Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Simple Busy Days







My days are simple, yet full of hard work. I do things that normal women probably don't do. Is that saying I am not normal?? Sometimes I wonder. I have always felt that if my "sweet honey" thinks enough of me to be at home that I need to do my part. So I do extra things to save us money. I always try to can and freeze enough vegetables to fill my cabinets and freezer for the winter. We live out in the country and don't have trash pick up, so I try to burn our trash to save trips to the dump. It is really amazing how little trash you have if you burn what you can. I fixed my own little fire pit down in the field just for this. I gather our trash every morning and head down there while the grass is still wet. While it is burning, I work in my garden and pick my veges. I also hang my clothes out when the weather is nice, to save on electricity. I wash clothes 2 days a week and do my ironing 1 day a week. I always try to have a good meal on the table. On the weekends, I try to have a dessert for everyone. I take care of my mother-in -law and also for my grown son who has some medical problems. I could not even begin to list the things that I do. I stay very busy and work very hard, but I still try to make my home a sanctuary that my "sweet honey" can enjoy after a hard days work. Today I picked grapes from my vines and made grape jelly. I also took pictures of my fall garden. It is doing really good. I also listed some things on eBay today to make a little extra money. I love simple, busy days. I am very happy and content being a homemaker. I have heard women say that they would be bored at home. I could not ever imagine that. I am very thankful to serve my family.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

A Great Weekend


















My "Sweet Honey" got home yesterday from his hunting trip in Kansas City. My "sweet daughter" and I picked him up from the airport yesterday and then went to eat at Macaroni Grill before heading home. He was worn out from the trip. No deer, but he had a great time. We sure are glad to have him back home. Today we cooked him a Sunday lunch mostly from the garden. He was really wanting some vegetables. He missed my home cooking. I fixed Grilled chicken breast, fresh green beans, fried okra, mashed potatoes, squash casserole, & homemade biscuits. Maranda fixed the squash casserole. It was my favorite out of everything. The day before, she fixed her dad a sour cream pound cake that will melt in your mouth. As you can see, we have already ate half of it. After we ate lunch and cleaned up the kitchen, I got busy and sewed my "sweet grandaughter", Alyssa, a cute little outfit. I really enjoyed making it. She will be so tickled. It was a great weekend.

Monday, September 22, 2008

A Day With My Mom

Thank You For Giving Me This Day, MOM

I took my "Sweet Honey" to the airport around 5 a.m. Sunday morning to go on a hunting trip in Kansas City. After seeing him off, I headed to my MOM'S house. We had planned this day a while back. We planned to sew together all day. Well, I left the airport, (my moms house is about 15 minutes from the airport), I evidently took a wrong turn. I was suppose to head South and I went North. Now keep in mind that this is 5:30 in the morning. I actually got lost. I was getting kind of scared after about an hour of driving in the dark. Somehow I ended up in a bad part of town and saw homeless people laying on the curbs of the road. I did away with my cell phone a while back and have actually enjoyed not having one until that morning. I was wishing I had one. The sad thing is my Moms house is not that far from the airport. I should have known where I was. But I didn't. I finally got to a safer part of town and saw a taxi driver. I rolled my window down just enough to ask him how to get to the interstate. I was 2 redlights away!! Thank goodness, I made it to my moms house. When I drove up in her driveway, I took that picture of her house and thanked the Lord that I made it. Now on to our day.......... We started our day by going to Panera Bread and picking up some goodies for breakfast. It was delicious. Then we got our sewing machines out and started working on our Star Quilts from Amanda Jeans Quilt Along! We had so much fun. We did 2 blocks. Before we started though, Mom had bought the foam board to make me a design wall just like hers. We glued flannel fabric on it and then I put all of my blocks on it so I could see them. I love it. We sewed most the day. Mom made some of her Potato Soup and cornbread. Oh my goodness, it was wonderful. Mom had bought us both a walking foot for our sewing machines so we wanted to see how it worked. She had bought some fabric a couple of weeks ago at an estate sale and it had some projects in there that had quilt batting between them so we practiced on that. It was so much fun. It worked great. Then it was time to go. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed my day with my Mom. (Oh by the way, I did have P.J.'s on- I was determined that I was going to be comfy that day). That night after I got home, mom emailed and said "thank you for giving me this day". I don't think I have ever enjoyed a day, like I enjoyed this day. "Thank you Mom, for giving ME this day."

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Do I Just Work Here??? Huh?





Today the door bell rung. It was the telephone man. I was expecting him a lot earlier than he came. I was having trouble with my Internet and they were coming to fix it. I opened the door. He told me who he was. I showed him where everything was and told him what was wrong with it. He worked downstairs for a while. In the meantime, I went back to my work. I try to cook supper early, so I was in the middle of cooking chicken and dressing, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and fried okra. While I had all that going on, I was also making Muscadine Jelly! You can go to My Cooking Blog for the recipe. I also had the ironing board set up and as I was doing laundry I was folding & ironing. There were more things going on too, but too many to list. In other words, I was multitasking! Anyway, the telephone man came upstairs and went out to his truck several times. I just kept doing all the things I was doing. Then he stopped and said, "Are you the woman of the house, or do you just work here????" I thought to myself.....HUH??? I answered, Yes, I am the woman of the house and yes I do work here. He looked at me very funny and said he was just thinking to himself that I had to be the cook and maid because he had never saw anyone working this hard, and doing so many things. He said that he wanted to send his wife over to stay with me for a while. After I thought about it, I realized that he gave me a real compliment. When he left, everything was done and ready for my family to come home. I told him that he might as well stay and eat supper with us, since he had been here most of the day. He said that he would love to, but he better go home to his t.v. Dinner. I know that I work hard around here, but it was nice to have a stranger acknowledge it. After supper I heard my "sweet honey" on the phone telling a friend what a wonderful supper he had tonight and bragging about the jelly I made. So yes, I am the woman of the house, but I also work here. My paycheck isn't money. My paycheck is a very happy satisfied family and of course, don't forget the telephone man!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Garden is still Going, Going, Going



