Thankfulness Update and a Recipe

Today starts the Thanksgiving dinner prepping. And as I was looking at my menu I decided that next year I have got to par down a bit. This is entirely too much food to have at one meal. So notes are being made to downsize and have more time with loved ones and not be a gluten next year.

Monday Menus

Well another weekend has past. It was a hectic one, it seems there was something on the agenda everyday that needed done. And for some reason it still seems as though I got nothing accomplished. But such is life and forward we go with the week.

I try and plan my menus ahead but sadly I don't always make it here to share them with you. But this week I am on the ball.

Sunday.....we had meatloaf, mashed cauliflower, green beans, fried cabbage

Monday....(I have class) so hubs will have leftovers from yesterday (which he is glad to eat)

Tuesday.......leftover chicken noodle soup from a huge pot I fixed saturday. And some homemade garlic sourdough bread sticks.

Wednesday......omelets and homemade buttermilk biscuits with an assortment of homemade jams (carrot cake, strawberry, apple cinnamon)

Thursday......Turkey day! Turkey, dressing, mashed pots, green beans, roasted broccoli/cauliflower w/romano cheese, sweet potato chunks, cranberries, deviled eggs, sourdough rolls, fresh apple cake, chess pie, fresh peach pie, fruit salad.

Friday......turkey sandwiches. Hubs is going fishing so its just me. Nothing fancy!

Saturday......kitchen closed.

Sunday......kitchen closed. Will reopen in the morning!

Now it might seem as though there are a lot of leftover this week. But that is exactly how I planned it. I usually take the leftovers and make TV dinners and put in the freezer for a dinner sometime down the road. But this week I planned for them to be used fresh and get us through the week. Saves me time in the kitchen before the big turkey day marathon and it is good food to boot.

This and That

This post is kinda like scrambled eggs! But then that is how my brain feels lately. It may be the holidays that's got me this way. I used to decorate every room in the house. But every year it seems I could really care less if there is a tree or not. The kids won't be home and the grands are not around so it is hard to get in the mood to spend all that time and energy decorating.We certainly celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and are very thankful for it and share it with those we are around during the holiday season. But I am still out on a limb as to whether there will be decorations and a tree in my home or not.

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As far as shopping goes I don't have a lot to do but it is almost complete. Except for those that you just don't know what to get. I personally would love to have a homemade christmas. Where we all made gifts for each other. Spending time and energy and our own creativity. But there are those on my list that swear they never made a thing in their life and do not intent to start now. And they also kinda turn up their nose at handmade items. So what is a gal to do!

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How about gift cards? Do you give them? Do you like to receive them? Will you be using them this year?

I don't mind receiving them. But for some reason I feel like I am bombing out if I give them. Always wonder if I am choosing the right place to get the card. What if they would like somewhere else better. Also wonder if I should just give cash and they could use it as they wish.

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I love cooking anytime of the year but especially for the holidays. Have a house full of family and friends is what the holidays should be. But as we are getting older and everyone has their own families. It is hard to get everyone together. 

When I was growing up we would not have considered a Christmas without going to mamaws house. All the family was there from her children, grandchildren even some great grands as time went on. There were also friends stopping by and everyone enjoyed each others company.

But times have changed and this newer generation is not like that. It makes me so thankful that we were, remembering back to how much joy it brought my grandmother.

 So new traditions need to be made. Things that will bring us joy and happiness during the holiday season. We are thinking on this and trying to come up with a few things that might suit us.

Any of you find things changing as the kids are older? How are you coping and what kind of things are you adopting in your home?

Weaving Wednesday

Good Morning, I have some more to share on my adventure. It began here if you want to catch up. 

So first let me say that class we so fun last night. I got to do something different and very beneficial. I spent the evening warping a loom.

So I started out winding my warp on a warping board. This allowed me to get all my warp threads the same length. Once that was completed it tied off, so it would not become a birds nest when I took it off the board.

Then the process of tying it onto the loom began. I tied each warp thread onto an existing warp thread after this was completed I pulled each small knot through the beater bars. Then with the help from my teacher they were wound onto the warp roller. I was then able to tie my warp threads onto the apron bar and the loom is ready to begin weaving on. 

And I did get to do some weaving this week on a big barn loom, making cotton cloth for making clothing. That was kinda neat and I will say that thing was huge! 

