{ Antique stores and more books to read }

If you love antique stores, raise your hand up, wayyyyyy up high.

 

Y'all, we love browsing around our local antique stores, and we have quite a few good ones in our town.  Matter of fact, Curt and I tend to do this as a date, we go out shopping, sometimes we get some good finds, sometimes we just look and come home empty handed.  

 

Either way, we love doing this together, it's a great way to spend quality time and since the kids are now adults and not interested in hanging out with their parents, we just do our own thing.  HA!!!

We went out to get Jasmine from work, but decided to leave an hour earlier and just pop into some of our local antique places.  We stopped at two, took a look around and then remembered that one of our favorites recently moved, and we hadn't yet visited the new location.

 

My goodness were we in for a treat.  A huge building, two story high jam packed with all sorts of treasures.   We didn't get to see much, however, because by the time we arrived we had about 10 minutes before Jasmine clocked out.

I still managed to grab some books, which I'll show you below.

I have this thing, where I could spend hours inside these places, just looking over every thing, imagining who the previous owner could have been, or trying to figure out the story that goes along with that specific item.

For me it is almost like a step back in time.  I said to Curt today that one day I'm going to have a small room in our house, that I will decorate with a ton of antiques to make it look like you have just been transported back in time.  Yes, I will!

Aside from all the cool gadgets and knick knacks, one of the things I always gravitate to, are the old books.  I would love to have a wall to wall shelf filled with old books, of all sizes and colors.

This one below was falling apart, just like it's friends behind on the shelf.  You almost are too scared to pick them up and look through them, but I did nonetheless. 

I wish I had had more time to sit and look through them all, but like I said above, we had to leave shortly after arriving.  We will be back on Monday morning though, Curt is off work so we have planned to go back and really take our time looking through everything.

Now let me show you what I picked up from the two stores we were in.  

A pecan cracker.  We have been talking about getting one for pecan season which is this year, and were going to order it online, but luckily for us, there was one just sitting there waiting.  So it came home with us.

My little haul today, mostly books as you can see.  A pecan cracker and a little doily.

Good Housekeeping Meals Tested, Tasted and Approved.  It was released in January 1, 1930, and it's this really cute vintage cookbook.  It is in very good condition for the year it was released.  

This one is not vintage by any means, but I love anything to do with the pioneers, the wagon trains and so on.  It looked like something I would enjoy, so I grabbed it.   

 

This one is also not vintage, but I just had to get it.  It was just $1 and since I make all of Marley's food, I thought it would be a great addition to my cookbook collection.  Can't wait to see the recipes inside.

 

 

This one I was super excited to get too.  It is in amazing condition and was only $8.  It was published in 1950 and as I quickly flipped through the pages, I knew I had to have it.  

 

I believe there is nothing like old cookbooks, the kind my great grandma used to cook from and refer to.  I still remember she had this green book similar to this one, that I wanted so badly, but she gave it to my uncle, and after he passed I have no idea what his wife did with the book.  Broke my heart that I wasn't able to keep it, but since then I have been on the look out for something similar.

 

 

These 4, I was soooooooo and I mean SO happy to find.  I bought one from this collection, at a thrift store, many years ago.  I've actually shown it to you a couple times.  It is called Women, and is such a neat book, filled with information and history, just the perfect book for this history nerd.

 

I had no clue it was part of a collection, and when I say a collection, I don't mean just 5 or 6 books, apparently this collection is huge.  The one antique store had I guess, the full collection, and I had to tell myself NO multiple times.  I will get them all eventually, but not in one go.  

 

And if I'm meant to have them, then God will keep them there, if not, then that is fine too.  

 

By the way, if you're wondering, they are part of The Old West Series.

 

 

The Gunfighters.....yeah, I'm reading that one first because it talks about Tombstone and the James brothers, Butch Cassidy and all those interesting gunslingers.

 

The Chroniclers, The Indians and The Loggers.

