{ Dense fog, a new Bible and devotional }

There is beauty in everything!

Fog is often thought of as scary, dark, dreary and usually used in horror movies, or movies to show impending doom.  While that description might be true, to a certain extent, I find foggy mornings to be one of the most beautiful.  Right up there with Spring mornings when the sun is is just rising and bathes the land in a golden glow.

I can't say that I particularly enjoy driving in dense fog, but to look at, there's nothing quite like it.

We woke up this morning to some dense fog.  Cold as it was, I slipped on my robe and stepped outside with my camera in hand.  I believe that we need to enjoy every aspect of our lives, every moment, every day, every season, for they all bring beauty in their own simple ways.

Pottering around the house on days like these, is quite possibly my most enjoyed moments.  I rely on the light flickering from candles or a simple warmer in the corner of a room, bringing soft light but also a sweet fragrance to the air.

I'll usually put on a documentary on my laptop, or a turn to a playlist on Spotify, something medieval, or instrumental.  Soft tunes that will blend right in with the slow rhythm of the day.

I have been in deep thought since the year turned to 2020.

There is so much going on around the world, in our own backyards and even inside our four walls.  I have prayed, I have talked, questioned and given it all to the God.

Maybe it's the beginning of a new year, or maybe it's the winter season, whatever it is, it is all that is needed to get my thoughts going.

Most times they are consumed by daily tasks, whatever I have going on that day, what needs doing, am I forgetting something, do I have dinner under way, what time do I need to pick up Jasmine from work, is Nick getting all his lessons finished in time?

But there are times where my thoughts go deeper, deeper into what I don't like about myself, what I wish was different, what I want to change or what I want to focus on bettering.  In those moments I turn to God, but I also take a walk down memory lane and start thinking about my great grandmother and the kind of woman she was.

She was not a religious woman, she didn't attend church, but she prayed daily, had a very strong faith and devotion to God, and above all, a love for her family.  There are numerous things I admire in her and wish to emulate but there are others that I want to expand on, especially the Christian side of her.

As I threw all these thoughts and wants at God's feet, asking Him to help me and give me a sign as to what I need to do, or should be doing, a thought came through loud and strong, repeatedly running through my mind.

Spend more time in my word.  Read my word.  Devote a moment each morning to Me and I will set your mind at ease.

So I am listening and I'm going to start doing just that.  It won't be easy at first, it is all about creating habits and as you know it takes about 21 days for a habit to be created.  My issue is not even so much feeling like I can't do it, and I certainly don't have a problem reading my devotional.  My problem comes in reading the Bible.

You may not know this about me, but I have always struggled to read it, especially the old testament.  I find it extremely dry and difficult to read, too many names and explanations, things that don't keep my interest for long.  I've struggled and I've hated struggling with it, because I want nothing more than to be one of those faightfully strong women who read their bible and understand it.

I've never quite known where to start, so I did a big of digging around, 4 books in the bible seem to be the most commonly recommended, for someone who is starting from scratch.

John, Romans, Psalms and Proverbs

I've put it off long enough, I am opening the book of John today and not looking back.

I am fully aware that this is going to be a life changing journey, and I don't quite know what I will learn from it, but the thought of drawing closer to God is all I need to get me going.

So I'm here to tell you, if you're wanting to start on this journey too, don't hold back, buy that new bible, pick up the new devotional and just start reading.

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 01/03/2020 }

Good morning everyone, hope you've had a good weekend.  Mine was good, although I have a sick husband.  He doesn't get sick very often but when he does, it hits him pretty hard.

I am hoping the sickness stops at him and doesn't spread through the household, so there's lots of hand washing, hand sanitizing and so on.

All the reporting about the flu this year, makes me a bit uncomfortable, so praying it doesn't hit us like it did two years ago.

I wish you all a very good week ahead, let's remember that every day is a blank slate, a fresh start, and go into this week with an open heart and soul. 

