Happy New Year

 Happy New Year to each of you! May your year be full of happiness, good health, wealth, friends, family, and many blessings. I wish only the best for each of you and I will be praying for each of you as well. 

Do you make resolutions this time of the year? I am not this year, although I have in the past. I set goals, but I never set things to the point that I can't reach them if I try hard enough. I set goals for my personal life and my professional life. I set family goals and life goals. I usually choose a word for the year and this year it is FREEDOM. Freedom from the struggles that I have had this year and freedom from the financial struggles that have came along this year. Freedom from the many problems that I have had with my feet. Lastly, freedom from the pain that I have endured this past year. 

I have some goals set from my word as well. I want to make more money with my Pink Zebra business and I want to pay off some bills that I have struggled with recently. I plan to find a new job as well that I can work without being on my feet so much. I am hoping to find something that will allow me to stay home and still work. 

My other goals are to keep my home more organized and I will be working to have an office outside of the home, as in a small shed, later this spring or summer. I need my own space and I need to be away from all of the distractions that arise at home. I will be posting photos of that project as it comes about. I have the shed, which is a big start. My Pink Zebra stock and business will be housed in this. 

I also have goals to travel more this year. I have three trips that are huge to me that I would like to take this year and I plan to make them happen. I will keep you all posted as though begin to be planned as well. Oklahoma is one of the places that I am hoping to make it to this year. My grand doll has grand plans to go to Hawaii this year, but I believe that we will have to add that to our bucket list. Where do you plan to travel this year?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy Homemaker Monday - December 26, 2022

 

Good snowy, cold Monday morning! The past week has been a challenge to so many across the United States struggling with this massive winter storm that brought artic temperatures with it. I know many have struggled to keep warm and deal with frozen pipes. Even in areas that are accustomed to snow and cold, this brutal bout of cold has been difficult.

                                                  :::::The Weather::::

   We have already discussed the weather, but our next few days are looking better. Tomorrow we should be above freezing for the first time since Thursday and in the mid 50's by the weekend. The weather man is saying that the warmer air is coming, but so is the rain.

Merry Christmas

Santa Claus is on his way, are you ready? I am finishing up some last minute things and then my husband and I are putting together a Barbie Dream House for the grands. We will enjoy a few quiet minutes in front of the tree and then it will be to bed for a few hours sleep before our home is invaded by grands. 

From our house to yours, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Keep an eye open for the man in the red suit as he is watching. Remember the pretty packages with the bows are nice, but the real reason for the season is the baby child that was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manager so many years ago. Jesus is truly what the season is about and I am happy to say that my grand baby is aware of that and the others will be as well. 

God bless you! Merry Christmas!!!
 

Celebrating Christmas With Friends

 Last night was a night full of friends, fun, and some amazing music. A dear friend of mine, Libby had purchased a concert ticket for a few of us as a Christmas present and I must say that it was a blessing. I had reservations about going due to the foot issues, but I am thankful that I went. There were a couple of hiccups due to having to walk a flight of steps that I was unaware of; I managed and had a nice evening. 

The concert was sponsored by K Love a Christian music station and was a Christmas Celebration with Danny Gokey  and Natalie Grant. Each singer is immensely talented and brings an energy to the stage that is unsurpassed. Together they brought the spirit of Christ and Christmas to each person in the crowd. Each performer brought a different element to the stage and provided a musical experience that will not be forgotten. 

Danny Gokey may best be known for his time on American Idol. His performances landed him a third place finish in Season 8 and has given him the opportunity to go on to do many performances and recordings. His voice is amazing and his stage presence is one of professionalism and fun rolled in together.  

The stage was a picture perfect scene for any Christmas music fan. There was even snow falling behind them as they sang. 

I had never heard Natalie Grant before, but her talent is absolutely breathtaking. Her range of song styles was such a blessing. I am certainly a fan of hers now and will be listening to more of her music. 

If you would like to hear a sample of what we heard last night, here is a video of The Prayer! Enjoy!

Sunday Morning Smiles

 Let's try to start a new party here! Let's make Sunday morning for smiles. I would love for each of you to link to this post if possible. Share a post here that will make others smile on this amazing day that the Lord has made.

I have a full day of things planned as it is our annual friends Christmas party. I will share my goodies another day so that each of you are able to see the thoughtful gifts that my friends give me. There are 6 of us that will be attending, but two of them are my daughters so I won't receive gifts from them today as we will wait till Christmas. We are meeting for a lunch today instead of at someone's house and I am thrilled to be able to walk into the restaurant, although I am still in some pain. 

