Category: MISC

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

We had an eventful and productive weekend with having to adapt the kitchen sink base for all the plumbing reroute issues, but FINALLY we will have a working kitchen sink yet today and hubby even got the old dishwasher working.  LOL when we took out the dishwasher to begin the cabinets we found that whoever installed the dishwasher originally had it running off of the cold water so no wonder it didn’t clean the dishes.  We decided to reinstall it for now (to the hot water) and give it a chance.  I’m just so excited that I won’t have to wash dishes on my hands and knees in the bathtub that I won’t even mind doing them by hand! I admit it, I’m exhausted!!!!! It’s been 76 VERY LONG days of manual labor and emotional strain.

WEATHER OUTSIDE
This past weekend Old Man Winter came roaring into town Friday night with threat of tornado.  Fortunately all we had was torrential rain, MEGA wind and hail and a 25 degree temperature drop over night.  This week is cold and windy, but clear though there is supposed to be more storming later in the week.  I have learned not to take the weather report too seriously though – just stay prepared.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

  • Monday – Idiot Plumbers will be back to begin finishing their tunneling under the house and repairs. Many phone calls including the foundation company to have them come check up on the plumbers as the plumbers have undermined work that the foundation people just did and are claiming otherwise despite my pictures proving differently. Stain the new 3 kitchen cabinets that we decided to add. Grout front entry floor. Lay master bath floor tile. Pick up cleaning and run a few errands.
  • Tuesday – Hang new cabinets. Grout master bath floor tile and start sanding shower for refinishing. Laundry. Tile floor under stove, refrigerator and dishwasher area.
  • Wednesday – Hopefully today is the day we get a stove! LOL Or at least get it ordered. Also buying the new toilet for the master bath and hopefully will have it set by end of day.
  • Thursday – Wash pantry containers and organize pantry and cabinets.  Doing this will get LOTS of things off the tables in the other rooms and make it easier to work.
  • Friday – Start refinishing shower and possibly do floor tile in spare bath depending on the idiot plumbers.
  • Saturday – Flea  Market, Farmer’s Market and Football playoffs
  • Sunday – COOK! and Football playoffs

CURRENTLY READING

TELEVISION / DVR
We still have no cable and are getting used to this central time zone with prime time starting at 7PM.

CRAFTS & PROJECTS
WOOHOO I have actually started my homemade Christmas gifts for next year and believe I have come up with some pretty neat ideas that everyone will appreciate and really like.

HOUSE PROJECTS
LOL See my to do list!

KITCHEN WISHES

  • flooring
  • counter tops

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
??
??
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
??
??
DINNER
EXPERIMENT NIGHT
COCK-a-LEEKIE soup
C.O.R.N.


MALIBU CHICKEN & VEGGIES
Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese


DESSERT






RECIPE FINDS TO TRY LATER
This is the first time in quite some time that I took some time off this past weekend and actually read a few magazines and cookbooks.  With the weather having turned so cold I was really interested in some stews and soups and I just happened to have a magazine of recipes I received at Christmas.

  • Cock-a-Leekie Soup
  • Chicken BLT Soup
  • Chicken Soup with Potato Dumplings
  • Brazilian Black Bean Soup
  • Goulash Soup
  • Ham & Vegetable Stew
  • Mexican Potato Soup
  • Stuffed Baked Potato Soup
  • Edamame Soup
  • Creamy Cabbage Soup 
  • Buttermilk Pecan Pancakes with Bourbon Molasses Butter
  • Filet of Beef with Horseradish sauce
I believe this quote speaks to my state of mind right now!
I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.  ~Martha Washington

THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY

  • Seeing the progress in the kitchen.
  • Seeing less and less packing boxes in the living room!
  • Having less laundry to do.

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

DAY 71, MY TOP FINALLY BLEW & WE’RE STILL MOVING 17 STEPS BACKWARD FOR EVERY 2 FORWARD

I have to be honest I’m exhausted and as much as I want to keep things updated here, I run out of steam each day before I get around to it.