♥♥The Weather♥♥
Very chilly the past few days, and we did see a tiny bit of snow.  The mornings are very cold here, but by the afternoon it usually warms up to the 60s and even 70s.  We have quite a warm week ahead, save for one day, and looks like some rain coming our way too, which always makes me happy. 

Monday - Partly cloudy and windy, 65
Tuesday - Mostly Sunny, 68
Wednesday - Mostly cloudy, 67
Thursday - Showers, 49
Friday - Rain, 67
Saturday - Sunny, 54
Sunday - Mostly cloudy, 50


♥♥How I am feeling this morning♥♥
Cold, but otherwise well.  I did hit my left hip on a door knob yesterday and it's hurting something fierce.  I swear at times I can be quite clumsy.


♥♥On my mind♥♥
The week ahead.  Jasmine is not working a lot this week so I intend to make full use of it, get some good homemaking in, finish all the painting in my kitchen, do some DIY's and continue blogging. 


♥♥On the breakfast plate♥♥
I've had a cup of coffee with Vanilla Creamer.  I usually have a cup with my husband, around 5:30 AM, and I'll eat breakfast around 8.  I think today, I'll have another cup of coffee and some cheesy toast. 


♥♥On my reading pile♥♥
A Sister's Courage by Molly Green.

♥♥On my tv♥♥
I have managed to catch up on all my shows, this past week.  Most of them I only had either the last season, or a couple episodes left to finish.

Poldark
Charite
The Spanish Queen
Catherine the Great

This week I'll be watching:
Jamestown - The last season
Witcher
The Last Kingdom


♥♥On the menu this week♥♥

Monday - Pepperoni Penne Carbonara, Homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks, Salad
Tuesday - Corn Bread topped Sausage Pie, Mixed Veggies
Wednesday - Ham and Noodle Bake,Salad
Thursday -  Arroz a Valenciana (Portuguese Paella Rice)
Friday - Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed potatoes, Gravy
Saturday - Feijoada (Portuguese Bean Stew), Rice
Sunday - Sausage Florentine Potpie, Salad


♥♥From the camera♥♥
I'm often asked what kind of style I want my house to be in, is there a theme, what do I like?  I don't have a particular theme, other than I love a simple house with simple decorations, but I guess if I had to pick and give it a name, it would have to be country/primitive/farmhouse/rustic.  All in one.

With that it means that I love simple decorations that remind of the old days, so a dried orange garland and some hand dipped candles, are right up my alley. 

♥♥Looking around the house♥♥
It is early morning, the sun is just starting to rise so it's quite dark in the house.  Through the bedroom windows, I can see the fog rolling in through the fields.  It is absolutely beautiful! 


♥♥Chore I'm not looking forward to today, or this week♥♥
I would have to say finishing the painting in the kitchen.  Much as I like painting, I am quite over it hahaha 


♥♥To relax this week, I will♥♥
Read, crochet, gather ideas for decorating the house. 



♥♥On my prayer list♥♥
Going to leave this one here, because I think it is imperative that we gather together, no matter what affiliation, to pray for our country and our President.
My husband is sick with a bad cold, pray for his quick recovery.


♥♥Devotional/Bible Verse♥♥
I have a new bible and devotional arriving today, and I am sooooooooo excited to show you.  I hope to start sharing the devotionals with you all, from next week. 

{ A warm fire, some beef stew and a super cold day }

That snow we were supposed to have?  Well, this is what we got.  A few patches of white here and there, nothing to write home about.

But the cold?  Goodness, was it cold today.

Early morning, a fire was started and it's been stoked all day long, keeping the house warm.

Jasmine was off work today and Curt has been feeling a bit congested, so we stayed in, locked the doors and kept warm. 

We've always been a family that enjoys going out and having fun, but also love just staying in and doing our own thing.  We are quite happy being homebodies, and some people don't understand that, wonder how we can spend a whole weekend inside, what do we do, don't we get bored?

Honestly?  No we don't, we either do things together like watch movies or play card or board games, or we are also quite content each doing their own thing.  It's quite a freeing feeling when you realize that you are quite alright being on your own.

