ON MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Wicked.  I bought it at a yard sale for .25. 

ON MY TV: In Good Company (Its been there for close to 2 weeks, I put it in, fall asleep, repeat the next day...)

ON THE MENU FOR TONIGHT: Nachos.

ON MY TO DO LIST:  Sweeping, mopping, and general cracking of the mom-whip.

NEW RECIPE I TRIED LAST WEEK:  Dirty Rice.  Sounds bad, looks great, and the family rating is 7.5.  Its a keeper.  More tomorrow.

IN THE CRAFT BASKET:    I've made a few hats this past week.  I really need to get my Etsy  back up and running...

LOOKING FORWARD TO:  Another house showing. (Had 1 totally impromptu showing this week.  Someone is to call for another in the next couple days.)

HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK:  Many hands make light work.

FAVORITE BLOGSPOT OF THE WEEK: Amanda's Cookin' OH MY WORD.  Good stuff here.

FAVORITE PHOTO OF THE WEEK:

 

Meet Spaz.  Dylan says his name is Plum, but I can't bring myself to call this little ball of energy anything but Spaz.

LESSON LEARNED FROM THE PAST FEW DAYS:  Babies never sleep on schedule. (see photo above for said baby).

ON MY PRAYER LIST: House to sell.

DEVOTIONS, SCRIPTURES, KEY VERSES (OR QUOTES): 

Make the most of yourself, for it is all there is of you.  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

There has been a battle in my house - pumpkin pie or no.  Some of us don't like the gelatinous concoction that rears its ugly head each fall, but love the flavor of pumpkin.  Bars, cookies, breads, but pie - gag me w/ a spoon!

When I was shopping at one of my favorite stores in PDX recently, they had the large cans of pumpkin on sale for .25 a can!  I stocked up, big time baby!  Ever since then, I have been trying to come up w/ a new recipe that is fast and tasty to use some of my stock.  And have I ever found a recipe!  So fast it should be criminal and the family loved it (rating these muffins 8 out of 10)!

If you try them out - let me know!  I would love to hear how your crew rated them.~G

Super Simple Pumpkin Muffins

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix (I used 2 butter mixes - I don't buy yellow)
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (my can was 29 oz, thus 2 cake mixes)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (if you haven't ever bought fresh, I would highly encourage you - it lasts forever and is better than any pre-ground, ever)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. 

Truly that is the ENTIRE recipe - no eggs, no oil... just believe me - it works. 

ON MY BEDSIDE TABLE:  King of Torts by Grisham.  I am certain I read this, but it has been so long that I will read it again (and it was only .50 at a yard sale this weekend).

ON MY TV:  Its a mad, mad, mad, mad world.

ON THE MENU FOR TONIGHT: Homemade mac & cheese (which might sound all woo-hoo, but I don't buy the boxes, its the only way I make it) and broccoli.

ON MY TO DO LIST: laundry.

NEW RECIPE I TRIED LAST WEEK:  Crazy Simple Pumpkin Muffins (more about that tomorrow).

IN THE CRAFT BASKET: If anything, I will rip out (frog) some of last week's yellow blanket - I did not like the way the border turned out at all. Blah!

LOOKING FORWARD TO: Another house showing.

HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK:I started this when the kids were little and it worked really well - (when cleaning) Pick up as many things as you are old... for some its just a few, for others, well, ya know. 

FAVORITE BLOGSPOT OF THE WEEK: Craftynest

FAVORITE PHOTO OF THE WEEK: 

 

Old photo, new layout - and it makes me happy. 

 

LESSON LEARNED FROM THE PAST FEW DAYS:  Given enough time, most people 'do the right thing'.

ON MY PRAYER LIST: My boy Dylan - who is doing the right thing.

DEVOTIONS, SCRIPTURES, KEY VERSES:

This week I heard a new definition for evangelism and I loved it -

One beggar telling another beggar where to find food.

Have a great Monday!~G

 

(Happy Homemaker Monday can be found at http://familycorner.blogspot.com/)

ON MY BEDSIDE TABLE:  Deadline (I started reading this book in 2006 and although I thought it was a great book, I only got through 130 pages in 9 months.  I couldn't touch it after the funeral, even though I tried... it talks of Heaven and angels and being ready.)  So far so good.  I'll let ya know how it goes.

ON MY TV:  What Happens in Vegas (oh my word, so many non-appropriate parts to this movie, but I nearly wet myself watching it, seriously)

 

ON THE MENU FOR TONIGHT: Pulled pork sandwiches & macaroni salad (for the kids).

 

ON MY TO DO LIST:  Sleep in, lay around, drink some diet Dr. Pepper, and possibly go outside in the sun.

 

NEW RECIPE I TRIED LAST WEEK: I've been rather lacking in food creativity as I am on a weight loss journey (I'm down 40 pounds as of this week - been at it 11 weeks now).

