Finally summer here

I change the flowers in my 'bike' each fall and spring too. So much fun.

 Hello Ladies,

We are finally having warmer days here. I may be able to get my little starts in the ground without fear of them freezing. 

My neighbor lost half of hers last week due to a freeze. 28 degrees that morning, whew!

As I am changing the house to match the season, I wondered what others do.  

I love Lydia's changes. I think she changes hers monthly. You will have to pop over to her blog at HomeLiving and see what see has been up to.  I love the season when she decorates with this vibrant turquoise
blue. So pretty.

I change my couch cushions, door wreath, veranda decorating finally, and my table decorations each week have more spring summer things. Like now I have a little birdhouse my grandson painted and a little bird next to it that I found at a local boutique.

Bed quilt is changed and blankets on the couch are changed to lighter ones. 

The menu change, as well as our closets. 

Love the signs of summer!

What do you do for your home to show signs of the change in season.

Blessings to you,

Dee

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

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

Valentine's day thoughts

Husband set up my tea tray for when I woke up. The tea pot we bought when we lived in Okinawa, and the tea cup is one he got from the Notre Dame hotel in Jerusalem.

 Hello Ladies,

There was a time when exchanging a Valentine's was a sign of the desire to court you. The young man would find some way to leave you a little note and it would be a big deal.  Later, men would bring flowers and candy or small gifts. Sometimes the ladies would choose to do the same as a sort of "you are my love" sign.

I woke this morning to my favorites, carnations, in various jars my husband found and he placed them at each place where I sit or work through the day.  

Here is what I did with the buds that broke off or fell off when he was working with them. 

Watching some of my favorite You Tube videos for my Monday House Blessing inspiration, I ran across Denise at This and That with Denise. She talked today about the 50's housewife and what "she would do" when her husband came home. What I loved, was that Denise says she picks out a few and does these for her husband on Valentine's day or on special days of the year. NOT daily (smiling here). 

I hope you can click on it to read it. Some of it's fun and thoughtful.

I plan on doing a couple of them just to let him know today is different. 

It is my hope that each of us is able to take some time today to reflect on the Love that God has for you. The cross. And maybe take a few minutes to read something from The Greatest Love Story Ever Told (the Bible).

Have a lovely day,

Dee

Christmas memories

Hello Ladies~

It's always a bittersweet time of year for me when we are past the Epiphany and it's time to take down the Christmas decorations. Before I do, I wanted to share wonderful Christmas memories.  These memories are made mostly during my marriage of almost 29 years. Prior to this, some memories are great and others not so great. 

I heard once we can recreate our holidays based on what makes us happy rather than what we are "suppose" to do. One lady I know started collecting holiday socks to wear, as a child she was not given that opportunity. Another story I've heard is of wearing fun holiday earrings, whether for Easter, Christmas, or Valentines, even her birthday she had little present earrings. So much fun!

For me, it was choosing to go away from the fancy decorated trees to a simple tree. Filled with memories. My husband and I love nice things, but in our hearts we are simple and love homemade and meaningful things. 

So my tree is a memory tree. My whole family knows this and each year before Christmas we scan the year and ask "What was the one most meaningful thing to us this year?" And then we hunt for an ornament. 

I even have an ornament of a tent camper with a little fire next to the tent. All you see is eyes peeking out from the tent and bear tracks outside. Well, this happened to us 3 years ago! We were tent camping and forgot to lock up the dog food and a bear stole the whole container! We found it off in the woods of the campground, with holes from his teeth and he/she ate the whole bag of dog food. Probably had a belly ache later. 

So we've been able to find all sorts of ornaments that represent the one major event of the year. This year, we wondered? Mask? or kitten? I don't want a mask ornament, so we are still hunting for a Ragdoll kitten ornament. So sweet and soft!

Here are some favorites on my tree:

The hand print of my grandson at 2 years old. They put glue on this hand, dipped in glitter then wrapped it around the little ball.  I love anything with handprints!

This was a magical year for me. I had always wanted to ride the Polar Express since we moved here. One year my husband's son, Evan, came out and graciously paid for all of us to ride the Polar Express. (The local train converts every year and we take a short ride north of town to the North Pole and see real reindeer). This was my ticket. My bell is on the tree too, and if you are wondering, yes we all wore pajamas. I had full footed bunny pj's with my snow boots, long coat, hat and scarf. It was so cold outside!

