Monday, March 18, 2024

Happy Homemaker Monday - 03/18/2024

Happy Homemaker Monday

 
Good morning ladies, welcome back to my little cold corner of the internet.  Yes it is cold, currently 35 degrees, so quite nippy out there.  Nevertheless, welcome, make yourselves at home, I'll pour you a cup of coffee or tea.
 
It is hard for me to believe that we are already pretty much halfway through the month of March, my word.  In a few weeks my kids will have their birthdays, Jasmine is turning 25 and Nicholas 21.  Just wow!!!
 
Anyway, it's time to see what is happening around our homes, so step on in out of the cold, and let's chat a little.  

Have a blessed week friends ♥ 
 
 
 
 *** The Weather *** 
Just like last weekend, we went from 90 degree weather, to 30s again.  This weekly weekend Winter nonsense, needs to stop already.  I want to get my garden going.  I know I'm impatient but I honestly can't wait to get a good harvest this year. 
 
Monday - Sunshine, 60
Tuesday - Sunny, 73
Wednesday - Partly cloudy, 73
Thursday - Thunderstorms, 68
Friday- Sunny, 73
Saturday - Partly cloudy, 76
Sunday - Cloudy, 75
 
 
*** Right now I am *** 
In bed, under the warm covers, with my heater turned on in the corner of the bedroom.  I am working on this post, while the furry babies sleep next to me, under their blankets.  Anyone else's pets always have to sleep under blankets?   
 
 
*** Thinking and pondering *** 
I need to start my Spring cleaning, so really must sit down and make a list.       
 
 
*** How I am feeling ***
Hungry.  I am just being honest.  Aside from that I'm doing well, but my hands are quite sore today.  I did a lot of yard ward and mowing yesterday, to help my husband.  He did practically the whole 3 acres, aside from our enclosed back yard, which I did.  However, with the Osteoarthritis, it was a bit much and today I'm paying for it, but it was worth it.   
 
 
*** On the breakfast plate *** 
I already had my coffee, as always.  For breakfast I am going to have 90 second Keto Bread, toasted with some smart balance butter.          
 
 
*** On the lunch plate *** 
Made a lentil salad yesterday which will be mainly my lunches, for the week.  All I do is add some protein each day, will add tuna today, tomorrow sardines, then eggs etc.    
 
 
*** On the dinner plate ***
Fish Fillets, Garlic Parsley Potatoes and Garlic Spinach.  I'll have maybe 2 little potatoes, and mostly spinach and some lentil salad. 
 
 
*** On the menu *** 
 
Monday
Fish Fillets, Garlic Parsley Potatoes and Garlic Spinach
Tuesday 
Low Carb Orange Chicken, Cauliflower Rice, Steamed Broccoli   
Wednesday 
Greek Baked Meatballs, Whole Wheat Macaroni, Salad
Thursday 
Pork roast with Brown Rice, Tomato and Cucumber salad
Friday
Chicken Kebabs, Brussel Sprouts
Saturday
Feijoada (Portuguese Bean Stew), Basmati rice (cauliflower rice for me)
Sunday
Gnocchi Bolognese, Garlic Bread, Salad


*** What I am wearing *** 
Winter pajamas for now, not sure what I'll put on but maybe some sweat pants and a tank top. 

 
*** On my reading pile *** 
Book of Romans in the Bible 
Finishing Trials of the Earth by Mary Mann Hamilton
The Wind in the Willows is next


*** On my TV this week ***
Youtube - Brazilian and Portuguese Homemaking Vlogs, Slow Living and Quiet Vlogs 
Turkish shows - Hudutsuz Sevda, Ruzgarli Tepe, Bir Sevdadir, Gelin, Uc Kiz Kardes 
Sic Portugal TV - Senhora do Mar

Reshma asked me for some of the Portuguese Homemaking and Slow Living Vlogs.  This is a current favorite of mine, Sabor de Casa Feliz.  They are a Brazilian family, and I just absolutely love watching her quiet slow loving videos. 