So I have a little surprise. I found me a loom and got to see it. Now of course it is old (1930's), but so am I and a couple of pegs need repaired. Hubs will be all over that. Its got a little(lot) of dust on it. But I think it is beautiful. I haven't brought it home yet but it is mine and again I am so excited. I might be too old for all this excitement. But it sure is FUN!

So next week I get to take a field trip of sort and weave on a different loom than before. I will be sure and get some good pictures. I get so involved with "doing" that I forget to take the pictures.

If any of you weave I would love to hear all about it. How you got involved, what you weave on, what you make?

And don't forget to check back next week for "Weaving Wednesday".

Update

I started a post on thankful November, you can catch up here and here.

We can sit and make a list of things we are thankful for but the real task is to remember them when things are not going perfect. You know those times when life kinda flairs its head and changes your plans. So I am trying to be aware of these times and stop for a moment and make a change if I need to.

Life is continuing on around me with daily chores and winter plans, but success is happening as well. And not only happening but doing so without my having to prod it along. After all I a a wife to a wonderful husband not a cattle farmer, so prodding is not something I want to do. But I will stand here and tell you I have done more than my share (at least that is what he would say)! 

So if I have learned anything this week I will have to say it is BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE. I am trying to take a moment to respond to situations in a way that I would want others to. And I am finding that it does make a difference in how others respond back. So I believe this is a success so far. 

I will check back later on.

Thankful Thursday

What a pretty day it is outside! As long as you are hanging on to something yet you blow away. The winds are fierce out there today.

This poor little flag has been whipping in the wind all day long.

But as I stop and look around me there are so many things to be thankful for so I thought I would share a few.

The health of all my family is at the top of the list.

The ability to have choices as we live in this great country.

I am thankful for my home and property.

For my mind which has served me well for a long time and hasn't left me yet.

I am glad to have the opportunity to reach out and help others who are less fortunate than I.

I am thankful for each and every talent that the Lord has given me, for I shall always have something to stay busy with.

I am thankful for my dogs who need me on a daily basis.

So how about you, slow down during this hectic time of year and  say, "self what are you thankful for?" The answers might surprise you and lift you up in a way you never seen before. 

Taking a New Turn

Sometimes this roller coaster of life takes us one way and then another and all we can do is hold on for the ride. But sometimes we get to choose the direction. And sometimes it is fun to pick a direction that you have never been in before. So that is what I did!

I will be sharing this path with you as I travel it and hopefully remembering to take my camera along as well. (I forgot it last night)

So last night I did something I have not done since I was 10 years old. And let me tell you that was a few years ago! I attended a class to learn how to weave. Now I have never had a class to learn how to weave before, but the last class I took to learn a skill was when I was 10 years old and it was to learn how to knit. I do a lot of things but most are self taught. So this class thing was way different for me.

So off to the class I went. Really having no idea what to expect, I walk into and older building that has been turned into studios. This building was in it previous life a store or shop of some kind. It had very high ceilings and was exactly what you would expect from an old building. There was a shop up front of all the items the artists in residence here had for sale. I was greeted by my teacher Jane and another soon to be weaving pupil, Jen. Now being women we got busy saying hello and sharing a little about ourselves. As well as asking question of each other as we got acquainted. 

Now it was time to get down to business. So we were each shown a loom to sit by and given a small basket with a few goodies inside. Things like scissors, small ruler, needles, pins etc... Jane shared a brief history of the type of loom we were looking at and how it was used back then. And then we got busy tying our warp threads onto the apron bar. After completed we moved on to winding some thread onto a small shuttle and then we began weaving our filler and then the heading. This part went pretty quick and it was just a matter of getting into some sort of rhythm.   

Then we got to pick some color to add to our little project. And the weaving continued. And on and on I went till it looked like this.

This was the first piece and the cardboard is used as a spacer bar.

And then you continue on to the next piece. I know it looks like a mess, just hang with me a little bit here.

Well I have to stop right here a minute and tell you that all I was thinking at this point was, BORING! I was wondering what on earth I had gotten myself into. I never quit anything I start so I knew for the next 4 weeks this was what I was going to be doing on Tuesday night. So I swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

And then Jane, who I will have to say is probably the best darn teacher on the planet turned to me and said. "You look bored and are going to be even more so if I don't teach you some other things real quick." 

