Here we are again!  It's that time of year when summer is winding down and school is gearing up.  Today is my very last Saturday on summer break.  I must say, in my 7 years of working at the middle school, this is my very first summer I really did what I wanted to do and took the time to recharge myself.  

May was all about finishing up our wood floors, getting items purged from the house and garage we no longer needed, having that once a year garage sale, flower planting and backyard beautifying!!

Wahooo!!!

I am so glad there were a couple of family members kicking my hiny at the beginning of the summer to get all of this stuff done so that I could truly enjoy the rest of my summer!!!  

THANK YOU Catfish'n and Musician!!!  

June and July brought days of crafting, reading, Bible study, blogging, finding and trying new recipes, cooking, making decisions that will impact our future and spending time with friends and family! 

I can say that I am very well rested and ready to kick it up for a BRAND NEW school year!!!

This will truly be an adventure this fall, and one that I am looking forward to with eager anticipation!!  Approximately 20 years ago I started taking classes in order to earn my degree in education.  When we moved to our home, that we have now lived in 13 years, my schooling started to take a back seat.  We no longer just lived down the street from our local university.  We were 20 miles away and gasoline was quickly on the rise.  I did pursue as much as I could through online learning and through our local Junior College that met at our high school just down the street from our home.  Although, there does come a time when you finally reach a point where you have done all you can online, and have to actually attended classes on campus within your degree area.  As life would have it, by the time I was ready to actually go back to the university in which I began, classes were only available during actual working hours.     

Quitting my job was/is not an option, currently.  I have truly taken a break even from online learning for approximately 4 1/2 years.  I had told myself when a door closed at work then I knew it was time to go back and finish.  Then, last summer I told myself to just get the whole idea out of my head about finishing at all.
I thought, "Crying-out-loud who on earth will hire someone my age by the time I'm through anyway?!"  

However, this is a NEW YEAR, a NEW DAY, a NEW ERA!!

Catfish'n has had a couple of health concerns that really got us both to thinking.  I also ran across in May while doing all of that cleaning, some of my old assignments and my "WHY TEACH" notebook I had completed in 2009.  This notebook contained several things, but one big thing it contained was my educational beliefs.  I realized even in 4 1/2 years they had not changed.  I realized I still had that burning desire deep down in my heart to finish something I had started
 and
 something I believe God had/has put me here for.  

My classroom is my mission field!     

So Catfish'n and I had a heart-to-heart not to long ago and came to the decision that it was time for me to finish, even if Musician was still working on her education and still at home.  

There would be two college students in the house, once again!!!

SO HERE WE GO!!!

Musician and I are each going to tackle 12 hours of college and work!!!

I am very excited and up for the challenge!!

Our ducks are all in a row, or should I say textbooks.
  The books have been slowly but surely arriving in the mail, we just received the last one on Thursday.

  Now, we each have a weeks worth of work settling into our new work schedules,
then August 19th we begin our classes!!!

However, in taking on this endeavor, Catfish'n and I had to have another heart-to-heart and that was about the cooking schedule!
I tried to break it to him as gently as I could.
We may be eating soup and sandwiches a couple nights a week as well as having a left-over night.  

I was met with a tad bit of resistance but then he decided it wouldn't be too bad, 

and he really is a not so bad of a cook himself!!

Look at this fabulous brisket he made just a month or so ago

AND

with homemade BBQ sauce!!!

I don't think the man will go too hungry.

LOL!!!

While exploring many of the 164 blogs in Karen Valentine's 5th Annual Blogger Party, I have been totally inspired with ideas to repurpose the space that I have available to keep my crafting items somewhat more neatly stored, organized and just inviting me to create!!

As it was previously, I really haven't had one centrally located space, ever, to keep all of my crafting supplies stored, organized and just inviting me to create.  I had a couple of places in the house, and then a couple of areas in the garage.  I would have to gather everything and take it to the area in which I was going to create.  Which I showed you all these places in my July 11th post.

As I said, many blogs I have visited have inspired me with ideas for being more organized.  However, one stands out "THE" most so far.  It was Tina at her "Beansie Babbles" blog that most inspired me!  You just have to check out her site http://beansiebabbles.blogspot.com/ and her July 12th post.  She has taken a 61" x 54" walk-in closet and used every square inch of space for her little crafting heaven on earth!!!