 
 
*** Looking around the house *** 
I need to give my carpets a good clean again.  We've had quite a bit of rain, and if you have doggies that go in and out, you will understand my dilemma. 
 
 
*** To do list *** 
Usual homemaking
Bible and Devotional time
Reading time
Crochet time
Spring Recommendations Blog Post
 
 
*** From the camera *** 
Don't you just love dried flowers?  I don't know why I don't do this more often, but I plan to gather as many as I can this Spring and Summer, and create a collection of dried flowers.  ♥


 
*** What I am crocheting ***
I promised you I would show you my current crochet progress.  As you can see, first 3 parts are done, and I've started the 4th.  I am just a few rows from finishing Part 4 as well.   
 
 
*** Devotional, Prayers, Bible Verses *** 
Facing disappointment and failure?  Don't be surprised - you're still flawed and your would is still fallen.  For this, there's grace. 
- Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon -  


Saturday, March 16, 2024

My week in review

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It's been a bit of a.....I don't even know how to put it week?  I've felt a bit unmotivated and frustrated with my new diet.  Let me say, that is completely normal, when you're used to eating a certain way, with no restraints, for almost 50 years, and then have to change dramatically, it takes a bit of getting used to.
 
For the most part I've been fine, but I won't lie and say that every day is great.  There are days that my rebellious body starts craving things I know I can't have, and then I feel miserable, and then  I'm frustrated, and then I'm hungry and frustrated and angry and miserable.  You get the picture.
 
I merely want to be completely honest here on the blog.  If you're on the same health journey that I am, you will no doubt understand the ups and downs.
 
It's often hard to get out of that slump, but I've pushed myself to do it, and I find that when I need to break out of a slump, I gravitate towards something that I really enjoy doing.  It lifts my mood and helps me feel better.
 
For me, it's been reading.  I have this crazy love and hate relationship with reading, not books in themselves, I adore books and am always buying booking even if they sit on my shelves for months waiting to be picked up again.  But the reading, I go through phases where I devour books and phases where I don't touch a single page.  Crazy!!!
 

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If you're stuck in a reading slump, the best advice I can give you from my own experience, is to get yourself some favorites, and create a little reading pile of maybe 4 or 5 books that you've been wanting to ready for a long time, then go from there.  

I am currently reading, and almost finished, with Trials of the Earth.  It reminds me a bit of my all time favorite book These is my Words by Nancy E. Turner, so I'm enjoying it.

Next on the list will probably be Anne of Green Gables, to welcome in Spring.
 
 
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So this week I finished organizing and cleaning up the bookshelves, and have made a little pile to post on Paperbackswap (if you don't know what it is, and you love books, you need to check it out). I also grabbed one of my baskets to pop in a few books that will potentially be in my Spring reading list. We will see! 
 
 
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Crocheting has also kept me sane this week.  I don't think I've enjoyed crocheting a blanket as much as I'm enjoying this one.  Don't get me wrong, I love all my crochet blankets, and some were quite fun to make, but they did require a lot of stitch counting and pulling apart and redoing and sometimes, I felt like the project was never ending.

This one works up so quick and every section is a new design I have never done, plus I'm learning and getting better at reading and following a crochet chart.  It's just been a lovely experience all around.


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I've also been preparing for Spring in the garden, and inside.  My house plants are loving my bedroom windows, and so it's become an area for them to converge, and also a little nursery.  I recently purchased a Basil plant from the store, and I will tell you immediately that I have zero luck with keeping Basil alive in my house.  It just doesn't want to live, no matter what.

That is until I decided to put it on my bedroom windowsill, and wouldn't you know it, it is loving this spot.  It's ready to be planted in a bigger pot, and moved out to the patio with the rosemary and mint, which also were brought to my bedroom first to grow and thrive, before being moved to a bigger planter.

Guess that will be what I do from now on.  Whatever, if it works, it works right?
 

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I've also gone through my current works in progress, to know exactly what I am working on.  The bag above was part of my Advent Calendar, and it contains all the projects that came with it.  I did post a bit on it back in December, so be sure to go back and see that if you're wondering what I got each day.

