Book Review - House of Eire by June Gilliam

I have recently discovered a new site that I am becoming very active on and is allowing me to read some books that I might not have discovered otherwise. I am sure many of my readers are aware of it, but I just needed to share that I have now had my first book review posted and I am thankful for that. I am sharing the review here and I hope that many of you will take the time to read it.

The site is OnlineBookClub.org and my username there is Carolreads30. Here is my review.

I will tell you that I gave the book a 3 out of 4 stars because I felt that the story was a little hard to get interested in during the beginning, but overall, the entire book was excellent. A mystery combined with Irish history made for good reading. I will be looking to read more books by this same author.

Can you imagine how something that you believe in could lead to your death? Neither did Bridget in this story. Could Hillary imagine that her honeymoon vacation could lead to the death of her best friend, her mother in law and the possible death of her child? No, but do her dreams have something to do with any of these events?

I highly recommend you read my review and this book. Let me know if you have read the book.

Sunday Blessings #5

( Loving this picture from Pixabay) 

Welcome to my Sunday Blessings Meme where we can all share what we are thankful for or blessed by . Many of us are feeling stressed and this might just help each of us. Feel free to link to this post and share with your friends as well. 

Today, I am writing in the midst of a pandemic that we know as Co-Vid 19. Many of us are under shelter in place orders by the state government and it can see hard to imagine that we can count our blessings, but what else will get us through this other than sharing our blessings with others. I have done a lot of thinking this week and truly thought what I am blessed with at this time and so here is my list. (Now, you don't have to make a list on your post- just share your blessings)

1. My little hobby farm. I have been blessed to be out with the horses this week and enjoy a little time with them as the weather has been better. It has been warmer, but still muddy! I have been able to be outside and yet, not around others.

2. My grand doll is next door and we are blessed that we can still see her each day. She just brought us some apple cartwheels that she made this morning and they were tasty. 

3. Blessed that I have plenty of activities to keep me busy. I have quilting supplies, card making supplies, puzzles, some art supplies, craft supplies, books, etc. I am thankful for my online friends as well. 

4. Blessed that I am able to still talk to my friends and family. 

5. Blessed that I am still able to be working a bit. My online work is still going and my healthcare job is a simple one client job that I am able to continue at the moment. 

6. Blessed that I am seeing a multitude of online church services from many different areas of the country at the moment. It is a nice change of pace. 

7. Blessed that I have a Lord and Savior that I can turn to at this time of uncertainty and know that He is in control.

8. Blessed that I have a home and plenty of food. ( Also, good on TP).

What are you thankful for and blessed by? Let us know.

Home on The Farm

How are you all surviving the corona virus, especially if you are under a stay at home order, like we are? Are you enjoying the time you have at home without the daily stress that comes with being at work? Are you spending quality time with your children? Are you in contact with children and/ or grandchildren that you are not able to see? Are you staying safe?

I personally am still seeing my grand doll daily as I live next door and if I have been exposed, I am sure she has as well. I am scared following the news today that 10 people at the senior living facility that my daughter works at has 10 confirmed cases of the virus. I hate that my husband is such a high risk for this illness as he had health issues- diabetes and lung issues. I also hate that my oldest daughter has chronic neurological Lyme and this scares me that she might be susceptible as well.

Life on the farm is about the same though. I am still able to walk to the barn daily, enjoy the few flowers that are blooming and spend my day blogging and working around here. I am thinking of adding a vlog to my list of things that I want to do. I have also attempted to take part in a writing community that will allow me to read books, write reviews and possibly get paid for those reviews. I need to be able to make some more money at the moment and this will be the perfect way for it to happen.

I am currently writing this and enjoying a nice cup of coffee. It is a brown sugar crumble coffee and it is quite tasty! The weather is cloudy, but fairly warm. I was hoping to see more sun today and a little warmer air. I will take what I have though. I just finished a Bible study and I have to share a verse with you.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Psalms 119:105 (KJV)

That is one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible. Many years ago, we were taught to sing this verse and it has stuck with me since then. How lucky we are that the Bible is a lamp and light for us. We need to learn to trust God with all that we deal with and to use His word as the light for our path.

Certainly not a good photo of me, but one of my favorite activities. Horseback riding and camping are just a couple of the things that I truly look forward to in the summer time. I need a camp trip now!

This is a photo of my daughter riding one of her horses. She used to ride often, but does not as much now. 

One of the baby ducks that we have had in the past. I am not sure we will get any this spring, but we shall see. 

This was Sugar, one of my husband's first horses. He dearly loved this horse and she was such a sweet girl. She was older, but she done the job that needed to be done. 

This is my daughter at the fair. She had placed in one of her showmanship classes, I believe. It was always so hot when these classes took place. I know many times that she was dressed like this and the temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I am proud of the kids that stick with their love of horses and community to do these types of show classes. 

