:: A Lazy Weekend and A Moo Place::

This past weekend--- beside mowing we did very little.
Sort of

a
Lazy
weekend.

No reason really... but we just didn't do much.

While sometimes it's nice to just veg-out and not do much of anything this can result in...

A couple of things happening.

#1
You get house-keeping OR Homesteading deficit. 

Yeah... you get behind on stuff.  That is another post all together...for another time! 

#2
You have to eat... 
but your being kind of lazy... 
So you drive 'someplace MOO new' and you pay them for food...prepped, cooked and delivered PIPING HOT right to your table.

Guilty as charged! 

We drove a little ways from home and tried out a MOOYAH burger.

 Cute...Cow Collage Wall...

Cool! Subway Art Wall...

The cool thing here... is the order form. You can see it in the lower right corner.

 You check off what you want and then take it to the register and they ring you up. It's different.

The Ev.er. popular Chalk board wall, called...

 No... I didn't write anything on it. I thought about it...you know writing on their wall. Because whatever had been up there was erased... It clearly needed something.
But ...all I could think of was ---

Your Sweet Potato Fries, Rock! 


There were just too many ways for that to be Interpreted...

So- I left without writing on their wall.
I figured ... I'll just save that Moodle-Doodle for another time! 
(their burgers were good too) 

Nearly home, I saw this field of BLUE BONNETS (Texas' State Flower...in case you wondered)
I dropped T.H. off at the house...
Long story short he was meeting my dad  there to help get out mower off his trailer...

anyway... I dropped him off at the house and went back to take these photos.
I love Blue Bonnets. This field was covered with them even under the Mesquite Trees you see in the back ground as far back under there as you could see...

No blue bonnets were picked during this photo-shoot. I try and uphold the law as best as possible.
I didn't even trespass to get these pictures.

Although, I'm fairly certain this field of grass had been photographed before ...there were places that looked trodden down.
and there was a little yippy dog across the street letting me know I was being watched with a stealthy eye.

Yip-yip little doggie!

 I only snapped a few pictures.
Leaning out over the barbed-wire fence to get the best and largest amount of flowers I could....on film.
(digitalized)

The wildflowers in the bar ditch leading up to the field of blue...

I love the Texas Highways... in Springtime. This is just off the Farm-to-Market road near my house.

Beautiful, aren't they?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

:: A Favorite Thing- Everything but the Kitchen Sink::

Last week I showed you the down and dirty part of my kitchen sink...the scary underside.

So I thought, this week, I'd show you my favorite part about my kitchen sink... the cottagey pretty side!

It is the window!
Seriously, when we decided, over 17 years ago, to move to the country we sat down and made the list of things we wanted in a house; one of the first things on my list was a window over the kitchen sink.

Sure, we had other things on the list. 

He wanted a garage...he settled for a barn

I wanted 3 bedrooms. Check!

I also wanted 2 bathrooms. We settled for 1...and believe me raising 5 kids in our house with one bathroom...wasn't easy at times. But... I got my window and my house in the country! 

A place to raise our 4 kids...his daughter came to live with us after we moved here. She hated it. 

...But we're not talking about that right now. 

Right now, we're talking about my kitchen sink and window! 

From here, while I'm SOFTENING MY HANDS AND DOING THE DISHES,  I can see the Oak tree, that used to be barely big enough for shade. It has grown quite big now, and makes a nice place to drag a lawn chair and sip a glass of tea. 

A couple of pretty things on the window ledge. 

One being a gravy boat. 

I bought this gravy boat because it was WHITE AND CHIPPY; and I bought it with one thing in mind...

A pretty place to set my drain plugs. I know... Kookie... right?  But isn't it pretty!? 

A dainty dish for an everyday item. 

And the smiley face rock.  My step daughter brought that to me years ago...a gift, she'd made at school. :) For my cottagey country window. 

The other dish... and ARNEL'S pitcher. It is chipped and broken, also. But I don't care. I bought it at a thrift store years ago...for the pretty green color. The handle was broken and glued back on, but I liked it. I keep my scrubbers in there and in the Kerr™ quilt patterned jar, I keep twisties from the bread bags! Do you keep those little things? I do, I use them for so many things! 

One of the favorite things I can see and smell from my kitchen window... This rose bush! It is blooming like crazy out there and when the wind blows just right, it smells divine!
Growing up, Our kitchen window in that house opened up and you could see from the kitchen sink...a cow pasture; and you could also see the yellow and white blooms and smell the sweet fragrance of Honey Suckle.

In my married years, I've not had many houses with windows over the kitchen sink. Growing up with one, I'm fairly certain is part of the reason for this MUST HAVE for me in this house.

