In the garden.....

It's past 8pm and I am sitting outside, under my canopy in the backyard.  It's dark, but it's a stunning night, not a single cloud in the sky, 108 degree weather earlier and it feels sooooo good now that the sun has set.

There is a game of badminton going on right in front of me, hubby and the kids are playing in the dark, with a few lights, but it's hilarious watching and hearing them play.  Giggles and loud cackles reverberate through the neighborhood, signalling the beginning of summer nights and fun time spent outside.

We've had a fantastic weekend!

A lot of yard work has been done, things moved around here and there, mowing, water sprinklers, grilling and gaming.

I think it's what summer is all about.  Minus the crazy high temps which make it very hard to be out here for longer than 10 minutes at a time.

I've got my veggie garden going again because it was so successful last year.  For so long I was terrified, intimidated and just overwhelmed with the thought of gardening and especially growing my own vegetables.  I couldn't keep the simplest of plants alive, but I guess I moved past that , even my hubby is impressed with my progress, and honestly, what's better than homegrown goodness??

I thought tonight I would show you a little of what I'm growing.

Right now I have two different lettuce varieties.....here's my bibb lettuce

 

And my Romaine Lettuce 

Here are my beans, these guys grow so fast

 

my squash...

  

I have spearmint and peppermint growing extremely well in my kitchen, so I've been using them in as many ways as possible.  At night for hot tea, and during the hot day, for some Iced Mint Tea.  You should give it a try, it's amazing :)

 

As the garden grows, I'll continue to take pictures and show you how it's coming along. I have Broccoli, Thyme, Parsley, Cilantro, Cantaloupe, Bibb and Romaine Lettuce, Yellow Onions, Chives, Green Onions, Tomatoes, Beans and Squash....oh and Blueberries. I just can't wait for it all to start producing so we can start enjoying it :) 

To protect the lettuce especially from the groundhogs, as they ate all of ours last year....we created raised beds and lined the bottom with chicken wire, then lay the soil on top before planting. Last week though, I noticed the birds swarming down and trying to eat my bean stalks, so hubby and I spent yesterday morning fashioning some protection that would still allow the sunshine in and accessible to watering, but would keep the critters out. This is what we came up with.....just using what we had at hand....bamboo sticks and a little netting.

 

Definitely not going for pretty or perfect here. I love it though, it works great and does the job.

  

And here is my next project in progress, have two of these going, but don't have enough soil or the plants yet. Need to pick up some pretty flowers and then it will look perfect :)

  

And now I'll leave you with a little glimpse of the weekend fun..... 

 

Lots of rehydrating going on. 

 

I'm off to have a hot cup of tea and then it's an early bedtime. Hubby returns to work tomorrow after a week of being off, it was so much fun having him home. 

 Our AIMS State Testing also took place last week so it was crazy busy around here, so we're heading back to our normal relaxed schedule and finishing off homeschooling for the year in the next 2 or 3 weeks. 

 Have a great night everyone!

In the moment

I don't think it's any lie that I don't like Arizona, don't like living here and am counting the days until hubby retires so we can return to Idaho.

 

I've done my fair share of crying, of asking why, of getting upset, of seeing just the bad in the area we live in.

And then came the moment where I realized that what matters is being in the moment.

God doesn't expect me to love everything I'm doing, or everywhere I am.  What a revelation that was to me.  Almost five years of wasted time, complaining, whining and stating that this sucks, that this place is not what I want, when can we leave, I can't wait until we're gone.

It's frozen me in time, so to speak.

I never really allowed myself to look around and to just be in the moment, to find the beauty in certain things, to allow myself to be truly content.

But as my journey to a closer relationship with God, has progressed, I've seen many changes in the way I see things and this week, for the first time in almost 5 years, I have allowed myself to look around me and to really take in God's work before me.

We've been doing State Testing, which means every day this week we have had to drive the kids to a location not too far from where we live, but it seems like a world away now that I've opened my eyes.

 

The kind of greenery that I dream of living in......

Farming, crops, mountains in the distance

A ranch surrounded by white fencing, with a barn or two

 

and an orchard filled with all different kinds of fruit tree.

I envision myself walking between them, reaching up to grab an apple, or lugging a big basket full home to make a homemade apple pie.

And it's still a dream of mine, which may never come to fruition but it doesn't hurt to think and imagine.

What I've found though, the past week, as we have driven by these fields, surrounded by the deepest blue of the sky, the warmth of the sun and the activity of field life, is that I really am where I'm supposed to be for the moment.

I'm supposed to see all of this and to take it in, to soak in the beauty amongst the thorns, the brown, the desert and the stuff that I don't like.

Because for now, I am willing to accept it and to live vicariously through these moments.  I can drive by these white fences and imagine that I'm driving by my own property.

 

Oh I could continue to dislike it all and to pray for orders out of here, but how tiring is that? So much energy wasted. I think I've learned an important lesson. Stop, take time to breathe, accept your surroundings and be really content with what you have. I think I'm finally there and I think the Father above is smiling down on me, proud that His child is finally GETTING IT! :)

God Bless,

Sandra

Cooking Thursday

Good morning everyone :) I apologize for my absence this past week, but we've been extremely busy with State Testing and I haven't had a chance to do much of anything. Can't wait to get back to normal schedule next week, I have some posts to go up :)

If you want to use the picture, just click here for the original.

On to today's recipe:

 

Grilled Bacon Burgers

1 egg
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound ground beef
5 bacon strips
5 hamburger buns, split
Leaf lettuce, tomato slices and onion slices, optional


In a small bowl, combine the egg, cheese, onion, soy sauce, ketchup and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into five patties. Wrap a bacon strip around each; secure with a toothpick.