A couple of the cows that we have had. 

I hope you have enjoyed the farm photos I have posted. These are all older, but still a good look at how life is here. 

Sunday Blessings #4

Good Sunday Morning to each of you! In this time of uncertainty that many of us are now facing due to Corona Virus or CO-VID 19, we need posts like this to remind us that there are things to be thankful for and that we are blessed more than we can imagine.

Are you well? Do you have food on your table? Are you loved by someone? If so, you are blessed? The small things can mean a lot at this time. I am recommending that we all do something kind for someone else this week. It might be a card, a phone call, check on an elderly neighbor, leave a thank you note for your mail carrier, etc. Just be kind and thoughtful!

Onto my blessings!

I am thankful this week that I live on a farm and that I have food and shelter to bless us during this time of uncertainty. I have been blessed this week by a dear blogger, Linda, who was kind enough to send a game that she played with her grandchildren to my grand doll and I. Thank you so very much! Your kindness is contagious!!

I have been able to spend time with my daughter this week, although it means that she has been laid off and that is not good with her being a single parent. I am blessed that she is fully aware that times are tough for everyone at the moment and she is not asking for help right now. She seems to believe her time off will be short lived, but I am worried that it is going to be much longer than we ever expected.

I hope you will share in this meme and write your own blessings for the week and then link up here.

Low Carb Steak and Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner

I mentioned in one of my other posts that my husband and I are learning to eat less carbs due to his diabetes. On my search for new recipes, I found a book at the library that was a Keto diet book. I decided to check it out and I must say I am loving the Keto Sheet Pan dinners that I am making. Here is a good one that I found in the book and was able to change it up just a bit in order to make it fit our food choices.

1 flank steak or cubed steak, cut into strips
Vegetables of your choice - Peppers, onions, mushrooms, and asparagus are the ones I used
Olive oil ( about 3/4 cup)
Soy sauce (about 3/4 cup)
Seasonings - salt, pepper, steak seasoning
Sliced Mozzarella, Havarti, or your favorite cheese ( I use Havarti, it's my husband's favorite)

Place the strips of steak onto a sheet pan, lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.

Cut vegetables into strips or small pieces and lay at other end of pan. 

Season with salt, pepper, steakhouse seasoning, or what seasoning you prefer.

Combine 1/2 cup of soy sauce with 1/2 cup olive oil, in a separate dish, then drizzle over the meats and veggies. ( You can use a little more if needed) I also add just a touch of steak sauce to the meat just for some added flavor.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and place slices of your favorite cheese- ours is Havarti- on the meat.

Return to oven for another 10 minutes or so until cheese is melted and meat is cooked to your liking. 

We have really enjoyed this meal and we are having it again tonight for dinner. I hope you are all staying safe from the virus and enjoying your quiet time, if you have it. 

Happy Homemaker Monday

Hello! Welcome to the latest post of Happy Homemaker Monday. Please feel free to join in with Sandra at Diary of A Stay At Home Mom to write your own Happy Homemaker Post.

**THE WEATHER**
        It is cool, but supposed to warm up a little today. I think we are to have rain some this week as well. I am ready for some upper 60's and lower 70's.

**HOW I AM FEELING THIS MORNING**
       Bummed! It seems as though we are going to have to cancel our trip to Alabama due to this corona virus outbreak. Every time my husband and I have a trip planned something happens. We are staying in a friends' condo, so I was not worried about our lodging, but I am worried about food, gas, etc. 

**ON MY MIND**
       This virus and how our country has reacted to it. I wonder if we will see this happen more and more as other flu outbreaks in the future. I am worried that my husband could suffer from this if he was to get it and he is with people on a daily basis. I am worried what this is doing to our economy and the impact that it will have on others that struggle now. 

**ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE**
      Oatmeal as it is  fast breakfast and I am taking a friend of ours to see my daughter's house today. It needs to be a quick breakfast so that I am able to leave quickly. It is a 2 hour drive to see her. 

**ON MY READING PILE**
       I just finished House of Eire by June Gilliam and it was such a good book. The beginning was a little slow, but I rated it three out of 4. I found it on Amazon and it is the book of the month on the online book club that I am trying to get involved in to write reviews for. 

**ON MY TV**
      I have two or three episodes of New Amsterdam recorded to watch. I hopefully can watch this week. 

**ON THE MENU THIS WEEK**
       I will be doing several sheet pan meals this week to use up some of the fresh vegetables that I have in the fridge. I hope that I will be able to get out to stock up on more once these are gone. 

**FROM THE CAMERA**
        

These are two ducks that I recently added to the farm. Unfortunately, the female flew out of the coop before we got the top on it. The fence is rather large and I have never had any of my ducks get out of it. I still have the male though. I will purchase another female soon. 