It took 3 trips, but we finally got all the cabinets home. They don’t look like much now, but wait a few weeks and they will look fantastic.

It also took a couple days more, but they are almost all installed.

I got the tile laid in the entry hall. My mistake was asking hubby to change the light fixture before I did the grouting.  We’re now waiting on the electrician to deal with the rusted wires and shorted fixture before I do the grout.

We have at least made final decisions on the flooring and backsplash.

We are not sure where this guy came from, maybe came in on the cabinets?, but we also weren’t sure what he was so just gently escorted him outside.

The laundry area needs to be completely redone to contend with the walls that were opened to deal with the foundation and plumbing problems so we are going to take this opportunity to update and bring to code the water heater too.

We’re not sure what all the stains are from, but we’re just going to remove the ceiling and repipe to the vent while also updating to code the platform and pan for the water heater before putting up the new ceiling and walls.

On another note we are livid with the current situation surrounding the plumbing issues.  I do have to say I finally blew my top tonight regarding the picture below.  I have profusely apologized to the plumber who did the work (he was only doing what he was told to do) and WILL be taking up the issues with EDDY who is supposedly the one who is in charge.  Honestly I wouldn’t put this idiot in charge of walking my dog!  This has been a complete clusterf**k since day one.

21 days ago EDDY stood in our kitchen promising to have the sink up and running the next day.  The next day came and they called saying it would be the following day before they began due to scheduling conflicts, but it would be done by the following Tuesday (3 days before Christmas).  The day they began the one in “charge”, EDDY announced he’d be gone the following week, but his next in line would keep things running smoothly.  Tuesday comes and  I STILL HAVE NO SINK!  The new man in charge, Armando says he needs to go to his truck for a part to hook up the sink.  He gets in his truck and promptly leaves.  A few minutes later the other workers close up shop for the holiday and leave. WTH? I still have NO sink, have an open gaping hole under the house that is filling with rainwater and 2 tons of wet clay type mud 4 feet tall up against the garage (it was supposed to ALL be in a pile outside the fence but apparently they changed their minds with no consideration for us, our animals or ANY other worker we have scheduled).  The mud pile is blocking the electrical fuse box, the gas meter, and has left us sleeping under that horribly broken window as we could not install the new one which we had to find a temporary home for in the garage.

They also included in their quote having to remove a tree to do this work.  They did not remove the tree, but went in right next to it, leaving the roots cut and exposed ALL this time and now the tree is dying and we HAVE to remove it!

So EDDY comes back from his week away for Christmas and doesn’t understand why I’m upset.  He claims I wasn’t specific enough that I wanted a kitchen sink before Christmas and is now claiming that it wasn’t part of the deal.  He agrees to move the mud the next day so we can get the electrician and gas guy in to do the pipe for the range.  Needless to say it was 6 days later when the mud was finally moved which also left us with a mess on the back of the garage wall and it has ruined the paint.  They also pumped the water out of the hole through our fence instead out the gate and have left the fence stained.

Their inability to act like professionals has created a HUGE domino effect in our life.  We cannot completely unpack, we WILL be missing the sale on carpeting that we signed up for and since completing this project so we have a home is completely contingent on them finishing their job we WILL be filing a complaint with the better business bureau who they claim to have an A+ rating with.  They have cost us money and lots of precious time as well as ruining our holidays.

I was able to get the gas guy here yesterday finally, but can’t get the electrician to start until tomorrow, a full 21 days after he should have been able to get here.

As I sit here this morning writing this. it’s 9:45 and no one has shown up or called.  I guess this is just PAR for the course with this company who like I said I wouldn’t hire to walk my dog let alone work with EVER again!

