I was sitting at  my dining room table [the window above the lower roof on the far left] two days ago reading the study guide for A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George when I looked up at the window.  My dear daughter pictured here~

decided that it was a wonderful thing when my hubby found some old window clings that we hadn't used since the Greenville house.  She'd immersed them in hot water to help their stiffness go away to put them on the windows.  Many of them were pumpkins and cornucopia, corn stalks and apple baskets.  When I looked up, I noticed the colors of the Fall leaves through the window were at their peak and very close to the brilliant colors of the window clings.  What a breathtaking sight!  Of course I didn't have my camera! 

As the growing and preserving season comes to a close, I am finding myself reflecting once again on God's goodness in our lives.  Many times over the past year He's blessed us.  We are so very humbled by His goodness. 

What are our plans for this time of rest for us?

October is usually planning time for us for the holidays and for next year.  We're setting up a budget for holiday gift giving and beginning to make plans for holiday baking [if the cookie monsters stay out of the cookies in the freezer].  We also finish up our canning and freezing during this month.  Baking season has already begun with quick breads, muffins and other wonderful treats in the freezer, so we're getting a head start. 

November begins the busy time where our baking schedule doubles, if not triples.  We bake every holiday item from scratch, so we're finding ourselves realing refiguring recipes when one of those "semi*homemade" types of recipes comes up.  LOL  Needless to say, Almond Biscotti was on the list a couple years ago.  We may just readd that!  We begin our preparations for Thanksgiving during November and begin our Christmas shopping.  Yes, we "should" start the day after Christmas, but with the kids, you don't know what sizes they're going to be or what they're going to like the following year, so we wait.  This year we're going to get our tree early and get our decorations completely up before the first day of Buck.  That way whomever is here at the house with me can help me do some of our baking while the mighty hunters are off in seach of that big buck. 

December the final touches to cookie platters are planned for those who are our neighbors, mail man, pastor and our family Dr.  We enjoy doing this for them.  We like to see their faces filled with joy when we present these cookie trays to them.    We also practice for any and all Christmas music we're a part of and get our hearts and minds ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior. 

January we review seed catalogs and place orders, organize things and plan for projects we're doing that year.

February we usually place orders for things that go with the seeds.  We're hoping to get more raised beds up and going this next year along with Blueberry bushes and some Dwarf Cherry trees as well as either Apricot or Peach trees.  We're excited. 

March the work begins.  We'll be getting all of our seeds in their little yogurt containers so they can begin their life cycles.  I didn't get a picture of the growing table this past year, but this coming year I will so we can share with all of you what we do.  We set up a table top on saw horses in the sunniest room in the house.  It's probably 6-7 feet long.  It's completely COVERED with little yogurt cups FILLED with a variety of seeds.  Each year we try to do more perennials.  We haven't decided what to do next year yet, but we'll begin the planning process soon I'm sure.  We grow all kinds of hot peppers and hundreds of tomato plants.  :)  

There is a time for reflection now, what we did that didn't work, what we'd like to do differently, how much expansion we'd like to do this next year and everything that goes with it.  We're planning to add a chicken coup working up to 20 laying hens this next Spring as well.  So, life will continue to be busy and full.  We are so very blessed. 

Blessings to you and yours, Prayers for those who need them too,

I received this award from my precious friend, Lisa from The Bee Hive Buzz.  Check out her amazing blog!  Thank you so much Lisa! 

Now I am supposed to nominate several people for this award, so here it goes:

Casondra [I just call her Cass]~She is such an inspiration to me.  The love of the Lord flows through her fingers and right on to the computer screen and in to my heart.  She's a precious sister in Christ and I love her!

Ambra~She posted pictures of her homes where she's lived in the past 2 years since I've subbed to her blog and has written about the love of her family through those simple and creative homes she's decorated.  I love the cute things she does with her kids.  Although I don't get to read her blog every day, going to her blog is just like stopping by and visiting a precious friend. 

Donna~She's a lovely lady who I've come to enjoy reading about her days.  Her simplicity of style is refreshing and endearing.  There are no bells and whistles, but a simple love of the Lord and her family that shines through. 

Merechel~She has been through trials and such in the past few years, but the love of the Lord shines through.  Every time I see her in a picture, she's smiling.  What a wonderful example of peace through adversity. 

