Tuesday's Book Bag -

 Last day of February and since I really don't have a book bag post for the day, I will simply give some updates for what I have read in the month.

I am currently still reading Fired Up by Mary Connealy. It is the second book in the Trouble In Texas series that she has. I will finish it today as I only have about 20 pages left to read. I wanted to finish it last night, but just could not find the time. 

My next read will be Stuck Together by the same author and will finish the series. I am happy to say that I love this series and will look for more from the same author. 

I also read The Chocolate Falcon Fraud by JoAnna Carl. It is also in a series of books that I have read several of in the past and I always enjoy them. I will get another from the library when I return these as well. Yes, I have many books at home that need read but I always enjoy getting books from the library as well. 

What have you read this month? I know many people read more than I do in a month, but that is okay.

Happy Homemaker Monday - Feb. 27

 Can you believe that we are at the end of February? It seems impossible to me that February gone and we will soon be into March. I know we are having winds like spring is blowing in. Gusts up to 50mph today are expected and it seems as though they are happening now. 

Hop over to Diary of a Stay At Home Mom to learn more about Happy Homemaker Monday and to catch up with several of the bloggers that write these posts on a regular basis. Homemaking can be a skill, but it can be a deeper love for your family that you want your home clean and inviting for your family and your guests. 

*** THE WEATHER***

Windy, warm, rainy, sunny, and windy! That seems to be what most of our winter has been. By Wednesday, we will see temperatures in the 70's and yet, we may have snow on Friday. UGH!! I enjoy spring, but the temperature swings this year have been awful and we are not really out of winter yet. 

*** As I Look Out My Window***

I see things blowing across the yard. Leaves that have been left from fall, the tarp covering the wood stack is blowing in the wind, and the trees look like they could blow over any minute. Swaying side to side and some smaller ones look to almost be touching the ground at times. The sun is currently out, but it was raining hard about 2 minutes ago. 

*** Right Now I Am***

Writing this post and then I have mail to go through. I have so many things that I need to do and yet, I can't seem to find enough hours in the day. Let's just hope that the power does not go out.  Laundry and dinner are going as well, so I have a bit of a start on something. 

*** Thinking***

I am thinking of a family that lost a loved one last week to cancer. She was 27 years old and had fought the good fight for 5 months. She was my grand dolls' teacher the first week of school and then left due to being sick. It is hard for  6 and 7 year old kids to understand the depth of cancer. Many little prayers have gone up in the past few days. 

*** On My TV***

Television, a true waste of time. Yet, we all seem to take part in this waste and I am not an exception to the rule. Fire Country and Swat are on each Friday night.  BattleBots are a must see on Thursday. Other than that, I might watch an old episode of The Beverly Hillbillies or Andy Griffith.

***Listening To ***

My Jesus by Anne Wilson

Take Another Step by The Booth Brothers

Southern Baptist Hymns on Spotify

***On the Lunch Plate ***

I ran some errands this morning and so my daughter and I grabbed White Castle for lunch. I do love those little burgers.

***On The Dinner Plate***

Pork Shoulder Roast with herbed seasoning

Roasted Potatoes

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Rolls

*** On The Menu***

Tuesday: Sloppy Joes and French Fries

Wednesday: Meeting a friend

Thursday : Beef Stew

Friday: No idea

*** On My Reading Pile***

I hope to finish Fired Up by Mary Connealy today and I hope to start the next book in the series. I need to update Good Reads today and show the progress I have made. I have enjoyed reading a lot lately and I have books that I hate to put down. 

*** On My To Do List***

Pink Zebra posts, plan game night, get ready for next week's craft fair

Sweep and mop dining room and kitchen

Clean bathroom

Vacuum and Dust living room and bedrooms

Clean the kitchen

Take care of animals

Work on a plan for where to begin my seed starts

Help grand doll with selling geraniums for 4H

Reenroll granddoll in school for next year

transplant lavender to a larger pot

write a post about out newest members to the farm

*** Crafting***

Nothing at the moment, but I need to find the time to start my next diamond art painting 

I need to work on my showcase for some of my products to take to craft shows

*** Looking Around ***

I see a mess from being gone most of the weekend. I see a calendar that needs updated, and all the dust that has accumulated in a few days. I see living in the country with animals, kids, and a husband. 

*** From The Camera***

Merecedes, our Great Dane.

*** Prayer List***

The family of my granddolls' teacher that passed.

The students that have had her or had her just the short time this year that are struggling with the loss.

