Hello January....Hello 2014!

A blank slate, a completely white book just waiting to be written.

I used to hate the end of the year and the beginning of a new one, because I always felt like I didn't know what was around the corner and I worried about what was to come.  Ridiculous!

The past few years I have chosen to concentrate on the bright side of things, to think about the fact that it's a whole new unwritten chapter that I get the privilege to pen.  What is more exciting than that?

Will there be things that are out of my control?  Absolutely, but for the most part it's up to me to make it the best year possible.

I started today on a quiet note.  Hung around the house, puttered around a little here and there, got all the holiday decorations put away and things cleaned up.

Hubby and I also reorganized our bedroom and moved some things around.

Dinner was supposed to be beef stew but the men got a sudden craving for burgers, so that is what we had instead.  The stew will be for tomorrow night, at least I don't have to worry about making dinner right?

It's now almost 11pm but I am still plugging away on the computer, working on the new menu plan and grocery list so I can go shopping tomorrow.

The hubster and I will be making a quick trip to base for some errands, some groceries and I'm hoping, a hair cut for myself.  I've let my hair grow super long but honestly, between you and me, I don't like it.....I think my long hair days are over and I'm ready to go back to my spunky bob.

So yeah, this is how I spent my first day of 2014, looking forward to the future and not worrying about things I have no control over.

How did YOU spend yours?

Crochet Mood Blanket 2014!

I'm so excited about this challenge, I've never really joined any challenge before as I don't like committing to something that I am  not sure I'll be able to stick with.

But this one?  Right up my alley, and besides, I think it will be a great idea to end the year with a beautiful crochet blanket.

Does it mean I won't crochet anything else this year?  Absolutely not, I have a lot of projects in my list and I'm also wanting to finally start selling my creations, something that I wasn't able to do before due to unforeseen circumstances.

Anyway, enough talking, I will be updating this post with photos of my blanket progress.

4mm crochet hook
Worsted weight yarn
Simple Filet Crochet Starburst Squares
Joining using the Flat Braid Method

Day 1 - purple

Day 2 - light blue

Day 3 - Pink 

Day 4 - Green

Day 5 - light brown

Days 1 through 5 complete!

New Year Fun - 2013 Edition

So here we are again, it's time for another New Year Fun, this time for 2013.

Oh goodness, so much has happened this year, good and bad, and I can't wait to go back and see just what I was doing or thinking all those months ago. 

Post the first sentence of your first blog post of each month. You can also add a favorite picture from each month.

If you decide to do one as well, let me know so I can come and see it :) 

Happy New Year everyone!

******************************************

January::::
The first day of the year.

The blank slate.

The open book.

February::::
I see the dishcloth I posted yesterday was liked by many of you. :)

March::::
Well, here we are, the first day of March, and I'm still trying to understand just how we got here so fast.

April::::
Good morning ladies, hope you all had a lovely weekend and Easter with the family :)

May::::
Oh boy, what a day I had yesterday.

June::::
Oh I am missing my blog something fierce, I can't believe the last update was on Thursday.

July::::
Good morning from beautiful Idaho :)

August::::
Well, I have decided to put Cooking Thursday on HIATUS until further notice.

September::::
On Sunday we packed a picnic and headed out towards Glenns Ferry.

October::::
Ohhhhh my favorite thing in October is the 31 Days of Autumn.  Each day, captured in a snapshot, and shared with my readers.

November::::
This week has gone by not only quickly, but I've also found no time whatsoever to relax even for 30 minutes.  It's been driving me crazy.

December::::
Well folks, here we are, December 2013.

Are YOU joining in the New Year Fun? If so, add your name to the linky underneath so we can come and see what your year was like.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 12/30/2013

Good morning dear friends, I hope you are having a good Monday morning so far.

Can you believe that we are right at the end of 2013?  Where has this year gone?

