Home Keeping

 After a bit of a break, I am back on the hunt for items for my home. I need a rug for my bedroom, lamps for my bedroom, bedding for a queen sized bed in my guest room.

I tend to do the big things, and then put off the finishing touches like rugs, lamps, artwork.

This weekend I was looking on Marketplace for a quilt or comforter for the guest room, when I came across a Ralph Lauren King sized quilt and matching shams for a very good price. 

I've been needing summer weight bedding for our bed, and with it being spring and warmer weather starting, I was wanting to take the duvet and comforter off of our bed.

I just love the red floral and the red check on the reverse! It's perfect for my cottage and my colors!

This is the current bedding which I also love. Waverly w/Target from years ago. I had this set in a full size and used it forever then I found this king set on ebay a few years ago!

You can see the small bedside lamp, I have one on my side of the bed too, but they are small and both are broken. I don't care if they don't match, but I definitely need to find new ones. 

I also wanted to show you how one small change can make a huge difference. The side table by my chair has had a stack of books on it as this is my command central, where I read etc. The stack drove me crazy because it seems like the book I wanted at the time was always buried under the stack!

An idea came to me Sunday morning while waiting to leave for church and in less than a minute I solved that problem, it looks better and it makes me happy every time I see it.

Simple, right? Ah, it's a good change!

We had a good weekend. On Saturday Sarah moved out and is sharing a house with three other young women. She's been talking about it for over a year. She'll be 23 this summer and after living away at school for three years she was ready. 

Yesterday we had a couple from our church over for lunch. I made a West African chicken dish that is delicious, and we enjoyed spending time getting to know them better. 

Information Friday

 

I'm looking forward to peonies and roses! I love cutting flowers from my garden and using them in my cottage!

Well this week, has been the Judicial Coup! It's incredible to see. Biden filled a lot of judge seats and many of them are over stepping their boundaries and trying to stop the Executive Branch from running the government.

There will be another batch of files loaded today, per President Trump.

Have you ever seen an autopen machine?

I'm sure this will upset the Democrats, but shouldn't we be glad that there is a level of trust between them? You get peace this way. I remember the Taliban leader saying they trusted Trump because he kept his word. You don't have to be besties with people to be trusted by them.

Democrats new phrase has been unleashed.

Very cool drone light show in Florida.

We are going to our co-op concert this evening - the grands will be singing, and one will be doing sign language to a song with her class.

Keep praying! I woke up this morning with Chris Tomlin's song Holy Forever in my head, so I played it on YT! Here it is for your listen pleasure and encouragement!

Home Keeping

 

These photos are real life. The drill from hanging the curtain rod up is still on the hutch, you can see the bag we put the aluminum cans in, a pencil sharpener. The chairs from the dining table are not at the table, and the Ficus tree is just waiting to go outside when the weather starts to stay warm over night.

I came across these curtains on Amazon, and thought they would look nice at this window, and they do!

From farther away, the floral fabric looks like a match for the love seat but here is a close up of the fabric on the curtains.

The photo with the loveseat reads more yellow on the loveseat than it is in real life. The time of day of taking the photo, the yellow walls all play a part.

Today is a quiet day here at home. Sarah and Dave had gone to Tennessee to visit Emma and Vinnie over the weekend, and they got back last night. Kyle and Tim are working.

I'm going to fix me some food, and enjoy a bit of reading, then I will likely dust all the things. 

I'm grateful for my home. We bought it in 2001 and have spent many years now, painting and repainting, making garden beds, putting in picket fencing, mowing, residing the house, putting in new windows. 

My home has sheltered my family, many friends, many meals have been shared here around our tables. Tears of joy and sadness have been shed in my home, by us and others. It is a place of haven and peace most of the time. 

Our goal is not to shut the world out but to welcome in those in need of peace and a haven. To provide friendship and encouragement. 

Hanging curtains is just a small part of that and yet it helps make our home cozy and welcoming.

I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Information Friday

 

I hope you are all well, and ready to enjoy the weekend. For me the weekend is a welcomed change of pace.

This week I've decided to do something different for Information Friday. There is a lot of information out there, and a lot of it is incorrect. WE, the citizens of the United States do not know our Constitution or our Bill of Rights, or the Amendments very well. I know I don't know them like I should. I want to give some clarification on the deportation issue.

A big issue this week is the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil. He came to the US on a student visa and while here he has gotten a green card as he married an American citizen. 

