Gooseberry Patch Giveaway

This is just a quick note to let all you lovely people know, the sweet ladies over at Gooseberry Patch are giving away copies of their Fall Favorites cookbook! But you better hurry! ;)

Have a wonderful evening!

Blessings,

Cheryl

Time

Hey, new followers, I have noticed you there! Thank you for coming by and following, although there hasn't been much to follow of late! I promise I will try to get things rolling! And my other friends, I don't know where I stand on trying to post comments on your blogs. I have been by and read several, but didn't have the energy to argue with the computer and try to post. Not to worry, the "fight" will be back soon, I'm sure! ;)

Reflections of Autumn

Quote:

Day, n. A period of 24 hours, mostly misspent. ~ Ambrose Bierce

I love this time of year! (I know, I've told you that, right?) I love the cool nights, sleeping with the windows open. I love the crisp early morning air that makes it hard to tell which is appreciated most, the smell of fresh grounded coffee perking or the warmth of the coffee cup. I love the way the sun warms and washes the afternoon sky with bright sunshine and wispy clouds. It is as near perfect as weather gets, in my opinion.

Embracing the weather the last couple of weeks has been easy, but time seems to be racing ahead, while I just want to enjoy the moment! But I am rambling...

This past week, I've been sick. I cannot remember the last time I was sick, so this has really thrown me for a loop and helped to put some things in perspective. When the energy you have is only enough to accomplish a limited amount, you are forced to pick and choose "wisely." What has this got to do with anything, you ask?

Being forced to enjoy restful afternoons, sitting outside, has given my mind time to play and plan (and the opportunity to let "the stink blow off" as my mother used to say, an expression I've often wondered about). Now I just need for my body to catch up to where my mind already is! I love planning, but I need tangible. You know?

The new grandbaby is growing. She is three weeks old now and her expressions are new each time I see her.

DD#1 and her family came down on Monday and brought their little herd to stay a few days. Gabby, 10 y/o, is a big help. Between the two of us, we made a wonderful pound cake yesterday. DD and son-in-law are getting their house ready for baby "4" and are having the midwives come for their home visit. (Yes, all the extras make for a really "full house." But it is a good full! Except when they all begin to get tired and start picking at each other. And Papaw has been wonderful! He has bought pizza twice in less than a week to keep me from having to cook. Poor guy. Of course, the grands think he's the BEST ~ and he is.)

And while I am thinking of it, Territory Mom over @ OklaHome....thank you! DD#2 picked up my mail and delivered it. And there was my salsa! It looks wonderful! As soon as I improve a little more, I'm going to enjoy it....I may not even share! Thank you, again!

Friday night, we are cooking out ~ well, Papaw is cooking out and the kids are making S'mores for dessert! You should come!

I hope to be feeling much better by the weekend. I have lots of ideas (and maybe an opinion or two) to share with you! Maybe I'll even manage another blog post in the next day or so!

BTW, I'm not proof reading this, so over look my mistakes! ;)

You are in my heart and in my prayers.

Blessings,

Cheryl

Yesterday's Cinnamon Rolls

Wishing all of you could have been here yesterday! Chasey (9 y/o granddaughter) had her first baking lesson! We made cinnamon rolls. Actually, we made a little over 5 dozen cinnamon rolls! Everyone along our mile section received cinnamon rolls yesterday afternoon and Chasey took two dozen along home to share. There are only 4 left on the table this morning! Of course, there were nine kids here, including Chasey, so warm cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven, were a yummy treat!

Blessing all the neighbors, along the section (which is five families) was a wonderful lesson in giving and sharing for all the kids who were here. They were very popular as they made their delivery rounds. It is always fun to share with our neighbors. They bless us in so many ways (even the in-law ones! LOL).

Too bad my story doesn’t end there!

By the end of the day, it looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy committed some kind of terrorist act and exploded all over my kitchen. (After baking the cinnamon rolls, we had ten people for supper, too!) It was nearly midnight before all the mess was cleaned up!

Next time, you can come and share! I love the smell of cinnamon rolls baking, especially in the fall! Don't you? Definitely worth all the mess! Sharing the afternoon with grandkids is pure bliss (most of the time ;)!

May your day be blessed. Remember, He is rejocing over you with singing!

