A Dozen Country Thoughts

These are simple things I learned growing up on the farm:

1. I learned to shake the milk. The cream rises to the top of raw milk and can be skimmed to use for other purposes. If you're going to drink it... ya gotta shake it! (or stir it) To this day, I still shake the milk, even though I'm not drinking raw milk anymore.



2. Shaking the cream makes butter! Yummy, pure, unsalted, butter!



3. I learned to french braid by practicing on my horse.



4. I learned to give a cow a shot of penecillin. The needle was so big I could see down the barrel of it. I had to stick her three times before I got it in. Man their hide is tough. They said that cow had been 'down' for several days, but having been stuck with a gigantic needle three time, she was up and moving in no time!



5. I learned about butchering chickens. Mom did it several times. I'm not sure if it was a novelty type thing, or if we were poor and needed food. I remember the hatchet, the flopping, and the plucking. Not a pretty sight, but was purposeful. I also remember that Grandma was quite learned in this area. Once I shoed a rooster away from flogging my little nephew. She caught wind of that and the next day there was chicken soup at her house!



6. I learned to develop a taste for REAL vegetables. There is nothing like a fresh tomato or green beans right from the garden! When the tomatoes are ripe, one could take a salt shaker to the garden, pluck a nice big plump and juicy one and eat it warm... Mmmmm... And when we snap the beans I tend to eat a few too many! Got to love that home-grown taste!



7. I learned to ride a horse and have been riding all my life. Still love it!



8. I learned to milk cows. Yes I can milk by hand or with the machine and still do from time to time. I was even the Dairy Princess for a year in my youthful days.



9. I learned to cherish the cycle of life... from the miracle of birth as animals are born into this world to the cycle of letting them go when their purpose has been served. My pony was born right into my arms and took her first breath there. I helped deliver numerous calves. For a time I was the calf-walker-feeder-lady. When it was time for them to go, big or small... it was sad.



10. I learned how to make "Ferd-bergers." You call the steer 'Ferdinand' and when the meat hits the freezer you can make Ferd-bergers. HA! I also recall a story about "Lucy" but you'll have to ask Mom about that one.
    


11. I learned to drive a tractor. Dad made me disc the garden continuously until I was ready to get my permit. I have a tractor I inherited from Mom. It was her Dads. It's a Farmall A. My friend fixed it up and is using it, but one day it shall fall back into my hands. Every time I drive it I think... Grandpa would be so proud!



12. I learned to chew timothy hay and eat purple clovers! Thanks to my Grampy.

Tuesdays With Jen -- My Memoirs

How I Met My Hubby - Part III

Need to catch up?


Part I and Part II




So as it goes, we were up bright and early that Saturday morning. K was prepping his Army-duds for the wedding. His cousin was getting married and K was in the wedding! No tux, just Army-official-dress. I had a half of a cheese sandwich for breakfast. Take note - that comes up later. (pun intended) After breakfast I decided that I didn't feel well. I had HORRIBLE back pain. I went and rested a while. Called my insurance company and told them I was not near home, could not see my PCP, and would be going to the local Emergency Room. YES - it was that bad!

DISCLAIMER... those with weak stomachs... SKIP THIS SECTION!!!! K took me to the emergency room at St. Lukes. I was less than impressed with the registration clerk. I told her I thought I had kidney problems and she went on and on about how her daughter had a kidney infection last week and yadda yadda yadda. Seriously, I was in so much dyer pain that I didn't actually hear much of what she was saying. She was asking questions and I was relying on K to answer most of them. Did I tell you yet that I was in P-A-I-N? BAD!!!! A couple times I asked how long it would be. Wait wait wait. Typical ER. I could not get comfortable, not sitting, not standing, not laying on the floor. I went to the rest room and vomited. They gave me a little dish and made me wait some more! Oh good gracious!!! I was SO SICK!!! What seemed like hours later they took me to a room. The docs figured I had a kidney stone. I vomited some more. I think the cheese sandwich came back up in a lump. TOTALLY GROSS!!!! They stuck me with needles, ordered an x-ray, and gave me some pain meds. Meanwhile, times a tickin... He needs to get to the wedding already!!! I heard him on the phone with his mom "I can't just leave her here!" When he came back to the room I told him that he should go. I would be fine and he could pick me up later. Reluctantly he kissed me! On the lips!!! Yes, he kissed me right after I vomited some disgusting cheese lump! ACK!!!! That's when I decided he was worth hanging on to.


Hours later the doctors released me with pain meds and instruction. K's dad came for me and took me to the pharmacy to get my prescription. I changed into my dress clothes and he took me to the wedding reception. I knew absolutely nobody. Now remember... K's dating history was that of many cancelled dates. When K had told his family what happened they figured it was just a story to cover up the most recent cancelled date. When I found him in the reception hall he was elated and hugged me. He introduced me to his family and his sister proclaimed "Your for real! And she's pretty too!" HA!!! We had a grand evening of dancing!


Throughout the days that I was visiting, we saw some local sites. He took me to the city, which was well out of my element. We walked along the banks of the river on the Serpentine Wall. There he stopped me, brushed my hair away from my face, looked me in the eye, and told me I was beautiful. Then he kissed me. That was a serene moment.


One day after lunch he asked if I wanted to go to Eden Park. Now I thought he was asking if I wanted to go to Eat n' Park, which is a restaurant in Western PA. I couldn't figure out why he wanted to go there right after lunch, but none-the-less I agreed. When I saw the road sign pointing towards Eden Park I said "Ohhhhhhh...." and proceeded to explain what I had thought. We both had a good laugh. We spent hours walking through the park. It was lovely.




