{ Yummy oatmeal, crochet and kitchen time }

 

Good morning everyone, hope you've had a restful night.  

 

I am sitting here with Elliott sleeping next to me, and just having swallowed my very last bit of coffee.  Thinking I may need another cup in an hour or so, it's not that I didn't sleep, I actually slept pretty well thanks to the random thunderstorm that blew into our area around 3am.

Anyone else love sleeping to the sound of rain?

I think for breakfast I'm going to have another bowl of my Instant Pot Oatmeal.  It's cloudy, the temperatures have cooled down a bit, and my body immediately goes into Fall mode.  *we won't talk about the 90s temperatures still going on during the day*

 

If you want to learn how to make this oatmeal, go on over to Full Bellies, Happy Kids.  The recipe is up.  It is so good, so creamy, and one of these batches usually lasts me for 3 days, if I'm the only one eating of course.

As summer winds down, I've been making full use of the clothesline, because soon enough I will have to rely just on the dryer for laundry during the cold months.

 

I was hanging up some tablecloths that I had washed, and I just had to smile at my vintage clothespin bag.  When we had the family reunion back in July, my husband's aunt brought over a few big storage tubs with items that used to belong to her parents (Curt's grandparents).  She offered the items to anyone who wanted to have them, and I ended up with this beautiful vintage clothespin bag, dating back to the 1940s or 1950s, she couldn't remember the exact dates.

 

The minute the bag came out of the storage tub, everyone in the family yelled "Sandraaaaaaa"  Hahahah 

 

They know me so well.  We also have a beautiful and I mean BEAUTIFUL Bible that is from the 1800s, and belonged to my mother in law's aunt.  Wait until you see it, I'll take pictures today and show you in tomorrow's post.

This weekend, I started processing some of our garden harvest.  I don't like wasting anything, and I know sometimes it's easier to just let things go bad and throw them out, but we are basically throwing out money too right?

Over the years I've learned to bite the bullet, set aside some time and with a little effort and organization, bake, process, can, freeze etc.  Nothing goes to waste now.  And, I've learned to love doing this.

We grew pumpkins for the first time this year, and now that I know we can do it, I'll be growing more next year, but planting them about a month or two later, so that we can have pumpkins all the way through October and November.

But from the two vines that have been growing so well, we already got 5 beautiful pumpkins, and we currently have another 5 on the vine.  I didn't want them to go to waste, so I kept them in a dark, cool area and they have lasted almost 2 months off the vine.  

This weekend, I cut up and roasted 3 of them to make pumpkin puree for the freezer.  The seeds will be roasted today, because I have another 2 that I still need to roast and puree.

I've also been freezing tomatoes, and harvesting tomatoes daily.  Our plant is starting to die, but is still producing a huge amount.  From the ones I have in the fridge now, I will be making some tomato sauce to can, and then whatever is left, will be made into my Tomato Jam.

By the way, is there a shortage of canning jars?  Has everyone suddenly taken up canning?  I can't for the life of me find them in stores, only place is online.  Goodness!!!

I'm also doing some crafts for the house, some crocheting, of course.  I've been wanting to make some crochet baskets for a while, mainly to use for my plants.  Since I had done all my housework on Monday, yesterday I was able to sit and crochet for a while, and quickly whip up this basket.

I'm using cotton yarn and jute to give it some stability and will add some handles too.  I'm not sure if it will fit my current pots, but if it doesn't, it will be just be used as a basket.  It is so pretty, I love the white with the jute peeking through.

I'll be sure to show you the finished project, which I'm sure will be done sometime today.

I've also been in the kitchen more, cooking and baking, and updating my food blog.  Feels good to be back to business, so to speak.  

 

Last night for dinner, I made a quick pasta dish, it's actually called Hay and Straw, but I used some rigatoni instead of spaghetti, for no other reason than I just felt like it.  That recipe is also on the blog, if you want to check it out.

