So, I've been missing from the web for a bit while we play the waiting game. My mother-in-law was rushed to urgent care awhile back suffering from severe dehydration. Two days later she was in the ER with constant vomiting and severe abdominal pain. It turns out she had a blockage in her small intestine which was the cause of the dehydration. The next day she underwent surgery to clear the blockage and after surgery she was unable to breathe on her own. She has been on a ventilator ever since. She is 83 years old.
I sit here now in the waiting room of the CCCU waiting til after shift change so we can see her again. We wait to hear how her pneumonia is doing. We wait to hear if her blood pressure is regulated. We wait to see if today will be the day she can breathe on her own again. We wait to hear if her white blood count is down, if her blood gases are good, if her fever is under control. Waiting is the toughest part of life. As we wait, we sit with another family who wait for their wife, mother, sister, daughter to heal from an aneurysm, she was rushed into the hospital the same day as my mother-in-law. We all sit and wait. We talk a little, pray a little, try to offer comfort to one another, encouragement to one another. We laugh together, try not to cry in front of each other, sharing our lives in this strange way. Strangers sharing this experience of waiting. We ache with each other, for each other, pray with each other, for each other. We sit in the room together, yet separate, together, yet alone. And we wait. And hope.
Blessings,
Colleen
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Busy Bees
Wow, what a week it's been! We have been busily working on decluttering and organizing. It was our oldest grandson's birthday and we got to spend a fun time celebrating with him! And we have started teaching line dancing classes. We also got to spend some time with our other grandsons and our oldest daughter, their mom. And the biggest change of all is working to revamp the way we eat. Learning to eat not just healthier but more naturally. Valentine's Day party. Getting ready for our line dance rally in three weeks. Learning new dances, teaching old ones. I have pictures to come and updates to follow, but for now, I must sleep because we teach early in the morning. Well, early for us. Have a wonderful Thursday! I look forward to catching up with my blogs I haven't had time to sit and read for days!
Blessings,
Colleen
Blessings,
Colleen
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Tea Time Wishes
I have been thoroughly enjoying looking through blogs and pictures, and taking in all the beautiful eye candy. I love the elegance of tea. Of teapots and china, roses and finger sandwiches, linens and lace. I tend to be a rather high strung person so I can always use a little of the elegance and calm that comes with tea.
I thought I'd devote a little time today to some of the tea things on my wishlist. Like this beautiful Royal Albert Old Country Roses Teapot:
And this lovely Royal Albert Old Country Roses Coffee Service Set
These beautiful Royal Albert Tea Cups
And one of my favorite tea time items, this gorgeous Royal Albert Tidbit Tray
I have loved this pattern for years so imagine my delight when I showed up to a dear friend's home for the first tea time together and found the table set with my beloved Royal Albert Old Country Rose. She has two complete sets as she raised a large family. It was such a lovely surprise and now each time we have tea together that is the cup I choose and I enjoy getting the chance to sip my tea from it while we have a lovely visit.
The other couple of items on my wish list are this cute little Johnson Brothers Summer Chintz Teapot and Sugar & Creamer Set to go with my tea cups and tidbit tray
So, these are the things on my wish list. But we all know that the most important things aren't really things. The most important things I enjoy during my tea time is the opportunity to sit and visit with loved ones. A time to savor tea, goodies, and conversation. A time to build memories, strengthen bonds. I am thankful for all the beautiful tea things I have, but the thing I am most thankful for are the people who gather around and take the time to enjoy them with me.
One of my fondest memories of tea time with my youngest daughter was when we hosted a table at our church women's tea. We used some of my grandmother's tea things, some of my mother-in-law's china, and some of our china. It was a delightful time with treasured tea settings from three generations of our family. And for me, that is what tea time is really about. It's about building family.
