blueberry morning

Happy Homemakers Monday

It is heating up again. This week we will zoom up into the 90's during the day. The AC is still off thus far, it is now lunchtime, but it could be switched on by tonight or tomorrow. I find it takes a couple of days for the changing of the temps to affect the inside of the house fully. There is a slight breeze now though.

I am siting on the screened porch watching the butterflies flit from butterfly bush to zinnia drinking sweet nectar, all in the bright sunshine. The tufted titmouse's are feeding on the feeder at my side and I hear their chatter. 

The farmer in the field next to our home is cutting his hay for the second time this year. I love to hear the sounds of the tractors and just thinking about harvesting in general always gives me a lift of hope. There is a substantial hedgerow there that borders our property with this field so I only glimpse the very small part of the tractor in certain areas of our yard. I was upstairs and glanced out the window to see his red tractor go by earlier. It is a huge field so it takes quite some time for him to get back around to our border.

The blueberries have been in abundance this year and I have had the opportunity to pick sweet delicious organic berries at a friend's house, her treat. This morning I baked a dozen blueberry muffin for breakfast. My freezer is packed with blueberries for the coming year.

I feel rich.

I have  been quite active this morning already. A long walk at the ridge and then some gardening, picking beans and pulling up a patch of dead sunflowers stalks out front. I had dressed in a green cotton skirt and a linen top for my morning's outside work. 

Venturing 

I will be leaving the house around 3:30 this afternoon heading to a town about an hour away for an Investment Club I am still a member of though I have moved out of state. I have thought of selling out, but I do enjoy this group of ladies and I am actively learning about the stock market which I am sure I would not be doing if I was not involved with this group on a monthly basis. We have an advisor from Merrill Lynch who keeps us on our toes, especially when we get assigned to the Portfolio and New Investment committees.

Menu Planning this week. Well, we have foods in the freezer from last year that need to be eaten now, like kale, swiss chard, turnip greens, and field peas. These are some foods we are preparing our soil for a fall planting this week. Ergo, my menu plans will incorporate these foods. The greens foods are easy as a side dish or if even thawed and cooked they can be tossed in with certain pasta or egg dishes. And we will be having egg dishes this week too due to the abundance of eggs.

This is last year's turnips.

My husband has requested spaghetti so that will be on our plates  this week.

And I have so many cans of salmon. We enjoy salmon patties and I can prepare this meal in a short period of time served alongside potatoes and probably one of the greens, kale, from the freezer.

Reading

I posted my 2024 Reading List. I am happy to report that when I finish East Of Eden I will have completed all the books on this list. 

Planning

Without fail I am embraced by feelings from my past regarding what happened at this time of year for over thirty years. I would spend the summer months planning our homeschool curriculum and just about now we would be  ready to open the new materials and begin a fresh new school year. It was one of the most exciting times for me personally. But that has been four years since I had as student in the home so this year in a burst of mind activity I decided why should I stop! I've always loved learning, that is what I attempted to teach my children, to be lifetime learners.

But, I need a plan to stick with and this was the year to do so without any reservations. I will be blogging a post on the specifics later this week if anyone is interested. But I am already  super motivated. I am even enlisting my husband to go along with me with one of the subjects.

Embroidering/Sewing

I finished the Thimble Pip. By the way this pattern is the second stitching item I have completed from Lorna Bateman's book, Country Gardens. 

I sit on the porch for a little while every early evening and hand quilt while listening to a new podcast I just discovered.

The Art of Home.

Bible and Memorization

 Daily devotional reading: I Kings 13 and II Thessalonians 5

I have memorized up to Hebrews 3:1-4. For my method of Scripture memorization I learn at least a new verse every day or two. And I review what I have already memorized. This takes about 15- 20 minutes a day of concentrated work. During the day you can use some mind time going over whatever verses you would like.

"Give me a moment to cry for joy. 

It's so delicious to cry for joy."

~Charles Dickens

Our Mutual Friend

After I had left the front porch where I had sat while doing my quiet time, this is what I saw from the front door, my two outside cats enjoying the morning sun.