On a happy note all the cabinets have had at least one coat of stain. It is an oil based stain so I too will be wearing the color for about 10 days. I’m hoping to get better pictures of these 2 views of the new farmhouse kitchen soon.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

WEATHER OUTSIDE
We are starting the week cool and clear which I love because I want to get the “Christmas” tree planted in the new planter today and set outside where it will do well.  We are supposed to temporarily warm up for a bit later in the week with thunderstorms, but they keep saying not to get used to it as mid month we will turn quite cold for the rest of the winter.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

  • Monday – Remove cabinet and 2 walls in master bath to assess plumbing needs. Remove hot water heater wall in laundry area to asses parts to redo the platform and bring things up to code. If there is time I will put the second coat of stain on the insides of kitchen cabinets and then shower to run errands and go to grocery store.
  • Tuesday – Going to IKEA to pick up lazy susan and rug for dining room as well as have lunch, nightstand shopping and central market. Then off to home depot to pick up last parts for the kitchen sink plumbing, stain for cabinet outsides and the flooring tiles.
  • Wednesday – Installing last cabinets in kitchen and hooking up kitchen sink (hopefully) finally!
  • Thursday – Laundry and some more unpacking I hope.
  • Friday – moving water heater and starting the kitchen floor.
  • Saturday & Sunday – Football playoffs and a few

CURRENTLY READING

TELEVISION / DVR
Not much, but I do want to see a few of the returning and new shows beginning this week.
 
CRAFTS & PROJECTS
Making a list and compiling what I need to begin Christmas gifts for next year.  We’re planning a BIG Old Fashioned Christmas for 2016 and I want to get an early start to doing it right!

HOUSE PROJECTS
See below
 
KITCHEN WISHES
Hoping to have the range later this week.
 
MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
CORNED BEEF HASH and OVER MEDIUM EGGS & TOAST
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
??
DINNER
EXPERIMENT NIGHT
C.O.R.N.
MALIBU CHICKEN & VEGGIES
DESSERT






THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY

  • The kitchen will be done soon!
  • The entry way is almost done!

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
There are several this week as we progressed through the kitchen. Green board is mostly up, cabinets are level and attached to the walls and quite a few boxes have been unpacked.  For now I’m just stacking everything behind closed doors to get rid of the packing boxes (which we use for trash like taking out walls) and I will do a major clean and organization in a few weeks.  I have found a few broken pieces, but all and all everything has done well for having been packed nd stored for so many years.

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

CROCKPOT LASAGNA

1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 ounce can Hunt’s Diced Balsamic vinegar, Basil and olive oil tomatoes
13.5 ounce can Popeye chopped Spinach
15 ounce can Contadina Italian Herb tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Classico Sun Dried tomato pesto
1 tablespoon Pampered Chef Italian Herb mix or equivalent
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
16 ounces ricotta cheese
8 Lasagna noodles, no boil bake
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
PURE

  • Brown hamburger with onion and garlic. Drain off fat.
  • Mix together the diced tomatoes and spinach, juice and all.
  • Whisk together the sauce,pesto and seasonings.
  • Pour the tomato and spinach mixture over the meat mixture and toss together. Allow to drain again.
  • Generously spray the crock pot liner with PURE.
  • Layer as follows & cook on low 3 hours
1/2 of the sauce
noodles broken to fit
meat mixture
noodles
ricotta cheese
meat mixture
noodles broken to fit
other 1/2 of sauce
mozzarella cheese

GOOD MORNING MONDAY

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! My cousin hosted this year since we are in such a disarray, but I promised I’ll do next year.  We had a WONDERFUL day with a terrific meal and TONS of laughter.  It’s great to be around family with lots of memories and stories.

I love Christmas and it was EXTREMELY difficult for me this year to not be able to put up a tree or decorate, but especially not be able to make all the goodies and applesauce for neighbors and friends.  I’m already looking forward to and planning for next year.  I even threatened to start in July in an effort to make up for this year.

