Happy Homemaker Monday - 11/18/2013

Good morning my friends.

I have to start by apologizing for the delay in this post going up.  Our router decided to conk out last night, so this morning I had to run out and buy a new one.  Thankful that I had the funds at the moment or I wouldn't have known what to do.

It's up and running now, and though this may be late, at least it's going up right???? 

 

As I look outside my window:::
At the moment the sun is trying to shine through the clouds and we are at 34 degrees.  We woke up to a beautiful white winter wonderland on Saturday but as the day went by it completely melted, bummer.  Here's what the rest of the week looks like....

Right now I am:::
Sitting on my bed and trying to quickly get this post up.  I've taken off my boots and am wearing nice thick wooly socks because my toes are just frozen. 

Thinking and pondering:::
On Thanksgiving, on Christmas, on the grocery shopping I still need to finish...just a few things running around my mind. 

On my bedside table:::
Both books are still sitting there waiting, haven't read much at all this past week, but hoping to change that soon.
The Guardian by Beverly Lewis
The Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Pamela Mingle (for a review)

On my tv tonight:::
Haven - episode from Friday
American Horror Story - catching up
When Ghosts Attack

Playing on the radio:::
Nothing at the moment, it's very quiet and I'm actually enjoying that

On the menu for this week:::

Monday - Chicken Parmesan Meatballs with Egg Noodles
Tuesday - *Tiffany's Birthday, out to dinner* 
Wednesday - Beef Stew with Homemade Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Thursday -Shepherd's Pie with Salad and Pickled Beets
Friday - Chicken Pepper Pasta
Saturday - Bifes c/ molho de cerveja (Portuguese steaks with beer gravy), fries
Sunday -  Pumpkin Soup, Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches

On my to do list:::
Homeschooling - Boys need to make a model of a mountain and the girls have some portfolios due
Laundry - wash, dry, iron, put away
Bake Cookies for Cookie Sheet Review

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Still working on the Diamond crochet blanket.  It's been another crazy week.

My simple pleasure:::
Having a cup of coffee and a few cookies in the afternoon

Lesson learned the past week:::
God is always in control.  He is the Potter and we are the dirty clay that he molds and pounds and presses into what we're supposed to be.  Something has come up with regards to my husband's job and we are wondering if this is the right job for him or if it's time to look for something else.   The good thing is that we know that God is in control and knows exactly what the answer to that question is.  So we'll wait until it is revealed :) 

Looking around the house:::
Jasmine is in the shower, Tiffany is fixing her hair, the boys are watching a movie, my sister in law is at work and both my husband and brother are running errands.  The house is a flurry of activity and noise, and even though sometimes it drives me a little nuts, more often than not I enjoy all the busyness around me. 

From the camera:::

On my prayer list:::
My husband.  He is struggling with being retired after so many years in the military.  It's hard to see these guys trying to adjust to civilian life.  I pray that he feels peace soon and that he finds the job that makes him happy.

Bible verse, Devotional:::
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Proverbs 21:3

Sense and Sensibility - TLC Book Tour

From Joanna Trollope, one of the most insightful chroniclers of family life writing fiction today, comes a contemporary retelling of Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen’s classic novel of love, money, and two very different sisters.

John Dashwood promised his dying father that he would take care of his half sisters. But his wife, Fanny, has no desire to share their newly inherited estate. When she descends upon Norland Park, the three Dashwood girls—Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret—are faced with the realities of a cold world and the cruelties of life without their father, their home, or their money.
With her sparkling wit, Joanna Trollope casts a clever, satirical eye on the tales of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood.

Reimagining Sense and Sensibility in a fresh, modern new light, she spins the novel’s romance, bonnets, and betrothals into a wonderfully witty coming-of-age story about the stuff that really makes the world go around. For when it comes to money, some things never change....

About Joanna Trollope

Joanna Trollope is the #1 bestselling author of eighteen novels, including The Soldier’s Wife, Daughters-in-Law, Friday Nights, The Other Family, Marrying the Mistress, and The Rector’s Wife. Her works have been translated into more than twenty-five languages and several have been adapted for television. She was appointed to the Order of the British Empire in 1996 for her services to literature, and served as the Chair of Judges for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2012. She lives in London and Gloucestershire.

Find out more about Joanna on her website.

My thoughts:

Austen Inspired Novels are one of my very favorite things to read.  Why?  Mainly because I'm such a huge Jane Austen fan and in a sense I feel that I can continue to enjoy her work and her characters through these writings.

What can I say about this Sense and Sensibility????

I loved it.  I love the fact that Trollope didn't really deviate from the theme and instead allowed me to once again enjoy this story but with a little twist with the use of modern settings and some technology thrown in.

For me, it worked, because it allowed me to continue enjoying these characters but see them in a new light.  If we think about it, as humans we don't really change the way we act and react to certain situations, no matter the setting or the time period.  I think deep down there are characteristics that will always be a part of our essence no matter in which year we live.

I find it fascinating watching these characters that I've grown to love in Austen's work, wind their way through modern society.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me with a review copy. 

Dream come true!

There is something magical and blessed about witnessing someone's dream come true.

Knowing that you are there in that moment to witness their reaction, is a feeling unlike any other.

Yesterday we all headed to Boise for the day....and what a loooonnnnnng day it turned out to be.  As an adult you know that sometimes things happen that are out of our control and as annoying or boring as they may be, we just suck it up and push through.