A few weeks ago... I shared some of the vintage potholders I've collected some of the more recent ones I purchased. I didn't know what to do with them.

Several of you suggested that I create a banner of sorts with them. But where?

I put them over my sink! 

Something else pretty to look at while I'm SOFTENING MY HANDS... WHILE DOING THE DISHES!

I had already had a few pinned to the curtain, so I took them down and washed them all at the same time and created this little clothes line and hung them back there.

I guess I've shown you all around the sink. I've shown the view from my sink, the dainty dishes at my sink; I've talked about the wonderful smells at my kitchen sink and I've shown  you my collection of potholders above my sink. 

The only think I haven't shown you in this post... 

Is the sink! 

I think I might have shown it to you before. It's nothing special really. Just a sink. But to stand there and gaze out the window, that is my favorite thing! 

MHC


Let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. 
 ~Galatians 6:9

 

:: I'm Posting Today at My {Re}Purposed Life!!! ::

Hi Y'all! 

***

***

Come on over and see what I'm chattin' about and get a look at one of my most recent

"USING WHAT I HAVE" 

projects!!!  

Hope to See Ya There! 

Whatsoever things are True, Whatsoever things are Noble, Whatsoever things are Right, Whatsoever things are Pure, Whatsoever things are Lovely, Whatsoever things are Admirable; If anything be of good Repute, think on these things. ~ Philippians 4:8

 

:: Letters of Importance ::

 

Last week I shared a little bit with you about some the things we've substituted in the name of progress or simplicity.
Most everyone agreed that we don't remember phone numbers ...like we used to. Some of us said we'd better write those numbers down in a safe place. Did you?  I did not. But I'm going to, I promise! 

DL from Frugal Hacks commented and brought up the fact EMAIL has been substituted for handwritten letters and pretty paper...

I agree.
It got me thinking.

I didn't remember the last time I got a handwritten letter.
Then... It brought to mind ... a birthday card I received in my mail box back in March.
I was so happy to get it. 

Let's face it we all like getting mail that doesn't require a response being "the check is in the mail".

Today I read a post at  Lydia's Post  "Neither Rain nor Shine" by
Diane, who creates really neat Collage Art... and Tags with paper ephemera (things originally meant to be discarded after use) 
...again, THINKING! 

Which brings me to this letter. I found IT while cleaning out some things recently ...It is from my Mom. She wrote it almost 9 years to the day before she died.

It was just a small 1 line note from her, with a poem she copied and included.

Do not ask to have your life's load lightened, 

But for courage to Endure.

Do not ask for fulfillment in all your life, 

But for patience to accept frustration. 

Do not ask for perfection in all you do, 

But for the wisdom not to repeat mistakes. 

And finally, do not ask for more, Before saying "Thank You" 

for what you have already received. 

~Brenda Scott

She wrote this note to me at a time in my life that was probably one of the most difficult times I'd ever faced.

We were 3 mos. into chemotherapy with ,my then, 2 year old son. I had a 2 week old baby ; and we had just gotten custody of my husbands two daughters from his previous marriage. One of which had special needs and came to live with us while the son was STILL IN THE HOSPITAL and I was still pregnant.
You can see why I kept this letter, huh? I needed this encouraging word from Mom. 

Besides...I love looking at the formation of the words on the page. Words that my Mom wrote in her own hand. She had beautiful handwriting. It's hard to tell, but she was left handed. She always dated her notes, cards, and letters. You can't tell really, but this is written on yellow legal pad. My mom wrote on whatever she had...she could always scrounge up a piece of paper to write a note, even if she didn't have any proper stationary.

Don't get me wrong...

Emails are nice. But it is lovely to go outside to the mail box and collect a letter from someone who just wants to send you a note of encouragement. Maybe the letter you get is the last letter you might receive from that person.
 Did you ever see the movie THE POSTMAN w/ Kevin Costner. (one of my favorites) ...this movie is described as --a man, having found the skeleton of a postman dons his postal uniform and sets out to deliver the letters in the bags bringing HOPE to survivors of a post-apocalyptic America.
That is what I think it does for me to read old letters from the past. It inspires me; and it gives me some hope.
I have my Mom's last Christmas card to us. The Christmas Card is tucked inside our Holiday Memory Book along with some of the others that have special meaning.I keep many of the cards and things in a tin box.  Is it silly to hang onto these things?

I know people complain that the price of a stamp just keeps going up.
But really, if all you had was a stamp... it is a small price to pay to send someone a little cheer or to show your appreciation,  in the form of a handwritten letter.

Just today, we received a post card. What for most people would be from an unlikely source; for us ...our mechanicis known to send cards!  He's closing his business and moving out of state.

he had them printed, but still...It really is the thought that counts in my opinion.

