Happy Homemaker Monday

Let's join in with Sandra here.

Breakfast time....what is on the plate this morning::::

Hubs fixed my regular coffee with salted caramel creamer..  love it!!! He, also, made my usual fruited  yogurt dish with oat  granola.

Right now I am:::: 

It seems  I accrued many loose ends over the  Thanksgiving break  to  tie up this morning...been on the phone   taking  to  the  Medical center  receptionist  to get  some answers  from a nurse regarding  the upcoming care of my skin graft...  (it is like   caring for a Preemie baby!)  And getting some future appts.  lined up..

Also,  taking advantage of Cyber Monday deals!

The weather outside::::

This week the temps will be mild   high  50's   to 60  with cooler nights...  and sunshiny  days.. So glad  tomorrow I can start using sunscreen on my new nose!!!

Looking around the house::::

I am about halfway  finished decorating for Christmas.. I am so excited  the garland I  wanted so badly for the fireplace was  originally seen at Plow and Heart...

This is what  I have instead...

but it was   $ 100.00, and I was having a hard time justifying it.  Then I found  a very  great  alternative....here locally,  for $59.00,  and  we  got that!!!

This season I will enjoy  my  mantel wall instead of a tree!!!

On this week's to do list::::

Laundry.....a couple basket loads  of laundry ... 

Cleaning.....vacuuming, dusting, general pickup

Cooking....I am loving we have Chinese leftovers,   smoked turkey  and Havarti dainty sandwiches for lunch,  tastes perfect with my leftover  cranberry sauce!  Then  I am planning on  split pea soup tomorrow

Currently reading::::

Bible~ book of Mark
I Peter chapter 3-4

On the TV ::::

The last episode of Blue bloods  recorded to watch

Cds of the British detective series, George Gently.. we watch  an episode  each evening

I enjoy the Christmas Hallmark movies

I loved the Christmas Train

On the menu this week::::

Monday -Chinese take out

Tuesday - split pea soup

Wednesday - chef salad with chicken strips

If I have a few minutes to myself, I will::::

Start addressing Christmas cards

New recipe I tried, or want to try this week::::

Marie Rayner's  Sticky Lemon Chicken

Check her face book page here.

Looking forward to this week::::

it is so wonderful to  be two weeks out from my  skin graft surgery and into phase 2 of its care...  now  we  are  into    silicon gel which protects  it    and  provides  the    care  to  heal the  resulting scarring and discoloration  and  the application of sunscreen... I feel  really blessed to be  this far along with my  recovery after 2 and 1/2 months!

Favorite photo from the camera::::

Memory of  our first Christmas with our first granddaughter, Birdie!!!

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses::::

A Bit of Quiet on Thanksgiving Day

Today I am so pleased to join in Eileen's Saturday Critters 
party...What a lovely group of followers  this  party attracts... I can wish that I lived someplace  more  conducive to a variety of  critters.. but, alas,  I  can usually only  report on the critters  who pass my way here in the neighborhood..  I should probably  set up a blind  at night  to capture the many deer who traverse  this  valley...  I only really see the damage they have done.. this week  one knocked over  my  lovely birdbath and the bowl broke in three parts..but, on to  happier  reporting.. Thursday afternoon, after all the  hoopla of Thanksgiving, it was such a gorgeous afternoon I sat out hoping to  have an unexpected visitor...and then suddenly  there he was.. I heard the  usual  clamoring above  and  knew a mischievous squirrel  was  loping  about from limb to limb.. their  favorite  mode of transportation it seems. he scampered from our  trees to  our neighbors branches  and then to the  tree  at the back of our  house.  Gray squirrels have been very prominent around here  until this  last season..  Recently,  we only see one  at a time whereas they used to travel mainly in pairs.. 

After  a bit of skittering he  finally settled  down on  this knotty knob and  posed for me quite a while.

 His frisky tail  waved at me almost  in a tantrum...  I wonder if he knew I was  interjecting myself into his domain,  even though I was sitting  by my backdoor  as I zeroed in on him. 

After some time  he finished his  respite and  hied himself  along    this exit branch....  took a flying leap and  

and bounded into the Norwegian Maple  in my neighbors   backyard...  all was quiet then as I imagined he found his nest ... I could  guess that he had had enough of  family banter there and sought a much needed bit of quiet to soothe his wearied wits...   but it will be interesting to  note when the branches are bare  just where his  tidy  nest might be!!! 

What's Cookin'

 What's up at home today!  Even though the  table scape and venues change from year to year,  the gatherings around the table, too...  the theme is always the same...  Share the best of what the harvest has brought and  give account of the many blessings through the year!

Turkey and dressing remain the same!

Sides may vary,  but the colors are true to the day!


and for us.. it is pumpkin pie, all the way!!!

This time of year evokes such wonderful memories...
especially times with family and friends..  so  we must  count the 
many blessings  we have in  this  life!!





God bless us everyone!!!

Wednesday Hodge Podge Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Many thanks to our hostess, Joyce !

