Happy Homemaker Monday 02/17/2020

Hello! I am happy to be linking up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom to write this Happy Homemaker Monday post. Please stop by and read all of the interesting things that all the other bloggers that have linked up are doing as well. 

Homemaking seems to be a lost art these days. It seems as though women don't want to spend their days in the house making it a home for their families. I know the days can get a little hectic or monotonous, but it is exactly the life that I believe that we are set to do. I am not saying women can't work outside the home or that men don't need to help with daily chores, but women are meant to be the homemakers as far as I am concerned. We are the ones to decorate and make the home feel inviting and a welcome place to rest when our loved ones arrive. 

Your beliefs may be different than mine on that and that is fine, but many of these ladies offer great inspiration in what they write. On to the post:

The weather.... isn't too bad outside this morning. I would say that it is one of the nicer mornings that we have had in a bit. It is not snowing, raining, or near zero. I believe it is around 36 degrees. 

How I am feeling this morning... I am getting a migraine as we are to get rain later today. I am better than the weatherman at predicting rain. Other than that, I am good. 

On my mind... Oh, I have a lot on my mind. I need to do so much decluttering and cleaning here, but I want to go to my daughter's tomorrow and spend a few days with her so we can plan some wedding stuff. I also need to start getting ready for our trip that is coming up in just a few weeks. I am just overwhelmed at times with all of the things I need to do. 

On the breakfast plate...Ham and Egg Cups and an English Muffin will be the breakfast of the day today. It is a low carb choice for my husband ( without the English Muffin) and we are trying to get his sugar levels under control. 

On my reading pile...Absolutely nothing right now. I have a book that I started reading about a month ago, but still have only read about 4 chapters and for some reason just can't find the time to read or the motivation too. I will read while we are on our trip though as I plan to be at the beach reading often. 

On my tv...I am watching the last 10 episodes of Criminal Minds, which will conclude with a 2 hour episode Wednesday night. I can't believe that the show is ending after 15 seasons. I enjoy all of the actors/actresses both present and past. I will watch Swat when it is on and we throw in an occasional Hallmark movie. My husband has the tv on each night, but I am usually doing something else. 

On the menu this week...I am behind in menu planning. Tonight is Philly Cheesesteak Plate with lima beans and fried cauliflower rice. It's all low carb this week while I am home anyway. 

From the camera...

These cute towels that I go from the Valentine's swap that I participated in recently. It was fun and so many cute gifts were in my package. 

Looking around the house... Like I said previously, there is cleaning and decluttering that needs to be done. Heating with wood makes for a continual cleaning that needs to take place. I also have been rather bad about paper work this week and it is lying everywhere it seems. 

Chore I'm not looking forward to today or this week...Carrying in wood and mopping. I don't mind cleaning at all, but I hate mopping. I will have to manually mop and then I will use the steam mop as well. 

To relax this week, I will... hopefully, I am going to my daughter's for a few days and spend some much needed time not being responsible for any daily chores and helping her plan a wedding. I am looking forward to that a great deal!

On my prayer list... The young man who works here in the garage with my husband lost his home to a fire this past week and lost everything he owned. The family struggles to make ends meet anyway and the fire is just devastating to them. He lived with his mother to help her out and they are just lost. I am gathering things for them and trying my best to help with what I can. 

Devotional/Bible Verse ...

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
Romans 5:1 (KJV)

I actually quoted this verse last week on Friday as I was speaking to his mom about the fire. I asked her if she was a Christian and she stated that she was. I spoke with her about the peace that God will give her if she just will trust Him and pray for it. I told her we must have faith that He has a plan. I am thankful that they were not asleep when the fire broke out because the whole home was engulfed within 10 minutes. 

Remember to be kind to one another as you never know what a person is going through! Remember to hug your babies and love those around you as they could be gone tomorrow. How easily we forget how quickly life can change! 

Valentine"s Day swap

I enjoy getting to know other bloggers and I have taken part in several swaps over my few years here. I even hosted a swap at Christmas. When Colletta from Collettas Kitchen Sink mentioned doing a Valentine's Day swap, I was more than excited to sign up. After all, who doesn't enjoy some real mail once in awhile!

I was thrilled to get my package from Carol Zwick from Readerbuzz. She is from New York and that is one of the places on my bucket list and hopefully, going to make that a check mark off the list by next year. I was excited to get the package and I could hardly wait to open it! My grand doll was here and of course, she wanted to help so little fingers seem to take forever in a situation such as this.

Here is a photo of some of the smaller items that were in the envelope . I love the blue trim and my grand doll and I have already used some of it in our crafts that I will tell more of later.  The stationary will certainly be a great addition for my writing basket as I was completely out and had not looked for more. My pen pals will be thankful that they no longer have to look at plain white paper or lined school paper.  Also, I love the Valentine card that she made to go along with the package.( It's the top item in this photo.)