While my kids were on their Thanksgiving trip, they took the grands to Bass Pro Shop and were able to have pictures taken with Santa. 

Isn't this one of the cutest photos ever? I sure do love these girls and I can't imagine life without them. Many of you know that the youngest one was a hard adjustment for me, but I have learned to love her and she is just as special as the older one. I am thankful for both of them as God placed them here for a reason. The older one has a heart that longs for Gods' word. She is so intelligent and she loves school. She just made the A/B honor roll! The younger one is full of smiles and has so much energy. She is learning so much and I am sure she will follow in her sisters' footsteps when she starts school.

Have you decorated for the holidays yet? With the foot surgery, I am limited in what I can do and I am thankful for the decorations that I have up, but my husband and I do not have a tree yet and that upsets me. I hope we can go this week and get one. We always do a live tree and so we have to wait until December. but I am so ready. I have a few decorations up and I know that we are not going to do as many as normal, but I need more than I have. 

I hope this brings smiles to your faces and I hope you have a blessed Sunday. 

I tried to add a link to allow others to share their post here as well, but I can't seem to get it to work at the moment. I hope you will each leave your link below in the comments. Thanks, 

Putnam Inn- Greencastle Indiana - Good Food

 Last night our daughter and son-in-law invited us to dinner at Putnam Inn in Greencastle, Indiana. I have driven by it often and was excited about the adventure. After being down for so long with this surgery, everything is an adventure. 

It is a small, local restaurant and known for its buffet from what I hear. Friday and Saturday night they offer a seafood buffet as well as the normal buffet. The prices are a little over what I would normally pay, but the food was good. My husband and daughter decided to get the Seafood buffet as my son-in-law and I decided to just do the regular buffet. 

The regular buffet included plenty of choices with salad, meat choices including some delicious fish, potatoes, broccoli and cheese casserole, rolls, and many other options. With the seafood buffet, you were also offered all you could eat crab legs, frog legs, steak, and other options. There is a small dessert bar as well, which offered pies, cakes, cheesecake, banana pudding, and ice cream with toppings. We were all full when we left .

Very clean restaurant, food was hot and delicious, staff was pleasant and very helpful. I feel overall I would rate this a 9/10. The only reason that I did not give them a 10 was that the restroom was out of service and the prices were a little over the top. The regular buffet was $22 and the seafood buffet is $42. Those prices are a little more than I would normally pay for that type of meal. 

Nice experience overall and I would go back for a special occasion. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend that you visit the Putnam Inn. 

Recovery

 Recovery from foot surgery is going better than expected, I guess. My last appointment was a week ago tomorrow. That put us at the 5 week mark and the podiatrist suggested that I begin weight bearing, which usually does NOT happen until 8 weeks. He wants me to start walking a bit on it and then next week run a few errands and the next appointment I will go into my tennis shoe.  NEVER has been this fast!!!

I will say that as excited as I was to begin weight bearing, I am realizing that just because I am making these strides, does not mean that I am going to be walking easily soon. I am finding that I am having more swelling and more pain now that I am weight bearing. I have graduated to a surgical shoe instead of the walking boot and I am using the knee scooter more. I truly don't care for the knee scooter.

My granddaughter had her first filling yesterday for a tooth that she had a cavity in and she was a great patient. The ladies at the dentist office were really impressed with how well she done. She was given some nitrous gas to help keep her calm, but she was such a trooper. She told the assistant that she was brave because her mammaw was with her. She is my girl!!

I have enjoyed reading all the posts about the moon and seeing all of the photos you all have taken. I am hoping to get out on the porch later today to take advantage of probably the last couple of warm days as it looks as it is going to be cold the next week or so and I am sure we will be seeing the white stuff soon. 

I just realized that I have no new photos to post here. I guess I will use one of my older profile photos that I particularly like of myself. 

I hope you all have a blessed day!

Fire Country - The New Series To Watch

 Many of my readers know that I like shows like Swat, Law and Order SUV, Criminal Minds, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago Med, House and New Amsterdam. Some of those have been taken off the networks and I hate to see a show that I enjoy leave because we do not have a lot of good quality television these days. I have to ask though, "Have you seen Fire Country?"

