Comin' Home

Recouping at a Cozy Mountaintop Retreat

2012-01-22T14:39:00.000-06:00

I must say that if you have to break a wrist and need a quiet and cozy place to recoup, then Robin's home is the place to be.

Next week, we'll be back at my son's home and cuddling with the grandkids. By that time the pain and swelling will be minimal. We will do a little sight seeing in Seattle, some shopping, visit Tim's brother and sister-in-law, and we'll celebrate Lena's birthday. So fun!

For now, I'm dealing with the challenges of dressing, writing, typing and even sleeping with one hand. The constant dull ache and swelling bothers me very little during the day, but starts to get to me at night.

My next DIY project will be a giant pillow with the exact right height and shape to keep your arm elevated while you sleep. Anyone got a huge roll of duct tape I can borrow? LOL.

Elevation--all day, every day, is my constant challenge and will be for several weeks.

In the meanwhile, I am enjoying the most amazing views in the mountains overlooking the John Day river valley. All of this view is seen from the comfort of a recliner next to a cozy fire through picture windows of giant proportions! You can actually SEE the snowstorms coming from across the valley! It's like being in a snow globe! Enchanting!

Robin's home is bright and cheery and spacious. She waits on me hand and foot. Hot tea, coffee, magazines, ice packs, an extra pillow, fuzzy blanket or a pill (only at the proper time of course) are just a whisper away. She loves taking care of people and here I am...an invalid dropped right in her lap like manna from heaven. LOL!

Still, Hubby has to work ALL day long with boss and co-worker. Working together is not something they get to do very often..and the hours are invaluable to them. So I miss him..and the kids...and bloggy friends..and my church friends. Cell phones don't work and internet is sketchy. It's hard not to feel a little lonely.

On the bright side, we're driving back to Seattle tomorrow. Soon we'll be with family again...and cell phone reception. Who-hoo! I'm supposed to get a cast if the incisions have healed up properly right before we fly back to Texas. We hope that will be on the 28th.

If you could send up a little prayer for those stitches and not getting bumped on our space available flights, I'd be so grateful. Trying not to get too homesick..but when you are hurting, it's a little hard not to miss your own bed and pillow. Don't worry--I'm counting my blessings.:)

You, my friends are high on that list. Thanks for you sweet notes. :)

Surgery Today

2012-01-16T10:59:00.003-06:00

Hi friends,

Just wanted to let you know that surgery is at 1:30pm pacific time. That's 3:30 Texas time. I sure don"t care for anesthesia. It's out-patient surgery . Btw for those who were wondering,I broke my right wrist. I'm left handed so that's good news. They are putting in plates and pins to reattach the ends of the bones that broke off. The cast won't be put on for a couple of weeks. I'll have a splint at first.

No driving or washing up for six weeks! Yipes! Sounds like life will be different around our house for a while. We are heading to oregon tomorrow so I'll be recouping at Tim's boss's house. Thanks for everyone's prayers. Here's a sweet photo my son took of Lena. I have photos of the kids but can't post them yet. I'll share them soon. The snow here is goreous!

xo Donna

On a 'Break'.....Literally!

2012-01-12T22:08:00.001-06:00

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Two days ago we arrived in Seattle for our visit with the kids and grandkids. Yesterday morning i slipped in my fuzzy socks and landed on my wrist. It's broken pretty badly and I'll have to have out patient surgery this coming Thursday to get one of the bones in the proper place.

I'm typing this with one hand. :) I'm afraid it may be awhile before i can type again. Just wanted you to know where I was. When the pain subsides I'll try to update you. I'll be in a cast for six weeks.

Sadly, i had to cancel my trip to Maria's in Vancouver. We're so disappointed.

The bright side is that I'm still getting to cuddle with the grandkids and visit our kids.

The pain is pretty severe and the medicine makes me groggy...but hopefully things will get better quickly.
Be assured that I'm resting in the Lord's peace. Somehow this will all work out for the best.