It's days like these that I rely on my slow cooker to make our dinner, it frees me up to do whatever I wish and still put on the table, a delicious home cooked meal.

Beef stew is one of our favorites, and served with some warm home made bread is even better.

And so that was our Saturday, a quiet, indoor, out of the cold, sit by the fire and enjoy a big bowl of steaming beef stew, kind of day.

I treasure these simple days!

{ Waiting for snow? }

There is never a dull moment in this State.  Rain, sunshine, 20 degrees, 70 degrees a couple hours later and now snow?

Well they say that we are expecting some snow overnight, I will wait until it actually happens, to believe it.  I do love snow, but maybe it's because I've never lived in States that are completely snowed in, or hit by huge snowstorms that bring the whole town to a stop.

Today was my usual payday craziness.  Maybe I'm crazy, but I do love my grocery shopping days, I enjoy looking through the store, shopping in peace and quiet, being able to take my time and not feel rushed.

So, started by driving Jasmine to work early morning, then headed straight to the commissary.

I've mentioned many times how blessed I am to be able to still shop at the base commissary.  There always seem to be mixed feelings where some people say it's great, like me, others think it's not, but I think it all comes down to personal taste and I for one am very thankful for it.

I think I was in there for about an hour and a half, got all my groceries, picked up some Burger King for Nicholas for lunch (he loves burger king and it's a treat on payday), then quickly headed back home as the weather started turning.

My groceries came out to $280, which is not bad, I'm still $10 under budget.  You know it absolutely kills me when I think of how much money we all spend on food monthly, isn't it insane?  And I'm still quite frugal with my budget and think I don't spend as much as it's common.

$280 for two weeks, including toiletries and pet products, is not bad at all.

I would so love to reach a stage in my life, where we could be self sufficient and not have to rely too much on store bought food.  Maybe one day.

I sat down this afternoon and got all the bills paid, folded some laundry and watched Catherine the Great while doing it all.  I swear if I didn't multi task, I would never get anything done.

Before long it was time to get dinner prepared, which was quite a simple meal but boy was it good and stick to your ribs yummy.  The recipe came from one of my Amish cookbooks, which of course you know is going to be delicious, I have yet to find a recipe of theirs that I didn't like.

Chicken Etti was dinner.  I will try to have the recipe up tomorrow.  I know, I know, Sandra is saying she will post a recipe on the blog, and the masses are laughing their behinds off because Sandra has been quite neglectful of her food blog.  *sigh*

I do want to change that, I really truly do and I think it will only happen, when I just do it and quite procrastinating.  I want to see if I can grow my online stash of recipes, this year.  Let's see if I can do it.

The rain fell on and off all day, moments of downpour followed by clouds dissipating and the sun shining, only to get dark again within an hour and another downpour.  I tell you, this State is crazy when it comes to weather.

As I am typing this, the wind is howling outside and drops are starting to splatter on the window panes again.  I am pretty sure the temperatures will be plummeting down within the next few hours.

I'm slowly making progress on my new crochet blanket.  It is a stash buster of sorts.  I recently received a ton and I mean a ton of yarn from Curt's cousin and aunt, and I think I need to start using them up.

I'll show you a better picture of it tomorrow when it's not as dark.

I also received a new book for review and oh my word.  Any of you love Jennifer Chiaverini as much as I do?  She is brilliant, and to be able to review her book is wonderful.

This one is titled Resistance Women and it is right up my alley.  Just look at that gorgeous cover won't you?

Chiaverini is a phenomenal historical writer.  One of my favorites of hers has to be Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.  So good!!!

I think you can kind of tell that I'm excited about this one.

Anyway, that my friends, was my day.  Just a normal grocery shopping, bill paying, homemaking day.

I need to get on out of here and go frost the lemon cupcakes I made.  They have been cooling down for quite a while now and I want to get them frosted and in the cake pan before I forget. 

Have a blessed Friday night, and tomorrow I'll let you know if we got that snow that we're all expecting.

