Sunday, September 30, 2012

Sunday Weekly Supper Menus, Sept. 30th Til Oct. 6th

Did darn good sticking to my menus last week, so here are next weeks menus. Our sons will be home for our long weekend here (Canadian Thanksgiving!) so I will be cooking more. They can sure pack the food away.

Sunday

Roast Pork, carrots and potatoes from the garden. Dessert will be Chocolate Pudding.

Monday

Chicken Cordon Bleu, Rice and raw veggies. Leftover pudding for dessert.

Tuesday

Leftover Pork made into a pasty type meal.... Not quite sure how to do this, but I will figure something out. Dessert will be a piece of fruit.

Wednesday

Chicken Pot pie, using leftover chicken, leftover cooked veggies and some onion. I will make a drop biscuit crust.

Thursday

Clean out the fridge night.

Friday

Salmon Loaf, rice, and green beans.

Saturday

The sons will be home so I think I will make Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, and Cole Slaw. Dessert will be ice cream and fudge sauce.

Sunday is when we will have our Thanksgiving meal as the boys will be heading home Monday morning. I will be planning this meal all next week. Look forward to sharing our special meal with you next Sunday.

Everybody have a wonderful day.

God Bless.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

My Second Challenge

Now that everything is pretty much moved into my new sewing room (I do have a bit of arranging still to do) I am going to post my second challenge.



Fabric..... Along with my yarn fetish, I have a fabric fetish. I think I have enough to last me at least 7 or 8 months!!

My challenge to myself is to use up what I have before buying any more. Should not be too hard if I stay out of fabric shops.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Friday, September 28, 2012

The New Sewing/Craft Room

Slowly but surely things are coming together in my new room I will actually be able to have all my machines out and ready to use once the room is completed.

Here are a few photos of the room I have now been moved into.

My shelving unit is up and many of my sewing supplies are placed on it. Still have the bookcase (Harvey made it a bit smaller) to install. Right now it is being stained in the back yard.


My embroidery machine is sitting on my Mom's old Kenmore in her sewing cabinet. This will be moved to get easier access so I can use the machine more often.


My serger and regular machine, just waiting to be set up. I can hardly wait to use them.


Harvey made me this board many years ago and having my thread, hoops and cross stitch kits handy is a big help, saves me lots and lots of extra steps most days.

 
One of my fabric drawers (the other will be moved in and set on top of this one). The empty set is for the yarn I plan on using for my next few knitting projects. The rest of my yarn is inventoried and put in numbered totes. I will use the inventory to select and fill this cabinet as I finish projects. Harvey says I now have a warehouse for my yarn (I think it is more work, but it made him happy to set up the spread sheet).
 
Once everything is put together the way I want it I will post some more pictures. I am just so happy to actually have room to move for a change.
 
Everybody have a wonderful evening.
 
God bless.






Thursday, September 27, 2012

A Challenge to Myself

After spending the last two days switching around two rooms, I have come to the realization that I have way to much "stuff".

I propose the following two chanllenges to myself.

First challenge is no more yarn buying for the next 7 months. I really do have enough yarn to keep me busy at least that long.

 
 

 



 
 
As you can see, I own way too much yarn. Not that I don't use it, it just seems to add up in my sewing/ craft room. There are just so many lovely, soft types of yarn out there and heaven help me along with  fabric and clothing fetishes, I have a yarn fetish. Suppose it could be worse, right? I need to use up at least half of this stash before I even think about buying anymore. This is going to be tough as I love yarn in all colours, textures and weights.
 
Tomorrow I will talk about my other Challenge for the next year or so. Another tough one as I do like to be in style.
 
Everybody have a wonderful evening.
 
God bless.
 

Monday, September 24, 2012

A Beginning

Today my sister and I made a beginning to getting my Dad's estate settled. We visited a lawyer to start the probate process. This is going to take a long time and have me pulling out my hair before it is all over. Everytime I come up with a suggestion, my sister shuts me down...... Must keep my temper, and smile, smile, smile.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.


Sunday, September 23, 2012

Sunday Supper Menus, Sept 12 to Sept. 29

Starting something new this week. I figure if I do a post of our supper menus for the week I am more likely to follow through with them.

Here is what we will be having for the next week for out evening meal. Haven't figured out desserts yet, but those will come.

Sunday

Roast beef, carrots and potatoes.

The leftover roast will be saved for a meal later this week.

Monday

Leftover Moussaka from Saturday night along with cut up vegetables and dip.

Tuesday

Ham, pasta casserole

Wednesday

Turkey Noodle Soup from the freezer along with grilled cheese sandwiches

Thursday

Lemon Chicken, rice and carrots (perhaps peas and carrots)

Friday

Baked fish fillets, oven fries, and cut up vegetables and dip

Saturday

Hot Beef Sandwiches, mashed potatoes, and corn niblets

Lunches will be leftovers or sandwiches using up some of the tins of salmon in the pantry.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Keeping My Mind Occupied

I have not been sleeping very well lately and I really have not been that hungry either. So I have been keeping busy getting the garden in and taking long walks to think.

My newest foray was into pickling jalapeno peppers. I haven't done this in a long time, but no way was I going to let those peppers go to waste.

I cut the peppers into rounds and managed to get 4 pints to use over the winter.

 
 
They look so very yummy.
 
I also thought I would share with all of you some of the flowers I have received over the past week from friends and my best friend Harvey.
 