Christi~She has been such an inspiration to me through the simplicity of her life.  How her precious daughter was betrothed and married to a man 2000 miles away is such an inspirational story to me...one that I long to have had for myself...way back when.  Thank you Christi! 

Rebecca~I absolutely love how she creatively addresses photography, schooling, child rearing and home keeping.  She is an inspiration to me and her children are the sweetest treasures. 

Elisabeth~She has been such a source of laughter for me on a few of those days when laughter just didn't seem like it was going to come.  I know she doesn't really know me.  I've posted once on her blog comments.  I've only just started following her blog within the past 6 months.  She's such a sweet young lady who just recently got married.  I know her mom from an online Christian Mom's group, so getting to know her daughter has been a delight.

Seven Interesting Things About Me:

1.  I went to 3 different colleges.

2. I have multiple knitting and crocheting projects going on all at one time through my home.  I leave one in each spot I sit to listen to children read or to help a child with homework, listening to my love, watching a movie or waiting for a computer to load.  They stay in those spots until the project is done.  :0)  Some finish quicker than others do.  LOL

3. I can't feel my left pinky finger.  I have nerve damage in it from a dislocated elbow.

4. I've crocheted afghans for every bed in my home.  One afghan took me 5 years to finish.  It came to a point where I couldn't work on the last one during the summer due to it's sheer size & bulkiness. 

5. I love to sing and play instruments in church.

6. I love to reconnect with old friends.

7. I need the Lord, desperately!


To accept the award I have to do a few things:

1. Thank the person who nominated me for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on my blog.
3. Link the person who nominated me for this award.
4. Name seven things about me that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate seven blogs.
6. Post links to the seven blogs that I nominate.
7. Leave comments on all seven blogs letting them know I nominated them.


DISCLAIMER: [Copied and pasted from Amy's blog who originally awarded this same award to Lisa.  I thought it was good enough for a repeat!  LOL ] (to me, these rules are optional...our lives are busy, so I will not be bothered if you don't do this! I understand! :) I just wanted you to know that I APPRECIATE you!...)

I know I'm not ready for Fall to be here.  I know the choices are not there and it's here regarless of whether I want it or not.  Summer always seems to fly by so fast...too fast for my liking.  This year was no exception.  We didn't have much heat this year.  I think the temperature made it up to 92*F the day we went to see the Elk herd, but that was it.  Temperatures didn't climb to that point again.  It got up to 88*F a few more times, but honestly nothing else.  We've had a very wet, very cool summer this year. 

With Fall being upon us, baking season has begun.  Everything from quickbreads, to cookies, rolls and yeast breads are coming out of my oven.  It's working overtime for me and I'm so blessed to have it.  We're using up our stock of white flour slowly, but honestly if we hadn't had the stock, we probably would not have been able to pear down the food budget like we have.  Yes, I use white flour.  I know I need to use more wheat flour, but I believe I've made it to a point were if I used more wheat flour in my baking, my husband may not like it all that much.  I've adjusted recipes and I believe I've attained the point at which his comfort zone is most likely to enjoy the higher fiber without compromising his taste.

Here is an example~ I love baking banana bread.  When bananas get a little too brown, we toss them in the freezer for use in breads.  I have taken my basic Betty Crocker banana bread recipe and looked at the white flour usage in it.  I split the amount of white flour in to a little bit of oatmeal, mostly whole wheat flour and just enough white flour to keep things "ok" and not too heavy.  I'll post it below to show you what I mean. 

Banana Bread

1 Cup Sugar

5 1/3 TBSP [unsalted]butter, softened (No substitutions)

2 eggs

1 ½ cups or 3 Bananas

1/3 Cup Water

2/3 Cup All Purpose Flour

¼ Cup Oatmeal (Quick Oats)

¾ Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Salt

¼ tsp baking powder

½ cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350* F.  Spray loaf pan with non stick canola oil spray.  Cream sugar and butter together.  Stir in eggs until blended.  Add bananas & water; beat 30 seconds.  Stir in remaining ingredients expect nuts just until moistened;  stir in nuts.  Pour into pans or muffin tins.  Bake until wooden pick inserted comes out clean, loaf pans 45-75 minutes, muffins 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Immediately remove from pan. 

Apple Sauce Bread

Use above recipe, but add 1 1/8 tsp cinnamon and 1 1/2 cups apple sauce.

Originally the recipe called for 1 2/3 cups of white flour.  I split the 1 cup up between the oatmeal and  whole wheat flour to give the recipe more fiber and B vitamins. 