"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Hugs,

Cheryl

The Simple Woman's Daybook, September 14th

First, let my say hi and welcome. Some of you are new and I am so glad to *see* you. However, I have been having trouble commenting on some of the blogs. I’ve narrowed the problem to two possibilities (our son, the ‘puter programmer laughs, because he knows his Mama is no “techie”). But I think it is either with Blogspot (as I am still having other issues) or I may need to load a different browser. I am trying to get this worked out. Please be patient. I’ll be by to leave comments on your blogs as soon as possible.

Outside my window... ~Partly cloudy, which after three days of this, I am beginning to feel “partly cloudy” myself, with a chance of isolated T-storms. I shouldn’t complain. The animals are enjoying the cooler weather.

I am thinking... ~ I really haven’t been thinking too much. I blame that on the cloudy weather, too.

I am thankful for... ~ hope, grace

I am wearing... ~my "everyday" stuff...old T – shirt, older jeans, bare feet; the uniform of farm life ~ same as last week, different color T- shirt.

I am remembering... ~ all I have to do the next few days!!

I am praying for…~ our country, for an online friend who has brain cancer, many things, there are a lot of people hurting.

I am going... ~ to try to learn something new this week (ß this was from last week and I did learn something, I actually learned several new things!) This week, I am going to be putting out some fall decorations and maybe learn something else!

I am currently reading... ~ I’m still not reading, not like I normally do. I am reading my Bible catching up on a couple of magazines I subscribe to. The garden is beginning to slow down, so my work load is too. With the cooler weather, I am ready to curl up with an interesting book and a cup of apple-cinnamon tea.

I am hoping... ~ to finish some projects, so I won’t feel guilty about starting some new projects! I have some gifts I need to finish and some candles that have to be poured.

On my mind... ~ FAMILY

Noticing that... ~ I need to paint and would like to do so before winter

Pondering these words... ~ (my favorite verse!) Some of you know, I have been doing a Bible study with Pam Shaley. A few days ago, she suggested if we didn’t have a “life verse” we should pick one. I happen to have many verses I love, but not one true favorite. So after “pondering” on this, I realized my most favorite is ~


“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in his love, He will joy over thee with singing.” ~ Zephaniah 3:17

~ He will joy over thee with singing! The creator of the universe, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, will rejoice over us with singing! Honey, this verse makes me want to preach! Love it, love it!

From the kitchen... ~ Either chicken & dressing or chicken & rice, I’ll probably let honey hunk decide (he’ll pick dressing)

Around the house... ~ slowly, I am beginning to get caught up. It will take a while, but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel now ~ even though it is still kind of dim.

I am creating… ~ a peaceful home, a place of restoration

One of my favorite things .... ~ sleeping with the windows open! (ß this is from last week, too, but I love it so much it deserved a two week run!) I also like walking barefoot in the morning dew.

A picture to share...
photographed by my sister!

For more Daybook entries, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook!

May your day be blessed!
Cheryl

5QF

Rules for Five Ques­tion Fri­day: Same as always!! Copy and paste the fol­low­ing ques­tions to your blog post, answer them, then go see MamaM, at My Lit­tle Life, and link up. If you don’t have a blog, but wanna play along with the coolest blog hop in town, feel free to leave your answers in the com­ments below!

Ques­tions for Fri­day, Sep­tem­ber 10th: (Spe­cial thanks to Mini­van Mommy, Chrissy, Lily, Lil’ Momma, and [inspi­ra­tion] from Sandy for their ques­tion sug­ges­tions! If YOU would like to be linked in a future 5QF, c’mon over to MamaM’s com­mu­nity and offer up your best ques­tion suggestions!)

1. Do you feel guilty spend­ing money on yourself?

YES! It definitely makes me feel guilty even if it is money I rec’d for a birthday or something. I always think what I should have (or could have) done with the money.

2. How well do you know your neighbors?

What would you like to know about my neighbors? I can give you birthdates, likes/dislikes ~ the good, the bad, the ugly! ~ I know it all. You realize I live in the country and my nearest neighbors are all outlaws….er, I mean in-laws, right?

3. What age are you look­ing for­ward to being?

Wait, wait, I think I passed that “age”. Can we go backwards? I wish I had the energy I had at thirty, combined with the contentment and patience I have now.

But, I realize it could be my lack of energy that has mellowed my patience. *Something to think about!*

4. Do you get excited when the mail comes? Why?

I love checking the mail around the holidays. Because, we hear from family and friends we haven’t heard from in awhile and it gives us a chance to “catch up” with what is going on in their lives. The rest of the year, not so much!

5. What is your ear­li­est child­hood memory?

Really, you’re kidding, right? I have trouble remembering what I cooked for supper last night.