These two heart decorated towels were also in the package and I must say that they bring a fresh look to the end of the kitchen island.( I just realized that my dustpan is in the photo.) I had a really cute Christmas dog set there but wasn't sure what to put out until this package came. I have already purchased a set that will replace this one that will remind us all of spring.

This was one of the cutest items in the package, but I don't think that I will get to keep it, as the grand doll loved it! This is a cute little leather box. It is all leather and looks as though the image has been hand done as well. It is so cute! I fell in love with it and intended it to hold the rings I keep at bedside. However, the grand doll thinks it is the perfect house for her Shopkins family. 

Look at this adorable Valentine that I was able to show off this week! I have never seen a paper craft done quite like this but it was certainly one of the cutest ideas ever! The gold and pink are just the perfect accents to this heart. The backside of it is also very nice just lying there all natural. 

Well, that is enough for today. Happy Valentine's Day. For us, it is cold ( one of the coldest this winter), we have snow and it is not supposed to improve much all day. UGH!!!

Knight Returns - IU Basketball Heals A Wound

For any college basketball fan of the 70's, 80', or 90's, one name is well remembered- Bobby Knight. Indiana University became a legend in the basketball world with Coach Knight. He led the team to 3 NCAA championships and only missed going to the championships 5 times during his career in Indiana. Bobby Knight was the face of IU basketball!

Players loved him, parents loved him, Assembly Hall loved him, and fans loved him. He was the coach! He knew the game and he expected the best of his players. He expected to win! Many controversies surrounded him at IU though and in September of 2000, Knight was fired for breaking the zero tolerance policy that then President, Myles Brand had established following Knight grabbing a students' arm after the student passing him said "Hey Knight, what's up?" Other students walking with this student said that Knight grabbed his arm, drug him to the side and cursed at him and told him to show him ( Knight ) some respect because he was older than the student. IU players, students, and fans were shocked to learn that Knight was being fired and IU basketball would never be the same!!

Yesterday, almost 20 years since that firing, Knight done something that no one ever expected him to do. He walked back across the floor at Assembly Hall in front of one of the largest crowds ever to cheers from students that had never personally met or played for him. The legend, Bobby Knight was back in Assembly Hall and IU basketball had healed a wound that had lasted 20 years!

IU was playing one of their biggest rivals, Purdue University- another Indiana Big Ten team and the score was not pretty for IU - Purdue led with 74 points to IU"s 62, but none of that mattered once the 79 year old Knight was known to be in the building. It began with a Halftime show that started with introductions of the 1980 Big Ten Championship team and then Isaiah Thomas , then the names continued from to players from the other years that IU had championship teams, then a video appeared of Knight saying, " I wasn't the easiest guy in the world to play for. Does that surprise you?"  and then former players Quinn Buckner, Steve Green, and Knight's son, Pat are bringing Coach Knight onto the floor of Assembly Hall. The crowd faintly begins to chant, "Bobby".  Fans were unsure of the response that might come with this man who had vowed to never return to IU and was now standing on the center stage of the game. As those former players began to wave for more noise, the crowd burst into the moment and chanted his name! A would had been healed and Bobby Knight, one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history had returned home!  Fans chanted, " Thank You Coach" as well. Many knew that they were a part of history being made. Tears flowed as many that were in the audience knew Knight and at 79 years old did not look like the great coach that they remembered but he was still "Back Home Again In Indiana".  Knight motioned the crowd to quiet down and then said, " Play Defense". Words that will go into the history books especially on this day!

Mr. Knight was first spotted on campus in April of last year at an IU baseball game, but nothing big was made of it and in July Knight moved back to Bloomington, just three miles from Assembly Hall so this day was just another step in the healing process of a coach and a school, but it was a huge step in Indiana University basketball history.

My final words are " Thank You Coach Knight for all you gave to the basketball program and thank you to whomever made yesterday possible! A legend has returned to Indiana University's Assembly Hall".

Rain, Cold, Sickness

Our spring temperatures were truly short lived as it began to turn colder today and it has rained and been grey all day. The rain is to turn to a little snow later tonight and temperatures are to be in the 30's after this all week. UGH! I thanked God though today for the warm weather yesterday.

Sickness has hit again. I woke up at 5 this morning with a very nauseous feeling again and it has stayed with me all day. I have also had a migraine most of the day as well. Of course, the migraine is due to the barometric pressure changing with the weather changes. I hate weather changes as they always bring headaches!

My daughter and I need to spend some time at her house getting stuff ready for the wedding. She has set a temporary date of May 22, 2021I - I believe. I purchased a wedding book the other day as well as a basket for the flower girl. I know my daughter will want to make some changes to it, but I am sure she will love it. She has made some big plans and I am sure that she will do great with all the preparations, but as the day gets near, I know I will have to be the one in charge as she will get grumpy and bossy. I am thankful that she is wanting to plan and do some work on it this far out as she wants to make centerpieces and all that fun stuff. She has even talked about doing her own flowers.

