Tuesday 4 - Home Work

It's Tuesday and it's time for Tuesday 4! Here are Annie's questions for Week 5 of 2020...

1.  Are you an impulse buyer or do you weigh the value/cost necessity before you buy?
Depends on what it is. If it's something for someone else or it can be used for programs at work I'm pretty much an impulse buyer; otherwise I generally weigh the cost. 

2. What do you really resent having to pay for?

I don't resent having to pay for anything. We make our bills and it's up to us to pay them. I will be glad when we get that last credit card paid off though. Debt freedom has been years in the making and I'll sure be glad when it gets here. 

3.   Do you have  favorite brands of household cleaners, detergents, soaps? Can you tell us why you like them? Maybe you will give us better ideas.

My favorite brand of household cleaners, detergents, and soaps is Mrs. Meyer's; other than that...Norwex. 

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Products

Mrs. Meyer's because their products are made of plant-derived ingredients and essential oils, and their garden-inspired scents are aromatheraputic. (Doesn't that sound just like a commercial???) It's true though and they really do smell soooo good! Peppermint, lilac, and mum are my favorites! 

As for Norwex...you basically clean with water! I love the window cloths especially! 

4.  What is a typical day of housekeeping for you?

Monday is my main cleaning day. That's the day that I generally do my weekly "home blessing." Other than that I just straighten daily and work on deep-cleaning and organazation as needed and when I have the time...which isn't as often as I'd like. 😊 You can read more about my weekly "home blessing" if you'd like by clicking HERE.

My Kitchen 2016

Until next time...

Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Happy Homemaker Monday - February 3, 2020

Tuesday 4 - Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

My Weekly "Home Blessing"

Happy Homemaker Monday - February 3, 2020

Greetings, Dear Ones! Happy Monday! 💗

I trust that your week and weekend were good and that this first Monday of February finds you ready, willing, and able to tackle a new week head on!

Speaking of tackling...how 'bout those Chiefs???
While it's true that I've never been a huge fan of football, I am a GIGUNDO fan of Kansas City (it's home) and the Chiefs are our hometown team...so...WOO-HOO!!! I am so proud of those Kansas City Chiefs! 😊 💓🏈

(That's the first football game we've watched since 1994 when Joe Montana was still on the team; we did, however, shut the half-time show off.) 😳🤮🙄

Ironically, I had not been in the shed where my dad stored my mother's things after she passed away since moving in here three and a half years ago (Mom has been gone, going on, fifteen years and Dad on four) and, of all days! We worked on the carport yesterday afternoon and we opened that shed to see if there was room in the shed to store stuff and discovered THIS...

Chiefs Couch Doorstop

It is a miniature Chiefs couch doorstop that my mom made YEARS ago (inside the bottom of the couch is a brick...that's what give it its weight). It's in bad shape (the material is rotten), but of all the days to discover it! Likely the only Chiefs thing on the property (that I know of anyway) and on THE day that the Chiefs were playing in the Super Bowl for the first time in fifty years! Amazing! 😲

Okay...enough about all of that. Let's join Sandra and the other ladies at Happy Homemaker Monday and take a look at the week ahead, shall we?

Please join me as I link up with Sandra of Diary of a
Stay At Home Mom and all the other lovely ladies that gather
there on this week's Happy Homemaker Monday! 💗

The weather...

Yesterday was gorgeous...73 degrees and sunny; today promises to be nice, too...69 degrees, but windy with a chance of rain this afternoon. The week ahead doesn't look bad at all.

How I am feeling this morning...

... Great! Its Monday (my favorite day of the week) and the sun is shining. I'm ready to get on with it and get some stuff done! 😄

On my mind...

... Thinking about and planning the day and week ahead out and praying over friends and family members that just lost their dad, grandpa, son, and brother.  

On the breakfast plate...

... An egg, fresh veggie, cheese, and sprout omelet made with sprouts that I sprouted myself. 

