{ First truly Fall day }

I'm sitting here with light rain falling outside.  Woke up to 50 degrees, clouds, cold and drizzling rain.  Oh how happy that made me.

On days like this, I seem to enjoy my homemaking even more.  Maybe because it's dark and seems to make the house seem even cozier, but I love lighting a candle, turning on the TV with a documentary, and then going about my day.

I worked on the fireplace the past few days, just tidying it and getting it ready for the upcoming holiday season.

 

I just love working around my house, moving things, tidying, cleaning and organizing.  I guess I do it so much that it's just become second nature, and on the off day that I am not really needing much done, I often feel guilty for even sitting and reading.

So I just get on with my day and if I'm listening to something in the background, things seem to go faster.

 

My fur babies just watch me, quite curious as to what I'm doing, and always being nearby, sniffing at everything.  I do that with them a lot, they love to be included, so whatever I'm working on, I always give them a sniff   Hahahah

That sounds so strange saying it out loud.  I mean, like a candle, or if I'm cooking I let them smell it, or I grab Elliott and take him around the house, showing him everything and he loves that.

 

For some reason, decorating this time of year always brings cozy feelings, doesn't it?  

 

I particularly like my dining, den area with the big fireplace.  It reminds me of a cabin, with all the wood, paneling and candles.  I guess it's the closest I'll ever be to living that Laura Ingalls life.  Right?  

 

So I got it all taken care of, then gave the house a quick vacuum.

 

Once that was done, I was able to sit on the couch, with my yarn stash, and make some more placemats.  I've been enjoying making these because they're so quick to work up, and in my opinion, you can never have enough.  

I not only use them for placemats for our dinner plates, but also as doilies to set a pretty flower vase on, or even to act as trivets for hot food.  It's little things like this, that make a house a home, at least for me.  Small touches that take the house from a building with four walls, to a cozy, inviting home.....and when you've taken the time to create them yourself, I think that means even more.

I've also been enjoying some wonderful documentaries on PBS.  I love Lucy Worsley's newest series called Lucy Worsley Investigates.  There have been just 4 episodes so far, but she has investigated The Princes in the Tower, The Madness of King George, The Black Plague and The Witch Hunts.  

 

So good.  Actually all of her documentaries are wonderful and there's a few on PBS to watch.  Just a suggestion.

 

Anyway, I need to go give Kaia some food, she's asking ever so nicely.  

 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  God Bless!

{ The Weekly Gratitude Project - TLC Book Tour }

 

 

About The Weekly Gratitude Project

Publisher: Zondervan; Illustrated edition (November 10, 2020)

Hardcover: 144 pages

 

 

It’s time to start a project that will grow a grateful heart. The Weekly Gratitude Project is a 52-week guided gratitude journal that offers a life-changing journey through reflection prompts and inviting questions to guide you into a deeper relationship with God. This yearly gratitude journal features beautifully illustrated journaling pages that will help you discover more intimacy and joy in your spiritual life.

 

The Weekly Gratitude Project is:

• Perfect for a beginner in faith and practicing gratitude, but strong and thought provoking enough for someone who already has a solid foundation
• An easy-to-use journaling format designed to help you focus on adding more gratefulness into your day
• A helpful companion for individual worship, Bible studies, and small groups

 Each week includes:

• A biblical theme to focus on
• A short but impactful Bible verse to help you reflect and meditate
• Inspirational insight to guide your thoughts and jumpstart your gratitude project
• Journaling prompts and lines to help you reflect and grow a grateful heart

This 12-month journal:

• Showcases beautiful photography and calming colors
• Has a pretty ribbon marker, so you never lose your place
• Provides a ton of journaling space, but easily fits on your nightstand, tote bag, or a gift basket
• Is perfect for a self-purchase, Mother’s Day, National Best Friend Day, a welcoming gift for Bible study groups, birthdays, and holidays

Check out the rest of the series, The Weekly Prayer Project and The Weekly Faith Project.

 

 

 My thoughts:

This is one of the most beautiful books, journals, I have ever owned.  But it's not just a normal journal that you open up and write at your will.  It's not about your day to day, so to speak, but more about a journey through Faith, getting closer to the God and delving deep within you to find gratitude in everything you do.

I will be honest and tell you that I am not good at journaling.  When I was younger I attempted a few journals and managed to keep them up for a bit, but that didn't last for too long, so when I received this Gratitude Project, from Zondervan Publishers and TLC Book Tours, I wasn't quite sure what to think.

I'm not going to say that I have been successful in keeping up with it, every single week, but I will say that when I do tackle the week at hand, I give it my best and take my time.  

The questions are thought provoking and harder than I was expecting, which threw me off at first.  But I think it is developed in a way to make you really think about your spiritual relationship with the Lord, your faith.

