Happy Homemaker Monday - 06/13/2016

Happy Monday friends, and welcome to another start of the week with our Happy Homemaker Monday.

If I had to give you one guess of how I'm feeling, I'm sure you would all shout back in chorus "tireddddd".  Yep!!!  As always hahaha

Anyway, have a few things going on this week, so let's see what is on our HHM shall we? 

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The Weather:::

Cloudy and foggy this morning.  We've had beautiful hot weather the past week but yesterday had a bit of rain come down which made everything so humid and clammy.  This morning is very overcast, but not cold, it's still quite hot and humid outside and we have rain on the forecast.  Rest of the week is clear and quite hot. 

On my reading pile:::

At the moment, How Secrets Die by Marta Perry.  Review coming up on Thursday :) 

On my tv:::

Portuguese Soaps
General Hospital
Ghosts of Shepherdstown

On the menu for this week:::

Monday -  Skillet Fried Smoked Sausage and Potatoes, Steamed Mixed Veggies
Tuesday -  Texas Hash, Salad
Wednesday - Breaded Fish Fillets, Black Eyed Pea Salad, Rice
Thursday - Shepherds Pie, Salad
Friday -  Homemade Pizza
Saturday -
Sunday  -

On my to do list:::

Laundry - We'll be hopefully getting a dryer this weekend, but for the moment, I'm having to wash everything and hang it out to dry.  I don't mind really, except for the days when it's raining and it makes it quite difficult.  Did all my washing yesterday so today I just have to iron. 
Kitchen - Usual clean up, load and unload the dishwasher etc., sweep and mop floors.
Living rooms - Tidy up, vacuum, dust.

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

Ok so here's the deal, I am not starting to get very irritated with myself for not having anything going on.  I decided that I  HAVE to pull out my blanket I'm working on and really get going with it.  Also have our little cousin's 1st Birthday party coming up in July and I'm thinking I should crochet a few super cute things for her, I'll have to go look on Pinterest.

Looking around the house:::

It's so dark, it feels like night time. 

From the camera:::

Pretty flowers

On my prayer list:::

**My grandmother.  She is once again in the hospital and this time there really isn't anything the doctors can do.  She has heart failure, renal failure, double pneumonia and senile dementia.  I tried to talk to her on the phone a few days ago and it broke my heart, she didn't even recognize me and just babbled some strange things.  It was really hard.  Doctors have said that the pneumonia is not responding to the medication and it's just a matter of time :(   At this point, I'm not praying for her to get better, she is very old, she is tired, her body is tired and I truly feel it's time for her to let go and be at peace, as much as that will hurt me, but I just can't be selfish.  My prayer is that she goes soon and goes peacefully.
**My brother. He went for an interview last week, and this Wednesday they want him to go back in to see how he does (it will be at a car dealership working parts department which is something he loves), after that the usual background checks etc and if everything goes well he will start working full time the following Monday.  Please pray with us that this is the job for him, he really feels frustrated right now.
**My daughter.  As she continues her journey through the horrible depths of anxiety and depression.
**Our country.  This hate filled mentality that is taking over the world, that is killing innocent people and depriving families of their loved ones.  My heart breaks for these victims and their families.

Bible verse, Devotional:::

Happy Homemaker Monday - 06/06/2016

Good morning and a very Happy Monday!!!

I would like to say that I'm excited for it to be Monday, but to be honest, I'm not really because I had such a busy weekend that ended up not having much time to relax and rest.  I'm tired folks, like super tired and just not ready for this new week, but alas I can't stop time (YET, haha), so forth we go.

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The Weather:::

Hot and humid.  Had the craziest torrential rain Saturday afternoon and if I tell you it came out of nowhere, I'm literally telling you it came out of nowhere.  One minute it was clear blue skies, then in 10 minutes clouds came in, dropped a crazy amount of strong heavy rain and disappeared within 10 minutes again.  This Texas weather is WEIRD!!! 

On my reading pile:::

A pile of books for all my reviews coming up, next one on the TLC Book Tour is "How Secrets Die". 

On my tv:::

Portuguese Soaps
Legends and Lies (I had no idea about this one but came across it the other night and have been enjoying it.  Check it out if you like History and learning about famous and infamous people from our past)
General Hospital

On the menu for this week:::

Monday -  Crispy Cheddar Chicken, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli
Tuesday -  Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken, Rice
Wednesday - Baked Ziti with Cottage Cheese, Garlic Bread
Thursday - Parmesan Pork Chops, Wild Rice, Salad
Friday -  Homemade Pizza
Saturday - Fried Smoked Sausage and Potatoes
Sunday  - Bread Fish Fillets, Black Eyed Pea Salad, Tomato Rice

On my to do list:::

Laundry - My dryer decided to die, which is not shocking because we've had it for 12 years maybe?  We can't afford another one until next payday, so for the next two weeks I'll be doing laundry and hanging it out to dry on the clothesline.  I don't mind it at all, but the ironing pile is now humongous.  I did all my washing yesterday but have to tackle the ironing today.
Mop kitchen floors
Wash bed linens

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

I truly and honestly miss having a project to work on.  Truth is that ever since I moved to Texas (a year ago), I haven't made hardly anything and really haven't picked up my crochet hooks or knitting needles.  I want to but just never get around to it.