 

To go with it, I made this really yummy Cheesy Garlic Monkey Bread.  I wanted something different to the usual garlic cheese toast.  So I made my Honey Pizza Dough, broke off small balls, stuffed them with mozzarella cheese, then rolled them in a melted butter with garlic, parmesan and italian seasoning mixture and just popped them into my bundt cake pan.

 

So good, so easy and it's perfect because you can just pinch off individual bites.  I'll put the recipe up on the food blog today, though there's nothing to it, but I always like having a written recipe for future use.

And that was my day, well with some TV thrown in here and there.  I tend to watch most of my shows while busy doing other things, for one I get more done, and I also don't fall asleep. Hahaha

I want to end this post by thanking you all so, so, so much for the kind comments you left on my previous post.  Makes me so happy knowing that you all still enjoy my blog and these kind of posts, and some of you have been following me for years and years.  So neat!

I'm going to start replying to comments in my comment section, I think that will make it easier for me to interact with you all.

Again, thank you so much ladies, you motivate me to keep going and to keep sharing my days.

I need to pop into my local post office this morning, to mail off 3 books that were requested from my Paperbackswap.  I've talked about that many times, but it really is a great way to exchange the books you no longer want, for some you may have wanted for a while.

Speaking of which, I have one on the way that I've been wanting, and it finally popped up on the site.   

Having a Mary heart in a Martha world by Joanna Weaver.  So excited to get this one, can't wait to read it.

Let me know if you've read it and what you thought.

Alright, I better get on off of here and get my day started.  I hope you all have a blessed Wednesday, and I'll se you back here in the morning. 

♥♥♥♥

{ Slow Days }

I've never been one to enjoy busy days. Being out of the house constantly, driving around, or having multiple appointments in one day, makes me so antsy. 

I much prefer slow, quiet days at home.  Moving through the house, doing the chores that need done, cooking, baking, reading a book or drinking a cup of coffee.  That's pretty much the epitome of a perfect day.

 

The past few weeks, I have started purposefully slowing down, making lists for Fall and Winter, and grabbing my camera to capture my days.  I had actually forgotten just how I enjoyed my camera and being able to snap tidbits here and there.  

 

My blog used to be a daily post filled with pictures, and that's something I miss and strive to get back to.  So, I'm trying to be intentional, from the tasks I get done, to the photos I take and hopefully to the blog posts that will spring forth from that effort. 

 

Last week I went in search of online books.  Ok, wait, let me rephrase that, because I'm not a fan of reading on a computer or tablet, or even my Kindle, I will read something, but I much prefer having the physical book in my hand.

But the kind of books I was wanting to read, or look through, are old, from the 1700's and 1800's.  Most specifically cookbooks, homemaking or diaries.

And wow, did I hit a jackpot.  I'll do a whole post on those this coming week, because I think that some of you would really enjoy looking through these as well.

But as I looked through them and started saving them to my bookmarks for later perusing, it hit me again just how simple things were back in those days.  There was a real love of home and hearth.

Cooking and baking, taking care of the house and children, those things that make a house a home.   As I looked around at my own house and my life, it hit me that for the most part, it is exactly what I've been doing and that realization brought me so much joy.  It's what I've always strived for, so to be able to see it around me, is wonderful.

One of the reasons I stopped blogging daily, was that I started feeling that maybe people wouldn't want to read the same day in and day out, or see the same kind of pictures.  But, you know, it's my life, it's what my days look like, and that's the whole point of this blog for me, to document my life so that one day, when I'm older, I can sit back and read and reminisce.

 

Those same things that I love watching on Youtube, through some of my favorite homemaking vlogs, is what I wasn't posting on here.  Does that even make sense?  So I love watching others, even if they do the same kind of tasks day in and day out, but I was worried it would get repetitive on my own blog.  

 

Sandra, Sandra!!!

Has life changed over the past few years?  Absolutely, I've gotten older, some things I still enjoy, others I don't anymore.  Children grow into adults so don't need the same kind of attention as they did when little.  We moved across States, bought a house, lost family members and pets and so on.

But that's life, for us all.

