HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Ours got a little mixed up and we actually ended up working part of the day before heading over to my uncle's house for dinner.  LOL he called and said he was putting in the turkey (it was smoked and just needed to warm) and heading for a shower.  We were going to originally eat between 1 and 2 o'clock, but he and my aunt got hung up at church when they dropped off the turkeys they had prepared for the meal for the needy and next thing you know it's 2 o'clock and they were just getting home.  Hubs and I got there and my uncle was still in the shower and my aunt (who has Alzeimer's) was so surprised to see us.  After all the work at the church she forgot it was Thanksgiving and that anyone was coming over.  My cousin showed up shortly after we did and it occurred to us that we weren't smelling turkey.  Long story short, as if that's possible, Kevy and I started trying to throw together dinner.  He peeled potatoes and I cut.  We threw the turkey in to warm and started a search for a vegetable.  As the potatoes finished boiling, I drained them and he went for the milk.  LOL there was NO milk! Then we could find the mixer, but NO beaters. We ended up using Redi whip (made with real cream) and butter and they were good! It was NOT a conventional meal, but we had a good time and laughed A LOT!

WEATHER OUTSIDE
It turned cold on Saturday and rainy too. Looks like winter is finally here.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK
Lots and lots, but I find I do better with making lists!

• Monday - Measure for the new bedroom window and get it ordered.  Finish wrapping the Christmas presents that need to be mailed, get them boxed up and addressed.  Start patch work in the bedroom and the carpet guy will be here to measure in the afternoon.
• Tuesday - The electrician will be here to look at our screwy wiring and it's trash day so have to be available to help the guys and give them their beer and soda.
• Wednesday - We're taking the day to visit all the Habitat for Humanity Restores in the area to seek out necessary parts we need, pick up the cleaning and do the grocery shopping.
• Thursday - finish patch work on bedroom and begin removing vanity and kitchen cabinets for the dumpster which should arrive in the afternoon.
• Friday - Load dumpster and it will probably take ALL day.
• Saturday - Finish wrecking out and/or loading the dumpster!
• Sunday - taking the day OFF! When we did our last remodel hubby set a rule that we would quit by 6PM every day and Sundays were to be days where we only did what we wanted and I didn't cook.  The didn't cook part didn't last as I finally convinced him that cooking was something I wanted to do!

CURRENTLY READING

• It's only Love - Green Mountain #5  by Marie Force

TELEVISION / DVR
We're catching up on a few movies we had been wanting to see and not much else - just too tired at the end of the day.

HOUSE PROJECTS
We are trying to finish the bedroom and the kitchen before Christmas.  If we are lucky that will extend to the living room, but I really doubt it.  So far each project seems to be plagued by the domino effect and each task is more difficult than it should be.

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
BREAKFAST	YOGURT & FRUIT	SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE	FRUIT SMOOTHIE	YOGURT & FRUIT	MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS	CORNED BEEF HASH and OVER MEDIUM EGGS & TOAST	QUICHE LORRAINE
LUNCH	FRUIT & CHEESE	SOUP & CRACKERS	SANDWICH	OUT	MEAT & CHEESE	??	MOZZARELLA CHEESESTICKS
DINNER	Crockpot Lasagna	Black Bean Chili	C.O.R.N.	C.O.R.N.	Texas Red Chicken	Chuck Wagon BBQ Bean Dinner	C.O.R.N.
DESSERT

THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY

• wrapping gifts for my favorite munchkins
• getting closer to sleeping in my own bed
• cooler weather 

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

We are closing in on 19 days since we arrived. To date hubs and I have logged 332 hours. We have found the house and there is only one LARGE piece left in the house to be moved and we found most of the side yard this weekend while preparing for the foundation work that begins tomorrow, but we have yet to find the garage!

We are beginning to see the light AND the potential again, but we ARE overwhelmed to say the least.  We knew it needed work, but until we got here and were able to get her things out we, including my uncle, had NO idea how much work.

