Happy Homemaker Monday

The Stay at Home Mom hosts this each week.

The weather in my neck of the woods
 a bit of a frost  morning  dawned today....  but it was clear and bright

Things that make me happy:
I am so thankfully happy to be so far along in my recovery... I just didnt realize  just how badly I had been feeling previous to  my surgery...  and now to be on the mend and  able to drive and  get about  that makes me very happy!

Book I'm reading:

I have discovered  a pastor  from Singapore,  Joseph Prince  who  is on the Word network....   I absolutely  love his preaching ...  I think  he is  extremely anointed  for  these  times, and I am privileged to have his new book,  Destined to Reign.  I am  hoping to  start  Safe Haven, as well,  by   Nicholas  Sparks.

What I'm enjoying on TV:
I  love  The Sing-Off   which comes  on tonight!

On the menu for dinner:
  I love left overs, especially  when  the left over is a  lovely pot of veggie soup.....    we finished taht off tonight..

On my To Do List
Monday-   Bible Study,  a bit of craft shopping, reading


Tuesday- allergy shot, conference call    regarding  an important family issue...   a lot rides on this call so I do ask prayer  from anyone who reads this..

Wednesday-  marketing ...church dinner and  adult study
the rst of my week is an open page   but Im sure I'll find  some lovely things to fill days...  

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
  hoping to get into this  theme  before the holidays anyway!

Looking forward to this week:
Really looking forward to  some days    to  just  catch up and  get things done that have been needed doing for some time  but  there was NO time!



On my mind:


 Christmas!

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):   

Devotions:

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Organize for Christmas

For me  if Im not  completely ready for     Christmas  by December  then I  can really  get    stressed...so  with 32 days to go  til  December  it makes sense for me for  get organized with a good Christmas calendar...   you wouldnt believe how  mu calendar  fills up  anyway  in an ordinary month... but the holidays   are  especially  crucial  and I certainly  dont want to miss any of the marvelous  activities   that are available to me...just took a cursory glance at my December calendar and I can already tell i  am  almost behind in planning!
  Better get at it!   To help me I have found the most delightful and  beneficial  site...Organized Christmas!
This  site is choke full of  helps  to  make   Christmas not only  heart felt but    organized  which is  going to be a new  concept to me....

 BTW! This is the cutest  site to  demonstrate how to make your own  Christmas planner.   I cant wait to go to Michael's in the morning to  stock up on some supplies!
The Christmas Planner  

Anticipation

Alright, I realize that  it isnt  Christmas yet...  my goodness, it isnt even Thanksgiving....  but I love   the yuletide season so much  I  am  thinking Christmas  all the same....   and am so joyful this season  having  my surgery  behind me and  feeling better everyday...  that I am  very expectant.... and am  just thinking homey thoughts of baking and decorating and planning... so  I am  dedicating  this new  themed blog  destination   as my  go to place to  anticipate....     I am fairly exploding with  excitement...

Happy Birthday

Today is Lynn's  birthday...and I  had been looking forward   way before  his retirement  to taking him  for luncheon at  the White Oak Tavern....   This is  a favorite  of all of  my  gal pals   but  I know that  manly men   could enjoy  good  food and lovely ambiance as well....But with one thing or another  we just hadn't   had time or any opportunity to go...   and not that we had to  use it,  our  diner's club coupon for the Tavern  was expiring  this weekend... so  I set my mind to  getting him there today!

Of course, the coldest day of the season  with  threat of sleet and  worse   loomed    before us,  but  all in all,   the prospect of a   lovely afternoon  with my sweetheart  at a favorite destination   urged  me on!


Today there was a cozy fire in the grate and we  were seated  right next to the fireplace  just the place to  knock off the  damp chill..


Lynn had the honors of choosing our tea for the day  ... wild blueberry  set to steep for the full five minutes...


but I  took  control of the ordering  and  we  both enjoyed the  cranberry almondine  chicken salad topped with  pecans served with  fresh baked bread  ready for dipping in the marvelously tangy balsamic vinaigrette..