You ROCK Tina!!!  

The way she has used every square inch of space to not just store and organize her crafting items, this space totally invites no beckons us to, 

"Come on in the water's fine!"

So here we go with my space!  

Not quite up there yet with Tina, 

but it is 

almost
 my little crafting heaven on earth!!

I really can't believe I let you in to this space previously, 

seeing how organized many of you are in your crafting areas!  

Okay, so this is the before picture.  So sad.

I did spend a good 3 hours working on organizing all my colored scrap paper

and some other things last Sunday evening.  

It is amazing how much scrap paper a person can simply just not let go of.

I ended up with an entire 9 x 12 x 3.5 inch tote of scraps all organized by color.

Then yesterday I spent 5 hours doing this!

Welcome!!

To my newly stored, organized and inviting crafting space!!!

I am so excited!!

I not only have everything in one centrally located area,

I still have room for MORE stuff!!!

Just in time too, my nieces are coming over tomorrow to do some crafting with Aunt Laura!!!

What you do not see in this picture and why it took me 5 uninterrupted hours, I might add,

is there was a double bed in this room full of "stuff" needing organizing too!

That is even a way more sad picture that, thank goodness, I did not take.  

Anyway,

the other thing that came to me after I was all finished,

the bed can actually be used now by a guest!

Also,

this stand alone closet really can be used as well for that guest.

Before,

I would have to grab the pile of stuff and plop it somewhere.

Now, 

I can just grab a stack of totes and place them in another room!

So,

this area is way more repurposed than I had thought!

Again,

a great big THANK YOU to Karen and Tina 

for your inspiration behind my newly repurposed crafting space!!!

Okay, so if you don't get the title of my post today.  You obviously were deprived as a child, or your children were.  However, not to worry, your grandchildren do not have to be deprived, it's not too late!!

Remember the Frances books?!  They were written during the 60s and 70s by Russell Hoban and the very first book by Hoban was illustrated by Garth Williams (Little House on the Prairie series illustrator too!), the rest of the books in the series were illustrated by Hoban's wife Lillian.  The first book in the series was titled "Bedtime for Frances" but one of my favorites was "Bread and Jam for Frances."  These books are truly classics!  I love classics!

Okay, back on the farm, as my daughter would say when we get off on a bunny trail, or in this case a badger trail!  LOL!  Sorry for my humor this morning.  I may be the only one laughing.  I went to bed at a regular time last night, almost my going back to work time, then I got up at my going back to work time, and I have already had two cups of java, made a batch of zucchini bread and am working on some Pioneer Woman layered jello for a snack for Bible study tonight.  It's a visual for part of our lesson.  Don't worry, they get the zucchini bread too, and with cream cheese frosting to spread on each slice, if they choose!

My Dad's birthday was last week.  He loves to get, or at least he says he does, I am pretty sure he is telling the truth, anyway he loves to get my homemade cream or fruit pies for his birthday with a home made card.  Yes, he still likes these from me even though his daughter is over 45 and almost 50, home made cards! However, for this birthday I decided to try to make him some Blueberry Jam, another one of his favorites; since I had made him a blueberry pie for Father's Day.  

I found this great Blueberry Jam recipe online and just had to try it!  I am always looking for quick and easy recipes, but having the taste like you slaved over the stove for hours!  Anybody with me?!?!  There were only two ingredients used in making this recipe: fresh blueberries, and sugar.  I have seen other recipes in which people have used lemon juice or lemon peel and cinnamon, that is fine too.  Whatever your taste buds like, I say use those ingredients! However, on this particular day, I just used the two.   

First I washed the jars and then boiled the jars and lids for 5 minutes.

While that was all happening, I took the time to really wash and stem the blueberries.  

We didn't want those yucky stems in our beautiful completed jam, now did we!!

Once the blueberries were washed I did take the time to pat them dry 

with a paper towel.  Not ever having made this recipe before, 

I didn't want extra liquid to be a factor in how long

 it took for the berries to cook down into jam.

Next I put 4 pints of cleaned and patted dry blueberries into my pot on the stove.

