My Favorite Appliance

Allow me to introduce you to my favorite kitchen appliance.

Without it I would be in a continual state of brain fog.

Most of the time I think I would rather give up any appliance but this one.

That's right I would rather wash dishes BY HAND than do without my coffee.

The one feature I especially love is the automatic timer.

This allows me to enjoy coffee before I even fully open my eyes.

I just stagger to the kitchen pour and slurp......oh, first I add a little milk.

What's your favorite appliance?

The Things That Make You Happy

Decluttering is a constant battle at my house.  Sometimes it seems like for every thing I get rid of three more take their place. 

I try to keep at it because an orderly uncluttered house is a priority to me.  I know that my children play and work more contentedly in a picked up house, and my husband finds a tidy home more restful. ( Not that my home always fits that description, but it's a goal I aim at. )

 I came across a tip recently that helps me in my quest for neatness.
When you are trying to decide whether to keep something, give it away, or throw it away.  Stop and think whether the item makes you happy.  Let me explain. 

Does the "thing" in question annoy you because it's hard to dust or keep clean?  An example of this was a dried flower arrangement that I kept for years.  It was coated with a gummy layer of dust that I couldn't get off and every time I looked at it I felt irritated, yet I saved it because it was given to me by a friend.  This "thing" obviously didn't make me happy--so I decided to dispose of it.  Afterward I wondered why it had taken me so long.

Another example would be something that wasn't useful in your current living conditions.  I have an ironing board rack that is sitting on a closet shelf in my sewing room.  In our previous house it was mounted on the wall in the laundry room and my ironing board and iron fit neatly on it.  This house has no convenient place for it and yet I keep it.  Does it make me happy?  No!  It takes up space on my closet shelf that could be used for other things.

See how it works?  I just made the decision to donate something that was cluttering my closet.

What are some of your favorite decluttering strategies?

Am I Getting Old?

There was a time when I could wake up in the middle of the night and go right back to sleep--not anymore.

There was a time when I could plant garden all day, and my muscles didn't hurt the next day--not anymore.

There was a time when there were no little crinkles by my eyes (except when I was smiling)--not anymore.

There was a time when 35 was old and 40 seemed ancient--not anymore.

There was a time when I drank coffee not to wake up, but because it tasted good--not anymore.

There was a time when I worried too much about what people thought of me and not enough about what God thought of me--not anymore.

Am I getting old?

Nah........I'm just growing up.

It's Monday!

I have a love/hate relationship with Mondays.

I hate them because it is hard to get back into a routine after the weekend, but I love them because there is a whole long week stretching in front of me just waiting to be filled with activity.

Having said that--here is a list of things that I would like to accomplish this week.....in addition to the normal housework/homeschooling/gardening etc.

1. Clean out perennial bed and fertilize and mulch it.

2.  Organize my sewing room.  ( It looks like a natural disaster happened in there )

3.  Wash and store winter coats and boots.

4.  Prune and possibly downsize the grape arbor.  ( It's crawling up a tree........not good )

5.  Do some filing and paperwork in the office.  ( The top of the desk is buried under a 8 inch snowfall )

There!  Five things, that shouldn't be too hard to accomplish should it?  I'll let you know how it went on Friday.

What Mothers Day Means To Me

For a long time Mothers Day was a holiday I wished did not exist.

I avoided it--like the plague.

My husband and I would go away and spend the day away from everyone, and pretend that it wasn't Mothers Day.

See, I wasn't a mother.

I wished that I was,

But I wasn't.

I would have moved heaven and earth to be a mother,

But I couldn't.

Then, a little over seven years ago all that changed.

For the first time in my life I was a Mother.

Suddenly, Mother's Day was something good, not just a painful reminder.

My life has never been the same.

But, there is a part of me that will never forget.

What Mothers Day feels like when you aren't a mother.

The pain is gone, but the memory is still there.

For those of you that are waiting.

That feel like it will never happen to you.

Please know that I understand.

Happy Mothers Day!

Friends

Friendship is something that I don't take lightly.  I grew up eleven years after my closest sibling and so without friends I would have been very lonely.

I often ponder what attracts certain friends to each other.  When I was younger I used to think that being the same age, and having very similar interests were the most important factors.  However, the older I get the less I think that is true. 

Don't get me wrong, most of the people that I would count as close friends are within ten years of my age, but as far as interests go the spectrum is pretty broad.

One of my best friends is a very creative person.  Her flower beds are beyond comparison, and her decorating in her home is gorgeous.  I, on the other hand, enjoy flowers, but don't have the patience to go much beyond a couple perennial beds.  My house reflects my personality with quite a hodge podge of this and that.  Having said that, I know that my friends creativity is part of what attracts me to her as a friend. When I need advice especially in the creativity department I know who to call.

Another close friend has an excellent eye for details, and authenticity.  If I'm not quite sure if I trust someone she is the one I ask.  I even asked for her opinion on my future husband. :) 

I guess my point in all of this is that a big part of friendship for me is an admiration of qualities in other people that I myself do not possess.

One definition of the word friend is; A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.

I especially like that last word because it's a good reminder of what makes me a friend to others.  If I am not trustworthy I shouldn't be surprised if I don't have many close friends.

I should say that I think everyone goes thru seasons of their life when they feel more lonely, and like they don't have many friends.  I think this is one way that God draws us close to himself.  "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."  Proverbs 18:24  I also think that when we are feeling lonely is an excellent time to reach out to someone else who might be lonely.  Send a card, make a phone call, or drop off supper for another busy mom. 

I feel like I've been truly blessed with a number of wonderful friends.  If you are one of them, and you are reading this--Thank you for being my friend!!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is one of my families favorite dishes.  We all enjoy Chinese food, but don't enjoy some of the side affects of MSG-a common seasoning in Chinese dishes.  This recipe doesn't call for it and it's excellent and simple to make.

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Green Pepper

1 Medium Onion

12 or 15 Baby Carrots

1/2 Cup of Ketchup

1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

2/3 Cup Sugar

3/4 Cup Water

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

Cut the chicken breasts into bite size chunks. Fry in large frying pan in a little butter or olive oil until tender. (approximately 20 minutes)  Meanwhile chop the veggies in bite size chunks and make the sweet and sour sauce.  To make sauce mix ketchup, vinegar, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add cornstarch to the 3/4 cup of water and add to boiling ketchup mixture.  Bring back to a boil and cook till thick.  When the chicken is tender add the chopped veggies to the pan and cover.  Steam until veggies are crisp tender--about 5 minutes.  Serve chicken veggie mixture over steamed rice and drizzle the sweet and sour sauce over the top.  Delicious!!