Parents explaining cancer and death to a child

My friends and family

*** Bible Verse or Devotion ***

Show yourself friendly today! Be kind to one another. 

Sunday Smiles

 

SMILE! It is one of the best ways to begin your day and one of the best things you can do with your lips. We all have so many things to smile about if we just think in a positive way. 

It seems as though many people see the negative in all things, but I like to remind them that they have reasons to be happy. They have reasons to smile. You are alive to make memories, you woke up to another day, the sun is shining, your child or grandchild loves you, spring is right around the corner, you have a roof over your head, you have had a meal today, you are loved by Christ. Many things to smile about. 

JUST SMILE

Spreading Kindness

 

Do children see kindness as a weakness? I sure hope not. I have taught my grand doll to always be kind. A cashier at a small store today spoke of how well mannered she was because she said "Thank you, Mam" I said that we felt it was important to teach kindness and manners and she said that she wished all parents would do the same. 

She commented how she sees so many kids disrespectful to their parents and other adults around them. After seeing this meme, I wonder if kids see kindness as a weakness. We are all very aware that it is not. 

Friday Lunch

 Yes, another Friday lunch post is due. I am sad to say that most of you will not be thrilled with lunch today. It has been a busy Friday and I have been on the phone a lot so I actually ate peanut butter with strawberry rhubarb jam sandwich for lunch today.

I know my Friday lunch is a little more interesting usually, but it was all I could come up with today that would work with the schedule. As you will see by this post, all things today are short, sweet and to the point. 

I hope you all enjoyed your lunch and I hope that it was better than mine. 

Sadness Abounds In Our World

 Daily I hear of sad news in our world. Rumors of war, one country invading another, and all the talk of recession, interest rates rising, and all of the other things that happen across the world. The most disturbing to me though is the murder rates that are happening with our youth and young adults across the United States. 

A 4 year old was shot at an Airbnb a day or two ago in a town north of us. A 9 year old girl lost her life in Florida yesterday shot by a 19 year old suspect. A 24 year old news reporter and a woman in her 20's also was shot by the same suspect, according to police reports. Over the weekend, 9 children between the age of 5 and 17 were shot outside of a gas station in Georgia. Thankfully, none of those injuries were life threatening, but just the sheer number at one shooting site is appalling. There are so many more stories like this and I hate to hear of these types of stories daily. 

Why do we as a society think that picking up a gun is the answer to every argument? Why are our children not being taught that a gun is not the answer to all of their problems? Why are we more concerned about children being allowed to change their gender than we are about the serious gun violence issues we have in our children? If you are a supporter of gender equality, that is not what this is about. That is another entire discussion, but it seems that our lawmakers are more worried about pushing that agenda than protecting our young people. 

If you are a parent of a child or teen, PLEASE explain to them that IF they point a gun at someone, it is a life changing decision and that it is not the answer to their problems. Actually, it is adding to their problem because someone could die and they could go to prison. There are other ways to deal with the problems that they are having. 

We need to PROTECT our children from themselves and that is a sad situation. Children need to learn to play, problem solve without violence, to be kind, and many other values that will get them through life better and without a stint in prison for shooting someone.

Ash Wednesday

 Do you know today is Ash Wednesday? I was not aware of it until I heard someone say it earlier today. I actually realized that I was not sure of what Ash Wednesday even was so I looked it up and here is what I found. 

Ash Wednesday

Holy Day

Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent. It is observed by Catholics in the Roman Rite, Lutherans, Moravians, Anglicans, Methodists, Nazarenes, as well as by some churches in the Reformed tradition.

It is a period of time to prepare for Easter Sunday and it is 46 days before Easter Sunday. As a Christian, I have observed Good Friday and Easter, but never Lent or Ash Wednesday. I am thankful to be aware of what it is, but I don't feel as though I need to prepare for Easter. I pray daily and I know that the day that Christ rose is on it's way. I am sure for many it is a huge day, but not so much for myself. 

Do you celebrate today and what will you do between now and Easter?

Blog 365

Tuesdays' Book Bag - Blog 365

 Good Tuesday Morning! How are you all today? I need a way to hold myself accountable for my reading and I find that it is easier if I do it here, so I will set this in motion. I know I won't update every Tuesday, but I intend to do every couple of weeks. 

Joining Sandra for Blog 365 has really encouraged me to keep up with my blog better and I am seeing more improvements in holding myself accountable for the things that I want to make happen this year. I am enjoying knowing that I need to plan to write daily and I am enjoying the challenge of finding things that I want to do and talk about. 