Fire Country premiered three weeks ago on CBS and I must say that it is certainly one of the new series to watch. It is exciting, has a fabulous story line and the characters are intriguing and the actors and actresses are some of the best I have seen lately. It follows the story of Bode Donavon and his family whom are career firefighters. Episode 1 introduces us to Bode as an inmate that is joining a firefighting program to lessen his sentence in prison, but he suddenly finds himself in the only town he truly does not want to be in.

Bode suddenly finds himself working on a fire with an old friend that he is not really friendly with at this stage in his life and he is haunted by memories that are the exact cause as to why he is an inmate and why he does not want to be in this town. He also finds himself working with his dad, who resents that Bode is alive and in the town. What Bode does not know is that his mom, who happens to be the head fire chief of this town, is the exact reason he remains in the town. 

Episode 3 aired last night and we find Bode and his dad in a hostage situation that Bode is the only one to deescalate the situation. They are trapped in a life or death situation by the time the hostage taker agrees to end the situation. Does the father finally see Bode for the man that he wants to be or does he still feel that Bode is a disgrace to the family? Well, you will need to watch and see as I am not going to give those detail.

Max Thierot is Bode and this is the first show I think I have ever seen him in, but his acting skills are on point. Although upon reading his bio, he has had other roles, but the only one that I would have seen would have been his role as one of the children that Vin Diesel protected in The Pacifier.  He has certainly found the role he was created for in my opinion.  I am anxious to see where the show takes his character and the relationship with both of his parents as well as a few former friends. 

9 p.m. EST each Friday night you will find me watching Fire Country! Check it out, if you haven't seen it and let me know if you are a fan as well. If you are already a fan, let me know your opinions on it. 

Another Surgery, Another 8 Weeks

Three weeks have passed since I had yet, another surgery on my foot. The left foot that I had surgery on in January had to be operated on again because the hardware that was placed in to hold the bones in place was not holding and the screw had begun backing out and had to be replaced, but due to the time it had been happening, more extensive hardware had to be placed in. Another surgery, another 8 weeks of non-weight bearing before I am able to walk again. I can't win! I have been in this chair and on the knee scooter more than I have walked this year, it seems. I am so over the issues with my feet.

I have a fabulous podiatrist and he does great work, but I will be glad not to see him for a period of time longer than a few months. I am so tired of surgery and the waiting to walk. It limits everything that I can do and it drives me crazy to rely on others. My husband is always more concerned about his work than being here to care for me. He is usually outside for over 12 hours a day without even a call to check on me and he can't tell anyone no on anything. Last night instead of helping me shower for the first time in three weeks, he went out at 9 p.m. ( after coming in to make dinner at 8:30 p.m., which consisted of a smoked sausage sandwich) to he help someone put a new tire on. I just feel that puts everything at home off and truly does not care about me these days.  I just need to walk!

Anyhow, that is another subject entirely. I am patiently waiting these 8 weeks out and once I am able to walk again, I will be making several changes to my life. I have thought a great deal about life and what I want and what is life now is not how I want things to be for the rest of my life. I have always put him, my kids, and my family before myself and I am going to make some changes. I have worked two jobs most of our marriage as well as home schooled our children, taken care of  his parents, made sure that all of his bills were paid and handled most of the household stuff. I realize as I am down that we are not in the same thoughts of how life and marriage should be. I realize that my feet have taken quite a bit away from the way I can do life, but I will survive this and I will make life happier for myself.

The farm is okay as far as I know. I can't get out to check on the animals or anything at the moment. I know we lost two baby bunnies last week due to no one feeding or watering them for two or three days. I guess my husband and daughter forgot that we have animals. I truly do not understand. It does not take long to feed and water. It may be a bit of an inconvenience certain days, but it must be done. Work for the farm is left to me or my father-in-law, who is currently il

Enough of my complaining, it just keeps me upset and I need to look at the positive side of things. My foot is finally repaired and it seems to be healing nicely. Less swelling than previous surgeries, but much more pain. It will be get better and I will walk again. My foot structure is a mess was what the podiatrist said yesterday and said that there is nothing more we can do so we must make the best of it. I will the same as I always do. 

I hope you all have a fabulous Friday and I will be sure to update everyone on life soon. I promise I will be here more often now that I am able to be out of bed. Have a great day and until our trails meet again, smile!

My Pink Zebra Business

 Hello! I have had several of my readers say that they do not know about Pink Zebra and I would love to share some information about this with you all. I am an Independent Executive Consultant with the company and have been with them for 7 years, but only recently began my focus on making this my full time career. I am working to reach manager this year and I am excited to say that my daughter has accomplished that in her career with them. 