The end of my trip grew near and we said our goodbyes. And that's the last that I saw my soldier-boy for about a month. The trip home was horrendous at best. There was a massive flood in the Columbus area and after sitting in traffic for THREE hours I was forced to re-route. Motels were completely booked. I had no choice but to get out my map and pick my way through an alternative route. Every few miles I would be stopped by police or firemen telling me that I had to turn around or head further north. Somehow I found my way home by way of Steubenville, OH. I arrived safe and sound NINE hours later. This was supposed to be a 5 hour trip! Ugh.


Tune in next week to hear about our next encounter.

OCD

My boss says I've got OCD

• I have to make the bed before getting into it. I can't stand getting into an un-made bed. If I'm the last one up, I make it right away. If I'm the first one up... I'm usually the one making it at bedtime.
• I eat my jelly beans one color at a time. I just realized that.
• I do the same thing with M&Ms!
• I wash the dishes in groups... all the plates together, all the cups together, all the silverware together.
• I eat one entree at a time... all my veggies, then all my starches, then all my meat... and then drink most of my drink. Not always in the same order, but each part one at a time.
• I wash my clothes by color... doesn't everyone? All whites, All Reds, All darks??? See, that's not weird!

I think I'm just orderly or organized, but he's got a point... I am a little compulsive at times.

Sting My Heart » Blog Archive » It is My Bloggy Birthday!

Sting My Heart » Blog Archive » It is My Bloggy Birthday!

Someone else is having a birthday! More prizes!

Menu Plan Monday

Meals this week include the following, in no particular order:

1. Beef Roast, mashed potatoes, and veggie


2. Beef Vegetable soup with barley


3. Country-fried chicken with biscuits and veggie


4. Breakfast Night


5. Roast Pork with potato and veggie

I'm An Organizing Junkie hosts Menu Plan Monday... I'm only like the 200th and some person signing on. This is a great way to get meal ideas!

Blessings Monday

I have been blessed with the presence of horses in my life. That might seem like a silly thing, but they are true blessings... creations of God... and have been a great source of companionship and learning opportunities over the years.

Sugarfoot was the pony we had when I was a child. She was a grey Welsh pony. I have but ONE photo of her somewhere. There was a time that I rode her almost daily. One time we were riding in a forbidden place... the CORNFIELD. Wendy was on the pony and riding the length of the rows that towered well over our heads. I reached through the row and gave the pony a good smack on the rump and she took off like a rocket! ACROSS the rows of corn and galloped through the neighbor's yard (another forbidden place) with Wendy screaming for her life. I laughed really hard! WOW, whatta ride! Sorry, cant' find the photo. It's here somewhere.

Storm was a gift from Dr. McKelvy. She invited me to her place to ride for a summer day and I glady soaked up every minute of it. There was a huge pasture field behind the barn where I would ride down down down to the bottom and gallop him through the valley and up the hill towards the barn. A few bags of carrots later he was mine for the rest of his life. Preparations were made. Dad put in an electric fence and he and Paul built an A-frame shelter. I was in business!

As Storm aged, I was afforded the opportunity to acquire Magnium. He was probably the most impressionable of them all. There are years of stories to tell of my Magnium. We traveled the world... well, the local world. We went places my parents would have never dreamed I would be. I crossed the 4 lane highway and rode to Saxonburg. I rode from sun-up to sun-down as far as Mars, Evans City, and sometimes Renfrew. Yes that horse had MILES on him. Once he was in the school play "Camelot." I took him in the building and he walked across the stage with a knight on his back. How cool is that! I bid him farewell after a good many years, sending him off to bigger and better things with other people. Rumor has it that he now resides in Poland, OH. He's the horse all the kids argue over who gets to ride him and occasionally he gets out of his fence and walks the streets of Poland munching on the neighbors flower gardens. I miss him.

Then came Penny... She was born right into my arms! That was the most awesome thing. I will never forget. She grew fast and strong despite not having consumed enough colostrum (mother's first milk) in the beginning. The vet said she had about a quarter of the antibodies that she needed, but she soon recovered. I handled her much and bathed her often as a youngster and too this day she LOVES water! She'll even let you spray her face and will try to drink from the hose. She is quirky. She gets way down and scratches her belly on the ground like nothing I've ever seen. It's borderline obscene! When I moved to KY, I sold her to a lady that told me (upon delivery) that she knew the moment she saw her that her name should be "Dixie." Hmph. I told my friend on the way home that I suppose if she paid for her she can call her whatever she wants. It's kind of like me calling up K's mom and saying I'm going to start calling him Bob. What gives!?! Anyway, it didn't work out and she gave her back... that's when she came to Kentucky. She has lived at various stables but is currently at Asbury Equine Center in Kentucky. I have high hopes to bring her home this summer.

Horses are such unique and wonderful creatures. They are habitual and affectionate. They each have their own personalities. I learned to put their needs before my own. One has to feed and water and care for them. I learned that they long for attention just like little girls do. I became a responsible adult as a result of some of the things I learned.

I dream of the day when I can have my own stable. Nothing huge, just a little place. I'd like to have 2 or 3 horses or ponies. I'd like to share them with children that need something to do to keep out of trouble and who need an outlet to learn about God and to teach them how to become responsible individuals. Something like Crystal Peaks. Read about it. It's awesome! I want to do that! AND... I'd like to have a cute quiet little pony for my nieces and nephews to ride when they visit. Joyce used to enjoy visiting the stable and I know Essie is head over heals for it! I wish I could share that with them more.

And yes... I have a "thing" for palominos!

I am so blessed and look forward to a lifetime and an eternity of blessings. God is so good! Marcie over at Amazing Graze farm hosts this weekly forum to share our blessings. Post yours and then head on over and join in so we can all read of your blessings.

