Thankful Thrusday

"...He has given a life, a life abundantly."

Outside the kitchen window the self sewn amaranth is drying as the wild birds are comically dangling from it gleaning the seeds.
I came home Sunday night from the folks and had a few fine gifts given to me.
My MILove sent home some empty containers (I put everything in jars in the pantry to avoid insect infestations).

She thought of me while watching a "Sewing with Nancy" TV show, she ordered the book for me.
Then she gave me the project she sampled and the lovely fabric too.
She made me some more knitted cloth for pot holders.
Lots of coupons too...they really did help a lot this week.

This bird house was made from the fallen oaks in Connecticut from this winters ice storms.
I love it when folks get creative.
My sister gave it to me for my birthday.

Monday the field trip to the state capital.
My friend came with her daughter too.
Unfortunately the girls (hers and mine) were in a tiff.
We had a real nice day considering it got up to 108* outside.
On a school buss with NO A/C

photo deleted

Arizona State Capital

photo deleted
This was my group.
Oh they were great kids.

Now on Tuesday morning my Dove came out of her room with a new look.
A new attitude to match it too :)
She is growing up so fast!
Daddy Man made her a CD of the Jonas Brothers, Camp Rock.
She is now listening to the music every morning (for the last week) while she showers.
What a wonderful child she is.
We are tending to the conversations of the Pre t*en year...
Soon she will be in her last year of early childhood.

Tuesday evening my beloved and I tended to gathering the last of the poppy seed and clearing off the walkway.
Seeds were also saved of the vines.
It is so hot now that the plants are off the eave and set under the others for some shade and heat relief.

We spent the evening Dove and I watched the Camp Rock on my computer to pre screen it.
I do not like to just let them get so involved without seeing if it matches up to my boundary.
It was so wonderful sitting there with my daughter. Every once in a while she would open up and tell me about the deep things she thinks about.
I am so glad to slow me down and spend that time listening.

So tired on Tuesday Morning I had no idea of how I might attend Bible Study.
I saw this and so set it up and made it a few minutes late.
I wish I had not gone...

Sadly pharisees were in their click.
I am an odd bird fly to my own view of the by and by.

An extremely small group now.
Pharisees have a way of filtering out those who are week, or sick are any unlovely.
Really Really SAD!
The two ladies in the foreground are an exception.

It took me much of Tuesday to over come the grief of it all.
Tuesday evening was a hard one for my darling too.
At his employ they had a catastrophic failure.
No lives lost thank God.
Millions lost, however.
The same day however there was also a grand success of a different project.
So it was a hard evening compounded by the efforts to go get a water tank.
My darling hurt his foot then the tail gate malfunctioned.
We all stayed home and postponed the trip to get it.

The last 5 days this is what I have been doing.
Loading up the freezers to get us through the summer

As many of you do for the winter I do in the summer.
In the heat of it groceries can spoil easily.
Food born illness is a real life threatening issue.

The heat in a car can get over 140 in 5 minutes here.
Going out in summer is avoided by me with great effort.

So I hit lead ins and got chicken breast for .77 a pound.
A lot of it.

Lunch meat is a staple here.
So with a smoking deal this freezer was loaded.
Note I remove the paper packaging on things.
Paying to chill card board is a little silly.

All groceries are on average only 30-50% of at cost.
I stood amazed at what I was able to get for so little.
No summer shopping!
YA!
Foiled are those onions harvested.

Yesterday I finally got the water tank.
I was able to get it for the same price as just the skid on the bottom of another one.
330 gallons

It was a wonderful drive on an aptly perfect rainy day.
It was so pretty out.
A good 30 mile trip I think S and E of here.
It was through the open lands, the farms and fields.
It was a good drive to heal the day before.

My life abundant...A raining day to go get the water tank.
Funny irony isn't it.
I know that this is going to make a real difference in the stewardship of the water resorces available to me for the garden.

It will find it's permanent home here. under the eave ans will gather the run off water from the roof. sq.----of the roof X .06= gallons for 1 inch of rain fall.

The fellow also had these screw on lidded buckets for food grade storage.
I got 4 of them. Now the bulk storage will be much easier to access and to keep safe.

Garden details to be found on
BEE BLISS BLOG
Last night several hours spent on this layout of the garden and the extension.
I planned for crop rotation. Nitrogen( high, medium, low) beds to suit the like minded plants.

This morning I did this work.
Because I was given this
:)
Staked out the plots for the extension.