The bag itself makes me smile so big, it's beautiful, and I love the whole Woodland animal vibe.

Of course mixed in between all those fun things, is the continuous homemaking that a woman has to contend with, on a daily basis. 

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A lot of washing, folding and ironing.  Good thing I love ironing and find it calming and relaxing, or I would have been in a bit of a pickle, and no doubt adding to my unmotivated, frustrating mood of a week.

I just pop in a movie and go for it. 

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Last week's movies were Damsel from Netflix, which was just a sweet movie with dragons and princesses and such.  The kind of fantasy movie I always enjoy.

I also started watching (haven't yet finished) Roald and Beatrix: The Tale of the curious mouse.  Beatrix Potter and anything related just screams Spring to me, so that was a must.  

I am compiling a blog post with the Spring books I will be reading, and also suggestions for movies and tv shows to help welcome in the Spring season.  

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For now though, I am going to sign off, watch a homemaking vlog or two and then get started with yard work, because we are expecting quite heavy rain for the rest of the day.  It's best to get this all mowed and taken care of before the rain comes down, and grows it all back up another inch or two.

I hope you all have a blessed Saturday, and I'll see you back tomorrow with that Spring post.
 

Monday, March 11, 2024

Happy Homemaker Monday - 03/11/2024

 

 
Good morning ladies, and a very Happy Monday to you all.
 
I feel a little out of it this morning, this time change always messes me up.  I was up at what I thought was 4:45 am yesterday morning, knowing that our Rooster would soon start crowing and it would be time to open the coop up.  What I didn't realize is that the time had changed and it was only 3:45 am.  Yes, I was up in the middle of the night, for no reason at all.  Hahahah  
 
Sure wish this time change nonsense would end.  
 
Anyway, let's see what is happening around our homes this week, shall we?  
 
Have a blessed week friends ♥ 
 
 
 
 *** The Weather *** 
Remember when I said I thought Winter was definitely gone?  Well, it decided to laugh in my face and show back up this weekend.  We hit 30 degrees and it was bitter cold, had to turn the heater back on for the chickens in the coop and provide blankets etc.  Glad I didn't put any seeds in the ground yet.
 
Monday - Cloudy skies, 72
Tuesday - Sunny, 79
Wednesday - Sunny, 85
Thursday - Thunderstorms, 76
Friday- PM showers, 60
Saturday - Mostly cloudy, 66
Sunday - Partly cloudy, 65
 
 
*** Right now I am *** 
In my bed, of course, with the laptop on my lap working on this post.  Kaia and Elliott are asleep next to me, and hubby is getting ready for work in the office. 
 
 
*** Thinking and pondering *** 
About Easter coming up, I need to talk with my sister in law about our meal plan, and also need to figure out what I'll be eating for Easter.  I can have some ham but none of the carbs like the potatoes (which I love).     
 
 
*** How I am feeling ***
I'm doing well, I am now down 18 pounds.  I've also realized that my body does not do well with carbs at all.  I had lasagna roll ups for dinner last week, and even though I just had 2, it immediately affected me.  I couldn't sleep well that night, I was sluggish, I had no energy.  
 
So safe to say, my body is now adapted to veggies and very minimal carbs and it needs to stay that way. 
 
 
*** On the breakfast plate *** 
I've had my cup of coffee, and will have some oatmeal for breakfast later.        
 
 
*** On the lunch plate *** 
Tuna and chickpea salad.  
 
 
*** On the dinner plate ***
Bacon Spaghetti (brown spaghetti), Cucumber and Tomato Salad, Garlic Bread (mine will be Keto bread) 
 
 
*** On the menu *** 
Starting the new meal plan on Thursday, so will work on the new menu the next few days
 
Monday
Bacon Spaghetti (brown spaghetti), Cucumber and Tomato Salad, Garlic Bread  
Tuesday 
Swedish Turkey Meatballs, Brown Rice, Salad (Cauliflower rice for me)  
Wednesday 
Greek Quesadillas, Lentil Salad 
Thursday 

