Autum Blessings and what we have been up to

 

This Blue, trying to help with the table linen change I do on Mondays.

Hello Ladies,

It has been a bit, but I am often thinking of things to write about. I lead such an ordinary life, I thought, until I share with folks what I do and they tell me I'm too old fashioned or that I am a modern Laura Ingalls. Ha, no. I'm not. I'm just me. 

It has been a very busy last few months here with various medical necessities for family, and just getting older. 

Recently I wondered if my little blog has a place with all the activity people do on YT, but I realized YES! Because not everyone wants to sit and get caught in the YT algorithm. 

This past year, my one New Year's goal was to not purchase anything from Amazon. It lasted until September when I needed a braided rug to match the others and the company is now only selling that one on Amazon. Goofy!

Just last week I broke it again and ordered an air fryer. Since my husband and I are now trying to watch our diet I thought I'd try this.  I hear it's the next best thing to sliced bread. Since we have very few stores within an hour's drive I turn to stores online. I just wish they offered the air fryer I wanted.

We managed to get new flooring this summer. I thought taking out 20 year old carpet and putting in laminate flooring would be wonderful. It's beautiful no doubt, but as you can see by the picture above, I have a kitten. Actually 2 kittens. They are both Ragdolls and the fluff that rolls on the floor, whew! I've invested in the Wooly Mop. Love it!

Tomorrow we are getting a water softener for the first time. Since we live out in the country our well water is so very hard. The water office says it's Extreme. After 10 yrs and so many clothes and towels just rotting I finally just had to do it. We are choosing the potassium type though so I can still water my little garden.

Speaking of gardening, I had a good garden this summer. My husband put up a wind break between our house and the shop building where my garden beds are. It worked! After all these years gardening in Colorado I finally was able to grow some things. Now my next quest is what to do to prevent aphids on my kale. 

Due to the high winds we get, the high elevation and the dry air gardening is a challenge here. I've learned from a few seasoned gardeners here that each year can be different, so don't depend on what you learned last year. This summer was true for that tip. We had 30 degree nights all through June, and a chilly rainfall in late September gave us a dusting of snow on the mountain tops. A very short summer I'd say.

I hope you are all well. I am trying to learn how to upload photos from my camera so I can share a bit more of what I'm doing to manage our home in this season. 

Blessings to you,

Dee

Wishing you Christmas blessings

 Hello Ladies,

It's that time of year that I find myself looking back and thinking of the things I've done, not done and still want to do. Sharing our Christmas is one of those things that I want to do.

My husband is very busy with our Church this time of year since we have several services to accommodate so many people. While he is coming and going I find such joy in making sure he has a hot meal, and I've taken care of our kittens and the house. Usually I sprinkle in some puttering too. 

Our youngest daughter (34) came up to share Christmas lunch with us. It was so much fun to hear all that she has going on. After lunch she drove back to her home, about 45 min from us, and we did another Christmas tradition.

Took a nap!

It was a quiet lovely day.

Today we woke to snow, and more snow.  I am sharing what we looked out to see this morning and our tree this year.  

The tree outside is a real one that didn't get used inside. Kittens. I will just say that.  

I like to put lights on it for the first day of Winter to remind us that Christ is our light. From the first day of Winter forward, the days are getting brighter. Just as Christ is in our hearts, the more we spend time reading what examples He gave, learning how to apply it to our life and doing God's will for us the brighter our hearts become.

Merry Christmas and Happy Epiphany (we celebrate that too, since that's the end of the Christmas season (12 days after Christmas) when the Wise men came.) 

Mrs Peterson

Our tree is a memory tree. Each ornament is from something we have done, somewhere we lived, or something that represented a major event from that year. It's always a joy to put our tree up.

Managing my Larder

image from Graphics Fairy

Hello Ladies~

This topic of Food and Larder will be in two posts, as this one is already a bit long. May my system bless you in some way.

Today I want to share how I manage our Larder.  

We believe in storing some , but not a ton. I like to call it a "prudent reserve."

The Bible speaks of the virgins and their oil lamps, and then there is the man who hoarded everything and sat back on his laurels.  As some point we have to Trust in the One who gives all this to us in the first place.

Stocking my Larder: Every now and then we are blessed with a bit of extra money, and it goes towards purchasing a larger amount of something I am working towards. 

Usually though, I set aside a portion of my weekly budget towards my Larder upkeep. 

I am able to keep track of those items, as they are separate, by putting those in the child's seat area, next to my list.  This way I can keep track of my budget for those separate from my weekly shopping. I pay for it all together, but it helps me to visually see what is stock and what is weekly.

Many years ago I found this system using the months assigned as a way to know what to work on that month:

Jan - Milk  Beverages  Water

Feb - Breakfast food

Mar - Toiletries  Cleaning Products

April - Legumes/Beans  Sweeteners  Soups/Meals

May - Condiments

June - Grains   Vitamins/Herbs

July - Snacks

Aug - Vegis  Fruit

Sept - Meats (canned and frzn)

Oct - Oils/Fats

Nov - Paper/Plastic

Dec - Baking/Spices   

Folks buy things on sale to stock their Larder, but I have found that the breakdown's listed above usually are on sale that month. ie - December baking so baking supplies and spices are in abundance and on sale.

I hope it makes a little sense. As homemakers we each have our own system. I have developed this after over 20 years of managing our Larder. 

Oh, just wanted to add that I don't go to the extreme long term thing. Just a couple months so as to get us through if we have too much snow, or some crazy world wide virus happens ;-)   Beyond that, my faith says to trust in Him. I provide what I can, and trust He will bless my efforts and provide us with what we need.

