~Matryoshka Nesting Doll~

My mother-in-law recenty went to Alaska, and while she was there, she bought me a nesting doll. I have loved these since I was a child and first saw one.



I love opening them, one by one. Will they ever stop opening?



Yes. They do. And the littlest one is so tiny, see how small she looks sitting on this quarter?

~Walking~

Last night we went for a walk. We walked, and walked, and walked, until I thought my legs were going to fall off we walked so long. Surely we had gone ten miles or more...

...then when we came home I logged into mapmywalk.com and discovered that we had walked exactly 1.36 miles. Hmmmm.

Maybe I need to walk some more.

~Revolution Money Exchange~

Well, I've seen several bloggers post about Revolution Money Exchange, but I didn't really pay any attention until today!

What is it? It is like Paypal, without the fees. One potential drawback I can see is that you can only use it if both parties have an account with Revolution Money Exchange--but the more people that start using it the more popular it will be! I'll be adding it as a payment option on my Etsy shop.

Sign up now through May 15th, and receive $25 into your account! How awesome is that? If you sign up through me, I'll receive $10. How awesome is that? ;-)

~From My Mother's Heart: Heartache~

Heartache comes in all shapes and forms. Some heartache is caused by people: what they do or say against you. Other heartache comes through the death of a loved one. Heartache can come from dashed dreams. No matter the ache, we have One Who can help us, and I know that my mother has leaned on the Lord as her help, and it shows in her life! One thing that God has impressed on me over the last year is that heartache comes to everyone at one point or another through their lives. My mother wrote this article for me to publish on my blog, and I hope and pray that it will be a help and a blessing to my readers.

When People Hurt You, God Will Help You
Over the past months, our family has dealt with heartbreak in ways we have not had to in the past. As I was thinking about the hurt we have experienced, I wondered if sharing some of it, and the ways in which God has shown Himself faithful might be an encouragement to someone else who is going through tough times. Then, when I actually thought about trying to write something down, I realized how hard it would be to share without specifically telling details that could be hurtful to some of the people involved. So while this little article doesn’t tell you about what it is that we are going through, I will tell you this: in pain and heartbreak, I have found God to be faithful, and I am learning you can praise God with a broken heart.

In the past, I have prayed for someone who was hurting, that they would feel God’s loving arms wrapped around them. I didn’t know what that felt like, but now I actually do. It is amazing. I have felt absolute peace in the middle of the storm. That is from God alone. People without God in their lives might say He is a crutch, but He is so much more than that. When you are going through your most difficult trial, run to God. Don’t stop pleading with Him until you have the peace in your heart that you need. You will know when He gives it to you. He alone can give it. Some days will be better than others. I think those must be the days we choose to do things God’s way. And no matter what the trial is, there is always something to thank Him for. The Bible says, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation” (Psalm 68:19). It is a human tendency to focus on the trial, when God loads us with blessings everyday. The more time you spend praising God, the lighter your heart will be, and the more you will feel your burden being lifted. The trouble may still be there, but you can actually experience joy in the midst of the trial. It is supernatural. There is only one explanation for it: God is good!

When People Don't Understand, God is There to Listen
I was talking with a friend, and she said, “What you are going through is really not that big of a deal.” It is true that I am not grieving over the death of a loved one. (Oh, Dear God, I pray for those who are, that You would comfort their hearts.) My friend had experienced the crushing blow of having her husband divorce her when she still wanted the marriage to last, then she married again, and realized she had made a terrible mistake, and experienced a second divorce. She has also stood by and helplessly watched as her daughter married and divorced twice, and she has had to say goodbye to both of her parents who have passed away. From her perspective, I can see why my trials seemed trite, but to to me, the pain has been real, and at times, excruciating, though not anywhere near what she has endured. Her comment was innocent, nonetheless, it hurt. I have no condemnation for her. What I desired from her was love, understanding, and comfort. Her response was a great reminder to me, too, to be compassionate with others when they have struggles in their lives, even if what they are going through doesn’t seem like “that big of a deal” to me.