Louie is the red hairy one in the top, he is old.

And Myrtle, the tabby who we adopted when we moved here. She must have belonged to the man who last lived here and died; she welcomed and loved us from the beginning.

I am on to my housekeeping chore of the day, ironing.

today with Happy Homemaker Monday

G.K. Chesterton says,

“There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there. The other is to walk round the whole world till we come back to the same place ...”

                                                  one morning at sunrise

Happy Homemaker Monday

In keeping with the dominant calling, or I will even go as far as to call it a dominant purpose/role in my life, which is to celebrate being the woman God created me to be and through the careful study  and instruction of His Word to live as a woman content as being foremost a keeper of the home. I am as an older woman even told to encourage the younger woman in her godly role.

So I decided this was a solid place to post what most of us know to be the best calling. Thank you Sandra for getting us all connected!

*Outside 

It is still hot, yet the mornings give a bit of a reprieve. Only 68 degrees this morning. The weather channel online reports even cooler mornings this week, dipping down in the high 50's. Daytime temps will adjust to high 70's low 80's. Bring it on!!!!

*What concerns me right now in attention and thoughts

Preparing for a major change in my husband and my lives as we forego application for SSA and Medicare. When did this all come to be????? Let me warn you ladies it takes some research and counsel with options and such, especially the Medicare that is not free and is basically a socialist program that has evolved over the years. I do not have enough points to claim SSA on my own, yet our government still allows me to receive half of my husband's FRA and Medicare on his account.

My husband and I have been careful with spending and and we have been able to save for our retirement accounts through the years. We are very thankful. I know how hard it can be when you are younger and everything is so expensive and you have mouths to feed and bodies to clothe and braces and... but you will appreciate any effort you made it in the days ahead. Make a plan and do not get carried away with the culture's idea of "living only for the moment" and the need to be spending money you do not really have to spend. Staying home helps😊. And maybe heavily limiting shopping on Amazon and online sites. Your plan is individual for sure and you might not be able to save much, but do make a plan...every bit you manage to save adds up over time.

Food: Preserving and Daily Preparation

The summer garden is slowing down, that is all but the green beans that have taken on new life with all the rain. I pick about every other day. I pressure can pint jars with the extras, and I am  thinking of making a few jars of dilly beans with the next pickings.  We continue to eat delicious servings of greens beans with our meals.

Today I plan to take some chicken breasts and prepare a chicken fry with onions, peppers, garlic, red, yellow and orange peppers, curry paste, and zucchini. This will be served over rice alongside a green salad.

Breakfasts mostly consist of eggs and toast. Though I am hankering for a bowl of oatmeal. We just have so many fresh eggs from the hens.

Lunch is dependent if my husband is here for lunch, then I must be more intentional. Today was tuna salad with crackers, watermelon and pears.

As for the rest of the week's dinner menus:

Tuesday...Fried chicken  with mashed potatoes/gravy and you guessed it, green beans.

My husband has been asking me to fry some pieces of chicken for dinner. I will cut up a whole chicken and fry half of it saving the other half for another dish. I use either coconut oil or palm fruit shortening for frying.

Wednesday... I thinking of serving a one dish meal that I found on Pinterest. Lemon Ricotta  Pasta with arugula

Served with fruit.

Thursday...salmon cakes/potato salad/greens

Friday...Pizza using this cottage cheese crust.

 Cottage Cheese Recipe

1 cup cottage cheese. Process in food processor until smooth.

Add 4 eggs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning. Mix this all together with the smooth cottage cheese.

Spread ins a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes. Check as it cooks, it should just golden brown.

 Pull it out of the oven and add any sauce, cheese, and other toppings. I made one using an olive oil base with pesto,  sliced tomatoes, feta cheese. It was quite delicious.

*Reading

I am presently reading two books that are a part of my 2024 Reading List. This list will be posted sometime this week on this blog. If you would like to read the list you might want to check back...

East of Eden by John Steinback

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

*Gentle Arts

My hands have been itching to begin some new stitching ventures. But first I must complete several things I have been working on, or at least complete most of the things I have started.