Peace be with you,

Mrs Peterson

Keeping up with the closet

Courtesy of Graphics Fairy

Hello Ladies~

This week I want to share how I keep my clothing uncluttered and manageable.  Confession here, I've never been a shoor having so many clothes they don't fit in my closet. I've just never been that kind of gal. If this is you and you want a different perspective, I encourage you to continue reading and consider the possibility of Courtney Carver's 3.33 challenge.

When my husband and I first did the 3.33 Challenge 10 years ago, it was eye opening for me.

First, being the retired Marine he is, he got out a notebook and a pen and made a list of the items he would use and roughly what he would need for the next 3 months. Then separated all his clothing into 3 piles: love & use, like and sometimes use, and don't wear - needs repaired- doesn't fit categories. Proceeded to sort through while considering his list and was done in 30 minutes.

I, on the other hand.  I pulled out all my clothes in the forementioned 3 piles and started to make decisions. I got about 3 items into it and my brain froze, I had a melt down and then felt ashamed. I was so attached to my clothing and I never knew it. 

Now I am a Christian woman who always try to keep material things in perspective. My Journey here on earth is only temporary.  So I KNOW all these clothes will not get me to heaven.

Yet I sat on the floor sobbing. 

Mainly because I realized how attached I was and how difficult it was to make the decision to let things go. 

I finally pulled up my bootstraps, had a conversation with the Lord, and went back to work with the mindset that some of my items will bless someone else.

Knowing many of these clothing items, especially the ones from say...my first date 33 years ago!, are only taking up space and moving with me all over. I would happen to come across one of those memory items while changing out seasonal clothes, notice it and say "oh, isn't that neat. I remember when I wore that." Then have a lovely time down memory lane.

I have learned to keep the 1 or 2 items that are truly meaningful, but not all 20. By letting go of the other 18 I felt a freedom and a sense of doing the right thing. 

The right thing being, making room in my heart for Jesus and not filling my heart with a love for clothing that can't be satisfied.

I never did the 33 portion, but I did do 50. It was remarkable how choosing clothes in the evening for the next day was so stress free it almost felt like I was missing something. I was! Stress of choices.

Today, I still do a modified version of 3.33. Every 3 months I take all my clothes and look at what I haven't worn in the past year or 2 and remove it. Then any item that I feel any kind of "eh, it's ok", out ya go! When I get down the the rest, I try to pray about what items I truly need and count roughly to 50 including my jackets for the season. 

It always amazes me how full my closet is, then after I remove the extras how much space there is. Hangers can actually move rather then fighting with the hooks to get them in just right.

Most of my clothing shopping is boutique or consignment shopping. Some items I only buy new. Such as undergarments, pajamas, and shoes.  That is a non-negotiable for me.

Any new items have to be on sale. A recent example is Eddie Bauer has long sleeve t-shirts that I wear under all my sweaters throughout the winter. They had a lovely green that was soft and yet enough color to go with almost any sweater I had. But it wasn't on sale. So I waited.

For 6 months!

It finally went on sale and I got the shirt, originally for $30, for $14, plus there was an additional discount that I qualified for. $12 total. Woo hoo!

I love a deal.

It's always fun to share this story. And yes, my husband does 3.33 for the most part. In his way.

Have a lovely week. We are finally getting rain here, Thanks be to God. No water from the sky since the last snow in February until this past week. So  we are very grateful.

Peace be with you,

Mrs. Peterson

I will add update pictures when I get mine done this season ;-)

Managing our things

Morning chat over breakfast

Hello Ladies,

Today I wanted to share what I do to manage our things in our home. There are many methods out there, this is just what I do. Hopefully you can glean a little something.

First, to clarify, I am often wanting to remove things that we don't use and have no problem returning something that, once I got it home, doesn't work.  

On with the topic.

As a homemaker, part of our job is to manage our things. Through the past few years I have let go of this and have started feeling like our things are managing me.

Let me give you an example. Too many house plants, piles of paper that I haven't take the time to decide what to do with them, craft projects & ideas that I collect, files that need cleaned out, and even the boxes of donation items...that still need to be taken down.

When I notice I am tense and stressful while trying to tend to too many plants, then I need to find a home for a few of them so I feel more peaceful while tending them.

Same with the craft projects. I can collect a TON of ideas and even supplies. Walking into Hobby Lobby, I have to stay focused on the one thing I am there for. When the supplies get to a point that I feel tense and I know I will never get to all these wonderful things, I need to pull out all those things that don't give me peace.  Jamming more in drawers or needing to find cute containers to to hold them all isn't helping me manage hour home.

Having peace has always been my marker, if you will.  If it doesn't give me peace then the Lord is not in it.

Moving DVD's around, or a ton of family pictures doesn't serve our home to be a peaceful, cozy home. A few of the best pictures and putting our favorite DVD's in a cabinet does.

I often use the container method too. I pick a space that something will be, say DVD's in a cabinet. If we start getting too many and they don't fit then it's time to reduce what we have so they stay contained in that space.  

I hope these ideas help.

Lately I have been removing 10 items a day. Usually from where ever I am standing and see something I don't use anymore or have never used. Out cha' go!!  Then I take a few minutes and remove 9 more items. 

It's been freeing. 

Wishing you God's peace,

Mrs. Peterson

More to Homemaking then cleaning

Peonies from a friends garden.

Hello Ladies, 

I am so excited for summer to be here. After the spring winds here in Colorado, it's the time to throw open the windows and let the sun in. At least until 10 o'clock, then I close them all to preserve the cool air in the house. 

Many people I talk with tell me "there is only so much cleaning you can do! Why are you still a housewife?" Well, that is the topic of my post today. What else is there besides cleaning? 

