Quick and Easy

Looks like we will have some more sun this week.

I will be watching the internet forcasts very closely.

Exterior painting this week!

This weeks meals

Monday: BLT

Tuesday: Hot Dogs

Wednesday: Chicken Tenders

Thursday: Taco Salad

Friday: Chuch Picnic

Saturday: Pizza

When Smaller is Just Better

I am often thankful for the size of my home ...

faster to clean ...

less room to hoard ...

cozy ...

intimate ...

This week, I am also thankful that it is no bigger.

This week I am prepping the outside of the trailer for a repaint.

One half of the back is/was peeling.

See Sandra.

See Sandra on a ladder.

See Sandra use a wire brush.

Brush. Brush. Brush.

Hope to finish removing the peeling paint today.

I don't know when the weather will allow me to prime and paint,

but one thing at a time!

Oh For A Sunny Day!

Proverbs 27:15-16

A continual dropping in a very rainy day 

and a contentious woman are alike.

 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, 

and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.

Continual dripping ...

I can relate.

As we try to work on the exterior of the house,

we keep one eye on the skies.

It seems that we have a daily thunderstorm ...

so the work has been on hold and/or greatly slowed.

But ...

back to Proverbs.

I do not want to be that continual dripping.

I would rather be a sunny day ... an encouragement.

I need to leave the "picking", 

my tendency to argue,

my desire to be "right."

Not only is this contentious woman like a rainy day,

she cannot be hidden.

She is a shame to her husband and family.

How would you like to be thought of?

Eviction Notice

One of the small, but necessary improvements to the exterior of the trailer

involved the eviction of some uninvited guests.

A bird had moved into this exhaust pipe.

You can see evidence that she is not a clean boarder.

No good!

No more!

The vent pipe was cleaned out

and new screen added.
Hubby said that there were years worth of nests in that pipe.
Feathers, straw, and cracker wrappers :)

Now the nests are mulch in one of my flower beds!

Comfort Food

I love Italian Cuisine.

Comfort Food.

Pasta.

Rich Sauces.

For Sunday's Church dinner,

I decided to make Ziti.

It had a little twist because it had to be gluten AND dairy free.

A little less "cheese" than I am used to,

but hubby enjoyed it.

I borrowed this meat sauce recipe from my mom - 

it really made the dish.

Italian Meat Sauce

1 lb ground beef or pork (I used 2 this time)

2 medium onions chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 jar (28 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (12 oz) tomato paste

3/4 c water

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

Cook beef, onions, and garlic until meat is no longer pink, drain.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Reduce heat to low, over and simmer 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

This is enough for 1 pound of pasta.

This week's menu:

Sunday: Church Dinner

Monday: Spring Vegetable Risotto

Tuesday: Chicken Marsala

Wednesday: Pasta with Broccoli

Thursday: Sloppy Joe Wraps

Friday:  Layered Salad

Saturday: Salmon

Family

It was not really like this, or was it?

Today, I am thankful for my 3 brothers.

Yes, we are separated by hours and miles.

Yes, we may only see each other but once a year, if that.

But these are the guys who screened the boyfriends,

who taught me a dry sense of humor that baffles many,

who pray for me,

who keep me alive in the minds of their children,

who have let me paint or work in their homes when I did not yet have one,

who have taken me in when I needed a home (ok just one did this),

who adapt to feeding a gluten-free couple or experiencing a gluten-free holiday,

who encourage me to think through tough things,

who show an interest in my life through this blog, emails, and aps,

who include the only "brother-in-law" in the mix,

...

the list goes on and on.

I hope that all 3 of you have a great day - 

I love you all!

Look Ahead

Proverbs 27:12 

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; 

but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Whenever I read the word prudent in the Bible,

I sit up and take notice.

I want to be a prudent wife/

A prudent woman looks ahead.

She does not think that "ignorance is bliss."

Look ahead.

Plan.

Contemplate the Consequences.

How will my plans today affect my future?

How will my words affect my family?

What testimony does my dress leave?

What are my priorities teaching in my home and to those around me?

Will I like the crop that I reap from today's actions?

Shabby Chic? Distressed?

Last week, my folks came for a visit.

To keep us busy,

hubby asked us to repair the front door.

The door?

It had been painted numerous times.

As we figure it,

there was once a laminate on the door.

It ripped in the middle.

It was hard to strip all of the laminate,

so someone painted the door as it was.

This left ridges ... and just YUCK!

Then there was the rust ...

probably from painting under humid conditions,

or from not repairing the holes and "dings" first,
or from using the wrong paint ...

Of course,

we don't know for sure.

Oh, if only the door could talk!

Was it once a green door?

Did it start on this trailer ...

... or was it a replacement door?

I do know ... the door needed refinishing.

So dad came with my brother's palm sander and we set to work Friday morning.

The palm sander was not the answer that we thought it would be
(but my brother saved us the cost of a palm sander to find that out) ...

but, dad thought a razor would work!

It did ...

... on the bare metal.

That left the outsides with the paint-covered, laminate-type coating.

For this we used a gel paint stripper.

After 2 trips to town and about 6 hours of work,

 the paint was all gone!

Such a pretty door ... Right?
Mayber it is trendy? Shabby Chic?  Distressed?

We had the ugly door for over a week.

Then I repaired the holes,

primered,

and finally painted.
What an improvement!

Once again ... a breath of fresh air ...

a more welcoming entrance ...

makes me want to hit the back door as well!

...all in good time.

I finished the transformation with vinyl letters that were sent free with my order of Psalm 91:2.