What hasn't changed, is my blog and the reason that I started it.  So let's just get back to normal shall we?

You're going to start seeing my daily life again, some days will have fun things, some will just be same ol' same ol', but it will always be real, what I'm doing, cooking, photographing, reading or watching and so on.

 

Throughout this post, you've been seeing random photos of my past few days, laundry, watering plants, food I made, small glimpses of Fall creeping into the house.

New cookbook and magazine I bought.  Even after all these years, I continue being a huge Taste of Home fan and anytime I get a chance to buy one I do, though not as often as I would like because goodness, how expensive are they now?

 

Let me tell you, these both have such yummy recipes, that I'm going to use for my next meal plan.  The Simple Instant Pot Recipes cookbook, I picked up at Sam's club.  Love looking through their book and magazine shelves, always find such neat ones.

And then of course the taste of home always has great recipes, and this one for Fall?  Oh my word!!!

Anyway, I have another day of pottering around the house, the usual homemaking and cleaning, and I'll be sure to take you along with me and show you all I got done, on the next post.

Have a blessed day friends

xoxoxo

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 09/06/2021 }

Happy Monday!!!

I wanna start by wishing you all a wonderful Labor Day, hope you've been enjoying the long weekend so far.  As we go into this new week, let this week be the week of blessings, breakthroughs and abundant joy. 

 

I am bringing out the Fall HHM picture today, I know technically Fall hasn't started yet, but the minute September rolls around, I'm ready for it.  Maybe this picture will coax the cooler temperatures into showing up.  

 

Right, let's get on with it....oh and by the way, I pulled a HHM from 2014.  You know me, once in a while I like to change things up.  Feel free to do the same, you can always pull one of your older posts from previous years.  The only thing I always ask, is that if you join me in this feature every Monday, that you don't change the categories or add your own, or call it something else.  It kind of ruins the purpose doesn't it?

 

Breakfast time....what is on the plate this morning::::
For now, just a cup of coffee while I type this post up.  Later, I will make some Instant Pot Oatmeal.  

 

Looking around the house::::
Very quiet, aside from the crickets outside the window.  Curt is up and at his computer, working on his college work.  Kids are still asleep, though Jasmine will be up for work in an hour.  

 

 
On today's to do list::::
Vacuum and carpet clean den.

Put a post up on the blog, aside from this one.

Add the new meal plan to the chalkboard wall in the kitchen.

Make my garlic paste

Make our Winter Tea syrup

Currently reading::::
Acts in the Bible

Kicking Ass in a Corset, for a book review coming up.  

 

On the TV this week::::
Danielle Kirsty on Youtube
Digging for Britain

Homemaking Vlogs

London Hospital 

The weather outside is::::
So the weatherman says we are cooling down, and I was so excited thinking Fall temperatures, but no, he just meant 90's.  Bummer!!!


On the menu this week::::

Monday - Frango a Moda do Alentejo (Roast Garlic Chicken and Potatoes)

Tuesday - Hay and Straw, Garlic Pull Apart Bread

Wednesday - Monterey Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Greens

Thursday - Ravioli Lasagna, Salad

Friday - Beef and Onions, Rice, Roasted Cauliflower

Saturday - Portuguese Meatballs, Fries

Sunday - Chicken Curry and Rice, Garlic Naan

 

If I have a few minutes to myself, I will::::
Get in the pool, read, or crochet. 

New recipe I tried, or want to try this week::::
I want to try a German Pizza, will probably make it on Jasmine's day off, so that we can have it for lunch.  

Also making a Pecan Pie Cobbler this week, for dessert.  

 

One of my simple pleasures::::
Reading through old diaries, especially those of people on ships, or pioneers homesteading etc.

 

Favorite photo from the camera::::

Sweet Elliott taking a nap on the couch.  He has become my little shadow since my Marley died.

Looking Around the House::::
It's cloudy outside, so the house looks pretty dark.  Elliott is asleep on the bed next to me, while I work on this post.  I need to mop my kitchen floors, and also need to wash my windows, but not sure if I'll get to that today.  