Egg, Fresh Veggie, Cheese, and Sprout Omelet

While out and about visiting the Amish and Mennonite stores on Wednesday (stocking up on dry goods and spices), we decided to stop in at a little herb shop in Butler. While there I got a sprouting jar and a bag of alfalfa seeds. This was my first time of experimenting with them and my experiment turned out to be a complete success! (And the sprouts are delicious!) 😋

Alfalfa Spouts Inside The Sprouting Jar
Day Fiven and Ready To Eat

On my reading pile...

... Greater Health God's Way by Stormie Omartian and The Great North American Prairie: A Literary Field Guide (Stories From Where We Live) by Sara St. Antione (Editor)

On my tv computer...

Old episodes of Family Affair with Brian Keith and Sabastian Cabot and the Super Bowl. 

Buffy and Jody

Patrick Mehomes
Super Bowl 2020

On the menu this week...

Monday - Crockpot haggis and tatties (from the freezer) with roasted carrots and salad

Tuesday - Turkey fajitas (turkey breast fillets, peppers, onions, homemade seasoning, and tortillas)

Wednesday - Out

Thursday - Pork roast, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, and salad

Friday - Broiled salmon and baked, broiled, or roasted vegetables (whatever is on hand at week's end) and salad

Saturday - Dh's night to cook

Sunday - Leftovers

Egg Substitutes

From the camera...

Taken @ Four Rivers Conservation Area
August A. Busch Jr. Memorial Wetlands
Rich Hill, MO

Looking around the house...

... I worked Friday and Saturday, worked outside all afternoon yesterday, and watched the game last night, so, needless to say, I haven't done a thing to the house in days. Stuff is strewn about here, there, and yonder, there are dishes in the sink, and the laundry needs done...BUT...it won't take long to set everything to rights, so I will work on that later today.

Chore I'm not looking forward to today or this week...

... I can't think of anything that I'm not looking forward to, so I will tell you what I'm most looking forward to this week, and that is washing windows. I had planned on doing that yesterday, but didn't get to it. Hopefully, I will get to that today before the rain starts.

To relax this week, I will...

... enjoy cups of hot tea, read, walk, and spend time with family and friends.

On my prayer list...

- President Trump, Vice-President Pence, and every other official in this country at every level - that they would seek God's wisdom and that their eyes and ears would be open to the truth of God's Holy Word.
- For a spiritual awakening in America and beyond
- Friends and family members are suffering health issues, pain, and loss this morning.

Devotional/Bible verse...

Well, Ladies, that's it for this week! I pray that each and every one of you have a lovely, productive, and great week ahead!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Tuesday 4 - Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

Happy Homemaking Monday - January 27, 2020

Tuesday 4 - Hobby Girls

Tuesday 4 - Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

It's Tuesday and it's time for Tuesday 4! Here are Annie's questions for Week 4 of 2020...

Photo Credit

1. Have you built snowmen, women or even entire families of snow people like little sister Tootie did in Meet Me in St. Louis? Did you use a carrot for the nose? Tell us all about how it.

Ahhhhh! I love snowmen ⛄, I love Meet Me in St. Louis! (it's one of my all-time favorites!) 💗 and I love Tootie's snow-family! ⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄ (That is until she starts knocking them all down!) 😲

Tootie's Snow Family in Meet Me In St. Louis

Yes! As a child I built a snowman, snowwoman, or entire snow-family every chance I got! (Made a lot of snow ice cream, too!) I used carrots for noses, raisins for eyes and to make the mouth, sticks for arms, and whatever embelishments I could find...old hats, gloves, scarves, etc. I usually added a string of popcorn, raisins, cranberries...whatever we had...draped over the snowman's arms as an extra treat for the birds.

Snowman That Our Youngest Daughter
(in her 30s) Built Just Last Week 

I love snowmen and use them a lot in decorating and craft ideas. Here are a couple of examples that I have shared with others in the past...

