Joy in the Ordinary

Look around, really look around and you will find joy... joy in the everyday... joy in the ordinary things.
One evening after dinner Megan announced that she would take care of clean up. She shooded us away and took over. We went and sat on the porch. We could hear her moving around and at one point I told Chuck I thought she was sweeping. I snuck in an captured her mopping. She did a great job. For disclosure she helps with clean up, but hasn't taken on the task alone again.

 Helping Daddy to keep the van in working order.

 We traveled 80 miles south to attend a funeral for my aunt. Seeing Amish in this community is common.  When we turned into town we passed this man selling his produce. 

 I love country setting and small town feel of this place.  I can imagine myself living here.

 Friday evening it poured! After the hot and humid weather we've been having it was nice to sit on the back porch and watch it fall.

 My girl has been creating. She made a popsicle house complete with a table and a bed with a pillow and blanket.

 If you like down home food then this book is for you. I checked it out from the library.  It contains recipes and tips from the Farmer's Wife magazine.  The magazine was published from 1897 - 1939.  Not only am I enjoying the receipes but also the tips for the times. Fun book!

The new frig. If you are wondering if the freezer portion is small, yes, yes it is. I was surprised by how small the freezers were on the new models. The ones with larger freezers were too wide for our space. Thank goodness we have an upright in the garage!

May your day be filled with joy in the journey!

The Tuesday Tackle #13

You know how things can have a domino effect? Well, that's what has been going on in my kitchen.  This year first we had to replace the dishwasher, then the stove, and now sadly the refrigerator. It was scheduled to be delivered on a Saturday. Before it arrived I wanted to move out our barely working unit and sweep and mop.  The plan was to this on Friday. Before I pulled it out I decided to give the entire kitchen a scrub from top to bottom.

The first thing that was done is to take down all of the decor and wash/wipe it down.  While the decor was down the cabinet tops were washed.  I put everything back together and it felt super nice to have a squeaky clean kitchen.

I stood back to take a look and knew there was one more thing that had to be done.  You see sixteen years ago when we bought appliances I picked out bisque.  That option is only available today by special order. When we replaced the dishwasher we made the decision to go with white. Reason one is that Chuck doesn't like stainless steel and reason number two is we were afraid that if we special ordered bisque for the dishwasher it might not be available when the other appliances needed replaced. Ha! Little did we know they would all need replaced this year.

Anyway, I had painted the cabinets an off white to match the appliances and guess what? Ding! Ding! if you said the cabinets now clash with the appliances.

The next thing to tackle was to paint the cabinets. Honestly, I was dreading this project. Dread or not, it had to be done. I finally stopped procrastinating and rolled up my sleeves.

 The faux bead board had been dinged up on a couple of the cabinets so it was replaced. 

Then the real run began. 

 I'm soooo happy that I finally tackled this project. All that is left to do is to put the drawers back. That will a project for this evening. 

 Everything is crisp and clean. Even the inside of the cabinets. You see while the door were off I wiped out the insides and decluttered a couple of things. 

 The only thing that clashes now is the microwave. It's on its last leg also. It has a short in the start button. Chuck has fixed it several times and said he can't repair it again. We have to hit the start button just right to make it run. At least it works! 

I am inspired move onto another room to deep clean. You see how that domino effect is working?

What projects have you tackled in the last week? 

 May your day be filled with joy in the journey!

Happy Fall!

I'm happy that I put out my fall decor a little over a week ago as we are not experiencing fall temperatures! The news reported last night said that the stretch of heat we are having is the hottest for this time of year since the 1800's. There is relief coming late next week. Although I'm not ready to say goodbye to warm days, I am ready to say goodbye to the 90's! 

Would you like to take a peek at my fall touches?

 

 

I also have seasonal wreaths on the front and back door plus I have brought out a harvest scented candle. You can't go wrong an apple cider scented candle from Yankee Candles. It might be 90 outside but it looks and smell like fall in my home!

May your day be filled with joy in the journey!

A Day in My Life #14

Monday, September 11, 2017

I sent Chuck off and then went back to sleep. I slept until almost 7:30.  The extra sleep did nothing for my headache. I started the day with two pain relievers and then hit the shower. 

I woke Megan up when I was out of the shower. Once up and dressed we made breakfast. 

Once breakfast was complete I pulled out meat for dinner while Megan loaded the dishwasher. 

I threw in a load of laundry and then it was time for school. 

Megan rang the school bell about nine. 

In between helping Megan I worked on the laundry. 

We ventured out for lunch. Kids eat free! 

After lunch we went to my parents. 

Megan rode her scooter while I enjoyed some peace and quiet. 

On my way home I ran an errand to pick up some binders. While there some items were picked up for the church hurricane donation box. 

It was back to the books when we returned home.  

School was complete at 2:30 and it was time for dinner prep. While I was peeling potatoes Megan asked to do it. It didn't last long as she isn't quite ready for this task. 

While dinner was cooking I worked on putting the daily school work away and pulling out things for the next day. 

Megan spent the rest of the afternoon creating in her room. 

Dinner is done! Well, the pie filling anyway. I'll roll the crust out and put the pot pie in the oven before Chuck comes home. 

Chuck is home at five and dinner is on the table. 

After dinner Megan goes out to play and Chuck and I sit on the back porch. 

We head inside a little before seven. Wheel of Fortune is viewed and then we have devotions. Before Megan is off to bed she lights a crayon. It really works! 

Megan goes to her room at eight. Chuck and I watch some television. A little before nine I step outside for some fresh air. Chuck joins me and then I announce I'm heading for bed. He agrees that is a good idea. By 9:20 it's lights out for the entire house.

May your day be filled with joy in the journey!