupervised. 

I also picked up some solar lights for what little garden I have planted.  I am trying to deter the deer, coyote and other critters now.

Jesse stopped eating his food again, so I cooked a farm fresh egg for him and he finally ate.  Poor ol' dog.

Sunday, Hubby's only day off, we awoke to more rain.  

It's now occurred to me that with the crops not planted and the massive amounts of deer we've seen (more than ever before), that I need to get a dog and walk it around the property lines.  Daughter took Jesse to the park for the day and with him gone, I was lost without a dog for the day.  Fence is back on the list.

It's already been one heck of a morning.  Tiger flew out the door when I went out to take Jesse out. Took me an hour to get him back in.  Darn cat!  Looks like I will be getting out a hand saw and doing some of Hubby's outdoor chores.  They have to get done, and we can't really hire help.  Wish me luck this week, and maybe next week too.



It's a balmy, humid (88%) 70°F at 5:23am.  Rain is in the forecast again.  Yes, you heard me right.  More rain.  90% of farmers have not planted their crops, and my green bell peppers are starting to look terrible (no planted).

I was inspired to read a book by this author after our visit to the Alcatraz Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge.  The book explains how the author got his experience in forensics.

He was a forensics specialist and used his knowledge to write fiction books.  It just inspired me to read one of his books.  I've already ordered his first fiction book to read.

I'm also reading through old "writer" magazines I had bagged and stashed  in my bedroom closet.  I'm determined to clean them all out of there and actually read them.  Otherwise I'll be tempted to stash them back in the closet, and we don't want that happening.

I borrowed this movie from the library.  I love books, so I enjoyed this movie, however the ending is a bit of a downer.  I do recommend it if you love books.  You'll be reading a book or buying a book after watching it.

 Remember these kits I put together?  I decided it needed one more item in it....

A pair of reading glasses. I may buy more smaller eye needles and add a few of those for crochet thread projects.

I hate it when this happens - yarn imperfection.  Good thing I wasn't that far into crocheting this square.

. . . making granny squares for a Christmas present (scarf), another knitted dishcloth, Christmas ornaments and painting mini clipboards (which is on halt due to humidity).  More on all of these later.

Hubby refused to see a doctor at Urgent care Sunday (hmpf).  I got up and started breakfast Sunday.  He later got up and did the eggs for these omelets we had.  Wild violet jelly on the English muffin.  So good!

Sorry the post was so long today.  Hope you enjoyed it!

More Finished Gifts

I finally finished the baby bonnet and booties for the expected baby next month.  I used two free patterns from the Internet - Granny Square Baby Bonnet and a bootie pattern on Bernat yarn site (you have to register to print it).

Wonky, fra-dazzled day....

I started the day by skipping my work out one more time.  I just thought another day of resting up was in order.

After working outdoors, which seemed rather short, I gravitated to the kitchen.

The night before must have started something, or it's these meds that are making me feel wonky.  I had to rip out an entire, almost completely done, knitted dishcloth.  I have no idea where I messed up, nor how.  I have made quite a few, and this was not such a happy moment.

Back to yesterday. . .

Happy Homemaker Monday

I'm joining Sandra today at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy Homemaker Monday. 

Now that we have gotten through Hubby's birthday and mine, and Mother's Day, it's back to the grind.  I was lucky to hear from 3 of my kids on Mother's Day, and a few on my birthday, but tickled that one actually came over to visit me yesterday. 

I just love the wind chime she brought me, along with all the other goodies.

I don't try to expect anything for my birthday nor Mother's Day.  My kids are not the best at calling or even texting, but sure know how to show up when it's their birthdays.  I'll be making changes to that this year.  

Hubby is still working a lot of hours.  He worked 2nd shift last night, getting home after midnight and has to return this morning for first.  But bless is heart for giving some cash to our youngest daughter, so she could go out and buy me a birthday card, cheesecake, flowers and a gift card.  She also wrote me a long Mother's day letter and left it at my "blog station" as she called it.  Bless her heart and for my very tired Hubby making sure I had a nice birthday and Mother's Day.  

And...and yes Hubby gets the award for making my weekend special.  He got home after midnight Saturday night, and got up and made that delicious breakfast (see below), he also took me to a local ice cream shop and brought me home some Amaretto Cherry ice cream.  The business is local, and voted the top ten ice cream stores in the US.  The ice cream was delicious.  He also bought me locally made potato chips and some chicago style popcorn (which is addicting).


On the breakfast plate . . .
Eggs and toast, but this is what Hubby got up and made me for Mother's Day breakfast:

It was so good - potatoes, green bell pepper, onions, bacon, and cheese.  Oh my do I miss his omelets.  It just made my morning.  And toast with wild violet jelly.  Oh my...

The weather . . .
Even though days have passed since I last updated on the rain, as of today, once again 15 days of predicted rain.  We have been hanging around in the lower 50's, cold and cloudy.  We may see a heat up, but the rain hasn't gone away just yet.  I have not even been able to till the garden to prep it for planting.  We should be planting this week.  It's raining this morning.


On my reading pile . . .
A book from the library.  If I get time to start reading it, I'll let you know.


On my TV . . .
Movies we borrowed from the library


On the menu . . .
Chicken spaghetti, asparagus
Tuna and noodle, beets
Pesto past of some sort
....have no idea as we get back to normal around here


New recipe I want to try . . .
Hot Taco Dip, Freezer meat sauce


On my to do list . . .
-master bath
-bedding, laundry
-dust
-tidy up computer area
-try and fix vacuum (urgh)
-make a meat sauce to freeze (may not happen this week)
-check asparagus
-deliver soap saver bags to the massage business to sell
-make granola bars



Looking around the house . . .
I have a vase with a rose in it, and a vase with mixed fresh flowers.  Just makes me smile and gave a good day.


From the camera . . .

A cardinal came to the window last Saturday and chirped until I came to the window.  Just so beautiful.


What I am creating . . .
Still finishing up a knitted dishcloth, and actually had some time alone to start on these new items:

Hand crocheted teabag travel totes.  I'll have them up for sale as soon as I get my house back in order.


One of my simple pleasures . . .
Lighting some candles and taking a long relaxing soak in the tub.


Prayers . . . 
A special request from a friend who said her husband is in the hospital, one friend who had surgery, and other personal requests.