Happy Homemaker Monday

 

As usual, there's no time for a long post, but I'm taking a few minutes to join Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The Weather:::

 It's 32º and sunny at 4:30 pm.  10 mph wind so it feels like 23º. 

As I look outside my window:::

Lots of snow on the ground in the woods and a very icy driveway.   And looking out my window at night one would see what we call "the little fir tree" bravely shining to beat back the dark winter.

Right now I am:::

 Working on a blog post.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 On something presented in this week's Sunday School lesson.  This is the study Loving God with All Your Mind by Elizabeth George.  In the chapter we went over yesterday in class we were talking about  Romans 8:28 and how *all* things work together for good in believers' lives and just what "all things" includes.  The point was made in the chapter that "all things" also includes the people in a difficult situation: Whether an individual brings us joy or sorrow, pleasure or pain, comfort or conflict, he or she has come into our lives by the hand of God .. and He uses each and every one for His purposes and for our eventual good.  Now this is a very deep thought and a hard one for me to process.  Maybe for you too.  But we can count on it … some good will come from every relationship, even the most difficult and painful.  

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, 2 books, and a pen.

 Listening to::: 

Literally, silence.  The occasional vehicle passing by on the road below.

 Above is a bit of my January decorating.  Guess it's time to swap out some of those blue touches for red and hearts.  We will see!

On the Breakfast plate::: I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast. Lunch was a salad of leaf lettuce, cubed turkey, cheddar cheese and avocado.

On the dinner plate::: 

Creamy Sausage Stew with some type of low-carb side

On the menu for this week::: 

 A few meals on my menu plan:

Tortilla Enchilada Soup

Italian sausage, eggplant and peppers

Burger bowls

 

On my reading pile:::

 

 Every Ocean Has a Shore, by Jamie Langston Turner, a Christmas gift I'm really enjoying.

Adorned by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor by Donna Otto

A Step Farther and Higher, by Gail MacDonald
High Call, High Privilege, also by Gail MacDonald

On my to do list today:::
 

Spend time cross stitching

Write some thank-you notes

Prepare and send Etsy order√
Go for a walk downtown√

Do some planning for later in the week

Talk with my Nevada daughter
Declutter two dresser drawers √

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
Etsy listings

Ironing
Take a bag to the thrift store
Work on Sunday School lesson 20

Blogging

Get started with an exercise regimen
Complete 40-day sugar fast

Begin some serious decluttering

Start a pillow quilt

Make mug rug and coaster
Do some cleaning at my volunteer job

Mug rug and coaster will resemble those above ... from the same fabric collection, probably different colors though.

What I am creating:::

 

January cross-stitch sampler, plus another wintry cross-stitch intended for a gift

Some "condensation catchers" out of old towels to place behind toilets that sweat in the humidity -- no, I still haven't finished started those! 😕  And I need to do so, because the old towels are just sitting around waiting to be used!   And also because we keep getting sporadic warmer weather and I half expect the toilets to start sweating again.

An older unfinished dishcloth in a more challenging pattern

Need to start a pillow quilt
Need to start a mug rug and coaster for a March birthday gift

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

This quote from my Scofield Study Bible: 

"Assurance is the Christian's full conviction that, through the work of Christ alone, received by faith, he is in possession of a salvation in which he will be eternally kept."

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday  for this week!