Simple Woman's Daybook...

Simple Woman's Daybook...

FOR TODAY (September 29, 2013)...

Outside my window... it's been a partly sunny day with temps at about 65  degrees. Fall is here and the colors are coming in brightly on the trees.

I am thinking... that I need to get some of the housework under control, or that it's time to hire a housekeeper to help me keep up.

I am thankful for... a hard working husband that works seemingly endless hours to provide for us.

From the kitchen... there is a meatloaf in fridge and I am making at least one casserole to get through the week.

 

I am wearing... a grey long sleeve t shirt and black yoga pants and silver jewelry with hot pink running shoes.

I am creating... a cleaning list to keep me on track, and hoping to cut pieces for a new quilt.

I am going... to see my friends in Shickshinny today. They have a cute little second hand shop that I always find wonderful things to cheer me up and decorate my home.

I am reading... several books on my kindle.

I am hoping... to plan a little day trip for DH and I in the coming month, provided he gets a day off.

I am hearing... the television on HGTV, a fan blowing, and my DH somewhere in the house.

Around the house... the dishwasher needs to be ran and the house needs to be dusted and vaccumed.

One of my favorite things... snuggling on the sofa with my sweet Pomeranian, Punky!

 

A few plans for the rest of the week: Get as much cleaning and order put back to the house today and tomorrow. I have a day surgery on Tuesday and will be in bed for a couple of days at the least. Having a few meals done ahead and having things in order will go a long way in helping me heal. I need to make something with pumpkin in it for my DH... he loves the flavors of fall!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Busy as I can be!

I love the end of summer and beginning of fall. Especially around these parts as there are so many wonderful farm stands in our little area. I have my choice of 4 produce stands that are direct from the farm within 5 miles of home. And there are 2 wonderful orchards within 6 miles.

I have been busy with my canner. I've done my wax beans - at total of 18 pint and a half jars. And I have done strawberry freezer jam. I have done roasted tomato marinara sauce and I have frozen it in zip locks bags, done quart jars in my pressure canner and frozen even more in freezer jars by the quart. I am also dehydrating tomatoes and have one last batch in the oven roasting as I sit and type. 

I have 2 more projects to do... making raspberry peach jam and also canning homemade pork and beans. I hear that they are much better home canned than what we can buy in the store. I am willing to give it a try as my DH loves beans. I hope that when the time comes, he will enjoy the efforts I am making! He's not home much these days as the plant he works at is very busy finishing up their Christmas candies to be shipped across the country. Long 12 hour days and with a few shifts that only have 8 hours in between are the norm for this time of year.

DH also tells me that they are short handed and a few people were suspended indefinitely last week due to an issue with getting date codes changed properly. Someone was suppose to change it... thought someone else was doing it, a supervisor didn't check soon enough, product had to be pulled from shipping to be reworked. It sounds like a big mess, and they are trying to get it all figured out and place the blame on the proper person. It's all stuff that makes me feel glad I don't work there. I know those things are important, but it also affects so many people when someone doesn't do their job correctly... from other employees and their families, all the way to the consumer if things aren't caught soon enough.

I am feeling very blessed to be able to be home and do my canning projects. I am also working on doing laundry today and trying to get some weekend housework done. It seems that I am always working on cleaning the house in the midst of what ever I am trying to do. I do know that I need to get my closet sorted out and get rid of some clothing. I have way too much, and I need to let go of some of my older pieces that I no longer wear. (I always think I will wear again soon, and then I don't.) I have a huge pile of things that either need to be thrown away or have a yard sale and then donate the rest to Goodwill or Sals. What a quandary to find myself in. It takes it's toll on me both mentally and physically... more physically than anything, my hands hurt and so does my back and my knees. Time to soldier on!

Thanks for reading... have a blessed day!
~Suzanne

Things I am looking forward to....

Fall is upon us... in just a couple of days!
I am looking forward to a few of the following things:

I am looking forward to the tv show Parenthood returning next week!

I am REALLY looking forward to Million Second Quiz ending. I am sick of that thing!

I am looking forward to my DH's next day off... thinking it will likely be Oct. 5th.

I am looking forward to have a few more things crossed off the "Master Honey-Do list" that is attached to the side of our fridge. This is a long list with lots of projects, both big and small. I would so love to see a bunch of the small stuff crossed!

I am looking forward to finally getting enough money saved up to get my DH's truck back on the road.

I am looking forward to doing one or two more canning projects and then putting all the canning gear away for awhile.

I am looking forward to doing some fall baking... pumpkin bars for one... and some pumpkin scones.

I am looking forward to sitting down at my sewing machine and starting a new quilt project.

I am looking forward to starting a few more chapters to the book that is in process.

Oh... and I am really looking forward to the schedule changing for DH... we are not liking the 11-11 schedule at all!

That's a pretty good list. All realistic and attainable, don't you think?
Thanks for reading! Please have a blessed day.

~Suzanne

Struggles

I don't really have much to say of late... other than I am having struggles on so many fronts. My health seems to waiver back and forth... good days and bad days seem to fight for balance. I went through a tough arthritic flare a few weeks ago that had me in bed and knocked out for days.

I also struggle with keeping up with house work and chores and keeping my husband ready for his grueling work schedule. He has been working 12 hours days... 21 days in a row. When he finally was able to use some vacation time, it was all spent on getting things ready for winter as he is not certain when his next time off will be. When I have a good day, I grocery shop. The rest of the time, I pack lunches and do laundry.

I have done some canning in the last few weeks. I just couldn't help myself from taking advantage of all the good produce that is grown locally. I just had to put some things up for the winter. That too, has taken it's toll on me. I get exhausted after a day of working... and need to sleep and nap for the next 2 days after that.

I also struggle with things from my past, things that are triggered by news reports. I have done a book outline, preface and have started to write in order to cope with all that troubles me. Someday, I will finish and be able to share it. But for now, it will be a memoir for my family.

I wish this post was more positive... but I do know that I can say that I have a wonderful husband who loves me deeply and takes such good care of me. I have my sweet Pumpkin-dog who adores me, and my silly Cooper-dog who entertains me as much as he drives me crazy. That is quite a lot in scheme of things these days. Yes, I am very blessed.

Thanks for reading!
~Suzanne