With Heart and Hand . . . ByGrace

Are You Bored?

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:58:00 +0000

I found a book recently that caught my attention, The Country Life Book of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. I've always had an interest in Britain's royal family, and I've especially admired the Queen Mother (who is now deceased) because of her charm, warmth, and dignity, so this book sparked my interest right away. As I was reading about her early life, the author was relating information about the Queen Mother's own mother, pictured on the right in 1923, who was apparently quite an amazing woman. She used to tell her children,

"Life is for living and working at. If you find anything or anybody a bore, the fault is in yourself."

What a lesson to us in these days! The Queen Mother was born in 1900, almost 109 years ago, yet her mother's words are still applicable today. If I find life boring, or the people around me boring, it's not their fault; it is mine!

Are you bored today? Get up and live! Work at finding interesting things to do. Look at your children. They are definitely not boring! Look around your home at all the little things you could do to make it a haven for your family, no matter what kind of house you live in. Think about the meals you cook - all the possibilities before you in making a variety of meals for your family. Refuse to be bored; learn to be content. Be thankful for all the interesting things and people in your life!

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice . . . for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Philippians 4:4,11

Photo courtesy of Life; permission granted for personal, non-commercial use.

The Secret

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Spring Cleaning

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

~~ Mark Twain ~~

What Hinders You?

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:06:00 +0000

I know I had a post with a similar title a few weeks ago! That one was about decorating. This one is about cleaning.

What is it that hinders you from keeping your house clean? That's the question I faced as I studied the first day in the Spring Clean Challenge at A Virtuous Woman. Melissa listed several things that hinder people from cleaning, and I had to admit that "all of the above" was my answer. This morning I sat down and found Scriptural thoughts to combat each of these reasons, and I wanted to share them here.

1. I don't know how to organize.

If you don't know how to organize your home - learn! James 1:5 says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Ask God to help you learn to clean and organize, and He will lead you to books and/or people that can help you. I still remember my amazement when I found FlyLady! I know, to this day, that she was a direct answer to my prayer for some way to begin keeping my home better. Ask for wisdom, then put some feet on that prayer and start looking for the information you need.

2. I have too much stuff.

Get rid of some of your stuff! Jesus warned against covetousness, the desire to have more stuff: "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." Luke 12:15 Go through your home and clear it of all those things you don't use or wear on a regular basis. You don't have to throw these things away; give them away or sell them on Craigslist or Ebay. Learn to let go of the material things of this life. They won't matter in eternity, and they are far less important than the people we love - and I want to make my home a place for my loved ones, not all my stuff.

3. I would rather be doing something else.

Wouldn't we all! Ecclesiastes 3:1 - "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" There is a time to do everything you need to do, and there is even a time to do those things you want to do. The really great thing is that, when you do the things you need to do, you can do the things you want to do without guilt! Learn to have a time for everything. Quit whining about not wanting to do what you should, and just do it.

4. I spend too much time on the computer or reading.

Again, there is time for each of those things, but we need to spend our time wisely. There's nothing wrong with being online or reading, as long as it's a wise use of our time. Two places in the New Testament we're told to redeem the time. Ephesians 5:16 - "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." And again in Colossians 4:5 - "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time." I did a little word study on these verses, focusing on redeem and time. In those two verses, time is speaking of a set or proper time - as in having a time for everything, as mentioned above. To redeem something is to buy it back or rescue it from loss. So use every minute so as not to waste it. Have some time be online, and make sure that time is profitable. Read, but make it profitable. Again, a time for everything!

As I've written these things, my heart has been saying, "What right do you have to say these things? You are guilty of all of these." That's right. All of these are things I regularly think and do. So this post was written to myself first. I have been praying much over the past few days and asking God to show me how to honor Him most, and these are the responses He is giving me. I hope they're a help to you! God's Word is relevant today, for our lives in 2009!