Changed the plot from this....

To this...

It will have 2 ft raised path by the house wall , then 4 ft. recessed center bed, then 2 ft raised path and a 3ft recessed bed by the fence wall.
Study has taught about using gravity for water conservation. It I need to Hill Up the plants I will still be below grade in the main of the bed.

This will be the forth of the days that this has been an afternoon family time.
The kids and I really enjoy this time of laughter and just silliness.

They both made it through another school year.
Today is the last day of school.

I got them a little graduation gift.

Life...
More abundantly...
He wasn't kidding.
:)

Forever in gratitude.

Word Filled Wednseday

Join us over at Extravagant Grace

When Bad Things Happen
This is a good study on this topic

The Scriptures speak of three types of "trouble" for the believer:

1) Discipline, judgment, or rebuke from the Lord;
2) tests, trials, persecutions, suffering; and
3) temptations or attacks from Satan.

So is this present trouble the hand of the Lord in direct rebuke, or the promised testing of our faith, or are we being "had" by Satan? We should know, so we can respond accordingly.

A.W. Tozer: "As long as we remain in the body we shall be subject to a certain amount of that common suffering which we all share with the sons of men. But there is another kind of suffering, known only to the Christian: it is voluntary suffering deliberately and knowingly incurred for the sake of Christ.

"Such is a luxury, a treasure of fabulous value. And it is rare as well as precious, for there are few in this decadent age who will of their own choice go down into this dark mine looking for jewels. God will not force us into this kind of suffering; he will not lay this cross upon us nor embarrass us with riches we do not want. Such riches are reserved for those who apply to serve in the legion of the expendables, who love not their lives unto death, who volunteer to suffer for Christ's sake and who follow up their application with lives that challenge the devil and invite the fury of hell.

"Such as these have said good-bye to the world's toys; they have accepted toil and suffering as their earthly portion. The marks of the cross are upon them and they are known in heaven and in hell. But where are they? Has this breed of Christian died out of the earth?"

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today... Monday, May 18, 2009

Outside My Window... It reached 108 today... I am now sitting with the blind beside me closed. Sweltered in the heat on a school bus with 45 kids from 9-2. So it is shaded.

I am thinking...
Oh that was a good nap! I was so hot and tired.
From the learning rooms… A new book for the serger sewing machine.. Learning about the soil structure in the garden. Design and layout for the new garden extension in the fall. Study of what and where and how to set it up.

I am thankful for... The way these last several days are so tender and kind to me. Trials are calm and the ease of the last several days have been so healing and such a rest from stress.
From the kitchen... Left overs and warmed up individual much and crunch. I had a recipe set up and forgot the tortilla at the store.

I am wearing... Brown slacks and a brown shirt with white and light brown Flowers on it. I forgot to have earrings on.

I am reading...A list of study will commence once the week ends...With three field trips in four days I am full. I found myself reciting scriptures to the dawn.Some days when I am busy it is that the passages within my mind come to me.They are like a syrup that flows over me and sicks to my day refreshingly sweet to the thoughts.

I am hoping... That my time this summer with the children will be rich in new memories and good lessons of character growth for all of us. I hope for laughter and healing of the hearts from the long school year that was wounding to the souls of my darlings. Hoping for the healing that will return the sound balance that public school challenges daily.To also acquire a water tank and to prepare to gather the rain water for the gardens.
I am creating...Gifts for some blogging friends, mental plans for the summer sewing schedule, I want to replace my day dresses they have become 7-1o years old, a bit thread bare time to make me some new clothes. The plans for the garden extension. Finish the framing of the kids awards. A new blog called "A place to create" to share knowledge of skills and know how.
I am hearing...crunching as I am eating some apple/cinnamon rice snacks.There is a sparrow on the other side of the glass beside me, children are watching a movie and I am recovering my energy as the click and clack is motivating me into the evening.

I am going... To rest tonight!Tomorrow I will forgo the field trip to tend to my own fellowship and nurture my soul with Bible study attendance. It is the final meeting of the summer. I feel I would be amiss to miss out on the last gathering.

Around the house... It is in an even flux, except the toll of the laundry that has been given a back seat during the last several busy days. I will have a great catch up with that for a few days. With this heat I think I should be ahead of the washer as I hang things out to dry.All else in in good order.There is a large stack of papers in the office two ft tall! That the children and I will have a time together set aside. It is my vision to spend time going through the last several months to show them all they have gained through there education. I think it will be a good transition and nice to clear away the stack too.