Many people have had to deal with pain far more intense than anything I have had in my life, and I do not mean in any way to act pretentious about how I am dealing with the struggles God has allowed me to have. In fact the opposite is true. God alone knows what we can handle, and the Bible tells us that He will not give us a trial greater than we can bear. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Our God is so good!

A Lesson in Thankfulness
I enjoy digging spiritual lessons out of everyday living, so with that in mind, I am sharing something that happened a couple of weeks ago.

I was sweeping the floor when my husband came home. He greeted me and said, "Oh, I brought you a gift. It's in the car. I'll go get it." I kept sweeping the floor, wondering all the while about this gift. I thought, "I'll bet he bought me a pair of earrings. Now I am really glad I didn't go ahead and buy the pair I was looking at the other day. It's so much nicer to get them from him. No.... I had better not set myself up for disappointment. "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick" (Proverbs 13:12a). It could be something "practical" that I need. I hope not!"

My husband came back into the house holding a small bag. "Maybe it is the earrings", I thought to myself. But then he said, "I was in the hardware store, and I thought of you, so here you go." One side of the hardware store he mentioned has a real nice gift shop in it that I like to shop in, so I thought, "OK, it's not earrings, but maybe a candle or some other nice thing for the house." He handed me the bag, and just walked past me and sat down at the computer. I thought, "That's funny. Isn't he going to watch me open my gift?" I started to say something about it, but then I felt silly, demanding an audience, so I reached my hand into the crumpled plastic bag, and pulled out......... a vegetable brush!!! I am laughing now, but at the moment, my heart sank as I held the nice, shiny, white brush in my hands. It was something I needed, and I did appreciate it, but he said he brought me a gift, and I didn't think a scrub brush qualified as a gift from my husband. I set it on the window sill in front of my sink.

Later on that evening, I thought about the scene earlier on, and wondered what if anything could be gained spiritually from the incident. Here is what I came up with. Often we have hopes for how things should be in life and we don't get what we want, or what we think we should have. We are disappointed with what we do get, but God gives us what we need. He knows what is best for us. He knows the hurts, disappointments, trials and pains will help us in the long run. Naturally, we don't desire those things. We want all good things (like jewelry!!)

When I got up the next morning, I saw that brush sitting there, and I was able to say, "Thank you, God, for giving me what I need in my life, even though a lot of what is going on right now makes no sense to me, and is very disappointing to me. The brush would not have been my choice of a gift, just as the heartache and difficult circumstances we’ve endured are not, but You are always good and you give me what I need." I am pretty sure that each time I scrub vegetables, I will be reminded of that!

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

~From my garden~

Tulips and Lily-of-the-Valley

~Crown for a Queen~

Well, last week I crowned myself queen, and left off making a crown for myself. Today I got a crown, whether I wanted it or not, and let me tell you, I didn't really want it! This crown is altogether different (and thankfully it is not gold) from what I would have liked.

*Sigh* I went to the dentist today to get a tooth looked at. Every great once in a while, I would bite down on something and have a sharp pain in my tooth. Two routine dental visits later, and the dentist still hadn't found anything...today they found a crack in my molar. Normally a cavity will cause the crack, but I didn't have a filling in that tooth.

So whatever caused the crack is unknown, and I now have a temporary crown. In two weeks I get my permanent crown. This is the most extensive dental work I've ever had done. I have four tiny little fillings in my back four molars that didn't even take numbing to do the work. (I always did wonder about the necessity of those fillings...)

Now I'm a true queen, since I have a crown!!! *Grin*

~Lemon-Lime Bars~

The cover of Better Homes & Gardens magazine this month showcases some delicious looking bars. And believe me, they are delicious, since I couldn't help but try them out! A family from our church invited us for Sunday dinner and I offered to bring these. This recipe makes a lot, and I was quite happy to leave most of them there, since I knew I would never eat them all (or shouldn't eat them all, I'm not quite sure which!)

Ingredients
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
4 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel, divided
6 eggs
2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
2 Tbsp. sifted powdered sugar

Directions
1. Prepare Candied Citrus Slices or Strips, (see recipe), if desired. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with heavy foil; set aside.