Cleaning our home is a matter of health for our family. In some of the older homemaking books I have that I had used when I first become a homemaker 20 years ago, state that it is the homemakers job to ensure a clean home for her family. Air quality would be making sure the dust is kept to a minimum (which is a challenge out here in the country and the wind blows often), sanitation would be the bathrooms kept clean and the kitchen, as well as providing clean clothes for sanitation, as well as making the home a home. 

With inviting comfort in mind. There are several ladies out there that can help give guidance with to develop your own system to managing this (Fly Lady, Diane in Denmark, A Better Life with Kat), so I won't be doing that here. 

Managing our home, though, also includes: managing "things" (clutter too), clothes, food, finances, family/social, gifts, dating your spouse, as well as keeping your Faith life alive in our home. 

Each of these could be a blog post by themselves, so I will write a short bit on what I do for each one twice a week for the rest of June. For now, I hope you will look at your home from a different perspective, that there is more to managing our homes then just cleaning. 

I hope you are doing something today that will preserve your energy and something that makes you happy. 

 Today, my "happy" is I hung a shade cloth on our Veranda so I can sit out the in the early morning and not get toasted from the sun, while I have my prayer time. Bonus: a visit from a wild bunny. 

Peace be with you, 

Mrs Peterson

Happy Eastertide! & little events at home

image from Graphics Fairy

Hello Ladies, 

I wanted to wish you a Happy Eastertide. This is the 7 days following Easter. So much fun. 

This is just a little note to share what we are up to lately. We are currently getting our roof replaced with a metal roof. 

Many folks here in Colorado have a metal roof and it has become a necessity for us. The ice forms on the north side of the house and creates an ice dam. This happens when we get snow, then a few warm days. 

Enough warmth to start to melt it from the roof but not quite since it never gets above 30 in the winter. The new roof will be metal and the sun warms the metal and snow goes "swoooosh" right off the roof. 

I am preparing the house for guests to arrive this Friday. As Lydia at Home Living calls them, "descendants". I just love that! They will be here for 3 days so we are planning a couple day trips to show them the mountains and area near us. 

Also a family get-together is planned for after church. I just love those. Everyone brings something tasty to go with a meat dish we make. 

Decluttering is on my mind a lot lately. I think Spring does this to most ladies. We get the urge to declutter and re-arrange. It's called "nesting". {big smile here}. I love nesting time. 

To clean out, wipe down and re-arrange. Sometimes new couch pillows too, but I've made some in recent past and I just change the fabric. They are very easy to make. No snaps, zippers or ties. It's like an envelop. 

My daily rest time is a highlight for me. A time to just rest, and I like to thank the Lord for the work I've been able to do and ask Him to guide me in the rest of the day and bless my efforts. 

I'm off to do an errand. There is a metal recycle place near us and there is a few things we "cleaned up" outside for our Spring cleaning around the property. 

I don't like to throw out anything that will not break down, so metal goes to the metal recycle and glass and plastics go to our recycle center. 

I was raised this way and think I've talked about it here on the blog before. 

Anyways, I'm off so I can get back in time for afternoon tea and a snack. 

Blessings, 

Mrs. Peterson

Baskets, sewing and soapsuds

Hello Ladies~

small market basket

I just finished and mailed this cute little basket. A friend of my husband requested a small one for his side table.

This one is woven with the handle is part of the base, so it is very strong, though the handle is flexible.

The natural color is more of a cream, and I chose to stain it in Golden Oak. I like the way the color turned out. It looks antique.

I am going to be doing a bit of patch work sewing today and some repairs of tiny holes in favorites. Like a pale pink of warm, soft socks I love but have worn a hole in them from many uses through winters.

There is a booklet I found to teach me how to do this:

A booklet from 1942 I found that explains in detail how to repair clothing so they last just a bit longer.

This sign was next to a store I drove by when I lived in Ohio and drove to an Amish/Mennonite bulk store each week.

A bit of spiritual inspiration before I go. Early in the morning when I am doing my walking in our little make shift gym, I like to listen to the AM station that has many wonderful sermons, hymns, and 2 min inspirational moments.  Many are current, but some are from days long ago.

There is a favorite of mine that comes on and makes me smile. It's called Sunshine on the Soapsuds by Beneath Jones. She always address the homemaker in a way that is uplifting and from her experience. And makes me think.

Todays was about worry.  She shared how she worries about her husband and all his conferences, she worries about how so many people want his time even into the evening, she worries about things she is doing. But noticed her prayer time is general. "Lord, please protect my husband today and bless him."

The question posed: shouldn't our prayer time be full of the details and our worries be more general? Then our minds can be on the Lord more rather than worried about the details of things.

This really meant a lot to me, since I worry in details but pray in general.  Tonight as I kneel by my bed and tomorrow morning in my prayer time I want to practice praying in detail and then letting go of my worries.

Have a lovely afternoon,
Mrs. Peterson

New garden beds with carpet!

J.R. Miller - Homemaking

Hello Ladies,

I just wonder, did the title of this post floor you! No pun intended.

Last summer at one of the few yard sales out here in the country, I met a woman who was 84 and has gardened here on the mesa her whole life.  For those who don't know about the mesa here in southern Colorado, well, it's flat, windy, and there is so many bindweed that it will make a gardener weep! and give up.

Which is what has happened to me through the few years we have lived here.

Until now. (so exciting!)

The lovely woman listened as I explained that I've given up gardening for now. That due to a health condition I manage that limits how much energy I can expend all in one swoop, I just can't keep up with the bindweed, dry conditions and garden.  She smiled and took me to her garden and showed me her secret to preserving her energy. 

Carpet!

Taking scrap carpet, remnants, or a piece you found on sale and lay it on the ground. Place your garden bed on top of it and the fill it. But most importantly:

DON'T DISTURB THE SOIL.  

