GOOD MORNING. I can’t believe it is Monday already again! It really seems like the weeks go faster the closer we get to the end of the year. We had a quiet weekend at home except for the few hours I was out with the girls for a yearly craft fair jaunt and lunch.
There are some friends of a friend that are becoming shut-ins for health reasons so at lunch we discussed who would make what for the Thanksgiving meal that is being taken to them. I got cranberry sauce YUMMY and then started the who is making what list for Christmas Eve at Patty’s house after church. I got veggies which I actually like to make, but no one else wants to sign up for. I’m going to make my southern green beans and seagram’s honey glazed carrots. All of these recipes will be posted after Thanksgiving as I’m making them then also and need new pictures.
I made the cranberry sauce this weekend and froze it so it will be easily transported in this horrible heat we are still having. I also got my Thanksgiving menu together (it’s only 10 days away) so we could get the shopping done later this week before the crowds.
OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
The weather is better than it has been, but NO WHERE near where it should be for mid November. I am so over the 80 degree temperatures!
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
Fresh fruit and coffee
AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE / WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS
Between now and Thanksgiving I’m working hard every day to get as much manual labor done as possible and super stocking so hubby doesn’t have to do much shopping, something he REALLY hates to do and is really not good at LOL. He will be able to do the laundry, vacuuming, dishes etc… with little effort, but I want to make it as easy as possible on him.
- LAUNDRY… quite a few loads this week, towels, bedding and clothing
- LIVING AREAS… plan on doing a REALLY deep clean today and tomorrow
- KITCHEN… pretty clean really
- STUDIO… is mainly storage these days so nothing going on there
- YARD… nothing much
- BLOG… some recipe updating, future post planning and holiday post planning
- ERRANDS… blood work and EKG for surgery – never got them done last week with getting sick
CURRENTLY READING & TELEVISION / DVR
I finally finished reading the Bridge to a Better Life by Ava Miles in her Dare Valley Series. I will finish her series as I’m enjoying it, but for a bit of change I switched over to Jana Deleon’s Happily Everlasting series and am on book #2, Once Hunted, Twice Shy.
The Holiday Baking Championship started this past week and I’m enjoying that.
- BIG BANG THEORY, YOUNG SHELDON
- NCIS, NCIS NEW ORLEANS and NCIS LA, CRIMINAL MINDS, S.W.A.T.
- MADAM SECRETARY, SCANDAL, DESIGNATED SURVIVOR
- CHICAGO FIRE, CHICAGO PD, CHICAGO MED on the 21st
- 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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PANCAKES and BACON
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HAM and EGG OMELETS
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LUNCH
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FRUIT & CHEESE
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SOUP
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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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OLD FASHIONED TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE
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BURGERS with GREEN TOMATO MAYO
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DEVILED BEEF TENDERS and PARMESAN MASHED POTATOES
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BRANDING IRON MEATBALLS
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SMOTHERED STEAK TIPS and ROASTED ROOT VEGGIES | SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN with SCALLION RICE | PORK MARSALA with BUTTERED EGG NOODLES |
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DESSERT
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SUCCESSFUL RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK
- BAKED PINEAPPLE ORANGE CHICKEN
- CREAMY PORK TENDERLOIN
- BOOZY CREAM TOMATO SOUP
- ITALIAN PIGGY SHELLS
- BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN SKEWERS
- FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS
HOMEMAKING/COOKING TIP
ON MY MIND / THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY
I’m doing a countdown to surgery. Just 23 days to go. It will be a LONG 23 days though. I ended up with laryngitis and bronchitis last week and the doctor and I agreed upon a self-imposed “isolation” to keep me healthy enough for surgery. We had been out of town the week before a few days and she believes coming back here with the higher humidity was what did me in. Then last night I discovered new eye infection similar to the last and put in for an emergency referral last night and am waiting on the call to go in to the specialist. It wasn’t this bad last time and he almost put me in the hospital so I am a little scared this time. Something I’m allergic to or exposed to is biting me maybe. Since the last time I have been washing the towels and sheets every two days as it is. Hubby is convinced that I picked up something working on this HOUSE FROM HELL that I have just never been able to get rid of because of my compromised immunity. I’m beginning to think he may be right.
Even if the doctor hadn’t suggested it, hubby was going to impose an isolation because of my compromised immunity. I did go to a favorite craft fair on Saturday and came home with a slight fever and coughing, so have acquiesced to hubby and agreed to a more stringent “isolation”. Insert BIG SIGH here! At this point I will do whatever is necessary to get me through surgery with no more delays. I AM READY TO RECLAIM MY LIFE!
FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
We haven’t had much rain, but sure have had pretty skies!
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.
These Oklahoma cotton fields called to me A LOT. I didn’t even realize cotton grew in Oklahoma. 
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.