I recently made Pumpkin Bread too.  I didn't have to do much at all to it because it already had whole wheat flour in it.

Pumpkin Bread

1 ½ Cups Wheat Flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp nutmeg

1 Cup Pumpkin (I used pumpkin I processed myself)

¾ Cup Honey

2 egg whites

2 TBSP Apple Sauce or Apple Juice (I used juice)

1 TBSP Canola Oil

1 TBSP Vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl.  Mix wet ingredients in another bowl.  Then mix everything together until just moistened with a wire whisk.  Bake 1 hour @ 350*F. 

Just to remind you what it use to look like~

It took us 5 YEARS to figure out what to do about this room.   This is what we've come up with~

Sorry about the strange brightness/washed out look to this picture...it had the light from the window.  I had to adjust it.

These are the actual colors of the room.  If you look at the tapestry above the fireplace, it was the inspiration for the most part of this room.  I tried taking a closer picture of it, but it just didn't come out.  I'll take one later and upload it after the batteries for the camera are recharged.

Over the piano I decided to put a CD/cassette player for stories and music.  The CDs are all there and our little multi season tree.  LOL 

 This is where I'll sit in the wee early morning hours waiting for the precious ones God is entrusting to our care for short periods of time.

Yes, the valances don't look level.  The two end windows have screens in them.  The screen frames are filling in the space.  I've measured precisely on each one, so rest assured, all is well.  LOL  I'll take another picture at night so you can see it better.  There you have it!  There's only 2 more things I'd like to do to this room and they're minor.  One is get a grape vine and put the center just underneath the little house over the bay window and make it wrap around the sides and about half way down.  I'd like to put white Christmas lights on it and possibly hang seasonal decorations on it too.  We'll see on that though.   The other thing I'd like to do is get a multi picture frame to put DS#2's baby pictures in.  I have a frame for the older two, but need to get one of the youngest.  I'd like to hang those over the piano.

This is all I have for now.  I thought I'd give everyone an update of the room. 

Next up...who knows?!  LOL  We've completed our planned projects we were going to do this year, for the most part.  Of course there are little things left to do like priming the metal to paint in like colors, but other than that we're beginning our preparations for winter.  Wood has already been brought over for fires.  It was very cold on the 26th, so we had a fire in the fireplace.  We were hoping to be outside, but that didn't happen.  DH & I were reading the news-weather online last night and noticed when there is a weak "El-Nino" year that it's VERY cold with lots of snow here in the north east.  We decided then, that it was time to make preparations. 

I hope you do too!

Blessings,

 Right now as I type this, my cake is in the oven for tomorrow's after Sunday service luncheon...aka: pot luck.  I've always loved the fellowship of believers that occurs after services.  There's just something about sharing a meal with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that makes your heart feel good. 

I intended to make a pineapple upside down cake, but much to my surprise I didn't have pineapple.  There was none to be had anywhere in my pantry.  No rings, crushed, chopped...nothing.  I stood there thinking for a minute and I knew I had plenty of "Fruit Cottontail" (a name given to it by my youngest), but I knew grapes probably wouldn't go over very well.  I noticed I had peaches, so I thought, "Peach upside down cake would taste good!"  I cut the peaches up in to small bite sized pieces, made the batter and poured it inside.  I know it will be good.  I just hope everyone at church likes it tomorrow. 

The inside of the new front door has been primed.  It may get a second coat.  I'm not sure.  I will have to talk with my hubby about it.  I'll paint it a satin white and begin my journey of repainting all the trim in the house white.  I know it's a rather large undertaking, but I'd like to paint the rooms different colors and the trim would look so much nicer being white.  The living room and front entry way are first.  Well, they're actually second.  I painted DD's trim last year a white and it turned out very nice then.  It's just a time consuming undertaking. 

The next couple of days I will be priming and painting my living room.  I'm doing it in segments.  Right now we're waiting for the joint compound to finish drying.  There were some holes where the hardware was rather large in removing, so we decided to start fresh.  We're going to do something totally different over the bay window and so forth.  Here's what it looked like when we first moved in.

   The burgundy curtains have been removed and new lace panels have been put up.  I'd had valances up with swags on each end that had peaches, roses and some other small flowers on it that were trimmed in forest green.  Those came down today and they'll be washed and then decided whether or not to put them back up or go with something else.  Here you can really see the old door and trim. 