I have two boxes of Fall decorations, sitting in the hallway.  I pulled them out yesterday so that I can get decorating today.

Praying for::::
♥♥  My sister in law.  Praise God, Friday was the first day she was able to go all day without needing her oxygen, and she is starting to feel much better from the Covid and Pneumonia.  Continuing to pray for healing so that she can also get back to her cancer treatments.

♥♥  Curt's aunt Mickey, she has Covid AND pneumonia as well (seems to be going around now), and unfortunately is in the ICU on a ventilator.  Doctors are not giving very good reports as she doesn't seem to be responding to treatment.  Please pray for her.  

♥♥  My niece Tiffany's baby boy.  She is 23 weeks pregnant, there was some issue with the baby having too much fluid in the brain, but after a visit with a specialist that seems to have resolved on it's own.  However, her placenta is now laying low and basically on the cervix, so that's not good.  Please pray that her placenta corrects itself.  

♥♥  Still praying for Afghanistan.  

♥♥  For our military

♥♥  Many on our church prayer list, some very sick, others slowly healing from a myriad of health problems.  

 

 

Bible Verse, Devotional that is resonating with me at the moment:::: 
As I read through Acts, I can't help but think how appropriate it is for the current world we live in.  Especially when we look at Saul's transformation into Paul.  I pray that same transformation for many, especially in Afghanistan.  That they have encounters with Jesus, that their hearts turn from evil and that they find salvation. 

{ Way Back Wednesday - Child Labor in Cotton Mills }

 

I am a huge history fan.  I could just sit and read or watch shows about different times in history, what happened, who the people were, how nations came about, what wars were fought and won or lost, the cultures, the traditions, the fashion and food and so on.

It's something that I thoroughly enjoy.

Back in, I wanna say 2006 or 2007, I used to do this feature on my blog, where I would post about a specific place that I thought fascinating, I shared the history, photos and even some of the traditional food.  It was a post that got many comments, a lot of mommies actually loved reading these along with their little ones, and learning about new places.  It was called The Greatest Places on Earth, and I had so much fun researching and sharing them with you.

Since then, I've continued to inhale anything history related that comes across my path, though I have to be honest and tell you that my absolute favorite time in history, is Tudor related.  England, anything England, Scotland and Ireland just call to my heart, but it doesn't stop there, because I love learning about all the different countries.

I thought that today I would bring something similar.  I've been watching a really fascinating show called Bone Detectives, on Amazon Prime.  Dr. Tori Herridge is a Biologist, and along with Carla Valentine who is a Mortuary Assistant, and a guest Archaeologist for each episode, they look into the skeletal remains uncovered by archaeologists in the UK.  Who were they, what age, male or female and the way they died.

Source

It is such an interesting show and I've been binging it for a few days.  One of the episodes however, caught my interest even more, mainly because the subject was something that made me so sad.  Children of the Industrial Revolution, mainly the ones that worked at Cotton Mills in England, as young as 4 years old and working 16 hours a day in horrible conditions.  

 

4 years old!!!!!!

Of course, I went to research and find everything I could.  And then I thought, oooohhh that might be something interesting to share on the blog, kind of like the old posts I used to make.  So, here I am, about to dive into the world of child labor and Cotton Mills.  Are you ready?  Because it's quite an interesting history, but really heartbreaking at the same time.

Let's go, grab a cup of coffee or tea and get comfy, I have a lot to share with you.

Source

Imagine as an archaeologist, coming upon a dozen skeletons all belonging to children, and as you begin inspecting them, you start seeing signs of deformities and malnutrition, and some sort of chronic lung inflammation.

That is exactly what happened in an episode of Bone Detectives, and it peaked my curiosity to find out, what I could about the cotton mills in England and the young children that worked there.

To us, nowadays, the thought of child labor is horrifying.  I can't imagine a young child working long days, getting hardly any food, and being subjected to horrible working conditions.  But back in the 1800's, right around the Industrial Revolution, that is what was happening, and no one seemed to bat an eye at it.  It just was.