2. For crust, in large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Beat in 2 cups of the flour until crumbly. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the lemon peel. Evenly press on bottom of prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, for filling, in medium bowl combine eggs, granulated sugar, remaining 1/2 cup flour, lemon juice, baking powder, and nutmeg. Beat on medium 2 minutes. Stir in remaining lemon peel and the lime peel. Pour over hot crust. Bake 20 minutes more or until edges are browned and center appears set. Remove to rack; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours.

4. To serve, sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar. Lift from pan using foil; cut into bars. Add Candied Citrus Slices or Strips, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 3 days. Makes 16 to 20 bars.

5. Candied Citrus Slices: In large skillet combine 1/4 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar; bring to boiling. Add 2 lemons or 10 key limes, thinly sliced. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 1 to 2 minutes or until just softened. Transfer to rack; cool.

6. Candied Citrus Strips: Cut strips of peel from 2 lemons or 2 limes. With spoon scrape away white pith. Cut into thin strips and cook in sugar mixture as above.

~Queen~

I hereby dub myself Queen of Long-Drawn-Out Projects in the Land of Procrastination. I'd make myself a crown, but it would probably take five or six years to get it completed, so I'll just settle for the title.

Last April, April 28th to be exact, I came home from the yarn store with this:



which soon became this:



But after many months it still wasn't finished. Jane finished her afghan in four weeks (and actually made another one shortly thereafter). I, however, did not work as quickly as she did. After a year, I finally realized that I just needed to buckle down and finish the last three color stripes. So I did.



And now I have a lovely afghan, which I am very pleased with. I am even crossing off an item on my 101 List. The actual list item says "Christmas" afghan, but I am giving myself the authority to make this afghan count towards the list item. I don't really want to make another afghan for quite awhile anyhow.

But really, the item that gives me the sparkliest jewel in my crown is my cross stitch project! When I was 16 years old, I started a set of counted cross stitch pictures, called "Pinky" and "Blue Bunny".

Two years ago, Blue Bunny looked like this:



But would it surprise you that, in fact, just a week ago, he still looked the same? It didn't surprise me, because I certainly hadn't been working on him. But I decided that it would be nice to have these two framed and on the wall instead of languishing in my sewing room closet. So tonight he looks like this (the flash washed the picture out a bit):



I've been working on him for about an hour a day, and as you can see, I'm making good progress on finishing it up!

While it is true that I haven't been working on this particular project for nearly sixteen years, I think of the set as one project. My 31-year-old heart doesn't pitter-patter exactly the same as my 16-year-old heart did over this project, but I do still like it! And I'll be glad to have it finished soon!

After this is finished, I think the oldest project in my house will be my quilt. I wonder sometimes if that will ever get finished! I started that one nearly 12 years ago. Yikes.

But I shall hold my head high and wear my crown proudly. After all, I do eventually finish my projects.

Image source for crown. All other images my own.

~Lilacs~

I'm very much looking forward to the full blooms of my lilacs in the back yard! Until then, I'll keep looking at the tiny, promising buds!

~Gas prices~

Yesterday while I was out doing errands, Kevin called me and asked if I could stop and get gas if it was still "low" at $3.45. Most of the gas stations had gone up to almost $3.70 by then, but I did find one that was $3.42. The line was long, tempers were flaring as people "lost" their spot, and the lot was crazy with cars trying to drive every-which-way. To think that $3.42 was a good price, and we were willing to wait for it!

The rising gas prices certainly haven't kept us home from church and work, but it has put a damper on just running out for this or that. The rising gas prices are crazy! Have the prices changed your way of life any? And to what extent?

~Another sunny day~

Oh, today was just beautiful! So sunny and warm and SPRINGY. I love spring. Why, it would be wonderful if all year were like this. Ok, so I guess I'd have to move for that to happen. Hmmmm...LOL

I met with a friend for coffee, and we had a nice visit. Then I went to a bookstore and browsed through some books. I came across a lovely, lovely book:



It is chock-full of adorable apron patterns. Oh what fun, fun, fun!!!

Speaking of aprons, I've been sewing up a storm, and will soon have a few aprons listed in my Etsy shop. I need to get some decent pictures taken first though.

