Wanted to come in and wish you a very happy day, hope you have fun, enjoy time with family, but above all celebrate the birthday of this beautiful nation.
It has been home to me for 16 years and I have lived some of my best years here. I may not be American by birth, but I am a true American by heart, this is home, this is where I'll always be.
So thank you America, from the bottom of my heart, and long may you live!!!
Happy Monday morning everyone, how are you doing today?
Well, it's the start of a new week, a new summer week and the blank canvas is before us. What will you be doing, anything exciting? This week I plan on taking it easy and relaxing, plus getting some things done around here and finishing our move in, there are a box or two left to unpack and the garage is filled again with empty boxes and moving paper, I'm thinking of giving it all away as we still have so many in storage.
Anyway, let's get this started shall we?
As I look outside my window:::
53 degrees. You know it's one of the things I most enjoy about being back in Idaho. I love the early morning temperatures, feels wonderful. The sun is shining very brightly. I'm looking out my big kitchen window and see cars going by, sprinklers going and some children playing a few houses down.
Right now I am:::
Chatting to hubby about the key turn in for the old house, typing up this post, and also listening to Nicholas playing a game on the Xbox.
Thinking and pondering:::
On exactly how much of the deposit we'll be seeing back. We put down $950 and it would be nice to see it come back to us, but honestly I am thinking we won't be seeing that at all. These landlords expect the carpets to be professionally cleaned before leaving the house and I'm sorry, but I can't afford to do that. I cleaned them all with my own carpet cleaner and deodorized them etc. It will just have to do and they can take the money from the deposit. Just frustrating that this is expected to be done, not everyone can afford to do that. Oh well!!!
On my bedside table:::
Few things that need to be put up on the shelves, some nails and screws, my alarm clock and my book. On my tv this week::: Monday
Catch up on shows that were recorded this weekend but I didn't get a chance to see
O Beijo do Escorpiao (Portuguese soap)
Mulheres (Portuguese soap)
Star Trek Voyager Tuesday
O Beijo do Escorpiao (Portuguese soap)
Mulheres (Portuguese soap)
Little Women: LA
Star Trek Voyager Wednesday
O Beijo do Escorpiao (Portuguese soap)
Mulheres (Portuguese soap)
Star Trek Voyager Thursday
Here comes honey boo boo
Dominion Friday
Monumental Mysteries
The Dead Files Saturday
Ghost Adventures Sunday
The Last Ship
Return to Amish
Listening to:::
K-Love and "Just say Jesus" playing on the radio On the menu for this week:::
Going with some budget friendly meals the next two weeks. Moving to the new house, our rent has changed, the utilities have changed and a couple things have changed, so while I get used to all these adjustments I want to be sure I have good meals but that are budget friendly and more on the healthy side. Monday - Mexican Braid Tuesday - Ciabatta Sandwiches (Lettuce, ham, cheese, tomato), Salad Wednesday - Spaghetti, Steamed Broccoli Thursday - Breakfast for dinner (Bacon, Omelettes, Toast) Friday - Hamburgers on the grill (hubby and kids only ever want the hamburger, I might make some veggies to go with mine) Saturday - Saucy Mexican Chicken, Roasted veggies and potatoes Sunday - Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, Corn on the cob On my to do list:::
Laundry
Putting up the last of the family pictures on the stairs
Put up a shelf on the wall
Empty the last two boxes
Start breaking down boxes and folding packing paper to give away
Happening this week::: Monday - Turning in keys to old house, working on new budget, Tae Kwon Do Tuesday - Laundry, yard work Wednesday - Turning in the keys, Tae Kwon Do Thursday - Sewing day (catch up on all my projects) Friday - Laundry What I am creating:::
As I said yesterday, finished my corner to corner granny and now starting another for my niece.
My simple pleasure:::
Watching old western movies. My grandfather used to love them and I never really cared much for them, but as I've gotten older I have really started enjoying them.
Homemaking tips:::
Best way to clean your oven is to steer clear of the chemicals and go with natural products at home. I turn my oven on to the self cleaning mode, when it's done, I just have to wipe away all the ashes. Once that is done, I use some of my orange or lemon infused vinegar and give it a good wipe down in there. For tough spots, I mix a little bit of baking soda and water to make a paste, rub it on there, let it sit for about 15 minutes, then wipe off. Much better than those spray oven cleaners which choke the living daylights out of you. Looking around the house:::
Need to sweep and mop the wooden floors, vacuum my stairs and want to also carpet clean them. From all the moving and walking up and down, they look a little yucky already. From the camera:::
Prayer List:::
My friend Sue who is leaving her home of 45 years to move to a new area. As she makes the trip today, I pray for her safety and that of her husband's, and also that their new home brings them much joy.