So we chatted a bit about what I would like to be able to do in the end and we have a new line of action and I can't wait for next Tuesday. So stay tuned for the continuing saga on "Weaving Wednesday."

Here is my completed project for the evening. 

  

Wednesday...update.

I am still trying to get as many items in my Etsy Shop as possible for the upcoming holiday season. Several more items to go in today if the sunshine cooperates. 

This what my hubby is doing today, I think he would rather do this than eat!

But I am so glad he gets to do it and enjoy the outdoors.

Now I started on a month long endeavor Here.

And I just wanted to let you know that I have decided this is going to be harder than I thought it was! We have lots of things on our list to get done before winter hits and yesterday we were going strong at the list and the neighbor called and had a water leak, so guess who took off to help dig it up? So I had to stop and remind myself how lucky I am to have a thoughtful husband that will jump to the aid of a friend. And I continued blowing and mulching leaves because after all the real deal was getting the task completed, not who did it. End of the day the leaves were all done and the neighbor had water again. So it was all good.

Then at bedtime last night a buddy called and said since the weather was so good they ought to go fishing today. And to be honest with you I would rather be fishing too! So I encouraged him to go and enjoy the day. i will work around and get a few things done and then do some more work on things for the shop. 

So far this is reminding me that people are more important than stuff. So I would say that thankful November just might teach me a thing or two.

November is a month of Thankfulness

          *****I should have posted this yesterday November 1st*****

November is a month of Thankfulness. So I have decided to do just that and be thankful each day and not just on Thanksgiving Day. I am particularly centering on my husband this month, because he is the greatest husband. Now I didn't say perfect, although he is perfect for me. 

So many times we take for granted that those we love just know it. We assume they understand our thoughts before we say them and sometimes we don't say them at all. But everyone likes to here they did something well. That they made a good choice, that you noticed their efforts. So this month I want to make more of an effort to remember this and lift my husband up in the lord. I want to show him he matters to me and that he is important. 

Now as I have thought about this as we got closer to the beginning of this month I decided this was more about not mentioning the negative things as much as it was pointing out the things I love about him and the things I appreciate so much. So I am off on this adventure and I will touch back on it from time to time throughout the month and let you know how it is going.

Monday's Menus

Happy Monday Morning to You! 

Lots of fog outside this morning but I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will burn off soon and sunshine will prevail.

Weekly dinner menus are all I am sharing with you. We do simple things for breakfast like eggs, toast, oats, cream of wheat or cocoa wheats(my hubs' favorite). Lunch is always a leftover from the night before or a PBJ or grilled cheese with some fresh veggies.

So here we go!

Monday......roasted chicken, fried cabbage, fresh green beans

Tuesday......pork loin, mac n cheese, roasted broccoli and cauliflower

Wednesday.......split pea and ham soup from the freezer. (for me) 

home canned veggie soup (for hubs)

Thursday......chopped salad w/roasted chicken and pea pods

Friday.....homemade pizza (lots of veggies and a thin sourdough crust)

Saturday.....I am making chicken/sausage po' boys with onions and peppers.

Sunday.....I have no idea!

So how about you, what is going to be on your table this week?

Changing Of The Mug and Fall Pictures

Today is November 1st. We set the clocks back last night or I guess I could say they set themselves back. I am really going to be dating myself here but I remember when we all had to run around the house setting all the clocks in the house back. There was always 2 clocks in the kitchen (one on the wall and one on the stove). And alarm clock in the bedroom. And a big clock on the wall in the livingroom. And then of course everyone was wearing a watch. And you had to decide if you were going to set them back right before you went to bed, so you got up to them reading the correct time or if you were going to do the set back when you got up in the morning. And you had to coordinate with everyone in the house so they all did it at the same time or it could really get confusing. So how about it, do you have a clock set back story you would like to share with us? We can laugh about it now even though it was probably not so funny at the time.

I have a few pictures to share of a walk around my yard. All of them show some great fall color and are proof that beauty is everywhere.

And that leads us to the Changing of the Mug. My mug for the month of November will be.......

And as the weather is suppose to continue to give us some good stuff I may just get to enjoy a few more times on the porch with my coffee.