So what about you.
Do you get mail; cards, letters, etc- still?
Do you send mail ...still?

Do you miss it?
Don't you think this is something we should keep doing?
I do.

Whatsoever things are True, Whatsoever things are Noble, Whatsoever things are Right, Whatsoever things are Pure, Whatsoever things are Lovely, Whatsoever things are Admirable; If anything be of good Repute, think on these things. ~ Philippians 4:8

::Your Cleaning Personality Is...::

I was just hankerin' to know, so yeah...in all my spare time I took their little test.

The Procrastinator It didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. But now it is official. You don't have to take my word for it... because BH&G said so! 
and they congratulated me. 

• Congratulations! You get that there's more to life than cleaning. For you, cleaning is a last-minute, get-it-done-as-guests-walk-in-the-door type of affair. Here's how to excel at being a procrastinator with tips on how to clean smarter, not harder.

So while I was outside today taking in all of this..... 

Surprise TO ME...  Lavender colored Iris (that have NEVER bloomed before)

 I knew I needed to be inside while the temps are still mild and it isn't too hot in my kitchen.... DOING THIS! 

YEP! that is under my kitchen sink. Blech! 

Not to mention it's JUST DOWN RIGHT SCARY UNDER THERE!!! 

But it had to be done. 

I took everything out and wiped down the whole thing...and organized 2 caddies

this one holds everything that had product in it to be used up PROMPTLY AND COMPLETELY!  Don't want to waste anything. 

 This one holds our car cleaning rags, tire/rim cleaner and ALL THINGS CAR.

AND THEN....YES! 

I even scrubbed THOSE pipes clean...

I can say (though I'm not proud) I've NEVER SCRUBBED PIPES. 

I HAVE cleaned out from under the sink... and I don't like doing it. 

But it's done now! 

Here is something else I did. 

I painted the inside cupboard door a couple of weeks ago. 

...and today,  I RE-PURPOSED 2  CD racks 

This is how they usually function. 

I happened to grabbed these from the throw away pile a while back.   I was going to use them as bird feeders and put SUET INTO them during the winter. 

That didn't happen. (procrastinator, remember?) 

 With a little bit of baling wire and some screws,(some diy-gals like duct tape... I like BALIN' WIRE)- 

 Now,they hold trash can liners...

and  scrub brushes, duster brushes and empty spray bottles ( 3/$2 at Dollar General) awaiting home made cleaning solutions. You can see many solutions that I've pinned  here on my Pinterest board ::Organized and Clean::

This is the JUNK removed from that sink cupboard... and either tossed or re-appropriated. (red tub and yellow caddy... I'm moving to the trunk of my car...maybe) 

 Now it's clean!!

and I can get back to this AND PROCRASTINATING!

Are you curious?  

Do yo want to know what your cleaning personality is?  

Click here to go to BH&G and take the QUIZ!


* just a reminder Amazon links in this post help support this blog. Thank You! 


I'm linking this shelf of sorts here: FJI Rustic Shelves (not really rustic...though they are metal AND REpurposed)  :) 

Therefore be careful how you walk not as unwise men but as wise making the most of your time for the days are evil. ~Ephesians 5:15-16~

 

"Frugal Fodder ~20~ Substitutions, Food for Thought"

Do you ever find yourself thinking about how things are NOW compared to how things USED TO BE? Then wondering if we're really better off for it?  I do that a LOT! 

For example, I've talked with my brother about it. Since having my cell phone, I can't remember peoples numbers anymore. I'd have no way to contact someone without my phone. Substitute Smart phone for address book, better or worse? 

In trying to be prepared I've pinned Sustainable Ideas to my Pinterest board 'If this were a Real Emergency...' I'd be up Salt Creek,  the reason I've started 'Notebooking'  and List Making again!

Back in February,our NO-SPEND MONTH, I wanted to get by without buying unnecessary food items. When going over my checklists, I decided Velveeta ™(processed cheese food) would be something I'd try to do without. 

I came up with an alternative for Macaroni and Cheese made with processed cheese food. 

Well... I didn't come up with it...but I searched until I found a recipe for Mac and Cheese that used real cheese and not the over processed stuff.  I wanted REAL CHEESE.  It didn't matter to me if it was Cheddar or Monterrey Jack ...I just wanted it without processed cheese food. 

Incidentally, did you know that processed cheese first came about in the late 1800?  I was surprised to know that, until now, I honestly thought it was a Mid-Century Modern invention. 

(source)

So I searched recipes and experimented with them until I found one we really like. I found this recipe and like it pretty well, though I'm not regularly making my own pasta--T.H. would love it if I did!  I have been using this recipe from Heavenly Homemakers. The secret to making it creamy is boiling the pasta in the milk! 

