The Simple Woman Day Book

For Today~ August 22, 2016

The Simple Woman Day Book

Looking out my window... 

My beautiful rosemary is all    bend down  from the deluge of rain we'd  had this weekend.and it isn't over yet!!!

 Hubs will really have  a ton of grass to mow later in the week...  but everything is certainly   a  lovely Irish green!!!

I am thinking...

It is a  great  thing that  Hubs  put those drains in  by the back door...  the  way  our  back walk  is  a bit lower than the back yard,  all that water would be seeping under the door!!!  Our sweet daughter  actually messaged me last night to remind  Hubs to  clear the drains!!!  I love how she  is always thinking of ways to  help us even  several states away!   Bless her little pea-pickin' heart!!

I am thankful..

Every morning  when  I  come  sauntering into the kitchen  Hubs has my morning libations ready for me   all for  my morning pleasure!!  If he isn't the best, I don't know  who is!!!

I am wearing...
Still in my PJ's  I mean  no where to do today!!!  Praise  the lord!!!

I am watching.....
Escaping to the Country  ...BBC  Youtubes  .. I am  also thankful  we have  our  large tv  hooked up to  internet....because  I  just  don't like much on  cable tv.  I   love this   wonderful   programme!

I am  reading...
I am still  working on  my Redeemed Bible Study by  Angela Thomas Pharr....  wonderful!
Psalms
We  joined  Friends of the Library last week..  and went to the Used Book Sale... 

 I was delighted to find  these  latest    books  by Jan Karon..  I  have read all of  her  beginning books on Mitford and  am thrilled to add that  years ago in the beginning of the  Mitford    craze  I  became an active member of the    Mitford Bulletin Board group and met  scads of great  friends  from all over the country.   We now have a  lovely private group  on face book and  Id say  most of my   fb friends are  Mitford-ites!  If you love Mitford like I do,  don't hesitate to  request membership in  that face book group  and then you might also  get invited to the    Through the Hedge  online  group... We  have found over the years  that  rogue  people like to infiltrate    groups to stir up trouble so we are  pretty careful about  entry,  but  love  true fans.

I am listening to...
Pandora and  the current  song is from Lord of the Rings...

I am hoping... 
that when I finally go to the ENT doctor tomorrow  he can do something to help with my sinus allergies....  I have suffered long enough  this season...  

I am learning...
to   find my complete  satisfaction and  hope in the Lord.

In the kitchen...
Our mid-morning meal of the day  features  breakfast food..

these  heart  healthy  biscuit drop biscuits   were   divine...    with  a  smear of butter and apple butter!!!  Hubs was   ecstatic!!

In my garden~
In last night's  episode we watched from  Escape to the Country...   the family was seeking  a home in the Welsh Borders... and along the way the host had  arranged for them to visit a  horticulturalist  to give them  tips on  developing their own English garden..  They visited  an English lavender farm  and  learned  all about the benefits of lavender..  I  heard  that  a bunch of dried lavender hung  around your outside  areas  deters   mosquitoes...So now  I  am  anxious to  get myself to the  greenhouse and   pick up  scads of  English lavender...

Board Room

To find out more about lavender  visit my board.

Shared Quote

A moment from my day...
aw, the charms and  woes of living in  an older home.
Sometimes I walk around our  home  and  am filled with   the delight of knowing how the Lord has blessed me to  live in  a place that  resounds so mightily in my heart... I love  English cottage  and  we live in an English Tudor built in the 1030's and     it does exude that charm I so love.
 But there are woes a plenty...  like  the  very  good    older  furnace  that  probably heated this home for  40 years  and the  water  heater,  also a relic from the 70's,  both  kicked the bucket recently...They just don't make 'em like they used to! It is great knowing we are now  eco-efficient  and  clean  burning,  but  the   combined costs  have  robbed me  yet again of my  hoped for  beach trip, I  was so   looking  forward to...we are now 11 years    since our last trip to Myrtle Beach...

I can't complain though...  We  have  done some  great  things in those 11 years... gone to Ireland, gone several times to see our  daughter's  family in eastern Massachusetts... installed  plantation  shutters  in several rooms,    remodeled the kitchen  and  have  bid  in for  bathroom remakes.  And I have a couple other bucket list trips  in my head  to save toward... so the next time  we go to  Eastern Mass,  I will tell  Amanda  I need to spend  a bit of time  by the sea!!

THOSE DON'T LOOK TOO BAD!!

Closing Notes

I hope I don't sound too complainy, because God has been soooo good to me!

Resounding Spring at Dusk

The brilliant colors of spring even resound at dusk!..