My sweet husband painted this for me when we were dating. I used to paint ceramics for fun, and he joined in one day. I have always treasured this as this is not something he usually does.

This sweet and simple little bell brings back a host of memories. We were stationed in Okinawa and my husband was gone. My youngest step-daughter was in Kindergarten and the school had a Christmas performance that each student held one of these to ring as they sang Jingle Bells. Oh my goodness were they cute!

1976  was one of the years I was in Brownies and we made these after school with our troop leader.  Such a long time ago, but good memories.

There is poor lighting here, but this is our lovely manger scene. Baby Jesus is hidden from view somewhere near until Christmas. Then the wise men "travel" across my living room from Christmas day to the Epiphany when they arrive at the stable. Yes, we still do this even though the kids are gone. One year the grandchildren helped move them along, that was fun. 

Sometimes I want to replace our stockings I made back in the first year of our marriage, but I always choose not to. The decorations on them were found at the Okinawan dollar store and the felt is what I had on hand. The toe of the girls stockings had a button that when pressed sang Jingle Bells. Memories. 

Thanks for letting me share with you. I hope this may inspire you to think of Creating your own Christmas or holiday memories.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New year,
Dee

Grandma's Apron

Hello Ladies~

One of the items I consider part of my daily wardrobe is my apron.  It helps me feel like I've got work to focus on, but also protects my clothes.

My first apron I made, last year. No pattern, just brown butcher paper and tracing my old favorite.

 When I first started homemaking, I was taught by many seasoned homemakers that an apron will cut down on laundry by protecting your clothes, and lifts your mood so you get your mind into your work. Other than actually getting dressed and out of my morning walking clothes, this one thing helps do just what they've said.


My great-grandmother always had something tied on, either a waist type apron or full length.  It's something that through the years I have found it protects my clothing, but also helps my attitude towards my daily work.

Great-Grandma Gates

Here is my old faithful to the left. It is thread bare  from so much use, but I just love the vegetable teapots. The one on the right was a gift from a friend. The embroider is so lovely, and the pockets are teacups. This one is for those days I don't have much dirty work to do.

I'm told, even my granddaughters love to put on an apron at home so they can be like grandma. I love my girls!

There is one apron I have that is a sort of canvas that wraps all the way around, but I don't usually wear much anymore.

Here is a fun apron I found.  It has Cinderellas carriage on it. I use to wear it on light cleaning days and pretend like my prince will be home soon.  Today, I am older and wiser and wear a full apron.

My Cinderella apron


Here is a story I found years ago, it's not coming out in a picture so I will type it for you:

     "I don't think our children understand what an apron is. The principal use of the cotton pinafore was to protect the dress underneath because a woman often had very few. It was also easier to launder aprons than dresses.

     An apron served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for blotting children's tears. From the chicken coop, an apron was a pouch for carrying eggs, fussy chicks and sometimes half-hatched eggs headed to a warming oven.

     When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. When the weather turned cold, Grandmother would wrap it around her chilled arms. Those big old aprons moped many a perspiring brow, whether bent over a hot wood stove or picking snap peas in the garden.  Her apron served as a carrier for kindling and wood ships brought into the kitchen to stoke the fire.  From the garden, it carried the fresh vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

     Come Autumn, the apron bundled the apples indoors for preparing apple butter and pies.  When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.  Toys and showed were toted to bedrooms in it as well.

     When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out on to the porch and waved her apron as an alert to the menfolk to come in from the fields for her buttery biscuits.

     Times have changed. While Grandmother once set her hot baked pies in the window sill to cool, her granddaughters set theirs out to thaw. There are many cooks today that would fret over the stains and germs on Grandmother's apron...but it is doubtful that anyone caught anything form her apron but love."

I don't know where I got this, I've had it for so many years. But I thought you may enjoy it.  

Done your apron proudly, it shows there is work to be done!

Wishing you peace,

Mrs. Peterson

"My" cows

Meet "my"cows!

Hello ladies,

I thought I'd share something dear to me, only because they come around once a year for a few weeks then they are gone.

"My" cows.

The herd to the right.

And to the left. There are many this year!

Our home backs a very large ranch and I get the wonderful privilege of seeing and watching these cows, but don't have to tend to them.   Usually "we have" about 150 - 200, but this year far exceeded that.  And we also had a few bulls in the mix. That is very unusual too.

It is just mesmerizing for us when we sit on our front porch that faces north and watch them move.
They move a little bit here and a little bit there. Not in a hurry, usually.

Then there are the bulls. Three of them, head to head, kicking up dirt and going in circles. There was always 2 or 3 little ones running to see "what is going on".  All the "ladies"...minding their own business eating. Probably thinking "oh, there they go again. Trying to see who is the head honcho!"

Husband talking with the little ones. There is a fence there, but just barely able to see it. I can hardly imagine taking care of a place like that, or the cost!

So I took a few pictures hoping to share. My husband had to go tend to the pipes for our water for the pastures.  We get water every 2 weeks and use the white irrigation pipe to get the water down to our pasture and yard.  There was a little guy so curious and he stayed close enough so my husband bent down to talk to him. So cute!

The light grey one here is the one I call "my mama cow". She has been with the herd for at least 4 years.  I always hope we can adopt her, though I know nothing about cows other than they shouldn't be left in the rain storms and snow! And they all deserve a name other than "steak"! I'm often corrected in this slight misunderstanding from the local ranchers and neighbors whose family raise cows. They still don't see my point.

Needless to say I get the eye roll each year when I speak of adopting "mama cow".  He says he doesn't want to rescue ME from the rain storm or snow trying to take care of the cows! So, no cows are in my future. Except the ones the ranch so kindly lets into this part of their pastures for 3-4 weeks a year.

Oh well.  Probably a good thing.  I don't like stinky things, flies or bugs.

Have a great week.

Peace be with you,
Dee

Fear or Faith

Hello Ladies~

Well, we are all living in a historical time period. One woman calls it an "interesting time".  Indeed.

I had written this blog post over a week ago, and much has changed even since then, but I still feel called to post it. Probably for my own good.

Fear or Faith

This is a little wooden plaque on my bookcase in the living room. 

There is so much gossip, rumors, etc. And not much else to talk about, except the current events, with folks. Or is there?

As a homemaker charged with my home, am I living my duties? Or am I lost in the news and fear?

It is my responsibility to see to the needs of my husband and family. To tend to necessities cleanliness, and this includes a happy home.

What can I do to create a happy home? Even in this time of trial?

I can practice my Faith!  For me, my faith tells me I act daily in prudence, thoughtfulness, wisdom, and most of all Trust that God has all of this and is very aware of what we are going through. We have the opportunity as homemakers to live our faith, speak of it to our family, encourage and uplift.

As a homemaker, my job has just ramped up a bit.  To plan family games, to keep my health stable and my mindset on the One who can help me.  I do that with morning prayer time, and evening devotion time with my husband, and most of all when family calls from other states to just talk "details". Details that bring down my spirit.  I can practice my faith in those phone calls to/from others.  Speaking of how we do our part and let Him handle the rest. Living in the "oh my gosh" doesn't help my faith. Nor lift my spirits to Him. It takes me farther from Him.

Even as my husband may get into the news, I can provide a loving gesture to help get his mind off of all that is out there.  Hot tea on the porch to watch the sunset maybe? Questions like: where did you see God in your day? or affirmations of : when you were cleaning out the garage, I was so impressed with your strength. Can you show me all the work you did? or finding a funny video/movie we own and playing that while we eat?

I read once, this concept with Lydia from Home Living, that we are charged as homemakers to create a happy home.  She also went as far as to share how important it is to be mindful of what we watch and listen to.  Since this disrupts our peacefulness and clear headedness so we can keep things on a rhythm.

Rhythm is so important especially during this time. I will write later on my current rhythm, but many especially children and spouses, lean on us as homemakers for that rhythm.
I pray you are all well and consider expanding your perceptions from the events day to day in the world, to the events in your home and how blessed you are to contribute to the joy and peace in your own home by what you plan, cook and how you fill your time.

God bless you,

Mrs. Peterson