This afternoon Kevin and I cleared out leaves and brush from around the yard. I'm so pleased that my perennials from last year are coming back nicely, and my bleeding hearts have blooms on them! So exciting! And lots of blooms on my lilacs too! I can't wait to see them! It looks like my pruning last spring did its job.

Happy spring! *Smiles*

~They're back!!!~

The birds, that is! There are a few brave birds that stick around for the winter, but for the most part, they all head south. Now that it is warmer (yay!!!) they are coming back. I am sitting in my dining room with the windows open and I can hear their cheerful songs. Every once in a while I can hear goldfinches and cardinals, my two favorites.

I would have a bird feeder, but the sparrows clean me out on a daily basis. I like sparrows too - they are a cute little bird! - but when they are coming in droves I just can't pay for all the sparrows in my zip code to eat! I think I will put out a goldfinch feeder though and see what happens.

I have a special place in my heart for birds, I can't exactly explain why. But my heart thrills to hear them singing! I'm so glad they're back now!

~For a friend~

Ever since I have seen the "Disappearing Nine-Patch" quilts around the sewing blogs, I have wanted to make one. The perfect opportunity came when my friend was having a baby shower. Only thing--I didn't quite finish it in time for the shower. Oh well...a little late was just fine. The baby still isn't here anyhow! :-)

Do you know who Paddington Bear is? I didn't. Since I'm not "up" on all the cartoons and characters, I asked the lady in the fabric store who Paddington Bear was. According to her, everyone should know who he is. (Well, excuse me!)


Paddington Bear

So one drizzly, gray afternoon, I snipped away with my scissors:



And then I made my nine patches. Each nine patch had a blue center square.



(And then I forgot to take any more pictures of the process! LOL)

After making the nine patches, you cut them in fourths, and then sew them back together again (tutorial found here). You can sew them randomly, as this quilter did (scroll down), or you can sew them in a pattern, like this. I chose to sew them into a pattern.

And this is the finished quilt! I really adore this quilt. It was a very fun project.





I finished it off by tying it with embroidery floss. Hand quilting would have been nice, but I wanted to get it to my friend before her son is in college! ;-)

While I was making this quilt, I was thinking of Hawaiian quilting. When American missionaries went to the Hawaiian islands, one of the things they did was teach the women to quilt. The Hawaiian women thought that the whole process of cutting and restructuring the fabric was a serious waste of time and fabric. So they came up with their own style of quilting.


(Image source)

I'm sure the Hawaiians would have thought this quilt even more laborious than the missionaries patterns! First you cut and sew, then you cut and sew again! But it is much faster to do it this way, then it would be to sew all those little rectangles and tiny squares together!

~O! Say But I'm Glad~

This morning as I was putting my groceries away, I started singing this song:

There is a song in my heart today,
Something I never had;
Jesus has taken my sins away,
O! say, but I’m glad.

Refrain:
O! say, but I’m glad, I’m glad,
O! say, but I’m glad,
Jesus has come and my cup’s overrun;
O! say, but I’m glad.

To listen to the song, click here.

And why, you ask, was I singing this song? It took me a second to realize, then I smiled. I had purchased gladiolus on sale, and I was going to plant them! Glads...I'm glad...get it? :-)



I hope they bloom as pretty as the package label! This is my first time to plant summer bulbs. Last year, I made the mistake of waiting until after the last frost date to start working out in my flower beds. Well, then I had a lot of work to do before I could start planting anything! As the weather permits, I'm going to get outside and work in the soil!

Today is a darkish day. I think it is supposed to rain sometime this afternoon. At least it isn't snow (though I hear that is coming our way later this week!).

Have a GLAD day!!!

~Around the corner~

Spring is peeking around the corner, holding out a little bit on us here in Michigan. But she is definitely on her way!

Crocus:


Lilac buds:

~Snickerdoodles~

While I was blog hopping this week, I saw a recipe for snickerdoodles. This morning as I was ironing, I kept thinking about snickerdoodles, and since anything is better than ironing, espcially something to do with cookies, I took a break and made a batch.