Worn Out!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:32:00 +0000

We had an exceptionally busy and exciting weekend! You can read more about it on my regular blog, ByGrace, if you'd like. Now my husband and I are worn out! I spent this morning alternating between wake and sleep. I literally got up, then went back to bed to take a nap!

Something that has burdened me lately is my laziness. Today has really shown up my lazy streak - but I do recognize that the past few days have been busier and more emotionally exciting than usual, so I'm trying to show myself a little grace. But overall, I want to do better. I've been attempting to stay off the computer more, and I'm beginning the Spring Cleaning Challenge from A Virtuous Woman. Have you joined in on it? I am an entire month behind, but because of its devotional nature, I want to do the entire challenge and not just jump in halfway through. I plan to make this part of my regular devotional reading/meditating/praying for the next few weeks. Let me know if you're participating too!

Well, my house isn't horrible, but it's not great, either. So I'll be working harder in the future and always learning to do better!

Need to Make Some Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:31:00 +0000

Just a quick check-in to say that the Chalupa was great last night! It was a hit with everyone, and it makes a lot so there are plenty of leftovers. I'm planning to use it in burritos tomorrow along with the leftover rice and some cheese. I'll have to make some more tortillas, though. Andrew ate 3 tortillas with chalupa inside (basically burritos) last night!

I've been working on spending less time online this week, and what time I am online I'm trying to make profitable rather than aimlessly surfing. I love to surf, so I think I'll make a time once a week when I can check out other blogs . . . I just can't do it indefinitely every day. So since I am spending less time online, I'm finding time to get other things done, like more home decorating, reading, crafting, and practicing music. The thing is, I have so many interesting things I want to do that I get bogged down trying to figure out what to do next!

I was thinking on this this morning. I remember staying with my Granny when I was a little girl. She was never rushing around, but she was never idle either. She would work in the house a bit, bake a little something, do some laundry, work in the yard a bit, listen to the radio, sew a little, read a little, watch the late news on TV . . . she was busy doing things, but not in a tizzy trying to do everything. And she was always humming; that's one of my sweetest memories of my Granny! I realized this morning that I want to be like her: busy, but not frantic.

Did Granny have a schedule? Not one that was written down, if she did. I do know that she did house things in the morning, including any baking she wanted to do. After lunch she would sit down and sew while listening to the radio, and in the evening is when she would do her reading. In the summer she'd do yard work in early morning or late evening - she always had a neat yard and beautiful flowers. I never even saw her hurry on Sunday mornings! She got her clothes ready the night before, then got up early so she wouldn't have to hurry. She was always ready and waiting for my uncle to come and pick her up for church at least an hour ahead of time. She'd set supper on to cook sometime in late morning, then reheat it at the proper time, or at the least get things ready to cook so she wouldn't have to rush around during meal time. Especially if people were coming over.

Today as I remember Granny's peaceful home (not spotless by any means, but peaceful), I find myself wanting the same thing. Not the frantic rush of trying to get a kajillion things done, but the relaxed pace of a simple life and simple work. Yes, I do have things to do, but I want to find that refreshing way of getting them done a little at a time. Spending less time online is a start. Slowing down and being in the moment is another inroad. Knowing my priorities is another key.

What do you think? How are ways that you can be busy, but not frantic?

Recipe: Chalupa

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:57:00 +0000

We're having another new dish tonight: Chalupa. It's from Fix-It & Forget-It Diabetic Cookbook. I've already sampled it while it's been cooking (should be done in about another hour), and I think we're going to like it! It's a pork dish, with pinto beans and Mexican seasonings. The recipe calls for it to be served over lettuce, but I'm making rice and we'll have tortillas, sour cream, and salsa on the side.

Chalupa

3 lb. pork roast, trimmed of fat
1 lb. dry pinto beans
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. salt
4-oz. can chopped green chilies
Water

1. Cover beans with water and soak overnight in slow cooker.
2. In the morning, remove beans (reserve soaking water) and put roast in bottom of cooker. Add remaining ingredients (including the beans and their soaking water) and more water if needed to cover all the ingredients.
3. Cook on High 1 hour, and then on Low 6 hours. Remove meat and shred with two forks. Return meat to slow cooker.
4. Cook on High 1 more hour.
5. Serve over a bed of lettuce. Top with grated cheese and chopped onions and tomatoes.