With all of that said, let's get to todays Book Bag. 

**** WHAT I AM READING****

I started a new series a couple of weeks ago and I am enjoying it thoroughly. It is the Trouble in Texas series by Mary Connealy and I am now on book 2 in the series. The book is titled Fired Up.

BLURB: Glynna Greer came west as a mail-order bride and ended up in a bad situation. Now her husband, Flint , is dead, and she's determined to make a go of it on her own. In a town full of men, Glynna decides she can support her two children by opening a diner- never mind that cooking is not her greatest talent.

Dare Riker is a doctor that saves lives, but someone seems determined to end his. It may have something to do with the traitors he dealt with during the Civil War, or it might be related to the recent incident with Flint  Greer and the ranch. Whoever the culprit is, he or she seems really fired up, and Dare can't let his guard down for a moment- which is a challenge, since right now he's trying to win the  heart of the recently widowed Glynna. 

Though his doctoring business is booming due to Glynnas' questionable cooking, Dare seems to encounter unexpected dangers wherever he goes. There's the avalanche. And the fire. And then the shadowy figure with a knife. Can Dare survive it all long enough to convince Glynna to take another chance on love?

**** WHAT I'LL READ NEXT****

Stuck Together - the third book and final, I believe, in this series. 

BLURB:

Now that she's settled in town, Tina Cahill is determined to get Broken Wheel's saloon closed for good. To that end, she pickets outside the place every afternoon. Unfortunately, so far no one has paid any attention. 

Vince Yates earned the nickname "Invincible Vince" because of his reputation for letting absolutely nothing stop him. But Vince is about to face his biggest challenge yet: his past has just caught up with him. His father, mother, and the sister he didn't know he had show up in Broken Wheel without warning. His father is still a schemer, His mother is showing signs of dementia. And his surprise sister quickly falls for one of Vince's best friends. Vince suddenly has a lot of people depending on his, and Tina doesn't approve of how he's handling any of them. 

With nearly every other man in town married off, Vince finds himself stuck with strong-willed Tina over and over again. OF course, Tina is the prettiest woman he's ever seen, so if he could just get her to give up her crazy causes, he might go ahead and propose. But he's got one more surprise coming his way: Tina's picketing at the saloon has revealed a dark secret that could put everyone Vince loves in danger. 

**** BOOKS THAT I HAVE GOTTEN THIS WEEK****

My daughter came down yesterday and brought a book for me to read that she recently read. It is Debbie Macomber's  Twelve Days of Christmas.

FIRST LINE:  Cain Maddox stepped into the elevator, and then just as the doors were about to closer he hears a woman call out. 

Happy Monday

 

Sunday Smiles #8

 Hello! When the first of the year rolled around, I made some commitments that I sure hoped I could keep for my blog. One was that I decided to join Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom on her Blog 365. Blogging each day of the year is a task, but I am happy to say that I have not missed a day yet. I also decided to start a kindness campaign and my Sunday Smiles posts go along with that as I want to have a post that makes each of us smile a little more. 

Life seems hard these days for many of us and a smile can be just what we need to make troubles in life seem a little less hard. A bit of joy in a day that might otherwise be full of heartaches. A kind word can do the same thing and we need people to be kinder to one another. 

I found this photo today on Google Free Images and I thought it was the perfect photo for the day. 

Pink Saturday

 Oh I just learned of a new link up party and I need to take advantage of it. I also was wondering what my Blog 365 post was going to be today so I am choosing to handle two things at once, look at me multitasking. 

Pink Saturday is hosted here and Blog 365 is hosted here. Pink Saturday is anything pink and I certainly have plenty of pink around with my Pink Zebra business. Blog 365 is a group of bloggers that have decided to post each day of the year. 

A monthly subscription that gets you exclusive Pink Zebra products. 

Pink Zebra Air Care line eliminates odors in your home. Look at those gorgeous pink bags!

Friday Lunch #3 _ Blog 365

 Good Afternoon! I am back with my Friday Lunch and I am thinking that if I keep these posts up, I may have to design a cool photo to go along with it. Each Friday, I am going to try my best to write a post saying what I had for lunch and sharing a recipe, if it is necessary.

Today I was on the go most of the day and so lunch was simple. I went through the drive thru at Burger King and had a Whopper Jr. 