Back-woodsy Cookin

I found this book in the basement "Southern Living The Deep South Cookbook" published in 1972. That's before I was born!

I was perusing the pages and immediately turned my nose up at all of the fish-related dishes, namely "Festive Fillets with Sauerkraut." Um, I don't like fish to begin with but pair it with sauerkraut... that's just wrong!

It seems that the South must be big on alternative meats... you know... rabbit, dove, quail... they really like squirrel... and even raccoon & opossum! Here's some of what I found: (click on the recipe if you are really interested in it)

Apparently squirrel is like chicken! You can make it a thousand different ways! I don't think I'll be using this cookbook any time soon but it sure has been amusing!

Sneak Peak Sunday

Ok so the weekend has been rather uneventful except for the moment that Crystal got into a shopping bag that I put some trash into and left in the kitchen. She somehow slipped her head through the handle and of course the bag was stuck around her body. The moment she moved she was trailing trash and OHHHHHHHHHH the drama. It startled me and I ran downstairs to find the commotion in motion. Quickly I scooped her up to console and her little heart was going pitter-patter way faster than usual! I actually had to cut it off of her. Now I'm not in the habit of leaving such hazardous situations in our home. As frightful as it was... it still brought a smidge of a chuckle. Silly kitty... shouldn't be getting into the trash! And not actually something of her general character either. Hmm...

Anyway... some sneak peaks of our weekend:

• Saturday we both slept in - for once! It was fabulous!


• He worked Saturday afternoon


• I did my weekly shopping spree Saturday afternoon


• Got a call from Rene'e about a POSSIBILITY of bringing Penny home to a new location. Hasn't been confirmed and trying not to keep my hopes up in case it doesn't pan out. Still praying for a good spot to keep her.


• Laundry Laundry Laundry


• Dishes Dishes Dishes


• Yes laundry and dishes at our house mostly wait for the weekend to be done. That's life when we both work full time plus. Oh well.


• Made the menu for the upcoming week


• Cleaned the bathrooms - scrubbed the toilet, sinks, mirrors, etc.


• Cleaned the kitchen - scrubbed the counters, sink, stove, microwave, etc.


• Took out the trash


• Cleaned the litter boxes


• Exercised (both days)


• Cooked - Maple Ham and scalloped potatoes with green beens.


• Cooked - Beef roast with mashed potatoes and peas.


• Cleaned the dining room table and washed the table cloth (needed done badly)


• Shredded some documents


• scanned some photos


• Pre-wrote some blog posts for the upcoming week


• Devotions - prepping for my next Girls Group night

It's been a good weekend. I cannot complain. The sun was shining and we were both in good spirits. That makes it all that much better! So here's to another week of fun and frolic and more to come...

The Lord has risen! Enjoy the Easter season.

My Favorite Easter Funny

HAPPY EASTER EVERY-BUNNY!

7 1/2 Inches Later

I'm not overly happy with these photos, but for the sake of change...

BEFORE

AFTER

And now I shall re-commit to my diet and exercize plan because obviously... I NEED IT!!! Someday when Isaac draws my picture, I won't have a double chin! YIKES!!!

Saturday Savings

Total spent this week: $57.70 for groceries AND other misc. items, toiletries, etc. Seriously, I should change the budget to $60/week instead of $50 because that is usually what I spend. I could shave that extra $5-10, but most of it goes to super-deals for stock up, so it's no big deal.


Rite-Aid: Saved$6.50 with coupons alone PLUS getting another $12.99 in rebates! Savings included several free items including Hershey Bliss... YUM, Glade scented oil refill, and some personal items. Coupon savings were great for dish soap this week AND I always wanted to try Crest Whitestrips, but I'm too cheap to pay $20+ for them. With rebate and coupon I got some for $7... not bad!



Giant Eagle: Cleaned house with coupons and double coupons! Saved $13.29 in coupons PLUS $6.15 in doubles and another $8.26 in store specials. Total saved = $27.70 which is OVER HALF what my entire cart load cost. I paid a whole $27.47 out of pocket! Isn't that awesome! It cut my groceries in HALF!!!!



Luckily we didn't actually need much, but I was able to get the usual essentials for the week... milk, cream, etc. and found some great items on sale that were dirt cheap with coupons... I picked up 4 deoderants (2 for him and 2 for me) at a quarter a piece! YES! I got 3 more tubes of Crest for $1.33 per tube and they were the big tubes too. I got two large boxes of pop-tarts for $1.40 each. Not something I buy often, but K is always looking for a snack. That's a cheap snack. The best sale of all... I got 2 Purex x2 laundry detergents for $1.50 each. AWESOME price! To round it off I picked up a couple free cans of dog food for a friend and also landed myself 2 free packets of kitty treats for Crystal and Wizzy.



So this weeks finds were great! Now don't mention to my hubby about the deoderant or toothpaste. He will flip when he sees we have about 10 of each in the closet. He he he... but soon enough I shall pack some up and share with those in need.

Say, anyone need coupons for baby-stuff? I have a nice handful of them... pampers, huggies, gerber, cheerios, etc. The first one to leave a comment of interest in that regard gets them... I will mail them, but you will have to email me your address. **UPDATE - The coupons have been claimed.**

Fridays "Coupon Of Wisdom"

Psalm
116:1-2

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

Wednesday night I found myself in an ugly situation. If you read yesterday's post, you know that I hit a big stick that damaged my car. I felt rather helpless as I was stranded. Looking back over the events of the week, I think my mind was cluttered with discontentment and my free time was spent dreaming of days to come. Sometimes God allows us to be found in particular circumstances that open our eyes and force us to re-focus.