I am still busy with the garden. This garden has amazed me. It is the first year I have ever planted here. It evidently is very good ground. I have gotten so much food put up for the winter. We have also enjoyed fresh veges all this summer. We still have tomatoes, okra, peas and green beans and a little squash. I have planted my cabbage, broccoli, & cauliflower for my fall garden. I also have spinach, leaf lettuce, kale and turnip greens and collards planted. It will not be as much work as the summer garden though. I am actually going to till it Monday and then mulch it with straw. Today, I froze green beans, peas, squash and okra and made Pickled Okra. You can go to my Cooking Blog to get the recipe. I have to say, I am ready for cooler weather so I can sew. As usual though, it was a busy, but very good day.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Look What I Got In The Mail




I came home to find this at my door. It is a gift that I won from Connie! Oh how I love everything. It is too much to list. She really went all out. I never expected all of this. Everything is so nice, but the best of all was the sweetest card from her. If you haven't visited her blog, you need to. She is a great blogging friend, and I hope to meet her in person one day. Thank you is not enough, Connie!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

I Got An Award

This award was given to me, by my Mom. I think she loves me and my blog, don't you? Thank you, MOM!

Here are the rules:



(1) The winner can put the logo on their blog.
(2) Link the person you received your award from.(3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
(4) Put links of those on yours.
(5) Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.In no particular order, the nominees are......

Darla

Krista

G'G'Ma

Sue

Pea

karen Dianne Lee

Eileen


Congrats to all of you. I enjoy your blogs so much! Thank you for being there!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

A Visit To The Quilt Store





























The first Saturday of every month, my Mom & I go to our favorite quilt store for a Saturday Sampler. I look so forward to this day every month. Today we had my 2 "Sweet Daughters", Maranda & Mandy and my "Sweet nephew", Tyler join us. We always start our special day with breakfast at Panera Bread! We all just love this place! We went to our quilt store and then we left there and went to Office Depot. My Mom & I both bought new laptops! We have been wanting to do this for a while. My Nephew, Tyler is so very knowledgeable about computers. He knew we were going shopping for one and he had already done the research online for us. We couldn't have done this without him! Thank you Tyler! Then we headed for Hancocks and looked around. Then we stopped at a few yard sales. It was a fun day! My Mom bought me a new quilting book! I cannot wait until I can sit down and look at it. Thank you Mom!


Happy Birthday to a Special young lady who is like a member of our family-My daughter, Maranda's Best friend, since first grade- Shannon Collins!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Blessings - Garden & A Best Friend


I worked so hard again today on my blessings from my garden. This is basically all I did today. I canned Green Tomato Pickles and hot pepper sauce. These are so good to eat with pinto beans and cornbread. My husband says that if I don't put anything else up, he wants these. It was his grandmothers recipe. They are easy to make. It just takes a while when you have a lot of tomatoes. I was so hot and tired from working so hard, and then I got a special phone call from my best friend. We didn't talk but 5 minutes, but it made my day. She just called to hear my voice. Isn't that so sweet? I have to tell you that it was so good to hear hers too. Life has changed so much for us. We used to talk everyday and as the years have passed, it just seems life has got so much busier. It is not that we don't think of each other everyday. It is just life happens. I don't know that we are doing so much more, or if as we have gotten older, it just takes us longer to do everything. Needless to say, when we talk or see each other it is just like we talked yesterday. She is so special to me in my life. We may not get to talk to each other like we used to, but if I needed her or she needed me, we would be there in a heartbeat and we both know that. What a day for blessings--garden blessings and a best friend.
P.S. I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT ANOTHER BLESSING! I won a mystery gift over at my blogging friend, Connies Blog! Thank you Connie! I am so excited!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Little Time, Lots To Do!

Peas, Peas & more peas!


















Broke & Ready














Tomatoes waiting to be peeled














Thank goodness for the help shelling the peas!














Tired, but still going!














Sweet Honey with his crossbow


















I did it!













I started my day by going to the garden and picking green beans, tomatoes, okra, more peas, the last of the cucumbers, & the last of the squash. I pulled up all the old vines and corn stalks that have done all they are going to do. Then I planted my cabbage, brussel sprouts, & cauliflower for my fall garden. I had some help shelling my peas! Then I froze my peas, green beans & canned some more tomatoes and made a little salsa. Then I cooked some vegetables and cornbread for supper and made a chocolate cake for dessert. I also worked in a little hand quilting. Imagine that? Then I went down in the field with "my sweet honey" and watched him practice shooting his crossbow. Of course, I had to show him that I could do it too! I actually hit the bullseye on the target. It was a good day today. I will sleep good tonight!