My earliest memory is going fishing, which isn’t surprising, because I learned to crawl in the bottom of a boat. (No, I don’t actually remember learning to crawl.)

I also have some early memories of my first dog, a collie named Queen. It involves my dad trying to ~ uh/huh, correct me. Instead, *Queen to the rescue!* She bit his “swattin’ hand”.

Another time, Queen tore the back pocket of my jeans, pulling me back from the road. No wonder, I remember that dog! She was one smart cookie!

Oh…PIZZA! We had pizza for supper last night.

Thanks, to Beth at A Work In Progress for pointing me toward this meme!

DD#2 and the newest member of the crew are home from the hospital. Thank you for your prayers!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,

Cheryl

Thursday's Picks

Today’s talk around Blogdom

Kim @ Marmee's Pantry has a great post + recipes for making bath salts. I love making bath salts as it is so quick and so easy. And like Kim says, “This is surprisingly simple & also makes a great gift idea for Christmas, birthdays, house-warmings, wedding gifts, etc.” (Hey, they are inexpensive, too!)


Be sure and stop by Linda’s @ Prairie Flower Farm and enter her giveaway. You can just click on the beautiful Mason jar full of guinea feathers on my side bar to go direct to the giveaway post. (And don’t you just love the name of Linda’s blog?!!) *wink*


Here is a really cool gift idea *if you are shopping around*. I read about this cute little thing over at a Crazed Mind. You can always count on Lynette to have something new and interesting on her blog. (BTW, I like the silver one (second from the top) and if you click on it, you’ll find they are cheaper if bought in bulk. Just in case you have a l.o.n.g. shopping list.)


Well, gurlz, I’m cutting this short today! *Not because there isn’t lots more interesting ideas floating about ~ ‘cause there are! You are one smart, talented bunch of gals! But I have lots to do today. New grand comes home tomorrow *prayerfully*. *For a peek, see previous post.*

Please keep Mary, Stephanie, MizzTerry, Vanilla, Beth, Bert and Jenny in your prayers. Some aren’t feeling well, some have stressful situations, and some have both. Also, pray for one of Amy's (Amy's Adventures - I don't have the link handy) little ones, who has a nasty flu bug that is going around their part of Africa.

Prayer changes things!


And the 1989 Aqua Net Hairspray Champions are ~

Remember when? I thought you needed a smile!

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Cheryl

Life 101

Wow, It’s Wednesday!

But I wasn’t done with Monday…..or Tuesday, yet!

I started the week with a long list of plans and things to do…*smile*

I know some of you are awesome when it comes to being organized and planning. I have the same experience with “to do lists” as I have whenever I wear white….or any light color….. that shows every splatter, drip, or smudge (should I say mud, dirt, paw prints?). It just doesn’t work for me. As a matter of fact, it seems to backfire in a BIG way!

Instead of “Rules are made to be broken,” I need a sign that says, “Plans are meant to be scratched.”

Tonight at sundown Rosh Hashanah begins. I wanted the house clean. I wanted the table perfect. I wanted the floors mopped and the pasture mowed. (Okay, not really on the pasture part.) But I did want things…NICE.

This is the first time we have planned to celebrate Rosh Hashanah as a family, rather that just reading about it. One of our home-school projects this year is to study the Biblical feasts.

But LIFE kicks in and things happen. A veteran friend of honey hunk showed up for dinner Sunday evening (that was after having the neighbor’s grandchildren all afternoon). Monday (Labor Day) two of the grown kids needed a baby sitter. Granny, who will be 92 next month, called “just to visit” ….and visit, and visit. Then yesterday….

LIFE really took over and our Heavenly Father saw fit to add another arrow to our ever expending quiver. Meet our latest blessing ~




Kalaya is 6 lbs. 1 oz. and 17 ½ inches long. And she has a wonderful set of lungs for praising the Lord!

I once heard an evangelist say, “Life can be a series of stumbling blocks or stepping stones.” How true! Do we see the cup half full or half empty?

So tonight at dinner we will talk about the Feast of Trumpets. We’ll talk about what it meant in the past and what it means prophetically. We’ll blow a (real) shofar and we’ll eat apples dipped in honey. We’ll thank our Heavenly Father for sending His Son and for the sweet blessings He sends into our everyday lives….even when the blessings interrupt our plans…Life

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10



Shalom and may your life be filled with blessings!