Looking around the house:::

Usual pick up needed after the weekend. 

From the camera:::

Pretty flowers

On my prayer list:::

My brother still hasn't found a job and is quite frustrated at this point.  If you could send out a prayer for him it would be very much appreciated.
My daughter, as she continues with her therapy and is learning how to value and love herself and change the negative way of thinking she has developed over the past few years.

Bible verse, Devotional:::

Oh, to be like Him, tender and kind,
Gentle in spirit, lowly in mind;
More like to Jesus, day after day,
Filled with His Spirit now and alway. —Ellsworth

The Secrets of Flight by Maggie Leffler - TLC Book Tour

Paperback: 368 pages

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (May 3, 2016)

This captivating, breakout novel—told in alternating viewpoints—brings readers from the skies of World War II to the present day, where a woman is prepared to tell her secrets at last.

Estranged from her family since just after World War II, Mary Browning has spent her entire adult life hiding from her past. Now eighty-seven years old and a widow, she is still haunted by secrets and fading memories of the family she left behind. Her one outlet is the writing group she’s presided over for a decade, though she’s never written a word herself. When a new member walks in—a fifteen-year-old girl who reminds her so much of her beloved sister Sarah—Mary is certain fate delivered Elyse Strickler to her for a reason.

Mary hires the serious-eyed teenager to type her story about a daring female pilot who, during World War II, left home for the sky and gambled everything for her dreams—including her own identity.

As they begin to unravel the web of Mary’s past, Mary and Elyse form an unlikely friendship. Together they discover it’s never too late for second chances and that sometimes forgiveness is all it takes for life to take flight in the most unexpected ways.

 

Maggie Leffler is an American novelist and a family medicine physician. A native of Columbia, Maryland, she graduated from the University of Delaware and volunteered with AmeriCorps before attending St. George’s University School of Medicine. She practices medicine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and sons. The Secrets of Flight is her third novel.


Find out more about Maggie at her website, and connect with her on Facebook.

As a huge lover of Historical novels, I knew this had to be one of the books I added to my read list.

The story is told in alternating views, jumping from 87 year old Mary to 15 year old Elyse.

For many years, Mary's story has gone untold, everything she went through back in World War II, left just in the confines of her memory, but as the young Elyse walks into the writing club Mary presides over, things change.
We come to know Mary, or Miri Lichtenstein, who was a Women’s Airforce Service Pilot during World War II.


As the young girl writes the memoir, she must also juggle her current life which seems to be falling apart, and it's that relationship forged between the two that becomes one of the main focuses of the story.

I really enjoyed this book, not just for the historical factor but the way it was written.  We got to see the younger girl's character develop while also learning about what life was like for the women left behind during the war....what they did, how they managed and how some of them wanted to contribute by becoming WASPS (Women's Air Force Service Pilots).

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

And then the dryer broke....

Hello friends, I'm sure you're a little surprised to see me around here.

I'm a little surprised myself, as much as I say I want to post more, something always shows up to keep me from doing it.  Goodness!!!

Anyway, I apologize first and foremost for no Happy Homemaker Monday this week, we still had the family reunion going on and then decided to head into Lawton to visit Curt's grandparents grave and also take our kids to my father in law's grave at the Fort Sill National Cemetery.

It wasn't easy for my husband and his brother to visit their father's grave, and even for me, I had to hold back the tears.  It's hard when you miss the person so much.

The last time Jasmine had been there she was 4 and Nick was still in my tummy, so it was a long time for them as well.  I'm just so incredibly glad that we are close enough to go visit his grave and put some flowers on.

I honestly didn't have a chance to be on my computer the past week, it's been that busy.

The reunion went great, we all enjoyed spending time together, laughing, eating delicious food, playing games and just visiting as much as we could.  It's always so much fun when the family can get together.

After everyone left on Monday afternoon, it was time for me to sit down and take a breather.  I love reunions but it's so much work for me, I feel like I'm kind of stuck in the kitchen making sure that food is available, that dishes are washed, that everyone has what they need.

Our cousin Cindy taught us how to make Prayer Beads and we had so much fun making them.  I ended up with 3 different ones, which I'll take a picture of later to show you.  This was one of them, it's a bracelet.

There was gathering around the fire, making s'mores and chatting.

And little Miss Presley was the best part of the reunion, she is the cutest little one and got plenty of love and cuddles.

The past 2 days I've been trying to get caught up on my housework, cleaning, picking up, putting things back where they belong and just getting back to normal after having a house full of relatives.....23 to be exact.