I want to forewarn those of you who have known me here on my xanga blog for the past 4 years I've blogged here.  I will be reposting many things for the benefit of old friends found from 20+ years ago who I'm just getting caught up with.  So please be patient with me.  I know, that sounds so strange that it has been 20+ years.

Well, my cake is done.  The aroma is heavenly.  I hope it tastes good tomorrow.  I do think I'll stop off at the store on my way to pick up some cool whip.  ;)

Here's a cute pic of the kids and Biscuit. 

Blessings,

As long as we've lived here in our home, we've been pursuing how to stretch the money the Lord has given to us to a greater extent.  We've decided to focus on energy savings with every change we've made in the house so that our energy bill and of course our usage will decrease.  A couple of the things we've done are as follows~

*Changed to flourescent lighting

*Turned the thermostat down in the winter time and used the fireplace for the majority of our heat.

*Crocheted afghans to make sure our family is warm in the winter.

*Covering windows with plastic to keep the heat in.

*Purchased and intstalled a programmable thermostat.

*Purchased and of course, installed a hot water heater blanket. 

*Yesterday, we purchased a new front door and screen door.

This is a part of our plan.  However, we planned to spend more than what we did originally thinking that what we planned was the most inexpensive choice.  I was wrong.  My DH was discussing this with a friend of his and he told us of a "scratch and dent" area where the interior doors are considerably less than the originally planned door.  We spent 1/4th what we originally planned!  I'm praising God for His provision!  Plus, it looks nice too. 

Here is our son's favorite part of any job...demolition!  LOL 

Removing the old, not so energy efficient door.

The new, energy efficient door.

My wonderful love (through the rose bushes and purple coneflower) measuring and cutting the wood for leveling the door in a not so square/level house. 

The final product~a nice screen door with a sliding up/down storm window.

The new door installed, without trim around it.  When we are on our home schooling break after Labor Day we'll paint the Living Room walls, then install the trim and paint the door at that time.   

Little by little the energy efficiency in our home is increasing.  We do not use credit for any of these purchases.  We plan and plan and set money aside, even if it's just as little as $10.  It takes us a little more time, but we do not go in to debt for these items. 

Next on the agenda~

A new wall to replace the sliding glass door framed in aluminum that sucks in the cold.  It's this one at the end of this room~ 

It goes from floor to ceiling and from one end of the room to another.  Currently, it is covered with heavy grade plastic so that it doesn't bring in the cold.  We never took the plastic down from last year.  As you'll notice, my sewing desk is in this particular room as well.  I love to sew, but in the frigid cold, no.

There is the front door in the middle that we just replaced (this was taken 3 years ago).  If you look past the tree, the glass goes quite a way across the front portion of the house.  It was originally intended to be a sun room, but for functionality purposes, the coldness in the winter is just too much.  So, we're going to take all the glass out, build a wall with insulation and put siding on it.  The sunroom will eventually be turned in to an office/sewing room with a mudroom at the opposite end.  Once again, setting money aside for things like this, doing it all with cash when it's available.

This is much of what our winters look like~

Yes, it's beautiful.  We love it here.  However, we need to plan for energy efficiency to make our gas and electric decrease further.  Yes, frugality means spending money to get greater long term savings.  Frugality also means trying to find the best deal for your purposes without the necessity of "keeping up with the Joneses."  We do not feel the pull, like many people, to have the latest and greatest toy.  This type of thinking leads people in to greater debt just to have what others have and make sure it happens "immediately." 

We make thousands of choices every day.  The choices we choose to make are ones that lead us to peace in knowing we're honoring and glorifying God to our greatest ability(Col 3:23-24).  There is so much more to this than just what you're reading here, but those topics will have to keep for another day. 

I hope you've enjoyed this little frugal trip down our life's path today.

Blessings,

Here are the backgrounds I'm using currently for my blog.  I most likely will change them after the 23rd of September, with it being Fall.  If you've been with me on my blog here for very long you'll know that I like clipart and changing things around a bit. 

If you take a look at my sidebar, page down to where you see the links for clipart.  These people spend their precious time and energy creating these beautiful things for people, like me, to use to make their cyber world more representative of who they are.   All they ever ask in return, most of them anyway, is that you place a return link to their page so that proper credit can be given for their hard work.  I respect this request and hope you will do the same. 

Blessings,

Regina