Bible verse, Devotional:::
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1
PLEASE, don't add links to this list that are not part of the Happy Homemaker Monday. I've asked numerous times, and I'm frankly quite tired of having to remove links to other posts that shouldn't be in this list. Please be respectful of my request!
The weekend just came and went so quick and I didn't get to do anything, other than cleaning the old house and housework around this new one. Seems to be the story of my life lately though.
Buuuuttttttt, Friday night I had a most wonderful evening out with the whole family, at the Annual Daniel Dopps Rodeo.
Are you ready for this? I have never been to one. Oh my, 16 years in this country and I have never gone to a Rodeo, how can that be? It was something that I had dreamed of going to for so many years, even as a child I would see them in the movies and think "one day, I will go to one". The opportunity just never presented itself until this weekend.
I wish I had words to describe the whole event, but I think maybe surreal might be the closest, followed very closely by AMAZING!!!
If I told you that I cried and looked like an idiot, would you believe me?
I couldn't help it. HA!!!
Let me show you a few pics I snapped, and when I say a few, I mean really just a few because if I had to show you all of them, we would be here all night. You know me and my camera. If you want to see them all, please feel free to check them out at my Flickr Album.
Want some more????
Oh that was just so much fun, and I think by far, one of my favorite things to photograph. Now I can't wait to attend other rodeos.
That was Friday night. We didn't get home until about 11:30pm and then I tried to edit some of the photos and was just too tired, but nonetheless I didn't make it bed until after 1am. Goodness!!
Yesterday the hubby and I went by the other house for a little cleaning, I actually went to turn my oven on to the self cleaning mode so that today all I had to do was wipe it down nicely.
Hubby had college work to do and then he had to head to base for work too, so I decided that it was time to start my yearly Summer canning.
This makes me smile. No lie, all I need is to see these gadgets on my counter and I get so excited.
And then this of course.....aaahhhh.
First thing on the canning agenda, some Tomato and Apple Jam which I LOVE. My greatgrandma used to make Tomato Jam and it was one of my favorite things on earth, slathered on a piece of toast or as a sandwich.
If you want to try it for yourself, you can find my recipe on the blog. Here I'll give you a link :)
There it is, in all it's glory. Of course I had to have some for breakfast today, you know, just to make sure it was good enough to be eaten by everyone else. *snicker*
Next on the canning agenda will be some salsa, some potatoes, some green beans, corn and banana jam. Yes ma'am!!
Today was spent entirely at the old house.
I don't know friends, maybe I'm crazy but I just don't like leaving a house without giving it a very good cleaning, like spic and span kinda cleaning.
That is what we did, and tomorrow morning my husband will be taking the keys to the landlord. Over and done with, so that I can just start concentrating on the new house and not have to worry about going to the other every day for this or that.
Whew!!!
So there you have it, that is what my weekend consisted of, oh and finishing my corner to corner which I did, just needs blocking. Do you block all your blankets???? I admit I don't block all of mine, but this one I feel really needs it, so that is on the to do list for tomorrow.
With my busy life lately, I have found that my moments for reading have dwindled, if not completely disappeared.
Oh I love reading, I just don't have the time and when I finally sit down for a moment, more often than not I am fast asleep. Just ask my husband who is quite used to me sitting next to him on the couch to watch something, only to be nodding off within 5 minutes.
Thing is, I miss reading.
I miss everything about it. The new pages of a book, the smell of the said pages and most of all, losing myself in a good story. There is nothing quite like forgetting about real life for a moment and indulging in some good fiction.
I decided that I need to get back to my reading, and so, I'm doing something I haven't done in a very long time. I am starting a Summer Reading List and I'm determined to get through it.
I'm starting small though, I am not going to give myself a huge list only to not be able to finish and thereby feel bad it. Small....a few books.