 

Apparently there are 26 books in this series, and I don't know, but I think it would be a great collection to have on the bookshelf, especially if you like history as much as I do.

 

So that was my little haul.  I spent less than $20 on all these items, I don't remember the exact prices, but they were dirt cheap for sure.

 

I can't wait to get back on Monday to see what else we come across, and if we do bring anything home, I'll show you.

Finally, wanted to show you these two books below, which I've added to my read list for the year of 2021.  The first one is All Creatures Great and Small, and I got it for review many years ago.  It is one of my favorite books and since I recently watched the new tv series adaption, I felt like reading it again.

 

 

 

Cilka's Journey, is one that I have wanted for a while, ever since I read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, last year.  Curt knew I was looking for it, and got it for me this past week.  

 

I am so looking forward to getting started on it.  

 

Anyway, this post has gone on long enough, I'm sorry it is so long and filled with so many photos, but it's been a while since I've gone to an antique store, or brought any goodies home, and I was excited to show you.

 

Hope you enjoyed it.  Let me know what you think of my finds, and let me know if you also enjoy antiquing as much as we do. 

{ Books Read Crochet Blanket }

 

Hello everyone, how has your week been so far?  I am a little surprised at how quick we've gone from Monday to Thursday night. 

 

Well that and the fact that we are ending the first month of 2021 this weekend.  Shocked!

 

I've been busy this week with my usual homemaking and quite frankly, minding my own business and sticking to myself here at home.  If there's one thing the Lord has been really putting on my heart, it is to stay grounded, stay focused on Him and continue living my life away from the noise and the chaos of the world around us.

 

I've heeded that word and have been submersing myself into just that, home, family, homemaking, crocheting, reading and watching good family shows on TV.

 

 

These moments spent with my loved ones, human and furry, are some of the best in my life. 

 

Truly I tell you, if you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, give it unto the Lord and then shut out the outside world, live your life to the best of your ability, be kind, surround yourself with love and joy and I promise you, it will make a world of difference.

A few nights ago I had this idea pop into my mind.  I was wanting to get through my yarn stash and also work on a crochet project that wouldn't require too much attention, too much counting of stitches or concentration.

 

Nowadays, it is hard to find long chunks of time where I'm not being interrupted by one or both of the animals, or doing homeschooling, or something else.

 

And that is when this idea came forward.  Why not make a Books Read Crochet Blanket?

 

Each book that I read this year, I will make a granny square with the colors from the cover, and at the end of the year, I will put it all together.  It is a way of working on a new crochet blanket, and also documenting the books I'll be reading throughout 2021.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to do stripes, or squares, but I decided on squares because they're easier to add as I go along.  

 

I also didn't know what kind of square to do, I was debating intricate pretty squares, either all the same design or different patterns, but the point was to keep it simple, so a granny square it is. 

I am quite excited to see this all put together at the end of the year, and in the meantime it is fun to put these together using the colors from each book cover.

I've also been moving things around, here and there.  My philodendron is hugeeeeeeee.  I could no longer keep her hanging by the window because she was almost down to the ground, not kidding.

I've moved her to this book shelf for now and she looks just beautiful.

I'm hoping to get more of these, as they're so easy to take care of and always look so pretty.  

 

I'm already thinking of Spring and plants, can't wait for the warmer weather, so that I can get outdoors, get my garden going, having barbecues, spend time in the pool and so on.

 

In the meantime, while we endure the cold weather, I'll just plan my garden, make lists of seeds to buy and get prepared so that when gardening time comes around, I'll be all set to go.\

 

Have you started planning your garden yet? 

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 01/25/2021 }

Good morning sweet ladies, welcome back to my little corner of the world.

It is a dreary, cloudy, rainy morning.  We actually had very strong storms in the middle of the night, strong enough that golf sized hail pummeled down on the roof of the house.  Haven't seen a storm like that in months, my goodness.

Anyway, I hope you all have a blessed week ahead, we are about to end the month of January, how is that even possible?  First month of 2021 under our belts.  Wow!