Cheryl

Labor Day, September 6th

Outside my window... ~it is dark. I am so glad to see fall, but not so glad to see the night come earlier and earlier.

I am thinking... ~ if I was wise, I would get up and finish the dishes.

I am thankful for... ~the little things.

I am wearing... ~my "everyday" stuff...old T – shirt, older jeans, bare feet; the uniform of farm life.

I am remembering... ~ all I have to do the next few days!!


I am going... ~ try to learn something new this week.

I am currently reading... ~nothing...who has time to read in the summer, the garden and the bounty there of, has stolen my reading time, but I have a stack of books waiting on “the right time.” (Sorry, some things don’t change in seven days. Still putting okra in the freezer!)

I am hoping... ~ for some time alone (hahaha)

On my mind... ~ did you know, when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, they made camp in 42 different locations? In Revelations the a.c. will be in power for 42 months. I think there is a definite connection, but I haven’t made it, yet!

Noticing that... ~ I lost a follower. I hope I didn’t offend

Pondering these words... ~ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ~
Philippians 4:8


From the kitchen... ~Homemade sourdough bread


Around the house... ~ lots to do!

One of my favorite things... ~ sleeping with the windows open!

Enjoy your journey... ~




Hope you are having a lovely Labor Day Weekend!

For more Daybook entries, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook!

For a S.W.E.E.T. giveaway, visit Linda @ Prairie Flower Farm.

Blessings,
Cheryl

It’s Fall, Ya’ll!

Is there anything better, than waking up to 67 degrees and bright sunshine? Whether it is fall or spring, sunshine and cool temperatures are a welcome respite, especially if you live in an area where summer temps can easily hit in the three digit range and winter temps, while not often, can land in the minus department!

Autumn is indeed a welcome sight! (As well as I am sure spring will be in a few months!)

You should have been here last night! We experienced one of the most awesome lightning shows I’ve seen. Bright streaks continually broke across the sky, leaving the night air super charged! It was amazing! (Fortunately, no cloud to ground strikes in our area.)

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*See, I was RIGHT (for a change)!*

There is nothing that can prompt a change in weather in Oklahoma, like a good ole county fair ~ everytime!

We have some friends who recently moved to OK from Illinois. And the August temps of 100+ have really been an adjustment for them. For three weeks, I have said….. “just wait, the first week of September (county fair time) and you will even need a jacket in the evenings (well, almost).” And TA – DA!!!

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There was an o.l.d. TV show (maybe the Lone Ranger….speaking of which, why did they call it the “Lone Ranger”? After all, wasn’t Tonto always around? This was definitely not a p.c. show!). I digress ~ sorry!

At the end of each episode, the line went something like this, “Come, Tonto. Our work here is done!”

My question is: Is your work ever done?

Because, I’m here to tell ya, it doesn’t seem like mine is ever done. Most of the time, I don’t even come close to “caught up.” (And I just spent most the summer on a vacation from Blogdom!) ~ I must be missing the mark here, someway!

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Speaking of which, while I have been “away”, many of you of updated your blogs, remodeled and have them looking quite spiffy! This is something I need to do, but where to start?

I have been having trouble with blogspot, but I am thinking my browser may need to be updated. Once I get “the nerve” to do that (last time, honey hunk thought I wiped out the music library!), some of my “problems” may be solved.

Just wanted to say, you guys are “LOOKING” great! I’m jealous!

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We are planning to celebrate the Biblical Feasts this year. I am beyond excited and this will be such a wonderful learning experience for all of us. Next week, the 9th & 10th, will be Rosh Hashanah (It is a new year, new beginnings!) I have already started planning our menu and working toward the early preps for the two day feast. I am trying to achieve two things. The first is to provide foods that will convey a feeling of festivity, but ones that can be prepared ahead of time. Secondly, trying to please everyone, while not copying our typical” fall holiday meal….Thanksgiving!

Last night, I made up the Sourdough bread starter! Today, I will finish planning the menu and make a shopping list. I welcome any and all suggestions!

Shabbat Shalom, everyone!

May your Labor Day Weekend restorative and refreshing, full of laughter and joy!

Blessings,

Cheryl

For YOU

Who are you NOT to be brilliant, successful and wealthy?

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate;
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It’s our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
But what you want to be asking yourself is, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.

There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are each born to manifest the glory of God that is within each of us.

Remember, as you let your own light shine, you unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

~adapted from Marianne Williamson, A Course in Miracles

May blessings flow to you and through you!

Cheryl