I believe she has decided to do her wedding colors in purple and yellow, which I find quite the odd combination, but I am sure that she will make it beautiful and she has always been my 60's child misplaced. LOL! She would live in a Volkswagen if she could. She will be a beautiful bride as I have always dreamed of her having a beautiful wedding. My youngest will as well, but her style is very laid back and western.

Since I am not feeling well, I will make this short. I hope you all had a good day.

Sunshine - 60 Degrees - Good For The Soul

Good Evening! I feel better than I did over the weekend and I must tell you all that we had sunshine and 60 degree weather today and it was SO good for the soul!! I had laundry to do and a repair man coming to work on the stove today, but I made sure that I got out into the sunshine and that I even sat on the porch today and read a few lines of my book. How great that sun and warmth felt!!!

I was so tired of the grey skies and cooler temperatures. I pray that we are seeing the turn to spring, although I am sure it is way too early. I believe that the weather forecast calls for snow flurries and mid 30's by the middle of the week. I dread to think of those kinds of temperatures but I also am fully aware that Indiana weather changes quickly and is all over the place in terms of temperatures and precipitation.

This picture is one that I believe I took off of another free photo site, but I thought that it was perfect for today. The sun literally felt as though it had opened up a new window to the world. I know that sounds corny, but it was how I felt.
I will certainly be thanking God for the day we had and asking Him for more just like it!!!

Sickness Hits The Farm

Sickness hit the farm this weekend with a vengeance. I began to feel sick almost immediately on Friday after getting out of bed, but I knew that we had several appointments that day and I had to keep going so I just prayed that I would get over the nausea that I was feeling. Also, for several days, my husband has complained about pain in his neck and shoulder. He feels as though it is a muscle that is swollen and tightened up, but can't seem to alleviate the pain.

We continued about our day as planned, all while I just felt that at any moment I might be vomiting. I hate that queasy feeling. It makes it hard to concentrate and be involved in so many important conversations. I needed to be fully involved in the conversations and fully involved in making choices for the nursing homes that we were looking at. I attempted to focus on what we were doing.

In between meetings, we were able to get an x-ray on his neck for the doctor to hopefully have some answers for us on Monday. I am sure it is nothing serious, but after the sciatic nerve that caused him to have to have back surgery a couple of years ago, I am very cautious of things like this as we know he had nerve and disk issues. I know it makes him nervous and he tends to worry himself a lot. I tend to be the one that says work it out and go on. I don't have time for " oh woe, is me".

By Friday night when we got home and it was time to start dinner, I knew standing at the stove was not an option for me. I knew the smell of food was not going to be a pleasant option for me. Luckily, I had a package of Stouffer's  Stuffed Green Peppers in the freezer that I could set on a baking sheet and set in the oven. That would be his dinner! I placed them in the oven and laid down on the sofa. My father in law came over to see what we had found out from the nursing homes and to discuss where we were planning to move my mother in law( as she has been asked to leave where she is). I could not sit up as I was just too nauseous. Within a few minutes, I sprinted to the bathroom and vomited. I began to have chills, but was hot. I was not running a fever though. Within about 30 minutes, I had a low- grade fever and was asleep within just a few minutes. When I woke, my husband was sitting on the other end of the sofa asleep. We stayed there for a few hours before making our way to bed. Luckily, I was able to sleep in the grand doll's bed in order to not make him sick. I slept a total of 12 hours and we both slept off and on all day on Saturday.

I do feel a little better today. Thankfully! He says his neck is still extremely sore, so today will be another day of rest and relaxation. I know I will watch the Super Bowl tonight- Go CHIEFS!  We will do some small party foods and that will be it! We had soup last night. I will call the doctor tomorrow if he is still having as much pain in his neck and get him in again.

Within a week, our washer and vacuum quit working and my car starting having issues. It seems that the speed sensors or the wheel bearings are going bad on the car, so that will have to be checked out this week. My husband was able to fix the vacuum this week. The washer was old and certainly had done its share of work over the past 9+ years. It was given to us 9+ years ago by another home school mom when we needed one and truly could not afford to purchase one. I got a great deal on this set and I am happy with it, although it has way more settings and buttons than I think a washer or dryer needs.

For many years, I have wanted to get rid of our coffee table in the living room and replace it with a old travel trunk, but had not been able to find one. I happened to be at a local flea market last Sunday and found one that was reasonably priced and in fairly decent shape, so I asked my husband if we could purchase it, he agreed. I think I want to paint it at some time, but for now it is perfect and a great place to store the grand doll's games that she likes to keep here and the board games that we have as well. 

( Don't mind the box of Christmas extras that I still need to get in the attic at the end of it). Isn't it neat? I am absolutely thrilled! I know it is not the exact type that I wanted, but it is good for now. 

Well, that is enough for today. I hope you all have a blessed Sunday and I will be back tomorrow and hopefully, back into the swing of things soon.