Alright, let's see what we all have going on in our homes.....

♥♥The Weather♥♥ 
As I said above, we got hit with a random strong storm last night.  It looks like the rest of the week is going to be cloudy with some possible rain storms, here and there.  

Monday - 65, partly cloudy
Tuesday - 53, sunny
Wednesday - 48, partly cloudy
Thursday -  51, mostly cloudy
Friday - 62, partly cloudy
Saturday -  64, am showers
Sunday - 60, sunny


♥♥How I am feeling this morning♥♥
Pretty good, got some much needed sleep, even though the storm woke me up at 2am, with the hail and the flashing of the lightning.  


♥♥On my mind♥♥ 
Just thinking about the week ahead and trying to plan accordingly.  Have a few things I want to go get done, so hoping to get it all down on a list, and cross things off.  Fingers crossed, because I noticed that as much as I like writing lists, I'm not a list follower and depend more on my own brain to keep me accountable.  


 ♥♥On the breakfast plate♥♥
Just had a cup of coffee with peppermint mocha creamer.  Not sure what I'm going to eat later.     

♥♥On my reading pile♥♥ 

Almost done with Jeremiah.

My daily devotional book.

I Have Lived a Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson

 ♥♥On my tv♥♥

Portuguese Soaps, Bem Me Quer and Amor Amor

Brazilian show called Genesis, based on the book of Genesis in the Bible. 

Yesterday I watched Night Stalker on Netflix.  It was only 4 episodes long but very interesting.

Planning on watching more shorter series throughout the week.

♥♥On the menu this week♥♥ 

Monday - Sausage and Broccoli Skillet, Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Tuesday - Cheater Chicken and Dumplings
Wednesday - Slow Cooker Pizza in a Pot, Roast Squash and Zucchini
Thursday - Impossibly Easy Sausage and Bacon Pie, Fried Cabbage
Friday - Oven Chili Dogs, Creamy Garlic Oven Fries
Saturday - Turkey Pot Pie, Creamed Peas
Sunday - Teriyaki Steak, Rice


♥♥From the camera♥♥
My sweet boy, last week.  He had pulled a leg muscle and wasn't moving around much.  I took this photo because he pulled down my crochet pillow to lay on.  ♥  

♥♥Looking around the house♥♥
Both kids are asleep, Jasmine is off today.  Elliott is asleep on my bed, Marley is asleep in the living room.  The house looks dark due to the weather outside.  Thankfully it is tidy.  I find that once the kids got older, they contain their messes to their bedrooms (that's a whole other blog post), which mean smy house itself stays clean and organized. 


♥♥New recipe I tried last week, or one that we really enjoyed♥♥
Made a new recipe but for my Marley.  I've been cooking home cooked meals for him, for a few months now, due to his food allergies and sensitive stomach.  I'll be taking a photo of the food today and adding the recipe to the food blog, so if that interests you, keep an eye out for that to be posted this afternoon.  


♥♥To relax this week, I will♥♥
Read and crochet.  Also watch some TV.

  ♥♥Something I want to share♥♥ 

A Rural Day:  Weekend Life at My Cottage, thoughts on loving your appearance.  

So today I'm bringing you another sweet video by one of my favorite Youtube Channels, The Cottage Fairy.

 

♥♥On my prayer list♥♥

Praying for a friend's son, who is struggling a bit right now.

Praying for my stepmom who is dealing with a throat infection.

{ Week in review - Marley pulled a muscle }

Happy Sunday my friends, how has your weekend been going so far?

 

Mine is going pretty well, thankfully.  I am just sitting down to type up this post.  So far today, hubby and I have gone to church, then came home and he went to pick up some lunch for us from Braums.  Not really meals, but just some chicken sandwiches.

 

In the meantime, while he did that with Marley, I started the dishwasher, cleaned and picked up the kitchen and living rooms, cleaned the bathroom counters and got some laundry put away.

 

It's been a bit of a nutty week around here.

