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Monday, May 27, 2019

Happy Homemaker Monday - May 27, 2019

Good morning, Sweet Ladies! 💗 HAPPY MONDAY! 💗 

I trust that you and your family have had a great week and are in the midst of a lovely holiday weekend! Happy Memorial Day!


Here it's been a full and busy week. I got home from Knob Noster on Wednesday (was there four days for spring training) and finally just got the last of my stuff unpacked and put away and laundry done last night. It's been a WILD week with a lot of storms! In fact, we're in the midst of another gully-washer right now. 😩 

Spring Interpretive Training went well and was a lot of fun! I got to spend some extra time with our youngest daughter, Amanda, too. She and I both work for the same state agency, so we often meet up at various trainings and events, which is always a plus.

Knob Noster State Park - Camp Bobwhite
Other than that, the rest of the week was spent dealing with one crisis after another, including multiple storms and a LOT of rain!

I'm cutting this short this morning, because there is much to be done before heading to our son and daughter-in-law's for a cookout afternoon. 

Let's get right on into this week's post...shall we? Please, join me as, I link up with Sandra of Diary of a Stay At Home Mom on Happy Homemaker Monday. 💗



Right now I am...

Finishing up breakfast and enjoying a cup of hot tea while working on this post. I am also watching the rain and another storm blow through.

On the breakfast plate...

Peanut butter and jelly toast and hot tea

The weather...

Wet! We've had nothing but heavy rain, lightening, and tornado watches and warnings for the past week. 😩

Our Current Round of Storms
The Week Ahead
On my reading pile...

Haven't had time to read anything this week, so am still just where I was...The Great Buffalo Hunt by Wayne Gard, Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Mother Culture by Karen Andreola.
On the menu this week...

Monday - Fish sandwiches and oven fries
Tuesday - Italian sausage, oven roasted potatoes, and green beans
Wednesday - Homemade pizza
Thursday - Roast beef, oven-roasted potatoes,carrots and onions, and gravy
Friday - Oven-roasted chicken breasts, butter and garlic pasta, and brussel sprouts
Saturday - Broiled salmon on a bed of sauteed zucchini, seasoned brown rice, and peas and carrots
Sunday - Leftovers

On my 'to do' list...

- Monday - I got all the housecleaning and laundry done yesterday, so I'm free to enjoy time with my family today 💓
- Tuesday - Pick up my Rug Doctor from the repair shop in Joplin; dh is having surgery on his left eye (Prayers would be much appreciated! Thank you!) 🙏
- Wednesday - Dh has a follow-up appointment with our regular eye doctor 
- Thursday - Meet my aunt(s) for lunch at a halfway-between-us-point
- Friday - Run errands, catch up on a few projects around the house
- Saturday - Work; attend the 'Celebration of Life' for a dear friend
- Sunday - Church; work in the afternoon

In the craft basket...

Am staying caught up with the temperature afghan and that's about it at the moment...BUT...I did order supplies to undertake a couple of new projects, so, more about those later! 😉

Temperature Afghan Through May 25, 2019

Looking forward to this week...

Getting past dh's eye surgery! 👁

Something interesting I watched...

A demonstration on chocolate making at Spring Interpretive Training...

From Whole Cocoa Beans To Finished Product
Very interesting! And the chocolate that she made was delicious! 
From Whole Cocoa Beans To Finished Product
Very interesting! And the chocolate that she made was delicious! 
Pulverizing the Peeled Cocoa Beans in a Mortar and Pestle
From the camera...

Wildflowers On My Way Home From Work On Saturday
Scripture passage...




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

Until Next Time...
~Rebecca

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

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Monday, May 20, 2019

Happy Homemaker Monday - May 20, 2019

Good morning, Sweet Ladies! 💗 HAPPY MONDAY! 💗

 I trust that you had a great week and weekend and are ready to face the challenges of a brand new week head on, unabated, and with gusto! 😉

 Last week was overwhelmingly full here. I had school groups and work events scheduled almost every day, plus a whole plethora of other things going on, as well. In fact, it continues. 