We have decided that as soon as the foundation work is done we will do the master bedroom and bath first.  At least that way at the end of a hard day we will have a place of respite where we can close ourselves off from the rest of the work to be done.

WEATHER OUTSIDE
I noticed last night that I could see the stars to the east, but the clouds were beginning to shroud the moon to the west and then this morning the clouds are thick as mud so I think I believe them this time that there is a serious storm headed our way - right along with a tornado watch.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

• Shift furniture and boxes as needed for the foundation crew.
• Try and find a few necessary cooking utensils I'm still missing.
• Start removing carpet in manageable pieces where the non-carpet flooring will be installed.

CURRENTLY READING  
I have been too tired to do much more than fall in bed after the 10-15 hour days of serious manual labor recently, but am hoping to finish this book soon.

• Alison Kent's The Comfort of Favorite Things #5 Hope Springs

TELEVISION / DVR
LOL who has time?  We also can't get internet and TV until after the foundation work is completed this week so have seen a few DVDs in the little down time we have forced ourselves to take.

HOUSE PROJECTS
I will have to keep you posted on this category.  There is so much to do that we are still trying to make a priority list for after the bedroom!

KITCHEN WISHES
LOL this category is HUGE right now, but I am getting my new refrigerator on Friday!
 
MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
Since it will be awhile before the kitchen is up and running I went looking for my cookbook box, more specifically for the cookbook box with the slow cooker cookbooks in it. We tried one last night that I am now calling Italian Ham and potatoes. LOL I had to adapt it though. Despite the title of the cookbook, Slow-Cooker Cookbook, I found after I bought the ingredients it was actually a recipe for the oven.  I was a bit more careful in reading the recipes for the rest of the week.

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
BREAKFAST	YOGURT & FRUIT	SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE	FRUIT SMOOTHIE	YOGURT & FRUIT	MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS	TOAST & YOGURT	AVALON DINER
LUNCH	FRUIT & CHEESE	SOUP & CRACKERS	SANDWICH	OUT	MEAT & CHEESE	??	??
DINNER	GARLIC   CHICKEN	BRAISED HORSERADISH BEEF	C.O.R.N.	BOSTON BAKED BEANS & PORK	SLOW BAKED BEEF with POTATO CRUST	CHICKEN IN SMOKY BACON SAUCE	APPLE & CIDER CHICKEN & VEGGIES
DESSERT

THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY

• Working side by side with hubby to make a better life.
• Seeing potential in the house and backyard.

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
The neighbor's cat just loves sunbathing on the roof and will spend all day in the same place.

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

Well after 3 delays for various reasons, we really are finally on the road to our new home.  This has been a complicated move with multiple legs, but at last we are moving forward.  We will be there on Wednesday and then the fun begins.

WEATHER OUTSIDE
Tonight is supposed to be quite cold where we will be staying on the northern route in mountains, but after that it should be good weather for several days.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK
Get there and get started on a thorough cleaning, paint prep and a project list!

CURRENTLY READING
I've been loading up my kindle app with lots of books for the trip.  Right now I'm finishing up the Barbara Freethy Series - The Callaways - I'm on books 8 and 9.

• The Sweetness of Honey by Alison Kent
• Where the Heart is by Darcy Burke
• The Guest List #5 by Melissa Hill 
• The Heartbreak Cafe #1 by Melissa Hill
• Winter in Sweetwater County by Ciara Knight
• The Seacrest: A Love Story by Aaron Paul Lazar 

TELEVISION / DVR
LOL Whatever is on the motel televisions at night. I know we'll be doing some on demand later in the month to catch up on our favorite shows.

KITCHEN WISHES
LOL, My biggest wish is that the appliances work well enough to get us started.

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
On the road this week, but hoping to have a good menu next week.