Of course, I couldn't remember where I saw the recipe, so I had to find my own. I turned to my favorite recipe site: www.recipezaar.com and found this recipe:

1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs.
Sift together and stir in flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Roll into balls the size of small walnuts.
Roll in mixture of 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in medium to hot (400 degrees) oven until lightly brown but still soft. These cookies puff up at first, then flatten out with crinkled tops.



They just melt in your mouth! So good! I can't remember ever having a snickerdoodle before. The whole batch is not staying in my house...I'm going to pass on the goodness (and calories! LOL) to some of my neighbors!

~Candle Giveaway~

The lovely Mrs. U is hosting a candle giveaway! Click here for more details!

I am excited for Mrs. U, as she and her husband are starting their second adoption! Mrs. U has a link on her blog that will take you to Old Virginia Candles--all proceeds she receives from this affilation will be going towards their adoption. Please keep her in mind if you are planning on purchasing candles!

~Home Fragrance, the healthy way~

Last December I read Mrs. Cat's article on the dangers of air fresheners. While air fresheners were used on occasion at our house it wasn't something I was spraying about the house on a daily basis. Still, I was concerned, so I decided to do something about it.

Last week (obviously it took me a while to do something about it!) I was at the health food store, and I purchased a natural air freshener. You can find out more about the one I purchased at www.miarose.com. I bought the "Vibrant Vanilla". The contents are: "An environmentally-safe biodegradable, concentrated liquid, derived from a perfect blend of pure essential oils, distilled from the peels of citrus fruit and vanilla beans, nothing else." It does the job well! ONE spray is all you need - and as the label says, there are up to 2000 sprays in the 4.6 fl. oz. bottle. Much better than other air fresheners, in fact, and now I won't need to worry about the side effects of the chemicals.

This year I have been slowly (oh-so-very-slowly!) replacing some of these hazardous household products with more "green" products. My goal is not to become a tree-hugger, but to have a healthy home environment!

~Spring Cleaning my Bookcase~

Edited to add: the Vintange Homekeeping Book is taken.

I have two books that I hope might be helpful to someone else. If you'd like to purchase them, please send me and e-mail and I'll give you my Paypal information. Each of these books is in very good, like-new condition.

First, I am offering Queen of the Castle by Lynn Bowen Walker. This book is $8, which includes shipping.



*****************************************************

Secondly, Treasury of Vintage Homekeeping Skills by Martha Greene, for $13 including shipping.

~Hello~

Hello! I've been a little quiet on the blogging side this winter. I'll open the page to create a new post, and it will sit open for hours sometimes. Finally I'll just close it because I can't think of anything to say. Interesting how different you are in seasons of your life.

I didn't get any spring cleaning done this week. I fully intended to attack the bathroom, but never did. Oh well. But the kitchen is still nice and clean. It is so nice to work in now. Next week I'll move forward in my spring cleaning!

I received my book (Knitalong) from Amazon this week. I was thoroughly delighted to see my knitted square fully visible in three different pictures. As it turned out, the knitters were not given full credit. Of course, we were all duly thanked, and my name is in the inside back cover. But so are a whole bunch of names. LOL It would have been cumbersome to list everyone who knitted each item, and realistically the only people interested in who knit each item would be the individual knitters. It is a fun book, and there are several projects in the book that I would like to make. I'm sure that there are some knit-alongs already started with the projects from this book! It would be fun to join one, I think.

Lately I've been listening to Old Fashioned Christian Music Radio. As the name clearly indicates, the music is "old fashioned." I love quality Christian music, and listening to this as I go about my housework has been very encouraging.

Well, for not having anything to say, I've rambled on quite a bit.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

~Groceries, part 2~

Groceries: gotta have 'em! The only way around buying groceries is to eat out for every meal! And well, that isn't happening--at least not at my house!

I heard on the news this morning that the U.S. grocery prices have increased by 4%. However, the prices in third world countries have increased by over 20%. So while I was busy complaining about spending a few extra dollars--there are literally people starving to death because they can't afford to buy food.

I really started thinking about why my groceries have gone up for me so much over the last few months, and then it dawned on me: we aren't eating out! That means that almost every single meal is coming from my kitchen. So of course, while we are spending practically nothing on eating out, we have to account for extra meals at home, which naturally means more groceries!