But don't get discouraged if you have no tea items to serve, go ahead and make yourself and your loved ones a tea party anyway. Right now all our china and tea things are packed away in storage, but we still make our little tea parties. We set out our sandwiches and sit together, each with our favorite tea and enjoy each other's company. So, whether you have fancy china, or paper plates, take some time to sit down for a cup of tea and a moment or two of relaxation.
My tea time wish for you is that you have the peace, the elegance, the flavor, and the beauty, of all that is tea in your life! May your cup runneth over.
Today I am linking up with the following parties:
Tea Time Tuesday: http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea: http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday: http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Artful Affirmations: http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
A Delightsome Life: http://www.blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Table Top Tuesday: http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Tea Party Tuesday: http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/
Tea time blessings!
I thought I'd devote a little time today to some of the tea things on my wishlist. Like this beautiful Royal Albert Old Country Roses Teapot:
And this lovely Royal Albert Old Country Roses Coffee Service Set
These beautiful Royal Albert Tea Cups
And one of my favorite tea time items, this gorgeous Royal Albert Tidbit Tray
I have loved this pattern for years so imagine my delight when I showed up to a dear friend's home for the first tea time together and found the table set with my beloved Royal Albert Old Country Rose. She has two complete sets as she raised a large family. It was such a lovely surprise and now each time we have tea together that is the cup I choose and I enjoy getting the chance to sip my tea from it while we have a lovely visit.
The other couple of items on my wish list are this cute little Johnson Brothers Summer Chintz Teapot and Sugar & Creamer Set to go with my tea cups and tidbit tray
So, these are the things on my wish list. But we all know that the most important things aren't really things. The most important things I enjoy during my tea time is the opportunity to sit and visit with loved ones. A time to savor tea, goodies, and conversation. A time to build memories, strengthen bonds. I am thankful for all the beautiful tea things I have, but the thing I am most thankful for are the people who gather around and take the time to enjoy them with me.
One of my fondest memories of tea time with my youngest daughter was when we hosted a table at our church women's tea. We used some of my grandmother's tea things, some of my mother-in-law's china, and some of our china. It was a delightful time with treasured tea settings from three generations of our family. And for me, that is what tea time is really about. It's about building family.
But don't get discouraged if you have no tea items to serve, go ahead and make yourself and your loved ones a tea party anyway. Right now all our china and tea things are packed away in storage, but we still make our little tea parties. We set out our sandwiches and sit together, each with our favorite tea and enjoy each other's company. So, whether you have fancy china, or paper plates, take some time to sit down for a cup of tea and a moment or two of relaxation.
My tea time wish for you is that you have the peace, the elegance, the flavor, and the beauty, of all that is tea in your life! May your cup runneth over.
Today I am linking up with the following parties:
Tea Time Tuesday: http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea: http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday: http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Artful Affirmations: http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
A Delightsome Life: http://www.blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Table Top Tuesday: http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Tea Party Tuesday: http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/
Tea time blessings!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Organization Quest
Oy Vey! We continue on our seemingly never ending quest to organize and make this space livable and enjoyable.
Our biggest problem is that when we moved into the trailer I was completely incapacitated and had to rely on others to do all the packing and moving. What happened is that so much unnecessary stuff got put into the trailer and so much necessary stuff got put into storage. I won't complain because I was blessed to have my family and a couple of wonderful friends who were willing to work very hard to pack everything and move it. It was a true nightmare and they were such a blessing and definitely did their very best. But there was no way for any of us to know what did and didn't need to be brought along and what could be put into storage.
The other problem is that when we started on this adventure we only planned on doing this for two or three months while I recovered from our accident and we had to be close to my physical therapy. We moved into the trailer in July of 2010 and when winter hit that year we realized that all we had was summer clothes! It seems that monthly we realize how ill prepared we were for this adventure. Now, nineteen months later, and many trips to and from storage, we have just got a crazy hodge podge of stuff everywhere. Things are crazily chaotic, especially since right in the middle of trying to organize, everyone decided to get sick. sigh.