Friday

Saturday

Sunday


*** What I am wearing *** 
Last week this time I was wearing my summer nightgown, today I'm wearing my winter pajamas.        
 
 
*** On my reading pile *** 
Book of Romans in the Bible 
Trials of the Earth by Mary Mann Hamilton




*** On my TV this week ***
Youtube - Brazilian and Portuguese Homemaking Vlogs, Slow Living and Quiet Vlogs 
Turkish shows - Hudutsuz Sevda, Ruzgarli Tepe, Bir Sevdadir, Gelin, Uc Kiz Kardes 
Sic Portugal TV - Senhora do Mar

 
*** Looking around the house *** 
I've been changing things slightly here and there.  It's amazing how a new shelf, or a picture just instantly brightens up a room.  
 
In the dining room, I have all my cookbooks in a corner, piled up, because I removed them from the bookshelf in the living room and am planning to display them above the kitchen cabinets.
 
 
*** To do list *** 
Usual homemaking
Meal plan
Bible and Devotional time
Reading time
Crochet time
 
 
*** From the camera *** 
I love this photo, I feel it perfectly encapsulates my life and slow living. 
 
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*** What I am crocheting ***
I started Part 3 of the Nordic Blanket.  Will come back and show the progress this morning, just need to wait until the sunrises to get a good picture for you all. 
 
 
*** Devotional, Prayers, Bible Verses *** 
Of course you haven't been fulfilled in this world.  It's a sign that you have been designed for a world to come. 
- Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon -  


Saturday, March 09, 2024

{ Mindful Housework }

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 Song from a Secret Garden 

 
The warm temperatures have dropped dramatically.  What looked like warm Spring coming in to say hi the past two weeks, has snuck back into 30 degree weather, windy and rain.

As I sit here on the couch, wrapped in my robe, the wind is howling outside, the skies are a dark gray and the tiniest of rain drops pitter patter on the driveway.  It seems like old man winter is holding on for dear life, grasping at every bit of cold, not wanting to let go.  Such is this battle every year, Spring and Winter competing to the bitter end.

I won't say I enjoy the drastic change in temperatures again, but I do love a good thunderstorm, the kind that brings a darkness to the home that only soft lit candles can thrive in.
 

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I have gone about my day with a purpose, being mindful of every chore I encountered.  It isn't just about cleaning, or doing laundry, but the heart with which you do it, and intent, and the time to be mindful of what you are achieving in that moment.
 
Housework is just housework, unless you approach it with the mindset that it's your way of contributing to your family.  A way of providing a safe place, a warm bed for weary bodies and tummy filling good food to nourish your soul.
 
I once was told that this simple kind of life is a great idea, but not attainable especially for those who work outside the home.  I understand that, after all, being a homemaker as I am, my life is within these four walls, and so it gives me more time to focus, to go slow, to sip coffee and read a book, or bake a cake, or garden or whatever it is that I want to do.
 
But just because I am home full time, it doesn't mean that those who work outside the home, can't live it as well.   
 
Slow, soft, mindful living starts within! 

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When we choose to project the quiet inside, to our outside world, it affects everything around us, and in a way brings others to this more calm, laid back, and slower pace of living.

A great way to start living it, is perhaps by surrounding yourself with those people and things, that will encourage you to stay on that path.  I will be honest and tell you that save for myself, no one else in my life lives this way, or even shows a want to do it.  So for me, I choose to find inspiration outside, and being that I'm a very visual person, that inspiration comes through videos on YouTube of like minded women.

Slow living, quiet vlogs, just lives being shared through few words and lots of beautiful scenery.  At the moment, I follow a lot of channels that share their daily slow life from Italy, France, Norway, Germany, England.  


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Many times, when I am doing the usual cleaning up around the house, I think about my great grandmother Ema.  I fondly remember her with her apron, the pocket always filled with random tidbits, things she needed like her handkerchief, and also things she picked up as she went about her day.

She did everything with love, often cooking meals for 15 people at a time since we always had a big family.