For now, it works best for me to read the sales and plan my meals around them. I went shopping yesterday and saved $41 just by shopping the sales. I think if I can gradually stock up on items here and there, it will really help in the long run!

Resources:
A while back, I saved this list of books that Merideth posted. I went through the list the other day and reserved some of the books at my library.

Mrs H. recommeneded www.moneysavingmom.com.

Any other great books or sites that have helped you???

~Spring Cleaning, Kitchen Part 5~

Well, I did it! I finished my kitchen today. I worked really hard in there and got everything clean.



Today I cleaned the oven, finished cleaning off the countertops, cleaned the cupboard doors, and mopped the floor--paying attention to all those corners. Then I broke out the paint and touched up my cabinets. They are all nice and white now!



I am so happy to have everything shiny clean! There are some areas of my kitchen that I keep on top of: refrigerator, microwave, counter tops. But then there are other areas that I don't "think" of as often: stovetop, oven, floors. So I'm going to write out a rotating list and make sure everything gets cleaned on a montly basis. This will make spring cleaning much easier--or perhaps eliminate the need!



Next up: the bathroom!

~Spring Cleaning, Kitchen Part 4~

First of all, somehow the "spring" dial switched back to "winter" and it has been snowing all afternoon! Totally not fair, though the weatherman is positively gloating!

Ok, where was I...oh yes, "spring" cleaning. Today I finished out the cupboards, and got the countertops cleaned. I also cleaned the sink, microwave, and toaster.

Still left: cupboard doors, oven, and floor. That will get done tomorrow!

~Floor problems~

It was not until we were doing our final walk-through of our home that I noticed the kitchen floor was not a linoleum, but rather sticky linoleum "tiles". So maybe that was why the previous owners had strewn dirty laundry throughout the house the day of our inspection? They wanted to draw attention away from the floors? (Seriously, there was laundry everywhere! Our realtor picked it up off the stairs so we could walk down without tripping! Baskets were everywhere all over the kitchen!)

I know that many designers on HGTV make use of these "marvelous" sticky tiles, and I have seen a job done correctly with them. But this is not a long-lasting floor solution! Unless the tiles are laid perfectly, there are gaps. Also, the tiles lose their stickiness and start to come up, or slip around.

So here's what the floor by my stove looked like:


I took off six tiles:


and now look (oooh, don't look too hard, I still haven't cleaned the floor/cupboard doors!):


There is still one tile in that area that has gaps. Honestly though, I could have removed the whole floor last night. Because once you start going, the rest of the floor looks bad too. But, I would have run out of tiles (at least the previous owner left a box and a half in the basement for us), and the tiles have lost some of their stickiness. So I'll be content that the huge gaps are gone!

~Happy Spring!~

Blooming:


And look how they grow! Through the leaves, isn't that just fascinating? (Sorry, the focus is a bit off.)

~Spring Cleaning, Kitchen Part 3~

As mentioned on Tuesday, my refrigerator and cabinet under the sink are shiny clean. I started on the stovetop on Tuesday, and today I finally got the drip pans cleaned and back on. My stovetop is 30+ years old, so it is not the prettiest sight. (Hmmm I'm 30+, hope the same can't be said of me. ;-) ) It is not easy to clean, which means I don't do it often enough. I need to add this chore to my list and get it done on a regular basis, wouldn't that be smart?

Today's accomplishments: pantry and a few drawers. I had recently gone through them, so everything just needed straightening. Also I decided to let go of some canned pickles that I put up in the summer of '04. With all the salt and vinegar, I have no doubt that they were still fine to eat, but the trouble with them was that I never liked the way they turned out in the first place!!! So 8 jars--contents down the disposal! Now I don't have to look at them in my cupboard any more!

I did find some things to give to the thrift store, but not much. I also straightened my cookbook shelf. It is nice to have this shelf in the kitchen, but I admit it is a magnet for clutter!

I still have a few cupboards to straighten and wipe out, then I have general surface cleaning left.

My goodness, it feels so good to get things sparkling again!

~Spring Cleaning your In-box~

A few months ago, I decided to take control of my email in box. Personal emails went unanswered for months, buried amongst advertising and blogging e-mails (I get my comments sent to my e-mail address). I wanted and needed a better system!