Wednesday Hodge Podge ~Flying

Return to Joyce's page here!

1. Tell us about a time you felt like you were 'flying by the seat of your pants'.

I sort of felt this way Sunday morning..  after  church  and  Sunday School,  we usually go out to eat,  but Hubs had  to stay after church a while for a meeting so I came home  and decided on the spot to  cook  a homemade  dinner...in the  tradition of my dear momma and  Grandmothers...haha!

 It just about killed me... I so wanted  it to be just like mom's.. fried chicken,  deviled eggs,  asparagus,  mashed potatoes, rolls,   dessert..

Well,  the chicken had to be defrosted.  thankfully,  it was  thinly sliced  breasts.  While I worked that  I  boiled the eggs and  peeled the potatoes..I was  feeling really  glad that I had  bought a frozen lemon pie   the day the before.  Finally, the  meat was thawed  and    I  spent  a goodly amount of time   really trying to season it well and  cook it just like momma would... by this time  it was  nearly  12:30  and  I was thinking  man,  I need to  speed it up  because I wanted things to be  ready when hubs walked in the door...  but I was beginning to drag about the kitchen..  I deviled those  eggs like a mad hatter...  and  snapped off the ends of  that asparagus drizzled them in  oil  seasoned them and popped them in the  oven.   Set the table and    then came in and mashed those  tators      everything was  looking pretty good,   but suddenly the bottom  actually fell out of me. I mean the adrenalin was  gone.. with everything sitting in its  pan    I  went and  collapsed on the sofa  which is how  hubs found  me by  12:45.  I  just  told him..  dinner in the kitchen...enjoy!   

2.  When or where would you most like to be 'a fly on the wall'?

Sometimes  I'd love to  just slip quietly in and enjoy watching my grand daughters  as they  play or  dance  their  ballerina  routines... I wouldn't want to disturb their  imaginative play.   But  it is  so sweet to watch them  perform    their  made up dance!!  Sorry the video  doesnt work..  apparently one  must be a fly on the wall to actually see it...  but I love how  the  baby  at 14 months  dances with her arms  up in the air...

3. 'Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.'-Henry David Thoreau 

Would you agree? Why or why not?

Yes,    I have  been  in that strive for happiness mode  before.. trying to make  things  "special"    or  recapture  a holiday  feeling  from the past.. and  it is always elusive... just  let it go and  that  beautiful  butterfly will  dance  around your life and  happiness is sure to follow!!

4. Share a favorite movie, book, or song with flying in it's title, lyrics, or theme somewhere.

I wish it was  a  more seasonal   song,  but  I do love this one.  This  is exactly how I used to fly as a child..

5. What is one task or chore you tend to do 'on the fly'? Is this something that really needs to be done another way?

hahaha...honestly,,,    lately it seems  most  household tasks  are this way... especially putting   clean laundry away...  or  unpacking my  suitcase  finally and putting everything away..  It happens  in spurts ..  sort of like in passing..  But I straighten up the house the same way..   I grab a bag  and in passing put everything that belongs upstairs in it and  place it on the stairs until I go  back up to put things away.  Im'  B...A...D!

6. What was happening the last time you thought to yourself or said aloud, 'Wow, time flies when you're having fun', and you meant it.Just last month  when we were visiting our  kids/ grands in Massachusetts...Because I know that the next time we see them will be   months away and I think of all the  growing and  developing  that  takes place in a 1 and 3 year old  that we will miss!!

7. This Thursday is National Garlic Day. Will you add garlic to your menu on Thursday? Do you like garlic? What's your favorite dish made with garlic?  Sounds like  Thursday  may be a spaghetti day then..  I  love garlic..    but not too much. my  aunt  eats it so much  the scent actually  oozes from her. no thanks!

I love to use Cento  crushed tomatoes to  make my homemade  sauce...

it makes the perfect  base for  my sauce. Start by sauteing  the beef  or  beef  sausage  combo,  drain,    remove from the pan  then  add a bit of oo ,  finely diced onion,  a bit of garlic,  and  a  finely diced red pepper...   add back   the   sauteed  beef   ..  then  add  the  tomatoes,  oregano, bay leaf, Italian seasoning , salt and  a  bit of sugar. Simmer  for  a couple of hours... so  delish!!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

This week  we  get the week off  from our Women's Bible Study, otherwise, Id be there  right now...  I  do  love this study on developing our   daily reading of the psalms and writing our  prayers  back to God in response   It  goes a long way to  increase our love relationship with God.