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Time for another week of menus! I don't always follow my menu plans exactly. Last week was a perfect example; I ended up switching things around on several days. But it sure does help to have some things written down so I have a basic idea of what's going on . . . and can switch meals out! Here are my plans for this week . . .

Monday - Cheeseburger Buns, Cheddar Potato Strips, coleslaw
Tuesday - Salmon Patties, creamed potatoes, chili beans, coleslaw
Wednesday - Beef Patties in Brown Gravy, rice, green beans
Thursday - Chalupa* (pork roast dish) over rice, tortillas, salad
Friday - Homemade Beef & Bacon pizza, salad
Saturday - Beef & Bean Burritos, corn, veggies & dip
Sunday - Pizza (Youth Appreciation Day at church)

*Recipe posted the day we plan to have this

For more menu plans and ideas, please visit Laura at I'm An Organizing Junkie!

Spring Cleaning 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:09:00 +0000

I just found a site, by recommendation of my blogging friend Sophia, that is having a Spring Cleaning Challenge 2009. First of all, I do prefer to do my heavy cleaning a bit at a time, a la FlyLady or Motivated Moms. At the same time, though, this challenge looks like something that would be good not only for our homes, but also for our hearts. I haven't read through much of it, but what I have read seems to be very helpful. So I thought I'd throw it out here for you to check into and see if it's something that might be a help to you. I certainly plan to read it and glean some helpful thoughts.

On the page I'm sending you to, you can scroll down to Day 1 and follow from there. The challenge started on March 1st, so it's not far into the challenge yet, and the author is graciously giving a catch-up post to help those who are just now hearing of the challenge. It's not too late!

Recipe: 10-Layer Slow-Cooker Dish

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Makes 8 servings

6 medium potatoes, thinly sliced, unpeeled
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
15-oz. can corn, drained
15-oz. can peas, drained
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

Layer 1: 1/4 of potatoes, 1/2 of onion
Layer 2: 1/2 can of corn
Layer 3: 1/4 of potatoes
Layer 4: 1/2 can peas
Layer 5: 1/4 of potatoes, 1/2 of onion
Layer 6: remaining corn
Layer 7: remaining potatoes
Layer 8: remaining peas and water
Layer 9: ground beef
Layer 10: soup

Cover; cook on High 4 hours.

Exchange List Values: Starch 2.5, meat, lean 2.0, Fat 0.5
WW Points: 7 per serving

Fix-It and Forget-It Diabetic Cookbook, Spiral-bound

By Phyllis Pellman Good

Menu Plan Monday - March 2 (on Tuesday!)

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:26:00 +0000

I'm sorry this is being posted so late! Not only late in the day, but a day late to boot. One of my meals from last week made it onto this week's menu, because I didn't get it in the crockpot on time, so I had to postpone it for another day. I'm good like that. I'm also known for not getting things in the crockpot on time!

Monday - Tortellini with Alfredo sauce, corn on the cob, spinach salad
Tuesday - Taco Bake, corn, baked beans, green salad
Wednesday - Potato Chowder with ham, fresh homemade bread
Thursday - 10-Layer Slow-Cooker Dish*, baby carrots, rolls
Friday - Homemade Pepperoni Pizza, salad
Saturday - Enchilada Stuffed Shells, ranch-style beans, coleslaw
Sunday - Parmesan Chicken, green beans, corn, rolls

*Recipe posted on the day we plan to eat it

For more menu plans and meal ideas, please visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

A Decent Day

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:36:00 +0000

If you've been around me for very long at all, you know I love Mondays! I started this one feeling energetic, but by mid-morning I was aching and cramping and tired. My sweet husband suggested I take a rest day, and so I have to an extent. I kept going, just at a slower pace. I knew that I wanted to get my morning routine and my housework done, so I just did the next thing till all that was done. It wasn't done in record time, but it's done. There are no piles staring at me, no dirty dishes or gritty floors, no icky sinks . . . that's the beauty of a routine. You can get the basics done and then rest if you need to. Laundry has been slow too, but it's getting done.