As you can see from the photos, Marley hurt his leg last week.  I don't even know how he did this, but he pulled his leg muscle.  I'm assuming either while playing or chasing squirrels out back, or it might have been when he was jumping into bed, because sometimes he lands weird.

 

Anyway, I called the vet and they asked a bunch of questions.  The first night, he wouldn't put his leg down, and when he walked he wobbled on 3 legs.  I actually had to pick him up off the bed and put him on the floor so he would go to the bathroom.....all 90 pounds of him.  Yikes!

But within a few hours, he was walking on the leg, he let us touch it and move it, so the vet said it obviously wasn't broken and it didn't sound like he had torn anything either since he wasn't in visible pain.

We were told to keep an eye on him, make sure he is off that leg and resting as much as possible.  We gave him dog aspirin and bandaged the leg to give it a bit more stability.  He was not a happy camper but I think he was sore and knew it would help.

Thankfully this only lasted 1 full day, and by the second day he was moving better, trying to jump on and off the bed, running around and so on.  It was so difficult to keep him from running and acting crazy on that leg, but I'm so thankful to God that he is now all better.  

Friday I got my grocery shopping done.  I went to the base commissary and got everything I needed for the next two weeks.  If you're wondering what my meal plan is, I posted it in my previous blog post. 

 

Not much else happened last week, just the usual homemaking and homeschooling, work, driving back and forth and taking care of Marley.

 

We did watch a movie yesterday afternoon, Curt and I sat down and actually ended up watching the new Lion King, which was so sweet.  It's funny but there are times that we are not in the mood for big people movies LOL    We still enjoy kid movies, to this day!

 

Well friends, I don't really have much else to say about this past week, but I did want to come in and do a quick week review.  I like knowing what went on in our lives, and it's always fun to go back in the future and read these things.

 

Sometimes we get so caught up in the moment, or if something goes wrong we tend to have that split moment thought that we've never had hard situations before.  It's good to have these moments to look back on and to remind us that it's not always roses and tulips, there are days that we are sick or one of our pets is not well, but like always, we get through them.

 

Anyway, hope you all have a wonderful rest of your weekend.

 

I'll be back bright and early, with our Happy Homemaker Monday. 

{ Cooking from the freezer and pantry }

 

I love meal planning, it's something I have done since before I was married, when I would help my stepmom plan our meals. 

 

I took that into my marriage because I realized just how helpful it was, not only in taking away the pressure of figuring out what to cook when you're already running late, but it was a must for keeping the food budget on track.

To be honest, I don't think I could cook without it, I mean, ok that's not completely true, if I absolutely had to, I would, but I'm so used to it that it would throw my days off.

So, last week I brought out my slow cooker and planned all my meals using it.  Now it's time to work on the new two week meal plan, and this time I'm cooking from the freezer and pantry.

 

I find that when I do that, I use up what I already have on hand, I end up not having to throw things out because they've gone bad, and I also save on the grocery budget.

 

I think we all like saving money, but it's easier to just go out and buy everything in one go because planning takes time and effort.  So many times, we forget we already have things in the pantry, in the freezer and the fridge.  Essentially we are throwing away money when we don't use what we already have.

 

Yes, it takes planning, yes you need to look through everything and make a list.  Yes, we don't always have time to do that, but I promise you if you just make some time, you'll be so glad you did.

How many times have you bought something at the store, only to come home and see that you already have 2 in the pantry?  *raises hand unashamedly* 

I've done it quite a few times, and usually when I'm having a busier month and not really taking time to check before heading to the store.

 

I looked through my pantry today, and made a list of what I had, that I could use for upcoming meals. 

 

One thing I noticed right away is that it needs organizing and cleaning.....AGAIN!!!

 

I can't possibly be the only one with at family that goes in to get something, and never seems to put it back where it belongs, or makes a total mess in there.  Goodness!!

 

Anyway, looking through the canned goods and bottled goods, I can see that I have some spaghetti sauce, alfredo sauce, soy sauce, ketchup and a few other things.  I can certainly work them into the meals I will be making.

