I’m still working my way through your questions and emails from the past couple weeks. If I don’t answer, try me again. It’s hard to keep track.
You can subscribe to this blog by email here. Hope that feature is helpful for some of you.
1. I think Scooter’s a little lonesome for Hank. Whatdaya think? And he’s no dummy, yarn makes everything feel better.
2. Speaking of yarn, I haven’t done much handiwork since the fire. My mother-in-law, on the other hand has more drive and determination to get a project done than anyone I think I’ve ever met. She has knit all her grandkids an afghan in the past couple of years. (13 of them, I think?!) And as if she didn’t have enough to worry about, she started knitting an afghan for Steve and I, since ours was lost in the fire. I shouldn’t have been surprised when this came in the mail.
Yeah, I know. Now pick yourself up off the floor and look at it from this angle.
It’s absolutely stunning. My fingers hurt just thinking about it. And this is one of MANY that she’s made lately.
I’ve forbidden anyone to touch it. I drape it across the ottoman in my bedroom and admire its’ beauty every single day.
What an amazing gift! We are so thankful. It seems that this restoration has no end 🙂
3. In contrast to that lovely work of art, I’m currently knitting a dishcloth. Loser.
4. JamieKnoxville is on a flight to visit as we speak. She’s like a sister to me and when her and I and my sister get together, there’s gonna be trouble along with loud singing of ‘Stand by Your Man’. While most of us put on a pound or two as we age, she seems to get thinner and thinner. Darn her. So this is the text I sent her yesterday.
5. Truth is, I’m the one who’s gonna need the stretch pants but she did say that all she’s bringing is ‘bed clothes’, translated lounge pants and sweat shirts.
Here are her list of demands.
–She doesn’t want to be over scheduled because porch sitting is her main objective.
–She told me not to do anything else to her room until she gets here—no bed skirt until she approves of it.
–She’s not coming unless there are black out shades on her windows.
I’ve complied with all her requests and I’ve even planned a night to watch Coal Miner’s Daughter.
{Deep Breath}. I think I’m ready.
6. As you know, I’m a foodie. I love to cook and try new recipes but just like everyone else, I get into a rut. I function much better with a meal plan for the week even if I don’t follow it exactly. My friend Tammy recently told me about a site called Emealz, where you subscribe to a weekly meal plan for $5 per month. With the subscription, you’re allowed to choose your grocery store and based on the sales at your store that week, a menu is posted that will feed a family of 4-6 for $80-90/week. The menu is strategic in that it uses items more than once. (Make chicken on Monday and make enough to use in a soup on Thursday.) I’ve received two meal plans so far and I think I’m really gonna like it. Most of the recipes are fairly easy but I’m impressed so far with the variety. Here’s a sampling of last week’s menu. The site also generates a shopping list for you based on the layout of the grocery store. It just might revolutionize your 5 o’clock panic! I made the creamy crock pot chicken today for lunch and it was wonderful and waiting for us when we got home from church!
7. Speaking of help with food, I updated my recipes page this weekend. These are tried and true recipes that are guaranteed to please. I’ve come to think that I’m somewhat of a ‘soup whisperer’. I make soups all the time and even branched out and made lasagna soup this weekend. It was FAB-you-lous. I highly recommend.
8. I’m making carrot cake right now and my house smells your grandma’s at Christmas. That happens to make me very happy. Since I lost all my recipes in the fire, I’m more determined than ever to preserve my favorites here. I did a little mixing of recipes for this carrot cake so I’ll let you know how she turns out.
Recipe to follow if all goes well.
9. I also updated the ’31 Days’ page so you can access the days easily. I added a link to the series at the bottom of my blog.
10. I’m reading Jane Eyre ever so slowly. It’s a great book and happens to be a classic that I never read. My classic-reading book club is marching right on despite my very sketchy presence over the past year. We’re reading The Wide Sargassa Sea next, which is a fictionalized ‘back story’ for Jane Eyre. Good stuff, I tell ya.
11. The girls and I are trying our best to keep up with school despite multiple distractions. Several of you have asked and I do hope to update you on our curriculum and such.
12. I’m working on Thanksgiving in my head. The new Southern living has some good recipes and ideas. I love my table setting from two years ago.
I need to find something fun for this year. Pinterest can help, I’m sure!
p.s. The inside of my oven looks like I’ve lived here waaaayyy longer than a month. And it’s not even Thanksgiving yet.
Happy November 🙂
There’s a full post on
You are beauty full, you know 🙂