I, however, was determined that nothing would sideline my on my quest for organization! My mission took me to Wal Mart where I bought a bunch of plastic bins to organize our storage areas. We got home and began organizing and putting things into bins, only to find that I have a serious problem estimating size! The bins were way too big for the space! So, back to Wal Mart we went to buy new bins, I proudly came home with my new bins, only to find out I had bought the EXACT same size bins!! So, tonight back to Wal Mart I traveled to return all the too big bins and replace them with the bins I thought would be too small that first trip. As we approached the bins I thought I saw the perfect size, yes, you guessed it, I was looking at the SAME bins for the third time! Thankfully I had memorized the size of the wrong bins so I was saved the embarassment of buying the wrong size for the third time! I am now the proud owner of several smaller bins.
I also picked up a wooden picture frame to turn into a wall art project, only to find when I got home that the frame appears to be too big for the space I wanted to put it in. My brilliant son has decided that my inability to grasp the reality of size is to be blamed on the movies and tv shows I watched as a child. Case in point, Mary Poppins with her bag that held mesmerizing items impossible to fit into such a small satchel. I would love to blame my whole, inability to come to terms with the size of our space, on the trailer, but truth be told, I have suffered this problem for years. Many times as we were shopping my kids would kindly remind me, "Mom, you remember we have a small car right?" What would prompt such a statement you ask? Well, confession time, more than once I have had to call a friend with a truck to please come to my rescue after purchasing something that couldn't possibly fit into our compact car! Like the time I bought a huge above ground pool, only to get out to the car and remember we had said small compact car. Thankfully a friend was able to come to our rescue.
Here are our two youngest with two of their friends enjoying the pool, so it all turned out well. But when we were standing in the parking lot of Sam's Club trying to figure out how to get it home the whole family surely thought I'd lost my marbles.
There were the bikes I bought, the combination, pool/air hockey/ ping pong table, the mounds of groceries my kids have had to ride home with piled on their laps. And the infamous trip to the garden center where our two youngest kids and our oldest grandson rode home looking like they'd been lost in a jungle. I will try to find the picture of that trip to post. If you can just imagine three little kids with assorted plants piled on top of them. You could hardly even see them back there.
Here are the pictures of the kids buried under my new garden treasures. In full disclosure I should point out that the trunk was also full and we came home with stuff on the roof as well.
And we'll never forget the time I got a free artificial ficus tree that I had been longing for, and the kids and I had to wait at the shopping center while my husband drove the ficus tree home because we couldn't fit the tree in the car with all of us in it.
And then there is my problem with the refrigerator. Yes, I have the same problem with facing the reality of the size of our fridge and freezer. My kids joke every time we come home from the store about whose turn it is to play Tetris. (The video game where you try to fit falling blocks with assorted shapes into one another so there are no gaps) While we are at the store they remind me often of the fact that we have a very small space to put all the food I am busily gathering into our cart, and I, without fail, kindly respond that yes I remember thank you very much. And then we get home and I am once again faced with the reality that I am impaired in this area! Before you suggest that I try measuring, let me assure you that I do measure. And I have all my measurements neatly logged into my little notebook that I seem to forget every time I head to the store. Perhaps I will have to put the measurements online somewhere so when I get to the store and realize once again that I have forgotten my notebook, I can just look them up. In the meantime, my quest continues.
Hopefully I will soon have pictures of our beautifully organized space to post. But for now, all I have is a huge daunting task ahead of me. Wish me luck!
Be Blessed!
Our biggest problem is that when we moved into the trailer I was completely incapacitated and had to rely on others to do all the packing and moving. What happened is that so much unnecessary stuff got put into the trailer and so much necessary stuff got put into storage. I won't complain because I was blessed to have my family and a couple of wonderful friends who were willing to work very hard to pack everything and move it. It was a true nightmare and they were such a blessing and definitely did their very best. But there was no way for any of us to know what did and didn't need to be brought along and what could be put into storage.