It only changed when the 1819 Cotton Mills and Factories Act, came into law.  That act determined that any children under the age of 9 could work, and that children between 9 and 16 could only work 16 hours.  I know, it's ridiculous to even think about.  I guess in a way it protected the younger children, but truthfully, 9 to 16 year olds working 16 hours a day is mind boggling.

Source

But why?  Why did these cotton mills employ such young children for their factories?

Well, one of the biggest reasons is that they didn't need to pay them a lot, they also knew that they wouldn't complain or go on strike, there certainly would be no unions or organized marches against the company.  But also, they were small and could get into certain areas that a normal sized adult couldn't.  They would repair broken threads, move between the huge machines to clean out small areas, many of them working as piecers.  

If you're wondering what a piecer is or what piecening was, here's the official translation:

A person, especially a child, employed in a woollen or cotton mill to join together the ends of threads which have broken while being spun or wound.

Many of these children were away from their families, being brought in from the rural parts of England to the city, to be employed in these huge factories which were popping up all over the country.

There were horrific stories of accidents happening to these children.  Many of the skeletons that the archaeologists uncovered showed these sort of injuries on their small bodies.  Bowed arms and legs, cracked bones and so forth.

There are many stories from these young children, their own accounts of what they lived every day, the jobs they did, and the harsh conditions they found themselves in.  

“I have been employed in piecening at a worsted mill. I have worked at Mr. Cozen’s mill; the hours of labour were from six in the morning until seven and half-past seven and eight at night; half an hour was allowed at noon for dinner – not any time was allowed for breakfast or drinking.” - Benjamin Gummersill, 16 years old

Benjamin described working in cramped positions, being forced to work in a bent over position for 13 hours a day (hence the bowed and bent bones found on some of these skeletons).  Mind you, Benjamin gave this account at the age of 16 but he had been working at the mills since he was 9.   He mentioned beatings and even having his ears torn off.  That is horrifying.  He eventually had to leave the mill because his little body was so deformed and he was in constant pain.

 

Spinners and doffers in Lancaster Cotton Mills, 1908 –
Lewis Hine

Another account from a young girl named Elizabeth Bentley, who was sent to work in a mill at the age of 6, working from 5 in the morning to 9 at night, to help support her widowed mother.  Her job?  A doffer.

What is a doffer and what do they do?

A doffer is someone who removes ("doffs") bobbins, pirns or spindles holding spun fiber such as cotton or wool from a spinning frame and replaces them with empty ones. - Wikipedia

She later also worked at another mill as a weigher, which meant working in a room full of cotton dust, which got into her lungs and inflamed them.  Hence the inflammation that the archaeologists found around the rib bones of some of the skeleton remains.  

A weigher would have to carry around a huge basket filled with weights, which mean her shoulders often became dislocated.  I can not even imagine the pain these poor children were in, on a daily basis.

Children worked in a number of positions at these mills, some were scavengers which meant climbing under the big machines to clean away any dust, particles, dirt or anything else that would prevent them from working.  But this meant having to time it just perfectly or risk being mangled by these huge machinery.  Hair pulled out, fingers broken, arms broken, and even being squashed to death.  Absolutely awful.

Byssinosis was prevalent among these children.  It is a lung disease caused by the constant exposure to cotton dust.

 

Source - Lewis Hine

It is just heartbreaking to think what kind of lives these children led.  They weren't being well nourished, they lacked many of the nutrients and vitamins, that children their ages should have in their bodies.  They worked long hours, for hardly any money, were beat and mistreated, and every one of their jobs entailed dangerous work that often resulted in serious injury or death.

It's a sad thing to even try and picture, but I found it very interesting too, that from their skeletal remains we were able to learn so much about who they were, where they came from, and how they died.

I hope you found this post interesting.  It may not be everyone's cup of tea, and it may even be hard to read through and imagine these working conditions, or these sweet faces being subjected to this kind of life, but I also think it's important to remember and to give them a voice.