 

Now, let's look into the freezer, and right off the bat I can see that we have some lunch options with the chicken bites and chicken patties.

 

There are also some burritos too, so along with leftovers or a sandwich here and there, lunches are taken care of.

 

  

 

I have a few veggies, which is great for side dishes, or shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie or something like that.

 

  

 

Those two brown packages are from the butcher, and that is a pound of chicken breasts and a pound of cubed steak.  I also see a package of chicken thighs, a package of chicken tenders and a ziploc with chicken breasts too.  Hashbrowns, mozzarella sticks and some hashbrowns.  We will work all that into the new meal plan.  

I also spot a package of frozen meatballs.  You guys I always have these in the freezer, they are really cheap and great for easy meals like meatballs and spaghetti, meatball subs, Ikea meatballs and so forth.

 

Now looking into my deep chest freezer.......Last grocery shop I did, they had pork sausage on sale for 99c, so I grabbed 4 packs for the freezer. 

 

So glad I did cause those will now be used for meals too. There are more frozen veggies and some yogurt, cool whip etc.

 

 

 

There are another 2 packages of chicken tenderloins and one pound of ground beef.  

 

Friends, I need to desperately clean out my freezers, what a mess is in there.  I like things neat and organized and right now it looks like a small tornado whipped through.

So apparently I have another 2 packages of frozen meatballs *face palm*

 

There's shredded cheese, so I don't need to buy any, some burger buns which can be used for the chicken patties, for lunch, and I also see a container of sour cream.

3 gallons of milk, a box of fish sticks, frozen tuna steaks,  there is half a loaf of cranberry chocolate chip bread and there are two boxes of egg beaters.  (I've never used egg beaters, but these were given to us by my brother and sister in law, so I'll figure out something to make with them)

So that is basically what I have laying around in my freezers and pantry.  

 

I sat down and in just a few minutes, I quickly made up the menu for the next two weeks, so let me share with you the meals  we will be having.  Keep in mind that my weeks start on Friday's when I do the grocery shopping.

Friday - January 22, 2021

Crockpot Nachos

Saturday - January 23, 2021

Sausage and Broccoli Pasta, Roasted Brussells Sprouts

Sunday - January 24th, 2021

Oven Chili Dogs, Curly Fries

Monday - January 25th, 2021

Chicken and Dumplings

Tuesday - January 26th, 2021

Meatballs and Spaghetti, Mixed Veggies

Wednesday - January 27th, 2021

Impossibly Easy Sausage and Bacon Pie, Fried Cabbage

Thursday - January 28th, 2021

Turkey Pot Pie, Creamed Peas

Friday - January 29th, 2021

Teriyaki Steak, Noodles with Stir Fry Vegetables

Saturday - January 30th, 2021

Chicken Strogonoff, Rice, Beans

Sunday - January 31st, 2021

Grilled Tuna Steaks, Garlic Butter Potatoes, Sauteed Squash

Monday - February 1st, 2021

Breaded Ranch Thighs, Macaroni Pasta

Tuesday - February 2nd, 2021

Curry Chicken and Chickpeas, Rice

Wednesday - February 3rd, 2021

Ikea Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Spinach

Thursday - February 4th, 2021

Feijoada, Rice

This all means that my grocery list this week, is going to be pretty small.  Mainly fresh veggies, coffee, creamer and things of that sort.

It feels so good to cut back on the food budget, even if just one time, every cent counts right?

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 01/18/2021 }

Good morning dear friends, welcome back to my blog and to another Happy Homemaker Monday.  

I really hope you had a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week ahead.  

I am just sitting down to work on this post, it is 7:30 AM and I've already gotten Jasmine off to work, did laundry and dishes.  It's shaping up to be a productive day.....and hopefully a productive week too.

Happy Monday friends, have a blessed week!

 

 

 

The weather outside is::::

Pretty chilly out there, and only 29 degrees.  Brrrr! 