Hubby drove us to his childhood home in Issaquah and to Snoqualmie falls. Inspite of the pain, I couldn 't help but be awestruck by it's majestic beauty. Thought you would enjoy seeing it.

Have a lovely week. I'll catch up with you as soon as I'm able.

Happy Homemaking!

Donna

Celebration, Resolution, Moderation...a Recipe for a Happy New Year

2012-01-03T11:19:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year friends! We're packing for a two and a half week trip to Washington to visit our kids and grandkids so our vacation will be longer than most. We'll be taking school 'on the road' too. I'm not sure how the posting will go with grandchildren nearby. (I'm so excited!)

I'm also looking forward to visiting Maria Killam of Color Me Happy. She lives in Vancouver, BC which is just a short bus ride from Seattle. (Well--four hours isn't too bad. :-) Who would have ever thought I'd actually make it to her house! Yippee!

I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas and have an even more wonderful New Year! Thoughts of New Year's Resolutions were floating around in my head and I couldn't help but mention the topic.

The fact is that I'm not too big on 'resolutions'. For me, this year has been one long resolution. LOL!

Still, it's wonderful to reflect on all that we've been able to accomplish this year...

de-cluttered home
a small weight loss and better eating habits
exercising more consistently
90% of our debt paid off
new school program for our youngest child (the last one still in homeschool)

Tim and I have purposely slowed down to spend more quality time with family and friends. We've talked on the phone with our adult children more and mended some bridges too. I would say that was the most important thing that happened this year. Loving each other. It's what we care about most.

Really, the things that have already happened are the things that most of us would want on our list: more spiritual, physical, relational, and financial peace and wholeness.

A new year is a great time to reflect on our progress towards a life lived purposely and to renew our commitment to those goals.

If there is any one thing I would encourage you to do this month, it would be to make a list of all that you HAVE done already. Celebrate those things first...Then..make a list of things you would like to see work on for this coming year.

Source: google.com via Pao on Pinterest

If I WAS to make a list it would be to

pray more
love more
write more
eat less
move more
and sew a LOT more!! (Who-hoo!)

My hope for this year, is to continue doing what I was last year...but more faithfully. Sadly, I'm a pretty naturally undisciplined person, and I've decided that I will always be striving to improve.

Procrastination is still my most decided weakness..though that seems to be on the decline too--hence the most awesome Christmas ever! Next year--I'm starting in July! (Just kidding.:o)

It's called growing up... but I have a sneaky suspicion I will be 'at it' till I'm 80. (Ah well..)

Source: radmegan.blogspot.com via Kate on Pinterest

Just remember...the Tortoise got a lot further down the road than the hare! Don't beat yourself over the head for what you haven't done this last year...

Just keep movin' along the right track and a year from now, you'll be celebrating too!

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillippians 4:4-7

May you be blessed in every way this coming year...

Happy Homemaking...

Donna

An Elegant Christmas Dinner (Bonus: How to Cook the Perfect Roast)

2011-12-22T12:33:00.000-06:00

Source: southernliving.com via Donna on Pinterest

It's four days until Christmas. Have you got your Christmas dinner planned and purchased? I'm so glad my daughter 'encouraged' me to get out in the fray and get our grocery shopping done. It's hard to get around in so much traffic.

Every year, I've done a very simple, and frugal Christmas dinner with time-tested favorite dishes that our family loves. If you are short on time and energy or are on a tight budget...click here for the perfect Christmas dinner for you.

However, due to the fact that we started so early on our Christmas prep, I'm done!! Yippee! So I want to cook a very SPECIAL Christmas dinner. An elegant one in fact. I spent a lot of time hunting for the BEST recipes from the most trusted sources to put together our Christmas dinner this year.

