Saturday at last....

Ah....Finally a Saturday with-out alot of demands .
Oh, don't get me wrong, there's plenty to do . The "to do list" is as long as ever ! Some things on the list have to wait until there is money enough to do them (like building the new deck) . But...the kids are at Gram & Papa's , and it's just us and Abby home . We slept later than normal , had egg and cheese sandwiches for breakfast and did some cyber surfing . Sitting here listening to the wind chimes ring in the delightfully cool spring breeze . It is in the 68-75 degree range .
I think DH is feeling the call of the grass . The mowers need to be checked over since the first trim of the season is surely only days away . The garden is needing tilled . Our church is planning a community garden for the first time this year . I want to help and am excited to see what God will do with it !
Well , have a joyous Resurrection Sunday !
See ya back here on Monday for MPM .

Friday's Five Fave

Ok ....this is my first try at this so hereeeeeeeeee goes !

1. In honor of Good Friday .........

I thank Jesus for all He has done for me (for the world! John 3:16-17)

2. I am surrounded by beautiful spring flowers !

3. My min-pin Abby is my fave !

4. Spring isn't my favorite season ........but I am glad it's here ! GA is SOOOOOOOOO beautiful in the spring !

5. And last , for this week, my current fave song :-) Derek Webb "Wedding Dress" you can look it up on youtube and have a quick listen for free !

Well .... it wasn't fancy . But not bad for my frist try !

Have a blessed Resurrection Weekend !

Everytime I say I want to try to post with some regularity it seems LONGER between postings ! It is silly really !
I have been trying to stick with menu planning fairly loosely ; mostly in my head . I have not been posting it. But with my DH home last week and this week failure to plan is certainly planning to fail . I may occasionallly be able to tell the kids that it is fend for yourself night but that will just not do for my hard-working man . LOL
Case in point , this morning it is 22 degrees and he is in the shop , handling all manner of tools and frozen steel . While we are in the nice warm house , cats and all . I am getting ready to have a cup of "Pure Empower-mint" tea (my fave!) My hubby has to be drinking coffee and adding and subtracting layers of clothes through out the day . He is a good man and a hard worker !
I am trying to participate in FlyLady's decluttering olympics . Yesterday didn't go so good but as MS marla says ...you are not behind , jump in where you are .
I did do a major closet clean out . Then I got stuck thinking about how much $$ I had spent on those clothes I was trying to purge , Ironically 1/2 of what was in the basket I actually bought new 1 ;-( ! I am the Good Will diva for the most part ! LOL
I also started doing Breaking Free Bible study by Beth moore . I am LOVING it . She encourages you to dig into the word and explore it . Think for yourself and then own it . there are a few questions that are introspective enough to sting a little . But we are hanging in there ! LOL
There are only 6 of us in the group and that includes the facilitator !
Back to the idea of menu planning...
I made Beef Stew in the oven for after church on Sunday . It turned out spectacular ! I used beef I had gotten on the markdown sale at my local grocery . I added 2 bags of frozen "for stew" veggies . The recipe on the veggie bag called for tomato soup and I couldn't find any so I sub-ed some beef broth (with no MSG) and some organic speg. sauce I had in the fridge. It cooked in the cast iron dutch oven at 250 degrees for about 5 hours . YUM ! I made some quick garlic cheese bread out of some hogie rolls . It is SO nice to have something new to add to the usual winter rotation .
I am ALWAYS looking for suggestions for after church meals to help keep us from going out . My DH is out of town allot with his work and that means he eats out all the time. So it is good for him to have nutritious , home cooked meals for body and mind . And on the financial side there are usually 6 of us and even at the Chinese cheap lunch , that adds up fast !
OK ........I guess I have prattled on long enough .
YA'LL have a great week and I will try to get get back here next week and post a menu plan . :-) Maybe I will manage to spend less at the grocery that way .

A new year !