This needle pip that my sewing guild began last spring is first on the list. The embroidery has been done on both sides and the construction of the pip is complete.  I am embroidering Palestrina stitch around the outside.  

Excuse the lighting. A storm had come up quickly. we even lost power for a bit and I had to delay finishing this post.

Also, cotton dish cloths are knitted as I travel in the car on short trips. So easy and mindless and very practical in the finished item. I am knitting them in yellows and blues, using up balls that I had in my stash.

The quilt I hand pieced throughout the cold winter months and began hand quilting just as spring arrived has been existing a dormant life over the summer, but just recently I have picked it up to do some handquilting a few evenings...so much pleasure in that craft.

The natural light from the window in the corner of the dining room was an excellent place to quilt. Here I was also altering Ivy's flower girl dress for Charlotte's wedding. back in April.

I begin most mornings outside on the front porch where many mornings I behold the sunrise.I sing praises to my LORD and I pray and read HIs word. I have been in Hebrews and I Thessalonians. I am memorizing Hebrews chapter 2.

"Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (verse 17).

                                       

  Blessings!

HHM

 It is past 8 o'clock on this Monday evening and I am just now sitting down to post on

Sandra's Happy Homemaker Monday. What with Ivy being here all week and the Holy Days celebration there was much to get caught up on this day.

The Weather : This morning while it was still dark, I heard the Warning Alerts go off on our phones...I must confess I did not immediately get up and check what was going on, I could hear the strong winds and heavy rains so I knew it was a rather vigorous storm. But what I did discover when I finally got up was a Tornado warning alert for my area, saying we were to take cover. Vigorous winds blew throughout the morning hours bringing warmth and clear skies creating a very pleasant day.

This Morning: I was missing Ivy. Every time I heard even a whisper of noise, I thought it was her coming down the stairs as she did each morning. I had to get out of bed early if I was to have any time alone before she would join me with her sleepy hair.  Most mornings I would get up around 5, so I was sleeping at least one hour less every night.

On my Mind: Older children. As hard as it during those busy, tiring days of infancy, toddlerhood, childhood and teenage years, there is a definite distinction that plays out with children that have grown up and left your home. It can be difficult and very straining to a mama's heart at times.

Breakfast: Served later than normal. My husband slept through the storm evidently and I did not waken him. But we did decide to prepare a full breakfast of sausage, eggs, grits and sourdough pancakes.

From my camera:  While I was putting the finishing touches on our Sunday Dinner yesterday, being Resurrection Day, Charlotte hid some plastic eggs allowing Ivy delight in finding them scattered throughout the green grass and gardens. 

Around the House: Quite a bit of putting up, especially all the books I pulled out from shelves and storage containers this week to read to Ivy. So much fun to read to children...of all ages!

Chores of the Week:  I am putting up my heavier sweaters and wool clothes. That means I am at the same time pulling out my warm weather seasonal clothes. Plans are to give a thorough cleaning to the cabinet under my kitchen sink this week too. 

To relax this week:

 🦋Baths, actually I came home from traveling to meet up with Rose last night and took a rather soothing one.

 🦋Drink tea. 

🦋Write and draw in one of my Notebooks. This particular one being a combination of a Calendar of Firsts, Commonplace, and Nature Study book.

🦋Long Walks

His Word: We are reading Joshua 24 as we are coming to the close of the Precepts study of Joshua and I continue to ponder how much we have learned in this study.

"Now fear the LORD and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...

But as for me and my house we will serve the LORD." (v. 14-15)

This is the fourth year Charlotte along with four of her friends have gotten together weekly during the school year to complete a Precept Bible Study.

Glorious ... Happy Homemaker Monday

Holy Week is emerging into full bloom with the day showing forth His glory in great display. I have always been especially delighted when the days before Resurrection Sunday are glorious in sunshine and warm temperatures.

The old routines of daily household duties continue on as any homemaker knows, but it appears I am developing other routines too by posting on Happy Homemaker Monday,though today is looking quite different around my house. We met up with Rose at a rest stop in the next state (yes, the rest stops are still open) and we enjoyed a quick picnic together. Ivy is now with us for the entire week.