Saturday we did a big Lowe's shopping trip.

Trim for the bottom of the trailer,

new vinyl gutters,

and wood to repair the front deck ...

Stay Tuned!

What Should We Eat?

Well, as we start the second annual home repair blitz,
things are veering toward the simple again.
Back to the tried and true,
the simple,
the quick,
the cool.
I am still using e-meals as a prompt,
but filling in with the garden
and simple favorites.
Also trying to use the pantry and the freezer more.
Last week, hubby was thrilled that hot dogs and chicken tenders showed up
in the place of the planned meals.
Guess I should plan those meals more often :)


This week's Menu:

Sunday: Leftover Chilaquiles

Monday:  Tuscan Chicken

Tuesday: Cowboy Chow and Corn Bread

Wednesday:  Chili-stuffed Potatoes

Thursday:  Grilled Chicken

Friday:  Salmon

Saturday:  Vegetarian Taco Salad

Happy Birthday, Laura!

Today, I am thinking about and thankful for one of our adopted college "kids."

She is home for the summer, but we are thankful for her spirit and her service.

We are thankful for her life and another year to know her.

Happy Birthday, Laura!

What Kind of Friend?

Proverbs 27:5-6

Open rebuke is better than secret love.

 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; 

but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

What kind of a friend am I?

These verses remind me of the duty of a friend.

Do I give godly rebuke?

Do I receive the rebuke of others?

It is so much easier not to "rock the boat."

It is easier to get angry at a friend then to deal with my pride and sin.

But who longs for flattery,

for false loyalty,

for a superficial friendship?

It is not easy,

but it is good!

Small Change - Happy Wife

It has been awhile since I posted a Tuesday Transformation,

but I hope to have many exterior transformations to share with you this summer.

A few weekends ago,

we made a small change that cheered both of us.

In the master bath,

there is a shower stall.

When we moved in,

the stall had a door on it.

I knew that it would not be my favorite.

Doors hold mold, mildew ...

they hide crud ...

they drip on the floor.

I asked hubby if we could remove the door and put up a shower curtain.

You can see the shower door through the open doorway.

It is hard to take a picture in the tiny bathroom -
but hopefully you get the idea!

We did and we are thrilled.

I was also excited to find a shower curtain that would match the "theme" of the room.

 I was also excited that I had lined the curtains that I had made.

I just turned the curtains around and voila - they match!
No more hiding mold.
No more drippy floor.
Love It!

No Recipe

No fun recipes this week.

I guess I just kept it simple.

The heat changes the meal plans.

We have enjoyed a lot of grilled chicken,

BLT sandwiches,

salads,

even smoothies for dinner.

I will have a plan for this week,

but it is subject to change.

This week's menu plan:

Sunday:  Grilled Chicken

Monday:  Hot Dogs

Tuesday:  Tortilla Soup

Wednesday:  Chilaquiles

Thursday:  Pork Medallions

Friday:  Shrimp and Feta Quinoa

Saturday:  Vegetable Risotto

Can You Hear It?

 Psalm 69:34 

Let the heaven and earth praise him, 

the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.

I am so lax in my praise, 

but I am reminded by the glories around me.

When I am negligent in my praise, they are not!

I am so thankful for God's creation,

the variety of nature,

the simplicity and complexity,

the surprises.

What Are You Looking For?

Proverbs 27:2 

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; 

a stranger, and not thine own lips.

It is human nature ...

and it is easier to see in others than in ourselves.

We long for praise, for affirmations, for a "pat on the back."

We long for these things so much that we will give them to ourselves,

or we will lead others to give us the praise we desire.

PRIDE!

Oh, the evil pride that will not serve unnoticed.

You may have a thankless job - 

in the work force,

in your home,

in your ministry.

Remember,

you serve the King of Kings

and He does not forget.

He is a debtor to no man.

Seek His approval and praise.

"No" Might Mean "I Know Better"

I spent much of last week frustrated.

I was looking for a window that did not exist.

We bought the house with one window pane broken - 

not enough to not use the window,

but not exactly picture perfect.

Then the adults got hold of the water balloons at the picnic last week,

and another window joined the "broken club."

This one was not a "put off until tomorrow" type of broken.

It appeared as if and we were just "certain" that the whole window had to be replaced.

I called, I measured, I searched.

It seems that our home did not have the traditional size mobile home windows.

It was going to need to be customed made,

take 6 weeks,

and require heavy shipping costs.

I was very sad ...

I have company coming and had a black plastic bag covering my dining room window!

In one last effort I tried a new google search ...

a how to search ...

it was possible to remove the pane alone!

Hubby got it out last night,

and the new one goes in tonight (before the company arrives).

And now we know what to do with the broken kitchen window!

I was frustrated ... very frustrated ...

but God said "no" to save me money, time, and more hassle!

A Little Bit of Festive

 

Fun little treat.

It showed up at our Memorial Day picnic.

Tuck that one away for 4th of July.

I have also seen the red as raspberries or watermelon.

One flag had marshmallows for the white (instead of banana)/

We had a large fruit salad as well

and I added some star fruit for the occasion.

Have you ever tried the carambola (star fruit)?

It is quite pricey, but such a pretty fruit!

This week's menu plan:

Monday:  Marinara Meatballs on Spaghetti Squash

Tuesday:  Shrimp Stirfry

Wednesday:  Garden Veggie Pilaf

Thursday:  Braised Chicken Breasts

Friday:  Taco Salad

Saturday:  Lemon Pepper Tilapi

Sunday:  Grilled Chicken