I can say, we've not bought Velveeta or any other processed cheese food since before February. I was spending an additional $6-12 a month on this stuff.  I still buy blocks of cheese; Sharp Cheddar, Jack, Mozzarella, etc., all cheeses that can be used in mac and cheese. :)  

For lunch today I ate leftovers. Home Cooking the original FAST FOOD,another substitution?

There was just enough for another serving of everything I made for supper last night. 

              

The Menu: 

• Chicken Fried Backstrap (Venison) vegetarians look away
• Mac and Cheese
• Cream Peas

Back to my question, wondering if we're really better off or not with some of the SUBSTITUTIONS WE'VE MADE, that got me thinking...

How backward is that really?

Hmmm... it's almost like we've Substituted our Smarts for smart phones, our Independence for Dependence and we've EVEN SUBSTITUTED real cheese for fake cheese food; which STARTED OUT being a substitution for real cheese? 

The things we do in the name of PROGRESS! 

What else are we substituting that REALLY IS NO SUBSTITUTION? 

Therefore be careful how you walk not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil. ~Ephesians 5:15-16~

:: FIVES ::

Yesterday, my son came over and brought his two Littles with him ...
we had fun playing with the bubbles and ate lunch together.
They had a blast.

What is it with kids and Mac and Cheese? 

Kids love that stuff!!!

While he was out mowing I caught them all sitting on the back step and snapped a picture
of
The "Just in Case League" 
I began to think in Fives.

:: Fish Camp on Saturday ::

Last week T.H. (The Honey)and I celebrated our wedding anniversary... 

30 years! Woot-woot! 

We didn't do anything on the actually day of it...

...but we made up for it on Saturday and spent the whole day together. 

Such fun! 

We went to Fish Camp! 

Sounds like we took lessons on learning to catch FISH...doesn't it? 

But, No. 

Fish Camp is the name of a restaurant. 

Our daughter had told us about Fish Camp some time back, maybe a year ago. 

Then we saw it on T.V. 

Non-stop Foodies

You can click on the link to see the News promo. only if you promise to come back and see the rest of my ridiculous photos!!! 

 Fish Camp is situated in the middle of what appears to be a COW PASTURE...outside Dallas... with a pond right beside it!

This is the covered porch. 

I love those big rocking chairs!

They have a flair for junk and repurposing... 

check out the handle on the bathroom door. 

Plumbing pipes...

The bathroom was cute... 

Vintage mirrors.

More mirrors... 

There is an outside dining porch, a pier to fish from...Yes! 

You can fish while you're there. 

The kids we saw fishing were actually catching little Perch and Cat-fish! 

The above photo is of the over head door that open up with a screen on them. 

On Saturday, they only had 2 doors open and it was so comfortable in there... not too hot! 

 Oh, and this cool Vintage fridge and some type of TRAP turned Wine Storage... 

Cool collage frame wall... 

I wanted to straighten them ALL!!!! 

Not sure how I feel about the caddy-whampus action! 

I'm not sure how they came up with the nautical - Buffalo theme... EITHER! 

But it worked for them! 

 Then on the table... I liked this idea... the galvanized electrical switch box....that part we don't usually see, because it's in the wall!  They used it for sugar packets and Sweet n'Low.
They fit perfectly!

So, there you go...if you're looking for a JUNK- Repurposed  alternative for your coffee bar...

an electrical box! Ta-dah! 

 And of course the food was delicious... Home Cooking.

Beans and Corn Fritters ...

T.H. had the Blackened Tilapia 

I had the Grilled chicken and Asparagus ...

Both served with red skinned taters! 

It was an hours drive from home. It was great to get out and drive in a different part of the country... (we drive in the country every day ...So different is good!)

On the way home we shopped at 2 different Wal-marts  looking for something,( He was looking for bullets and I was looking for a certain sized CROCHET HOOK)  and we shopped Tractor Supply for chicken feed while we were out (there isn't one near us) we always shop there when we're near one.
Then on the way back home, we stopped in and looked at some camper trailers. One was 'canned ham' shaped with a  pop out! It was a 2009 model and was not vintage...but it was really cool!

I love stopping in to see these things. Because they always have stand up shower and potty combos... I keep telling T.H. we have room for one in our camper.  ('cause I'm not really a camper)
I'm more of a PAMPERED CAMPER... what is it ...Glamper?  yeah... a stand up shower and potty would be perfect!

Later in the week... I'll show you what's on the HOOK... because I scored new hook at the 2nd Walmart...
And I have another surprise announcement to share here too.
I have 2   (3 counting my brother) readers that know already, you know who you are!!! ---SO DON'T BLAB!

Have a great week!

Rejoice in the LORD always and again I say rejoice! 

~Philippians 4:4