I'm glad that we live close to family. I'm glad that my family is so helpful. I thanked my Dad for coming for me and he said "That's my job." That gave me that warm fuzzy feeling inside. He looks out for me the best that he can and yesterday he bailed me out of a stranded situation. He's so precious.

Moments later my sister offered up her car for me to drive while I'm awaiting the repairs to my car. She didn't hesitate for even a moment, but quickly responded kindly... although she did ask me to "look out for sticks." HA! She even apologized for it not having much gas... like as if she needed to carry that load for me too??? Honestly, the least I could do is put gas in her car!

Once tucked away at home, the overwhelming feelings flooded. How extensive is the damage? How long will it take to fix it? Will our insurance cover it? How much will we have to pay? Not to mention that we owe the government a rather large chunk of money... and that is coming due! I woke up yesterday morning fighting a migraine headache. I took some new medicine that made me ill. I notified my boss that I would be late.

"...he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy..." HE DID. I have been so cared for throughout this entire ordeal. HE allowed me to continue driving the car far enough to find a safe parking spot. HE sent my Dad to rescue me. HE provided a vehicle through my sister. HE convinced my boss to convince me to stay home and rest yesterday. HE gave me several hours of very peaceful rest this morning. HE provided the insurance coverage in such a way that I have little or no worries. The insurance company contacted the dealer who made arrangements to get the car and will be making the necessary repairs AND I was informed that I would have a $250 deductible; however, our collision deductible is $500 so I am entirely grateful that this falls under the latter. $250 is a lot to pay out of pocket, but way less than $500. HE will provide and we will be fine. Again... "...he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy..."

Isn't it amazing how God can use such circumstances to bring us back to him? I don't have time to be discontented, nor should I! It's times like these that remind me of how important it is to keep my eyes on the Lord. I shall make some efforts to re-focus!

Sometimes I read over these simple yet profound tidbits of wisdom and fail to embrace them. Just as clipped coupons that are not redeemed are wasteful, so are portions of scripture/biblical teaching when we read them and fail to respond. Thus... I have developed the concept of clipping "Coupons Of Wisdom" to help remind myself to exercise discernment of the wisdom the Lord so freely offers.

Thankful Thursday

Things I am especially thankful for today:

• I am thankful for my sister Re-Re's generosity! My car need repaired and she has graciously allowed me to borrow hers. THANK YOU!
• I am thankful for my Dad who rescued me from being rather stranded when my car broke down. THANK YOU!
• I am thankful for the Lord's protection. I hit a rather large stick last night and it busted a running light AND my radiator. This occurred on one of those back-woodsy roads, but I was able to drive into town before the car began to complain.
• I am thankful for the Lord's provision... though I'm not sure we will afford the repairs, I trust that His plan is perfect.

Works For Me Wednesday

Something that works for me is making my own hand-soap for the bathrooms. No, I'm not so domestic that I actually MAKE it, but I do mix it. Don't get me wrong... SOMETIMES I buy it, when it's on a super good sale... and yes that does happen, but...

For times when it's not on super sale, I have a large bottle of antibacterial soap. It's the clear kind, probably Walmart brand. It dries my skin, so I like to doctor it up a little. You know I stock up on Suave shampoo and conditioner whenever it is on super sale. I don't usually use Suave shampoo and conditioner on my hair. I make a mixture of the clear antibacterial soap with a little shampoo and conditioner and THAT is what my hand soap is made of. It smells SO GOOD. It stretches the antibacterial soap much further. AND... it is less harsh on my hands. The little bit of conditioner leaves them soft and smooth.

And THATS what WORKS FOR ME this Wednesday! If you have a tip about something that WORK FOR YOU, head on over to Rocks In My Dryer and share... and while you are there, read about a gazillion other people who have fresh ideas!

Tuesdays With Jen -- My Memoirs

How I Met My Hubby - Part II

The picture is me... right about the time we met. (I was way cuter back then!)

It was a Friday morning. I packed my things. I went to work to pick up my paycheck. I wasn't feeling well, but figured I'd eventually snap out of it. I was having pain in my back. That was odd. Eventually I tossed my things in the truck, grabbed a large bottle of water, my directions and began the trip to Cincinatti to meet the man that I had befriended online.

It was a really long trip. Over FIVE hours! Ok so five hours is really not THAT long, but to a young lady traveling that far ALONE for the first time... it was L-O-N-G! He informed me that after I passed through Columbus Ohio that I would be over half way. So I stopped just past Columbus to call him from a pay-phone. He was delighted to hear that I was still coming. We made arrangements regarding where exactly to meet. He informed me that when I get into Cincinatti that I would need to cross the big yellow bridge and get off onto Route 8 and meet him at a place called "The Party Source." I hit the road again. It was a warm, sunny, summer day. I had the windows down and my long blonde hair was blowing in the wind.

As I became closer and closer to the city, there were more and more traffic lanes. At one point there were FIVE lanes on either side! YIKES. People were buzzing in and out of traffic. I'm sure my blood pressure was up. I was anything but a city driver. I was relieved to notice the big yellow bridge with the sign reading "Welcome to Kentucky" yet at the same time I was very nervous.

Interestingly, K's dad lives about 2 miles from Route 8... My dad does too, just in another state!

So I pulled into The Party Source and there he was... waiting for me... leaning on his little blue Geo. We hugged. He asked me about how the trip went and introduced me to his best gal-friend Kelly. Moments later I was following him to his Dad's house about a mile and a half away.