Here's what I've done with my Yahoo account--I'm sure that most email programs have similar features that you can make use of:

1) I made folders for different family members and friends, and transferred all their e-mails into those folders. For some reason, I cannot bear to delete personal emails. Not that I ever go back and read them, but that's another issue to be dealt with on another day! *Smiles*

2) I deleted all the rest. Very easy, should have been done when I received them!

3) Now this is a feature which might be unique to Yahoo users, but I created an email "address" which is just for my blog comments, but delivered to the same email address. Now when comments come in, they are highlighted a different color and I can respond to them using this email address.

4) Here's the part which has worked the best for me: I keep my main in-box empty. If there is an email in there, I either need to delete it, respond to it, or it is there to jog my memory on something. Once I respond to an email, I file it in its appropriate folder or delete as appropriate, and then I don't have it staring at me each time I open my email.

I know this is a lot of detail for something as simple as email, but I have struggled with emailing for years! I have been such a tardy responder to emails, and in many instances this has been quite embarrassing to me. I am so happy that I have finally hit upon a good system that works for me!

~Groceries~

Last night I went grocery shopping. Have you noticed a price increase in groceries? It seems as if everything is going up in price, all across the store. While I've been shopping the sales, it doesn't seem to be cutting the grocery bill enough.

I make almost everything from "scratch", with minimal processed foods. So I don't think couponing would work for me. Also, not too many meals are that fancy either.

Here's a chance to share your favorite books, websites and blogs for frugal grocery shopping! In a few days, I'll post all the links in a seperate post.

Thanks!

~Spring Cleaning, Kitchen Part 2~

After the refrigerator I moved on to the cabinet under the sink. Since I already had my vacuum out (I vacuumed the coils on the back of the fridge), I vacuumed all the crud out from under the sink, and quickly swiped it out. I keep the trash under the sink, so I sanitized the trash can also.

I have a cabinet that is kind of off to the side of the kitchen, tall and large. I keep my recycle bins in here, as well as my cleaners. The recycles were towering in there, ready to become a monster and jumble about the house.
;-) Those were taken out to the garage and the recycle bins cleaned too.

The stove top has been cleaned - I just have to work on those pesky drip pans.

Amy's list looks like this:
Day 1: Clean refrigerator (inside). Vacuum coils.
Day 2: Deep clean floor.
Day 3: Organize pantries.
Day 4: Clean outside of fridge and under sink. Clean cooktop.
Day 5: Cut the clutter.
Day 6: Final tidy! (clean counters, stuff on counters, dining room table, windows, trash can, exterior of cabinets).

For Amy's full explanations, please visit her site!

As you can see, I'm mixing things up a bit. Amy suggested designating 1 hour per day, which is a good suggestion. However, with the way my week looks, I'm trying to accomplish more on several days, rather than spread out the tasks. Also, I'm saving the floor for last since I'm a messy cleaner! :-)

~Spring Cleaning, Kitchen Part 1~

It's quite dreary out today, what with the rain just drip, drip, dripping! The curtains are open, but the lights are still on today!

I realize the calendar hasn't declared that it is spring yet, but I've just begun my "spring cleaning". Amy over at The Mother Load has been working very hard and providing her readers with spring cleaning printables. Last week was the kitchen, and I wasn't really feeling up to it, so I decided to postpone until this week.

So far, I've got my refrigerator sparkling - inside and out! I loved the suggestion for cleaning with baking soda. How much better than filling my refrigerator with cleaner fumes! Why didn't I think of that? I went a little farther and cleaned out my freezer too. I hate to throw "perfectly good" food away, but then stuff that's been hanging out in there for the past three years probably isn't "perfectly good", is it? LOL

As you can see from the picture, it is time to go grocery shopping! It is much easier to clean the refrigerator out when there isn't much in there to begin with.

I'm working through Amy's lists, and my next stop is under the sink. It feels good to get rid of grime!!!