The other problem is that when we started on this adventure we only planned on doing this for two or three months while I recovered from our accident and we had to be close to my physical therapy. We moved into the trailer in July of 2010 and when winter hit that year we realized that all we had was summer clothes! It seems that monthly we realize how ill prepared we were for this adventure. Now, nineteen months later, and many trips to and from storage, we have just got a crazy hodge podge of stuff everywhere. Things are crazily chaotic, especially since right in the middle of trying to organize, everyone decided to get sick. sigh.
I, however, was determined that nothing would sideline my on my quest for organization! My mission took me to Wal Mart where I bought a bunch of plastic bins to organize our storage areas. We got home and began organizing and putting things into bins, only to find that I have a serious problem estimating size! The bins were way too big for the space! So, back to Wal Mart we went to buy new bins, I proudly came home with my new bins, only to find out I had bought the EXACT same size bins!! So, tonight back to Wal Mart I traveled to return all the too big bins and replace them with the bins I thought would be too small that first trip. As we approached the bins I thought I saw the perfect size, yes, you guessed it, I was looking at the SAME bins for the third time! Thankfully I had memorized the size of the wrong bins so I was saved the embarassment of buying the wrong size for the third time! I am now the proud owner of several smaller bins.
I also picked up a wooden picture frame to turn into a wall art project, only to find when I got home that the frame appears to be too big for the space I wanted to put it in. My brilliant son has decided that my inability to grasp the reality of size is to be blamed on the movies and tv shows I watched as a child. Case in point, Mary Poppins with her bag that held mesmerizing items impossible to fit into such a small satchel. I would love to blame my whole, inability to come to terms with the size of our space, on the trailer, but truth be told, I have suffered this problem for years. Many times as we were shopping my kids would kindly remind me, "Mom, you remember we have a small car right?" What would prompt such a statement you ask? Well, confession time, more than once I have had to call a friend with a truck to please come to my rescue after purchasing something that couldn't possibly fit into our compact car! Like the time I bought a huge above ground pool, only to get out to the car and remember we had said small compact car. Thankfully a friend was able to come to our rescue.
Here are our two youngest with two of their friends enjoying the pool, so it all turned out well. But when we were standing in the parking lot of Sam's Club trying to figure out how to get it home the whole family surely thought I'd lost my marbles.
There were the bikes I bought, the combination, pool/air hockey/ ping pong table, the mounds of groceries my kids have had to ride home with piled on their laps. And the infamous trip to the garden center where our two youngest kids and our oldest grandson rode home looking like they'd been lost in a jungle. I will try to find the picture of that trip to post. If you can just imagine three little kids with assorted plants piled on top of them. You could hardly even see them back there.
Here are the pictures of the kids buried under my new garden treasures. In full disclosure I should point out that the trunk was also full and we came home with stuff on the roof as well.
And we'll never forget the time I got a free artificial ficus tree that I had been longing for, and the kids and I had to wait at the shopping center while my husband drove the ficus tree home because we couldn't fit the tree in the car with all of us in it.
And then there is my problem with the refrigerator. Yes, I have the same problem with facing the reality of the size of our fridge and freezer. My kids joke every time we come home from the store about whose turn it is to play Tetris. (The video game where you try to fit falling blocks with assorted shapes into one another so there are no gaps) While we are at the store they remind me often of the fact that we have a very small space to put all the food I am busily gathering into our cart, and I, without fail, kindly respond that yes I remember thank you very much. And then we get home and I am once again faced with the reality that I am impaired in this area! Before you suggest that I try measuring, let me assure you that I do measure. And I have all my measurements neatly logged into my little notebook that I seem to forget every time I head to the store. Perhaps I will have to put the measurements online somewhere so when I get to the store and realize once again that I have forgotten my notebook, I can just look them up. In the meantime, my quest continues.