WEATHER OUTSIDE
FINALLY it’s cold enough to call it winter which makes think, “Be careful what you wish for!“

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

  • MONDAY – We’re getting up super early to get to Lowes and Home Depot before we have to be back  to let the plumbers in. The plumbers bailed last week and NEVER finished announcing they would be back today.  Needless to say they will be getting NO more work from us ever! They left me without running water anywhere near the kitchen and I’ve been doing the dishes in the bathtub! We’ll spend the remainder of the day green boarding the kitchen back splash area and installing kitchen cabinets.
  • TUESDAY – Painting and tiling the entry way.
  • WEDNESDAY – Peeling wall paper in the master and spare bath.
  • THURSDAY – unpacking kitchen items.  The idea is to get them unpacked and put behind close doors any way possible for now so we can get rid of the boxes and start on the living room.  The electrician can’t begin to figure out the dead plugs until he has more access to them.
  • FRIDAY – Taking the day off and watching the rose parade and whatever else we want to do.
  • SATURDAY – HOPEFULLY working on restoring order to the backyard and maybe installing the bedroom window.
  • SUNDAY – FOOTBALL and relaxing!

CURRENTLY READING

TELEVISION / DVR
Whatever happens our way though we’re looking forward to getting cable in the next week or so.
 
CRAFTS & PROJECTS
Nothing new, but hoping that can change in the next few months. I’m really hoping to start next year’s Christmas cards and projects early.

HOUSE PROJECTS
Everything!

KITCHEN WISHES
A stove by mid month.
 
MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
CORNED BEEF HASH and OVER MEDIUM EGGS & TOAST
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
??

??
DINNER


C.O.R.N.


C.O.R.N.
DESSERT








THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY

  • SAM the elf was a success!

  • I’m starting to see daily progress in the remodel though we are seriously sweat rich and penny poor at this point.  It was never supposed to be like this. 

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

The donations are piling up and since I took this picture you can no longer see this room. I’m so glad to be giving so much to the women’s shelter.

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

COUNTRY FRIED STEAK

A favorite of ours is “chicken fried” anything.  Chicken-fried steak (also known as pan-fried steak country-fried steak or CFS) is a piece of steak (tenderized cube steak) coated with seasoned flour and pan-fried. It is generally associated with the South and their hospitality. Its name is thought to be likely due to chicken-fried steak’s similarity in preparation to fried chicken, though the dish is also similar to the classic Austrian dish,  Wiener Schnitzel, a tenderized veal or beef cutlet, coated with flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs and then pan fried.  It is truly a comfort food.

The precise origins of Chicken Fried Steak are unclear, but many sources attribute its development to Germans and Austrians who immigrated to Texas in the nineteenth century and brought recipes for Wiener Schnitzel from Europe to the USA. Lamesa, the seat of Dawson County on the Texas South Plains, claims to be the birthplace of chicken-fried steak, as does Bandera, Texas’ favorite son, John “White Gravy” Neutzling.

The Virginia Housewife, published in 1838 by Mary Randolph has a recipe for veal cutlets that is one of the earliest known recipes for a food like chicken-fried steak. The recipe for what we now know as chicken-fried steak was included in many regional cookbooks by the late nineteenth century. The actual term “chicken-fried steak” was probably developed in the 1930s. It is thought that the  name change was due to the war with Germany.  Chicken-fried steak is among numerous popular dishes which make up the official state meal of Oklahoma, added to the list in 1988.

All that said, even being a Texan, I grew up with it being called Country Fried Steak which makes so much more sense to me!  There is nothing chicken about this meal.  I have over the years played with the flavor and this is how we like it.
COUNTRY FRIED STEAK
1 cube steak or thin top sirloin steak per person
Marsala wine
green onions, thinly sliced
1 egg per 2 steak, beaten
flour
salt and pepper
butter
  • Generously salt and pepper the steaks.
  • Slice your onions and marinate the steaks in just enough Marsala wine to cover.  Layer the steaks and onions into a tupperware and refrigerate for several hours.
  • Drain steaks on paper towels.
  • Heat large skillet with enough butter to evenly coat the bottom.
  • Dipped drained steaks in beaten egg and then flour.
  • Lay each steak in sizzling butter and salt and pepper again.
  • Turn steaks and season again.
  • Serve with Parmesan Potatoes and Peppered Gravy.