It was quite tasty and since I rarely eat fast food for lunch, I will say that I enjoyed the experience. I left the tomato off as it is too difficult to keep it on the sandwich if you are trying to eat and drive as I was. 

When did you have fast food last? What did you eat? What was your lunch today? 

The Masked Singer Season 9 Episode 1

 The Masked Singer premiered last night and I must say that I was shocked at the two celebrities that went home. It was one of the best episodes of the show that I have seen in the last few seasons and one of the losers was a true icon to the music world. 

As usual, the show began with three contestants, each performing their own unique song and what performances each gave us. 

Contestant Number One

The Gnome

As soon as this contestant began to sing, I knew who it was. The clues were helpful, but the voice was a true legendary voice that I knew immediately.  No one on the panel guessed this person correct. When the mask was off, Nicole was moved to tears to learn of who was behind this mask. 

Contestant Number Two

The Mustang

This contest was certainly a singer. A couple of her clues gave her away, but I just did not catch on. This lady is talented and knows her way around a stage. It is sad that she was eliminated shortly after the Gnome as both of them were huge talents. 

Contestant Number 3

Medusa

This singer has me stumped as to who she is. She was night one's winner , but I did not feel that she done the best with the Battle Royale and not sure that I would have picked her as the winner for the night. She was the winner though. The only clue that I feel I caught on to was that she has some connection to the Super Bowl and I feel that she may be from England. 

If you don't want to know who either of the losers were, then stop reading here. If you want to know who gnome and Mustang are, keep reading. 

Gnome was none other than legendary Dick Van Dyke. Honored to be performing at 97 years old and his unmasking brought Nicole to tears as she said greatness was among them. 

The Mustang was country star Sara Evans. The clue that gave it away was suds in a bucket, which was a huge hit for her!

Another Windy Day at the Farm - Blog 365 Feb. 15

 Yes, it is going to be a beautiful day here on the farm with temperatures nearing 65 degrees Fahrenheit, but again we are dealing with wind. Wind advisory is in effect and we could see wind gusts up to 60mph. I am not sure what is going on in the atmosphere that we seem to have such strong winds, but it seems to be a common occurrence these days. 

Waking up to 55 degrees in mid February is amazing and makes me excited for spring, but I am not a fan of windy days. It makes the work outside a little harder, especially today when I will be moving things to make room for more chickens and rearranging two sheds as well. My office shed is coming together finally and I am excited to get it going. I am moving stuff into it now that I can easily move if we decide to switch it for a bit smaller building. 

Growing my team is my goal this year and earning more money to help with bills is a huge goal as well. I done fine last year, but I want to do better this year. I would like to end my healthcare career and if Pink Zebra will grow about 30% this year, I should be able to. Retirement is in my near future, but I am fully aware that life is not like it used to be, where you could retire and enjoy life as the cost of living has simply made that near impossible. 

I wish you all a great day, but I better get busy. Take care and enjoy the day that God has given you. Find something you are thankful for- after all, you did wake up!

My Favorite Homesteading Magazines _ Blog 365- Feb. 14, 2023

 Hello!  I am a small hobby farm owner and am interested in doing more homesteading in the future. We like to raise our own food and we are looking to live off grid a little more this year than in the past. I have been a fan of farm magazines and homesteading magazines for several years and I would like to share my favorites with you. 

1. Hobby Farms

      This magazine is great for beginners. I read this for several years before we started our hobby farm and I continue to read it today due to the amount of helpful information in it. Animals, gardening, and poultry information can all be found here. A subscription that includes bimonthly magazines can be purchased for $19.95 here.

2. Backwoods Home

     This is another one that is very helpful as a beginner. There are many resources in this magazine to help one learn to invest their money wisely in certain resources and how to avoid certain traps that are certain to come into your path on your search to living off grid. This magazines even offers way to get kids involved. There is information on poultry, livestock, gardening, tractors, farm equipment and many other things available. There are several options for subscribing and they can be found here. I still prefer a print copy of magazines, but I enjoy looking at this website as well. 

3.Mother Earth News

    I don't recommend this one for beginners as it is very complex and detailed in most of its articles. If you want detailed information on homesteading and off grid life, this is the place to look first. The articles in this are written by people that are actually living the lifestyle that they are talking about. It is a great magazine if you are interested in DIY projects around your farm or home. The cost of a subscription is $17.95 for a bimonthly magazine. It is well worth the money though. 