In the middle of all this, my dryer has decided it has had enough and given up.  I have so much laundry to get through, and unfortunately Bella has a bit of a runny tummy too so I've been having to wash all her bedding non stop.  Makes it harder when I don't have the dryer to help me, but I'm managing, truly.

So it's clothesline and chairs, and whatever else I can find to put clothes on to dry.  You know a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do right?

You know I've learned that the way we face our challenges is what determines what kind of a life we'll have and I for one don't want to be constantly complaining, whining and upset that something is not going the way I want it.

So as frustrating as some circumstances may be, I just smile through it and sometimes actually laugh out loud at the absurdity.

I'm ending this post with a few pics of my front yard and the wildflowers we planted a few months ago, they are finally blooming and it looks so pretty out there.

Oh and this little fellow, or one of a few little fellows that has made our yards it's home.  With all the rain we've been getting we have tons of them around.

As I finish this up, the skies are once again cloudy in preparation for more thunderstorms heading our way.

I better go snatch up all the clothes so they don't get wet again.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 05/23/2016

Good afternoon friends.  I am so very sorry this is going up so late today, but I've had a bit of a hard weekend and am just trying to get caught up with housework and other things around here.

Lola had a tough weekend, she had multiple seizures which left her utterly physically drained, and Curt and I emotionally drained and exhausted.  We practically got about 3 hours sleep on Saturday night and another 3 on Sunday.   I'm not going to go into much detail, I just don't want to talk about it at the moment, and I'm sure you all understand that.

Anyway, with that said, I'm going to jump right into this week's HHM.

The weather outside is::::
Had severe storms around 2am this morning.  We actually had quite a few weather watches and warnings going, tornado, severe thunderstorms, hail etc.  It stopped around 6:30 am and the skies cleared up, though the wind was very strong.  Now it's getting overcast again and we have more severe storms on the way.  One thing I don't like about Texas weather, is the humidity, I hate feeling sticky and clammy.  Yuck!!!   


On the breakfast plate this morning::::
Since it's already after noon, I am currently having lunch which is just a cup of coffee, a toasted ham and cheese sandwich and a small slice of cake from hubby's birthday yesterday.  For breakfast I had my usual yogurt, granola and berries.  ot.


As I look outside my window:::
Literally my view at the moment.  I'll never tire of it. 

Right now I am::::
At the dining table in the green living room, typing up this post, finishing my lunch and taking a break before I have to move on with cleaning and getting ready for the reunion.  I have so much to do before Friday.


As I look around the house::::

This is my view to the right.....

And right in front of me.....

On today's to do list::::
Laundry....Laundry is all done, folded and just have to put away.
Cleaning....In the kitchen, Unloaded the dishwasher and already loaded the breakfast dishes and the odds and ends stuff laying around from last night.  Kitchen is all clean and swept as well. 
In the living room.... Already vacuumed both living rooms and dusted and tidied up. 
In the bedrooms....beds have been made, windows open. 
In the bathrooms....Cleaned the bathrooms yesterday so no need to do anything today.


Currently reading::::
Almost finished with my first review book.  Actually as I'm sitting here, another one just came in.  Disappearance at Devil's Rock by Paul Tremblay.


On the TV today::::
General Hospital
My Portuguese soaps
Vlogs


On the menu this week::::
Family reunion is Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday and everyone is pitching in.  I will share with you what we're having though, so you get an idea.  Anything with a star is what I'll be making.


Monday - Chicken Rice, Salad
Tuesday - Ham and Cheese Tortellini, Garlic Bread
Wednesday - Mother in law is bringing a Ham for dinner.
Thursday -Mother in law is ordering pizza
Friday - Reunion Day 1....Pasta night
Cindy's Slumgullian
Mom's Chicken Spaghetti
Salad
Garlic Cheesy Bread *
Aunt Carol's Olive Bread
Cindy's Layered Pudding Dessert
Lunch Lady Brownies *
Saturday - Reunion Day 2.....Barbecue
Chicken, Burgers, Hotdogs * (Burgers and Dogs)
Aunt Carol's Potato Salad
Aunt Carol Baked Beans
Hayley's Trifle
Smores
Ice Cream
Sunday -Reunion Day 3.....Sandwich and Sliders
Pepperoni Pizza Sliders *
Pulled Pork Sandwiches *
Veggie Tray
Banana Pudding
Butter Brickle *
Monday - Reunion Day 4.....
Indian Tacos
Grape Dumplings
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle


What I am creating at the moment::::
Working on Lucy's Cupcakes and Stripes blanket. 


New recipe I tried or want to try this week::::
The Butter Brickle is a new recipe and it looks amazing, so I'll definitely get pics of that and share the recipe with you all.

Favorite photo from the camera::::

Prayers, Inspirational Quotes or Devotionals::::

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!