Oh those words. If only someone would have told me that before we tilled, poked, planted and filled that amazing garden I designed when we moved here. I have heard those words from several folks including Nursery owners. 

You see, one bindweed seed can stay alive for almost 80 years. And the shoots of one seed go 20 feet horizontal and 30 feet down! Once they hit daylight, they sprout. With no water. With no invitation. 

And I can pull them out by the arm load and they will be fully regrown within 2 weeks. They grow up the cedar slats on the side of our house, they grow through concrete cracks, the grown through the screen door on the patio. 

So the amazing thing is - we did this. We found a large piece of carpet, the cheapest we could find, and put it down on the ground closer to the house rather than out near the pasture.

What's cool is the young man that helped me look for a cheap piece, after I explained why, he said "oh you must live on the mesa. I grew up out there and my dad used to do the same thing to all of our flower beds."  WOW!  

So I am not so weird after all. Just a way to learn to work with nature, rather than fight against it and burn too much energy.

Now, I like to be different, but carpet in the garden?...check it out:

This is the final creation, done by the fellows that help with the bindweed. They re-used everything from where the garden used to be in the pasture area, and moved it here. This is so much more elaborate than I expected. I was in the house as they worked, and it's just wonderful. Cozy little place for me to garden. Right by the hoses, and the back door.

Can  you see the carpet? It's one piece, just hiding under the mulch. There was so much mulch in the other garden , they were able to use it all and lightly cover the carpet.


Have a lovely day! I hope this inspires you to be creative and think outside the box :-)

If you want to see lovely blooms, please check out FlowerLadyLoraine's blog. I go there often to see color and blooms!

New beginnings

Our bird feeder with "deer protection" around it.

Hello Dear ladies~

I am going to write this post similar to a lovely woman's blog called Laine's Letters.  You may remember her blog posts.  I really enjoyed them and I understand you can find some still at WayBack dot com.

There are so many things that have been happening that this is the easiest way for me to keep updated  here. I hope you are doing well.

In the past few years I have learned to greatly reduce my "social" calendar from mid November until after early January. The health condition I manage worsens from physical or emotional stress and this system is the best I've found to be able to enjoy the holidays without the added burden of "I must" or "but I should" on my plate.  As I age, those words are a distant memory.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving.  My husband and I stayed in a tiny little cabin on a lake about an hour north of us.  We were only there 2 days since that was easiest on the budget but just enough time to have a lovely get away. They had their first snow storm while we were there. It was a little alarming as the roof was made of metal and the snow dropping from the pine trees was loud. But the cozy fire and window facing the lake, no cell phone service and no DVD...only VHS made it a memorable weekend.  The office carried a large variety of VHS and we had fun reminiscing.  

The first week of December we decided to adopt an 8mo puppy from the Humane Society. Where we live that's really the only place to get pets. No stores, and very little breeders. He is a terrier mix, and we didn't know then that they have an abundance of energy.  His name was Bennett, and since we had an emergency the next day with my husband, family came to help and after a few days "Bennett" was already answering to his name, so we chose Mr. Bennett.  (Very different than the last 3 Boxers we've had).

The next morning my dear husband woke me to tell me I needed to take him to the ER.  I haven't known him to go to the hospital for anything in 30 years.  I thought it was the stomach flu so treated him with Charcoal tabs and peppermint tea, but no avail.  So we started at the local surgical ER and after many hours there and a CT scan and ultrasound, he had gallbladder issues.  We were lovingly but firmly sent directly to the larger hospital for surgery.

By the end of the day the surgeon came to talk to me and verified his gallbladder was full of stones.  Though I knew that, we could see them on the ultrasound..they would ROLL inside his gallbladder.  The surgeon was inquiring if he ever showed symptoms because half of this gallbladder was gangrene!  Oh my!  The Dr said any longer and sepsis could have set in. Praise be to God for a specialist on staff for his surgeon that day.  God is so good.  Family came up to help the new puppy, be with dad, and make sure I ate. I am grateful.

It was a few days later I knew the puppy was too much. But we decided to try to keep him. We still have him, but this is the longest it's taken me to recover from anything in a very long time.  I am grateful my husband is well and a clean bill of health and he plays with the puppy and takes him out the most. Again, God is good.  He provides for my needs.

I missed a grandson's Bday and my youngest daughters Bday, but I enjoyed boxing up the gifts and mailing them. And they really enjoyed getting mail with fun balloons and bubbles in their box along with their gift.  I love to give things that are fun!  We don't get enough mail these days, so I have made it a point to mail "gift boxes" of birthday theme things.  I have been know to mail a Bday crown and a favorite cookie with a homemade gift of sorts. With what I get - I love to give.

My birthday came and went quietly.  My husband and I went on a date night and I counted it as my birthday. We saw Little Women in the theatre - matinee - and split a small box of popcorn.  We haven't done that in ages. Then we went for a gluten free pizza, that they charged way too much for, but I saved half and froze it for a movie night at home.  We are so blessed with being able to share together things we love.

In the past week, I have chosen to re-work my weekly plan and am making blogging my once a week enjoyment, hopefully on Mondays.  I am also choosing to stay home more and with the help of my husband we looked at all the things I do and how much energy they take.  I was definitely doing too many things.  In God's Wisdom, He allowed me to make my choices, and now I get to make new ones that give me the chance to go to a women's ecumenical Bible study once a week and still manage our home with energy in reserve.

