{ Our long weekend and email subscriptions }

 

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  We spent ours at home, just relaxing, doing things around here, and enjoying our time together.  We were supposed to have a barbecue at my niece's house, but unfortunately my sister in law is sick, and so it was moved to next weekend.

Usually we would barbecue something at home, but it so happens that we are out of gas, and still haven't refilled the bottle.  We decided we are going to refill it anyway, even though summer is coming to and end, because you never know if you'll lose power in the Winter, and at least that way, we can use the grill to cook, if need be.

 

My boys worked hard on Saturday, mowing our 3 acres.  They took turns on the mower, replaced the blades which is a whole project in itself, weed eated, watered, took trash to the dump and so forth.

I know I don't show Nick on here much, he doesn't like being on camera at all, but he didn't mind me taking these pics.  It's so surreal to me looking at my son, knowing he is 19 years old, when just yesterday he was a little baby.  If you've followed me from the beginning, you know he was just 3 years old when I started blogging.  Crazy huh?

 

 

While they worked outside, I worked inside.  I have been wanting to clean out and organize my laundry area cabinets.  They've been needing a good cleaning, and one of them has become a catch all for random items.  My idea is to get some of the little organizer baskets from Dollar Tree, but in the meantime, I am using some extra ones that I have laying around.

I also refilled my glass pitcher with the laundry detergent.  I've had this pitcher for a while, and it's missing the metal lid.  I was going to get rid of it, but then decided to use it for the soap instead.  I was going to use a little bit of fabric as a lid, but then found a plastic twist lid from a different container, and it fits perfectly.  (It was from one of those mixed nut containers, from Sam's club).

You know me, I'm a huge believer in using what we already have on hand, and not wasting.

I still have one more cabinet to go through this week, and hopefully I'll make it to Dollar Tree to grab some of the cheap organizers.  I would like to get some blue ones, to match my laundry area and kitchen.

 

I baked some cinnamon rolls, made a delicious curry for dinner and spent the afternoon ironing.  I know, some of you hate it, but I love ironing.  I learned from a very young age to iron, and just grew to love it.  Maybe I'm crazy, but I find there is something so calming about the process of ironing clothes.

The way the iron moves back and forth, slowly, removing every line and crease.  Folding the clothes into a neat pile, then packing them away in their drawers.  You know how clothes dried out on a line have a certain scent to them?

I think ironed clothes have that too. 

Sunday, we had church in the morning, then came home, and did practically nothing.  Like nothing, nothingggggg.  Have you ever had one of those days, where the extent of your doing is basically keeping yourself alive, eating and sleeping?  Yeah, one of those!

Monday morning, we went to breakfast, just Curt and I, then came home and worked on the back yard.  We took turns mowing, and watering the veggie garden, then came back in, took our showers, I made us a yummy Instant Pot Chili Mac for dinner, and that was it.  

So yeah, a very easy, chill long weekend, which we very much enjoyed.

Now, before I close off this post, I want to point your attention to my sidebar real quick.  If you look over to your right side, at the very top, you will a new widget to Subscribe to new Posts through email.

A couple of you have reached out to me, both here, through email and on Instagram, to let me know that you are no longer receiving email notifications when I publish a new post.  

I checked on my side, and everything is fine, I haven't changed anything that would affect that function at all.  So I went looking for answers, contacted blogger and google, and did some research.  It turns out that the email notifications through feedburner have been discontinued.  Which means, if you subscribed to my blog through email before, you will no longer receive notifications.

They don't plan on bringing it back or fixing it.  It's basically a "You're on your own", kinda deal.   Bummer!!!

I sat for about an hour earlier today, and found a different website that offers email subscriptions and have installed that one for you.  All you have to do is subscribe again through that little box on the right, and hopefully, each time I publish a new post, you will get an email notification.

I say hopefully, because I've never used this new website and really don't know if it will work the same way, it is supposed to, so we will see.  I actually signed up for my own blog, and will check after this post is up, if I get notified or not.

I really do hope this sorts the problem out for you all, if not, I don't know what else to do.  I don't know why google would decide that ending that function was a good idea.  No clue!!!

Anyway, please let me know if you do sign up, and if it does work, especially for those of you having issues with the email subscriptions.

I'm an going to close this off for the night, I can feel a headache coming on, and being on the computer just makes it worse.  I guess it's time to put technology to bed, and go enjoy the rest of my night.

Have a wonderful evening everyone, see you all tomorrow!!!

A day at the Lake

There used to be a time when, family get togethers or even day trips, were always done with my husband and I and both kids.  As time has gone by, as the kids have grown up and become adults and young adults, I find that family outings are very few and far between.

More often than not, nowadays, you will see me and hubby trotting along doing whatever we need to, and very seldom will we have one of the kids with us.

Jasmine is 18, she's an adult, she does her own thing and from the two I would say she is more inclined to come out with us here and there.  Nicholas is 14 and like other 14 year olds these days, his life revolves around video games, youtube videos and spending time in his room taking naps.  Family get togethers are not one of his favorite things to do, he is quite shy and doesn't like big gatherings.

It makes it difficult to plan anything but it's also giving Curt and I the opportunity to start getting used to an empty nest.

The annual family reunion was this weekend, and it was held at the lake.  Everyone stayed in the cabins for 2 days, but we couldn't stay overnight, mainly because they don't allow pets and we have a puppy and an elderly dog.  Secondly, Nick wasn't feeling well for a few days and didn't go, Jasmine then decided not to go either and rather stay home and watch him and take care of whatever he needed.  Perks of having an 18 year old around :)





So Curt and I headed out Saturday morning to spend the day with the family.  It was a quiet reunion, not many could make it, there wasn't much going on aside from chatting, playing card games and eating some barbecue.

I always enjoy being at the lake, there's something about water that I find immensely relaxing and calming.   While everyone either swam, or talked or played, I took a few minutes to walk down to the shore and just stand and take it all in.

I mulled over a lot of things, plans we have for the future, current financial burdens, my children growing up, family issues and so on.  It's not like staring out at the water you get the immediate answers, but I think what it does is calm you enough  to where you think clearly and maybe consider certain aspects that you wouldn't otherwise, especially when you're stressed and your mind is clouded.

After about 20 minutes, I walked back up to join everyone.

We left around 9PM, we're only 45 minutes from the Lake and I was in contact with my kids constantly throughout the day.  It's hard for me to get used to the idea that I have an adult as a child already, and even though I trust her, I'm the kind of mom that feels uncomfortable being away from her kids so long.

It's been a pretty relaxing long Labor Day weekend, and I've enjoyed every second of it.  But tomorrow it's back to full hands on deck, back to homeschool and housework, jam making and bread baking, menu planning and picture taking and blog writing.

Days that start before the sun has begun to rise and are packed to the brim with the busyness of a family.

Today I'm taking it easy, relaxing on the couch with Curt as he binge watches Supernatural Season 12.  I've seen it but I love the show so don't mind sitting through it again.   I've taken this time to put up my book review, today's Happy Homemaker Monday and a few recipes up on the food blog.   I need to catch up on so much around here, I was just thinking this morning that I haven't even finished my Blog Book for 2012.

Well friends, whatever you're doing today, I hope it's filled with love and surrounded by family.

Happy Labor Day!!!!