Up up up the hill we went. His Dad lived on a hill overlooking the city of Cincinatti. It was a quaint neighborhood. The house was very nice. It had a very neatly groomed front yard, an concrete driveway, a backyard that had a backdrop of trees. The house was emaculately decorated. There was a garage, living room, formal dining room, kitchen, breakfast nook, three bedrooms and a den, two and a half baths, a full basement, and a deck out back. I was shown to the guest room where I would be staying. I got settled in and acquainted with Keith and Kelly.

Keith had plans for us that evening. We were going to see his sister's band's concert that night. I would meet his family and friends. After a full afternoon of chatting, I took a nap as it had been a REALLY long day. When I woke up hours later, it was dark out, but the night was still young. I could hear him outside on the deck talking to some of his friends. He was telling them about me and how cool I was and said something like "wait till you see how pretty she is." Moments later he was knocking on the door, waking me up, and asking me to come meet his friends. Which I did.

Later that evening I met his Mom at the concert. We only caught the very end of the concert. It was an outdoor picnic type thing. We had eaten at a local restaurant... nothing fancy.

That's basically my recollection of my first day in K's presence. There is more... What happens the next day? Hmmm... Let's just say... I was not the most lovable date!

How I Met My Hubby - Part I?

Blessings Monday

We have been blessed with hand-me-down dining tables!!! When we lived in the farm-house, we used the dining room table that was already in the house. A former co-worker of mine handed-down a nice small country-style table, which we used in Kentucky. Unfortunately one of the legs broke shortly after we moved back to Pennsylvania. Another friend of ours handed-down another table with chairs. This was a small round table that would seat 4 people comfortably. This past fall, we were blessed with yet a THIRD table that K's dad brought to us. This is a country style, pine varnished table that has leaves that expand it to seat up to 10 people comfortably. We don't need that big of a table most of the time, but BOY is it nice to have for holidays! I love it!

We have been so blessed with hand-me-down tables. I'm hoping this last one will last a life-time. We still have the small round table and its chairs, so we have plenty of seating for parties and holidays in the future.

Marci over at Amazing Graze Farm hosts this weekly discussion. C'mon over, take a look, and tell us of your blessings!

Sneak-Peak Sunday

It's Palm Sunday... and as our pastor put it this morning... it was the first time in history that God's people realized with fervance that they were in the presence of the King... HOSANNA!!! BLESSED BE THE LORD!!!

How exciting is that!!!

Some sneak peaks of our weekend:

• Woke up REALLY early on Saturday. Thought maybe Amanda and I might go to the Strip for some early AM shopping. Soon realized that it probably wasn't the best time to head to the city with the St. Patrick's Day parade in town. Not to mention that Hillary Clinton was in town and that made for a lot of hoopla... UGH. Arg! Needless to say, we decided not to go this weekend.
• Keith worked Saturday all day and is closing the store tonight. :(
• I did my usual Saturday planning and shopping. Our pantry is well stocked. I can't wait for the church to announce their need for donations for the college kids. I'm READY!
• Working on laundry... WOW... so much of it!
• Watched some tv off and on
• Cleaned the downstairs bathroom.
• Cleaned the upstairs bathroom/tub.
• Went to church (obviously).
• Dishes need done... Ugh another never ending task
• Made Cincinatti Chili-Spaghetti for dinner last night. Note to self: Whole Wheat spaghetti is great, but not for Chili-Spaghetti.
• Made a brunch fritatta today - yummy.
• Organized my coupon box. I got some sticky tabs at Walmart for a very reasonable price. I've labeled my categories a little better. Now I'm clipping the coupons from today's paper.
• Gathered the trash from upstairs and put in the can. Tonight's garbage night in our town.

That's about it. Nothing fantastic or exciting going on. Just doing some intermittent cleaning. I see a lot of bloggers are well into "Spring Cleaning" right now. I'd love to be on that wagon, but it's just not happening.

One more thing... A friend of ours is moving. It's a move that is a significant distance. I'd like to put together a package for him. He's a bachelor. He's not moving into or out of our area, so I'm not familar with businesses in his area. Hmmm... cleaning supplies? Home made goodies? Essentials? Snacks? Any ideas on what would be good items to send him?

Weekly Savings

Not much at Rite Aid this week. I did get 2 bottles of Lysol Kitchen cleaner for $3.50. I've already seen the ad for this coming week and there are a BUNCH of deals and some FREE STUFF with rebates! SAWEET! I'm planning already!

Walmart has Starburst Jelly Beans for $1.66/bag. I had a coupon that brought that down to $1.16/bag. They also had Betty Crocker cake mixes and frostings for $.88 PLUS I had coupons for $.50 off each so I got them for $.38 -- AWESOME. I had another reason to shop there... I was looking for the prize for my blog-give-away... FOUND IT. (To be revealed soon enough) Additionally I found a really cute twin size quilt-type bedspread for $5, so I picked it up for one of our spare beds.

Groceries... I picked up some fresh veggies, milk, creamer, cheese, etc. I had several coupons for yogurt and Steamfresh veggies. I don't usually buy the Steamfresh ones because they are generally 10 oz. packages for the same price as regular 16 oz. package. In this instance, the Steamfresh actually cost me the same price per oz. (with coupons) and the nice part is that I can cook them in the wrapper and the serving size will be perfect for one whole meal. I also picked up a beef roast, some pie crusts (for more quiche), and some soda for K. All in all, with coupons, some of them doubled, I had a savings of over $10 on groceries today.

Coupon Of Wisdom - Friday

"Rejoice in the Lord always." Philippians 4:4

I clipped this coupon yesterday. Now I shall spend some time redeeming it. Somtimes it is the simplest instruction that seems so hard. Rejoicing in the midst of trial or suffering is entirely difficult. When I'm faced with such circumstances I struggle to remind myself that every trial is an opportunity for growth and that the Lord's plan is perfect. Many times I can look back and realize what those lessons were and rejoice in the Lords perfect plan.