This is going to be our last Happy Homemaker Monday of 2013 and when we return next week, I would like to have it slightly changed, maybe add a few categories or change some around.  But for that I would love your input, so if there's something you would like to see added just let me know in the comments :)

As I look outside my window:::
18 degrees this morning, and some nasty ice outside.  It's the one thing of Winter I really dislike, I will take snow any day over this messy frost/ice.

Right now I am:::
Sitting in bed, typing up this post and hoping my blog doesn't mess up again.  Woke up this morning to a big ol' mess with the template, not quite sure what happened.

Thinking and pondering:::
On New Year's Eve, on what the next year is bringing and if I'm quite ready for it.  I think I am, I have a good feeling about this year.

On my bedside table:::
My bible
Made to Crave
Vicks, Halls Throat Lozenges and Kleenex

On my tv tonight:::
Not sure, I have so many shows to catch up on.  I think though that I need to watch part 3 of Death Comes to Pemberley

Listening to:::
My hubby playing with Lola

On the menu for this week:::
Preparing the new Menu, so not sure yet.  For tonight I have some Elk that was gifted to us, so I guess I'll prepare that somehow.
Monday -
Tuesday -
Wednesday -
Thursday -
Friday -
Saturday -
Sunday -

On my to do list:::
Mopping
Menu Planning
Ironing

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Crocheting headband for myself and then making another cute scarf for this cold weather
 
My simple pleasure:::
Reading cookbooks from front to back  

Lesson learned the past week:::
Patience, patience and more patience.  Enough said!

Looking around the house:::
The Christmas tree and all decorations have been removed.  The house looks so bare without them, but I'm fine with that, I was ready for it all to come down.  Today we'll take down the outside decorations.

From the camera:::

Prayer List:::
Family and friends.

Bible verse, Devotional:::
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV

Low key but wonderful Christmas!

For the first time in 15 years, I was able to spend Christmas with my family, or some of my family nearby.

You don't really understand what it means until you are forced to do without, and for us, being in the military meant not only being thousands of miles away from family in the States, but even further from mine which are all back home in South Africa.

I have such fond memories of my childhood Christmases.  There was always such anticipation leading up to the day.  The buying of gifts and hiding them throughout the house, the cooking of the food, decorating the tree, welcoming a lot of family and sitting around a big table filled to the edges with all sorts of yummy goodies.

Over the years as the kids have grown and married and moved out, the Christmases haven't been what they were, and that is understandable, but for the most part, even though I had moved away, the rest of the clan still managed to get together and enjoy their time.

That feeling of excitement is something my brothers and I have always wanted to pass on to our own children.

For me, it hasn't been as easy because it's always been just my hubby and I, and the two kids.  At times, while he was deployed, it was just the kids and I, and that certainly doesn't make for a very exciting Christmas.

But I've done my best to instill in them the giddiness that comes with celebrating the birth of Christ, and the opening of the presents and counting down the hours until midnight.

I've given them the best of both worlds.  Followed our Portuguese tradition which is to have a dinner of a myriad of goodies on the table, waiting until midnight and then opening the presents, and then still opening the Santa presents and the stockings on the morning of the 25th.  And it's worked for us.

But this year was extra special because I finally had family nearby, and in a sense it brought through the old fashion family Christmases.

I cooked all day long on the 24th, and when my sister in law arrived from work, she helped me finish up.  We all sat down and munched away on yummy Portuguese treats.....


Enjoyed a glass....or two....of Moscato wine and reminisced about previous Christmas nights back in South Africa with the whole family.

At midnight we opened presents, we laughed and we gave thanks for being together this year.

It really did feel like I was back in my childhood, and if just for that moment, everything was back to normal.  I needed that so badly, my soul needed it so badly, almost like a recharging of batteries.

Now as we approach the ending of the year and the beginning of a new one, I wonder what is in store for us all, but instead of worrying about it like I have done previously, I'm choosing to let it go and concentrate on a day at a time. 

THAT is the way to live, not reliving the bad things in the past or fearing the future.

Blessings to you all :)