There are memories and moments that are forever etched in my mind and heart.  The smile on her face as she prepared green beans, or peeled a potato.  She would often have me help her peel and then spent the entire time saying "you're taking off more potato than skin Sandra", or "don't cut so deep, softly run your knife just under the skin".  I would often be amazed at how she would start at one point of the potato, and just like magic would end at the other, the potato peel a long swirly line just hanging off the tip of the knife.

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She never complained, never said she was sick of doing the same things every day.  She just went about her homemaking chores with a joy in her heart and a leap in her step.  She passed away a few months after I moved to the USA, at the age of 96.  To the end, she still monitored everyone and the running of the household, often giving out orders from her bed.  What an incredible woman and what an incredible love of homemaking she passed down to me.

I wish I could say that my daughter is following in my footsteps, but when it comes to homemaking, she isn't, and that's ok.  I feel that society has taught our daughters that homemaking is something to look down on, that independent women should not be in the home cooking and cleaning, that it's beneath them.  

Did I try to instill this same passion in her?  Absolutely, but in a world of social media and outside influences, I often feel as parents we are left with our hands tied in a sense.  What we teach at home, is often forgotten beyond these walls.

However, now that she is in her own apartment, she often calls me to find out how to do this, or that, or how to cook a certain dish.  Slowly, but surely, she is coming around to understanding how important it is to care for our homes.

I often get many messages on my Instagram, from friends and other women, telling me how much I inspire them or motivate them.  That for me is the best compliment I could ever receive, because I don't look at what I'm doing as influencing anyone, but rather sharing my life and how happy it makes me.  If that inspires others to live a simpler slower life, it's a wonderful thing.

Anyway, I started this post yesterday afternoon, but then got sidetracked with dinner and the night routine and ended up leaving it until this morning, to finish.  

It is currently 7:28 am, and I'm going to sit in bed a little longer, I've been up since 4:45 am, and since it's Saturday I'll take it easy, start my morning slowly and then move on to what needs to be done.

What's on the agenda for today?

  • More housecleaning
  • Trip to the store to restock on veggies for the week (I am going through a lot of vegetables lately)
  • Work on my crochet a bit more
  • Start a new book
  • Make some cute fabric chickens for Springs
  • Continue watching Shogun
  • Watch some period dramas (really wanting to watch something a la Jane Austen)

Hope you all have a fantastic Saturday friends.

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

{ Soft Living }

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For many years, I have tried to practice the art of slow living.  
 
I found that I wasn't connecting with the modern world, it was too busy, too chaotic, too full of things that I didn't want in my life or in my soul.  I used to do these blog posts talking about contentment and what it felt like to be filled with joy for your life, your surroundings, and the situations you were living in.
 
The modern days we live in feel cold, disconnected and somewhat jarring to my well being.  
 
I often pull back into my little shell, within my homey walls and focus on living here, cleaning, homemaking and living a slow life.
 
The other day I came upon the phrase, Soft Living.  It intrigued me and so I went in search of it's meaning.  It turns out that it was first used by a Nigerian influencer community, and it means:

to reject hustle culture and to live a life without struggle and stress.

Yes, my soul screamed a big resounding yes.  There is too much around us that constantly brings stress and days filled with struggles of every kinda imaginable. Some things are out of our control, but most times we can say no, we can pull back, we can remove ourselves or the situations, people, objects causing the interference.


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Books have been pulled out and enjoyed while I listen to soft music in the background.  I especially love listening to soundtracks from some of my favorite period dramas.  I find it just sets the mood to sit back, relax and allow yourself to travel within the pages of a book.
 
I've also spent a lot of time organizing and pottering around with things.  Not having to rush out the door, and really being able to devote myself to being the homemaker, that I have always dreamed of being.
 
Some grow up wanting to be doctors or lawyers, to have a successful career and a life in the city with hustle and bustle.  I have always wanted just the opposite, to be home, to have a family, to be a mom and a wife and a homemaker.  Maybe that's why I feel such a disconnect to modern times, and immediately pulled by old days and quieter simpler life.
 

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Now simpler doesn't mean easier, because if you we take a good look at life now and then, we are blessed to have so many things at our fingertips, that make living in general easier to deal with.  Oh but you just said the opposite.....well yes and no.  Life was quieter, simple, not so filled with so many distractions, but daily tasks in and of themselves were harder.