4.The New Pioneer

    This is a magazine that I just recently begun to look at online and I am enjoying it so I just placed an order for the print copy. I find that they offer advice on many different parts of homesteading and off grid living and offer recipes and helpful household hints as well. They say that they are the completely self sustaining lifestyle magazine and I feel that they may be right in having that honor. The worst part of this is that they only offer two magazines a year and the price is $14.97 and can be ordered here

These are just a few of the many available. There are also many blogs that you can read and learn more about this fascinating way of life. I will showcase some of them in a later post. Have a great day!

Super Bowl - Blog 365

 

How bout them Chiefs!!!!!

Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Kansas City team played an amazing game of football in the second half to lead their team to a 3 point victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, Philadelphia deserves to know that they played a fabulous game too and we are tough team to beat. 

The National Anthem sung by Chris Stapleton seemed to be well liked by many. I was unable to see it and have not had time to look it up today. The half time show with Rhianna was boring in my opinion. Many people may feel different, but I just kept expecting more to it. I will say that she was dressed modestly as were her dancers, but I was not impressed with her outfit or the dancers. 

Her music was typical Rhianna, but I felt that she could have left out the crotch grabs, especially if she was announcing her pregnancy to the world. With millions of young children possibly watching, I feel that the celebrities need to clean up the actions and music of this amazing chance to perform on a huge stage of millions of people. 

What did you think of the game, National Anthem, and the half time show? Did you not watch the game?

Sunday Smiles - Feb 12

 Here we are on another beautiful Sunday afternoon and today for our Sunday Smiles post we are going to celebrate!

This girl right here with a beautiful smile! My mini me, my daughter, the mom to my third grandchild. Today this amazing woman celebrates another trip around the sun! 

This photo was taken Christmas Day as she could not wait to wear these pants that I had bought for her. She was born in the wrong era, she would have made a great flower child. She loves all things late 60's, early 70's. Volkswagen Beetles are her favorite cars and she has owned two older ones in her life time. Her first home was decorated with early 70's furniture and these pants scream 70's Marcia Brady if you ask me. 

She is smart, hard working, beautiful inside and out, fun loving and always ready for an adventure. My partner in crime and in work. I love her more than I could ever tell her!!

Grandmother Achievement Day - Feb. 11, 2023

 There seems to be a national day for everything any more and today is no different. As I was thinking about what I would write today, I decided to look up national days and look at what I found today is. National Grandmother Achievement Day. A day to celebrate our grandmothers! How exciting for me as a grandmother. 

As many of you are aware, I am mammaw (grandma) of two sweet little girls and we are adding another child in July. The first two came as huge shocks and i struggled a lot with the birth of the second one. The oldest is my mini me! Her and I love to travel, have tea parties, play, etc. We are two peas in a pod as my grandma would say. I love both of them dearly and they could never understand the love I have for them. 

I also thought of my own grandmothers. My maternal grandma was Edna and she was a huge role in my life growing up. She loved to crochet, knit, and craft. She was a good cook and she enjoyed her time with us. She also loved to camp and took me often, which is why I still love to camp. She was married to the love of her life, who happened to be a milkman. They were so good together and showed me what a real marriage was like.  My paternal grandma was known as Granny. Her name was Rachel and she lived in Virginia. She was a good Southern woman. We have so many memories of going to visit her and playing with my cousins there. ( My mom was an only child so we did not have cousins near us.) Granny canned and cooked. I remember a wood stove for heat and she lived next to the railroad so we always tried to get the train engineer to blow the whistle for us. 

Do you have fond memories of your grandmothers?

Grandmother Achievement Day is observed every year on February 11 and is the perfect opportunity to celebrate our beloved grandmothers. A grandmother is the mother of an individual’s mother and father. She is one’s paternal grandmother if she is the mother of a person’s father, and maternal grandmother if she is the mother of a person’s mother. The role of grandmothers in general culture is so rich that they take very active roles in raising and taking care of young children. They are usually as much an option to children as the mothers of those children. In cases where parents are unavailable or otherwise indisposed to giving adequate care to their children, grandparents — especially grandmothers — are seen to assume the role of primary caregivers. In many cultures, grandmothers often have direct involvement in the care and nurturing of children. They are usually second-degree relatives to their grandchildren.