Snowmen Refrigerator Buddies

Chocolate Pretzel Snowman Craft

2. Are you hoping for snowmen to melt soon in hotter weather?  Tell us about your favorite time of year and please let us know why you love it. List some ingredient of that season that make it special for you.

Not necessarily. I prefer winter over summer for sure, but fall is, without a doubt, my favorite season...warm days under brilliant blue skies, cool, crisp nights, rustling leaves dressed in fiery reds, deep yellows, and varying shades of browns, golds, and purples, orange pumpkins, geese honking overhead, autumn bonfires, and more! I love it all...the sights, sounds, and smells! In fact, a few years ago, I did a 31-Day series on The Joys of Autumn. Anyone who is interested in reading more about why I love autumn is welcome to go there and check it out. 

3.Remember bundling up as a child? It took so long to do then you had to go potty and all those layers had to come off again! Is dressing up something you enjoy doing?  Why?

Yes, I do remember bundling up (BEING BUNDLED UP) as a child and I hated it!!! Under all those layers I'd get so hot and sweaty that I was almost claustraphobic. As an adult, I would still rather be underdressed and a bit chilly before being over-bundled and hot in cold weather. I like to layer my clothes so I can peel and un-peel as necessary. 😆

4. In Frozen, the little girl desperately wants to reconnect with her sister and reminds her of the happy times of building snowmen.  Are you disconnected from anyone you'd love to reunite with? What happy times with friends and siblings brings you fond memories and smiles to you?

I can't really say that I'm "disconnected" from anyone (I'm really good about looking people up...even decades later...7th grade art teacher 25 years later...an old friend...an artist...who lives in Paris and spends her summers on a yacht in the Mediterranean after something...like...30 years...yes), BUT...my best friend? Who lives half way across town...less than a mile away? We hardly ever see each other these days, so, yes, if there is anyone that I "feel" disconnected with, it is her. I need to contact her today.

My BFFF and I and Our Two A. Nicoles
(Me on the Left; Carla on the Right)
(My daughter, Amber, standing behind me; her daughter, Ashley, standing behind her)

I don't have siblings, but what happy times I've shared with family and friends over the years! Some of my most favorite memories have been made over a cup of tea (while sharing a slice of blueberry pie) or going on some wild adventure together! If I was going to "build a snowman" it would be with these folks right here! In fact, I think I HAVE made a snowman with most, if not all of them!!! ⛄

My more-like-a-sister-than-a-friend friend, Dorothy.
We've been together since 5th grade and are still very close.

Dorothy, did we ever build a snowman together? ⛄

My friend and used-to-be next-door-neighbor, Robin
(She passed away in 2012 and oh! How I miss her!)

I know that Robin and I built a snowman together. ⛄

My oldest daughter, Amber, and my Dad
(Dad passed away in 2016 - Miss him so much!)

And of course my dad built a snowman with me when I was a child and I did the same with my children. ⛄

My youngest daughter, Amanda, and I @ Spring Training 2016
(We both work for Missouri State Parks)

Me and My Two Aunts, Geneva and Bev
@ Missouri Town 1855 - 2019

And my two crazy aunts??? They were always there to build a snowman with me when I was a child! 💗⛄💗

I loved this week's 'do you want to build a snowman' theme! Didn't you? To join right in, visit Tuesday 4 and share your own answers to these questions! 

Until next time...

Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Happy Homemaking Monday - January 27, 2020

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Happy Homemaker Monday - January 20, 2020

Happy Homemaking Monday - January 27, 2020

Greetings, Dear Ones! Happy Monday! 💗

I hope that your week and weekend were good and that this last Monday of January finds you happy, healthy, and ready to start the week with gusto! Our week here was quiet, but good! 

Monday and Tuesday were spent working around the house and running errands. 

