September Beginnings

 

It’s hard to believe that we are almost halfway into September.

Carissa is now 7 months old.  I feel like she is growing to fast and that I’m missing out on so much of her life.  I guess that comes from her living 3 hours away from me.

I was hoping that this month would be the beginning of several new habits.  As the kids go back to school I want to start working on ideas fro selling my Christian books.  I pray that I will find some ways that will work for me.

I have been studying a lot about modesty and would like to start to wear dresses and jumpers.  I have modest long skirts which I will continue to wear but will not replace when thy are worn out.

I have started to wear a prayer veil or head covering.  I am getting to feel comfortable and have been out several times now with it on. 

Thursday I will be taking my van down to Toronto to see the man who designed my lift.  I am hoping that he will have some viable options to enable me to use this van.  I am praying as well as many of my friends for this to happen.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Happy Father's Day to all the "real" dads out there.  I had the best Dad there could be.  He was always there for me and I know that he loved me more than anything.

After my husband left us my Dad had enough love to give to my 2 sons as well.  Whenever my Mom and Dad would come to visit my Dad was always working outside in the garden with my 2 sons as helpers.


This picture is of my Dad and my eldest son (now 29 years of age with his own daughter).


My Dad is gone now and has been for about 15 years.  I miss him very much and there are so many things that I wish I could share with him.  I have been left with many wonderful memories of my Dad as a father to me and a grandfather to my sons.


Thank you Lord for my dad.

Carissa Marie

Today was one of the most exciting days for me.  I met my 4 week old baby granddaughter for the first time.

I have been excited since I first found out my son and his wife were expecting.  I did not realize how wonderful it would be to hold her in my arms for the first time.  Someone wrote on my Facebook the following comment, Maggie you have the look of love written all over you. Such a wonderful blessing !!!! I would say that about sums up what I'm feeling.


Carissa Marie I love you and I know I am going to love being your Grandma.

Finished Quilt

I am so happy today.  I finished the quilt for Carissa, my new granddaughter.  I was supposed to meet her on Saturday and our plans got changed.  Now I will be meeting her for the first time on Friday and her quilt be be ready for her.  Carissa will be 4 weeks old on Friday and is my first grandchild.  I am so anxious to hold her in my arms.

I am pleased with the way that this quilt turned out.  It is a ragged quilt and has not been washed and dried yet.  My understanding is that is what makes the edges fray and gives it the appearance of being ragged.
This is my first ragged quilt and after making it, I now have ideas to make the next one better.  I’ve seen some cute ideas and am eagerly looking forward to trying them out.

Baby Quilt

Today I am doing more work on a baby quilt for my new granddaughter. It is going to take longer than I thought it would.  I’m not sure why I seem to end up having problems and delays especially when I am working within a certain  time frame.  I’m disappointed because I don’t think i will have it finished by Saturday when my son is bringing Carissa to meet me for the first time.  It seems that I forgot a couple of steps which will take extra time that I don’t have.

I think I’d better get back to work now.  I will post a picture when the quilt is completed.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Today I was feeling a little low.  I decided to make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake using my Mom's recipe and her cast iron fry pan that she used to make it in.  I have not made this cake in years and I have never made it in my Mom's pan.


I was amazed at how close this cake made me feel to my Mom who has been gone now for about 6 years now.  I would never thought of cake as a comfort food but I guess this one is for me.


I forgot to get a picture of the cake before it was cut up.  You can take my word for it that it looked great, smelled even better and tasted fantastic.


I'm just praising the Lord for the mother that I had and for all the love that we shared with each other.

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... the sun is shinning brightly

I am thinking...about what I want to do today

I am thankful for...my Service Dog, Dian who helps me in so many ways

From the kitchen...dirty dishes lay waiting for me to wash

I am wearing...blue jean skirt, red top and grey hoodie

I am creating...baby quilt for Carissa my new granddaughter

I am going...no where as I have not got a van  yet and so am housebound

I am reading...The Blessing

I am hoping...the poain eases of in my knees soon

I am hearing...horrible music coming from the local radio station.  I must shut it off and listen to the quiet of the day.