I am learning to quilt. I have two projects going right now, a doll quilt and a baby-size quilt. I still have to do the hand-quilting on the doll quilt, which is something I've never done before. I hope to do a little more on that tonight. And I just started cutting the pieces for the top of the other quilt over the weekend. I worked on that right before lunch, but my back was aching too much to continue on that today.

That's it for this Monday! I will post my Menu Plan tomorrow, a day late. Just wanted to share how having routines and a plan can help you get through those just-don't-feel-good days, when you aren't sick enough to be in bed, but not up to snuff either!

Recipe: Chicken Alfredo Calzones

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:03:00 +0000

For our pizza yesterday I made Chicken Alfredo Calzones. Here's my recipe for pizza dough. I made it in my bread machine while I went out to buy groceries. I love my bread machine! To assemble our calzones, I divided the dough into two pieces and rolled them out separately. I spread 1/2 of each piece with alfredo sauce, the kind in the jar. I buy the cheap kind from Wal Mart. I'm sure you could make your own, though, if you wanted to. Then I sprinkled the sauce with mozzarella cheese and topped it with thinly-sliced pieces of leftover chicken and bits of peppered bacon, and folded the other half of the dough over it all. I sealed the edges with a fork and cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Repeated with the other half of the dough. They looked like two giant turnovers. I baked them at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. And that's it! My kids love this pizza, although it's not my husband's favorite. He doesn't mind if I make it occasionally, though; he's nice like that! ;)

How to Spend Your Time

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Good Housekeeping, May, 1927

My blog friend, Mrs. T, posted this quote on her blog Across My Kitchen Table yesterday. I thought these were very wise and convicting words:

"Spend your time in nothing which you know must be repented of; in nothing on which you might not pray for the blessing of God; in nothing which you could not review with a quiet conscience on your dying bed; in nothing which you might not safely and properly be found doing if death should surprise you in the act."

~ Richard Baxter

Recipe: White Chili Speciality

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Taken from Fix-It and Forget-It Diabetic Cookbook

Makes 10 servings

1 lb. large Great Northern beans, soaked overnight
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up
1 medium onion
2 4-1/2 oz. cans chopped green chilies
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. sal
2 14-1/2 oz. cans chicken broth
1 cup water

1. Put soaked beans in medium-sized saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes. Discard water.

2. Brown chicken in fat-free cooking spray, in skillet.

3. Combine pre-cooked and drained beans, chicken, and all remaining ingredients in slow cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 10-12 hours, or High 5-6 hours.

Diabetic Exchanges: Starch 2.0, Meat, very lean 3.0

WW Points: 5 per 1-cup serving

What Stops You?

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:37:00 +0000

What stops you from taking care of and/or decorating your house? The Nester had a great article today - 10 Ways to Avoid Having a Home You Love. I think the thing that has stopped me the most is that we've never had the money to put into decorating our houses, so I didn't do anything. And I spent a lot of time over the years resenting the fact that we didn't have the money to fix things up, eaten up with discontentment, especially when we owned our house in Ft. Worth. What a waste of time and energy! If I'd just cleaned up, decluttered, and fixed up with what I had, I would have had a home that I enjoyed and I wouldn't have made my husband feel about 18 inches tall.

For the tenth way, The Nester asked "what am I forgetting?" as a way to involve her readers and learn more about the things that stop us from making our homes lovely with what we have. My answer was two-fold: what my husband will think of it and sitting at the computer reading about everyone else's homes and ideas instead of getting up and doing something! In reality, my husband just wants food, a place to sit, and a comfy bed - he doesn't care so much about the decor, as a general rule. As for getting up and doing something . . .

when you do things, things get done!

What would you say keeps you from making your home a place you love?

Menu Plan Monday - February 23

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:18:00 +0000

I'm here! I'm not making promises to always be here, but I thought a good start would be with Menu Plan Monday. Here's what we're planning to eat this week:

Monday - Garlic Chicken with potatoes and green beans
Tuesday - Roast beef with rice and gravy, carrots, and biscuits
Wednesday - Potato Chowder (with ham added) and cornbread
Thursday - White Chili Speciality* (from Fix It & Forget It Diabetic Recipes) with Family Favorite Bread
Friday - Chicken Alfredo Pizza* made with Monday's chicken leftovers; Sweet Spinach Salad
Saturday - Hot dogs with homemade chili and oven fries*
Sunday - Beef Potpie made from Tuesday's beef leftovers, green beans, corn

*Recipe posted on the day we plan to eat it!

For more menu-planning ideas, please visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. You won't be disappointed!

I'm Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:39:00 +0000

I've been MIA for the past few days, but I'm back and hoping to keep up with my blogging once again. My husband and I were away for a couple of days and Monday was Thanksgiving here in Canada, so I haven't been reading or writing blogs a whole lot.

Whenever I take a break away from home, I always have a hard time getting back to my routine. Monday was a big break - all I did all day was cook our small Thanksgiving dinner and play. Yesterday my lazy self didn't want to get back to business - on top of being unmotivated for the past several weeks!

Today I woke up to a fresh start. I've done 3 loads of laundry and worked in my kitchen most of the morning. It's amazing how much I can find to do when I'm just washing the dishes! LOL I still had some lingering clutter from the weekend to clear up, and now my kitchen is almost back to normal. I still need to mop the floor; it has gotten in a mess with all the cooking and absences lately.

How's your week going? One of my friends here has found FlyLady and is loving it. She says she has post-it notes stuck all over the house, but she is loving the feeling of actually getting things done and knowing that things are coming under control. I understand completely! Hope you're all having a great week!

How Did You Do Today?

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:54:00 +0000

The first half of my day was a wash. I got online to just "check a few things" and before I knew it I was playing some more Mah Jong that I started last night. How does that happen?! That a rhetorical question! I know very well what happens! It all starts with "just a minute . . ." and ends with "it's WHAT time?"

I need to make some rules for my computer usage, especially in the morning. I've actually had some in the past, but one or another of them get pushed aside when I'm doing something that is necessary, like helping my husband with church correspondence, and then I go right back to just checking . . . and it snowballs on me.

I thought of a few rules I've had or have seen others mention. Feel free to add what has helped you practice self-control with the computer.

No Bible - No Computer
The computer doesn't come on till after breakfast is cleaned up, or better yet, until my planned cleanup for the day is done.
Answer email once or twice a day and close it out for the rest of the day.
Put your computer in sleep mode or turn it off completely till I get my work done or until a certain time.
Read and/or write blog posts for a limited amount of time each day.
Have designated times to be online.
Limit games to a certain amount of rounds or time.
Turn off the computer at a certain time.

The second half of my day was better. I chopped the veggies and chicken for a stir-fry for dinner, separated and froze the meat I bought last night, straightened the living room for Bible study tonight, cleared my desk (it was very cluttered), and did some grading for school.

My husband and I will be at a couples' retreat tomorrow and Saturday, so I will be getting things done - focusing on my marriage! :) I always need whatever is taught on at these retreats. We have a great marriage, but there's always room for making it even better. See you the first of next week!

A Regular Day

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:51:00 +0000

I'm still not doing well in the motivation department, although I stayed busy most of the day. I spent some time online this morning looking for a pattern. My best friend's daughter is getting married in January, and she wants either a white fur-lined cape or a 3/4-sleeve white bolero to wear over her wedding dress. They've been looking on Ebay, but I thought if I could find a pattern and some fabric I might be able to make it for her as a gift. I found lots of patterns for the bolero jacket, but nothing exactly like what she wants. Plus the cost of mailing a muslin back and forth and trying to fit something as form-fitting as a bolero would be pretty inefficient. So I don't know if I'll be able to do it or not. The cape might be doable if she decides to go with that. Another problem is that I'm on the west coast and they're on the east coast, in separate countries. Just a small snag! ;)

Other than looking for a pattern, I got a couple of loads of laundry done and worked on some cards. The cards just weren't coming together, so I put them away for another time. I also got my grocery shopping done for the week and went to the library. And I caught up a bit with my husband, just sitting and chatting - he was gone for 5 days - that means I had 5 days' worth of talking stored up! LOL

I made pizza buns for lunch. Take hamburger buns, spread with a thin layer of pizza sauce, top with cheese and pepperoni (or whatever you like). Bake at 425 degrees for about 7 minutes, and you have a quick and easy lunch. We had salmon for supper. I marinated it in Italian seasonings, olive oil, and vinegar, then broiled it in the oven. I fixed Ranch-style beans and corn on the side, and cut up and fried some leftover new potatoes from our roast on Sunday. Beth baked some chocolate chip pumpkin bread after her dad finished a Bible study with a man who's been coming to our church recently. It smelled heavenly while it baked! I had a small piece, and it's very rich. Daddy is happy! ;)

We found out today that an old friend's wife of over 20 years passed away yesterday. She was a 2-time cancer survivor - but not this time. She was only 46. We haven't seen them in years, but we had heard over the years of Susan's illnesses through mutual friends. Our prayers are with Billy and their daughter Anna as they face the days ahead.

That was my day. Not necessarily productive in the sense of actual physical things getting done, but a day with a steady rhythm to it. I hope you had a productive day, too - however that might look in your home!

Thanks for reading!

On Self-Discipline

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:38:00 +0000

Good Housekeeping, May 1925

I mentioned in my post below that I have had a hard time motivating myself to get my work done. I've been mulling on that today, and then I read a blog post that reminded me that I don't have to "feel like" getting stuff done. That was a much-needed reminder to just do what I need to and learn to enjoy it.

Why is it so hard for us to do things we don't like? Probably the biggest reason is that we are lazy! We like ease and comfort, and we don't want to do anything that requires effort on our part. Another reason could be selfishness - I want to do what I want to do. We have "I" trouble! We also think most jobs will take longer than they actually will, so we think we don't have time, when in reality we all have the same 24 hours in a day that everyone else has. We have varying priorities, of course, but we all have 24 hours a day - no more, no less.

I want to do better, and with God's help and some determination to "just do it," I will do better.

An Apology and a Confession

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:12:00 +0000

I have to apologize for not being present on this blog in the past few weeks! While it's true that life has been busy, it's also true that I have been lazy. And when I'm lazy I don't like to post on this blog, because I don't have anything to tell you.

I haven't done a lot of extra housework in the past few weeks. All I've done are the essentials like making the bed, doing laundry, and cooking. This past weekend my husband was out of town, and I really let things go. I was right back to my old habits of leaving dishes all over the counters, letting trash pile up, and putting things off. I was playing - crafting and reading and surfing. And I was miserable with the way things were going in my house.

So last night I started getting things back in order, using my timer. It was late - the kids and I had watched a movie and had pizza - but I knew I didn't want to face a trashed kitchen this morning. I set the timer for 15 minutes and loaded the dishwasher, wiped the counters, and swept the floor. Another 10 minutes in the living and dining room had them straightened up, but definitely not completely cleaned up.

This morning I cleaned out my fridge. It's been smelling bad, but I didn't think there was anything spoiled in it. I decided to clean it all out and wipe everything down. I didn't find anything growing in there, so I don't know what was/is causing the smell. We've had trouble with this fridge leaking water out the bottom, but the repairman can't find anything wrong with it. The last time he was here he said we'd just have to wipe up the water and live with it. I can wipe up water, but this smell is awful!