Blog 365

Good Reads Report on The Chocolate Falcon Fraud by JoAnna Carl

 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24611817-the-chocolate-falcon-fraud" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Chocolate Falcon Fraud (A Chocoholic Mystery, #15)" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440597391l/24611817._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24611817-the-chocolate-falcon-fraud">The Chocolate Falcon Fraud</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/169992.JoAnna_Carl">JoAnna Carl</a><br/>

<br /><br />

Mysteries in Warner Pier seem to get better and better. As with each of her chocoholic mysteries, this one did not disappoint. Fast action led to having me on the edge of my seat to see how the mystery would end. <br /><br />When Lee Woodyards' former step son comes to town and invites her and her family to dinner, she is not aware that he is there on a hunt for a mysterious "treasure" related to the movie, The Maltese Falcon. When Jeff disappears and his friend, Tess arrives in Michigan, Lee is still not aware of just how much is going to happen in her life and that she will suddenly be in the middle of a huge mystery. <br /><br /> After Jeff appears hidden in Lee's attic with a head injury, his car is found several miles away wrecked, and a man knocks on Lee's door and dies on her porch , Lee finds herself and Tess kidnapped in order to aid in the kidnappers' effort to get to Jeff. The noir film festival is happening while all of this is in full swing and somehow everyone connected to the festival seems to be out to get Jeff, Tess, and Lee. <br /><br />The mystery is solved and finds a kidnapping scheme to ransom the rich kid. How it all plays out makes for a great read. I am anxious to read the next book by JoAnna Carl in her chocoholic mystery series.

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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/105853044-carol-slater">View all my reviews</a>

Friday Lunch #2 - Blog 365

 Hello! It's Friday morning, but I know what I am having for lunch so I am writing this early as I have several things to do today and may not have time to write at lunch. I started this last week and I want to try to make this a weekly post. 

Many bloggers talk about food and I know many struggle with what to make for a meal and I am hoping that maybe this will spark someone to try something new for lunch or even dinner, as today's lunch is leftovers from last nights' dinner. I tried a new recipe that my husband had sent me on messenger and was surprised that I actually liked it quite a bit. 

It was sweet and sour baked chicken. Prep time was about 30 minutes for me and it cooks for an hour. Not bad for the schedule. Most of our dinners usually require a good hour in the kitchen not including clean up. Clean up is fairly easy for this one as you cook on parchment paper, which means the pan you bake it in is not too dirty or hard to clean. I even used a disposable pan that I had in case it made a mess. The pan was saved though because it was not dirty. 

Here is the recipe:

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1? pieces

1 cup corn starch

2 large eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F and line a 13 x 9-inch pan with parchment paper.

Set aside. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

Add cornstarch to a large ziploc bag and add chicken breast. Shake to coat.

In a shallow bowl, beat together eggs. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling.

Dip chicken breasts in eggs and add to the skillet. Sear chicken until golden and place in the prepared pan.

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and sea salt and whisk.

Pour over chicken and bake for 1 hour, tossing halfway through.

Serve with rice.

#fridaylunch

#blog365

#chickenrecipe

Windy Day Humor Blog 365

 

The trees are swaying

in the breeze

clouds and rain

fill the sky

Spring storms

winter storms

only the forecaster knows.

Wind Advisory - Blog 365

 Well, once again Mother Nature is mad about something. She is planning to blow us away, I guess. We are under a wind advisory for tomorrow and they are estimating wind speeds will be over 25 mph with gusts as much as 50+ mph. That is a lot of wind and will certainly cause issues with power lines and trees. Living in a rural area, trees can be the biggest threat with wind like that. 

Plus, our temperatures are supposed to drop about 30 degrees in just a few hours on Thursday morning. It is crazy that it will be in the 60's tomorrow morning and by mid afternoon in the middle thirties. It is no wonder that we all have sinus issues around here. Between allergies and the crazy temperature swings that we are having. UGH!! I personally have a huge sinus issue at the moment and do not feel the greatest today. I would like to take a nap, but no time for that. 

WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 7 PM EST THURSDAY

What

Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected.

Where

Portions of central, south central, southeast and southwest Indiana.

When

From 4 AM to 7 PM EST Thursday.

Impacts

Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

Tips

Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.

Issued By

NWS Indianapolis

Can someone please give Mother Nature a reason to calm down a bit and let us enjoy the year without these crazy temperature changes and wind? We have had so many wind advisory's lately that I feel like we need to be "the windy city" instead of Chicago.

Putting On Armour _ Blog 365

 

These days seem to be very challenging in the world and as I was doing my Bible study today, I came across this verse and I immediately prayed that God would be my armour today and allow me to face the devil and his wiles without hesitation. 