Grill the patties, uncovered,


over medium-hot heat for 5 to 6 minutes


on each side


or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees and juices run clear.


Discard toothpicks. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato and onion if desired.

The Queen's Lover TLC Book Tour

The Queen's Lover by Francine Du Plessix Gray

The Queen’s Lover begins at a masquerade ball in Paris in 1774, when the dashing Swedish nobleman Count Axel Von Fersen first meets the mesmerizing nineteen-year old Dauphine Marie Antoinette, wife of the shy, reclusive prince who will soon become Louis XVI. This electric encounter launches a life-long romance that will span the course of the French Revolution.

            The affair begins in friendship, however, and Fersen quickly becomes a devoted companion to the entire royal family. As he roams through the halls of Versailles and visits the private haven of Petit Trianon, Fersen discovers the deepest secrets of the court, even learning about the startling erotic details of Marie-Antoinette’s marriage to Louis XVI. But the events of the American Revolution tear Fersen away. Moved by the colonists’ fight for freedom, he is one of the very first to enlist in the French contingent of troops that will fight for America’s independence.

 ***********************************

I'm a huge Historical Fiction fan.  Oh my, anything I can get my hands on in this genre, has been read or is currently on my TBR Pile.

When given the opportunity to review this one, I obviously said yes immediately.

Just reading through the summary was enough to convince me that this would be a great read and immensely entertaining.

Marie Antoinette!

The name itself conjures up visions of a young beautiful Queen.  Of crazy stories based on truth and of some based on rumors and gossip.  I admit to having a preconceived notion of what I thought of Marie Antoinette, but the author gives me so much more than what I had already read and seen in the movies.

The story is told from the perspective of Count Axel von Fersten, through letters and recorded facts.  He takes us into the court life, their secrets and goings on and we also get a much better understanding of the Queen herself and what she went through, I found myself feeling sorry for her at times and kind of getting why she did the things she did.

For this being my first book by Francine Du Plessix Gray, I have to say that I really enjoyed it.  It was right up my alley.

Thumbs up for sure :)

 

 Here are the next tour stops:

Wednesday, April 18th: Life in Review
Monday, April 23rd: Kritters Ramblings
Wednesday, April 25th: Peeking Between the Pages
Thursday, April 26th: Broken Teepee
Friday, April 27th: Unabridged Chick
Tuesday, May 1st: Amused By Books
Wednesday, May 2nd: Life is Short. Read Fast.
Thursday, May 3rd: Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile
Wednesday, May 9th: Historical Tapestry
Thursday, May 10th: A Bookish Affair
Monday, May 14th: Scandalous Women
Wednesday, May 16th: Enchanted by Josephine

Happy Homemaker Monday #14

Another weekend just seemed to creep up on us and just as quick disappear.  Seriously, slow down there Father Time.

Quick Note:  I have asked numerous times for people to ONLY link up to Happy Homemaker Monday posts.  Please, don't add links to other posts on the list, it makes it very confusing to the HHM participants.  Thank you!!!

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

The weather:::

We had some really high winds this weekend and cloudy, gloomy weather though no rain.  Looks like we're back to higher temps and sunshine today :) 

On my reading pile:::  
Sisters of the Heart Trilogy by Shelley Shepard Gray (almost finished with this one)
Bible
A Woman who trusts God by Debbie Alsdorf (this is such an amazing book, oh I love it so much)

On my TV:::

Next episode of the Titanic special.  
Doomsday Preppers (just found this one and looks interesting, going to start watching)
Amish - Out of Order (new series starting tomorrow on the National Geographic Channel)

On the menu for this week:::

 Monday -   Rice with Bacon, Ham and Oregano
Tuesday - Mexican Lasagna
Wednesday - Portuguese Steak with Mushroom sauce and fries
Thursday -  Grilled Tilapia with Salad
Friday -  Roast pork with potatoes and carrots
Saturday - Chicken Spaghetti 
Sunday -   Shepherds Pie

On my to do list:::

Two loads of laundry to iron and put away
AIMS testing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for the kids
Homeschooling

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

Grabbed my ripply cushion this weekend and made some progress on it.  I haven't had much time for crocheting and I have missed immensely :)

In Homeschooling:::

Our Monday's are usually catch up days since we take Friday's off :)  We also have AIMS testing coming up on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Aside from that, we have some POST tests to do and we're cranking down on the work to finish off this year early, just like we did last year :) 

Looking around the house:::

Children are still fast asleep.  I have hubby up with me, he has this week off so there's no early getting up or rushing around, we're just enjoying some coffee.  Dishwasher is running as usual and other than that, the only other sound is that of birds chirping out in the back yard.

From the camera:::

My beans are growing SO well, I'm thrilled with them, as well as the rest of the veggie garden.  I'll be sharing some pics with you soon.

Something fun to share:::
In the weeks leading up to the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of Titanic, I have literally devoured every single show/movie/documentary that I came across, and I have to say that I have learned so much.  I feel like I've come to know more about the the passengers, the crew, the individuals.  Where they came from and where they were going.  How the ship was built, by whom and how it sank.  So much information that has really opened up my eyes to a lot of things.  Hubby and I spent this weekend watching some wonderful shows on the National Geographic Channel, honestly if there is one channel on the dish that I would never get rid of, it would be this one :)

On my prayer list:::

Still praying for family and friends and for you all out there.
For our troops still overseas, for their safety and for their return home.
I've found myself in constant prayer lately, and just at any moment of the day, no matter what I'm doing.  It's like reconnecting with a good friend that you hadn't seen in years and finding that you still CLICK.  I love it, I love God and I love that I'm on the right track and every day forging a new bond with Him. 

Bible verse, Devotional::: 

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."
Mark 8:34-35