 By the time you read this post I will be half way through my annual pilgrimage to attend spring interpretive training for work. This is my fourth year in attendance.  For the past three years the training has taken place at Cuivre River State Park (which is absolutely beautiful); this year it is being held at Knob Noster State Park, so this will be a new experience for me!
Cuivre River
Cuivre River State Park
2016
Spring training is a time that I greatly look forward to each year. Not only do I learn a lot and enjoy it, but my youngest daughter and I both work for the same state agency, so spring training gives us an opportunity to see each other and spend a little extra time together that we wouldn't get otherwise. For that I am very thankful!

An update for those that have been praying over our friend, Joe. He passed away on May15th. We are sad for us, but rejoice for him. There is no doubt that there was great rejoicing in heaven as he passed from this life into the eternal presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please continue to remember Joe's wife, family, and friends in the days ahead. Thank you all so much!

Now...let's get right on into this week's post...shall we? Please, join me as, I link up with Sandra of Diary of a Stay At Home Mom on Happy Homemaker Monday. 💗



Right now I am...

At this moment (if this post goes out on time, as scheduled) I am most likely having breakfast in the dining hall and getting ready to start a very full day of classes. Tonight, I will present a program representative of the park at which I work for the second year in a row.

On the breakfast plate...

This year we actually got a meal schedule. This morning's breakfast offerings include pancakes, eggs, ham, cereal, yogurt, fruit, coffee, tea, juices, and milk. Most likely, I am having ham and eggs, maybe a couple of pancakes, maybe yogurt, and tea. We'll see. 🍎🍩🍐🍳🍓

The weather...

According to the forecast before I left, the high at Knob Noster today is supposed to be 71 degrees. A couple of years ago at spring training it was so chilly that we about froze to death the first night. The next morning, one of the ladies ran into town and brought back blankets for all of us that wanted them. They proved to be a real blessing the rest of the trip. I packed mine and brought it along again this year just in case. According to the forecast, I might actually need it! 😅

On my reading pile...

The Great Buffalo Hunt by Wayne Gard, Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Mother Culture by Karen Andreola.


On the menu this week...

With me being gone a good part of the week, dh will be on his own, but, he's a good cook and as long as he's got plenty of pasta on hand, he's happy (he's half-Sicilian on his mom's side...pasta makes him very happy!). 😊😋🍝😍 As for when I get home, I'll just have to see what's on hand at that point and, maybe, make a trip to the grocery store before I figure it out, so I'm not even going to worry about making menu plans this week.

On my 'to do' list...

- Monday - Spring interpretive training 
- Tuesday - Spring interpretive training 
- Wednesday - Spring interpretive training; travel home 
- Thursday -  Unpack, rest, regroup, and recover; surgery center is supposed to call to let us know what time John's surgery is scheduled for on the 28th
- Friday - Run errands, go to the grocery store, and relax as much as possible
- Saturday - Work
- Sunday - Church; supper at son and dil's

 In the craft basket...

 Nothing at the moment. Will catch up on my temperature afghan when I get home.

 Looking forward to this week...

 Spring training and spending time with my youngest daughter. 

 Something interesting I watched...

 The expression on little faces as they observed Clementine (my tarantula) at her educational debut at Wednesday's library program. 
Clementine's Educational Debut
From the camera...
Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers

Wildflower Bouquet That I Left With Residents of the Carthage
Rehab Center After Doing a Wildflower Program For Them
Scripture passage...