For example, on Week 31 the theme is Grace.  I thought "oh that will be easy, I know all about grace."

Then the question is put to me.  

 

Describe God's rich grace.  What is it?  What has it done for you?  What does it continue to do?

And I couldn't answer it right away.  I was stumped, I drew a blank, I didn't know how to answer or what to answer.  It sent me digging through the Bible and other devotionals I had to refresh my memory and to search my heart for the right answer.  

Here's another example that had and has me stumped, I haven't even answered this one.  

I just love being challenged in my faith.  It makes me want to know more, search more, press more into the Lord's word.  

I think The Weekly Gratitude Project is a book I'll have on hand for many years to come, and I don't think I will finish it in 52 weeks exactly,  because some of the themes and questions have me searching more than others.  That's ok though, we are never finished growing as Christians, it's an ongoing journey full of questions and moments of reflection.

I highly recommend this book if you are just starting out on your spiritual journey.  It will push you to focus and meditate and above all, praise and worship the Lord.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Zondervan Publishers, for providing me with a copy for this review.

 

{ Why are you a homemaker? }

The question came as a bit of a surprise.  I don't have the habit of asking random people, why they chose to do what they do, because frankly it's none of my business.  So it always surprises me, when I'm asked why I chose to be a homemaker.

But the answer is quite simple, at least to me.

Because I was called by God to do this, and I was given charge of my home and my family to care for.

What is most important in your life?  

 

In mine, it is God above all, and my family next.  I have both of those things inside my home, so I take great pride in caring for both my relationship with my Lord and my family.

 

 

 

 

As the days have gotten colder, I have found myself even more eager to do my housework.  There's a certain renewing of spirit, if you will.  Maybe it's the candle light or the piping hot oatmeal wafting steam up as if in a dance.

It makes me want to bake, decorate, plan and prepare for hibernation.  Though that is really not possible, no matter how appealing it may sound.  But you know what I mean.  

Chopping firewood to keep us warm during the winter months.  Gathering the last of the garden harvest to freeze or can, until Spring comes around and we plant a whole new garden.

Setting a pretty table for dinner.  Placing pine cones and pumpkins throughout the house.

 

Then there's those days that I don't feel like doing anything, not even speaking, and I can't muster up the motivation or energy to blog or post anything on Instagram.  We all have those moments, when our spirits seem to cry out for a slow day, for peace and quite, and a cup of coffee or tea with a slice of a yummy cake or pie.

 

Those days I spend in silence, with just some soft music in the background, a good book and my pets at my side.

 

 

On my quiet retreated days, I still am a homemaker.  I move through the daily chores at a slower pace, I take my time, and I allow myself to soak in everything around me, taking extra time to watch the flickering candle light.

Or I really take in the scent of whatever I am cooking or baking.

Sometimes I sit back, close my eyes and go into deep prayer.  Not the kind of prayer that consistently asks for the Lord's help in certain situations, but the kind of prayer that involves me praising, loving and just listening intently.

Those are the prayers that seem to help me the most.  

So why am I a homemaker?  Because that's what God has instructed me to do!

{ Birds in the garden }

“Birds teach a great life lesson. All you have to do is listen to their song.”

 

 

We've been needing rain again, and the animals are craving water, so when they find some, they soak it all in as best as they can. 

 

Because we've been watering the garden with a sprinkler, anytime we turn it on, it's a party in the neighborhood.  And I just love grabbing my camera and watching them.

 

I've always loved bird photography and used to do quite a bit of it, when we were stationed back at Luke AFB, in Arizona.  I even have an album on Flickr for all the bird photos I took, so if that's something you're interested in, feel free to go over and take a look. 

 

 

I've never really sat and watched birds playing in the water, and boy was I in for a treat.  I don't know how long I sat at my window, but I couldn't pull away, they were just that cute.

 

I'm going to leave you with the pictures I took, and I do hope you enjoy looking through them, as much as I enjoyed taking them.

They take turns lifting their wings and letting the water soak into their feathers.  They play in the water puddles, fly back and forth, drink water, and just have a good ol' party.

Even the squirrels came to drink water and play.  So sweet to watch!!!

You know God provides for us, in all ways.  All it takes sometimes is looking outside our windows, at the simplest of things, to find joy.  Next time you have a moment, look outside, but really look, don't just glance, look and watch.  You will be happy you did.

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 10/03/2022 }

 

 

 

Good morning friends, welcome back.   

 

This has been a bit of a busy week.  I stepped back just ever so slightly, from my blog and even Instagram, choosing instead to tackle some very much needed projects around my house.  Master closet, hallway closet, linen closet, and hubby got sick with a stomach bug the past two days, so I've been helping him with that too.