Around the house...lay treasures from times gone by

One of my favorite things...my flute which I dedicated to the Lord and use to praise Him

A few plans for the rest of the week... work on tidying up the house and some reorganizing of cupboards

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Go here to read more simple day book entries.
http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Outside my window... snow has been falling
I am thinking... of my new granddaughter
I am thankful for...Carissa's safe arrival
From the kitchen... made chocolate drop cookies
I am wearing... sweater and long brown skirt
I am creating... a quilt for Carissa
I am going...no where today
I am reading... the Bible and an Amish story
I am hoping...to find a new attendant soon
I am hearing...music from someone's blog
Around the house...is a mess waiting for me to tidy
One of my favorite things... Dian, my service dog
A few plans for the rest of the week: just to get through it
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...meet Carissa Marie my new granddaughter

THE SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK~

Would you like to linger on the simple things...then join me and many others in taking a little look into the day plans and thoughts of those who are focusing on simplicity...beauty of the everyday moments. 

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ 

I'm a Grandmother !!!

I'm so excited today.  My first grandchild was born early this morning.  Mom, dad and baby and doing just fine. I just can't stop bouncing up and down in excitement.

Carrot Muffins

Well my menu plan didn't work well today.  I did not feel like cooking and so did not cook dinner.  Simply had a bowl of cereal.

I was supposed to make muffins yesterday and they didn't get made until this morning.  I really enjoy these Carrot Muffins.  I had quadrupled the recipe and left some batter in the fridge to make just a few fresh muffins at a time.  Works great for me as I live here alone.

Carrot Muffins

·        1/2 cup whole wheat flour

·        1/4 cup packed brown sugar

·        1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·        1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·        1/4 teaspoon baking soda

·        1/4 teaspoon salt

·        1/4 cup butter

·        2 tablespoons orange juice

·        1 egg

·        3/4 cup grated carrots

·        1/4 cup raisins

·         

·        In large bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, beat the butter, orange juice and egg on medium speed for 1 minute (mixture will not be smooth). Stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in carrots and raisins.

Fill 6 muffin tins half full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.

Menu Plan

Today I decided it is time to start making up weekly menus.  I’m hoping that this will simplify my shopping and food preparation.  I need help with some food preparations and so need to plan ahead so that my attendant can do things up for me in the morning.  I’ve also noticed that when I make up a shopping list I keep forgetting things.  

I think that by knowing what I’m going to eat this week should help me make a more accurate grocery list.

I am finding it very difficult to think of different meals to write down.  I got 3 days done right away and then I am struggling with the balance of the week.

Perhaps this is a case of "practice makes perfect"..............

My Simple Life

My simple life is becoming complicated.

Last night started off bad as I flushed my birthstone ring down the toilet.  I’ve been told that it’s gone for good now.  This ring was full of sentimental feelings towards my ex boyfriend.  Perhaps it’s a good thing that it’s gone………..

Last night I found out that a good friend had just had a heart attack.  He is ok but will be some time before he can return to work.  He and his wife and I have been friends for close to 30 years.  I’m hurting for his wife and wish that I could be there with her.  Unfortunately I still don’t have a van and so cannot go there. I will continue praying for them.

Then I received an email from a woman who worked for me as a PSW last summer.  She left me to move up north to live with her brother in their family home.  She is a cancer survivor and a single mother with 4 children.  When she got up north she discovered that her brother is dying of cancer and is in his last days right now.  To make matters worse, she has just been diagnosed with a rare disease that leaves her with only about 5 years to live.  She also wrote the following  ...oh well god has his plan i guess .. oh yeah i have found jesus and hes an ass lol but im praying to him none the less - and theres comfort there i must admit - I feel the Lord leading me to minister to her in some way.  I don’t know where to start.

Roots

My son who is expecting a baby the beginning of February has been picking out names with his wife.  They are all wrapped up in the meaning of the names.  Today he started texting asking me about the different backgrounds.I'm amazed at all the backgrounds that I come from.

Zurbrigg - I am adopted and so the background of my birth mother is German and Swiss.

Hull - My adopted parents.  My paternal grandfather was English

McGugan - My paternal Grandfather's wife was Scottish

Webster - My maternal grandfather was English

Corrigan - My maternal great grandmother was Irish

I'm a real melting pot of a lot of interesting ancestries.

The most important family tie is God who is my Father.

Mom's Cast Iron Skillet

Part of my plans for simplifying my life include learning to cook from scratch using basic equipment instead of a lot of electric gadgets.