Weather:  Perfect. Yes, we could do with some rain and the week's forecast (which is ever changing) predicts that it will rain on Resurrection Sunday, but today is sunny and warm which allows us to be outside and to sleep under opened windows, and later in the week to garden and lay mulch. Every day a springtime gift!

This Morning: After our trip to pick up Ivy, I was tired. Riding in a car seems to do that to me. I was sleeping rather soundly when into my consciousness I heard my husband say,"Cathy, Ivy has come downstairs and she is standing by your side of the bed". It was dark and it was early, but not too early to get up. So you could say I was abruptly awakened and my day began immediately with a talkative four year old. Now I remember why I purposely chose to get up by five o'clock when my children were younger in order to get some quiet time. 

I am thinking: About buying shoes for Ivy in spite of not being able to go to the store and have her growing feet fitted. I used this site for fitting her here at home. I plan to order her shoes online from local the Target and stop by to pick them up later today.

On My Breakfast Plate: I began with coffee, hot and strong! Ivy was given two sweet dried plums( yes, prunes... but we call them sweet plums because doesn't it sound much more lovely?) sprinkled with powdered sugar and a small glass of almond milk. When husband got up I prepared a breakfast of toast with butter and honey with fried eggs.

On My Reading Pile: When my boys were growing up evening Read Alouds were the norm. We read through so much great literature. There were times that we would be so absorbed in the chapter books and if I even seemed to suggest stopping until the next time, my eldest son would exclaim,"Please don't stop Mama, I will rub your head!"
We finished reading The Hiding Place the other day; I literally wept as I read the last chapter. Now we are onto reading the Little Britches books by Ralph Moody. So good!
My own personal reading is the same as last week. Other than this book, which I read every morning, another excellent group of devotional readings for this season.

Menu Planning: These weekly menus are subject to change and usually do take a bit of a turn and curve.
Monday- Chicken and Dumplings and green salad
Tuesday-  Lemon Tuscan Chicken on the grill
Wednesday-Hamburgers
Thursday-Mac and Cheese and Salad
Friday-
Saturday-
Sunday- Usually we have lamb, but this year we might have turkey since I am cooking the foods in my freezer and there is a turkey breast needing to be roasted.

On My Camera: In the playhouse...where little girls play.

Around the House: I am now remembering what it was like to live with a preschooler!  My days are completely, but satisfyingly aroused with activity of a disparate sort. But I am enjoying having her help me fold the laundry, and  I am managing to get a few things done here and there while always being engaged with her. Right now I am in the guest bedroom while she is napping. I am having a quiet moment too😊.

Devotional: "Then they spit in His face and struck him" Matthew 26:67
Charles Surgeon uses this verse for a sermon and  I am sharing just a briefest truth here, "There are two thoughts that come to my mind when I think that these wicked men did actually spit in Christ's face-in that face which is the light of heaven, the joy of angels, the bliss of saints, and the very brightness of the Father's glory. This spitting shows us first, how far sin will go. If we want proof of the depravity of the heart of man, I will not point you to the stews of Sodom and Gomorrah, not will I take you to the places where blood is shed in streams by wretches like to Herod and men of that sort. No, the clearest proof that man is utterly fallen, and that the natural heart is enmity against God, is seen in the act that they did spit in Chris't face, did falsely accuse him, and condemn him, and lead him out as a malefactor, and hang him up as a felon that he might die upon the cross. What evil had he done?"

my day recorded on Happy Homemaker Monday

To purpose to blog on a more regular basis, I am happy for the inspiration that comes from participating in things such as Sandra's Happy Homemaker Monday. 

When you are a homemaker, Mondays  are not blue or hateful, they are welcomed as a wonderful beginning of a week of homemaking.

🌷The weather...

After two days of temperatures suited more for summer than late March,

          today spring is shouting in all her glory with 75 degrees, sunny with a soft breeze.

Rain is coming tomorrow with cooler temps back into the 50's. 

🌷My morning's feeling...