One of my favorite things... is having my children home during the summer. I thrive on the time together with them. It is a challenging time of 24/7 so it must be thought out to create a good flow of time alone and together. Play dates and going to the public pools to swim.
Projects of art and such are nice to do together. Just that down time where they can settle back into them self. Away from the social lessons that are so difficult , yet necessary for good self esteem.
security
affiliations
sense of self
goals
competency.

Time to cover the bases to watch out for wholes in their development to take the time to stitch them up intentionally.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week... Laundry, Bible study, field trip to the skate land again..., Chocolate party perhaps with Dash's class. Laundry :)One more shopping trip for the last of the lead ins...LAST DAY OF SCHOOL CELEBRATION!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…

Protecting and Respecting the Life around us.Please cut up your soda rings so that fewer creatures suffer the torture of becoming entrapped by them.
Thank you.


If you would like to join us in The Simple Woman's Day book, please see Peggy for details.

Menu Plan Monday

Click image enlarge...
Good Morning!
This week is going to be a full one.
It is the last week of the kids school.

I played around on this site for some ideas this week.
It can always be found on my side bar under other blogs

It is a list of 100 copy cat restaurant recipes.

We harvested onion this last week so it is in good order to make up some
Mongolian Beef out of the harvest and the flank steak I found on sale and froze.

This week I am piggy backing on the menu
It is when the meals prepared while have aspects that will be carried onto the next meal.
It really saves prep time if you say cut the scallions tho do two days at one time.
Or thaw the meats that will be used for more than one recipe, if possible cook them up and have them pre-cooked the next meal.

We are going Asian and Mexican this week.
With a bit of breakfast flair added in.
It is very hot here and the fresh produce from the garden is in time for the dishes.
Cooking in season if from your garden or the store is very economical.

MUNCHA!
I'll wax Italian another week
:)

"Enjoy your dinner"
a sweet waiter at a Asian restaurant always said that, it became a family standby comment in the early years. Always brought a smile at the remembrance of the fellow.

Living life to the top! Week end in review

I do not much remember Friday...
Dove and I took a trip to Costco and I found a new swim suit and got the cup cakes for her.

How can so much life fit into two days?
Cupcakes were purchased and we were all set to be off by 8:45 to the rink.
Of course like all party days a little stress was had, moments before the exit.
I keep forgetting to take my medications.
Then many hours later by ill effect we realize what is happening.
Of all things to forget!
I grabbed them and took them at the rink "thank goodness"!

Our party had been given favor to have a free lesson before the skate. Now I went to great efforts to accomplish this for the kids with timing and all.
I had to all but twist the arms to get them to participate.
Dash would not, he skates like a mad man run a muck. Gets him around the rink, in a very entertaining manner.
Dove finally joined in and showed good skills. I even donned a pair of skate.
There was a really nice guy that came over and kept an eye on me.
He said mam we have a class for the adults, I declined to stay with Dove.
He said "it is a much easier call"

Deciding to skip the hard parts, and being very sweaty from the really hard work it is to skate....well it was still very fun.
Noticing my Beloveds face strained sadly I realize it is very true that my days of skating put all who depend on me at great risk of losing my abilities.
I might just have been my last skate...boo

Dove has pink hair from an event at the elementary.
I have yet to be able to get that stuff of of her scalp!

Only three of the seven kids showed.
One of the little girls who was not invited saw to that...
She called here to invite herself!
I overheard and told Dove "No" that I had a budget and she had 10 kids only to attend and then kindly reiterated that to the kid on the phone.
You see I use speaker all the time when I am on the phone.
With a hearing problem this is the only way The tones and such are easy for me to make out.
So the family is accustom to answering the phone this way.
Worked out well because the kids calls can be monitored.
Well Dove was thrilled, she had told the girl no.
Mom, however took that off of her.
She thanked me.

After a long time of skate and games the booth time came about.
She then was called to the DJ booth and got to speak up on microphone and everyone said happy birthday to her.

The booth gleaned her 75 tickets, I was so relieved that she got something.
I thought she had nothing.

Then there was sponge bob.
The 4 kids foreground and a boy were in our attendance.
3 guests yet I still had to pay for 10:{
So that little twerp made an impact.
Too bad for her she is given no instruction by her parents.
Nor are those who are intimidated by her strong enough to withstand her.
Bad thing that kid is going to turn into.