Monday -  63

Tuesday -  53

Wednesday - 54

Thursday - 67

Friday - 62

Saturday - 63

Sunday - 72

On the breakfast plate this morning::::

I've had a cup of coffee early this morning, around 5am.  I am going to finish this post then make some Instant Pot Creamy Oatmeal.   

 

As I look outside my window::::

The sun is coming up giving off this beautiful orange glow.  There is no frost on the grass, thankfully which means no car windows to scrape.  Yay!!!

The birds are chirping, it is a gorgeous morning for sure.          

As I look around the house::::

Marley is walking around, Elliott is by the back screen door watching the birds on the feeder.  I need to vacuum and dust today, but aside from that, the house is clean and tidy.

 

What I'm wearing today::::

Grey leggings, grey baggy sweater and a cute headband.             

 

Currently reading::::

Halfway through Jeremiah in the Bible/

Grace for Each Day Devotional

The Harbinger II by Jonathan Cahn (I read the first Harbinger book on Saturday, zipped through it in an hour and a half)

 

On the TV for this week::::

Portuguese soap Bem me Quer

Portuguese soap Amor Amor

Vlogs on Youtube

 

 

On the menu this week::::

Loved the first week of slow cooked meals, it frees up my day so much and there's nothing like a hot cooked meal at the end of the day, without rushing.  

 

I have one more week of slow cooked meals, and I'm starting on the new meal plan for the next two weeks, which are going to be all about cooking from the Freezer and Pantry.  

The meals for Saturday and Sunday of this week, are being brought from the last menu, since I didn't get around to making them.

 

Monday - Crockpot Spinach Alfredo Lasagna, Copycat Pizza Hut Breadsticks

Tuesday - Slow Cooker Turkey Chili, Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday  - Slow Cooked Pizza in a Pot, Mixed Veggies

Thursday - Crockpot Tuscan Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans 

Friday - * Grocery Shopping*

Saturday - Crockpot Nachos

Sunday -  Grilled Tuna Steaks, Garlic Potatoes

 

 

Something fun to share::::

This morning I am bringing you a shorter video, but a good one nonetheless.  I truly hope you all enjoy this sweet song.

 

This one is from a channel called Homewood Stoves and it's called Hearth and Home. 

 

 

 

Favorite photo from the camera::::

Is there anything prettier than a photo of a cup of coffee and a sweet book?          

 

 

Prayers, Inspiration quotes, Devotionals::::

{ Five Senses Saturday - 01/16/2021 }

It has been a while, and I mean a whileeeee, since I've done my Five Senses Saturday.

It used to be a little feature I did every Saturday, because it helped me stay on track with my blogging, but didn't require me to think about what to write down, or if anything fun or interesting was happening to blog about.

Since I'm trying to be more consistent with my blogging, this year, I thought now was a good idea to pull this one back up.

♥♥ HEAR ♥♥

A pack of coyotes coming by our property.  (we have a lot out here in the country)

My water kettle boiling for our morning coffee.

All Creatures Great and Small playing on the telly.

Worship music while I'm driving.

Marley snoring next to me.

 

♥♥ SEE ♥♥

White frosted grass in the early morning.

Elliott climbing his tower.

The most beautiful sunrise on the way to drop off Jasmine.

My breath as I take Marley out to potty.

Soup bubbling on the stove.

♥♥ TOUCH ♥♥

The yarn as I work on my new blanket.

Elliotts long fur as I pet him.

My husbands face as I see him off to work.

The cold steering wheel of the car.

Soft fluffy biscuits as we eat dinner.

♥♥ TASTE ♥♥

Bubbly fruity water.

Hot coffee in the morning.

Chocolate orange that I have been nibbling on, little at a time.

Home cooked meal.

The bitterness of my allergy meds.

♥♥SMELL♥♥

Crisp morning air.

Lavender Vanilla candle burning.

Olive oil, garlic and onion frying as I prepare dinner.

My husbands cologne.

French fries from McDonalds.