Happy Homemaker Monday - February 11, 2019

Greetings, Dear Ones! Happy Monday! 💗

I had intended to post a mid-week update this week (as well as a few other things), but, unfortunately it didn't happen. Besides being a busy week on the home-front, we finally got some winter weather...which I absolutely enjoyed, but it was weird! 😳We had super cold temperatures, freezing rain, thunderstorms, hail, snow, and even tornado warnings...ALL AT THE SAME TIME!  No joke! This was the weather map Wednesday night into Thursday...

It was wild! I certainly had never seen anything like it. It was interesting to say the least! 

When it was over we were encased in a crystal world of ice. It was so beautiful!!! A lot of it finally melted off Saturday, but Saturday night we got a bit more. I spent a lot of time this week trying to get pictures that would convey the beauty, but it didn't happen. There's just no way to capture the millions of tiny sparkles and flashes of color once the sun hits the ice. At least not with any of the equipment that I have access to. 

This photo probably came the closest and it's nothing. You can see the sparkles though and a bit of color. I took this one with the camera at work on Friday.

White Crown Beard Encased In Ice In A Crystalized World

Due to the winter weather, Thursday's plans had to be postponed and, instead, the day was spent at home enjoying the birds. Here are a couple of shots that I got at our feeders. Both of them were taken through two panes of glass...neither of which was very clean. 😆

House Finch

Goldfinch

Much of Friday at work was spent enjoying the beauty of the frozen prairie and doing photography there, as well.

Ice-Encrusted Wildflowers Amid the Frozen Prairie
Landscape at Prairie State Park

Well, dear ones, I'm sure I've bored you long enough! It's a brand new week and it's time to get on with it! Won't you join me as I join Sandra at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom and all the other lovely ladies that make up the Happy Homemaker Monday crew?

Today I am joining Sandra and the other ladies over at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom
for Happy Homemaker Monday. Please be sure to go over and check it out! 💗

Right now I am...

... finishing up breakfast and enjoying a cup of hot tea while working on this post.

Am thinking...

... about the week ahead. Grandson, Dante, turned 4 on Saturday. 🎈 I was supposed to take him out for lunch for his birthday on Thursday, but, with the ice storm, we had to reschedule. I am doing it today. Granddaughter, Kira, who was born in an ice storm one year ago today, is celebrating her first birthday. 🎂 Since Dante and Kira's birthdays are only two days apart our son and daughter-in-law had a birthday party for both yesterday afternoon. 🎈🎂🎉 

Kira Celebrating Her First Birthday

Dante Celebrating His 4th Birthday

Tomorrow I will be taking grandson, Jed, out for his 6th birthday 🎂 and on Thursday, is it not only Valentine's Day 💘, but John and I will be celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary. 💕So...lots of love  and celebration going on in the family this week! 💓

February 14, 1988

On the breakfast plate...

... fat-free ham slices, egg, and cheese on toast and a cup of hot tea

The weather...

... Much better! 36 degrees and rainy but a high of 53 is expected. After that it's supposed to be in the 40's, 50's, and even 60's through Thursday, then a bit chillier after that. But...no chances of winter weather again until next week...at least at this point that's what they're saying. This is Missouri and it could always (and often does) change! 😉

On my reading pile...

Finished reading Pioneer Girl  - The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder (very good and quite interesting!) and From The Godfather to God the Father - The Michael Franzese Story by Michael Franzese; am still reading The Great Buffalo Hunt by Wayne Gard and have added Bonny Kate - Pioneer Lady by Mark Strength. 

Catharine "Bonny Kate" Sherrill, who married John Sevier and later became the first first-lady of Tennessee, was my great-grandfather's (several greats) niece (her father and my great-grandfather were brothers) making her a distant cousin to me. Anyway, have always been fascinated by her life and am enjoying this book very much! My great-grandfather (Captain William B. Sherrill) and greater-grandparents (Adam and Betsy Sherrill) have all been mentioned, thus far. Very interesting! 💓

On the menu this week...

Monday - turkey Italian sausages with oven roasted potatoes, green beans, and salad

Tuesday - Crockpot Lemon and Garlic Chicken, butter and garlic pasta, steamed broccoli, and salad
Wednesday - turkey cheeseburgers and oven fries
Thursday - five-cheese tortellini, meatballs, sauce, homemade French bread, salad, and a special anniversary dessert
Friday - broiled salmon served over a bed of sauteed yellow squash, baked potatoes with cottage cheese, and peas and carrots
Saturday - Crockpot Pizza Potatoes (see recipe below) and salad
Sunday - leftovers

CROCKPOT PIZZA POTATOES

8 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
1 c chopped onion
1 lb turkey Italian sausage
1 t salt
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley

Place potatoes in crockpot.  Cut sausage into bite-sized chunks.  Place sausage on top of potatoes.  Add onions. Mix spices into tomato sauce and pour over all.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hrs until potatoes are tender.

On my 'to do' list...

Monday - Weekly "home blessing"✅, laundry✅, HHM post✅, walk, take grandson, Dante, out to lunch for his birthday, wish granddaughter, Kira, a happy first birthday

Tuesday - Walk, take grandson, Jed, out to lunch for his birthday

Wednesday - Walk, make valentine treats for the grands, get together with my friend, Carla

Thursday - Walk, deliver valentine treats to the grands, celebrate John and I's 31st wedding anniversary
Friday - Walk, work
Saturday - Walk, work (nature bingo)
Sunday - Church

In the craft basket...

... making bean bags for an upcoming program at work (forgot to take pics, but will try to remember to do so Friday...they're all at work now), and am starting a temperature afghan. My daughter, Amanda, has been working on one for awhile now and I had intended to start one long ago. Seeing the progress that Jodi has made on her's has fueled my fire. I've got the first two rows done and, hopefully, the rest of my yarn should be here today so I can continue! 😊

One of my simple pleasures...

Watching the birds at our feeders.

Caroline Wren

Something interesting that I watched this week...

The aftereffects of the ice storm and the wildlife that were out and about in it at the same time I was...birds, bison, deer, coyote, and an opossum.

This little guy (an opossum) was wondering around the
campground looking for something good to eat.

From the camera...

The Road To The Campground At Prairie State Park

Scripture passage...

Well, Ladies, that's it for this week! I pray that each and every one of you have a blessed and beautiful New Year, and I'll see you next week! Blessings!

Until next time,
~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Happy Homemaker Monday - February 4, 2018

Winter 2019 Bucket List

Nineteen Things In 2019