Simple Woman Day Book

The Simple Woman's Day Book 

For Today..April 17,2017

Outside my window...
I  am  really hoping for rain.  First of all, we are   getting rather  dry....    and  my allergies  are really pulling me   down!!

I am thinking...

It is  rather nice to  be able to look at my calendar  and see  that  this week  is  a much slower paced week... last week  was  a bit  CRAZY!

I am thankful...
to  have been able to enjoy     the  last weekend,,  Easter weekend so much..  just the two of us.   Hubs sang in  the  Passion service    and  the music was  so rousing.. so  praiseful.  Then  we got to enjoy  seeing our daughter online  play her violin in  their  church  in Boston..we are so proud of her. Then  most amazingly of all.  I came home and actually  cooked a full  Easter dinner for the two of us.  I  had to defrost the chicken.. thankfully,  it was    very thinly sliced, peel those tators,  and    devil those eggs.

  And I must  say  it was  very tiring , but I just kept thinking of   Grandma and mama  who did it every Sunday...

Hope your Easter was  blessed!!
I am wearing...

My   morning  clothes....  a long  shirt over my pjs,  ha!

I am creating...

no  plans to do anything this week...   but I  will share my  very simple  Easter decor  around the house.

My  dear mom and dad were  great  wood crafters  and I enjoy  many  hand painted  treasures around my house.  These  two    bunnies on wheels,

Mrs. Bunny, 

 Junior and Papa to name a few at Eastertide!!

I really enjoyed perusing the  Easter aisle  at  Walmart     to find eggs and grass

  I was  very excited to find this  gorgeous bunny plate for the wall hanger   

And this one I  found in a  shop in Lancaster, Pa last  spring!! 

I am wondering.

I wonder if I will  feel like  filling the   backdoor planters...  the plants are ready to go!!

It is just these   horrid allergies and sinus  headaches!   I could use some prayer  over them. Now  that I cannot  take  allergy shots  due to  my medications I    am    completely at the mercy of Singulaire,,  and  it  just isn't   cutting  it!!!

I am reading:: 

Redeemed,  a Bible Study by Angela Thomas Pharr.

This  Bible Study is  awesome  and  surprisingly  deep for a 6 week study.   We are also  reading through the Psalms and  praying   through them...  It is  a wonderful  study!!!
 I also just finished 
Thorn in My Heart by Liz Curtiss Higgs.
Amanda gave it to me for Christmas and   what a delightful read!!!  Quite a page turner!!
I love   Ms Higgs.  Saw her at a Women's conference a few years ago, her mix of humor and  Godly teaching  is a delight as well!!

I am listening;;;;

Instrumental Praise station on Pandora...  right now..  Come Thou Fount

I am learning...
trying to really practice  taking every  ungodly thought captive and   laying at the foot of Jesus!!

I am hoping...

to  remember to get my  subscription card filled out and  the remittance  sent to  start receiving  Magnolia magazine... 

We received this  supplement in another   periodical  over the weekend  and it offer a charter  subscription price of 2 years for $30.00.  Which is regularly  $20 for one year.  But it is  an exciting  compilation of  design,  indoor/outdoor ideas,  recipes, and  inspirational articles.. I need to get that mailed today!!

In my garden... 
Our 'Lil Gardener stands sentinel over  things...  He is a great  helper...

We  really enjoyed our peony tree this year.    it hosted over 20 blooms..  each larger than a dinner plate!! 

The azaleas have  been radiant this year....     the color  is   so vibrant!

I love it when all the  azaleas and  dogwoods compete!!!

In my kitchen...

A bit of  Easter    brightens  a corner in the kitchen...  He,  also,  cheered me on yesterday while I was peeling those potatoes!!

A favorite quote/scripture for today..

One of my favorite things...Last week I shared  a BBC  show  we love. Escape to the Country..  I also love, The Great  British Baking Competition!!Also, seen sometimes on PBS  and  now Netflix!


Board Room

Here is my  Board on highlights of places I have traveled along the East Coast, Germany, Netherlands, and Ireland.

           the college where our daughter spent 6 years  studying for her  degrees  in  Biological Research..

 a gorgeous chapel  where  I took my  students  on field trips  for many years 

One of the most outstanding views  we   saw  on our  trip to Ireland in County Donegal.. my favorite spot  of all in Ireland!

A favorite  spot to relax along the Kennebunk River

or sleeping in a  castle in Killarney

or dining at the top of the world in Boston

Driving  through the Black Forest  on the  Hochstrasse!

Walking  the  Keukenhof in  the Netherlands.

boating the canals of  Amsterdam
I must say I wish we  had been  doing this at twilight..  how  gorgeous is this??