Source: google.com via Donna on Pinterest

Who Do I Trust? Cooks Illustrated, Southern Living, and Martha Stewart. They aren't the only ones, but these are some I've come to depend on. Still, you do have to subscribe to get much out of Cooks Illustrated (they block you out after hunting for two or three recipes)...and for my birthday, that's just what I'm doing.

Our Christmas Dinner Menu

Slow Cooked Roast Beef with Horseradish Sauce

Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust

Green bean Casserole (for the boys)

Greek Salad

Spinach Dip with Blue Cheese and Bacon

on Crusty Frenchbread Slices

and

Grasshopper Pie

Source: simplyrecipes.com via Donna on Pinterest

Slow Cooked Roast Beef with Horseradish sauce

I love Cook's Illustrated because the TEST every recipe. They are the 'Consumer Reports Group' for foodies. Their article on how to properly roast a cheap cut of beef was fabulous!

Thanks to them, my roasts are defrosting as we speak and will be aging in the fridge for the suggested four days. (You don't have to age it. Their recipe will make your roast taste great without doing that.)

I got the horseradish sauce recipe from Martha Stewart's website because she always using quality ingredients. Yes, they cost more...but they also taste heavenly. If we are going to splurge on delicious recipes..Christmas is surely the time to do that. :o)

Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust
Southern Living has great holiday recipes including Top 5 Main Dishes for Christmas. They also had holiday side dishes and that's where I got this recipe from. We are going to put it on a cake stand too. It includes both white potatoes and sweet potatoes plus a special cheese and other goodies. It should taste FABulous!

Source: marthastewart.com via Donna on Pinterest

Green Bean Casserole and Greek Salad
For veges, we will make a traditional green bean casserole. It's the only time of year my boys get 'doctored up' vegetables...and I don't want to disappoint them. But Rebekah and I are trying to control the damage to our waistlines by adding a lighter side dish.

Hubby and I once went to Ya Ya Mia's on a business trip and devoured their Greek salad. We had never tasted anything so good! So I'm trying a recipe from Martha Stewart. Tim will be so surprised and pleased. He loves Greek food.

Source: marthastewart.com via Donna on Pinterest

Spinach Dip with Blue Cheese and Bacon

I wanted to make creamed spinach and bacon, but Rebekah begged, "Please let us have spinach dip. It's Soooo yummy...and I'll make the crusty bread!" So I gave in. :o) We're making Spinach Dip with Blue Cheese and Bacon from Cooks Illustrated. If you get locked out then try Martha Stewart's website. She has that one too.

Source: google.com via Donna on Pinterest

Grasshopper Pie...Hubby's Favorite
It's embarrassing to think that Hubby's been 'hinting' for 25 years that I ought to make this. It's his favorite pie and I don't think he's eaten any anywhere in all this time. Poor hubby!

Why the delay? Well the recipe calls for Creme de' Menthe which is expensive and has to be purchased at a liquor store. For years, I've been too embarrassed to go get it. Now I'm not so squeamish..so I picked up a bottle last week. It should make a LOT of pies! LOL!

At any rate, this will be my first time to make grasshopper pie. Pioneer Woman has a munch simpler recipe, but if I make it..I want to make it extra special, so I'm trying Martha's which calls for better quality ingredients.

Either way, I'm looking forward to tasting this. Chocolate and Mint...How can we go wrong? :o)

So that's our Christmas dinner in a nut shell. If you are looking for more ideas, be sure to check out Southern Living's Top 5 Main Dishes for Christmas. They have some great suggestions!

Happy Homemaking...

Donna

Make a Fabulous Online Photo Album with a 'Scrapbook' Feel

2011-12-19T11:44:00.001-06:00

Can you believe that it's almost Christmas! I do hope you have most of your shopping and wrapping done! We bought our Christmas dinner last night and the stuff for the kids stockings.(Hope I can share the menu with you tomorrow! Yummy!)