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

Until Next Time...
~Rebecca

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

Happy Homemaker Monday - May 13, 2019



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Monday, May 13, 2019

Happy Homemaker Monday - May 13, 2019

Good morning, Dear Ones! Happy Monday! 💗


I wish each and every one of you beautiful moms out there a belated Happy Mother's Day! I hope you had a great one! 🌷🌹🌸💓 

Mother's Day Flowers
I had a wonderful Mother's Day! I heard from all six of my children and received tokens of love and appreciation from all...messages, phone calls, meal dates, flowers, flowers, and more flowers, cards, cheesecake, and a lovely purple case for my brand new cell phone! (Yes! I've stepped up in the world! I finally got a smart phone! Wow! I never thought that THAT would happen!) 😲 

More Mother's Day Flowers
And More Mother's Day Flowers
This past week has been crazy and the one ahead and beyond promises to be even more so. I worked Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (school groups, scout groups, Monarch Magic homeschool program, and preparation for off-site programs this week). Tuesday and Wednesday were spent spinning my wheels trying to get things done around here that needed to be done, but to no avail. 

Children Gather To Plant Pollinator-Friendly Plants To Take Home
A Kaleidoscope of Coffee-Filter Monarch Butterflies
Tuesday night a chunk of our neighbor's (Pat's) big ol' pecan tree fell out and it is splayed from her house to the edge of the road. I heard it when it fell and it JUST missed...and I mean JUST BARELY missed...hitting her house! Had it of, she would be out of a home right now. We are so thankful for God's magnificent protection! There had to be angels right there to lay that baby down where it is! We've got friends coming this weekend to clean it up and take the wood. They heat their home with wood in the winter and this will have all summer to season. Again, we are very thankful! 🌳

Wednesday I took Pat to her hair appointment and out for lunch and, beyond that, didn't accomplish much more. 

In the midst of it all, our dear friend, Joe, has been hanging in the balances (cancer) and we have been spending as much time as we can with him and his wife. Please remember Joe and his family in your prayers. Thank you!

Okay...enough about last week! Let's get right on into this week's post! Shall we? And, please, join me as, I link up with Sandra of Diary of a Stay At Home Mom and all the other lovely ladies that make up the Happy Homemaker Monday crew. You'll be glad you did! 💗

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 I work on this post. I'm also enjoying watching the birds at the feeders and in the front yard. Thus far this morning I've observed robins, cardinals, tufted titmice, house finches, hummingbirds, a downy woodpecker, and a bluejay. 

 We also had a blacksnake on the back porch. I grabbed a pair of gloves, caught him, and released him out towards the back. Wish I would have remembered to take a picture! 🐍

Am thinking...

... about all the things coming up this week (two school groups, three off-site programs, and preparing to go to spring training...which reminds me...there probably won't be a HHM post next week...hmmmm...unless...if I can find the time I might try scheduling something...we'll see...just thinking out loud here) 🤔

On the breakfast plate...

... This morning I had peanut butter and Polaner All-Fruit (blueberry) on toast. 

The weather...

Absolutely gorgeous at the moment...59 degrees and sunny! And the week ahead really doesn't look bad at all! 🌞 

On my reading pile...

The Great Buffalo Hunt by Wayne Gard, Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Mother Culture by Karen Andreola.

Online this week...

Nothing

On the menu this week...

Monday - Supper @ youngest son's
Tuesday - Fish sandwiches and sweet potato fries 🐟
Wednesday - Turkey Italian sausages, oven roasted potatoes, and green beans
Thursday - Broiled spoonbill, roasted carrots, brussel sprouts, and cornbread (freezer)
Friday - Pasta, meatballs, sauce, garlic bread, and salad
Saturday - Broiled chicken breasts, baked potatoes, and steamed broccoli
Sunday - Out of town

On my 'to-do' list...

Monday - HHM post, plan the week ahead, do home blessing, laundry, pick up new glasses, grocery shop, take Lilla Rose catalog to a customer
Tuesday - Work (present wildflower program @ rehab center in Carthage), figure mid-month budget
Wednesday - Work (school group in the morning; library program in the afternoon); bank
Thursday - Lilla Rose online party ends (if interested in placing an order click HERE); work (wildflower walk @ Battle of Island Mound State Historic Site @ Butler)
Friday - Work (school group)
Saturday - Do a quick spruce up on the house, do last minute laundry, pack and prepare for spring training
Sunday - Leave for spring training (it's @ Knob Noster State Park this year)

In the craft basket...