 

But I'm glad to be back, and to share again.  I'm sorry I didn't get around to your HHM posts last week, I will get on track again starting today, so more visiting, more comments and more posting.  

 

Here we are, the first Happy Homemaker Monday post of October.  It may be one of my favorite months of the year, as I love Autumn so much, but then December rolls around and I'm very much looking forward to that too.

 

I made a new picture to use this month, if you want to use it, feel free to grab it.

 

Hope you all have a wonderful blessed week. 

♥♥ The Weather ♥♥
Gorgeous, crisp, cool.  Perfect.  Our temperatures are finally dropping and we're very happy for that. 

Monday - Sunny, 87
Tuesday - Sunny, 88
Wednesday - Partly cloudy, 88
Thursday - Partly cloudy, 88
Friday - Partly cloudy, 78
Saturday - Partly cloudy, 76  

Sunday - Partly cloudy, 84



♥♥ As I look outside my window ♥♥
I have the sprinkler on in the garden, because we haven't had rain in about a month.  The birds are in heaven, they have flooded the garden, playing in the puddles, and enjoying all the water available to them.  I can sit for hours just watching them.  They lift their wings up, alternating between each one, to take in the water.  It's quite sweet to see.     

 

 

♥♥ Right now I am ♥♥
Catching upon some homemaking vlogs, and working on this post. 

♥♥ Thinking and pondering ♥♥
Just planning in my mind what I need to do this week.   

 

♥♥ How am I feeling ♥♥
I'm doing well, feeling a bit tired because we haven't slept well with Curt's stomach bug.  But, that's ok, i will find some time today to sit for a bit and get some rest.   

 


♥♥ On the breakfast plate ♥♥
I just had a cup of coffee with Peppermint Mocha creamer.  I'm thinking I may do instant pot oatmeal for breakfast.        

 

♥♥ On the lunch plate ♥♥
Salad.  I've been really enjoying salads, just plain lettuce, onion, tomato and cucumber with salt and pepper, and some olive oil.        



♥♥ On the dinner plate ♥♥
Slow Cooker Potato Soup, Baked Grilled Cheese and Ham Sandwiches.   

 

 

♥♥ What I'm wearing ♥♥
At the moment I'm being lazy and still wearing my pajamas.  They are silk pink short and top pajamas.  I WAS wearing my robe though because it's a bit chilly at the moment and I have my window open to let in the fresh air.    

 


♥♥ On my reading pile ♥♥
Reading through Isaiah in the Bible.

Paul David Tripp New Morning Mercies devotional.
Morning and Evening Devotional by Charles Spurgeon.   

I set aside the Wild Beauty book, I wasn't enjoying it, so need to grab a different one to read.

♥♥ On my TV this week ♥♥
The Orville - We're on season 2 and really, really enjoying this series.

Homemaking vlogs
House of Dragons

The Lord of the Rings Series on Amazon Prime

The Serpent Queen

The Great British Bake Off 
Lucy Worsley Investigates on PBS

Hotel Portofino

♥♥ On the menu ♥♥

 

Monday - Slow Cooker Potato Soup, Baked Grilled Cheese and Ham Sandwiches  
Tuesday - Ranch Chicken Tacos, Cilantro Lime Rice
Wednesday - Roast Chicken and Potatoes, Sauteed Greens
Thursday -   Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Salad

Friday - Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan, Spaghetti

Saturday - Carne de Panela, Basmati rice, Beans, Roasted Squash
Sunday - Cheesy Tuna Pasta Bake



♥♥ Looking around the house ♥♥
The windows are open to let in the fresh morning air.  I have some laundry in the dining room, that I folded and need to put away.        

♥♥ To Do List ♥♥
- Need to run downtown for an errand
- Iron some work shirts for Curt

- Start the potato soup in the crockpot

- Make another coconut pie.  I have half of the filling left from the Wicks Pie Contest.

 

♥♥ From the camera ♥♥
This is my favorite and most beloved candle.  I bought it about 15 years ago, at the Arizona Renaissance Faire.  The Royal Candlemaker Booth was always one of my favorites to visit, and if I could, I would have bought them all.  This was the most expensive candle I've ever purchased, I think it was $40 or $45.....but well worth the money.

 

They make intricate designs, and different colors too.  Check out their website, I've linked it above, if you're interested.  I think these would make a beautiful gift, maybe for Christmas?

 

I've had it for 15 years and it's still the most beautiful, intricate candle I've ever seen. 

 

 

♥♥ Devotional ♥♥ 

It really is true that peace in times of trouble is not found in figuring out your life, but in worship of the One who has everything figure out already.    

 

— New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp