I hope EVERYONE had a GREAT week. Ours was busy with several days of traveling while we explored where to go from here. We’re pretty sure we have decided on our future home town, there are just a few things that need to fall into place first!
It’s really hard to make a move, but it’s even harder when you’re trying to check everything off your list to meet your needs. We’ve been struggling with this decision. One of the things I finally ended up asking hubby in every new place we have looked is “If we won the lottery tomorrow would you still want to live here?”. We both have some bucket list places we’d LIKE to live, but when reality shines in we use a more practical check list, things like churches, grocery stores, restaurants, weather… So, we’re still pulling it all together, but pending any major changes are 90% decided.
We have to get through my surgery and recovery, sell the house, finish packing… but have faith everything will fall into place the way it is supposed to.
OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
Unfortunately, we are starting the week out miserable here – high 80’s and humid. It is supposed to be in the 70’s after Wednesday and the humidity will go down a bit. Have I mentioned I HATE heat AND humidity!
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
Apples and blueberries with coffee
AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE / WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS
- LAUNDRY… quite a few loads this week, towels, bedding and clothing
- LIVING AREAS… plan on doing a deep clean later this week
- KITCHEN… right now is pretty clean
- STUDIO… is mainly storage these days so nothing going on there. I do have some correspondence to catch up on along with some cathartic letter writing.
- YARD… nothing much
- BLOG… some recipe updating, future post planning and holiday post planning
- ERRANDS… blood work and EKG for surgery
CURRENTLY READING & TELEVISION / DVR
I’m still reading the Bridge to a Better Life by Ava Miles in her Dare Valley Series. Just can’t seem to stay awake long enough to finish a book.
The Holiday Baking Championship STARTS ON THE 9th.
- BIG BANG THEORY and the new YOUNG SHELDON when it returns later this week
- NCIS, NCIS NEW ORLEANS and NCIS LA, CRIMINAL MINDS, S.W.A.T. starts this week
- MADAM SECRETARY, SCANDAL, DESIGNATED SURVIVOR
- CHICAGO FIRE, CHICAGO PD, CHICAGO MED later this season
- BRAVE, VALOR, SEAL TEAM
- LAW & ORDER SVU, BLUE BLOODS, HAWAII 5-0
- MACGYVER, SCORPION, BLINDSPOT, ORVILLE, WISDOM OF THE CROWD
- Z NATION, WALKING DEAD, FLASH, DC LEGENDS, INHUMANS
- THE GOOD PLACE, AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE, SPEECHLESS, GREAT NEWS
- THIS IS US, ONCE UPON A TIME, THE GOOD DOCTOR
- GUY’S GROCERY GAMES, BEAT BOBBY FLAY, BOBBY AND DAMARIS, GUY’S BIG PROJECT
MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
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MONDAY
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TUESDAY
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WEDNESDAY
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THURSDAY
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FRIDAY
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SATURDAY
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SUNDAY
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BREAKFAST
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FRUIT & COFFEE
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SCRAMBLED EGGS
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FRUIT SMOOTHIE
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FRUIT & COFFEE
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SCRAMBLED EGGS
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QUICHE LORRAINE
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BACON & EGGS
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LUNCH
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FRUIT & CHEESE
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C.O.R.N.
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MEAT ROLL-UPS
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SALAD
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MEAT & CHEESE
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C.O.R.N.
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??
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DINNER
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TOMATO BOURBON SOUP
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BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN SKEWERS
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7 LAYER SALAD
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CHICKEN PARMESAN CASSEROLE
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BAKED ORANGE CHICKEN |
PORK MARSALA
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CHICKEN POT PIES
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DESSERT
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GOOEY CARAMEL GINGERSNAPS |
SUCCESSFUL RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK
- STUFFED MARSALA CHICKEN
- HASH BROWN HAM & CHEESE QUICHE
- ITALIAN STUFFED CHICKEN
- CHILI DOG CASSEROLE
- MAGIC DUST SLAM DUNK HOT WINGS
- CHILI MAC CASSEROLE
- CARAMEL STUFFED AUTUMN SNICKERDOODLES
HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS
HOMEMAKING/COOKING TIP
ON MY MIND / THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY
I was very excited when the doctor and scheduler told me surgery would be in 2-3 weeks, probably November 17th. So, I was VERY disappointed when the scheduler called back last Tuesday and said that because of the length of the surgery scheduling was proving difficult with the hospital and doctor’s schedules and that surgery was now December 6th. So on the one hand I won’t miss Thanksgiving, but now I will miss Christmas dinner.
The worst part is that I have to avoid crowds and children especially between now and surgery and then again after for a couple months because of my compromised immunity and too high a risk for infection. I’m sick now and going in to see the doctor later today as it is and can’t even tell you where I picked it up. It really sucks when you have a compromised immunity and have to fight so hard just to make it day to day without getting sick. My neighbor, a nurse, has the theory that my body just wasn’t built for humidity and that things will get better after we leave here. I pray she’s right.
We have a super old dog and I recently had to start grinding his dry portion of food into smaller pieces so he could eat better. At first it was weird and made me think of that old Charlton Heston movie, Soylent Green as I ground the chunks into powder, but then a light bulb dawned over me and I realized my NINJA is about to be my best friend as I recover. After I am allowed to eat semi soft foods I will still be able to cook for hubby and get my flavor too by running my meals through the NINJA!
FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
I took several photos while we were gone, but many didn’t turn out as well as I’d liked. This first one was the sky when we got home.
These Oklahoma cotton fields called to me A LOT. I didn’t even realize cotton grew in Oklahoma. 
I just LOVE old architecture and this old building on the town square was really neat. I just wish the sun had been shining.
I did get one for Sandra though 😀
INSPIRATION
Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday, Terri at Darling Downs Diaries and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.
I grew up in California and unfortunately fires are a fact of life out there, especially in October with the Santa Ana winds. I’ve also been mandatorily evacuated more times that I would like and even watched from a cruise ship one year while our tiny town of 500 was on CNN in one of the fastest moving fires in LA history, but there was usually a lot of brush and trees burned and even a few structures, but in ALL those years I cannot remember any combination of fires as horrific as what California is experiencing now, especially with loss of life. Please keep California in your prayers that containment comes soon and there is no more loss of property or life.
As horrible what California is going through, there is still so much destruction and rebuilding going on that is also impacting people ALL over the country and world!
Several months ago I told you about some roof leaks that we had that required major patching and when we went into the attic to investigate the source were confronted with 40 years worth of crap that my grandfather and cousin had accumulated back in a corner we “missed” originally because it was just that, in a hard to reach corner. Unfortunately we had to bag it and move it in order to reach the area that was leaking. We also discovered about 500 pounds of “good” (by my grandfather’s terms) boards that I’m sure he was saving for a project as well as a bunch of bricks – really bricks in an attic? I can’t even begin to figure out what those were for. So, we bagged it all up and moved to a pile in the center to be removed later. Well, it’s now later!
I hope everyone had a wonderful week. Mine turned out quite busy in a weird, but also productive way. I can’t believe it’s October already, mainly because it’s so dang hot here still, but it also means Christmas is right around the corner and I’m not sure where we will be so it makes it seem sort of weird.
The post hurricane Harvey thunderstorms have been amazing and left us with some interesting skies. There are still debris everywhere and traffic beyond belief, but it looks like most things are getting back to normal.
I hope you all had a GREAT week and are taking a much deserved break today for Labor day. We have had a busy week recovering from Hurricane Harvey. This has been and continues to be chaos even as life tries to go back to normal. We were blessed to be in an area that received 3 feet of rain and tons of wind, but no serious damage or flooding except for a the few neighbors we were able to help out. But, that has left us on a “virtual” island not able to go too far in any one direction without running into closed roads and freeways. They are still releasing waters from the overflowing reservoirs so residential flooding as well as downtown is still a HUGE concern. Also of concern is a dozen or so flooded toxic waste dumps, mosquito season and raw sewage in the flood waters.