I'm still feeling lazy and unmotivated, and I haven't reached the point of spiritual maturity yet that makes me motivate myself much beyond what has to be done. I'm still working on it, though. I hope you'll stick around, and maybe we can help each other! Thanks for reading!

Menu Plan Monday - September 29, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:10:00 +0000

I had to substitute a meal one day last week - I fixed smoked sausage instead of the Enchilada Stuffed Shells - so they were moved to Tuesday of this week.

Monday - Meatballs & Brown Gravy over Rice, green beans, corn, biscuits

Tuesday - Enchilada Stuffed Shells, salad, broccoli

Wednesday - Garlic Chicken, potatoes, Ranch-style beans, coleslaw

Thursday - Beans and Rice, Cornbread

Friday - Homemade Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza, salad

Saturday - Hot dogs with chili, baked beans, fries, coleslaw

Sunday - Chili, cheese, Fritos

For more menu planning ideas from all over Blogdom, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Sunday Seed

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Children Eating Dinner
Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.
Proverbs 17:1

Menu Plan Monday - Family Favorites Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:24:00 +0000

This week, we're sharing a family-favorite recipe in addition to our meals for the week. One of family's favorite meals happens to be one that we're having this week, Parmesan Chicken, from Sue Gregg's Main Dishes cookbook. I think we first tried it last year sometime, and after the first bite, our son said, "I think we just found a new favorite recipe!" and that was that. This is what I fixed a few weeks ago on the day he arrived home from his summer away, and it's the first thing that comes to mind for birthdays and "company" meals too. This week ought to be a good one at I'm an Organizing Junkie's; head on over there to see more favorites!

Monday - Sub sandwiches, chips, veggies, dessert - having friends over to watch the first pre-season Vancouver Canucks hockey game!

Tuesday - Lasagna, corn, salad, homemade rolls

Wednesday - Parmesan Chicken, Rice-a-Roni, broccoli, Ranch-style beans

Thursday - Enchilada Stuffed Shells, green beans, salad, rolls

Friday - Homemade Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza, salad

Saturday - Salmon Patties, mac & cheese, baked beans, carrots

Sunday - Roast Beef & gravy, potatoes, corn, green beans, biscuits

Proverbs 18:1

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:48:00 +0000

The Seamstress or, Young Woman Working
Have you ever picked up a new interest and in your zeal for your new hobby spent hours of time learning about it? I remember learning to play the piano. We didn't have a piano when I started taking lessons, but my teacher told my parents I would find a way to learn if I were truly interested in it. And I did! I began lessons in September, determined to learn, and my parents bought me a restored player piano with the player mechanism removed for Christmas that year. I've continued to play to this day, and the piano is still a passion of mine.

This morning I was reading in Proverbs chapter 18. Verse 1 has always intrigued me, but I never could quite grasp its meaning. As I was reading, I looked up and saw a commentary on Proverbs belonging to my husband, so I grabbed it and looked up that verse to see what the author, Charles Bridges, had to say about it. Here's the verse:

Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

Here are some of the commentator's thoughts:

Desire is the chariot-wheel of the soul, the spring of energy and delight. The man of business or science is filled with his great object; and through desire he separates himself from all lets and hindrances, that he may intermeddle with its whole range . . . He separates himself from all outward hindrances, vain company, trifling amusements or studies, needless engagements, that he may seek and intermeddle with all wisdom . . .

Of course, this is speaking mainly of spiritual things, but I couldn't help but think of how this could be applied to our homemaking. If we separate ourselves to learning everything we can about running our homes and loving our families . . . and actually doing the things we learn . . . what a difference there can be in our homes! Our homes would become the havens we so want them to be if we would just separate ourselves from "all outward hindrances, vain company, trifling amusements or studies, needless engagements" and seek the wisdom of being homemakers.

What things are outward hindrances, vain company or trifling amusements in your life? The first thing that came to my mind was the computer, followed closely by the TV. This makes me, once again, evaluate where my time is spent. Our modern lives are so full of distractions, but let's make the time to seek God each day and intermeddle with all homemaking wisdom!