 

IN THE CRAFT BASKET:  An adorable yellow baby blanket... I made this purse last week. 

 

(blackberry photo)

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO: 2^nd hand shopping w/ a really good friend of mine.

 

HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK: Laundry will always be there, enjoy your life, your kids, your family while you have time - don't sweat the cleaning as much.

 

FAVORITE BLOGSPOT OF THE WEEK:  Reinvented

 

FAVORITE PHOTO OF THE WEEK:

(blackberry photo)

My 'baby' (who stands over 6 foot 1) is now driving. 

 

LESSON LEARNED FROM THE PAST FEW DAYS:  Some horrible parents (that have hurt those I love) should be very grateful that I am not God…

 

ON MY PRAYER LIST: said horrible people.

 

DEVOTIONS, SCRIPTURES, KEY VERSES:  A man reaps what he sows. Gal. 6:7 (niv)

What a whirlwind week (and weekend)!  The girls scrambled to get the last of their needed work completed, I scrambled to get a slide show done for their graduation party (and the house cleaned for showings on Sunday).  But we made it! 

We are 'out of it' today... doing our best to not drool on ourselves from sheer exhaustion.

The house showings went very well (in my opinion).  No earnest money yet, but I really believe it is on the way.  There have been 2 more inquiries this morning and one of them scheduling a showing for this evening. 

I'll keep ya updated.~G

Its been an emotional day today.  Two things have fallen into place (and for that I am grateful).

These things taking place means we are getting closer and closer to moving.  I want to move, don't get me wrong, I want for us to live together again (my man has been living in Olympia/Lacey for 4 months now and driving the 2.5 hours one-way each weekend to be with us).  I'm still emotional.  Its just the way I was created to be.

We had a small little row-type boat for sale this week on Craig's List and today a man called, very ecstatic that we still had the boat.  He drove 2 hours to come and buy it.  I hope he enjoys it fully.

Also today, our Memorial Tree has been dug up and is traveling to the church property where it will be planted to many to enjoy.   I'm grateful that Terry agreed to allow the tree to be on the church property.  We don't have a clue how long this move will keep us, or when we move again if we would be able to transplant it again without harming it. 

Even now, as I type this out, I am welling up.  Moving is going to mean being that much farther from my boy.  (I know he isn't close... it doesn't make sense, its just another wave of grief.)  At our new house I won't dig up little green Army men, I won't lay in the yard and hear the echos of games of 'capture the flag', and the laughter that went along with all of that.  I won't be where all the years of memories have were created and stored up.

I want to be excited to move.  I do.  But for today, I'm just truly grateful.

(Happy Homemaker Monday can be found at http://familycorner.blogspot.com/)

ON MY BEDSIDE TABLE:  Breaking Dawn and a big, hurkin' bottle of my favorite perfume (Gwen Stephani LAMB).

 

ON MY TV:  DVRed episodes of The Office, Law and Order, Without a Trace, and this new show my son and man are into (gag).

 

ON THE MENU FOR TONIGHT:  Nachos for them, something dietary and healthy for me.

 

ON MY TO DO LIST:  Get through the last few days of school, clean the house (for house showing this weekend), try to hold it together. 

 

NEW RECIPE I TRIED LAST WEEK:  Nada.  Didn't try anything new last week. 

 

IN THE CRAFT BASKET:   

 

This is my next project, I just have to go and get the cotton to work it up.  I am thinking a good blue to go w/ jeans.

LOOKING FORWARD TO:  Graduation is Saturday!  WOOT!

 

HOMEMAKING TIP OF THE WEEK:  A place for everything and everything in it's place.  Redundant, but oh so helpful.

 

FAVORITE BLOG OF THE WEEK:  Between Naps on the Porch

FAVORITE PHOTO OF THE WEEK:

Our little dogwood (the memory tree given to us by such generous hearts after we lost Nick) is nearly done blooming for the year.  I love snapping some shots each year of the pink blossoms against the blue sky.  Makes me happy.

Tomorrow a man is coming out transplant our little dogwood to the church grounds for us. We aren't sure how long we will be in Olympia, so the pastor has graciously allowed us to add this to the grounds and have a place to still have it for years and years to come.  (Thanks Terry.)

 

LESSON LEARNED FROM THE PAST FEW DAYS: God hears what you say, in the car, on the way to church, and gives them to the pastor to speak about during service... Yes, the Lord has a big sense of humor.  Thankfully the pastor doesn't know what it was that he said... and thankfully the Father is forgiving. 

 

ON MY PRAYER LIST:  Selling this house so we can all live under one roof again.

 

DEVOTIONS, SCRIPTURES, KEY VERSES:  As he thinks within himself, so he is... Prov. 23:7.

The sun is shining.  The tea is hot.  All is right w/ my nearly-wordless-wednesday world.

(Fab photo taken on my Blackberry.)