1. Tradition...how tightly do you cling to tradition when it comes to holiday gatherings and celebrations? For instance do you always do the cooking, never eat at home, always go to grandma's, never miss the parade, always watch football, never change the menu, always eat at 2 PM, etc.? 

I am a huge traditionalist,,  I suppose I learned to be from my  family  who  had a very set pattern for celebrating with  the whole family present..  at Grandma's house.. all the aunts, uncles and cousins.. several  tables set.. we always ate at 1pm..Grandma seemed to make most of the food,while aunts and uncles  brought side dishes and desserts. Living in the  country,  grandma could start dishes well in advance and store items in the frigid rooms around the house. and the cellar.. I really don't want to  dive too far along that path... as I think of it now,,, however everything was  delicious and  beautifully presented!! Country folk had a knack for just how to put a huge  dinner on the table   without the time saving conveniences of today!

Of course, when the grandparents  were  no longer  around  each of the  aunts and uncles  had their own family productions and  it  so then fell to  my parents and just us and our daughter and now her family.. Now the crowd has greatly  fallen away to just us and my daughter  and family  on a rotating  schedule..  We were together last year for Thanksgiving,, this year it is the in-laws..  but we get them for Christmas.. Usually, when  it is our off time,  we invite other  friends  who do not have family nearby  in to celebrate.. but  this year  with  all my  health issues..  we are  being very simple! But even though the  crowd is much diminished we still cling to the same recipes and  items... This year since it is just the two of us  we contemplated  going out for lunch,  but  decided to persevere through the  meal prep so we wont forget how to do it!!

I worked on the breads for the dressing this morning..

Have you ever celebrated Christmas or Thanksgiving away from hearth, home, and family? How did that feel?

The first Thanksgiving of Hubs and my life together in 1972, we were serving in Germany  .. I was teaching and he was in charge of  a post office  in Mannheim.  We were living off base in a rented chalet  upper level.. and had very few friends..  But there was a couple  who had known my parents  when I was a teen. They had lived in our  town and  she worked with my mom.  ..She stopped by the  post office and invited us to their home  only a few miles away in Worms, Germany, where Marin Luther nailed his 95 theses  on the Cathedral doors!

The Kavelines  lived just around the corner.  Awesome!

Thus, we spent a very interesting, if   unsettling,  Thanksgiving with Vito and Veronika.. a German Thanksgiving, and for the sake of  Veronika's  family,  only German was spoken during dinner...  Thankfully, we  could speak  only a few pleasantries.. but  were in the dark  most the rest of the time! 

2. Help...is it easy for you to ask for help or are you a do-it-yourselfer? How is that a good/bad thing?

Alas, I  have a hard time asking for help...I suppose it is the take charge attitude  that  was  instilled in me by my forebears.. my Grandma  and mother were both  do it yourselfers..  so that is all I ever knew!

3. Abundance...what is there an abundance of in your kitchen?

Recipe books, files, and    pages torn from magazines..  now that would be a great  winter project.. organize the recipes!!

Because as I type this I have discovered today I cannot find mom's dressing recipe I invented...  she never wrote it down and just  from years of helping I  sort of knew what she did,,  so I typed it up  years ago.  now cannot find it!!!

👀👀👀

4. Name...the smallest thing you're thankful for? the biggest?

The smallest thing is getting my hair washed today..  long story,, but  when you've been through reconstructive facial surgery  hair washing  comes at a  premium..no more details..

The biggest thing is my Christian heritage coming from my family and knowing  that I and my family are secure in  God's hand  for  eternity!!

5. Key...What do you think is the key to living a more grateful life?

Living intentionally.. counting the small things, blessings and    events  that  one experiences daily!  I got  Ann Voskamp's book years ago.. One Thousand Gifts....  Love it!!! Through  the exercise of  keeping a journal of  the daily gifts, trained my mind and heart to  live  gratefully  and see God's hand at work in  life!   

6. State your own random thought here.

Well, to tell the truth I have spent enough time on here. lots to  do  time to  start the  cranberry  relish!! PS. Tomorrow no time to cook... going to Charlottesville for the final reveal...  praying the skin graft takes.. is  healthy and  looking good!!!!

Happy Homemaker Monday

Let's join in with Sandra here.

Breakfast time....what is on the plate this morning::::

Hubs fixed my regular coffee with salted caramel creamer..  love it!!! He, also, made my usual fruited  yogurt dish with oat  granola.

Right now I am:::: 

listening  to one of my  favorite Christmas cds.  I  was so afraid I had lost it last year when we took it to Boston for the holidays. Entitled A Feast of Songs  it is a composite of Olde English songs,  as played, or sung, in the Great Hall of  a medieval castle.  It evokes Christmas,  but  is so easy to listen to over a longer period,  so I usually  begin with this one well  before  December!

The weather outside::::

It is sunny, clear and brisk.. feels like 33 degrees!  Brrr!!  Poor Hubs will have to get out some today and rake the yard.  The  winds have  brought down a ton of leaves!