Back to lightweight robes in the morning, and bare feet. I wanted to open the windows in the kitchen first thing,  but the temps had cooled down during the night so there was still a spring-like chill in the air. 

🌷On the breakfast plate...

   * 1/2 of a grapefruit

   * a slice of buttered sourdough toast

    *1 butter-fried egg

🌷On the reading pile...

     I finished reading One of Ours by Willa Cather. I have yet to read anything by Cather that I have not enjoyed reading. I gave this novel a five-star on Goodreads.

     Daily I read several chapters of The Confession by St. Augustine, and I do believe this particular translation is an excellent one.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom is our present family read- aloud book. 

And I have just begun reading The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West.

🌷On TV...

Sadly, the All Creatures Great and Small DVD's came to and end, and while I still hum the music in my mind from time to time, we we are on to the John Adams videos put out by HBO several years back. Reliving a part of our country's history.

🌷This Weeks Menu Plans...

Monday- Meat loaf/potatoes/peas 

Tuesday-Fish with slaw

Wednesday-Chicken/Rice/Broccoli Casserole

Thursday-Pasta dish of some sort

Friday-Homemade Pizza

🌷On my Camera...

I made this gardening apron many years ago and it works great when I am working in the garden. See the plaid binding around the pocket?  It's the simple things!

🌷 Today's Chores...

         *Vacuuming the kitchen

         *Two loads of Laundry, washed, folded and put away

🌷Around the House...

Two things I want to mention here. Firstly, I cut up raw whole chicken for preparing certain dishes.  I remember my mother doing this when I was a child (back in the "olden days" when one did not have the choice of buying chickens any other way but whole). I still buy boneless skinless chicken breasts for some of my meals, however.

And secondly, I do not use paper napkins. I have cloth napkins that we use for every meal. Usually,  the napkins...one for each person... are good for the day. We just fold them neatly and put them on the back of our chairs.  If company is coming I removed the napkins. They are tossed into the dirty laundry at the end of supper every evening.

🌷In my Potager...

* A few small pansies  planted in the fairy garden

*Weeding some of the beds that are flourishing with chickweed and garlic chives!

*Pulling out the wintering baskets of potted plants

*Turning the compost

🌷Relaxing...

          I took a 45 minute walk this morning.

"Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day..."

~Jane Austen

🌷Prayers/ Devotions...

This morning I prayed  a prayer understanding fully He will answer it according to His will, yet He does tell us to ask...Resurrection Sunday is less than two weeks away, and with the social distancing and the closing of  most church gatherings, I am praying specifically that the weather will be wonderfully warm and sunny so we can meet outside with fellow church members that are willing on that day.

My Resurrection Season Reading was about Christ Jesus drinking the full cup of God's wrath that I might drink the full cup of His salvation. 

"O my Father, if this cup cannot pass from me, but that I must drink it, Thy will be done."

Matthew 26:42

I

a monday in march

"Monday, Monday so good to me..."

Perhaps you are familiar with the words of the song sang by the Mamas and the Papas in the 1960s?

 Mondays bring another opportunity to join up with with some of you wonderful homemakers on Sandra's Happy Homemaker Monday.

*The Weather...☁️
Today the sky is pearly white, no sun but plenty of light. Thankful I am for my warm house slippers today since the day is cooler and as I am here at home doing my Monday things.

*How I am feeling...
It is actually afternoon now, Monday morning has long gone.  I do not turn on my computer until later in the day, never first thing in the morning. Today has been one of those days of conversations, mostly through the telephone, but also conversations with visitors stopping by for one thing or another. And the conversations always managed to give the reaction everyone is having in regard to the Coronavirus. Not one of us is short on opinions concerning all the closings.

*On my mind...
The Ladies Tea my church is hosting which is scheduled for this Saturday afternoon. I am
 " in charge" so the little details are pressing on my mind here and there.

*In my handiwork basket...
I completed my cross stitch sampler on the 32 count linen fabric I began back in the fall. I must confess I had to wear reading glasses to see the small fabric squares.

*Around the house...
...Fermenting cabbage and carrots
... Several loads of laundry, since it is Monday
...Vacuuming cat hair from the cushions in the sun room

*This week's menu plans...
Monday-Sausage/onions with polenta and green salad
Tuesday- Chicken Saltimbocca with green salad
Wednesday-Pork Chop, potatoes, and broccoli
Thursday-
Friday-

*On my camera...

Preparation for fermenting cabbage

 Jumping outside at the Art Museum last week.  Our train of thought ran something like this, if our teenage daughters could do it, than why not us?

*Praying...
In the book, A Praying Life, by Paul Miller, praying with the use of prayer cards is discussed in a simple, laid out manner. I have incorporated my own form of these cards into my early morning prayer time and have found it an extremely helpful method.

*Bible...
Joshua  Precept Bible Study for the week is in Joshua 19 and 20, the land allotments. I am finding the book of Joshua filled with life applications.

Wash your hands and carry on...

Happy Homemaker Monday

It looks like spring, it feels like spring, and it sounds like spring...is it spring? No, my dears, not yet. But today I went outside and certainly hugged some spring!

Homemaking is something near and dear to my heart, so it only stands to reason I highly appreciate women that have embraced the lifestyle of full-time homemaking, women of all ages. So I thought I would try something new this week by linking up with Sandra at

The weather:
69 degrees, sunny, not a cloud to observe in a gorgeous blue sky. But rain is coming later in the week along with even warmer temperatures, so they say. Daylight savings time is making itself known a bit, dark in the mornings once again when I arise, but oh, let's concentrate on the longer light evenings shall we?

Right now I am:
Sitting in my sun-infused parlor. We always eat dinner early on Monday nights because Charlotte has dance class at 6:00. The dishwasher is waiting to be loaded,  supper pans to be scrubbed,  and counters to be washed before I can call it a night.

I am thinking:
About  our little venture tomorrow to our state's Art Museum about an hours drive away. This semester Charlotte has been doing an art survey class, therefore, viewing works of art close up seemed a good thing.

On my reading pile:
Only two books are currently being read from my self-imposed 2020 Reading Challenge.

The Confessions by St. Augustine

One of Ours by Willa Cather

On the TV:
 Truly, there is little I enjoy watching on the television. But since my husband does enjoy a good movie now and then, I will spend some evenings watching the telly with him. Plus, it is an excellent time to knit!😊
Lately, we are watching All Creatures Great and Small. This series is entertainment at its best. If you have not been introduced to this series your are missing a treat. The first time we watched them was in 2014 on Netflix, and since we enjoyed them so much then I purchased them for my husband that Christmas.

Menu Planning:
 Monday...BBQ chicken, Dirty Rice, sautéed kale, and a fresh green salad with raw vegetables
Tuesday...Chili and green salad
Wednesday... Fish,???
Thursday...Macaroni and Cheese and salad
Friday...Hamburgers, Sweet Potato fries
This is a tentative plan. Rose and Ivy are arriving  onThursday and on Friday we are having the family over for hamburgers and a birthday party.

Looking forward this week:
 To Rose and Ivy coming and celebrating Ivy's fourth birthday.  I have not  put my arms around and kissed these girls since Christmas!

Around the house today:
Chicken stock simmering...I like to simmer mine for 24 hours.
Two loves of bread baked
Chili cooked and is in the refrigerator for tomorrow night's dinner since we will be out all day tomorrow.
Three loads of laundry, washed, dried, folded and put away.
Kitchen floor vacuumed
Kitchen cabinets washed

From my camera:

From my walk this morning, a forest of bamboo...

A few of the things included on my Prayer List:
*My sweet mother-in law who fell and broke her right wrist and had to have shoulder replacement surgery. We wished we lived closer to her.
*Our nation and our President
*Israel

"I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I am helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God, it changes me."

~C.S. Lewis

Charlotte and I spend the time after breakfast reading the Bible with a plan that enables you to read the entire Bible in a year, today's reading was from Numbers 15 and 16, and Acts 18. My daily devotional reading was in I Kings this morning.