 

Did you know about the child laborers in the cotton mills?  Not just in England but even here in the United States?

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 08/30/2021 }

Happy Monday everyone, hope you have had a wonderful restful weekend, and are ready for the week ahead.  I'm praying blessings over you and your family.

 

I don't have much time this morning, so trying to get this post up for you all, as quickly as I can.  Let's get right on with it.  

 

 

The weather..... 

I could really use some rain around here.  My poor garden is desperately needing it.  Looks like another dry week, still pretty hot, but with August drawing to a close tomorrow, I'm hoping the cooler temperatures follow suit.   

 

Monday - Sunshine and clouds, 93

Tuesday - Mostly Sunny, 971

Wednesday - Sunny, 99

Thursday - Mostly sunny, 97

Friday - Mostly sunny, 97

Saturday - Mostly sunny, 99

Sunday - Mostly sunny, 98

 

Right now I am.... 

Sitting in bed with Elliott laying beside me asleep.  Curt just left for work, the kids are still asleep, and I have the chirping of crickets outside my window.   

Thinking.... 

That I'm so thankful for God's help this weekend.  I've told you that my brother and his family were all sick the past two weeks.  Well my nephew (Tiffany's husband) tested positive for Covid and has Double Pneumonia so he's been struggling.  Unfortunately because they all live together at the moment, since Tiffany moved down from Idaho, my poor Sister in Law also tested positive for Covid Pneumonia, and ended up in the hospital Saturday night.  She couldn't breathe, her oxygen levels had dropped to 87% and we got quite the scare.  But God stepped in, and she is already back home and doing much much better.   

On my reading pile.... 

Just my Bible at the moment. 

 

 
On my TV..... 

I've been watching Bone Detectives on Amazon Prime.  I love it.  If you're interested in History and Archaeology, this is the show for you.  3 experts, look at skeletal remains found during digs in England, and then through interviews, testing and so on, try to determine who these people were and what they died of.  Very interesting.  

Also have quite a list of shows to watch, been working on that this weekend.  You can see my previous post for a list of some of the shows I've just added to my watchlist.  

On the menu for this week.... 

Will have to work on a new menu plan this week.  I can't believe it's almost time for grocery shopping again, the past two weeks have literally just flown by.

  
Monday - Galinha no Churrasco, Potato Salad (Barbecue Portuguese Chicken) 

Tuesday -  Million Dollar Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Salad
Wednesday - Country Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
Thursday - Crazy Crust Pizza (Didn't make it last week, so moving it to this week)
Friday - 

Saturday -

Sunday - 

 

On my to do list....
Change bed linens

Laundry

Clean pool

Update Menu on kitchen chalkboard wall

Start cracking the pecans we still have from last year

In the craft basket.... 

The poor crochet blanket is still laying there.  Last week was just crazy and I couldn't sit down for two minutes to work on it.  Hope I can change that this week.  

 

Looking forward to this week.... 

I am just looking forward to a blessed week, to my family getting healthier and feeling better.   

  

Looking around the house.... 

Need to do the usual cleaning.  

 

  
From the camera....
Our sweet Elliott is struggling with grief over Marley's passing.  He has developed separation anxiety, and can't have me out of his sight.  Poor boy.   

 

On my prayer list.....
****  My sister in law, she has Covid Pneumonia and after her stay at the hospital Saturday night, is now back home with oxygen.  Please continue praying for her.

 

**** My nephew Steven, who has Covid Pneumonia as well. 

 

**** Many on my church prayer list. 

 

**** Praying for Afghanistan. The situation is dire, and my heart is just broken for the 13 service men and women we lost over there.  Please keep them and their families in your prayers.

 

 
Bible verse, Devotional....
 Isaiah 55 I think is perfect for the current world affairs and how we are feeling.

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.
² Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.
³ Give ear and come to me;
    listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
    my faithful love promised to David.
⁴ See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander of the peoples.
⁵ Surely you will summon nations you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”

⁶ Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
¹² You will go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.
¹³ Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”