We gals were told  by the proprietor that this  signature chicken salad has over 15 ingredients  that makes it  so  scrumptious...   all I know is it is perfection..
 
and Lynn didnt waste any time  plunging right in  up to his  shirt sleeves....    it was hard there for a while to remember to chat...but  after a while it as just lovely to  sit and  enjoy our   cups of  warm  tea

and soak in the  environs....  gloriously  The Celtic Women    serenaded us   the while,  it  was  like  being enveloped in a  great  bear hug of love and  contentment!
  It was a very happy birthday!

Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday!
This Saturday I am celebrating  autumn in my life...  gorgeous  venues  of autumn  that bless me including  decorations  in our  home  autumn parties with  friends, and  scenery  nearby...

Autumn does  put me right into the Pinkest  mood!
For more Pink Saturday visit Beverly of How Sweet the Sound!

Skywatch Friday

Today I am sharing a sky    from  the day my husband and I traveled  back down the Shenandoah  Valley...   and there  by the road was a  lovely farm house that registered  sweet memories in me....   this  home looks so much like  my grand dad's  home he  built in 1920  to bring his bride  home to  after  World War I. This sky was  heavy with rain,   but  the photo is  heavy with  lovely heart-felt memories!

Check out Skyley for more wonderful photos!  

Our Magnificent Outing

Today we had such a fun  ride up in to the  mountains  to  the quaint country town of Floyd, Virginia.  We  met  Dottie at her  gorgeous home  on the way...  then we  were    hit the road!

  Our mission was to  visit the local hardware and  see about purchasing a Foley food mill,,,   but  alas,  the price was about double what I wanted to pay....

  but  we enjoyed our luncheon at the Odd Fellow's Hall.

I love how  we  drank our water from  canning jars...
 I had a quesadilla  and  Dottie  had a taco..


The stage nearby was  begging for  an entertainer...   but alas     neither of us  were prepared to sing today....
We stopped in at the local fabric  shop and  we each   had a blast  purchasing   the perfect   items for our  perspective nests.  I bought table cloth fabric... as usual.
  Then we were  driving back  towards home  but first stopped in at the  roadside market..

known for its hand dipped creamery ice cream..   I bought a blue pumpkin and  and we sat on the wrap around porch  as we  enjoyed our  cones....

  The  chickens across the road  performed dutifully for us...   it  was  quite entertaining

   
   
Soon we were  heading back down the mountain  with  dreams of  how we  would  create new   items for our home and with  very  happy  tummies...  for me  it was such a grand  day for sharing with my friend and enjoying  God's magnificent  world  in autumn.

Tablescape Thursday

  

Today  my friend  Dottie and I  traveled  up  the mountain to the  quaint  country town of Floyd.   I  love to  visit there  because of the  cosy country ambiance of the  small town hardware and  fabric  shops.  Today  I was particularly  excited about  looking for  some  fabric to  play against my new  black transferware...   and I found a lovely  black and white check!
I  bought just enough  for my sunroom table ..

Imagine my delight  when  I also found this  adorable  grey   blue pumpkin at the  country market!


   
 I love the  manner in which it all  sets off the  fabulous  black and white design  in the  Royal Stafford  stoneware, The Herdsman.

 The  autumn leaves  are just the pop  to make  this  simple, fresh,  yet seasonal   combination  sing!



    Im loving  my new  checked backdrop that  allows the  special  autumn pieces  to  hold center stage  yet unifies and  sets a very  homey  ambiance  for  our family  dinners..
For more TT be sure to stop in at Between Naps on the Porch! You'll be glad you did!!!