My love for their products started almost 8 years ago when I was finishing up a long week as a show mom at the local county fair. I was hot, tired and exhausted and decided to walk through the commercial tent to see what companies were represented. I knew nothing of Pink Zebra and the girl that was at the fair did not get any of my attention, I am sorry to say. I simply walked past her and did not take the time to learn more. I did stop at the end of her table though and smell the Toasted Marshmallow Sprinkles that she had set out. 

After the fair was over, I thought of the amazing scent I had smelled, but had no information or clue what it was. I simply knew it had a zebra on the photo (as they are my favorite animal) and I Googled Zebra dots, because they looked like Dippin Dots ( the ice cream). I found a lady in Oklahoma that sold Pink Zebra and was offering a great deal on signing up. Now, we can't do those types of deals these days, but I am thankful that she was at the time. I learned that it was wax for warmers and that they had many fragrances to choose from. I signed up and called my oldest daughter to tell her that we were selling it as I knew she would help. 

I am thankful to say that the company had allowed her to quit her full time job at a warehouse and she earned her first piece of jewelry this year when she promoted to manager with the company. I am also happy to say that she is a great leader and I am looking forward to what she will do this next year. I am happy to say that it has become a family affair as my youngest daughter is now a consultant too. 

Pink Zebra began in Sugar Land, Texas and is the amazing work of Tom and Kelly Gaines, who have a wealth of knowledge of candles, fragrances, and home décor. Pink Zebra offers a soy based wax that is non-toxic and is tested to be some of the best fragrance in the industry. There are 71 scents available and many other products. Our fall catalog was just released and I will  say that our 71 scents are some of my absolute favorites in the time I have been selling. 

I am sure you will find something on that list that you love! There are so many good ones! Some of my favorites are flannel blanket, apple pumpkin butter, aquamarine, blueberry lavender, bourbon vanilla, warm snuggles, and white pumpkin cardamom. 

Our warmers are designed to offer the best fragrance from these as well as the wax will only heat to body temperature, which is another great asset considering my grands are usually here often. Our Simmer Pots are great decorating pieces as well as a way to fragrance your home. 

We have items that include all types of decorating and we have super cute things for those that like to decorate for the seasons and holidays. 

Our Simmering Lights offer décor, fragrance, and a useful product for the home. 

I am always looking for new customers to share these amazing products with as well as online hosts to earn free and half price products as well as people who are looking for a flexible schedule to join my team. If you don't use these types of products, maybe you know someone that does. Please share my website with them. Let me know if you know someone that orders and I will send you a free gift!

Thanks to all my readers that asked about what I do and I am happy to share with you. Now, I must get busy and work on getting that manager title and my Paisley ( our mascot) necklace. 

Happy Homemaker Monday - July 25,2022

 Good Morning Everyone! Happy Monday! As I am going to join Sandra at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom and will link this to her post later, I thought I would share a few notes first. I am still thinking of my dear friend, Ang that passed last week after a hard fought battle against cancer. I am also thinking of another friend who has a daughter that is struggling with some issues. Prayers for these families! 

The weather . . .

   We had rain last night and it was much needed. Although, my husband had just done some dirt work for a friend and so the rain was much harder and more than he needed for that. Our plants and grass were certainly thankful for the rain though. We are forecast to have more later this week. 

As I look outside my window . . .

   I see gorgeous sunshine and a lot of weeds that need to be trimmed. I really am not sure what we will do with all of the weeds. I might spray some later today. It is not supposed to be as hot and humid today. Thankful for that. It sure has been a HOT summer. 

Right now I am . . .

   Listening to the washing machine and making a kettle of hot water to enjoy some oatmeal and possibly a new tea that I purchased the other day. I had two cups of coffee earlier, but I think I want to try my tea. 

Thinking and pondering . . .

   I mentioned that I am thinking of my friends. I am also thinking about how fast it seems summer has gone by and how hot it has been. My granddoll and I have not been doing much together because of the weather. We took a short trip to Missouri, but not long enough. I also must say that I hate the thought of her starting school in just a few short weeks.

How I am feeling  . . .

   A bit tired actually. We stayed up later than normal and I am a bit draggy today. I will be better later. I am missing my fellow Pink Zebra team as I was unable to go to our yearly reunion this year due to the cost to fly to Reno and it makes me sad that I am not there. 

On the breakfast plate . . .