Temperatures remain cool and steady, so still staying in those same color ranges. Crazy! 


Something interesting that I watched this week...

 Irises blooming in our yard...
Purple Iris
Burgundy Iris
White Iris
Old-fashioned Purple and Yellow Iris

Lavender Iris
(These are my favorites. They smell like grape Kool-Aid!)
From the camera...
My New Dishes
(Mainstays Berry Collection Multicolored Stoneware Dinnerware Set - 12 Piece)
Scripture passage...

Well, Ladies, that's it for this week! I pray that each and every one of you have a blessed and beautiful week ahead, and I'll see you all next week! Blessings!
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Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser - A Book Review and More


Prairie Fires - The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser
I was raised on the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My mother read them aloud to me when I was very young; then, when I learned to read, I read them for myself...over and over again. I felt that Laura had written the books just for me. I had put Laura Ingalls Wilder up on a pedestal that she was about to be knocked off of.

 The first blow came when visiting Rocky Ridge (Laura and Almanzo's home and museum in Mansfield, Missouri) for the first time. It was there that I discovered there was a whole world of people out there that knew about Laura's books and that they loved her just as much as I did! I felt betrayed! 😳 (I think I was eight...maybe nine-years-old.)

 It didn't detour me though. I was still fascinated with Laura's stories and I hung on to every word of them. I never tired of reading the series and I read them and re-read them over and over again with my own children. Our youngest and I used the series as the basis of our literature one year using The Prairie Primer by Margie Gray which fell out into all kinds of unit studies. 

 My fascination with Laura Ingalls Wilder continued until my husband bought me the book Little House in the Ozarks - A Laura Ingalls Wilder Sampler - The Rediscovered Writings edited by Stephen W. Hines. It was then that I discovered that there was more to Laura Ingalls Wilder than was revealed in the Little House series and, somehow, her life just didn't seem as pleasant. The image was tarnished and it frightened me. In fact, I never finished the book. The truth is, I barely started it. 😞

 And I never did like Rose (Laura's daughter). I couldn't tell you why though. I just didn't. I remember checking out Let The Hurricane Roar by Rose Wilder Lane at the school library as and I couldn't read it. It was like I sensed that there was something wrong and that somehow Rose had used it to hurt Laura. Isn't that strange? 😲

 Anyway, after all these crazy mixed up feelings about a woman...an author...a total stranger...that died before I was even born and was someone that I would never know, Prairie Fires - The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser has finally brought me middle of the road and helped me to accept the truth that Laura Ingalls Wilder was a real person, with real feelings, and real life stuff happened to her on every front. 

 I'm convinced that Prairie Fires is the most in-depth look into the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder that has been (or ever will be) written and I am totally fascinated by it!

 Not only does the book tell us more of Laura's story, but it also delves into a bit more of her family history and into the history of the characters that made the Little House series come alive.

 Drawing on unpublished manuscripts, letters, diaries, and land and financial records, Caroline Fraser (the editor of the Library of America edition of the Little House series) fills in the gaps in Laura's biography. She reveals the grown-up story behind the most influential childhood epic of pioneer life and chronicles Laura's tumultuous relationship with her journalist daughter, Rose Wilder Lane.

 Today I love Laura Ingalls Wilder more than ever and, after reading Prairie Fires, I have a new found respect for this dear lady whose life spanned nearly a century of change, from the Indian Wars to the Dust Bowl, providing us a unique perspective on American history and a lesson in self-reliance.

 At 640 pages (hardcover) Prairie Fires isn't a fast read, but it's a read that I highly recommend for anyone who is a fan of, or has been touched by, Laura Ingalls Wilder's life in any way. 💗

 Until next time...
~Rebecca

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

Happy Homemaker Monday - May 6, 2019




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