Winter Weather Last Week
The Creek @ Prairie State Park

Due to bad weather (on her end and ours), our youngest daughter was unable to make it down as planned, so Wednesday and Thursday were spent puttering around the house, going through totes, doing a bit of purging and organizing, and I started a couple of new crochet projects...tea cozies and treasure bags.

Tea Cozy and Treasure Bag

I worked Friday...ended up deep-cleaning certain areas there...purging and organizing, too.

Saturday was Burns Night and my cousin, Dave's, birthday, so he came over that evening and we had our traditional version of the Burns Night supper followed by an online reading of Address To A Haggis and a round or two of Auld Lang Syne. Our oldest daughter and her family joined us and an evening of fun was enjoyed by all. The Burns Night supper doesn't make for a colorful plate, but the food is quite tasty! 😋

Not A Very Colorful Plate, But Quite Tasty
Crockpot Haggis, Tatties (without the neeps this year), and Oat Cakes

Yesterday we had church in the morning with a fellowship dinner following and, afterwards, a quiet afternoon and evening at home. 

Enough about last week. Let's take a look at the week ahead now, shall we?

Please join me as I link up with Sandra of Diary of a
Stay At Home Mom and all the other lovely ladies that gather
there on this week's Happy Homemaker Monday! 💗

The weather...

Right now it's a chilly 32 degrees and foggy, but it's supposed to warm up with a high near 50 today. That's not bad for the last week of January, and the first few days of February promise to be even better! 💗

How I am feeling this morning...

... Good! And ready to get started! I want to get this post, my household chores, and laundry done before taking off for the day.

On my mind...

... The day and week ahead as it promises to be quite busy on every front

On the breakfast plate...

... Toast with jam, yogurt, grapes, and hot tea

On my reading pile...

... Greater Health God's Way by Stormie Omartian and The Great North American Prairie: A Literary Field Guide (Stories From Where We Live) by Sara St. Antione (Editor)

On my tv computer...

Little Men (Canadian TV Series 1998-1999)

Little Men TV Series on Amazon Prime

On the menu this week...

Monday - Breakfast for supper

Tuesday - Pizza dippin' sticks, sauce, and salad

Wednesday - Ham, beans, and cornbread

Thursday - Oven roasted chicken breasts, brown rice, and salad

Friday - Broiled salmon, baked sweet potatoes, and cheesy cauliflower

Saturday - Dh's night to cook

Sunday - Leftovers

From the camera...

It's About Time!
(Ladies' Group Theme Last Week)

Looking around the house...

... I managed to keep up with things over the weekend, so it's not too bad. There is a bit of straightening to do and a few dishes in the sink. but, other than that, I just need to do a general wiping down and dusting of surfaces, sweep, and run the vacuum.

Chore I'm not looking forward to today or this week...

... this category is so hard for me. I can't think of anything that I'm NOT looking forward to, so I will tell you what I'm MOST looking forward to, and that is going to the Amish and Mennonite stores. Daughter Amber and I are both out of several things (whole grains, baking supplies, spices) so we plan on going together later this week.

To relax this week, I will...

... enjoy a cup of hot tea, read, crochet, walk, and listen to Lamplighter Theatre 

On my prayer list...

- President Trump, Vice-President Pence, and every other official in this country at every level - that they would seek God and His wisdom, and that their eyes and ears would be open to the truth of God's Holy Word.
- For a spiritual awakening in America and beyond
- Friends, family members, and others who are fighting battles this morning...illness, hospitalization, loneliness, financial strain, and more. May God's perfect will be done in every circumstance and may His peace settle over all...in Jesus' name.

Devotional/Bible verse...

Well, Ladies, that's it for this week! I pray that each and every one of you have a lovely, productive, and great week ahead!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Tuesday 4 - Hobby Girls

Happy Homemaker Monday - January 20, 2020

Tuesday 4: Wayfaring

Tuesday 4 - Hobby Girls

It's Tuesday and it's time for Tuesday 4! Here are Annie's questions for Week 3 of 2020...