Today, I'm doing my very last two things on the list...addressing some Christmas cards for local friends and arranging the dropping off of an Angel Tree Gift to a young teenager whose mother is in prison. That was the main way that our church ministered to others this Christmas. :o)

Gift Idea: Online Photo Album

Before I get to work though, I thought I'd share one last gift idea--an online photo album. I mentioned this on my Christmas list in November. Every year we make a photo album for my hubby's parents who live in Washington DC.

If you would like to try this, there is still time at Shutterfly to make one and get a huge discount. The deal is over today though. Still..this would be a great gift--deal or no deal.

Easy Option

If you are in a hurry, try the 'easy' mode. But be forewarned. You can't customize the size or shape of the boxes (which is bothersome if you have a photo with low resolution in that particular shape). And you can't add more than four photos per page. Still-- it is quick!

Custom Option

The other option is the custom one. You can add as many photos as you like and change just about everything, which is why it took me so long to make my album. LOL!

I spent a LOT of hours on this..but it's our annual family year book, so it's worth it to me.

I love being able to get that 'scrapbook' feel without actually doing the scrapbooking! No fuss or muss!

Tips

Yellow Triangles - The little warning marks don't show up when the book publishes of course. These tell you there are typos or that the photo is too close to the edge or may be blurry when printed.
Be careful to make sure none of your photos are too low of resolution. You will regret it when you get the book. The picture WILL be blurry.
Save often! It has auto save..but my java plug in crashed a couple of times and I lost a lot of work.

Don't change the cover or style midway through if you have done a lot of arranging you don't want to lose. It will mess the whole thing up! Play with it a while before you start doing a lot of detail writing or embellishing.

Try to gather as many photos as possible from your various folders. It's a lot easier than hunting mid-way through.
Make an outline of events you want to include.

If you have the option, don't pre-fill...instead choose to put your uploaded photos in a photo bar. Just drag photos to a page for each event without doing any detailing (text or embellishments). Keep sorting and dragging till all of your photos from the bar are gone. Now each page has all the relevant photos grouped for that event and you can go back and fuss with them or even add a page if necessary.

Have fun this holiday season with a heart-warming photo album. It's a great way to end the year!

Happy Homemaking...

Donna

Comin' Home's Top Ten Picks for Christmas Gifts $20.00 or Less

2011-12-16T01:10:00.002-06:00

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The Christmas countdown has begun..hasn't it? It's only ten more days till Christmas! If you didn't start my 'Get Ready for Christmas in Seven Days plan', you may be a little stressed out right now.

Don't worry though, there's still plenty of time to get your list finished. If it's been 'one of those years' where life has thrown a few monkey wrenches into your holiday preparations, perhaps this list of my favorite gifts (either ones I purchased or received) will help alleviate some pressure.
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Gardening in the Winter

2011-12-15T21:05:00.004-06:00

I know...for many of you there won't be any gardening for awhile. But in Houston, the growing season is almost ALL YEAR. In fact, if you check the back of the seed packets, planting starts in January!

Having gardened north of Dallas most of my childhood, my internal gardening clock is set to their schedule...April for planting and possibly later. So I always feel so BEHIND.

But Houston is a gardener's dream. My sweet friend Laurie, who is an avid gardener and doesn't live far from me, is still serving tomatoes out of her garden!

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Christmas Store for Class Motivation (quick update)

2011-12-13T11:11:00.000-06:00

Hmm...what should I buy with these hard earned tickets? This was the question my girls were pondering over as they shopped at my 'Christmas store'.

You may recall that I talked about holding this store of goodies, purchased on clearance and even while on vacation, for the girls in my writing class at my son's homeschool co-op.

Our Trees... Ablaze with Vibrant Color

2011-12-09T22:32:00.000-06:00

A miracle of color happened at our house this year....

In all the time we have been living here...only one of our trees ever turned a truly vivid color. In fact, the trees here in Texas..especially near Houston, just don't do that, at least not like they do further north.

Please Pray for My Blogging Friend Kerrie and Her Husband, Bill

2011-12-09T14:37:00.001-06:00

Dear Friends,

I don't often do this, but after reading Kerrie's update on her husband Bill's website at Caring Bridge .org http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/billmarquart, I thought today it was time to start.

You see..Kerrie's husband Bill has cancer. You can read more about his journey and hers on her profile at Two Happy.

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How Clean is Clean Enough for Company? A Reader Writes...

2011-12-07T11:10:00.007-06:00

Dear Donna....
I found your blog a few weeks ago and I have sooo enjoyed it.I did the DEEP clean the first of Nov. We had a big get together here the week before Thanksgiving.

My husband told me he hates having people over because I go crazy getting everything spic and span. I told him all this needed to be done anyway and having people over is a good excuse to get it done. He tells me I'm too clean--that there was no reason to deep clean before people come over.I should just clean after they leave because it is going to be dirty then with all the kids running in and out.
Source: organizedhome.com via Penny on Pinterest

Has 'Just for Now' become 'Forever'?

2011-12-04T23:15:00.003-06:00

Source: attackofthecute.com via Becca on Pinterest

Isn't it amazing the things you notice about your home the day before company arrives? Sometimes I wish I had a pair of 'company's coming' glasses that I could don on cleaning day. :o)

We have company right now! On Thursday, we're also having a small party, so I'm definitely seeing our home through 'new eyes'....
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Making Fabric Crib Wall Art: The Story of Samantha's Flowers

2011-12-03T17:08:00.003-06:00

Once upon a time there was born a very special baby girl... She had a cherry red bumper and a deep pink and orange bedside lamp but as yet, nothing adorned the wall above her crib.

So her fairy grandmother waved her magic wand...and blew some of the bright little flowers off of her dress...and onto the wall.... with a kiss.

Well... no... that's not exactly how it happened. (Tee-hee!)

Gourmet Cookie Mix in a Jar Recipe-Yum!

2011-12-02T09:44:00.009-06:00

"If I don't LOVE it...I don't EAT it." So said the food critic in the enchanting movie, "Ratatouille" which was all about the art of cooking.

My skinny friends have this same motto..hence their constant quest for the 'perfect' cookie recipe.

I think I've finally found one they won't be able to resist!

Why don't you try one of them and see what you think?

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What are You Thankful For? (New Grandbaby Photo!)

2011-11-25T19:30:00.005-06:00

That's an easy question for me to answer! Still, I'm glad we have a holiday that reminds us to 'Give Thanks'. We had a wonderful dinner with some church friends. It's our first time to share Thanksgiving dinner with someone other than family and it really was a special day.

Debbie and I were surprised and delighted to see how well our table decor complimented each other's. I had to use green & white gourds since the stores were all out of orange mini-pumpkins..and the only tapers I could find were burgundy. I didn't know she had burgandy napkins and green table cloths. Her dishes and goblets were lovely.

Isn't this just perfect? We were both so pleased.

Three More Thanksgiving Crafts....for You!

2011-11-23T23:40:00.002-06:00

It looks like fall around here...at last! We hung my Thanksgiving Turkey, the one I quilted many years ago. My friend, Margie, actually did this turkey's body and then she got tired of the project. She gave it to me, so I added the feathers and the scrap border. It was my first attempt to machine quilt..but I try not to look to close. :-)

Mr. Turkey always announces the beginning of fall at our house.

My daughter and I have had a lot of crafty fun this last couple of weeks. We went on a nice long walk and couldn't help but gather leaves. The colors were SOooo pretty! Of course, then we had to figure out what to do with them all.

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A Quick and Easy 'Give Thanks' Banner

2011-11-23T15:14:00.001-06:00

Hey friends, This is just a quick peek at my 'Give Thanks' banner. I'm off to run an errand, but thought this might inspire you.

Cut out some triangles from an earth toned fabric...or even brown paper!

Print out some letters (extra large) cut out and trace backwards on freezer paper.