   I am going to be enjoying a nice bowl of blueberry oatmeal. It is still a little warm for oatmeal, but I certainly do love it. 

What I am wearing . . .

   Jeans and a tee shirt. Our Pink Zebra fall line was just released and so I will be working most of the day in my office. I will be going to see the new Elvis movie later tonight as well. 

On the reading pile . . .

   Finishing Karen Kingsbury's a thousand tomorrows

   Starting later today will be  The Summer House by James Patterson and Brendan DuBouis. It is a murder story and will be a much different read than Karen's book, but I feel that I like to change genres' often. I especially love a good mystery book and Patterson writes very well.

On my TV . . .

   Hallmark Channel. I have not watched it much recently, but I thought I would catch a few minutes of the Christmas in July movies that are happening now. I might listen to my Christmas CD later today as well. My granddoll and I love Christmas music and we listen to it often. 

On the menu . . .

   Since I won't be home tonight it will be burgers and corn on the cob for my hubby. 

Tuesday - it may be a pork roast marinated with brown sugar and maple. Not sure yet. 

Looking around the house . . .

   I see laundry that needs to be done today and I know my bathroom floor needs to be swept and mopped, but I done housework on Friday and Saturday so not as much needs to be done as normally does on Monday. 

To-do list . . .

   Laundry

   Sweep/mop bathroom

   Pink Zebra work

   Meet friends for movie

   Plan menu ideas for next week as I will be busy each evening

   

From the camera . . .

   Nothing new, but a photo of my daughter and I at the last Pink Zebra Reunion. She gets her manager necklace today and I am so proud of her! I hate that I am not with her!!

Devotional . . .

   

Clearing Up Conversation Confusion

Our feelings can mislead us; confidence comes when we choose to trust what the Word of God says.

This is from 

In Touch

That is all I have for today. Have a great Monday! Thanks for stopping by to read my blog and be sure to look for all of the Happy Homemaker Posts. 

Loss of a Dear Friend

 Hello! I have not written for quite a long time, but I have to write today to share the loss of a dear friend. Some of you may know, Ang Specht, from  Just A Country Girl blog and we became pen pals several years ago after a Christmas stocking exchange that was posted here on Blogger by someone. I am so thankful that I took part in that as it brought this amazing woman into my life.

Ang was a homeschool mom, a wife, and an amazing woman of God. Her faith was consistent and she never faltered no matter what life threw her way. Ang has fought a very rare form of breast cancer for a few years now, but remained optimistic and faithful in her beliefs that God's will would be done. Today, she has met her Heavenly Father and I am sure she is pain free for the first time in awhile and she is rejoicing with God. She will be deeply missed here on Earth by her husband, her father and her amazing children.

Ang was blessed to see her oldest son graduate this year and she was so proud of him! She was blessed to see her teen son get his license. She has been blessed to have children that were willing to help her and the other children and she had a great friend with her daughter. They shared many tea parties and other wonderful times together. She has taught her children many life skills that will take them far in their lives. Ang was blessed to be married to the man of her dreams at the home of Phil Robertson in an amazingly beautiful ceremony and was baptized there as well. 

Ang, if I could talk to you, I would tell you just how much I will miss you and how lucky I have been to know you. Thank you for your friendship and thank you for sharing your amazing life with me!

Crochet - How To Begin

 Do you crochet? I have in the past and my mom and grandma both were quite good at it. I have not learned many patterns, but I can make a chain and I have done blankets and a few other small projects. I am learning more as I get older and find that I am more interested in it. 

 Crochet is from a French word meaning "little hook". How accurate is that because I have seen projects that required quite a small hook for the work. In crochet, each stitch is completed before the next stitch is started and that is why it is different from knitting. Crocheting is making something from interlocking yarn and is usually done with hooks. 

Learning to crochet these days can be much different than what I did as a child. These days we have the internet and sites such as crochet.com, the Spruce Craft, and You Tube to teach us if we don't have someone in the family that can show us. In the days I was learning, you needed someone to spend the time to show you what to do. It was a great bonding activity and something that I feel many kids these days miss out on. One of my favorites on You Tube is for beginners here. It offers quite a few tips of getting started in the art of crochet. 

Art? Yes, I believe crochet is a form of artwork as it is a craft that takes skill, patience, and a true love for it to be really great work. There are some masterpieces of crocheted items throughout the world. Look online for patterns and you will see some of those types of items. Beginning to crochet and being an artist are two completely different skill levels. 