But when you have 4 teens along, things get a little hairy.  They would much rather be doing fun things, they don't do very well with boring and sitting in a specific place for 3 hours.

Though we did keep ourselves entertained as much as possible. The kids enjoyed the beautiful leaves on the trees outside...

My brother has had this dream car since he saw one back in 2010 when he was visiting us in Arizona on vacation.  Since then, it's been on his mind and he's always said "one day....one day I'll have one."

Well, yesterday was the day.  Not exactly planned but nonetheless, it happened and he was moved to tears when he realized it was coming true.

THAT is where we spent 3 hours with 4 teens and two ragged mommies trying to keep them happy with no way of taking them anywhere but the car dealership.

Was it boring and long? Absolutely! Was it worth the time to see my brother's dream come true? Oh yes!!!

Can't get more American than a Mustang and Apple Pie right???

What a gorgeous car, goodness.  And what a precious moment seeing him drive it away with the biggest grin on his face.  We're thrilled for him and just glad we could be there to witness it.

But the day wasn't all spent at the dealership, because thankfully we started our morning at my favorite place on earth.  When I tell you that I could literally live there and be happy, I mean it, from the bottom of my heart.

I've told my husband that he needs to build me a fireplace as big as this one. 

Oh I can just imagine Christmas stockings hanging on that huge mantle.  *sigh*

Boys will be boys right?  The adult boys decided to play a game of cards while waiting for breakfast to arrive, while the younger boys were more in the mood for some checkers.

Which left us girls to do what we do best.  Chat!

All in all I must say, it was a good day, a little hiccup here and there which is normal when you're going anywhere with kids, but nothing that we couldn't fix with some redirection from stinky attitudes to smiles.

Today, the men are at work in the morning, and will be home this afternoon.  Another blessing that comes with them working at the same place and having the same days off.  What a wonderful Lord we serve.

I had to get up at 6am and turn on the fire because it's downright chilly.  We're at 27 degrees and expecting our first real winter storm this afternoon and tomorrow.  Snow is on the way and I am thinking a big pot of chilli and cornbread for dinner and some carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert.....plus some reading, some movie watching, some crocheting, you know, my kind of stuff.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Friday and staying warm.  I'll be back tomorrow morning with my Five Senses Saturday.

Oh and I do apologize for there not being any Slow Cooking Thursday yesterday, I didn't even have a change to get it on the blog as the trip to Boise was a spontaneous thing.  Sorry folks, I promise to be back next week though :)

Blessings,
Sandra
xoxoxo

Gracious Living Without Servants - TLC Book Tour

Juliet has done the right thing all her life, and where’s it gotten her? She’s a thirty-year-old widow who’s had to move in with her parents.
Things start to look up when her glamorous—but married and much older—neighbor Seth seems to be flirting with her and his wife helps her land a job at a local paper.
Then she’s assigned to investigate Seth’s wife. Juliet is quickly immersed in lies, manipulation, and a deepening sex scandal. But she feels alive for the first time in a long time.
Maybe she needs to do the wrong thing for once. Or maybe she’s headed for disaster.

 I have to say that I didn't enjoy this book, it wasn't a story I could relate to in any sense and I didn't much care for the foul language or all the sex scenes.   I did try to give it a chance, and I will tell you that for the purpose of giving an honest review, I read all the way to the end.

I guess I just had a very different idea of what the book would be about, maybe the cover eluded to something else and it just ended up not being anything like I had thought. 

So unfortunately this book didn't work for me.

Thank you to TLC for providing a book for review.

The daily grind!

Life moves on at a fast pace, it's a never ending hum drum of activity around us.

Some days are more exciting than others, but for the most part I am quite happy with the familiar chores that I perform daily, boring as they may seem at times.  I give thanks to God, even for the littlest mundane chore.

Thought I would give you just a quick peek of my day.

One.....I never get tired of looking at the mountains, I could spend a whole day on my deck just enjoying the changing weather, the clouds and the rain and the way the setting sun bathes the mountain in a gorgeous red light.

Two....We've had some beautiful rain around here and I can't help but snap pictures of the rain drops hanging on the fence.

Three....big fat drops hanging from the bare branches of one of my trees.

Four....early morning breakfast of homemade hot oatmeal with cinnamon and honey and a cup of hot coffee.

Five....one of the never ending chores which I actually enjoy.  Breakfast dishes drying.

Six....another endless chore, laundry, but again one I love doing.  Ironing while watching Christmas Lodge on Netflix.

Seven....Someone tried to get into the roasted chestnuts, someone didn't think I could tell, but someone was very wrong.

Eight....Hot out of the oven roasted chestnuts, bring back so many memories of my childhood in Portugal.

Nine....Delicious Caramel Apple Pie for a Lucky Leaf Review and Giveaway over on the food blog. Go on and check it out, the lucky winner will receive a baking kit including an adorable ceramic pie bird.

Today????  Back to the same grind, with a little homeschooling and housework thrown in.

Oh the joy of homemaking, I wish I could pass this feeling on to all those homemakers who find themselves in a rut and unhappy with their days.

I guess the best I can do is tell you to embrace it, stop fighting it, stop wishing for something else.  Remember why you do the things you do and at the end of the day when your family is gathered around the dinner table eating a delicious home cooked meal, smile knowing that YOU did it :)

Blessings,
Sandra
xoxoxo