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!