BLOGMAS 2015 – DAY 22

WOW seems like we just started this journey through BLOGMAS 2014 and here we are 3 days until Christmas.  Today and tomorrow are my BIG days for preparing for Christmas.  These are the days that I’m mostly in the kitchen or cleaning the house, wrapping last minute packages or running last minutes errands for ingredients for the BIG DAY.  The only thing on my list that I didn’t accomplish was the cleaning so will spend all day tomorrow doing laundry, vacuuming and cleaning the bathrooms.

Remember when I told you I was a list girl?  Well, these help – A LOT!  I couldn’t get very good pictures, but those little presents are battery operated lights that change colors (red, blue and green) that I’m going to include on the plate when I deliver the goodies to the neighbors.  The purple list is accomplished and half the green list is done and will be finished up tomorrow and Wednesday.

This is Cinnamon Roll day too – YUMMY! One of my favorite days of the year.  The recipe originally came from one of my favorite aunts who taught me a lot about art, cooking and just plain being creative.  I have made a few minor updates to suit our tastes, but this recipe was ALL her and a secret that my cousin and I kept until the day she died.

ROLLS OF SHARON aka CINNAMON RAISIN BUNS
ROLLS
2 packages Fleischman’s Rapid Rise Yeast
1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup WARM water
1 cup scalded milk (2 minutes in the microwave)
1/2 cup Crisco stick
5 cups flour, divided
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon salt

  • In a small bowl combine the warm water, 2 teaspoons of sugar and both packages of yeast until well blended. Set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl combine the scalded milk, Crisco stick, 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Blend well.
  • Add yeast mixture and blend well.
  • Add the well beaten eggs and half the flour. Mix until well blended.
  • Add the remaining flour (a little more if too sticky) and mix well until dough leaves the sides of the bowl and is elastic.
  • With vegetable oil, wipe the inside of another bowl.
  • Place dough in bowl and turn once.
  • Cover with wax paper and a towel.
  • Let rest in a warm place until double in size.
  • Punch down and divide into 2 balls.
  • Put one on the pastry board and one back in the bowl.
  • Let rest 10 minutes.
  • While resting prepare the filling ingredients.
  • Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness in a rectangle about 18×24 inches.
  • Spread half the melted butter over the dough and sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar.
  • Spread half the raisins over that.
  • Roll tightly jelly roll style and cut into 18 rolls.
  • Place rolls in greased pans 1/4 to 1/2 inches apart.
  • Cover with wax paper and a towel.
  • Let rise again until double in size.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • While baking prepare the icing.
  • When rolls come out the oven, put globs of icing on each one. Return to the oven for a minute or two to melt icing all over the rolls.

FILLING
1 stick melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
1 cup golden raisins

  • Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon until well blended.

ICING
1 stick butter, softened
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered vanilla
4-6 tablespoons milk

  • Mix all together until smooth.

When re-heating rolls, put a pad of butter on top of roll before microwaving.
These freeze really well.

As we get to the end of our countdown I have remembered a few more fun anecdotes.

  • Every year we received a box of See’s candy and I was ALWAYS on the search for the sprinkle coated ones a.k.a. Milk Bordeauxs YUMMY!

  • One year my dad got my mom diamond earrings.  He wrapped them in their original box and then with my brother’s and my help we proceeded to nest these in other boxes (wrapping each box as we went) culminating with a Dishwasher box full of bricks in the bottom – Boy was she surprised and it made for chaotic family fun on Christmas Eve.

  • Another year we built an elaborate scavenger hunt all through the house to lead my dad to his ultimate gift in the garage.

BLOGMAS 2015 – THE TABLELOTH

This story originally came across my email and I was reminded that it is a beautiful way to celebrate Christmas Holiday spirit so I thought I’d share. This is such a beautiful story that makes you understand that things truly do happen for a reason. Don’t forget to grab the tissue box.

