Happy Homemaker Monday: July 27, 2020

Good morning, friends. I'm a bit weepy this morning. I took a drive through the mountains yesterday, and passed Grandpa Bruce's house. Everything came flooding back...and made me miss him. And my Dad. Even though the two men never met each other, they both shaped my life in ways I could never have predicted.

The Weather: Less terrible, more seasonal! Last week, we had some scary thunderstorms, and a few lightning strikes in the county. It was terrifying, but things have thankfully evened out just a little bit, though I'm always keeping an eye out on the hurricane forecast. Hurricanes this far inland are pretty rare, but Grandpa Bruce always told me about when Francis and Ivan swept through in 2007, and caused much damage to the little mountain town.

How I am feeling this morning: Physically pretty good. I took several short mini hikes yesterday and was completely wiped out by the time I got home. All is well now though, after a good night's sleep.

On my mind: It's been 10 years since our family of then-three (Gabe, Ella, and me) arrived in North Carolina with pretty much the clothes on our backs. We knew one person, and I'm thankful for that friendship to this day. I went to work the next day, and somehow made enough money to move out of my friend's house, into our first tiny little North Carolina house. It was scary to start over, so far away from everything and everyone I knew, but it made us all stronger in the end. It's hard to think of Ella as this tiny 4 year old, when now, she's 14, and headstrong, and one of the best people I know. This place is where my husband., by God's grace, beat his alcohol addiction. The place where my dream to become a Mom again was realized, though we've lost a pair of little twins and my only son. Had we never come to North Carolina, I've no doubt that Gabe and I would be divorced. I'm so thankful for our first little NC landlady, Mrs. Marie. She and I had our own little book club the three years we rented from her. The girls and I still visit her, and will visit again when COVID gets lost...Mrs. Marie is elderly and would be terribly vulnerable to this virus. Maybe I'll write her a postcard.

On the breakfast plate: Coffee, with a side of...coffee. Yikes.

On my TV: I haven't watched ANYTHING. Most of my time has been spent in the garden. I'll try to post pictures of it, on another entry I've planned for today.

On the menu this week: 
Monday: Butter Chicken, Rice
Tuesday: Hamburger Casserole
Wednesday: Smothered Pork Stew
Thursday: Greek Chicken and CousCous
Friday: Mississippi Mud Potatoes
Saturday: Jambalaya and Sausage
Sunday: Baked Ziti (It's also my 14th Wedding Anniversary!)

From the Camera: 

My two girls. Born 11 years and 11 days apart, though it certainly was not planned that way. Ella was born 1 year to the day after I lost her big sister. Josie was born 1 year, 1 month, 1 week, and 1 day after I said goodbye to her big brother Thomas. I am so blessed.

Looking around the house: Oof. Needs some TLC, to say the least. My husband's weekends off are rare and cherished, but the house always needs to recover. Chores go by the wayside, and that's okay. I'd rather have that time with Gabe anyway.

Chore I'm not looking forward to: I'm trying to look forward to all the chores, because that means they will be done.

To relax this week, I will: Take myself on a walk through the tiny creekbed that faces Grandpa's house, listen to all of the music that Grandpa was so excited about. Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard. Take Ella and Josie on a picnic at the Riverwalk, so we can look at the bandstand that Grandpa helped to build. Listen to Benjamin Tod's soothing voice and guitar. Watch the sunset from the top of the hill in town.

Something I want to share: 

This man's voice made me burst into tears the first time I heard it. Maybe I am just emotional, I guess.


On my prayer list: 
Everybody and everything. I know that I post that every week, but it is what it is. This country, the world, NEED God.