Happy Homemaker Monday

Hosted by Sandra! 

 ♥ ♥ weather ♥ ♥

  Monday -cloudy, 48/26

    Tuesday - rain, 49/40

    Wednesday - mostly cloudy, 43/30

      Thursday -sunny, 53/29

       Friday - rain, 43/41

        Saturday- wind, 

     Sunday, wind, 40/26

      For someone who really enjoys winter weather, I think this forecast is bleh! 

   ♥♥ As I look outside my window ♥♥ 

It  appears that all is sunny and bright and all’s well with the world!

   

♥♥ Right now I am ♥ ♥

I am watching a Christmas movie from YouTube, while I am working on this post! 

  ♥♥ Thinking and pondering ♥ ♥

I have a rather busy morning planned, and well,  with women’s Bible Study, tomorrow I will be pretty busy, too. I’ve been soooo low key all Christmas, I mean, today will be the first time I’ve been out and about in a couple of weeks!

  

♥♥How am I feeling ♥♥

Thank goodness, I am feeling so much better, except for my allergies, and I really do look forward to seeing the outside world for a change! 

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   ♥♥ What am I Wearing♥♥

Navy leggings, light blue knit top, navy sneakers. 

♥♥ On the breakfast plate ♥♥

Lynn brought my coffee and yogurt so I am all set in that regard!

  ♥♥ On the dinner plate ♥♥

Actually, I am so happy we have leftover Chinese in the fridge for tonight!  I plan to make a large pot of  soup  to get us through a couple of days. I need to be a bit more serious about my WW diet. I have lost 40 pounds and am thrilled, but I could stand to loss 30-40 more.

  ♥♥ On my reading pile ♥♥

The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady

7 Feasts. Bible study for the next 10 weeks

The Dawn of Redeeming Grace Devotional

Emmanuel,, another Christmas devotional.    

    I was so sidetracked over the holidays I couldn't concentrate on reading! 

♥♥On my TV this week ♥ ♥ 

I missed a lot of the Christmas movies.  

And there are great ones on YouTube. I really enjoyed getting back to the James Herriot series last night! There is not really a lot on regular tv I like except an occasion Hgtv or cooking show. 

♥♥ From the camera ♥ ♥

I took down the Christmassy items and left the winter, I was inspired by all the YouTube Winter decor, so I’m getting cosy for the coming months.. I saw a great sale at Kirklands and ordered some wooden candlesticks and a fabulous faux mink heavy nap throw.   

They should be here by next week!

♥♥ To Do List ♥ ♥

Work on organizing clothing

Purge some dinnerware… I have way too much

Dr. Appointment for yearly exam

Correspondence… I have been studying Victorian letter writing and actually purchased sealing wax and my own seal. Very fun!

Reading 

Work on my Bible Study on the 7 feasts we are doing at church

Of course..work on my nature journal

  ♥♥ Favorite Vlog ♥♥

I mentioned winter decor!

     ♥ ♥  A Good Word ♥ ♥ 

 

Friday's Fave Fave

                                              

FFF hosted by Suzanne! 

This week has been a week of healing and strengthening for me...

I have rather sadly watched my neighbors one by one take down their decorations. All the bright lights around us have systematically gone out til we are back to the dark neighborhood which saddens me because I love looking out and seeing light and joviality!

 But I deviate!

I cannot believe that this week has  come to an end..  It seems like it has been one thing after another..  what with my 

kidney stone, then my  paralyzed  legs all of last weekend...  Thank you, Lord  that finally , all is back to normal and I  spent  most of the week just trying  to catch up...  I am  about halfway  finished on my Bible Study homework..  I start back to class next Tuesday,  and have a day and a half of  questions still to answer!  I  look forward to getting back to class.  Our study is the 7  Feasts! It is  amazing how   much the feasts  refer to  the coming Christ and   and  His kingdom..  I find  the correlation to be so wonderful and   it makes me  enjoy  all  of the Bible   so much more  knowing how  intricately  all things are connected!!!  God is so good!!!!

I have, also, gotten back into my daily journalling.  Starting a new journal is quite a daunting thing,, at least, if you are using My Journal that  Amanda  gave me again this year,...  so much to set up  on the intro pages..  Setting up goals and    purposes etc..  takes a bit of contemplation!    I did come up with a word for 2024.. Compassion  .. I have been writing  verses on compassion on  each new page...hoping  that    the ideal  takes root in my heart and spirit!!!

I started and completed  2 pages in my nature journal...  now that it is winter,  I hope to    research many new birds that I already see  coming to our feeder!   As the days pass I hope to  become more creative in how I set up each new page.. 

I finally received my  sealing wax, seal, and new stationary from Amazon.. I  am really hoping to get into  daily correspondence  with friends and family,  I plan to write a new letter  each day.,.  I just think this is a  fine,  but lost art  in our society today..  I  am doing my part to bring love and friendship back into vogue!!   I just mailed  2 letters to my granddaughters!  I hope that they will bless them mightily!

  

Tuesday 4

 

Happy New Year

Hosted by Annie

Happy New year!

Let's  start off the year with some questions about you....

1. What was your dream job when you were a little kid? When I was a young teen, I literally was the most creative Barbie house builder of all time.  Everyone exclaimed with delight, “where do you get all your ideas! “. So when I was in home ec one semester we were into interior design, and mom gave me free rein to redo my bedroom,,, furniture and all. I loved it. So wHen I went to college, I really wanted so badly to go the creative design route, but at the last minute I went elementary Ed.. … the safer route.  I didn’t have the confidence! Always regretted it!

Alternatively.. what is a dream date?

My dream date is to have my dream boat focus his attention on me entirely. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that pleasure. 

2. Who is going to play you in the movie about your life?  Definitely, Kirsten Dunst.

3.What is the best life lesson you have learned so far?Just give it time… things always work out given a little time.  Don’t act so rashly!

4. What is your favorite name for a girl.. so many, but I do love Myra.

 how about for a boy? Jacob

Thank you for making Tuesday 4 a success and for helping to keep Toni's project going. I know she would be pleased.   I am so grateful for all of you

Thank you, ,so much , Annie, for doing this!  It is always so much fun and a bright spot in the week!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

Hosted by Sandra! 

 ♥ ♥ weather ♥ ♥

  Monday -cloudy, 51/37

    Tuesday - cloudy, 40/33

    Wednesday - mostly cloudy, 43/31

      Thursday -partly cloudy, 41/23

       Friday - cloudy, 45/26

        Saturday- snow , 41/30

     Sunday, wind, 40/26

       

       ♥♥ As I look outside my window ♥♥ 

It is actually New Year’s Eve , early evening., although revelers have already shot off several fire crackers as they are ringing in the new year! As I look out over the neighborhood I am a bit saddened to see less Christmas lights as many folks spent the weekend getting back to their normal state ,, ready to return to the everyday routines.. which this ole retired lady, ….I’m never quite ready to give up on Christmas!

I never think of retiring the decor until Epiphany, anyway!

   ♥♥ Right now I am ♥ ♥

I am actually doing all I can to take my mind off of the fact that I am  getting ready to pass my  first kidney stone… I do believe.  Oh, this last week has been horrific. On the evening prior to Christmas Eve, I was hurried to the ER wailing in great pain, only to find out about the fact I had a 4 mm stone that was being ejected from its home, my kidney.  Let me tell you, this eradicated all my Christmas plans.  Oh, I had a lovely intimate party planned for Christmas Eve with our very dearest friends.We had spent a deal of money of special treats, crab salad, veggie, fruit tray, and 5 delicious, assorted appetizers each quite eloquent yet still few points on the Weight Watcher scale..  well, I was now in the ER for hours and the pain continued for a few days. Christmas came and went,and my friends have since left for a two week beach stay. Meanwhile I had a doctors appt. for ex rays to determine when the dreaded stone might make its appearance. It was surmised by this coming Tuesday. Well, according to the on setting discomfort it  may be coming this evening.! 

  ♥♥ Thinking and pondering ♥ ♥

Back to last week, there we were with a fridge full of delicious foods, but not sure what to do with any of it. For as you might remember me saying last week, I was  due to get cortisone shots for my bursitis. Well, the day finally arrived last Friday.  I was so glad to finally get my relief. I was  lying on the table squenching. In preparation for the big stick…the  best .I could as that horrible needle was coming  nearing, but first a cold anesthetic spray directly on the spot of needle application..  yep! There  was the first needle in my right leg, and the doctor was turning me for the left poke when I felt anesthetic spray sprinkle across my left thigh. Then the needle…

 Ouch.  Before 

I could say it, the doctor was out the door and on his way to his 4 day weekend.  As I hobbled to the car I thought my legs actually both felt strangely odd , weak,  so weak I felt almost as if I was staggering to the car! 

I got home and immediately put on my pjs I just didn’t feel too good. And, of course, since I had been ordered to drink a gallon of water a day to move that stone I had to go to the bathroom.  I did, but as I prepared to get up. My legs felt dead. I could not leverage myself up to a standing position. I was stranded there with no hope of getting up. Well, of course, I began to whimper.! Hubs  was bewildered not understanding at all what was going on.. I needed to arm holds on the commode to press down on with my hands so I could then leverage myself up into standing position. But there was nothing.  Lynn offered to pull me up, but I could imagine him pulling my arms out of the socket. Finally after about 30  minutes Lynn brought a heavy bar stool in so I  could use it to pull myself up. It was excruciating but out of pure force of will I screamed my way up into a standing position. All I.could think of was the many more times  I would be relieving from that gallon of water!

  ♥♥How was I feeling ♥♥

I figured to just put on several make shift diapers and  cover a chair in the den and hunker down for the night because I realized my legs would not lift me up the staircase to my bed. Upon reading the affects of cortisone shots  online they cause insomnia as I  well discovered later that evening.  I finally did learn how to use the arms of a small dining chair we had in the sunroom  were by I could make do with a little more groaning and less screaming. Until I finally learned a stand up procedure that actually saved my inner person for I was just about  to lose it!   I made through an horrific  night hoping that the information I had read on line about possible problems like mine could last anywhere from 6-48 hours!  After  12 hours I was hopeful that I could at least go upstairs for Saturday nights rest, but alas when I attempted to bear weight on the first step my leg collapsed. I cried. Last night I was so weary from insomnia and the living room seemed so drafty. Those were two very  weary sleepless nights I shan’t ever forget! This morning  ( it had been 48 hours) I got up and very hopefully attempted  to climb the stairs, and did so with no trouble at all! I fell into bed and slept my New Years Eve  away! Lynn had borrowed a wrap around riser apparatus with arm rails for the commode !  Praise the Lord things were looking up!  

And glory be.. that stone just started to make itself fully known!

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   ♥♥ What am I Wearing♥♥

 Happy New Year!  I slept in this morning.

So I’m still in my jams!

♥♥ On the breakfast plate ♥♥

Lynn brought my coffee and yogurt to me on a tray! What a sweetheart!

  ♥♥ On the dinner plate ♥♥

I really have no idea but I m pretty sure it will included a veggie fruit combination.  Lots of stuff to work into my eating plans this week!

  ♥♥ On my reading pile ♥♥

 I got a bit off track last week on my Bible reading.  I truly do wish to finish up the minor prophets this week!    

     

♥♥On my TV this week ♥ ♥ 

I really have no idea.  I know I am going to miss the Christmas movies. 

♥♥ From the camera ♥ ♥

I actually feel like I missed a bit of my favorite holiday so I have thought of a way to keep it going.  Oh, yes, I”ll eventually take down most of the Christmassy stuff, but my bird tree in the sunroom will probably stay up all year.  Ok, so my neighbors will start called me that old eccentric bird lady, and I am secretly thrilled to be so famous. But I had been expecting to spend quality time in my nature journal , watching the birds at the feeders and drawing and coloring to my heart’s content over the holidays.  Well, I am planning to do just that well into 2024!

♥♥ To Do List ♥ ♥

Dr. Appointment with the urologist

Correspondence… thank you notes

Bible Reading 

Work on my Bible Study on the 7 feasts we are doing at church

Of course..work on my nature journal

  ♥♥ Favorite Vlog ♥♥

One of my new year resolutions is to practice beautiful letter writing.  One of my presents included new stationary, sealing wax and a gorgeous stamp with my initial on it! So this video is most intriguing!

         ♥ ♥  A Good Word ♥ ♥ 

Friday's Fave Five

FFF is hosted by Suzanne!!!

It has been a while since I  was here and  I suppose it is  because  the month of December is so hectic. But, believe me, it is about to become quiet and contemplative. 

We celebrated the holidays with our only family back in  November when we drove up to Boston to spend a couple of weeks with our daughter's family! It was blissful!

We were so delighted to be there in time to go to  see our youngest granddaughter's  first main recital  playing the violin.  Oh, that brought back so many memories  of going to see our  daughter's performances.  She became so proficient she  became the Concert Master for the Youth symphony of our city!  Our dear little Vivi is well on her way!!! Praise the Lord, she loves it so much!

Our oldest  granddaughter loves to get  really dressed up,  so  she  told me she only had this yellow lei that  matched my Thanksgiving outfit,  so I was honored to where it  all day that day!!!  Besides,  I was perfectly at my leisure while  Amanda, (Daughter) and her hubby   presented a fabulous feast!!! I helped the girls set the table and Leila, our oldest, busily created beautiful  napkin folds for each person!  

Right before dinner,  the girls played a few duets  for our listening pleasure. I am so  thrilled that they both love music.!

Scrumptious!!

Before we knew it it was  Christmas..  three  days later..

So much fun  being together to enjoy the festivities!!!

The girls dressed in the Christmas dresses  looked  so  sweet.. Leila was deeply engrossed in putting her desk together with her new organization package  that included  everything possible for a budding almost Middle Schooler!!!  Her look seems to say, "please, dont bother me now.  I am  composing my new desk arrangement!!!" 

Viv was trying to  hide a look of,  "I think  I  figured out  what I am getting,. but I better not give it away too much!!!"

Baa Baa is just taking in everything, so he can remember  what fun we had 6 months from now!!!

Our  Christmas morning  tradition is  Cranberry Scones,   egg casserole and cranberry salad with oranges and spices.

I think outfits were changed  3 times  on Christmas Day..  but  by now we just wanted to rest and be comfy!!!

One of our last  ventures over our Christmas was to travel north  in Massachusetts to Sudbury,  the home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and  dine in the Wayside Inn! What a treat  and blessing!!

  So since our  marvelous time   up north    we have  enjoyed  Christmas pageants, and  getting our own home  ready for  the holiday!!!  We so very much were blessed this  past weekend by the visit of Vickie and Bill.  Vickie was my  best friend in elementary school and  we  have  been  dear  companions as able  ever since.  Everytime we do get together it is as if no time has passed.  We are still silly fourth graders!!!!

My ladies' prayer group is  still thriving.  We meet every two weeks to pray  for the  dire needs of  the nation and world, and  it is a lovely time to get together for fellowship prior to our prayer time..         So life  seems to be speeding past, and sometimes it seems hard to accomplish everything. So I am actually thrilled to have a quiet week planned next week. To revel in the glories of  Jesus' birth and    what it  truly means to be His child!!!  I will, also,  start  up my  new Christian Planner  that  helps  you create  your goals for the new year. Because I am now the  chairman of the  Bereavement Committee, we  set up meals for the bereaved following the funerals at our church.  So my new word of 2024 is Compassion.   I will have  all of next week to consider  that and  how I need to grow into  it more!!   Blessings to all and to all a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Scones!

 Dear  friends, I  had  a lot of interest in my cranberry scones from my last post so I found the recipe!

Cranberry Scones

Serves: approximately 13

 

Ingredients

·   3 cups all-purpose flour

·   ¼ cup granulated sugar

·   4 teaspoons baking powder

·   ½ teaspoon salt

·   ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

·   1 cup plus 3 tablespoons cold heavy whipping cream, divided

·   ¾ cup cranberries

·   2 tablespoons sanding sugar

Instructions

1.    Preheat oven to 375°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.    In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Use cold butter and using a pastry blender keeps butter cold  .. works better. 

3.    In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold cream.  Add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until a dough begins to form.  Add cranberries.  Working gently, bring mixture together with hands until a dough forms.

4.    Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently until smooth by patting dough and folding it in half 4 to 5 times. Try not to mess with the dough very much.  Bring together easily and lightly pat into a round about  ½ in high.

5.    Using a 2¼-inch fluted round cutter dipped in flour, cut scones from dough, rerolling scraps once. Place scones 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

6.    Brush tops of scones with remaining 1 tablespoon cream, and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

7.    Bake until scones are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

You can always add  some  chopped walnuts  , and orange zest into the  dry mix  after step 2   to  really  jazz  these up!!! 

I like to mix up a topping  made from mascarpone cheese.. like  cream cheese only better..  with    orange  marmalade  until a speadable consistency.  Very good  served on top of  the scones!