1. Do you have a hobby or a special interest?  Do you quilt, crochet, cook, sew, collect things, sing, play an instrument, love dolls, politics, learning, reading, biking, hiking, camping, swimming, flower arranging, watching TV? Do you love to entertain, set a beautiful table or just take a walk? Share it with us won't you? Why do you enjoy it? Can you tell us how you became interested or what particularly interests you about your hobby.
Would you share some photos or pictures of your hobbies or interests or lovely things you've seen along the way?

Unfortunately, I have too many interests to do any of them justice, I'm afraid. I enjoy reading, writing, traveling, visiting new places (including historical sites, museums, and art galleries), camping, hiking, spending time in nature, cooking, baking, visiting with family and friends, and more. The truth is, I enjoy just about every new experience and generally view life as one big adventure! 

As for collections...

Over the years I've enjoyed collecting many things...postcards, teapots, teacups and saucers, hearts, rocks, seashells, patches, stickers, buttons...but my favorite thing to collect is memories...and every one of the things that I've collected over the years takes me back to a specific place and time that leads to wonderful memories that have taken up permanent residence in my heart and mind. The things I collect are always tied to a specific person, place, or event in my life. These pictures aren't very good (they were taken with my old Ipod), but here are a few of my favorite collections...


Teacups and saucers...

Every single one of these pieces (and these are just part of my collection) go back to a specific person in my life with whom wonderful memories have been shared...

My grandmother's button jars...

I have added a few buttons to the jars to finish filling them up, but most of them are the originals that Grandma had in them when I was little. I loved looking through these jars as a child; when my grandmother passed away, my aunt let me have them. What a blessed treasure!

And this...

My friend, Bev Cooper, of Wooden Mosaic Treasures put this (and several others) together for me after my dad passed away in 2016. I had a couple of boxes of old jewelry that belonged to my mother, her mother, her grandmother, and her aunt, plus a few pieces that had belonged to my dad. Many of the pieces were broken, some were missing settings, etc., so I sent the whole collection to Bev and she turned the old jewelry into beautiful initialed wall-hangings...one for us, one for each of our six children and their families, and one for each of my mother's sisters. What a beautiful treasure to remind each of us of the generations that have gone before!

2.  Gardening is a hobby for some.
Do you garden or grow house plants? What do you like about it? What are your favorite plants inside or out? Pictures? We'd love to see  photos of your house or garden plants or hear about ideas you have for growing things or creating beauty with plants around the house.

My husband is the vegetable gardener here and I do have a few houseplants, but my favorite thing is my flowers...crocuses, irises, and purple-headed coneflowers being my top choices.

Lavender Irises
(These are my favorites! They smell just like grape Kool-Aid!)

Purple-headed Coneflower 

3. If you could design a dream garden or park, how would you do it? What would it contain? Maybe include a picture from the net of one you think closely fits your dream garden.

My dream garden would contain my favorite old-fashioned flowers and bushes (lilacs, roses, and irises) mixed with native wildflowers and grasses. It would look something like a typical English garden (house and all)...like this...

Photo Credit

4. Do you like being outdoors? If so, what attracts you to the great outdoors and, if not, what keeps you inside?
Do you walk in the rain? Are there parks near you that you like to visit?

Yes...I do like being outdoors. I love being out in, and studying, God's magnificent creation! What keeps me in, though, is excessive heat and TICKS! (This is also why summer is my LEAST favorite season!) I love walking in the rain and YES! There is a park near me that I love to visit! It is Prairie State Park and it just happens to be where I work as a naturalist! 😁 I enjoy visiting state, city, and national parks and...that reminds me! Two more things that I am currently collecting are Missouri State Parks and hiking trails! My goal is to eventually visit every park within the state system and to hike as many of their trails as possible. 

In Memory of Toni Taddeo

That's it for this week!

Until next time,
~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might be interested in reading...

Happy Homemaker Monday - January 20, 2020

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