Many of my readers are aware that I have had a real struggle in my life in the past year or so with marital issues and I am still struggling. The devil is working again to make me doubt that I am going to win this battle. I have got to put on my armor and fight for what I feel is right. 

My husband is not really the problem, but his thinking and my thinking are so far apart on an issue that I just can't seem to get my ideas as to what is right and wrong to align with his and that is making a huge mess of things. I truly don't want to go into too much detail, but there is a third party involved that is the main issue. 

There is no extramarital affair happening, I don't believe. However, there are several trust issues and emotional issues involved. I have battled these feelings once and I am in a fight again. I feel that the devil is working hard and I will fight. 

Pray today for protection against the devils' way in your life and for myself as well if you will. 

Happy Homemaker Monday _ Feb. 6, 2023

 Can you believe it is the first Monday of February all ready? Where does time go these days? I am so busy today that I am going to be up late just to finish the basics of the day. I've already been to the grocery for my father in law, made lunch for husband and co worker, called about a prescription, called a dentist office, and several chores for my Pink Zebra business. I have got dinner on the stove cooking and I will head to pick my granddaughter up soon. 

I am taking her to an American Heritage Girls meeting tonight to see if it is something she is interested in. Has anyone participated in that group? She attends a private Christian school so I felt that it might be something she would enjoy. She needs to be with other kids as there really is not any girls near us or even kids that are her age. 

Happy Homemaker Monday is a party that many bloggers take part in and you can read more about it at Sandra's blog. She also has a group of us that are attempting to blog 365 days this year and so this post will cover both of those groups today. 

** The Weather**

It is very sunny out today, but the temperatures sure don't seem to go with the sun. It has warmed to the middle 40's, I think. It is supposed to be warmer tomorrow, but chances of rain increase daily as the temperatures do and then snow possible Friday and Saturday. UGH!!

** As I Look Out My Window**

I see the sun and a pretty cardinal, but I also see the wind blowing quite a bit. I can see the play area for the grands and wish that it was just a bit warmer in order for them to be outside. 

** Right Now I Am**

Rushing to get this written so that I can head to the school to pick up my doll. She is not aware that I am coming so it will be a huge surprise for her. We are going to come back to my house and hopefully do her bath and homework before she goes to the meeting tonight. This week I plan to have her here often as she enjoys being here.

** Thinking**

I have a lot on my mind and I can't share it all with you. I am busy planning how I will get everything accomplished today, but I know God will make a way. I need God to work in a huge way right now and I have several things that I need answers with. Nothing serious, but some issues that are just too big for me. 

** On My TV**

Nothing at the moment, but I will be watching the episode of Fire Country that I missed last week. I have it on the DVR. I am reading and doing more crafts now than watching TV.

** Listening To**

I am learning to listen to more podcasts and I will listen to my Thankful Homemaker one on the way to the school. I find that the car is the best place for me to enjoy these as it is usually uninterrupted. I enjoy Pod Of Tea too. Made in Hollywood with William Leon and Mark Marchillo is another one that I catch often as it is my daughter's cousin that does it. 

** On The Lunch & Dinner Plate**

For lunch, it was corn dog in the air fryer and mac and cheese. For dinner, it will be a bowl of beans and cornbread. Things are easy today due to the busy day that I have. 

** On The Menu**

Monday - Beans and Cornbread

Tuesday  - Pork Roast, Carrots, and Potatoes

Wednesday - ??

Thursday -

 A new chicken teriyaki recipe that my husband found. 

Friday - ?

** On My Reading Pile**

I am thrilled to say that I am reading The Chocolate Falcon Fraud book by JoAnna Carl. I am on page 65 and will read more later. I enjoy this series and it won't take long to finish it. I will move onto another book that I got at the library after that.

** On My To Do List**

There are so many things that I would break the computer if I were to type them all out. I have a planner page completely full of things to do today. 

** Crafting**

I want to finish this tonight. I only have the top two flowers left on the left side and it will be done. I plan to sell this one. If anyone here is interested, let me know. If not, it will be listed elsewhere this week. My husband thinks that I need to do more of these as many people have asked about them. 

**Looking Around**

I see a lot of work that needs to be done. There is laundry that needs washed today, a floor that needs swept and mopped, vacuuming that will need done, tea that needs made. The thoughts of all of it are enough to wear me out. I don't know why things are so hard today. OH it's Monday!

*** PRAYER LIST***

My daughter and her precious baby - a healthy pregnancy

My grandkids as they may be making some huge changes this week

My granddoll as she is having speech issues. 