The other major change I am making is changing my weekly grocery run to every other week.  Since I have limited energy, and by Grace while looking at my week, the idea of getting groceries every 2 weeks was very exciting.  I sang praises to God for this, and when I settled on the idea, I am going to do the health food store 1 week and Walmart 2 weeks later.  I used to do this in Ohio, but were we live now, we are very limited on grocery stores.  The local one that is a big name is also the main one for anyone who comes to town, including tourists, so it gets too busy and too stimulating for my calm nature.  

My word this year that I am focusing on is Joy. My thinking has gotten to wrapped up in my symptoms, my "I can't" thinking and others always asking about "How ARE you?"  But those are questions that focus on symptoms.  I want to focus on the good and recovery.  So I tend to pause a lot more and practice a new way to phrase my words when my husband says "how was your day?", "I stepped outside my recovery a bit, but I'm getting back on track." or "I am making progress thank you".  These help my brain and body to believe and act on that rather than only focus on the negitive. God is all Good, all the time.  So why do I need to focus on or talk about the bad!

Today, we took Mr.Bennett and went on a lovely drive through the next two towns.  Seeing the horses rolling in the snow made me laugh.  And the reminder to play, even in the midst of your day.  So I am off to crochet some chair leg covers I learned from gDonna.com.  She is a lovely women that her and her husband like to do a year living in an older time frame. Her last one was 1949!

May God bless you and fill you with Peace,

Mrs. Peterson

Margins

Afternoon Blueberry tea with real blueberries and whipped cinnamon honey.

Hello Ladies,

With past experience of a very busy holiday season, I have learned fatigue and physical exhaustion set in quickly if I don't keep to boundaries.  I have realized these boundaries are for me, not for me to impose on family.

So far in the past 45 days I have foreseen the upcoming months and said no to many social "extras" I was doing.  Like a lovely women's Bible study I attend when I can, and also a few women from church trying to plan a retreat day each month...even in November and December.

In saying no, my boundaries are pushed by almost everyone.  But I know it's best for me to be able to go through the season with joy in my heart and praising God for Jesus.

A week and a half after Christmas is my birthday, and last year I was so exhausted I didn't want to be around anyone for my birthday. It saddened me, but the mental and physical exhaustion was to great. I only wanted a quiet sleigh ride.  My blessed husband granted me that one wish. And it was beautiful.

This topic brings me back to women of years past.  The ones who I have read about, and who I have heard through those who have lived in the early 1900's.

Women did things with family, and guarded her energy and family time.  It was lovely to travel to spend time with family, but never at the expense of her health or her children. She didn't have the amount of media in her life as we do today, yet she had very clear boundaries.

If we recall for a moment, the times before cell phones and media, the planning that was involved in creating a lovely atmosphere at home.  And the big plans for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

These are stressful enough, but adding in the media and texting that is expected now, and all the wonderful shows and gatherings,  it creates an added burden of stress.

As a women and mom, I find in my older years, I don't like to add too much to my schedule so I like to create Margins.  If you have never read the book, I highly recommend it.  It gave me insights and "permission" if you will to say No.  To hold to my reasons why, and to know God will bless me in my no.

In my journey with my health, years ago, I heard of a phrase which I still use today: Pigs at a trough.  Using this phrase helps me explain to others my no.  So if there are 3 pigs at a trough and a 4th comes up and pushes his way in, then one of the 3 gets pushed out.  That's just the way it is.

If I am managing meals and my home for my husband and I, managing my health with daily rests and watching the amount of activities I am involved in, I have a little time left for things for me.  If that time is filled with planning and grandchildren then I can't do many errands. If that time is filled with errands and a family gathering then I can't do additional family or social events.

Lets say I have space in my week for 1 major event.  Well, if my children and grandchildren get together, then I say no to lunch with a friend that week.

If there are only 24 hours in a day...we can't squeeze in 26 or 27 just by going faster or more meticulous planning.  We get 24 hours.

This holiday season from November and into December I am using Margins and the phrase "pigs at a trough" to help me navigate through so I can be joyful and grateful.  If I miss out on a few things then that is what I must do so I can remain happy and available for my husband, tend to our home and see my grandchildren.

Wishing you a peaceful November and planning season for Christmas.

Mrs. Peterson

Seasons in daily life

"Woman harvesting" graphic from Graphic Fairy

Hello Ladies~

For many years I have been interested in the seasons, as God gave to us.  Many Christian church's have changes through the seasons, and from hundred's of years ago this was because people were mostly an agricultural people.

Today, I see, for me, not only the changes in our seasonal church activities, but also as a woman. There are natural tendencies that happen in the fall.  Like "nesting". Or becoming more aware of the needs of the family to prepare for winter.

Reading things like homeschooling with Waldorf ways ( I didn't homeschool, but have found the rhythms of nature and celebrations according to the seasons appealing to me). Most any book you find from the 1800's on homemaking (free online with archive library.org) will show how women thought about the seasons, and how not only the food changes, but the crafting and clothing as well.

Also fascinating is how our daily life is this way.  We wake up, usually (unless you have a health project you manage) we wake with a bit of energy and it increases by noon, the high point of the day, only to feel that natural afternoon fatigue that asks us to stop for a bit and rest before we start winding down into evening meal preparations and the quiet of the evening.

I won't go into how screen time, smart phones, and blue lights affect this.  Please educate yourself though, it is proven to affect our brains.

So, back to seasons and rhythms of our day.  An article I read recently, I apologize I don't know the name of it, spoke of the daily activities being either more "masculine" which is the doing part, and more "feminine" which is the rest & nuture part.

Being a homemaker for almost 20 years, I can certainly see this in myself, but my body due to long time health limitations, requires the rest side.

I think for so many years I was/and sometimes still am, a "doer".  I can "do from sun up after prayer time, to the lights out at bed.

Now I need and long for the balance of the "feminine"  rest & nurture. I thrive when I do this.  And my moods and the transition through menopause is a bit easier.