{ Today...... }

♥♥♥♥  Made a fresh batch of my all purpose cleaner.  I stopped buying store bought cleaners a long time ago, they were not only expensive but filled with chemicals that I would rather not have in my home.

I shared on a previous post, last year some time, how I make it, but also shared it on Instagram this morning.

I have a few of the 24 oz. plastic bottles from Walmart, they're only like 99c or something along those lines.

For one of those bottles, I use:

1 cup of vinegar
1 cup of rubbing alcohol
4 tablespoons of dish detergent

And then fill the rest of the bottle with tap water.  Give it a good shake and you're good to go.  I always give it a nice shake prior to us.

Use it for all your cleaning purposes, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom etc.  I make a similar mixture but use laundry softener instead of dish detergent, as a room and fabric freshener.  I even use it when I iron to spray on the clothes.

{ Time to meal plan for the next two weeks }

It is that time again, to grab the menu planning book, some inspiration, and get writing.

I wish I could convey just how much I love meal planning and grocery shopping.  Putting it all away when I return from the shops?  Not so much, but the actual act of planning our meals and then going to the store, is something I truly enjoy.

Now that I have my cookbooks displayed on the kitchen island, and within my reach, I think meal planning will be even more pleasurable.  It's not just the act of jotting down the recipes that sound good to me, but browsing through my beloved cookbooks brings me so much joy.

{ Homemaking Routine that I love }

I am eternally grateful to God, for blessing me with the opportunity to be a homemaker.

This week I have been able to get back to the homemaking routine that I so love, and nothing makes me happier.  Even the mere act of folding clean kitchen towels, brings a smile to my lips.

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 01/06/2020 }

Good morning friends, welcome back to my blog and to the very first Happy Homemaker Monday of 2020.

I worked on a new image, which you can see below, and I'm also adding a couple new categories, this year.

I started the Happy Homemaker Monday feature, many and I mean MANY years ago.  Since then it's gained a lot of participants and has evolved through time.  I don't like changing things up too often but I think it's been quite a while since I've changed anything regarding to our HHM, and since we are starting a new year, this seemed like the perfect time to do so.

Don't worry, if you've already done your for today using the old categories, it's perfectly fine.  You can go ahead and add the new categories from next week on.  I'll list them below to make it easier for you all.

Also, I haven't had to remind anyone of this in a long time either, but please don't change up the HHM categories on your own or make it different than what it is, because then it is no longer connected to my blog or the original.

Right, the categories from now on are going to be:

The weather
How I am feeling this morning
On my mind
On the breakfast plate
On my reading pile
On my tv
On the menu this week
From the camera
Looking around the house
Chore I'm not looking forward to today or this week
To relax this week, I will
On my prayer list
Devotional/Bible Verse


So let's get right into it, I'm looking forward to another year of Happy Homemaker Mondays.  I'm back to blogging full time, so I'll be visiting all the participants as well a the lovely ladies who leave comment on my blog.  Thank you again for always being here, even when I'm not as present as I would like to be.

{ Gratitude, God's Battle and Go Slow }

It is the 5th of January.  The whole world is filled with resolutions, plans, goals and all sorts of lists of things that people want to accomplish in the new year.

I've never been one for resolutions, I've mentioned it ad nauseum, but every year I do strive to change something or better myself in an area.  I don't pressure myself to do it because without a doubt, that simple act of telling myself to do it will send me spiraling backwards or in the complete opposite direction of where I intended to go.

{ Back to routine and a new kitchen }

I woke up around 6:30 AM yesterday morning, and decided to stay up and not give into the temptation of slipping back into a deep sleep.  I've been indulging lately, sleeping in until 8 and enjoying every minute of it.

But.....come Monday morning, hubby goes back to work and the 5:30 wake up calls begin.

I got a cup of coffee and sat down in the living room.  The house was dark and quiet, outside the wind was blowing strong enough to get my wind chimes dancing.

It was pure bliss.  Just that quiet moment, sitting in the darkness, watching the wind chime, sipping on hot coffee.