Whether working the land, or taking care of the home, the simplest of tasks took a lot of time.  We don't even have to look further than doing laundry.  Hours and hours were spent over washboards and clotheslines, while now we shove the clothes in a washer, walk away and come back an hour later to move them to another machine that dries them.  

I'm not opposed to these modern marvels, but I feel that what we gain in that area, we lose in others, mainly the connection between families and people.

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So along with my slow living, I am incorporating soft living as well.  They are very similar in their overall concepts, it is all about slowing down, making things around you softer and not so harsh.  Music, wholesome shows on TV, good books with sweet stories, homemade simple meals that fill the tummies and bring people together around the table.

Gardening, spending time outdoors with your chickens, your pets, your plants and trees.  

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Taking care of your home, not just in the chores you do daily, but in the little things that often get overlooked.   Like, updating your recipe binder, as I am doing currently with more healthy and Mediterranean food recipes.

I spent about an hour printing recipes, putting them in protective document sheets and filing them in my binder.  It's something I hadn't done in a while but it was needing an overhaul, and a bit of a clean up.  Just the time I sat doing that at my desk, with a cup of tea, brought so much peace to my heart.

In the background, Kaia and Elliott napped on the bed, softly nestled in their blankets, and a sweet relaxation video played on the TV.  Beautiful scenery with a soft piano soundtrack. 

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We don't always have to be connected to the world we live in.  We are in this world but not of this world!
 
This quote often plays through my mind when I start feeling overwhelmed.  This busy, chaotic, at times violent world we find ourselves in, is not what I want or appreciate, and I may not be able to change what is around me, but I can certainly not engage in it.  I can choose to pull away and to focus on me, my home and my family.
 
Disconnecting from the modern world and social media, there's a big one.  I do love sharing my day on Instagram stories, but I do so to hopefully inspire others with a slower, kinder, more loving and home focused living.  
 
Spending time with the Lord, working on a favorite project, filling your soul with good things and your body with healthy fuel.  That is what I've been doing and I haven't felt this peaceful, calm and content in many years.

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How do you choose to live your life?  Do you like the busy non stop way of living, or like me, do you feel more connected with a simpler more fulfilling lifestyle?

I would love to hear in the comments.  I do feel that a lot more people are drifting away from the hustle and choosing intentional, family time.  What a joy that makes me feel!

If we project more love and more peace into the world, I truly believe we would all be in a better place.  The sin that is rampant around us is a symptom of a broken society, a hardened heart that has been allowed to be influenced by the evil that is so prominent in our current days.

You don't have to live it, pull back, take charge of your life.  Grab that book you've been wanting to read for so long, sit on a comfy chair or couch and enjoy it.  I promise just that simple little act of defiance against the stress of outside influences, will do you a world of good.

Monday, March 04, 2024

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 03/04/2024 }


 
Good morning ladies, welcome back to Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  How was your weekend?
 
I had a very quiet, relaxing weekend which is always wonderful after a week of work, chores, hospital appointments and so on.  
 
I also received the X Ray results of my hands and thankfully I don't have Rheumatoid Arthritis, but Osteoarthritis in both hands, most prevalent in my right index finger and middle finger, and then my left thumb and other fingers too.  I knew it was something like that, and now we just move on and control the pain or the flare ups.  It is what it is, and I am very thankful to God for this diagnosis.  We need to remember to give thanks in everything, because what seems like a bad thing to us, could be much worse, and in fact is much worse for others.
 
Anyway, let's get on with our post.  As you can see, I updated my little graphic above for Spring.  You are more than welcome to use it, if you wish.
 
I think that's all I needed to talk about so let's jump right in...... 
 
 
 
 *** The Weather *** 
I think Winter is definitely gone.  All our trees are budding, my fruit trees are full of blossoms, my tulips and German Irises are coming up and there is just a sense of Spring in the air.  Of course that makes me super happy because I love these temperatures and am also dying to get planting, since we didn't have a garden last year.         
 