I raided my bookshelf for books I have had for a long time but never got around to reading. So here they are:
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (why? because it's been years since I read it and I love it)
Plain and Fancy by Wanda Brunstetter
White Christmas by Wanda Brunstetter
A Sister's Secret by Wanda Brunstetter
A Sister's Test by Wanda Brunstetter
A Sister's Hope by Wanda Brunstetter
Looking for a Miracle by Wanda Brunstetter
What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller
Adoring Addie by Leslie Gould
The Guardian by Beverly Lewis
Now that I've typed it out, it actually seems like a bit of a list doesn't it???? No matter, I'm going to get through it :)
Are you doing a Summer Reading List too? Any good books you can recommend?
We are almost ready to turn in the keys to the old house, actually have to go in tomorrow and clean the carpets in the master bedroom....not that they need it, but I'm so used to military housing inspections that I just can't leave a house without giving it a good run through.
A lot of you have been asking about my knee, thank you for your kind words and thoughts. My knee is fine, it is no longer swollen, I can walk just fine, but the bruising remains, it is now in that ugly yellowish phase, so I'm guessing a few more days before it is back to normal.
I have been good though, I have been taking it easy and staying off it as much as possible.
One of the things I've been indulging in, is World Cup watching, while plugging away on my crochet blanket, which let me tell you, is now on it's last two rows before being finished. I'm going to give it a cute border and then it will be completely done, but I'll show you at that time.
I've also been loving watching my veggies and fruits growing. I do enjoy gardening, though truth be told I am no expert and still fumble and kill the occasional plant here and there. I am doing much better though and managing to grow a lot of things.
Something I've never been able to grow, was Lavender, but look at how well they are doing here in Idaho??? Happy, Happy with that!
And lastly, I've also been researching dinners on a budget, quick and easy meals to make without breaking the grocery budget. Also, adding a lot more salad and veggies to each meal, it's something I use to do all the time and then stopped, but we seriously need to eat more veggies and fruit.
It's not hard to do, I will continue to make yummy meals but just adding salad or a veggie to each dinner.
Easy French Dip Sandwiches was tonight's dinner, with some creamed peas. You can find the recipe on my food blog.
Trying to work on a budget, trying to cut corners, trying to grow our own food, just trying to live life simply but good. I've been purging as I unpack boxes too and so far have 4 boxes filled with items to do a yard sale with.
So yeah, now you know what I've been up to.
I'm sorry I wasn't around for the past few days, I just realized that my last post was on Monday and by now you were all probably wondering where I disappeared too with my jacked up knee. HA!!!
I felt I needed to come in and let you know how I was and what I have been up to.
Tomorrow we have some more cleaning up to do at the old house, and then at night we have the local rodeo to attend. I can't wait for that, can you believe I have never been to one in the 16 years I have lived in the USA??? Goodness!!
Alright friends, I'm off for the night, going to finish my crochet blanket and try to watch something with the hubby before I fall asleep. Wish me luck!!
Sometimes unexpected things happen....and sometimes they leave you perplexed and wondering, just what in the world???
Aside from a few bruises here and there and some muscle soreness and tiredness, my husband and I have managed to make it through this move, pretty much unscathed.
Then this morning, we went to the old house, loaded up a few more things in the truck, cleaned it out a bit and came home.
As we arrived back at the new house, my husband and I were trying to get the big washer out of the truck. He was on the ground pulling it off, and I got on the back of the truck and was helping him by pushing. I put my knees up against it and pushed, but that thing is really really heavy and it wasn't budging, so I braced my toosh up against the truck toolbox and pushed again.
I didn't feel anything at all, proceeded to do move some things out of the way and then went to step off the truck and noticed that my right knee did NOT look right.
It honestly looked like a bone sticking out but it didn't hurt, I could move my leg, just had this bulge.
The minute I stepped off and tried to walk it hurt a bit and felt weird.
Within a minute of my husband helping me inside to the couch, it started bruising and swelling.
This is what I am currently dealing with.
I've kept off the leg the whole afternoon, I've kept it iced, and it seems to be doing a little better.
But goodness, what on earth??? I really do think it's a Pressure Bruise or something popped in there from the force that was exerted on it.
My luck right???
Here's the thing though, as frustrating as it is right now knowing that I can't really walk too much on it and I still have so much to do at the other house and things to unload from the truck still, I am also thankful that it happened now and NOT during the big move.
That would have been awful. So yes, a little uncomfortable, but God works in mysterious ways.
Rest of the night I'm keeping it propped up, iced and taking some ibuprofen. I will see how it is looking tomorrow and if need be, will head to base to have it checked out.