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc… and on December 18th they were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19th a terrible tempest – a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc… to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet.. ‘Pastor,’ she asked, ‘where did you get that tablecloth?’ The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.
The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and she never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth, but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a house cleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving.

The man asked him where he got the Tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike.

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.


This true Story was submitted by Pastor Rob Reid.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

With so much to do on this remodel I have been working 12-14-16 hour days and lost track of ALL time!I hope you are all ready for spending some quality time with your family and friends.  Don’t overdo so you can’t enjoy it.

WEATHER OUTSIDE
We’ve warmed up considerably (which I HATE) and are supposed to be having scattered thunderstorms all week.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

  • MONDAY – Finish the Christmas shopping and grocery shopping. After that I’ll be shifting furniture and boxes to TRY and create a living room area. Hopefully the plumbers will be done with the repair to the collapsed drain line.  The foundation guys strike again!  Evidently they piled too much dirt on top of the sleeve where they struck the line with a tool and it collapsed the line backing it up into the drain line in the wall.  I also need to call the restoration guy to seal the shower and refinish it as well as float the walls in the master bath.
  • TUESDAY – I’ll be having lunch with an IRL friend that began as a blog friend.  I can’t wait to see her. Cleaning up after the plumbers and trying to make some sense of the mess in the office area hopefully..
  • WEDNESDAY – Hopefully I’ll be doing laundry ALL day and finishing the furniture and box shift.
  • THURSDAY – Finish wrecking out the dated 70’s paneling in the office area to finish exposing the dry rot so we can deal with it.
  • FRIDAY – MERRY CHRISTMAS – dinner at my cousin Kevin’s house.
  • SATURDAY –  Try to clean up the yard – the plumbers have made a HUGE mess behind the house where they are tunneling under the house. We have to do this so we can install the window in the master bedroom and the sod the backyard.
  • SUNDAY –  Unpack what I can and begin to organize a bit.

CURRENTLY READING
I keep trying to read before bed, but am so exhausted at the end of the day that I doze off before I can even read a paragraph.

TELEVISION / DVR
Not much – not enough time!

CRAFTS & PROJECTS
Hoping to find my Brother and SIL’s Christmas gift I’ve been working on and get it finished as fast as possible.  Unfortunately it WILL be late, but it will also be from the heart so I know they’ll understand.  This remodel and not yet having unpack has put a serious cramp in my style!

HOUSE PROJECTS
Finish wrecking out the dated 70’s paneling in the office area to finish exposing the dry rot so we can deal with it. Hubby still has a few pieces of molding to paint and install, but we did get the carpeting last Friday in the master bedroom

KITCHEN WISHES
Planning on starting the cabinets and flooring this next week.
 

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
CORNED BEEF HASH and OVER MEDIUM EGGS & TOAST
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
??
DINNER
EXPERIMENT NIGHT
Grilled Hamburgers with Cole Slaw
C.O.R.N.
Ham Steak with Mac & Cheese
Dinner at my cousin Kevin’s house
??
DESSERT








HOMEMAKING/COOKING TIP
So I tried the glass of vinegar in the freshly painted room trick and guess what?  It works!! Within 10 minutes the walls were still wet, but there was NO paint smell!

THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY

  • Being able to finally see past the mess from 55 days ago (that feels like years).

  • Sleeping in my own bed instead of a futon.
  • Spending time with friends and family.

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

I actually have 2 this week.  We finished the bedroom, well at least 95% and began putting away the clothes.  The spread I ordered is too small but fits perfectly in the spare bedroom. Now remember we have been traveling for the better part of a decade and A LOT of things were in storage so we HAD a lot of clothing and much of it cold weather. So we had a ton of decisions to make on what to keep and what to get rid of.  EVERYTHING is now in the closet, a drawer or the donation pile. We did keep quite a bit of cold weather clothing, but with the new walk in closet just stored it in totes on the top shelves. It’s going to take a while to inventory all of this for donation!

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.