I am very excited to have a new year ! I am trying to get back into menu planning , organizing and baking ! The weather is definately co-operating on the baking end ! Wowzers ! It is SERIOUSLY COLD ! It isn't expected to crest the freezing mark today . This is GA folks...it ain't supposed to be this cold . I am Thanking God for the sun-shine tho' and least I can open the curtains and park the car in it ! Yes...simple pleasures !
Looking forward to posting more here too . See ya'll back soon !

Well we passed the 2 month mark since Loys death . Thanksgiving Day will be 3 months . UGH , I am dreading the week . The 24th would have been his 50th birthday . Then a few days later Thanksgiving .
We are going to some friend home for Thanksgiving Dinner . We also have another family of friends coming along . It will be a busy , boisterous day . I hope and pray , just what our family needs ! Our friends don't have anything that Loy made and I think that will help .
Ok , on to cheerier things ...My DH gifted me with his old i-pod . He got one that holds twice as much ! Sooooo...now I get to try to learn use it . We all listen to Christian music ...but different styles ! We all have our own preferences . I think my daughter would listen to alot of secular music (oldies) if she could . But it is a rule established in our home about 10 years ago .
We have our last video secession of the Esther study tomorrow night . Then Monday we will have a dinner and watch "one night with the King"
I can't remember what I signed up to bring to the pot-luck dinner . HMMM... too much in my head I guess !

It has been almost 3 weeks since my brother died . We do believe he is alive in our hearts and alive with Christ but we are missing him here allot ! In some ways it is still sinking in for me . This is my first bit of time not slammed busy . I still have several thankyou cards to make out and send . And my house needs attension desperately ! I did some minor grocery shopping yesterday (since we were out of kitty food) And I think I will bring dinner over to my mom and dads tonight . Mannicotti ! Ummmm.... Publix had Paul Newmans marinara on a B1G1 sale . So I bought 4 ! LOL . If we are in a real press , I just fry up some meat add the sause and pour over cooked noodles . Done ! Of course we perfer homemade meat balls , salad , fresh bread ...but life calls for a quick , thought free meal occasionally !
I started the Beth Moore Ester bible study ! I am very excited about it ! I am going to look around the NET and see if anyone out there is blogging about it ! :-)
Have a great week ~ Lora

In loving memory

My only brother died Thursday . He was in a motel room in TN getting ready for work . One of his co-workers said the last thing he told him was "here's a peach for ya Doc , I'm going to see the sunshine" Wow ! He could not have known how prophetic that would be ! He got to go see the SONShine !

Loy was a believer . We didn't always agree on everything but on the basics that make a difference in where your eternity will be spent we did ...so I have hope that I will get to see him again .

Yesterday was the funeral and it was so hard ! So hard to see my parents heartache . Their only son gone at 49 . He was married but the never had children . Very sad . He loved my kids allot though and we have many pictures . We are seeing again the value of good pictures ! There were 2 boxes of photos to go through at my moms ! It was hard but it allowed us to think of him in good times .

I had allot of people tell me I needed a release and I guess this is one way to do that . It isn't that I didn't cry , I just didn't act like others imagined I should I guess . Loy is gone , we are not and that leaves much to be dealt with . I have my mom and dad to support and watch-out for . My kids , who will miss their uncle greatly . My husband , who worked with him for over 20 years ! Was his friend , sparring partner , and much more . He stayed with Loy while the paramedics did all they could do . He watched his friend and brother in law be pronounced "gone". He has awful heart-ache . He has allot of anxiety about going back to the same job they were on and having to figure out how to work with other guys . Wanting other to care that he wants to go home with all his appendages each night .

Loy's wife will need a miracle to make it thru this . She has never been on her own . She does not even grocery shop by her-self . Thankfully , she is about 14 miles away from us and we can help if she will let us .

There is much to do in the days to come . We have another trip to make to the air-port . And life has to get back to some semblance of normality for every-one . Going back to work . Starting school again . ETC....

So if you are reading this , pray for us ! I know this happens all the time all around us . I will try to pray harder and understand more . I am learning as I go here . But my God grant me a teachable spirit !