Dove still had fun.
One of the two girls that came was acting center stage and more than once Dove whispered to me about it.

Kids will get attention when they can.
So this was a strange party.
My sweet freind D. came she and her boy are real treasures. I skated with and for the kids.
dove had begged me too.
So I missed time with D. that was awkward, but it was right that I skate with and for the birthday girl.

Dove was so happy.
It was a real nice time.

I had to leave 15 minutes before the end of the party.
Well I had to leave.

My girl friends invited me here.
Fancy

Oh my goodness...
Humbly I tell you of this outpouring of generosity and kindness.

My friends sat me at the head of the table...
The least of these amazing women...
These are dear dear friends of many years of sisterhood of the heart.
We are all captivating women who have understood who we are in Christ.
(Stacy and John Eldridge, Captivating a must read)
Our husbands all love God with passion.

We shared our updates on our present days.
Each live a marvelous work and a wonder.
All have uncommon lives.
Different in so many ways...it is those differences that we find growth.

I sat there amazed at how it felt to be so honored like that.
It was so ...well so humbling to be lifted up in you love and thoughtfulness.
Showered with gifts of words and of tangible treasures.
My heart overflowed.
Oh they are so beautiful thes women.

The tea was so touchingly precious.
It fealt like I was recieving all of those teas that my heart wished to offer others and often did.
It was those days when some of you came and spontaneously we shared a cup adn a cookie form my oven.

I received the luxury of a 4 course meal.
A bowl of fruit
soup
salad
deserts.

I think we tried 4 teas with the pot always warmed.
I never even lifted a finger to do it.
Sorry if it sounds weird , but that just was so amazing.
I want to do it now for others here more.
I want to treat all of you readers to a tea.
A time where you feel as I felt yesterday.
Lifted up.
Taken to the head of the table.
Like some matriarch I sat with all of you loving on me.
I am honored to be called your friend .
You have lifted me.
I am refreshed...

I had a surprise that another good friend showed, to join our circle.
It had been some time that we had gone without being together.

I loved this arbor!

Look at all this generosity and kindness!
They would not let me pay for my lunch.
We have never splurged like that before.
I teared up over that little angel and shovel.
Funny how some things just touch your heart so deep.
One of the gifts is a little Hummel tea set.
I had given Dove mine.
I thought well she is a little girl grown now up, I felt I had to show her I had confidence in her to take care of it.
Now I have one just for me again.
It has a baby and a sunflower on the pot and plates.
TOO CUTE!
See the little bag of sead, well you bake a bird feeder cake!
and the note pads say...
"Who loves a garden , Still his eaden keeps"
pretty image of a younger me, with sunflowers.
Funny thing getting older, all those years of noticing flows...
Now I see how really pretty I was as a young woman.

When I pulled up to the house there was an
AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR
truck out front!

ua oh!

The ac needed to have the coil cleaned and when steve touched it
I sprung a leak!
Our dear friend , who just started to work with my darling had lost his ac unit on Friday.
He was good friends with a fellow is who is renowned locally for industrial ac.
Well we got a referral to HINKLE AC
They were there at the house in 10 minutes and 15 minutes later the ac was fixed and recharged.
$300. to do so and we were up and running.
Provision...




Sunday Morning...

Darling on the mill...
"what you up to say I"

To his reply
"I'm making something for you"

I hurried to go get dressed and such.. to sweep up while he worked.
By the time I returned he had done the sweep of (borax against the ants)
He was almost done.
You'll have to go over to a place to create to see it.
I'll get it posted tomorrow.

Mothers day for my MILove
We were absent due to the wrist thing...
So I set together a basket of produce from our garden.
He had a nice afternoon there and had a lovely supper of fresh fruit salad.
Hot dogs too...
Well she is so sweet she gave ma a great book on serger projects.
Then the lovely fabric gift she gave will be perfect for some cloth napkins to go with the new place mats.
Summer is here and this time of year my sewing is a big focus of the days ahead.
She made me some more knitted dish clothes that I will turn into another hot pad.
I just love those, if you spill it turns into a dishcloth in an instant.

We gifted the kids with the movie
"Bolt" this week end.
I found a $5 off coupon for it at Costco (good until 5 /28?)

They wanted to see what is was all about for the dogs to hang their heads out of the car window...
:)

Funny!
They really loved it!
It was just too hot to lose the ac in the car
104* here mid afternoon.