Hopefully I will soon have pictures of our beautifully organized space to post. But for now, all I have is a huge daunting task ahead of me. Wish me luck!
Be Blessed!
Friday, February 3, 2012
My Fun Finds & French Onion Soup Recipe
Last week I wrote about a few of the new decorating deals I found. As a single income family luxury is not a word normally in our vocabulary. But I have found that when I have a desire that goes along with our vision for our home and family, and I leave it to Him, God often provides just what I want. So, with that in mind, here are my new home decor finds, just in time for Valentine's Day!
I have been wanting one of these heart mugs for quite awhile, but at a normal price of about 10.00 each, I have not had one. Until now. Recently on a trip to one of our favorite thrift stores I found my longed for red, heart shaped mug for a delicious price of .58! Yes, you read that correctly. .58. Of course I couldn't pass it up, and I have been enjoying my tea in it daily. I don't know about you, but when I get a new tea cup or mug I love to drink from it. Soon enough I will go back to rotating between my others. Depending on mood of course!
Here is the beautiful little ramekin I found, although it's not so little, it is a nice hearty size for a bowl of soup. These usually retail for 4.00 so I was very happy to find it, brand new, still in the box with the label on, for only 2.00, with it's plastic lid! My husband will certainly enjoy his french onion soup in this cute little rami.
Here is the stoneware pie plate! I love it so much!! It also was brand new with the label still firmly attached. Normal retail for this little find, 9.99. My price: 3.00! They had two and I wish I had bought the other one, but with both space and budget stretched tight I guess I did the right thing. I just can't help but think of baking two different pies in their matching red pans though!
So, obviously the steal of this story is my heart mug! But I do love all three beautiful red new additions to our home. Perhaps next time I will share the pictures along with something in the pans.
Here is the recipe I use for my husband's fave French Onion Soup which I have adapted from many different recipes I've found.. It is super easy. The longest part is carmelizing the onions.
FRENCH ONION SOUP
Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Butter
2 lb Yellow Onions, sliced approx 1/2" wide (I normally use about 4 onions)
2 Quarts Beef Stock
1/8 tsp Thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
8 Ounces Gruyere Cheese (or your favorite cheese)
4 Slices of a Nice Yummy Bread
Directions:
Melt butter in either a heavy bottom pot, or a nice deep cast iron pan, over medium-low heat, add sliced onions and sprinkle a couple of pinches of salt to help them sweat out the moisture. Cook the onions over medium-low heat stirring very often until they brown. We like them carmelized. When the onions are nice and caramely, add the beef stock, the sprig of thyme, a little salt and pepper, turn down heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
While the soup is simmering toast your slices of bread. (I like to butter them, sprinkle a little parmesan on them and put them under the broiler for a few seconds, but it's just as yummy with plain toasted bread)
Pour the soup into indivdual crocks, put toasted bread on top of soup and sprinkle cheese on top. Place crocks on a cookie sheet to catch any spillover and put them under the broiler until the cheese melts.
(note: you can leave out the salt if you need to, the soup is plenty yummy without it and I often don't use it, but most all recipes call for it.)
I hope you enjoy this as much as my hubby does.
Be blessed!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Family Movie Night
My daughter and I were recently talking about family movie night and today the phrase movie night keeps popping up in my life, so I thought I'd write a little post about it. We didn't have a home theater, or even a big screen tv, but we enjoyed some great and memorable family movie nights. When our older kids were younger we could take them to the drive-in for a special treat, but by the time our younger ones came along drive-ins were pretty much a thing of the past. The price of movies was so prohibitive that we started doing family movie nights.
We would gather together our popcorn, our favorite candies and drinks and bring our pillows and blankets into the family room and pop in a movie, or two, and enjoy. Then we'd all fall asleep and spend the night in the family room. Great memories! If you've never done a family movie night I highly recommend it!
Blessings!
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