When I was first a homemaker, after years of working, I read an amazing article that made sense. It was called "When Queens Ride by " Agnes Sligh Turnbull. The website this link is for is not the original place I saw it, but she did an amazing job putting it into a PDF to read.

It speaks of being more feminine.  We need this in our world.  Old red flannel pants - as a religious sister I know refers to the devil- does not want us, as women to be feminine, either by dress or by nature.

The drive to do, to be...takes us out of our natural desire to nurture.

I hope you will find enjoyment in the article, and look at balance your day and your seasons with what God has created. It's beautiful to see His hand in this when we abide.

Blessings to you,
Mrs. Peterson

Autumn Blessings to you

Hello~

The changing of the seasons has always been close to my heart.  God made the seasons, each for it's own reason. Our bodies naturally live with that..even though we may not be aware of it.

Through the years and learning more about the seasons, agriculture, the Church and the seasons and my own experience of "nesting" each Fall, I have come to love the change.  Except Spring.  Yes I love the flowers and I love the colors and Easter especially, but after a long, cold, icy winter when Spring arrives in late March I am ready for flowers and green.  This doesn't usually happen until May.

So, I struggle with Spring. I guess it is a sort of impatience. I often struggle with that. God's timing not Dee's is my frequent phrase.

So today I decorated just a bit, changed my pillow covers on the couch (which I learned from a very easy tutorial on You Tube. Each took about 30 min. No zippers, no buttons. Love it!) changed my rug by my front door and still need to change my wreath.  Ooops.

I don't do the whole house now.  With just Mr. P and I and we live in the country, it's just enough to lift my spirits and show a change of seasons within our home too.

Sometimes I add God's naturally decorations which I love the most!

Tonight for dinner we had a pot roast, roasted potatoes and carrots, green beans and a very yummy Apple Crisp that is gluten free, and no refined sugar ( I use maple syrup). We actually had the Apple Crisp for an afternoon snack while we waited for dinner to cook.

I wish you Fall Blessings and may God provide you with decorations in your area to enjoy.

Homemade Apple Crisp and tea to welcome Fall.

A daily Siesta

I take a rest, daily.  After lunch I rest for 20 to 30 min.  I do it so I can be refreshed for dinner and the evening.

At first I struggled.  My health required it and I still pushed through.  Then Lydia at HomeLiving did a wonderful post on how women always took a daily rest. It was a way to keep spirits up and not be a grumpy person in the evening.  To be refreshed when our husbands come home, or in my case, gets off work.

Now, no doubt, as I age, I need a rest. Even a short one. But when I read through a book called "Take a Nap and Change your life" I was convinced.  It also convinced my husband and when he gets off work, he likes to lay down for a 20 min refresher.

You would be amazed.  Try a little self care and give yourself a 20 min Siesta.

Do you know, we are the only country that does not take an afternoon rest.

When we lived in Okinawa, they took a 2 hour lunch...daily. One hour to eat, leisurely. One hour to rest.

Inspiring.

So, all you women reading this. Try it and let me know how you do in the evening. If you notice a difference in your moods.

It fits with the natural rhythm of our day. God made the sun highest and hottest at noon.  Then as the day starts to close and we have the chance to reflect back on the day and praise Him for our abilities, we can pause and rest before our evening and the day closes out.

As a homemaker my day doesn't end. It starts at 5:30 am and goes until I am doing my "Sacred Hour" at 8pm.  So I relish a 30 min rest each day. Even without kids.

Have a Blessed day!
Dee

Simpler life with out Prime

Desk Day is on Tuesdays, and is much simpler now. (Unsure where picture is from, I've had it for many years.)

Hello Ladies~

Today I am writing this post at my husband's request.  You see, several weeks ago I asked my husband to take me off of Amazon "prime".  He didn't want to cancel completely, but agreed.

This choice was because it has become way to easy to order and I was constantly blowing our budget. For what?  More stuff to find a place in our home and to manage. Well, no more. I took a stand against the draw and here is what I found.

I found that when you place an order online and choose the free option for shipping or the 5-7 day for  a few dollars....you have to WAIT.

Waiting is not something that comes naturally for me.

After placing an order and feeling like it had been days, when really it was only 2 days, I got online to see where my "stuff" was.  I was impatient.  The feeling of wanting it now.  Of getting "stuff" instantly.  And then ordering again to fulfill that "click" desire that is never satified.

After 4 days, I was actually anxious. Where is my stuff?

Then after 7 days, when it came, I had come to a completely different place. Emotionally, and mentally.

I was remembering the days of placing orders via mail. When you send in a check.  I still do this, but not as my regular ordering process.

The patience had been restored and I actually longed for and was excited to get my package.

The whole experience has given me courage to stop using Prime and to enjoy the process of waiting. The peace. The ability to not purchase whatever I see and to stay in budget has been very rewarding.

Yes I pay shipping.  But I buy less and I buy with intention.  When the items get here, I know what I bought and where it is going to go.

Days past, I was buying so much that our budget meetings where more about ' what is $15.32 on 5/14?' and 'what is $74.67 on 5/17'.

I can say I've purchase 3 orders in the past month on Amazon and a few from direct companies like Vitacost and Vermont Country Store.

I hope sharing my experience helps someone else and maybe choose to just challenge yourself to find ways to help stay in budget.

Have a blessed weekend,
Dee

Homemaking standards

Good afternoon Ladies~

This past week I've been working on "files". Cleaning out files. Creating files. Filing cabinet, computer files. My inbox still needs attention but Progress Not Perfection, right?

I found this audio clip in my saved files that is from YEARS ago. I think 2013 or 2011.  I am coming to see in the internet world, that IS years ago.