On a day to day basis, I struggle with increased stress at work and trying to balance housekeeping and such. I must continue to REJOICE in the Lord during these times. It is difficult to keep this focus, but when I do it is such a blessing! I shall hold these words closely today and be joyful in the Lord.

Sometimes I read over these simple yet profound tidbits of wisdom and fail to embrace them. Just as clipped coupons that are not redeemed are wasteful, so are portions of scripture/biblical teaching when we read them and fail to respond. Thus... I have developed the concept of clipping "Coupons Of Wisdom" to help remind myself to exercise discernment of the wisdom the Lord so freely offers.

Thankful Thursday

Things I am thankful for... especially this week:

• I am thankful that I have the option to work at home some of the time. Right now it is only about one day per week. It not only provides some much needed focused time for working on files, but it saves me money on travel expenses AND I don't buy my lunch.


• I am thankful for my friend Rene'e who lets me go to her house/farm and pretend like I belong there even while my horse is 500+ miles away. My heart belongs on the farm and in the country. We live in a rural area, so I am ever so grateful to have a friend who shares her country farm with me.


• I am thankful for our home. I complain about it a lot. I must remind myself that it is adequate and very affordable at the present time. We look forward to our next home in the near future; however, God has provided for us rather richly right here in this home.


• I am thankful for my treadmill. It beckons to me to walk on it... or is that the Holy Spirit reminding me that God meets me there and is awaiting our next long conversation... even if I'm huffing and puffing.


• I am thankful for our car. It is average. It is fuel efficient. It is reliable. It is a great blessing.

Works For Me Wednesday

This is my first post on "Works For Me Wednesday." I haven't had much to add until this past Sunday I realized I actually HAVE somthing to post on this weekly collection of ideas...

I was making bacon. I usually get a plate, put lots of paper towels on it, and let the bacon grease drain onto the paper towels. This week I was thinking... I don't want to dirty a plate and I don't want to waste a lot of paper towels. That's when it hit me... NEWSPAPER!

So I recycled some newspaper in my kitchen. I took some old newspaper, topped it with ONE paper towel (instead of a bunch) and let the bacon drain on that. The paper towel kept it clean and clear of any ink and the grease seeped into the newspaper. I did not dirty a plate. There was no need. I transferred my leaner bacon into my baking dishes (was making quich'e) and disposed of the newspaper/paper towel.

If you have an idea that "works" for you... stop over at Rocks In My Dryer and share with the rest of us.

Blog Anniversary

March 31st I will have been blogging for THREE Years! How is that even possible?! I've been thinking about hosting some sort of give-away... not sure what. Hmmm... COFFEE anyone? Details to follow... suggestions welcome!

Tuesdays With Jen... My Memoirs

How I Met My Hubby - Part 1

Somehow, long long ago, He and I happened upon one another via some sort of joke exchanging online pen pal type thing. We passed jokes back and forth and then he disappeared for a long time. I found out later that he had been deployed.

Fast Forward a couple of years... He found me again and we corresponded a little more regularly. I had lots of online friends by this time and had considered visiting a particular friend in Texas when K guilted me with the "How come you never visited me?" line to which I replied "You haven't invited me." From that stemmed an invite and because he was so far far away (Colorado) the perfect time to meet is when he would be in his home town (Cincinnati) for a family wedding.

As the story goes, he had a rather difficult time keeping dates. Some stood him up, others cancelled at the last minute... you get the idea. But for this occasion he made sure his entire family knew he was SURELY going to bring a date... that would be me.

Now don't be alarmed. I did not just drop everything and drive to Cincinnati. We planned this over about 6 weeks time and during that time I befriended most of his very close friends, some of his very close friends family members, and several members of his family... also via Internet. At this point I figured that if he was lying to me that I would have figured it out because I was in the family/friend loop. Everything checked out.

One night he said he was going to actually CALL me on the telephone, but he didn't. The next night I confronted him about it... and he did. It was very neat to hear his voice for the first time. We talked for HOURS. I can only imagine how high his telephone bill had to have been! I'm only now thinking about that... Well... I must have been worth it. At one point he had talked so long that he needed to take a rest-room break. He asked me to "hold-on" so I did... while he set the phone down and literally ran to the rest room. I know that because I could hear him running down the hall of his barracks.

So then what.... Where did we meet? What events transpired? How did we fall in love? Some of you know this story, but for the sake of recording my memoirs... I shall keep others in suspense for a time... Tune in next Tuesday when I reveal the next chapter of "How I Met My Hubby."

Blessings Monday

Marcie, I hope you don't mind... I'm trying to pick up where I left off with Blessings Mondays!

So I was thinking this evening. My handy-hubby is at work and will be until late. Some days I really hate when he has to close the store every work-night for a week long stretch. That means that I don't get to see much of him.

Don't get me wrong... I love the company of my handy-hubby... BUT... sometimes it is a blessing to have an evening of peace and quiet at home ALONE.

Tonight I made dinner and took it to him. We shared about 20 minutes of chatter over dinner and then it was back to work for him and off to home for me. Though I can think of many things to do with company, I cherish this peaceful evening. I shall rest. I shall relax. I shall spend some time with God.

So this Monday I am especially thankful for my hubby's job... and how it creates some especially quiet time for me occasionally.

Ultimate Blog Party

In the spirit of mingling among other bloggers at this party... I must take the opportunity to introduce myself.

I am JennyV. My blog is an eclectic collection of my life... with basically no rhyme or reason... most of the time. I don't blog for money or fame. I just like to ramble on for anyone who might listen. Maybe someday I'll find a more elaborate purpose in blogging, but for now... it is what it is.

Some random things about me:

1. I reside in Western Pennsylvania.


2. My Handy-hubby is a Coffee Master for Starbucks... we drink LOTS of coffee in our home!


3. We both work full-time and are putting great efforts into becoming essentially debt-free


4. I have a pony, but she lives in Kentucky right now


5. We have two cats


6. Some days I think maybe I'll start an aquarium... nah... the cats would play with it!


7. Sometimes I work from home - sometimes I don't


8. My hubby says I'm a better baker than a cook


9. I haven't had my hair cut for over a year! WOW!!!


10. I used to ride horses almost daily... now I just dream about it.

In the next 5 years I'd like to:

1. Pay off our debts


2. Purchase a modest home


3. Adopt a child


4. Have at least 2 horses


5. Be a blessing to others

Participants in the Ultimate Blog Party have chances to win awesome prizes! I'd like to have a new blog design... Prize numbers 24, 67, 71, 124 or ANY professional help with my blog design!!!

Sneak-Peak Sunday

I hope all are having a really great weekend. I see that many are buried in the white stuff... S-N-O-W !!! I hear that there was 12 inches in Cincinatti! WOW!!! One time we got stranded there in a snow storm. They don't get much snow, so they are not prepared to handle it. I'll never forget that they SHUT DOWN the major highway between Cincy and Lexington and didn't plow the side streets for a whole 2 days! What was even more annoying is that we had studded tires in our trunk, which are actually illegal down there! Anyway... if you have snow where you are... it won't be much longer. Spring is coming!!!





So on to some snippets of our weekend...


SATURDAY

• He had to work mid-morning, which was nice because he didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn... but stunk because I had the day mostly to myself and NOBODY wanted to get together


• I did a TON of laundry


• I did piles of dishes


• I moved the printer onto the desk


• K's friend assessed some masonry work that needs done and said he'd take care of it this week weather permitting.


• I sorted my coupons, made lists of "deals," and did my weekly shopping... Brrrrr...


• I made quich'e for dinner - which he liked :)


• We watched some of "The Office" (we have seasons 1, 2, & 3 on DVD)


• We went and got K a new phone (much needed and an awesome deal)


• We spent the evening programing numbers and features on it

SUNDAY

• We SO should have used the new alarm on the new hip phone because we SLEPT IN!!!! Forgot to set our clocks ahead until it was TOO LATE!!! We missed church! :(
• We had some quiet time this morning
• We played with the kitties
• I made him a tuna noodle casserole
• I made myself a noodle-salad
• I'm making brown-sugar ham for dinner
• We watched some more of "The Office"
• He's watching the race
• I'm putsing about on the 'puter and thinking about doing some work - UGH!

Ultimate Blog Party... Is Going On!!!

There are so many good partiers right now!





5 Minutes For Mom is the host! Basically it's a place to network with other bloggers! Sign-up as a party guest... write a post about yourself and link back... then mingle with other party-goers by visiting their blogs! Some have prizes... I'm just getting started, but I recognize some friends already... notably:





Christian Women Online - prizes are awesome! "sponsored by Art Bookbindery, in which you could win a Sony Walkman Video MP3 Player with 4GB Memory! Listen to music, watch movies, and more..."





My pal "Lizzie" is in on it and adds an Austrailian flair!





An Island Life is giving away baby stuff. I am a subscriber of her blogs and won some really cool pink-bling earbuds from her on one of her former give-aways!

The Yolk-less Egg

Isn't this like the oddest thing you ever saw? These are organic/home-grown eggs. Uncle Charlie keeps us well stocked on eggs from his brood of hens back home. They come in various sizes from tiny to huge and some are brown and some are white. Sometimes there are double yolks too! That's a treat! We like them all and appreciate his generosity in sharing them with us. MANY THANKS!!! We love them!

Last night I made asparagus, mushroom, parmasan quiche for dinner. In preparation, I cracked about 8 eggs. There were 2 TINY ones. Compare sizes in the photo above. Neither had a yolk! Isn't that odd?! How did that happen? According to Wikipedia,

"It is also possible for a young hen to produce an egg with no yolk at all.
Yolkless eggs are usually formed about a bit of tissue that is sloughed off the
ovary or oviduct. This tissue stimulates the secreting glands of the oviduct and
a yolkless egg results."

Interesting... huh.

What Is For Dinner?

What's cookin at the Vulhop household this week? Here's a preview... in no particular order...

1. Baked Chicken with rice and veggie


2. Chicken enchiladas (made w/ leftover chicken)


3. Breakfast Bake casserole (eggs, sausage, cheese)


4. Tacos


5. Brown Sugar Ham with potatoes and veggie


6. BBQ Pork with mashed potatoes and veggie

Weekly Savings - Grocery

This week I shopped at Giant Eagle. Again, our freezer and pantry are rather full, so I was only looking for really good deals and a few odds and ends.

I found good deals *some with added coupon savings, on butter, cereal, frozen veggies, and maple sausage.

Total saved with store sales and coupons = $17.50

Total weekly budget for groceries = $50

Groceries = $40.04
Rite Aid = $13.52
Total spent $53.52

Weekly Deals - Rite Aid

I'm so loving this new hobby of mine. I'm quite the stock-piler these days!

Rite-Aid Deals

Gillette Mach 3 Disposable razors (for handy-hubby)
$6 - $3 coupon - $3 rebate = $0

Venus Embrace razor (for me)
$10 - $4 coupon - $6 rebate = $0

Glade carpet deodorizer (I had enough coupons to get 2)
$1.49 - $.50 coupon - $1 coupon = $0

Neutra Air spray deodorizer
$2.49 - $.50 coupon - BOGO coupon = 2 for $1.99

Scrubbing Bubbles
$1.99 - $.50 coupon - $.75 coupon = $.74

Date Night

We saw "Definitely, Maybe." A chick-flick. Hubby suggested it. Wonder what his angle was? Hmmm... Regardless, it was okay. Nothing fantastic. It was kind of cute. The dad and the daughter had a very significant relationship. He tells her the story of how he met her mother... and a few other ladies along the way. It has a happy ending, but the premise of the entire film really doesn't fit in my my own significant family values and moral opinions especially relating to marriage. Oh did you know that a large popcorn and 2 gigantic medium drinks at the theatre is almost $20??? Highway robbery!!! I won't make that mistake again!

BUT... spending the evening holding hands with my man and the chit-chat to and from... was priceless!

This Weeks Menu

Menu Ideas for this week include the following... in no particular order:

1. Quiche with Asparagus
2. Chili with cheese and corn bread


3. Chicken casserole with broccoli (maybe in a braid?)


4. Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup


5. Breakfast night - pancakes


6. Roast BBQ pork with mashed potatoes and vegetable

There is one night he is working and I have my quarterly evening meetings at work so there will be no dinner prepared.

Sneak-Peak Sunday

Hope ya'll had a very nice weekend. Ours was very good. Here is a sneak-peak...

SATURDAY

• Up early and into Butler for my Girls Group - was a fabulous time! Love my lady-friends! I'm so blessed by them.
• Shopped at Target in Butler. Disappointed again. They had the bed-spread I wanted, but only in a King Size and I need a Queen. Finally succumbed to the idea that I am not meant to have said bedding.
• Found some new really cheap and rather elegant place mats. That made my day and hubby approved commenting that they really accentuate our dining room decor.
• Re-organized my coupon box, purged expired coupons, planned sales shopping for the weekend.
• Shopped deals at Rite-aid as per previous post.
• Established next weeks menu plan & calendar notes
• Washed dishes... and there are still more!
• Made BBQ pork ribs in the crock-pot for dinner. Got the thumbs up from Handy-hubby. Yumm-O! I love my crock-pot!
• Went on a date with Handy-Hubby. Saw a movie.
• Fell fast-asleep in the arms of my man...

SUNDAY

• Went to church. Was a lovely worship service. I adored the hymns we sang this morning as they were tunes which I was well familiar with.
• Picked up this weeks Giant Eagle gift-card for grocery budget. Our church purchases grocery gift-cards in bulk and in advance. The stores sell them for 10% less than the value so the church can use them as a fund-raiser. Then I purchase it for face-value and use them to do my shopping. Costs me the same amount, helps me keep within my established budget, and helps the church in return! Each week I purchase a $50 gift-card for Giant Eagle and the church gets $5 of that! It's an awesome plan! Although the church has to purchase like $10,000 at one time to do this, but it is so worth it. It supports our building fund. AND... we can also use the gift-cards to purchase other gift-cards at Giant Eagle if we choose.
• Picked up this weeks groceries. Took Handy-hubby with me. I really should have learned the last time that he doesn't help the budget. He is like shopping with a child... "can I get this?... that?" UGH! But I love when we go together. Also - I don't usually shop on Sunday. It's a mad-house and I have other more important aspirations for our day of rest. In the future... I shall wait and shop on a week-night.
• Picked up this weeks newspaper with coupons. I don't read the paper. I just get it for the coupons.
• Hubby watched some of the Nascar race while I clipped those coupons and organized them.
• Took a 90 minute nap. Shared it with the kitty.... Crystal. It was quite refreshing.
• Washed some clothes. Folded some clothes. Washed some more!
• Exercised
• Tinkered with some work-related things
• Blogged

Groceries Next???

It's just too busy to shop at the grocery on Saturday. PLUS - I like to buy grocery gift-cards at church because it helps the church and spends the same for me!

I check the ads for both local supermarkets, Giant Eagle and Shop N Save. I don't really care for SNS and find that sometimes their selection is lacking variety. I purused the ads and decided that this week I will only shop at GE. I have plenty of meat in the freezer, so I will just be grabbing some fresh produce, bread, milk, and a few good sale items.

Lipton Rice & Noodle packs, Betty Crocker Potatoes & Helpers are all $1.00 each. Those toaster strudels that everyone LOVES are $2 each. I have COUPONS for these items that will likely be doubled! ALL detergent is $4 each and if you buy $15 total on certain items in the flyer, you get a $5 credit towards your next purchase.

Ok - that's all I've got on deals this week! Have a great week!!!

Average $10 - $15 Per Week

I visit Rite Aid almost every week. My average expense is about $10 - $15 out of pocket. I use sales and coupons to get the best deals. Here is what I got this week with regular price noted:

2 tubes of Colgate Total Toothpaste $2.99 each
8 bars of Zest soap $5.99
1 bottle of Olay body wash $5.29
3 packs of gum $1.19 each

Total that: $20.83

How much did I pay? A whopping $7.09!!!! If you average it per item, it adds up to about 50 cents per item! HA!!!

He he he... coupons + sales + I had a $5 gift certificate that I earned a month or so ago. Wha-hoo!!!

Okay... My handy-hubby is going to crack if I buy any more soap or toothpaste! We currently have 6 tubes of toothpaste + 2 tubes that are in use AND almost 20 bars of soap in our cupboard! I can't help it. When those things are SO CHEAP, I must stock-pile. Besides... as my sister Wendy mentioned, these will be handy when the church sends their college & military shoeboxes. So it's all good.