What tools do you need to start? There are really only two things that you need to start to crochet. You will need yarn and a hook. Now crochet hooks come in many sizes and you may be confused as to what size you need. I prefer that a beginner use a G or H hook and I would recommend that you begin with a metal hook in order to make the stitches a little easier in the beginning. Yarn is another area where you will find so many different types, colors, weights, etc. Don't buy the best yarn on the market or any specialty yarn at first because all you need is an acrylic yarn that is easy to work with. I would also recommend that you have a simple pair of scissors that you are able to use to cut the yarn when you are at a stopping point and you need to knot it. As you learn to do more, you will find that you want to add a few accessories including a case if you begin to get more hooks to keep them organized, but that is later.  The simplicity of what you need to start is what I feel makes crocheting an activity that anyone can begin to learn. 

What should I learn first? One of the first things that I feel a beginner needs to know is how to make a slip stitch or slip knot as that is generally how you will begin all projects. It simply is to twist and loop the yarn onto the hook , then wrap the yarn under the hook and then pull it through the loop to tighten the stitch. It really is a simple process. The next thing to do is to make a chain and it is simply done by repeating the step above over and over until you have the length of chain that you prefer to work with. 

What's next? The next steps will be to learn to single crochet and double crochet. These are the steps to begin to have more of a project than simply a chain. These are stitches that will allow you to make multiple items and are the easiest for beginners. If you can single crochet, it is possible to make blankets and afghans without too much trouble. 

There are many other things to learn after you master these few things. Many sites online offer many tutorials on each of these and you can find multiple supplies out there. Here is a link to crochet hooks. It is an affiliate link and I would appreciate any help in earning money to keep this blog going that I get. Thank You!

Happy Homemaker Monday - April 25, 2022

  

Good Morning and how is everyone in blog land today. Things are good here at the farm, except for the weather. I will share more about that later in the post. After you read this, hop over to visit Sandra, who graciously allows us to share these posts. The Happy Homemaker Series is one of my favorites to read and write. 

:::: The Weather ::::

Rainy and cooler than the weekend. We had beautiful spring weather for the weekend, but today is not so nice. We have had periods of hard rain followed by lighter showers. The temperatures are to be in the 50's and 60's today. It seems as though the rain will end at some point later today, but I will believe that when it happens. It seems that we have had many showers and lots of wind lately. It is to be cooler this week as well with lows back in the upper 30's for several nights. I truly need spring to get here and stay. 

 

:::: How I am feeling this morning ::::

I woke with a headache and it is all because of the weather. I believe with my medicine, I may have stopped it from becoming a migraine. The rain is horrible for my migraines, but it has helped with the nasal congestion and stuff I felt with allergies from the warmer weather and pollen. I truly wish I lived someplace besides here, but I love my house in the woods. Compromising life here for life in the city would not be good for my mental health.

 

:::: On the breakfast plate ::::

I have not taken time to eat breakfast yet. I have had two cups of coffee though. I am thankful for the time I was able to have coffee on the patio yesterday. I even watched the church service online yesterday so I could enjoy my time outside and did sneeze so much in church. I will be there next week.  

:::: On my reading pile :::: 

I have not been reading much so I still have the book that I was reading several weeks ago sitting by the couch. I just can't motivate myself to read at the moment. My time needs to be spent doing multiple other things at the moment. I feel that I read so much when I had surgery that reading just is not something I currently want to do. 

 

:::: On my TV ::::

I am currently enjoying watching The Masked Singer and Swat each week. There are a few other shows that I often watch, but mostly these two are my favorites. I enjoy New Amsterdam, but I believe that I seen something about it was not going to be renewed, which makes me sad because it is a good show. Good quality shows are almost impossible to find these days. It truly makes me sad!

 

:::: On the menu this week ::::

Here is an area that I struggle with as a homemaker. I like to plan meals but my husband doesn't like for them to be planned. He wants to eat what he is hungry for at the time he is ready to eat. Luckily, tonight we are having a garlic herb marinated pork roast as I will not be here for a bit this evening so it can go in the crockpot. Plus, with the cooler weather, why not?

 

:::: From the camera ::::

 I have not taken any photos this week, so I am going to share some random recent photos. 

New bunnies that we were able to get. They are super sweet. One is named Coffee and one is Cocoa, I believe. My grand doll named them and so they are fun names. I think that they are good names though, what do you think?

Here is the latest photo of Mercedes. She is a Great Dane and we like her quite a bit. I wish we had a smaller dog for inside, but she is the breed that the husband has always wanted. Of course, she is more my dog because he doesn't do anything with her. I truly did not want her at all, but she is a part of the family now. She is great with the grands and that is very important. 

This is the ramp that my husband's friend built while I was at my daughters' house following surgery. I am thankful for it as I have used it quite often and still do. My foot is healing well, although I have had some issues. I am still struggling with going down stairs, so it does help to have it. We will stain it and finish the bottom of it this spring or summer. 

:::: Looking around the house ::::

It is not too bad as I cleaned it on Saturday evening. I will do laundry today and run the vacuum and that will probably be all I get done today. I have to work on my Pink Zebra business. I am always looking to share some samples with someone so if you like home fragrances and have not used Pink Zebra, please let me know and I will send you a sample. 

::::  To do List ::::

1. Make the roast and figure out veggies.

2.Laundry and vacuum

3. Work my Pink Zebra business

4. Trip to the bank later

5. Possibly pick up my grand daughter

 

Scrapbooking Thoughts

 Making a scrapbook seems like an easy task until you start to do it and then it can be much more overwhelming than you expected it to be. Do not do a lot of research on the subject or you will find that the internet can be full of very detailed pages and supplies, when you don't need all of that to get started. Remember that this is your creation and you are telling a story, so making it yours is important. The pages do not need to look exactly perfect or exactly like someone else's page.   Let's take a look at what I feel are the steps that you need to take to prep for getting the scrapbook together. 

2. Decide the theme of the book. Now, I am not saying that it must be all of the same types of photos, but it is important to know if you are doing one that is based on vacations, school, or just life in general. The types of paper and photos that you will use in it needs to go along with what you intend it to be. There is no point in purchasing paper or die cuts of school related items if it is not going to include school related photos. 

3. Begin to collect the photos that you intend to use in the book. Many of us have photos on our phones that need to be printed to be put into the book. Print them and place into an envelope, folder or tote that you intend to hold supplies in. I like to use a tote, but I like to have the photos in an envelope. Beginning in this way, does not give you an excuse to have to stop and get pictures, because for many of us that would simply be the end of the scrapbook. How many projects do you start to find that are never finished? For me, it is several. 

4. Once you have the book and the photos, you are ready to begin. The next step is to purchase some supplies. I would say paper, photo corners or tape in order to place the photos in place, and maybe a few die cuts and possibly a scrapbook pen are reasonable supplies for a beginner. Stickers can be an asset to a page as well. Again, many companies are out there that range in prices that can be reasonable or can be rather expensive. Again, if you are a beginner, you don't need the best. Go to local hobby store such as Hobby Lobby and see what is available. Amazon offers some nice selections as well.

5. Once you have supplies, you are ready to layout your first page. If you are unsure of what to do, You Tube offers some great videos on getting started. I personally found this video to be quite helpful. The pages do not have to be done in any certain way as you are the creator of the pages. You are the creator of the book. Make it as personalized as you would like. It is you telling a story through that page. 

These are basics of scrapbooking are what is necessary to get started. A book, a story in your words or thoughts and some photos and decorations for the page. Now, I am going to share some Google images with you just to showcase some of the many ways people scrapbook. 

These two photos are of pages that look quite difficult to a beginner, but are mainly just die cuts that have been bought to be used for this page. Many scrapbook companies offer decor die cuts like this to add to the page. 

This page has more details to it and has much more going on with the page. However, with a little skill and confidence, it won't be long until you are doing the same kind of pages. I think any scrapbooker would say the same thing and would certainly tell any beginner that it is as much fun as you make it and that any page you make is going to possibly have mistakes on it, but no one will know unless it is a misspelled word, because it is your idea, your story, your page!

Crafts, Books, and Other Hobbies

 So many of my readers these days are crafters and I think that I am going to begin a weekly series on these types of products. I will be sharing some links with you on these posts. I am looking to make a little money from here until I can get my own site set up and use it for my marketing. Camping is becoming a huge hobby as well and so I will be adding it to the list as well. Something for everyone is what I am hoping to do. I will remain dedicated to the farm as well. It is what first encouraged me to write this in the beginning. 

Many of you are Cricut users and I have friends and family that use this amazing machine as well and I hope to share many hints and tips for these crafters. I do not have one, but it is on my wish list. 

Yarn lovers are here as well. I know that I see many projects on here that my readers are working on. I learned to crochet very basic stitches and I rarely ever do these projects, but I would like to learn more so I am hoping to share some more information on these types of projects too. 