It is Daryl Hoole and speaking of Making Our Home Sanctuaries of Peace and Joy. I hope you enjoy it.

https://www.mindperk.com/media4/LittleThings/LittleThingsBigDifference.mp3

May God bless you in your journey today.

Peace be with you,
Mrs. Peterson

Spring is here!

Oh how I enjoy so many people writing about the joys of Spring finally here. Especially after a winter with a LOT of snow!  I will share pictures of here in Colorado.

Max and I made a goofy snowman on our morning walk.

Snow in front of our little country cottage.

Max is grateful to run on the paths made by my husband with the snowblower.

Red Mountain Pass was closed for a couple weeks due to all the snow, but thanks to such hard working fella's  the pass is finally open and Ouray and Silverton can get their much needed supplies. Ever so slowly!

A female Junco!  She was so soft looking and lovely.

Here, I am enjoying the birds. In the winter we had many Junco's that come with the snow and leave with the snow. Funny little guys & gals.

I know Spring is finally here too when the sun suddenly shifts from low in the sky to high.  It goes from the far South to directly East. My heart gets excited each time the sun rises and I suddenly see the shift.

Now with the melt off, the Red Winged black birds are back.  I have such mixed feelings about them, they are noisy and aggressive.  But our little Flicka has no fear.  The black birds do when I run out of the house swinging a towel hooting and hollering! Yes it is quite the sight.

Funny though, the sparrows and finches stay put. It's like they know I'm trying to chase off the obnoxious ones.

My husband finished up the outside prep work last weekend. Spreading seed, taking down them manger that was buried in snow, taking down the white picket fences we had up to keep the deer from eating the bird food.  Oh what a journey that was before the snow got deep.

Today, the Meadow Larks are out singing. That is a sure sign of Spring, along with our Aspens blooming.  So exciting!

I look forward to seeing the grass finally come up and the temperature just a bit more.  We are still in the 30's in the morning, still cold enough I need my long winter coat to take Max for a walk.



Happy Spring!

D

Spreading Love

Happy Valentine's Day!

It is such fun to create for Valentine's Day.  

Last week I found those cute little Valentine cards you get,at Walmart, for kids to exchange at school.  I found some with inspirations like "God loves you" and "God thinks you are special".  After adding a few fun stickers to each, I mailed them to our grandkids. 

I had such fun to create them, though I thought it was a bit corny, but they are young.  And truth be told, I would love to get a corny Valentines in the mail.  Just because it brings a smile. So I do what I would like.

I then prepared to send a few other hand written notes and decorated the envelopes with stickers, I love stickers! 

Later, decorating!  It's not elaborate. But it brightens our home and shows a bit of change for this season.  Since it is just my husband and I, and he loves what ever I do to decorate, I find it fun to pull together random things and create.  Each year is different, for the most part.

Lovely pillows add a bit of color for the season.

The seasonal table I use is actually my great-grandparents desk. I have a picture of them in front of it. I think it was their anniversary present.

A seasonal table is something you can decorate with each season, or birthdays, or just have a basket for prayer requests and prayer books.  I originally got the idea from Mrs. Sharp's Traditions book.  The book I have is older than this version, but I imagine this one has the same lovely traditions.  

This is also the day I usually make a valentine for Mr. P.  He sometimes participates in making a card.  He is so patient when I get these ideas to do something fun and different.  Sometimes, I get an eye-roll, but he usually enjoys what ever the plan was. 

Anything that I think would bring a smile to me, that's what I love to do for others.  A way to share the love in my heart. The love that is given to me from my Father in heaven.

"The Greatest Love story ever told."

We will be having roasted chicken with sweet potatoes and broccoli tonight for dinner.  I am planning on using a small table in my foyer for our dinner table and setting up in front of the fire.  Cozy and lovely. 

I am not great at picture taking, but you can get the idea of what I've done this year.  The shelf below Jesus and the string with tiny close pins is there all year long.  At Christmas our manger scene is on my seasonal table and our cards we get in the mail are filled all along the string with clips.  I like to use real leaves in the fall to help decorate as well, and in the summer...it's what ever has come up. Lent everything is bare.  Then Easter I have little things the kids have made through the years that I clip up.  

My placemats on the table are made from last year.  I have 4 Christmas placemats, but only use 2, so the extra 2 got a fun heart stuck to them and they became Valentine placemats.  They need new hearts though.

The centerpiece is a serving tray from the thrift shop, and a little red  glass votive holder. We light a candle each night for dinner to remind us the Christ is the Light of our life.

Lydia over at HomeLiving has wonderful ways to arrange flowers, Though my flowers never turn out like hers,  I still enjoy going to the store and finding something that can be created to a centerpiece.

Happy Valentine's day!  

A New Year a new calendar

A warm welcome this morning to you.  I have been finishing setting up my new calendar for the year.  Each year I try to find a calendar with larger squares because I like to write in my supper meal plan on it.  This helps me to plan for the week, and to prepare things earlier if Mr P will be gone that evening.

The past few years my favorite calendar is Heart to Home from Current Catalog.  While shipping is a bit much for a calendar, it is worth it for the spaces I need each day. Makes planning for family and household activities much easier. Though this year there was a bit of mix up with them, but they expressed mailed the correct calendar, hence the reason I am just finishing setting it up.  God's timing not mine.

So here is my new calendar that stays on the front of my refrigerator.

I do the same for my planner.  While I call it a planner, it's more of a glorified calendar and to do list for each day.  I have a Home Management Binder that has seasonal to-do's and Church related traditions we celebrate.

