I know the old saying “When it rains, it pours”, but I think that the little extras that come our way in life only seem bigger and worse when we are already stretched thin. For example, after dropping my car off for some warranty/recall type repairs last night, Will’s coach emailed to schedule a special batting practice for today. When the phone rang this morning, calling Copper in for overtime, the day suddenly seemed impossible. I prayed. Friends prayed for us. My car was ready by noon and the dealer was kind enough to send his shuttle van all the way out into the boondocks to pick me up so I would have my car for the rest of the day. That “pouring” rain, was once again just a gentle sprinkle, and I know in my heart that it was God who calmed the storm of my day.

As I set goals for myself for this year, I included some quilting goals and some family goals, both concerning my grandchildren. With my youngest son only three years older than my oldest grandchild, I really can’t wait until my own nest is empty before doing things for, and spending special time with, my grandbabies. With that in mind, I set goals this year to begin making each of my grand babies a small, fun-size quilt and to plan at least one non-birthday outing with each of the children old enough to be away from mama for a few hours.

I’m still a very, very novice quilter, but decided I might as well practice and develop my skills on quilts for the grandkids. These aren’t meant to be heirloom quilts, but just fun, drag around and wrap up in, quilts. My oldest grandson, who just turned ten, will get the first such quilt. He chose the colors red and blue, but indicating that he wanted mostly red.

I’ve been purchasing fabric for his quilt since fall, and final began cutting it yesterday. I had just finished cutting the last of the squares today when the shuttle driver arrived to pick me up.

Measuring and cutting the strips and squares for my grandson’s quilt has been a nice diversion from the hectic pace that we’re keeping these days. I’m so thankful that the Lord led me to set those goals in January, before I knew how busy the year would become. If those goals were not already in place, I’d allow the “crazy-busy” season that we are now in to convince me that there isn’t time to start a quilt or to plan an outing with a grandchild or two. Having pre-determined goals reminds me of the things that are important to me, like finally getting the quilts for my grand babies started, and simultaneously brings some order and calm to my chaos.

Oh, and tomorrow Will, my two oldest grandsons, and I are headed out for an adventure at a hands on science museum, right in the heart of a “crazy-busy” week. Knowing what my goals are actually makes the outing a sweet, calm respite in the midst of chaos, and is another way that I can look well to the ways of my household.

Because we’ve enjoyed almost every single recipe we’ve tried from SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue, I’ve put four new-to-us recipes from the book on the menu for the coming week. The French Cassoulet we missed last week, two quick and easy chicken dishes, and a slow, simmering beef stew with a southwestern twist. To liven things up even more, Dani is going to make Pioneer Woman’s Pork Chops with Garlic and Wine for us on Monday. The whole week will be a yummy feast!

This is the last week before baseball season begins in earnest for us. I’m hoping to have a practice and game schedule in hand by week’s end so I can plan next week’s menu accordingly. Books like SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue help keep well balanced, delicious, family-friendly meals on the table without my needing to spend a lot of time in the kitchen prepping and/or cooking dinner.

Here’s our menu for the coming week. Please click on over to Laura’s site to see many, many more menus posted for Menu Plan Monday.

MONDAY:
Breakfast – Waffles
Lunch – Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Chips
Dinner – Pioneer Woman’s Pork Chops with Garlic & Wine, Roasted Potatoes and Carrots, Green Salad

TUESDAY:
Breakfast – Cereal
Lunch – Canned Soup, Crackers
Dinner – Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry (Recipe found in this cookbook.), Basmati Brown Rice, Ambrosia Salad

WEDNESDAY:
Breakfast – Scrambled Eggs & Cinnamon Raisin Toast
Lunch –  Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Chips
Dinner – Santa Fe Style Beef Stew (Recipe found in this cookbook.), Candied Carrots, Bread & Butter

THURSDAY:
Breakfast – Scottish Oatmeal
Lunch – Mac & Cheese, Fruit
Dinner – French Cassoulet with White Beans & Sausage (Recipe found in this cookbook.), Gnocchi, Veggies Normandy

FRIDAY:
Breakfast – Pancakes
Lunch – Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, Fruit
Dinner – Chicken Milanesa (Recipe found in this cookbook.), Boiled Red Potatoes, Green Salad with Fresh Pear, Pecans & Parmesan

SATURDAY:
Breakfast – Cereal
Lunch – Chef Dani’s Choice
Dinner – Nachos & Lost

SUNDAY:
Breakfast – Sour Cream Coffeecake
Lunch – Out After Church
Dinner  - Wild Dinner

Need help menu planning? Maybe my Menu Planning Series can help.