Next....

Get Ready for Christmas in Seven Days!

2011-11-16T15:59:00.003-06:00

Source: sweetpaulmag-digital.com via Tesca on Pinterest

Have you ever noticed how some of the 'biggest' jobs on your 'To Do' list rarely take as much time as you thought they would? Christmas looms for many of us because every task seems BIG.

This year, I surprised myself when I found that I had completed most of my shopping in less than 3 hours! Online..of course. Between Amazon and Melissa & Doug (a fun and educational toy supplier), I was able to do 90% of my christmas shopping..for the packages that need to be shipped.

It felt so strange to have that particular job--DONE--just like that. I feel positively giddy!

That got me to thinking... Could it be that many of the tasks that we do to prepare for Christmas aren't so scary after all? How about, if for the next week or two, we skipped movies, or computer games...for Christmas projects. :o)

Time for Tea: If I Had a Whole Day....Just for Me..

2011-11-10T11:57:00.002-06:00

It's been so long since we had our weekly 'tea'. Would you like to join me for a cup? I got to musing the other day and thought I'd share my thoughts with you.

Have you ever thought about what you would do, if there was nothing on your ' to do list'? What if there were no bills to pay, no groceries to buy,...

Source: Uploaded by user via Donna on Pinterest

Creative Holiday Centerpieces by the Women of Grace

2011-11-08T00:44:00.004-06:00

Hello friends! It's been a month since the holiday decor competition (all in a spirit of fun ) and the ladies at my church, Grace Community, really out did themselves, I think. :o)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we were challenged to come up with a centerpiece for Thanksgiving or Christmas and decide whether to make it elegant, family-friendly, or traditional as we saw fit. Our team chose Thanksgiving..and traditional.

Can It Really Be Fall? How About Some Decorating Ideas?

2011-10-28T16:06:00.001-05:00

Decorating for the holidays has never been my 'forte', so when my friend, Laurie, assigned the ladies at church to bring ideas for creative centerpieces and table settings for the holidays, my mind drew a complete blank!

Yes, the ever creative me..was at a total loss. It was unsettling, to say the least. Ask me to organize your files..and I'm fine..but decorating? Yipes!

Thank goodness, the internet is awash with lovely ideas for holiday decorating, crafts, and recipes. So even the most creatively challenged gal can come up with something a little unique and festive this year.

Though I'm not that good at decorating...I'm a sucker for any DIY craft. These are just some of the fun ideas I scrounged up on my scavenger hunt last weekend.
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Eating by the 'Rules' Can Help You Lose Weight Forever

2011-10-19T09:45:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness! Who would have thought that following a few simple rules for eating could speed my weight loss progress? Thank you Bob Greene from "My Best Life"! Credit

Here are the rules for losing weight that he suggests we abide by. ( I dropped another pound in two days following these rules--Total weight loss of 13.5 pounds since Sept. 5!)

Rule 1: Don't eat after 7:30pm.

Morning Chat...on a Lovely Day

2011-10-15T12:26:00.002-05:00

Hey friends, How are you? I'm sure you are wondering if I fell off the edge of the planet. What a busy couple of weeks we've had! I know..your week has been too. I'm beginning to think we'll all be 'busy' till we die..but I hope it's the 'right' kind of busy.

Our family has been 'busy' with birthdays--since four of my kids are born in October. We've also been walking, playing frisbee, counting calories on Lose It--my favorite weightloss tracking program and sigh..most of all doing taxes. But this morning..I'm just enjoying the great outdoors....

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Motivating Your Kids to Learn

2011-10-04T00:57:00.001-05:00

Ever asked yourself how to inspire your kids to give you their very best? How do you motivate your kids to want to add 'quality adjectives' or 'strong verbs' to a paragraph you've just assigned them to write for the week? Or to even write at all!

It takes one simple tool--the right motivation. The trick is figuring out what that is....

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