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

• New Beginnings
• Safe Trips
• Happy Campers

FAVORITE most disgusting PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
One of the things I have always hated here were the snails and slugs!  I took the dog out last night and was horrified to see this! I had NO idea that they congregated like this. YUCK!!

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

WEATHER OUTSIDE
We are warming up this week again to temperatures I thought were in our rear view mirror and I DON'T like it one bit! At least the evenings after the sun sets are really cool!

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

• Rotate Tires on the Truck
• Grocery Shopping
• Drop off dry Cleaning
• Update Computers and Cyber Clean

CURRENTLY READING

• The Sweetness of Honey #3 Hope Springs by Alison Kent

TELEVISION / DVR
Still trying some of the new shows this week as well as some of the old favorites. As always though we'll DVR them.  We just don't have as much leisure to watch them with the move about to happen so we'll have to .

• BIG BANG
• LIFE IN PIECES
• CASTLE
• LAW & ORDER SVU 
• NCIS
• NCIS LA
• NCIS NEW OELEANS
• SCORPION
• THE PLAYER
• THE BLINDSPOT
• QUANTICO
• THE STRAIN
• Z NATION
• SCANDAL 
• CSY CYBER

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
BREAKFAST	YOGURT & FRUIT	SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE	FRUIT SMOOTHIE	YOGURT & FRUIT	MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS	CORNED BEEF HASH and OVER MEDIUM EGGS & TOAST	QUICHE LORRAINE
LUNCH	FRUIT & CHEESE	SOUP & CRACKERS	SANDWICH	OUT	MEAT & CHEESE	??	MOZZARELLA CHEESESTICKS
DINNER	Y.O.Y.O.	CHICKEN PICATTA & SALAD	C.O.R.N.	??	TUNA CASSERILE	STEAK & BAKERS	CHILE & CORNBREAD
DESSERT

ON MY MIND
As you all know we will be leaving here soon to rehab my grandparent's house in Texas and on Thursday I was pretty happy thinking about that as I silently celebrated grams 100th birthday in my mind with wonderful memories of her and ALL she taught me in life and wishing I was already in her house doing my projects and cooking her recipes...  Then the bottom fell out of our local world as my neighbor stopped us on our way out of the driveway and said "DON'T GO TO TOWN THERE'S A SHOOTING AT THE COLLEGE".  I have to admit at first I was dazed and thinking WTH? HERE? WHAT? REALLY?  You see we're a sleepy little community, not a big city, not a hub of political activity, just small rural town America. This has been a horrific week here in our community.

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I whole heartily agree with this sheriff's decision to ignore the coward, HE DOES NOT DESERVE RECOGNITION - WE DO NOT NEED TO KNOW HIS NAME or anything about him-that is for the authorities and their investigation. If you need names, learn the names of the victims, the heroes like Chris Mintz and first responders that dealt with the aftermath. These are the important people in this tragedy. The fact that the shooter committed suicide means he was a chicken to me.

As horrific as this tragedy has been to our community, it is heart warming to see the spark it has brought to  the community response to help others. Banks, have set up generous funds and matching donation programs, Coffee houses are giving free coffee, even the pubs are offering free pints for giving a pint of blood, neighbors setting up meal plan programs for victims and their families, pay it forwards that go ALL day in fast food lines...  There must have been several hundred people in the blood bank line at any given time before they finally had to start turning people away due to a lack of storage facilities, local businesses setting up victim funds... Here is a link to ways you can help. Healing will take time, time that can and should be clad in human compassion and warm hearts to help others.

I PRAY that these attitudes become long term and daily reminders that we are all in this life together. On the flip side I am sickened by the politicians and legislators that are trying to use this as a soapbox for gun control and personal beliefs. The following picture kind of says it all:

THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY

• SEEING THE COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER & HELP OTHERS DURING A TIME OF NEED
• My cat curling up to cuddle with me in the morning
• Finishing projects

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

Sady catching the last possible afternoon rays of sunshine.

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.