Looking around the house::::

Need to dust and vacuum  and pick up the  dining room and den a bit...the Master Bedroom needs a bit more order...especially on my side..  too much time in bed this week. (Following my facial reconstruction  surgery last week  the pain and  discomfort kept in  there more than usual)

On today's to do list::::

Laundry.....a couple basket loads  of laundry ...  at least

Cleaning.....vacuuming, dusting, general pickup

Cooking....today  will be leftovers  for  lunch and dinner..  thankfully, we both  have half of our Chinese take out left and  I made a  luscious pot of chili yesterday

Currently reading::::

Bible~ book of Mark

On the TV today::::

Poldark

The last episode of Blue bloods  recorded to watch

Cds of the British detective series, George Gently.. we watch  an episode  each evening

I enjoy the Christmas Hallmark movies

On the menu this week::::

Monday -delicious chili and corn chips

Tuesday - chef salad with chicken strips

Wednesday - chic fil-a

Thursday - not sure    about Thanksgiving..  we may  do the unthinkable.. and eat out!

Friday - ?

Saturday -?

Sunday -?

If I have a few minutes to myself, I will::::

start getting the Christmas cards together and decide how many and  which groups to do  slow mail and which to do  e-cards, I love to send Jacquie Lawson cards to  Church friends, etc

New recipe I tried, or want to try this week::::

From Sweet Tea and Cornbread's  blog.. 

I am interested in trying her  Southern Cornbread Dressing...  I usually make my mom's  recipe  and I love it.. it has fruit and takes a couple of days to put together...  I  am seeking something that doesn't quite seem so trying this year... If I do cook on Thursday,  I will make  turkey cutlets that  cook up so  tender, juicy,  and  quickly... 

Looking forward to this week::::

Even before we knew I'd  have this skin cancer issue  we, as a family, had made plans to  have  daughter's  in-laws  visit them  for Thanksgiving  this year and we' d switch  for  Christmas,  which is so good  since I am still tied up with these  visits to Charlottesville, UVA Medical Center.  This week  we go for the  skin graft reveal. OH, my, has this ever been a matter for prayer for me this week...

Praying the  skin graft  from my ear  takes and  heals well. And hopefully,  life can begin to get back to some semblance of normal.... been  turned upside down  since September!

Favorite photo from the camera::::

I found  this snapshot  in my mother's photos of  Amanda when she was probably 7, so early 90's...at a family reunion while we visited my parents there in Galax, Virginia.   I love Amanda's wistful look  as she is  dreaming about tasting that cake!!!!

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses::::

Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday

Soon it will be Thanksgiving...  and  there is so much for which to be thankful!!!

God's  faithful provision~

The precious knowledge and  guidance of God secured  for us through His Word!

The  amazing bounty we enjoy in this time and place~

The opportunity to be blessed and  be a blessings to others

with our love and talents...

Thanksgiving  is  a most  wonderful time of the year....whether you are with  your family and friends or   reveling in the memories!

Saturday Critters-- well, almost!

Today  I am so pleased to join in     Eileen's   Saturday  Critters party...   This is  a great  group of  critter lovers  whose  posts are  always  a delight! I took a morning stroll around my yard ..  first time I'd been out in a week... 

As soon as I saw Mary the Maple,  we planted when our daughter was a little girl,..I heard a rustling in the leaves and the cutest  yet  most skittish squirrel  was  hiding  there  by the wild cherry tree. Suddenly she jumped  up on the  side of tree trying to camouflage herself, but  she  just sat there  for a  good while ,  as I was  attempting to focus in on her.. then click. "Insert card"...
drat it all, I had left the  card in the computer.. I lost my chance for capturing a critter today!!!
As you can see   we do live in a wooded area,  and  if I were to get out at the right moment I know I  would capture  so many  wondrous  woodland friends...

Just beyond the  thorny hawthorn,   I have seen myriad birds,

because that neighbor  has  planted  myriad  plantings  to attract  many species...  (hint for  me for next year! )
Here is the view from my front porch, trying so hard to hold on to the last vestiges of  autumn. Now I betcha there is a wonderful bird hiding in some of these photos  but no one showed themselves to me today!!!

so I  sat on the porch and pondered...

Oh, if could have captured that marvelous bird we saw on our trip to Charlottesville, last Tuesday..We were there  for my surgery  to  get my  skin graft... another tale for another day!  But the  fabulous sight I just managed to see as we were hurtling along the historic route 29 through the Shenandoah Valley, took my breath away..

we were just coming up over a rise and a sudden movement  from the  corner of my eye drew my attention.  there  settled in  a cleft  in the median,  arose a magnificent winged critter..  whose russet/white  under wings and whitish  breast  seemed to dazzle me  as the morning sun  brought it's  glory to full radiance..  then I saw it was  a hawk... probably, the red tailed hawk, so prevalent in  this area..

Alas, I didnt  get a capture!

 But it was a moment  of rare  beauty for me!

I am so hopeful next week after I get my final reveal    (praying God's best for that!)  that I can get out  and  get some  snapshots!!!