Here is one of my favorite hobbies: scrapbooking and journaling. It is the most creative process at times. How many of us still scrapbook or journal? I find journaling makes me a lot more at peace while I write how I feel and what I have done. 

This goes along with farming so I may include some beekeeping as well. I don't know much but I have a friend from here that knows quite a bit and I might be asking her to write a guest post. 

Books will always be a topic here as I enjoy reading and do it quite often. I am involved in an online book club and I am thinking about starting a local one just to reconnect with new friends. I hope that once I begin to add these weekly posts that you will enjoy reading the posts and we can connect with some new friends that are interested in the same things that we are. 

Easter Bunny Pictures - As Promised

Here are the Easter photos that I spoke of in my Happy Homemaker Post. I finally got them to download here so that I can share. Look at how cute the girls are!

These were taken at church yesterday! Live bunnies and kids make adorable photos!!

 

Happy Homemaker Monday - On the Farm - April 18, 2022

Hello Homemakers and Readers!

How is everyone today? Good, I hope. Life here on the farm is busy as usual and quite cold for this time of the year. I will get into more of that later. First of all, Welcome to my Happy Homemaker post. If you are not aware of what exactly this is, I suggest you head over to visit Sandra at Diary of a stay at home mom. She has created this amazing little Monday fun corner and allows us to share some small tidbits of our week with all of our amazing readers. 

 :::: The Weather ::::

Weather: we are to have 4 seasons of the year where I am living and it seems that each year we skip one or more of those. This year it seems as we are skipping Spring. The day after Easter and we awake to a cold and very wet snowy morning. Yes, SNOW! The temperature was like 33 degrees F and we had snow. Not the weather we expect in mid April! I am ready for sunshine and warm! We actually have our wood stove going for heat today as it is to be cool all day with scattered showers and light winds. 

The weather is making life a little less fun for this farm lady. We have had baby bunnies and I believe that we lost them due to the cold last night. Come on, Mother Nature- get with our schedule! 

:::: How I am feeling this morning ::::

Other than cold, I am okay. I have struggled with migraines this weekend and still have remnants of one today. Seems that the weather is the biggest trigger and I must say that with the crazy rainfall we have had and the temperatures changing faster than you can sneeze, it makes for some really bad days. Does anyone else struggle with migraines that are weather related?

:::: On the breakfast plate ::::

 Breakfast was a donut that my husband brought me home a few days ago. I simply heated it in the microwave for a few seconds and ate it. Yes, I know not ideal breakfast, but I decided not to waste it so eat it. What are your favorite donuts? I love the custard filled ones with chocolate on top. 

:::: On my reading pile :::: 

I have not really been reading. I think I done so much while I was recovering from surgery that I truly just need a break. I have been doing a daily Bible study though with The Bible Recap This will be my second year using that as my reading plan for reading completely through the Bible in a year. 

:::: On my TV ::::

I do not watch a lot of television these days, but I do have three favorite shows right now. I am enjoying The Masked Singer, Street Outlaws, and SWAT.  I will be watching what I have recorded of some of those later today.

:::: On the menu this week ::::

I have not planned a menu this week but I do have dinner planned today. We are having Roasted Tomato and Herb Chicken Breast with Parmesan pasta and Brussel Sprouts.  Lunch will be soup for me and tomorrow night will probably be steak tips with cauliflower rice. 

:::: From the camera ::::

Well, I wanted to share the cute photos of my grand dolls with Easter Bunnies taken at church yesterday but it keeps saying that the server is rejecting my photos. Not sure what is up with that so I will try to post later. 

:::: Looking around the house ::::

 As I look around the house, I realize just how much I accomplished yesterday even though I had a massive migraine. The only real housework I have for today is laundry. It's good because I have a team training to do tomorrow for my Pink Zebra business and I want to finalize all of that information today. 

::::  To do List ::::

 For the week, I have several things to do. I will try to make a list for each day.

Monday:  Laundry, meeting plans, dinner, make bed

Tuesday : Team meeting, grocery store, dinner, vacuum, post office run

Wednesday: Plan game night, place PZ order, Order Delivery, dinner

Thursday: Clean at father in laws, prepare last minute game night details, dinner, clean kitchen and bathroom

Friday: Clean house and pack for show for the weekend

Saturday: Vendor show 

Sunday: Church and rest

Thanks for stopping by. Until we meet again.