Green cards give legal right to live in the US, and many of the same rights as citizens, but not all.

Green card holders are expressly instructed that there are even areas of free speech that they do not have that citizens do have. Also, by promoting a terror group and aligning with them can get you kicked out of the country.

Many people seem to think a Green Card is like being a citizen because it gives the holder legality to be in the country. It is NOT the same as citizenship.

Marco Rubio explains here.

Another issue is understanding Trump. Trump uses hyperbolic messaging sometimes in order to get attention on an issue, but also to get certain people to move on the issue.

For example - many people, even Trump supporters, were upset by his comments on the US rebuilding Gaza, and he even put out that video that should it all cleaned up and it showed a golden statue of him. People were really upset by this.

I said from the beginning Trump does not want the US involved there, so lets see what he's up, too. It became quickly apparent is what he wanted was a few Arab states to hate the idea of the US showing the Arab (wealthy) world up by fixing one of their areas. Really soon after the video Jordan and Egypt both said, "We'll take care of rebuilding Gaza!" So, Trump got what he wanted. A rebuilt area for the people of Gaza to live in decent conditions, and it's being done by other muslim nations! 

If people would stop reacting to Trump right away, and sit back for a minute and watch, you'd see he's up to something. One thing it always is used for is to draw attention to an issue.

For example Canada. Did you know that the US gives Canada foreign aid every year to the tune of 200 Billion dollars? Trudeau told Trump that Canada couldn't exists without that money. That's why Trump said they should become our 51st state! They'd have lower taxes!

What he's wanting there I believe is a more shared economy, access to their rare earth minerals, and these thing benefit both Americans and Canadians. But seriously if your nation can't exist without our money then are you really a nation?

What do you notice about this picture. The blue is all Russia. If we had, Greenland, and a big partnership or Canada as a territory, we be more evenly matched with the Russians. 

Interesting right?

Happy Weekend!

Spring Is On The Way

 

Ah Friends, spring is on the way! We are having lovely weather. 

I have lemon and orange oil diffusing in the living room. My fun bird tea pot holds water for the diffuser, and for giving the plant a drink.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes you see something in a photo that you don't notice in real life? For me it was the stickers on the screen frame. Of course, this is the first time we've opened the window since it was installed, but I happy to say that the stickers are no longer there!

Mom and I went to a favorite garden center today, and I bought two hellebores! I've been wanting to get some for my garden. They bloom January through April. I just realized I didn't take any photos and Tim just left with my van! The plants are still in the trunk area. I also bought a sweet English Ivy for my kitchen window! The plants really like that space!

I am feeling so much better, not coughing much. I stayed home from church yesterday, and slept in, and I could tell I was better. Today, I've hardly coughed at all! Praise!

I'm planning Chicken Alfredo with rice for dinner. I will get the chicken and sauce separate from the rice so that I can eat according to my eating plan. I'll put my chicken and sauce over green beans. Yum.

I think I'm going to take the girls to the park near the dam tomorrow to see if we can see eagles, and maybe spot eagles on nests. They should be flying around a lot looking for food for their eaglets!

We have two more weeks of co-op, then we're through for this year. However we have a few months of school work to do here at my house. We do three days a week here, and two at their house. They've made good progress this year, and I'm grateful to see it.

Information Friday

 

The weather is turning milder, and next week is going to be warm! I can't wait to get busy in the garden again.

This video is "graphic novel style" and interesting.

This video is 10 minutes long but explains the history of the Russia/Ukraine war. 

This one is only 4 minutes long, but RFK jr shares the background on this war.

Here's the Treasury Secretary talking about the improvement to the economy already.

Sorry this is late, but hey, it's not Saturday! Tim and I ran errands this morning, including getting groceries, so we didn't get home until after noon.

I've had a cough this week, which is annoying. Pray that it'll clear up and that I'll get my energy back. I'm back doing the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan, and have been off sugar for over a week. I'm trying to be more active, but the cough is hindering activity.

We FaceTimed our newly 3 year old granddaughter in TN yesterday for her birthday, and it was a joy to see her face light up when she saw us! We sent her magnetic dolls/clothes and shoes, and a unicorn stamper! She like them!

Tomorrow is her Mama's birthday, our daughter Emma, and Sunday is Emma's husband's birthday! Lots of celebrating!

The weather is cool her but sunny and so tonight for dinner I am surprising everyone with BLT's for dinner! Yum!