Monday - Sunshine and clouds, 83
Tuesday - Mostly sunny, 70
Wednesday - Cloudy, 71
Thursday - Thunderstorms, 75
Friday- AM showers, 73
Saturday - Partly cloudy, 79
Sunday - Sunny, 66
 
 
*** Right now I am *** 
Working on this post and watching a slow living, quiet vlog on the telly.   
 
 
*** Thinking and pondering *** 
About our garden, I need to sit and plan it all, where it goes, what is planted where and so forth.  Very much looking forward to it this year.  
 
Also have a few plans and projects for this week, need to write them down so I don't forget.   
 
 
*** How I am feeling ***
Really well.  I was a bit naughty the past 2 days and had a little bite of a chocolate, also had a little bit of potato salad and some noodles, which were not brown noodles.  But, I'm not being too hard on myself, I've been at this new healthy lifestyle since January and it's ok to have a treat now and then.  I am back on track again today, so that's good.
 
I have also gone down from 164 pounds to 148, which I am beyond thrilled about.  All I am doing is what I already told you, which was to cut out all processed, junk food, soda, alcohol, coffee creamers and added sugars.  I also do between 10 to 20 minute Walk at Home exercises with Lucy Wyndham-Read, on YouTube, she is fantastic.  Because of the arthritis, I do have some pain in my knees at times, so I'm not doing any of the high cardio intensity exercises I used to be able to do.  Walking exercises work just as well but are less brutal on your joints and body.  
 
Check out her YouTube channel, I think you'll like it.   This is my workout for today.

 
 
*** On the breakfast plate *** 
Just had a cup of coffee, and once I'm done with this post, I will make some scrambled eggs and a piece of wholewheat toast.        
 
 
*** On the lunch plate *** 
Steamed broccoli and tuna with tomato, onion, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. 
 
 
*** On the dinner plate ***
Moroccan Fish with Quinoa and Salad. 
 
 
*** On the menu *** 
 
Monday
Moroccan Fish with Quinoa and Salad 
Tuesday 
Lasagna Roll Ups, Garlic Bread  
Wednesday 
Moroccan Chicken Tagine, Brown Rice, Greek Salad 
Thursday 
Turkey Bolognese Stuffed Acorn Squash, Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Friday
Cauliflower Crust Pizzas
Saturday
Slow Cooked Sausage Casserole, Lentil Salad
Sunday
Butter chili crisp Garlic Pasta, Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower

 
*** What I am wearing *** 
Summer nightgown at the moment, it's been so hot around here lately.  I will probably wear my first dress of the season today, just feel like a dress and the temps will be perfect for it.      
 
 
*** On my reading pile *** 
Book of John in the Bible 
Below Stairs by Margaret Powell 
 

*** On my TV this week ***
Youtube - Brazilian and Portuguese Homemaking Vlogs, Slow Living and Quiet Vlogs, I've also lately discovered some Turkish and Middle Eastern homemaking vloggers and have just loved watching those. 
Turkish shows - Hudutsuz Sevda, Ruzgarli Tepe, Bir Sevdadir, Gelin, Uc Kiz Kardes 
Sic Portugal TV - Senhora do Mar

 
*** Looking around the house *** 
The sun is streaming in through the windows and patio doors, casting the sweetest of shadows on the walls.  I find the morning and evening light, so beautiful and magical.  
 
Today I plan on continuing the hallway wallpaper removal.  I know, it's slow going but something has been coming up every week to keep me from moving on with that.  Needs doing though.
 
 
*** To do list *** 
Usual homemaking and pottering around
Take photos for blog posts
Start planning garden
Bible and Devotional time
Reading time
Crochet time
I learned many years ago, to always add my downtime and leisure activities, to my daily routine.  It helps a lot to get everything done, the non fun chores and the good ones too.
 
 
*** From the camera *** 
I saw this picture the other day and just had to save it.  I love everything about it.
      

 
*** What I am crocheting ***
On the last 2 rows of Part 3, the Nordic Snowflake.   
 
 
*** Devotional, Prayers, Bible Verses *** 
The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end.
- Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon -