Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Blessed with Yarn

I mentioned in my previous post, which you can read here, that I had been gifted a whole lot of yarn, and not just any kind of yarn, I'm talking Mohair, Angora, Cotton, Cotton Linen, Wool etc, most of it from France.

I am truly blessed to have received such a beautiful gift and my mind is already reeling with thoughts of what I can make with it. It might even come in hand for some beautiful Christmas presents.

Anyway, let me show you what I got and why I'm so excited, and I'll also link any patterns that I have in mind for these. If you have any suggestions on the use of any or all of these, please leave them down below.

In the world of yarn, I've really just stuck to the cheapest which means Walmart Red Heart Super Saver and though I enjoy working with it, sometimes it's nice to have beautiful expensive yarn at your fingertips.

This beautiful wool is going to become either a scarf or a cowl. I'm thinking something inspired by Outlander for sure because the colors remind me of some of the knitted cowls, shawls and wrist warmers that Claire wears.

Gorgeous Angora. I have never worked with Angora before so I am not sure what to make with it, again if anyone has any ideas, or good projects, please let me know.

For these I'm thinking of making the Campside Shawl.

How gorgeous is this mohair? I only have this single skein so I don't know if I'll be able to make anything at all.

And for the yarn above, the cotton linen, I'm thinking of making this wrap. I am definitely going to have to get my knitting skills polished, it's been many many years since I've knitted anything of substance, as I prefer to crochet instead.

I'm not entirely sure what I'll be doing with this cotton.

Truly the possibilities are endless. It's the small things in life that bring me the most joy, I know many people would find none of this too exciting, but for me it's like receiving a huge Christmas present in September.

Can't wait to get started :)

6 comments

, by Sandra

book review

The First Signs of April by Mary-Elizabeth Briscoe

Wounds fester and spread in the darkness of silence. The swirling reds, oranges, and yellows of fall’s foliage dance alongside Mary-Elizabeth Briscoe like flames as she tears through the winding back roads of the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont. Desperate to outrun memories that flood her mind, no matter how hard she rolls her motorcycle’s throttle, she cannot escape them.

Shut down and disconnected, Briscoe has lived her life in silence in order to stay alive. Her grief is buried, and shame is the skin that wraps around her bones—but then, following the brutal murder of a local teacher, she is forced as a grief counselor to face her lifetime of unresolved sorrow. Will she finally be able to crack the hard edges of her heart and allow in the light of truth so real healing can occur?

About the Author:

Mary-Elizabeth Briscoe is a licensed mental health counselor currently on sabbatical from her private psychotherapy practice in northeastern Vermont. She currently spends her time between Cape Cod, Vermont, and Ireland. She has a masters degree in clinical mental health counseling from Lesley University and is a licensed clinical mental health counselor and a Certified Trauma Professional. She has been a lecturer for Springfield College School of Professional and Continuing Studies St. Johnsbury, Vermont campus. She has contributed to Cape Woman Online and Sweatpants and Coffee magazine. This is her first book.

Visit her website, her Facebook, and on Twitter.

My thoughts:

I wouldn't say that this book was easy to read, but I think it's due to the fact that it focuses, or rather, brings to light, something that our family has been going through this year.

Grief.

The death of a loved one, and the pain and confusion, anger and everything that comes with grieving, and at times NOT grieving that person.

Mary-Elizabeth takes us on an emotional roller coaster of a ride, as she herself goes through life trying to hide the pain of losing someone near and dear. This pain itself catapults her into becoming a grief counselor, but as she comes face to face with the grief of a client she is trying to help, she must look within her own heart and allow some very sad, heartbreaking and difficult moments in her past, to rear their ugly head.

Through it all we are able to see who she really is, and gain some insight into how we can deal with our own grief.

Quite an interesting book and I think it would be helpful for anyone going through the loss of a loved one.

1 comments

, by Sandra

crochet

Chucking it down!!!

I always say that if I want something to happen, all I need is to talk about it and BAM there it is.

My mother in law and father in law, stopped by on Sunday evening on their way back home to Sherman. They just came to drop off some yarn for me. I know......yarnnnnnnn!!!
Well it was actually from another family member, Rowena, who is this amazing sweet lady that I'm so thankful to have in our lives.

I have yet to look through all the boxes, just been so busy the past two days that I haven't had a chance for much of anything. Tomorrow though I'm going to look through it all, take photos and show you my gifted yarn haul. I am quite excited to see what is in there.

Anyway, as most of you already know, my sweet mother in law has been battling Breast Cancer, for the second time. She just finished all her treatments, the doctor's have actually stopped them because she no longer needs them. We are so thankful for that. But anyway, I keep getting side tracked today, this is what happens when I haven't sat down and chatted with you for a while, so please forgive me and hopefully I won't lose some of you along the way.

So back to what I was saying, she just finished her treatments and her immune system is quite low, so she can't be around anyone who is sick. I've been battling allergies but that's not sickness, unfortunately my kids both had sore throats a few days ago and we didn't want to chance it.

We stood out in the driveway, the four of us adults and just chit chatted and caught up on what has been going on in our lives.

As we stood there, the clouds started moving in and my father in law commented that they had quite a bit of rain lately and asked if we had any. Truthfully it had been a few weeks since we had any kind of rain.

I mentioned that, and what do you know, last night it started coming down and not just a little pitter patter here and there, it just chucked it down like nothing else.

But it didn't just stop there. This afternoon, out of nowhere the skies got dark and it again chucked it down with such a vengeance.

My flower pots outside went flying, my flag fell right off it's pole. (usually I bring it in when it rains but this was so unexpected that I didn't even get a chance before it went flying).

The rain pelted against the roof, the windows, the driveway and lawn. The winds picked up, hail came down and I was quite taken aback, to be honest.

Thankfully I had just arrived home 30 minutes earlier, so I was blessed to not have been caught in that thunderstorm with the kids.

I don't think I mentioned it yet, but we had to go to base to get our military ID's renewed. I actually had to go twice because the first time Jasmine forgot her old ID and her wallet. Then we returned and she brought the old ID and forgot her Social Security Card.

Thankfully the supervisor at the MPF (Military Finance) where we get the ID's done, helped us out so we wouldn't have to return a third time. My word. I had a nice talk with Jasmine after that, reminding her that she is now 18 and she's going to have to remember to keep certain items on her at all times.

But back to the storms, this little one is terrified of thunderstorms, so when they're quite severe, he climbs on the couch and onto my lap. It's quite funny because there's little ol' me and an 80 pound dog on my lap.

The rain seems to have gone now, but it looks like it's now in the forecast for Thursday again.

I don't mind at all, you all know how much I love rain :)

With the weather cooling down, I've been gathering all my crochet blankets, getting them ready for a quick wash and then they'll be placed into the wicker basket in the living room, for cooler nights.

Truly love the preparations that go into the Fall and Winter season.

Well friends, I'm pretty exhausted. I'm going to leave it here tonight and get some sleep. Have a blessed night.

3 comments

, by Sandra

happy homemaker monday

Happy Homemaker Monday - 09/18/2017

Good morning my lovelies, how was your weekend?

I had a super relaxed one, much needed indeed after the crazy busyness surrounding me lately. I don't think I'll have a very busy week coming up, but as always we shall see.

Right, hope you all have a beautiful week ahead, now it's time to get right into our Happy Homemaker Monday.

PS. This is going up a little later than usual, we had a huge storm last night and another one is rolling in at the moment, which made me lose internet for about an hour. If you don't want to miss anything, you can always follow me over on Instagram, I do a lot of Instagram stories :)

The Weather:::
66 degrees this morning, it's quite windy and cloudy outside. Had some really dark clouds quickly move into the area and sprinkle some down on us, but it's stopped now. Looks like we'll be in the upper 90's all week with some more rain on Thursday.

Right now I am:
On the couch, under my warm fluffy blanket, sipping on my coconut flavored coffee. I'm typing up this post and also working on filling in my planner for the rest of the week.

Thinking:
About everything I need to do, and hoping that I don't forget something.

On my reading pile:::
A few more books for review. I actually have two reviews that need to go up which I completely missed because my phone has decided NOT to give me notifications anymore. I'm so frustrated at the minute.

On my tv:::
This weekend we watched Annabelle Creation. Oh my blimey, it scared the living daylights out of me. I am such a huge fan of scary movies but always ask myself why on earth I watch them hahah It was very good though.
Also hubby and I tried to watch the new IT and did not enjoy it at all, it might because because I'm not scared of clowns, and also due to the fact that it's a complete makeover of the original which I watched and don't care to watch again.
Here's what I'll be catching up on today:

Outlander
Victoria

On the menu for this week:::
Grocery shopping on Saturday morning. I need to plan the new menus for the following two weeks.

Monday - Smoked Sausage Jambalaya, Salad
Tuesday - Chicken a La King with Basmati Rice
Wednesday - Sausage Rice, Steamed Broccoli (using leftover rice from previous night)
Thursday - Bacon Spaghetti, Cheesy Garlic Bread
Friday -Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
Saturday -
Sunday -

On my to do list:::
Housework - Hubby and I did it all yesterday so the house is clean and tidy and there's really nothing for me to do. Yay!!!
Take photos of new yarn
Homeschooling
Menu Plan

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Really really need to finish off the Mandala Madness, I'm getting tired of looking at it. Also am working on my second block for the Charlotte's Dream blanket.

Looking around the house:::
It's a beautiful morning, a little cloudy with the sun peeking in here and there. Curtains are open, back screen door is open to let in a little breeze. The storm seems to have moved on at the minute so it's quiet on the home front. Marley is snoozing next to me on the couch, Nick is up but is watching some videos on his phone and Jasmine is still asleep. House is quiet and I quite enjoy these moments before I get started with my day.

From the camera:::

This is one of my favorite photos from 2014 when we lived in Mountain Home. Had such a gorgeous view from our deck.

Bible verse, Devotional:::
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. —Psalm 37:23

5 comments

, by Sandra

fall

Fall is right around the corner

The past few days I've been watching the trees changing color, my grass becoming littered with leaves and the mornings starting to feel crisp and cool.

I think Fall is just around the corner and I'm quite happy with that.

The summer has been quite hot, and I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, but I'm finding that I don't handle the heat as well as I used to. I get hot easily, I sweat quicker, I wake up in the middle of the night with hot flushes, then I'm cold and back under the covers, then sweating again.

I'm a bit of a mess, if I do say so myself Hahah

We've started the job of chopping wood and making sure we have a good enough supply to get us through the winter. It's a never ending job and you can't quite ever have enough wood to burn, when you think you do, just go ahead and chop up a LOT more.

The back of my hubby's truck is piled with fire wood at the moment, until we can move it all to the side of the house this weekend. We still have quite a bit of tree trunks and downed branches to clear up, chop and stash. It's a lot of work but I enjoy it.

We also need to check on the pecan trees and see if they're ready to harvest. At first I was quite worried that they would affect our pecan harvest, but after doing much research, it seems that they are more aesthetically annoying than anything else, and they do little to no damage at all to the trees.

Will have to see when we get out there and up close. If you're curious as to what they are, they are called Fall Webworms and are actually moths, or white moths. Did I ever tell you how much I dislike moths? I have this insane fear of moths for some reason.

These are supposed to be quite beautiful but I have yet to see one, other than their webs all over my pecan trees.

As the Fall slowly creeps towards us, I'm as always, enjoying the beautiful golden orange hues that everything seems to be taking on.

I can't wait for cool nights, soft candles, pumpkin spice lattes and gingerbread......yes I believe I'm more than ready to be done with summer and get my first fire going :)

Are you seeing signs of Fall in your area?

6 comments

, by Sandra

a day in my life

Beauty in the chaos!

Hello friends :)

It's been, well, a while since I've sat down to compose an actual post that is not about a book I just read, or the Happy Homemaker Monday feature.

I've been surrounded by an insanely busy few weeks, there's a lot going on, places to be, appointments to keep and just life in general. Sometimes I feel like life has thrown me upside down and left me laying there grasping at any helping hand, and hoping to be saved.....but then that is how it goes for a lot of us isn't it?

We've been trying to get on a good schooling schedule with Nick. He hates school, hates everything about school and finds it very hard to focus just by himself. Last year I gave him free reign and stepped back to let him take control and to learn how to be responsible for his lessons and take initiative.

It didn't quite work out very well and by the end of the year, it became quite apparent that he needs help to focus and stay on track.

With that in mind, this year we are trying to find the perfect schedule, the right routine and the best time to get things done. I've taken the reign back and we now sit and do his schooling together. It helps him to stay focused and he also finds it easier having me there to talk things through.

Nick is a very visual learner and he also has a way of working things out in his head, that isn't always accepted by the school. It's frustrating as a parent to see how incredibly intelligent your child is and how 90% of the time he gets the right answers, but because he isn't getting them the way the curriculum dictates, it's "not right". We're working with that as well, trying to bring the two together in a way that makes everyone happy.

I tell you, homeschooling has opened my eyes and taught me so much, not just because I'm learning as I go through it with them, but it's taught me what kind of learners my children are and what they excel in. It's been amazing for sure :)

Much as I love blogging and being present online, my family comes first, my children especially and I've had to take a step back from the daily blogging to work on the schooling, but it seems like everything is finally falling into place so hopefully soon I can resume my normal blogging schedule.

In the meantime, I thought that I would share another day in my life with you all, and show you that even through the chaos of my life at times, there is always beauty, in everything we do.

Come with me and let me show you a bit of my day.

By now I'm sure you know that my typical day starts with some good ol' coffee and toast. Now that I have my tomato jam replenished, I've really been enjoying toast with butter and jam. It's one of my simple pleasures.

Making my bed is a bit of a challenge, because a certain someone HAS to be on it the whole time. He's not exactly easy to move around so I gotta shoo him around.

I've been so behind that I didn't even update my menu, so spent some time doing that.

It's getting to the time of the year where Fall is upon us, which means that I tend to start shifting things around the house. One of the things I always do is switch the couches with the dining table. In the colder months we like eating dinner closer to the fireplace where it's warm and cozy.

I'll be moving everything around this weekend but for now, it's business as usual and the daily chores of wiping down, tidying and such must go on.

One of Marley's favorite times of the day is when I say "let's go check the mail". He gets so excited, runs to the front door and then to the edge of the driveway, where he stands and waits for me.

My days seem to go so fast. By the time we are done with school in the afternoon, I have to get dinner started. I'm not going to lie, I do love being in my kitchen and so I quite look forward to this time of the day.

I started another blanket, this time using the Charlotte's Dream pattern from Dedri Uys.

When I started it I had the thought of combining it with some of my other favorite girl named patterns, like Sophie or Demelza etc. I still plan on doing that, but after much going back and forth and trying to work through stitch counts and which part of which pattern to go where, I quickly realized that I bit off more than I could chew and it needs to be a project for another time.

I'm going to just make a bunch of these and turn them into a pattern, and I think I may use it for a Christmas gift. Matter of fact I have so many blankets on the go that I was telling hubby I really should think about using my talent and the things I've already made and gift them.

So we will see if I can get this one finished in time, which I'm sure I will :)

One thing we also took time to do, was start going through the kid's boxes and have them pick out what they wanted to keep or what we could throw out. Truth is we've been hauling boxes around for years, since Arizona, and in the meantime the kids have both grown up, Jasmine is now an adult, Nick is 14 and we have boxes of babyish toys that are just taking up space.

We started with one of Jasmine's and it was quite a trip down memory lane, I may or many not have gotten emotional at times. There are so many memories in these small items, almost like an instant jump back to a certain time and place.

She picked quite a few things to hold on to and others to get rid of. I even held on to some items that were hers, just as mementos.

So there you have it my friends, I think you're all caught up now on what I've been up behind the scenes.

I'm headed to bed, I am dealing with cramps and a headache.....don't need to say anything else do I? Hahah

Have a blessed night everyone
xoxoxoxoxo

1 comments

, by Sandra

tlc book tours

To Wager her heart by Tamera Alexander - TLC Book Tour

About To Wager Her Heart

Collection: A Belle Meade Plantation Novel
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (August 8, 2017)
.

From #1 CBA Bestselling Author Tamera Alexander

Impeccable historical research woven with heart-gripping fiction!

With fates bound by a shared tragedy, a reformed gambler from the Colorado Territory and a Southern Belle bent on breaking free from society’s expectations must work together to achieve their dreams – provided the truth doesn’t tear them apart first.

Seeking justice . . .

Sylas Rutledge, the new owner of the Northeast Line Railroad, invests everything he has into this venture, partly for the sake of the challenge. But mostly to clear his father’s name. One man holds the key to Sy’s success–General William Giles Harding of Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation. But Harding is champagne and thoroughbreds, and Sy Rutledge is beer and bullocks.

Sy needs someone to help him maneuver his way through Nashville’s society, and when he meets Alexandra Jamison, he quickly decides he’s found his tutor. Only, he soon discovers that the very train accident his father is blamed for causing is what killed Alexandra Jamison’s fiancé–and has shattered her world.

Struggling to restore honor . . .

Spurning an arranged marriage by her father, Alexandra instead pursues her passion for teaching at Fisk University, the first freedmen’s university in the United States. But family–and Nashville society–do not approve, and she soon finds herself cast out from both.

Through connections with the Harding family, Alexandra and Sy become unlikely allies. And despite her first impressions, Alexandra gradually finds herself coming to respect, and even care for this man. But how can she, when her heart is still spoken for? And when Sy’s roguish qualities and adventuresome spirit smack more of recklessness than responsibility and honor?

Sylas Rutledge will risk everything to win over the woman he loves. What he doesn’t count on is having to wager her heart to do it.

Set against the real history of Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation and the original Fisk University Jubilee Singers ensemble, To Wager Her Heart is a powerful love story about seeking justice and restoring honor at a time in American history when both were tenuous and hard-won. It’s Tamera Alexander – impeccable historical research and heart-gripping fiction – at her best!

“For lovers of historical romance, To Wager Her Heart offers the very best of both history and romance. Tamera Alexander’s well-told story details the early years of Fisk University as a school for freedmen after the Civil War. I was fascinated from beginning to end. This thoroughly enjoyable novel proves why Tamera Alexander is one of the genre’s most beloved authors – and one of my favorites.”
~ Lynn Austin, Bestselling author of Waves of Mercy and Until We Reach Home

“To Wager Her Heart is a wonderful historical romance with sweet and caring characters who are looking for justice and redemption from the past. Real-life people from history are intertwined throughout the novel, enhancing the plot. Alexander has certainly done her research in this lovely Belle Meade Plantation inspirational romance!”

~RT Book Reviews, four stars!

“A steadfast heroine, a redemption-seeking hero, and a complex Southern society in post-Civil War America seamlessly combine in Tamera Alexander’s To Wager Her Heart. Fans of Alexander’s Belle Meade Plantation novels will fall in love with this new installment–but the real stars are the depth of research and the masterful attention to setting the perfect historical scene. Honor. Faith. And love . . . this novel’s a journey in them all!”

~Kristy Cambron, Bestselling author of The Illusionist’s Apprentice

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million

iBooks | Google Play |Barnes & Noble

About Tamera Alexander

Tamera Alexander is a USA Today bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers in the historical fiction genre. She and her husband live in Nashville, Tennessee, not far from the Southern mansions that serve as the backdrop for six of her award-winning novels.

Connect with Tamera

Website | Facebook | Twitter

My Thoughts:

I love Tamera Alexander, and this book was all I could have asked for in a good historical fiction. Truth be told, I so enjoy a western kind of feel in a book, and this book delivers.

Alexandra Jamison is the quintessential young lady, raised in a time where the parents decided who she would marry in order to achieve a certain status. When her father pressures her to marry a man his age, she fights back and decides instead to pursue her passion and become a teacher at the Fisk University, teaching former freed slaves, something that sends shock waves through society and her family.

In comes Sy, this rugged good looking bad boy that makes Alexandra uncomfortable. He is a former gambler trying to right a wrong and clear his father's name from a connection to a horrible train accident. He sees in Alexandra, not only a beautiful woman who he is attracted to, but someone who can help him navigate the posh society of Nashville. What he is not counting on is the fact that the train accident he is set on clearing his father's name from, is the same accident that took Alexandra's fiancees life.

You all know how this is going to end.....and even though it's the typical romance story where we can see the ending in sight, it's still deliciously enjoyable.