{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 05/31/2021 }

Good morning dear friends, hope you've all had a good long weekend, and that you have a blessed Memorial Day today.

 

As always, our thoughts and prayers go out to all the men and women who perished while on duty, to serve this beautiful country we live in, as well as their families.

 

May we always remember and be grateful for their ultimate sacrifice.

 

Last week was a hard one for us as a family, we have been feeling the hits, constantly, for the past year and a half.  It's draining, and I have moments of sheer panic and overwhelming anxiety.  It is something I never suffered from, until I started my perimenopause.  It's still not something I feel often, but when I do, the anxiety is so overwhelming that I feel like I can't even breathe.

 

But, I know many others out there have been struggling with life too.  The spiritual warfare we find ourselves under, is so strong and doesn't seem to let up from one thing to the other.  It's disheartening, but as Christians, we learn to stand strong, to fall down but get right back up, and to push one foot in front of the other.  It's not always easy to do, but it's doable nonetheless.  

 

Anyway, I am praying fervently for a week of blessings, breakthroughs and restoration, not only for my family but for yours as well.

If you want to save and use the new button, just click here.

The weather::: 

We have had quite a lot of rain lately, and a bit more today.  It's actually raining at the moment and is supposed to last all day.  The temperatures have now settled in the 80s, so lots of warmth around here too. 

 

Monday - Thunderstorms, 73

Tuesday - Cloudy, 75

Wednesday - Mostly sunny, 80

Thursday - Partly cloudy, 83

Friday - Partly cloudy, 83

Saturday - Partly cloudy, 82

Sunday - Isolated Thunderstorms, 80

 

 

On my reading pile::: 

It is What you Make of It by Justin McRoberts.

 

 

On my TV:::  

Watched The Last Days on Netflix.  It is a Holocaust  documentary, telling the lives of some of the survivors and what they went through, including some never before seen footage, as well as interviews with some American Army Soldiers involved in the liberation of Auschwitz.  Very good, but as with all Holocaust documentaries, very sad and hard to watch.   

 

On the menu for this week:::

 

Monday -  Copycat KFC Bowls

Tuesday - Farmer's Pork Chops and Potatoes, Salad

Wednesday - Chicken and Dumpling Skillet with Gnocchi

Thursday - Copycat Cracker Barrel Roast, Butter Spaghetti, Salad

Friday - Instant Pot 40 Cloves Garlic chicken, Rice

Saturday - Copycat Big Macs and Fries

Sunday - Cheesy Beef and Bean Tacos

On my to do list::: 

Yard - We are working on making a parking area for visitors.  Building a small fence enclosure and then putting down rocks as well.

Garden -  We are also working on creating a memory garden, for my mother in law, Curt's grandma, and my grandmothers and great grandma as well.  Will show you all when that is finished.

Home - usual homemaking

Doctor - need to call my OB to see about a refill for my patches, will most likely need to go in for an appointment

Vet - make Marley's follow up appointment for next week

 

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

Still working on the Sweet Blossom Blanket from Sue Rawlinson of Sweet Pea Crochet.   I set it aside for last week, because I realized that the last row I made, is off by a few stitches and I need to go back, see where the mistake is and possibly pull it back a bit.  Not looking forward to that at all.

 

Looking around the house::: 

Woke up this morning to find Elliott had thrown up his food in the kitchen.  He doesn't throw up often at all, matter of fact he only threw up once a few months ago.  Not sure why he threw up, but I'm thinking a hair ball.  He has super long fur and is constantly grooming, but yes, not something I wanted to wake up to.

The house is pretty dark right now due to the rain outside.  Marley is asleep on the bed next to me, Elliott is asleep on the floor next to me.  Curt is on his computer, Jasmine and Nick are also still asleep, though Jas is going to be up for work soon.  She is so exhausted, she worked a 50 hour week last week, and looks like more of that is in the books for this coming week.  

I need to vacuum the den/dining area and living room.  Aside from that, the house is clean and tidy.

 

 

From the camera::: 

There is something so rewarding about growing your own food.  The whole process from preparing the garden, to sowing seeds and then watching it grow.  Love it.   

 

Something fun to share::: 

Bringing you another wonderful video from the channel Homewood Stoves on Youtube.  I just love watching their videos.  This time we get to learn a new recipe for a No Knead Bread.  Hope you enjoy!

On my prayer list::: 

♥♥  Our Marley.  This morning we started him on Apoquel.  He has been off the steroids now for 3 days, and we are really hoping that Apoquel is the magic pill to get that swelling to go down.  Aside from the swelling, he is our normal happy Marley, it doesn't seem to bother him at all.  I think it all bothers us more than him, to be honest.  

♥♥  Really need prayers for my sister in law Hayley.  She found a lump on her breast, had a mammogram and sonogram done, and now needs to go in for a biopsy.  Please keep her in your prayers.  

Quote of the week:::

"We need to learn to speak TO the darkness that we are facing, and not ABOUT the darkness." 

- Pastor Gregory Dickow

Wow!!  Was that a quote directly for me.  

My stepmom had shared Pastor Dickow with me, about two weeks ago.  She said he was so good to listen to, and that she was really enjoying his messages.  I was so stuck and under a dark cloud last week, that I didn't get to really listen to anything.  But yesterday, I felt a push to watch his videos and as always, it was as if he was speaking about our struggles and what we are dealing with.

I realized that I spend so much time thinking about, and talking about the darkness that is over our lives at the moment, that all I am doing is giving it energy and power.  I need to be speaking TO the darkness, rebuking it, commanding it gone.  Whew, that was a wake up.

If anyone else is going through a hard time, whatever it may be, remember this quote to.  Don't speak about it, speak directly to it, and command it be gone from your life, in Jesus name.