These greeted me when I walked in the door after Dad had passed away. Harvey, usually buys me yellow or red roses, but he said these pink roses spoke to him that day.


These came from some old friends of ours, Penny and Brent. Harvey worked with Brent for a number of years, and Penny played softball with me.


This lovely arrangement came from my best friend, her husband, mother and father (her parents are friends of mine and our sons). Don't mind the dust on the candle holder, I haven't been home very much to take care of it. Now that I will be home for awhile things will be back to normal around here.

I have to smile each and everytime I look at them. Dad loved all these colours and would always have fresh flowers in a vase on the table.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Getting Ready for a Funeral

This is what was left of my Dad's brothers and sisters up until 6:10 (give or take a minute of two) Sunday morning.

Dad standing on the far right as you look at this picture. He was just 82 years old here. The family got together to celebrate the gentleman's birthday who is seated front and center, my Uncle Albert. Uncle Albert died later that year and on Sunday my Dad followed those who have gone before.

I had gone up to Yorkton this weekend to spend 5 days with him. On Friday when I got there he did not look very good at all, his eyes were closed and other than a faint movement of his head yes or no, and a slight squeezing of my hand there was no real response to stimuli. I decided I needed to get those big brown eyes of his open and gazing at the world.

On Saturday I entered the hospital and announced to Dad that I was there. His eyes bounced wide open and he grasped my hand with strength. I talked, he listened and I even managed to get him to gesture for things with his good arm.

My brother and his three girls came later that morning and were shocked at how Dad seemed to be improving. I ran out to buy a white board and large markers to try and make things easier for Dad to communicate. Since the writing did not really work as well as I had hoped, I had a relative pick up some sticky letters and made simple words for him to point to such as yes, no, pain.....

It came as a great shock to get a call from the hospital at around 10 that night, just a few hours after I left that Dad had taken a turn for the worst and the nurses were quite concerned. I called my sister in Regina, and we both headed to the hospital in Yorkton. I was staying at Dad's place so was there in about 30 minutes, Joanne took a bit longer.

We phoned my brothers to come at around 2 and close to four hours later Dad just stopped breathing.

We are having a simple service, which is what he wanted, no ministers and just his family gathered around.

Rest in peace Dad.

God bless you all.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Think I Am Caught Up

I have been working like a mad woman in the garden over the past week. I need to get up to Yorkton and see my Dad again and the only way I could was to rearrange meetings, do lots of phoning, and get the garden in as much as humanly possible.

This past week I have froze tomatoes, froze peppers, picked the remaining cucumbers, picked eggplant and the myriad of other things that I needed to do.

Here is the end of the green peppers and red peppers.


 
 
They did not seem to grow as well this year as they usually do. I am blaming the fact that we did not get much rain and it was so hot. We still have jalapeno peppers and habenaro peppers to collect.
 
 
Yet more tomatoes. I figure another 7 or 8 bags should see us through the winter. At least I hope so, the way prices keep going up I am a bit worried.

 
One of my Moonflowers is finally starting to bloom. I am so glad that I get to see it. The last time one bloomed we were on holidays and I missed it. This plant is covered with buds, so hopefully when I get back I will be able to enjoy it for a few more days (as long as we don't get frost).
 
 
Everybody have a wonderful evening. I will see you all in about 7 days. Please keep my father in your thoughts and prayers.
 
God bless.



Friday, September 7, 2012

Getting Things Done

I have been trying to get as much possible done so that I can go up and sit with Dad once again. Things are moving along, but I don't think I will get back up to Yorkton to see him for a week or so. My sister, Joanne, and I need to go up together to go through his things, and to set up the power of attorney we both have.

So since I have been home I have been busy.

I managed to get some kernal corn done for the freezer as well as corn on the cob.

 
 
I also managed to sew two more gifts for Christmas (perhaps birthday) for our sons.
 
 
 
The boys seem to love the pj pants I make them and I had this knit material in my fabric stash. I bought it at a yard sale and was actually hoping that I could get three pairs out of the large piece of fabric. No such luck, guess I will have to keep my eyes open for another piece of fabric or two, I would really like to make Harvey a pair.
 
This busyness is really helping keep my mind off of my Dad. There are still times that my mind drifts and I keep telling myself he is in the best possible place at this time.
 
Hope to get a few more sewing and knitting projects done over the next week.
 
Everybody have a wonderful evening.
 
God bless.


Monday, September 3, 2012

My Dad

I have been missing in action for the past couple of days due to some not too happy news.

Saturday at around 3 my brother phoned to say that our Dad had fallen and they were sending him to Yorkton via ambulance. I told him to keep me informed.

About 20 minutes later I received a phone call from the Emergency ward in Yorkton (I am listed as my Dad's next of kin) asking if there was anyone closer than me to that city. It turned out Dad had another stroke (we figure he had one that made him fall) and it was a major one. I got ahold of my brother, he was almost at the hospital, phoned my sister to let her know. Then threw some clothes in suitcases for Harvey and I, dropped a key off to a friend and were off to Yorkton.

The first night scared me as Dad looked so tiny in that hospital bed with all the tubes and monitors. However the nurses were wonderful and answered all our questions in great detail.

Yesterday evening Dad started to open his eyes a little bit. He would also squeeze my hand and it seemed to settle him down a bit.

This morning we went to visit before the long trip home and he was moving his leg and opening his eyes much more. Since he can not speak yet, I had him squeezing my hand to answer questions.

As the nurses say this is a marathon, not a sprint and baby steps will lead to a better prognosis for him.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.