~Dripped Beef~

This coming Sunday is Easter, and the last several years, I have made this roast for Easter dinner, and will be making it again this year:

Dripped Beef

3-4 lb. chuck roast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. white pepper (I use regular pepper)
1 Tbsp. rosemary
1 Tbsp. dried oregeno
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 cup water

Place roast in crock pot. Combine seasonings, and sprinkle over roast. Add water. Cover crock pot and cook on Low 6-7 hours. Shred meat using two forks. Strain liquid and return liquid and meat to slow cooker. Serve meat and au jus over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.

Recipe from Fix it and Forget it.

I posted this recipe about a year ago--it is a great recipe, worth repeating! *Smiles*

~Coming from Amazon.com~

Oooh, I can't wait! Tonight I ordered this:



Which of course has this in it:



I'm looking forward to receiving it! I hope I like the other projects besides this afghan. LOL But at least I'll have a copy to prove that my knitted work is in a published book! Too fun. *Smiles*

~Can it be? A post without mention of weather?~

I've been reading the sequel to Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster. Dear Enemy is the delightful story of Sallie, Judy's friend, who goes to superintend the orphanage that Judy grew up in. It is full of words like "heretofore, herewith, respectfully, etc." A very fun read! I have read it once before, but it has been quite awhile. While I've read Daddy-Long-Legs several times over, I haven't followed it each time with Dear Enemy. But really, I should have! I won't give away any details, so it is hard to talk about it! If you've read Daddy-Long-Legs, I urge you to read Dear Enemy!

~Sun! and warmth!~

Our high today was in the low 50's. ***Almost like paridise!*** I went for a lovely walk and didn't even need a coat. It was just beautiful out today. I choose to ignore the forecast for this weekend! (Hint, it is not more of the same.) ***La, la, la, I can't heeeeear you***

~Through the snow~

I took this picture on Tuesday, and was going to add it to my post that day, but I never got around to it.

I just love to see the crocuses popping up through the snow! It is such an encouraging sight! And it reminds me of the verse:
Gen. 8:22 "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

So no matter how long and cold this winter is, we know spring is around the corner!

~Signs of Spring~

When we moved from California to Michigan, I thought that winter would be many months of whiteness...that the snow would just keep piling up and up and up all winter long. So after our first winter storm, I was surprised that it all melted away several days later. That was the process: snow, melt, snow, melt...all winter long. Snow storms never came when there was still snow on the ground, or at least rarely.

And that was how winter was like our first three winters here. But this winter has been completely different! We had a very late fall, and unfortunately there wasn't much time between the last leaves falling and the first snow. Since our first snow, we haven't seen the ground--or much of it! (Which means that the lawn is covered in leaves still! Eeks--I'm not anxious to see the state of our lawn!)

In February, much of our area got either record snowfalls or close to it. It snowed almost every day!

But this brings me to the title of my post - the snow is melting off now, and since it was a little warmer yesterday, I walked around the house. I saw crocuses popping up, some tulips in a sunnier spot, and my grape hyacinths! Oh, I can't wait to see them bloom! :-)

Ecc. 3:11a:

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time.

~Pigs Monkeying Around~

Using Sunnyside Ellen's Pigs In Mud colorway, I knit a second pair of Monkey socks. I love this pattern--so fun to work up!



The foot ended up being just a smidge on the long side. I think next time I knit this pattern, I'll switch to from size 2 to size 1 needles for the toe, and that would take care of that problem. It really isn't that big of a deal though--I wore these socks yesterday and they are very comfortable.

~Frozen~

And this time, I'm not talking about the weather. (Though if you want to get technical, it is freezing outside. But I digress.) This video is hilarious!

~Bored?~

Need something to do on a cold winter day? Here's an idea! There's a new "squiggly" puzzle (and normal puzzles) each day.

It has been a very hazardous winter. Snow and ice have piled up on a nearly daily basis. I think I heard that we had at least a trace of snow on over 20 days of last month. So I pull up my little electric heater that follows me about the house, and do a squiggly puzzle. *grin*

~Friday's tea towel~

Bound:


Hanging on my oven:


My two finished towels:


Have I mentioned how much I love these towels? The black-outlined shapes with the dotted words pleasantly remind me of coloring pages with words which were to be traced.

The binding I used for Friday's tea towel was out of the same bias binding I used for my polka-dotted apron a while back.