The first step I have taken is to get rid of my electric fry pan and teflon coated pots and replaced them with Mom's Cast Iron Skillet.  Mom would be about 100 years old and so I imagine this skillet must be at least 65 years old.  I've heard of comfort food but I have a comfort skillet.

I was hesitant to use this cast iron skillet but after using it for about a dozen times I now love it.  Wish I'd started using it a long time ago.

I wonder what my next lesson will be.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men. 

Colossians 3:23

My father used to tell me that If a job is worth doing,

It is worth doing well.

As an adult I learned the rest of the saying as:

And do it as if it's

For the Lord.

As a child I did not realize that this verse is based on a principle from the Scriptures.  I remember the first part as a child but then when you added the second part it took on a whole different meaning.

I think that if I apply this to simplifying my life I should be able to get somewhere quicker.  After all if it's for the Lord then it becomes more important for me to do it.

De Cluttering

I read someone's post about decluttering and it set me to thinking.  It seems to me that when I try to declutter all I end up doing is moving stuff from one location to another.  I do manage to get rid of some stuff but obviously not enough.

I live in a small 2 bedroom home with no basement or attic for storage.  I have a furnace room where I do store some items but that room is out of control.  Unfortunately it is a step down and the doorway is too narrow for my wheelchair to go through.  Alas, I rely on others to look after that room

I have decided that we need to tackle the furnace room first and then carry on from there.  Oh what fun is in store for me this week..............

No Ideas

I want to get into the habit of blogging on a regular basis.  However, I'm not coming up with any ideas of what to write about.  I've been fighting a chest cold for about a week now and I think it is draining all my energy as well as my thinking powers...........  Sounds good.

I'll try again tomorrow.

New Year

Tonight is New Year's Eve.  Doesn't seem like there is  much exciting about it for me.  I will spend the evening alone just like any other evening.

As I reflect on the last year and all that it held, I am also making plans for the new year.

I do not believe in making New Year's resolutions as for most they are empty promises to be broken.  The Scriptures teach us not to break our vows and promises.

I do hope to continue to simplify my life.  I am trying to get a handle on my eating habits to both simplify and make them healthier choices.  My lifestyle is continually being simplified.  As I get accustomed to one less thing then I will drop another.  I have cut off my sattelite dish and will rid myself of my TV when it dies.  I will not replace it.

I would also like to start blogging on a regular basis.  I guess you need to start off slow and get into the rhythm of it.

Happy New Year to all.

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... it's dark outside now and was a rather dreary day.

I am thinking...of ways to eliminate the clutter and non essential items in my home

I am thankful for... my salvation through Christ


From the kitchen...nothing much today other than a german pancake for lunch.

I am wearing...red top with blue skirt 

I am creating... my blog

I am going... into town tomorrow.  It will be the first time that I've been there since the end of August.

I am reading... nothing, just finished a book last night and have not started a new one yet

I am hoping.. to find some suitable winter clothes tomorrow

I am hearing... Christian music from my cd player

Around the house... is music everywhere as I prepare Christmas music for my students.

One of my favorite things... is to read blogs about the Simple life

A few plans for the rest of the week: make some phone calls and hopefully start to clean my spare bedroom

Here is picture for a thought I am sharing... no picture today as I have not retrieved my photos onto my computer since it crashed.




To participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook go here: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ 

Benefit Concert

Last Saturday night a couple of friends held a Benefit Concert for me to help raise funds to replace my modified van which bit the dust.  Here I am receiving a check for $500 from the Lions Club.  Muxh to my surprise their help does not end here as sme of the men are actively looking for a modified van for me as well as encouraging other local service clubs to help me out as well.


The evening started off with a potluck dinner and Silent Auction.  There were many donations made for the auction and I was amazed by all.  After dinner we went upstairs for a Concert.

The concert started off with Bell Ringers from Trinity United Church.  They sounded great and the visual part was very interesting.


They were followed by Levi Denbok a local Christian youth who is writing his own songs and doing very well.

Next was my son Andrew, playing the guitar and singing his own songs.  I felt very privileged that he would drive over from Peterborough to play in the Concert.  I love you Andrew.


The evening was finished with one song by me on the flute accompanied on the piano.  I played "My Tribute".


How can I say thanks for the things you have done for me?
Things so undeserved, yet you give to prove your love for me.
The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude
All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee
To God be the glory.  To God be the Glory.


Without God none of this would have been possible.  Amen.