Thankful Thursday

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name”

~ Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

I am so thankful today  to be  on this side of my surgery experience....  God  has  seen me through every day, every    frightful  moment and every joy  along the way....  I know that without Him I would have faltered and been  beyond  reconciling  but with Him  I have  basically  floated above the whole situation.  I am thankful for  good friends, like  Dottie,, which  whom I am going on a  little road trip  this morning....  up  into the mountains   to a  little  country town... I'm on a mission to  find a  particular food mill  I know  they have sold before at  the local hardware there...then Dottie and I are dining  at the Odd Fellows hall....  Oh, how I have  thought about  being able to  get out and  drive and  see something of the lovely autumn around  me.. and it seemed that    the days just stood still  as I lay  pretty much flat on my back....   but today I am driving!  Yes it is a very thankful Thursday  and  I am singing  joyful praises to my God and King!
    

Wednesday Ponderings

A stroll  down a country lane is  a perfect  venue for  my  Wednesday  ponderings....

 The last couple of weeks  I have had  a lot to ponder....  mainly  centered around one main topic....  getting my  parents into Assisted  Living....  I suppose  that  all only children  like myself , if they are fortunate to have their parents  live to ripe age,   will come to this place in tier  family life....  My parents  had been adamant  all   these years that  they refused to leave their family home...   and  we are  so grateful that  the Lord has blessed their  lives to be able to  do  that  for all these years. But at age 88 and 92   their family doctor  recommended  that now it is time to consider  Assisted living and  praise, they are not only  ready to,  they a re anxious to make the move....   the  problem is....   am I  ready to  jump in  the mix and do all the things  that  will be necessary to make this happen....  the paperwork and preliminary meetings  with  banking, medical, Veterans,  offices,  realtor, and  downsizing,   fixing  up and selling the home...   it is overwhelming to say the least....   but as I have pondered this  I  realize   that  like Lynn told me....   how does one  eat an elephant??  One bite at a time....   but my  greatest resource is my wondeful Father in heaven  whom I trust to  go before me,  guiding me and  providing   for me every step of the  way....

Word Filled Wednesday

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Table Top Tuesday

Click to photo  above to visit  our host  and  enjoy more  vignettes!

 

Autumn makes its appearance  with each simple glance around the room!

Happy Homemaker Monday

The Stay at Home Mom hosts this each week.

The weather in my neck of the woods
another   marvelous autumn day...  the temps  hanging  right in there a tad below 70.... my kind of day!

Things that make me happy:
spontaneous adventures with  my  newly retired husband... now that  I am recovering from my surgery... I love the new found freedom!

Book I'm reading:

I have discovered  a pastor  from Singapore,  Joseph Prince  who  is on the Word network....   I absolutely  love his preaching ...  I think  he is  extremely anointed  for  these  times, and I am privileged to have his new book,  Destined to Reign.  I am  hoping to  start  Safe Haven, as well,  by   Nicholas  Sparks.

What I'm enjoying on TV:
I  enjoyed the  Storybook     show  that came on last night,,, I have no idea what  the name of it is....  and I  love  The Sing-Off   which comes  on tonight!

On the menu for dinner:
  Dearest Lynn has been  such a blessing to me... He's been taking care of all the meals this past month.  He was sharing just a few minutes ago with me  that  we'd be having  crab cakes, corn, and tossed salad!

On my To Do List
Monday-   Eye doctor, banking, marketing, and   visit my parents
Tuesday- allergy shot, shopping, laundry

Wednesday- follow up with my  surgeon...church dinner and  adult study
Thursday-day out with Dottie..   luncheon  in Floyd... 
Friday...Lynn's  Birthday
Saturday... Sunday School class  dining out  at the Bedford  Train Station.....   

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
  hoping to get into this  theme  before the holidays anyway!

Looking forward to this week:
I  look  forward to Lynn's   birthday.....  and  the  wonderful  adventure with our   SS class  to  the  train station  in Bedford.....   fabulous food and fun fellowship

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):   

Devotions:

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts2: 46-47

Word FIlled Wednesday

Click the above photo to return to Cafe Devotions!

Ruby Tuesday

An autumn breakfast on a sunny  porch is just the red that  cheers me most these days....  my idea of having  breakfast out!  All    provided  for me  by my dear  sweetie!!!!
                  For more  reds visit our host, Mary.. Always a blogging treat to visit her site!