*LOOKING AROUND THE HOUSE**
     Things are pretty good. I cleaned over the weekend. I will sanitize a few things tomorrow, but I will need to vacuum again as well. 

**CHORE I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO TODAY OR THIS WEEK**
     I need to do some yard work and I am not looking forward to it as I know it will be a muddy mess. 

**TO RELAX THIS WEEK, I WILL**
      Read! I enjoy reading and so I find that it is a relaxing activity for me as well as taking long walks. 

**ON MY PRAYER LIST**
       The Corona Virus and all those impacted by it here and around the world. 
       My friends and family
       That my daughter's work doesn't shut down due to this virus.
        The healthcare workers that can't leave their jobs. Doctors and nurses, those working in healthcare facilities. Retail workers that are being pushed to limits these days.
       Protection, as I truly believe the crime rate is going to highly increase in the next few months as people struggle to find ways to survive. We are not a society that is able to fend for ourselves like our ancestors did. 

**DEVOTIONAL/BIBLE VERSE**

“...With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
Mark 10:27 (KJV)

SUNDAY BLESSINGS #3

GOOD SUNDAY MORNING TO EACH OF MY FRIENDS AND READERS. I think I have finally figured out the widget for this link up party. I will include it at the bottom of the post. I would love for each of you to join me on Sunday mornings to share your blessings.

The current Co-Vid 19 or Corona Virus has many people in the United States and other countries scared of what is going to happen. Grocery stores are being ransacked of food and supplies and many businesses are closing or limiting hours. We need to remember that God is in control of the situation. We still need to be thankful and share our blessings to encourage others.

I thought this church photo from Pixabay was  a perfect addition to our Sunday Blessings posts so feel free to share it on your post as well. It looks weathered and in the midst of a storm brewing, so our lives may feel at this time. 

My blessings for the week:

 I made an unexpected $50 this week, which truly was a help with bills.

 I survived a trip to the grocery store yesterday and was able to get my father in law most of what he needed. 

We are all well.

The report from the surgeon on my grand doll's legs was good. Things are improving on her left leg. 

My mother in law was discharged from the nursing home where she was and seems to like the new one that we moved her too. 

Vacation is a week from tomorrow and I plan to go unless Alabama is shut down.

Farm life is busy as usual, but the warmer temps and sunshine has helped a lot!

I do have a couple of prayer requests to add to this week's blessing report.

1. Please pray for Summer, the daughter of Linda at lindaslifejournal has been needing extra prayers and we need to send them to her. If you don't pray, at least send her good thoughts.

2.  A dear friend of mine, Karon, as she struggles with cancer. 

Thank you!

I hope the link below works and you can link to my post. If not, please write your own and share my post as well. 

Saturday 9: I'll Take You Home Kathleen

I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen

Saturday 9 is a series of questions asked each week by our friend, Sam. Please stop by her blog to see how this works, read posts just like this by other bloggers and maybe even join in. 


I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen (1975)

Chosen because St. Patrick's Day is Tuesday.

 
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) This week's song is widely considered a traditional Irish ballad. Are you of Irish descent? 
No, I don't believe that we are. 
 
2) It's a song from a groom to his homesick bride. Who did you most recently serenade? (Yes, "Happy Birthday" counts.) 
My grand doll as she sings Happy Birthday to me each day and I return the song to her. It is cute that she thinks everyday is my birthday. 

3) Kathleen considers "home" her mother's cottage. How about you? Is "home" where you live now, or is it where you grew up? 
I consider both of those places home, but I remember my granny's house in Virginia as being the best and that could be considered home as well. 

4) St. Patrick is credited with driving snakes out of Ireland, and to this day the Irish report there are no snakes on their land. Ophiophobia is the fear of snakes. Do you suffer from ophiophobia?
I don't know that I suffer a fear of snakes, but I sure can't say that I like them. They are slimy, sneaky, and just gross!

5) Irish Americans held the first St. Patrick's Day parade on our shores in New York City in 1766. Does your town host a St. Patrick's Day parade?

Our small town does not, but places near us normally do. However, this year most parades are being cancelled due to the CoVid-19 virus.

6) Leprechauns are a symbol of St. Patrick's Day. These small Irish fairies are said to live in the forest, guarding their gold. Do you more often wear silver or gold?
Gold definitely! I prefer gold jewelry over silver, but I do have both. 

7) The signature color of St. Patrick's Day is green. Will you wear green next Tuesday? 
Of course, I will! 
 

8) This week's featured artist, Elvis, was the idol of millions. But not the Songfellows. In the early 1950s, a young Elvis auditioned for this gospel group and they refused him. Just as well, as the King of Rock 'n Roll did rather well for himself as a solo. Like Elvis, did you ever interview for a job that you didn't get?