The week as captured in eight photos and eight words, in an acrostic format.

Sewing

Athletic

Tune-up

Uniform

Roses

Driving

Ability-building

YNAB

When I was about twelve, or so, my parents allowed some Youngberry vines to come up, under the fence, from the neighbor’s yard into our backyard. Over the course of the next several years, my dad carefully cultivated those berry vines. He would dig up the new canes as they emerged and replant them in neat rows in the backyard. He trimmed out the old, spent canes every fall, and trained the tender new vines onto the support system he built for them. My girls grew up enjoying Granddad’s Berries every June, and eating countless pieces of Memom’s Berry Pie! We have taken starts from those original Youngberry vines with us every time we have moved.

Copper’s grandmother, on the other hand, was quite the gardener. That woman had the quintessential green thumb! Grandma’s Raspberries were always a favorite. For the last several years, I’ve wanted to plant Raspberries of my own. Last week, when we picked up Dani’s seed potatoes and other garden supplies, we made the spontaneous decision to buy bare root Raspberry canes.

Aaron broke ground and made a dozen or so passes with the rototiller on Saturday. The soil was beautiful! By mid-afternoon that same day, all ten canes were in the ground.

Bare root fruit trees and vines look lifeless. The raspberry canes I planted looked like dead sticks with spidery roots on one end. Though they don’t look like much now, leaves will soon emerge from their now tightly closed buds. If the weather cooperates, we may even enjoy a few juicy, sweet raspberries this first summer.

What a wonderful promise of summer in the very heart of winter!

Guardrails = A system to keep vehicles from straying into dangerous or off limits areas
(from a sermon series at church)

I like the visual that definition provides.

We’ve allowed some of the “guardrails” in our home to fall into disrepair, resulting in too much time being wasted following worthless, and potentially harmful, pursuits. Today those guardrails were rebuilt governing the amount of time our boys spend online and redirecting them back onto the highway toward success.

We all need guardrails, don’t we? I sure do! I am so thankful to be able to open my Bible and see the loving way that God has provided guardrails for us as we follow Him.

Guardrails aren’t restrictive. They’re only installed along the dangerous bits of roadway. They don’t obstruct our view, but they clearly mark the place where the edge of the pavement ends and the cliff begins. As the pastor said Sunday, we really don’t appreciate those guardrails until we need them.

Some touch up painting was taken care of today, too! So thankful for a husband who works hard on his day off!

In the coming weeks, I’ll be pulling out some of my favorite sources for dinners that can either be prepped and made ahead or put together quickly just before meal time. The first such favorite is Aviva Goldfarb’s SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth-Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Dinners for Busy Families. Over the last year or so, I’ve tried a dozen or more recipes from this cookbook, and they’ve all been hits. Every recipe includes the prep and cooking times, as well as suggested quick-to-fix side dishes to complement the main dish. Most recipes are ready in about thirty – forty-five minutes, start to finish, making them perfect for hectic evenings.

You can read even more about this fantastic cookbook in my review. 

Here’s our menu for the coming week, including three recipes from SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble.  For even more menus, be sure and visit this week’s Menu Plan Monday at I’m An Organizing Junkie.

Monday:
Breakfast – Waffles
Lunch – Turkey Sandwiches, Chips
Dinner – Bourbon Street Chicken, Rice, Veggies Normandy

Tuesday:
Breakfast – Cold Cereal
Lunch – Black Bean, Corn, Tomato & Cheese Tostadas
Dinner – Tortellini Soup (from SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue), Garlic Bread

Wednesday:
Breakfast – Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Burritos
Lunch – Left over Tortellini Soup, Bread
Dinner – Panko Peanut Crusted Pork Chops (from SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue), Green Salad with Cranberries & Parmesan Cheese, Whole Wheat Bread & Butter

Thursday:
Breakfast – Baked Oatmeal
Lunch – Grilled Cheese on Rosemary Sourdough, Fruit
Treat – Valentine Cupcakes
Dinner – French Cassoulet (from SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue), French Bread

Friday:
Breakfast – Pancakes
Lunch – Boys on their own, Dani & I in town
Dinner – Sub-sandwich from the grocery store deli

Saturday:
Breakfast – Cereal
Lunch – Dani’s Choice
Dinner – Nachos & Lost

Sunday:
Breakfast – Yogurt Cranberry Coffeecake
Lunch – Out After Church
Dinner – Wild Dinner

What resources do you find helpful for making dinner on busy nights?