*** Bible Verse***

Sunday Smiles _ Be A Hero

Would you want to be a superhero? What would you do with your super powers? Do you have one power that you would prefer over a different one? 

A smile can be powerful! A smile can make you a super hero in the eyes of a child. I wish I could design a super hero that could be put into a cartoon or comic book that randomly done acts of kindness for a child and that smiled at everyone he/she met and spoke kindly all the time. Kids need that kind of a super hero. 

Blog 365 sponsored by Sandra at Diary of A Stay At Home Mom is a community of bloggers that have decided to post every day this year. Will you join her?

Kindness Matters - Kids Version - Blog 365 Sat. Feb. 4

 

Kids need us to smile! A smile relays love, kindness, and caring to them. Many kids need a smile from someone outside the home because home life may not be good. Kids need to see kindness to treat others kindly. 

A sad or abused child might not be kind to others at school simply because they have never been shown kindness. A child that doesn't run and play, talk a lot, or smile might be the child that needs kindness the most. Parents, we MUST teach our children kindness!

Friday Lunch - Blog 365

 It is the first Friday in February and I am going to attempt to start another regular weekly post. It is going to be titled Friday Lunch or Foodie Friday, which do you like better. 

It is going to be a short post and it will simply say what I am having for lunch. If you would like to hop aboard and tell us in your own post that is fine as well. 

Today is a nice quick cheese quesadilla. It is tortilla shells, shredded taco cheese and a slice of provolone cheese. It should be quite tasty! Since it is in the skillet, I will see if I can find a Google Image that I can share. 

 

So what are you having for lunch today? I bet it is delicious!!

Have a great Friday!!

Pink Zebra New Catalog _ Blog 365

It's Groundhog's Day and that darn groundhog seen his shadow which legend says means 6 more weeks of bad weather. UGH! I am ready for the cold to leave us and some sunshine and warmer temperatures to be here. I will say that I am thankful not to be in Texas and the other states that are having so much ice. I guess the cold is not so bad. Looking at things from a different perspective makes the cold a little more bearable. 

Many of you know that I am an independent executive consultant with Pink Zebra. Pink Zebra is a home fragrance and décor company that specializes in non toxic wax that is blendable in order to allow the customer to create their own scent. We have introduced our spring and summer catalog and I am excited to announce that I think the scents are some of our best in the 8 years that I have been with the company. 

Florals are always a hit in summer as well as beach scents and we have managed to capture some of the best in this catalog. Pink Peony, Beach Walk, Tiki Beach, and Sangria Sunset are some of my favorites. We do have lots of clean fragrances as well. Our Air Care + line has expanded, which gives you the option to have some scent along with being an odor neutralizer. The Floral Delight Air Care + is a really nice light floral scent that I think belongs in every home. 

Here is a list of the scents that we have available. 

You purchase either in a 3.75 ounce bag or a 16 ounce carton. The carton is a better deal as you are basically getting a bag free. Who doesn't love free?

Here is a flyer that tells more about what Sprinkles are. The reason that we do Sprinkles instead of bars or  cubes is because you are able to control the scent better and it makes them blendable. Become a mixologist when you purchase two scents that blend nicely together. 

An example of a mix

How do you warm them, you ask? We have a fabulous selection of Simmer Pots available. 

Nice for any home in about any room. 

Great for a kids room

Even good for a nursery, play room, or a child's bedroom. Even little boys like these. 

More for the fun side of life. 

Our Simmer Pots only allow the wax to heat to body temperature and that makes them safer to use in children's rooms. Will our wax work in other warmers? Of course, we only recommend ours for maximum performance of our Sprinkles. 

We have Simmering Lights available as well. They work the same as our Simmer Pots, other than they have a light with them. 

Here is the correct way to use our lights. As you can see, very simple. We have several lights to choose from as well. Each one brings a distinctive look to your home. One of fashion and unique to your personality, but fragrances your home so that anyone that walks in will smell the wonderful aroma coming from it. 

Patterned or Plain is simply your call. 

There are many more items in our catalog, but I think I have shown enough for now. Check out our diffusers and our scented Go Cards that you can place in your car as well. My mechanic loves for me to bring my car in with one of our many fragrances in it. 

You can find all of these items and more at my website. Any one from here that orders and let's me know that they by email to pzcarol1@yahoo.com, I will send a free gift too. I can verify all orders once they are placed. I appreciate each of you taking time to read this and to those that order, thank you for supporting my small business!!!