Many times, but I don't mind as I always found something better. 

9) Random question: Do you believe women are more emotional than men?
Yes, I believe they are. I know men that are emotional though as well. My husband will cry at a sappy movie before I will. 

Grand Doll Update -Our Journey With Blounts Disease

For those of you that have read my blog or followed me along for a few years now, you are aware that the grand doll has had two surgeries on her legs now and we are awaiting a third one which will remove the pins and plates from her left leg. For those who aren't aware of this, you can read more about it here.

We had yet another follow up this past Monday and it was our usual trip to the children's hospital, sign in, go to x-ray and then to the doctors' office. We rarely see the doctor when we are there, but an assistant. She is very friendly and helpful though. She took a peek at the x-ray and showed us that the leg is still straightening, but that it needs more time. It was the worst leg, so I understand that it is taking longer, but I so want this journey to be over. The more time goes by, the older she gets, the more scared she will be for the surgery and the harder it will be on me. ( I don't deal well with her having surgery as you will know if you read the post I shared here).

I am thankful that it is still working and I am thankful that her right leg is completely healed. I am thankful for a doctor that done a good job and I am thankful that she is walking so perfect these days, but I will also be glad to have the journey completed.

Happy Homemaker Monday - Mar. 9,2020

Good Morning everyone! Sorry that this is late, but I just have been so busy and falling behind on so many things that I refuse to let this one pass by without getting a post written. For those that might not know what Happy Homemaker Monday is stop and see Sandra at Diary of A Stay At Home Mom.

Now let's get right to this post. 

**THE WEATHER** …

        The weather here was nice, but windy, yesterday and now it is raining. We are in for a week of mid 50 temps with lows in the 30's and 40's, but rain most of the week. That makes for a grumpy grand doll and Mammaw. 

**HOW I AM FEELING THIS MORNING**…

        I am feeling okay this morning. Quite tired actually. My days have been rather hectic lately and I would like a day to just rest, but that will not happen today with the grand doll here. 

**ON MY MIND**…

       There are many things on my mind this morning. My husband and I leave for a vacation in two weeks and I know there are many things I need to do before that. Also, my daughter's fiancé lost his step grandfather a few days ago and the funeral is going to be hard for him today. The grandfather will be buried next to where his daughter is buried and he still struggles with her loss. 

**ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE**…

       There will be hard boiled eggs with sausage or bacon. I believe the grand doll will probably have a hard boiled egg with an English muffin. It will be a quick and easy breakfast with her here. 

**ON MY READING PILE**…

      I don't know what I am planning to read next other than my Bible. I have hardly had time for anything like that. I am still working on a quilt that I might finish by Christmas. 

**ON MY TV**…

      The news. It is a morning ritual with my husband and we usually alternate what channels we watch as he likes our local news and I prefer the Today Show.

**ON THE MENU THIS WEEK**…

      I haven't even got a plan this week, but I know tonight is going to be pork steaks with crushed French fried onions on them. I know we will be having asparagus with it as well. 

**FROM THE CAMERA**…

        

These are items that can be found at my website. A fabulous way to decorate your home and fragrance it at the same time. 

**LOOKING AROUND THE HOUSE**…

       So much to do. I have to get things picked up and run the vacuum today. I also will need to clean my kitchen again after I prep for the week. 

**CHORE I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO TODAY OR THIS WEEK**…

         I am not looking forward to cleaning my office this week. It has been neglected for a few weeks and so it is a mess. I am combining it with my craft area as well and that makes for a very messy area if I don't work on it quite often. 

**TO RELAX THIS WEEK, I WILL**…

         I have no idea other than when I am sleeping. I have too many things to do. This week is full of activities. 

**ON MY PRAYER LIST**

       The President and our government

       Those suffering from the Coronavirus

        My daughter's fiancé

        My friends and family

**DEVOTIONAL/ BIBLE VERSE**

      

        

✟
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
Ephesians 5:20 (KJV)

Sunday Blessings #2 - 03/08/2020

Good Morning! It is a beautiful day here and I am thankful that the sun is shining and it is to be in the mid 60's later today. We are blessed by a God that creates such beautiful landscapes and every living creature and yet, we can take so much of it for granted. 

I am blessed beyond measure as I have great friends, children that I speak to on a regular basis, a husband that provides for us, a nice farm to live on and great friends here in blog land. Praise God the blessings are flowing! I am also blessed with salvation and the knowledge of a Heavenly home when God calls for me. 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
1 Peter 1:3 (KJV)

This is the Bible verse that I read this morning on my devotional time and it goes along quite well with my Sunday Blessing post.

I pray that you all have a Blessed Sunday and a Blessed Week!

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