Here is a close up of the squares. I write in the meals for 2 weeks and rotate them so I only pick 14 meals for each season.  These periodically change to a new recipe or depending on what we tried and I hear "hmmmm"  after a new recipe, I mark a note on the calendar and don't make that again :-) 

So my calendar set up has been this way since my early years of marriage, back when the girls were very little and had activities.  Anything more than my appts after I got married, and I needed a new system. So this is mine.

I always get out colored markers, because we all have a little kid in us that LOVES markers, and I start with January. I draw a line down the left and right side, separating Sunday and Saturday from the week. The colors usually have something to do with the monthly season or theme:

January = blue for cold and snow

February= red for Valentine's

March = green for St Patrick's day

April = a different blue then Jan, for April showers bring....

May= pink! for May flowers  :-)  I know goofy, but fun.

please tell me you have heard of "April showers, bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring....Pilgrims!" I learned it when I was very young.

June= green for grass and harvest growth

July= one side usually is red and the other blue, or I do dots down both sides of red & blue

August= a dark yellow (so you can see it) for a sunny hot month

September= red for an apple for the teacher ( I was a substitute teacher for elementary school for many years while we were stationed in Okinawa)

October = orange for PUMPKINS!!!

November= brown for the amazing fall leaves that we see

December = red and green for Christmas!

Then I do the same for the little calendar I take with me.  There is one other quirky tradition I have, I learned it from my Grandma. She had one of those little 5 year diaries and she would write in a few events of the day in it, but she ALWAYS wrote in the morning temperature. (I have recently learned she did this because her and grandpa were farmers and needed to know the daily temp.)

So way back in high school I started writing in the daily temperature in the left corner of my calendar. I do it to track the weather and see how we are slowly going into winter, then see how we are slowly warming up to Spring.  This is also a neat way for me to see 'what was it like last year', yep I keep a few years worth of calendars tucked away just for that and a sort of diary of when appts were last year.

No one in my family has ever noticed the temperature thing, they just know I always look to see what it is when I get up.  If I get up late, I still write what it was but I ask Mr P since he is always up long before the sun.

That's it!  That is my  fun way to start my year.  Then there are the colors for the dates: like blue for church related feasts and celebrations, pink for me for any appts etc, Mr P is green and any family events are pencil. They change too much.  Anniversaries & Bdays are in red - so I don't forget :-)

May God bless you this year.  Do you have any traditions for January you do that you would like to share?

~Dee

To not make planning my idol

When I list out all the things I want to do in a day, or heck, even in the week or season, I just can't make it work.

I am the Queen of a new schedule, or searching the 'net' for new routines.  I enjoy seeing others ideas. But the bottom line is - I always come back to what works for me.  What's at hand right now.  And that doesn't include counting every 30 min in my day.

God happens to put things in my path and my whole "perfect" schedule - every 30 min increment I had planned - gets thrown off.  "Toss that schedule." "Need to write a new one." "Where's that one schedule that I was on top of my morning. That one will work. I just know it."

Only to try that one for a few days and then that one goes out too.

By God's Grace, I have come to see it's not the schedule. It's not having a way to squeeze in my day all the Household To-Do's, Rest, Crafts, Prayers, Cooking, Reading...not to mention personal - shower, exercise or a lovely bath.  I've tried.  On Paper (and computer). Hundreds of times.  Even tried to fit blogging in from 9:30 - 10.

Guess what? It doesn't work.

I've tried not living with a "schedule" too. I have many friends that don't even have a list.  I've done the "pray for the next right thing", that lands me on the internet for 2 hours! Only to feel like a failure because I got lost in the 'net'.

By grace I see guidelines - not absolutes. Forgiving myself and being grateful for the interruptions.  Not focusing so much on a schedule which is all I think about.  Leave flexibility. Believe me, I have been an absolute girl most of my life.  But being a seasoned homemaker - I have learned what's absolute and what's nice to get done.

I read recently about not making planning my idol.  I don't remember the blog I read it on, but I was again searching for a new way.  "Maybe someone has come up with something that will work for me."   Don't get me wrong, I love to search for ideas.

But the whole point is that my planning, and all the details that go into it, becomes my focus.  My idol.  Scarey.

There is my trap.  Someone's plan to work for me.  What about listening to my needs and my families needs. What about stepping back, finding the peace and looking at my pattern. Don't get me wrong, reading & seeing others plans inspires me to see what works for me.

When I sat down and wrote out  my basic absolutes: prayer time & journaling, exercising, rest, reading, cooking & prepping 3 meals, and having a short prayer time with my husband in the evening - there really isn't 12 hours that I can squish in all my wants for the day or the month. No matter how good it looks on paper.

Hence, I looked at this idea of making my planning my idol.  I had become so focused on planning to "get it all done" that I forget to Breath.  Have you ever heard that Christian song - Breathe?

I am now looking at planning as a whole and as a general blueprint, or guidelines.

It feels like I get so caught up in all the blogs and all the ideas, all the possibilities --- I get overloaded and forget to live. To listen. To Breath.  And to stop letting fear drive me.  Fear of failure if I don't get all my Household in's and out's on paper so I can manage it all.

To love God is to Trust. (My word this year). There is rhythm to the day: an active morning, a calming as the afternoon slides into evening.

There are seasons that God made. He created. We can get back to following those natural rhythms and "Listening".  That is my hope.  I still have a To Do List, always will.  But I don't sit for hours planning, decorating and making every thought about the next plan, or next month.  There is a season to do crafts and a season to garden. A season to sew or learn my autoharp.  There is a season to be active and one to rest.  Scripture speaks of this.

This change in perspective has helped me to weed out all the wants, all the absolutes and "my Plan".  Trying to plan out everything only leaves me feeling chaotic and in desperation trying to find God.

Breathe. Look for your rhythms, and plan, but be watchful it doesn't become your idol.