My goodness...

Look at that...
Plus all those letters and pictures from the children at the school.
It is like my cup is so full, and still.
Like if I bumped it, it would slosh over the brim...
Thank you all.
Oh I forgot there is a really cool rustic bird house to set out that came from the fallen oaks in Conneticut, my sister gave me. I'll try to get a picture of it and the cool book and fabric given to me today.
My cup over flows!
I am so loved.
I remember as a kid how much I used to pray to be loved.
It is a holy thing.
I take none of your love for granted.

I remembered an event at the baby shower last week.
I was asked to go get lemon aide and then learned my sister had a plan to follow and so I followed her plan instead of leaving to get the juice. It was a surprise party and I had hidden the car a half a block away already. Well I thought about that comment from anonymous , how she saw me as selfish. My view was following the hostess wishes. We maid lemon aid without a reamer, I just used an ice cream scoop. More than one way to skin a cat. :
)
I thought of how we can see each other through the eyes of our interpretations of the event. Not really knowing how or what is the thought process going on in another head.
Think of it.

It really rang true of that passage of thinking the best of one another.

A tid bit of an understanding in one of those flash point moments during introspection.
Just made me stop and think.

Well tomorrow I need to get this truck on an add.
Look at this engine. They really made it look nice.

Well it is 12:30 adn the tylenol will take effect now and let this hampster sleep.
My body was resting , but my mind was just on the wheel.
I love you all so much.
Your comments are so appriciated.
Your lives are so beautiful and each little event your speak of tneder and dear to me.

May all of you have a beautiful day.

I have a field trip to the State Capital then the mineral musium and then onto the park at days end...
Oh ear plugs on a school buss....a must!

Shopping frugal

Hello, I missed all of you today.
I was tending my duties.
this week I was spread pretty thin.
Wednesday evening we got the truck back.
Just before we had to get together to go to the roller rink.
I put the signs in it yesterday.
Drove it to the school and had folks looking at it.
I drove it to the bank and the grocery just to get some exposure to it.
Lots of looks. It is very shiny.
It is a 1995 with only 130,000 miles on it.
New tires too.
Pass the word if you know anyone.

We set our price at $5300.
It is really beautiful.
We were given favor at the detail shop and only charged $150. for $300. job.
It is so pretty I really wanted to do the car put we opted to hold the funds instead.

I stayed up very late last night to get the kitchen cleaned.
Paid the bills and set the papers to be filed.
It is just a big job this week with so many tasks to do.
I did the lead in adds and collected the coupons, cleared out the outdated ones.
Set the list using a high lighter of color set for each store.
Pulled all the coupons to match lead ins.

I received a letter that I made an error on the Federal tax return.
They sent me $150. more!!!!!!!!!!
Cool!
Replaced all the funds that we borrowed from ourselves and had $450. to spare to add to the budget. We will save it up, for our 6 month emergency fund that we are working on.

Got the statement on our electric bill.
We do a balanced budget payment.
It went down $29. a month now!
We did real well this last year and now have reduced the balance plan that much a month!
Mostly time of use, but hanging the clothing and Thinking things through better when we use the oven for example we really use all the heat at that time but doing things that we can add for the next meal while the oven is hot.


Today a trip to the post office to mail all the bilss, then to the Albertsons.
They have Saunderson Farm chicken .77 cent a pound!
filled the big freezer with 80 pounds of it, mostly split breast.
They had lunch meat $2 box, so after the first run to the store (where I had used those coupons I had had... $1 off three) I cut out the ones from my purchase and went back for more.
50 boxes apx total.
I cut the box, and just keep the package.
It is frozen so each day I can just pull one out.
No lunch meat or chicken shopping for me for the summer.

Click to enlarge
$621.63
worth of foods for

only $268.

saved $353.68
add to that the items that were on clearance of around $30. more.
They often do not show up on the receipts as a savings due to just coming up at the clearenced price.

This is $3.44 worth of chicken, one family package. I purchased 16.

Found these cute place mats for .50 each.

All in all a very frugal day.

Costo found me buying cupcakes...
Yes Me...:)
The old saying choose your battles.
Found a cute swim suit that LOOKED GOOD ON ME!
I was stunned Steve even came in and said I looked nice in it.
A swim suit!
Go figure.

Tomorrow is the rink so I better get rested.

I will see you three for tea at 1pm
I need to find that address email you sent Trisha.
yikes.