I then added 3 cups of sugar, turned the stove up to medium heat, 

then used a potato masher and started releasing the juices from the blueberries.

*Side note here: I actually used this utensil I had in order to mash

and stir my mixture.  I used this so that the utensil I was using

would not scratch the surface of my pot.  This product worked 

great because it wasn't flexible.  It was stiff so that I could actually

mash the blueberries but then stir the mixture as well.  

Once the mixture was pretty mashed and it had come to a boil,

I continued to stir mixture for approximately 30 minutes,

allowing for it to be in a controlled boil the entire time.

Mixture is done thickening when you spoon out some jam onto a 

surface and it leaves a thick trail behind your spoon.

Do Not stop stirring the mixture or you will scorch your jam.

Believe it or not, I was able to get 3 1/2 pints cooked product

out of 4 fresh pints of blueberries.  

It is amazing how much cooks off!

If I don't say so myself,

the finished product was/is quite tasty!

There is no need to seal the jars with wax 

if you intend to eat the jam within 4 weeks.  

This recipe is good for up to 4 weeks stored in the refrigerator.    

  

Last Friday, July 5th was an amazingly great time with our church family!!  Each year our small town Fire Department and City Council put on a fabulous fireworks display.  This event doesn't always take place on the 4th, it usually takes place the Friday or Saturday following the 4th.  

In the past, we have met under the 4H Pavillion at our City Park.  

Not so much this year.  

Last year was so incredibly hot that we decided to rent the Community Building which is located just up the way a bit from the 4H Pavillion at the City Park.  

So glad we did!

This year we had the largest crowd ever!  There were approximately 160 of us!

In the past the most we have had is around 125.  

Normally we grill burgers and dogs.  We provide the meat, buns, condiments and tableware.

Then everyone else brings both a side, dessert and their own drink.

This year we did things a little/lot differently!

Along with not having it outside, and deciding to rent the building so we had AC,

the church came along side us and purchased fried chicken, 400 pieces of fried chicken!!

Then our family made several sides, while everyone in attendance

 brought a dessert and their own drink.

Main serving area with fired chicken, fruit salads, 

baked beans, pasta salad and cheesy casserole.

Dessert area, my favorite!

No party is complete without decorations!

These were fun.  I found the idea for the rockets on Pinterest.

The rest were items we purchased at either the Dollar Tree or Hobby Lobby.

We printed out the Declaration of Independence on paper,

then cut them out to fit around these LED candles.

The flag came from the church.
The lantern has an LED candle in it and came from our back patio.

This is what it looks like close up.

I just tied a little ribbon around the top

and then used this fun garland and wrapped it around the entire lantern.

This is the baked bean and finish making the salad crew!
My Dad in the dark blue and my step-mom to his left in the turquoise.

This is the run and get the ice, tea lights at the Dollar Tree,

clean-up, salad making and trash crew!

From left to right: my daughter, my niece, my daughter's boyfriend, his friend

and me.

Here is the rest of the clean-up crew!

My hubby in the dark shirt to the back with his hand under his chin,

 and his two buddies.

Of course the evening was not complete until we had watched the 

beautiful display that the Fire Department and City Council provided!

Thank you to everyone that came to this annual event!

We look forward to another great time next year!

Hello all!  I want to welcome you all to the party and thank Karen Valentine for taking time to put this party together.  What a great opportunity for all of us to share our ideas and get to know one another better.

This is my first year participating in the annual blog party.  However, I am not new to the blogging scene.  I have been blogging since June of 2008.

In 2008, when I first started blogging it was about our faith, family and the fun stuff we did.  It was also mainly used to keep our family connected that live in different parts of the United States and world.  

At that time, our daughter was getting ready for her junior year in high school and our son had just graduated from college.  

Here we were last summer, 2012 just four short years after I had started blogging and all of a sudden I came to a lull, so to speak, with postings.  Life got a little busier at work and the postings had quite a bit of distance from one post to the next.  I wasn't doing it for enjoyment any longer but more out of duty, or to check it off my "Done" list.  

I am very blessed to have a job in which I work 9 months out of the year and then get three off during the summer months.  In the past, I have filled my summers with lots of fun things but also things that would keep me so busy, and yes, I was often times doing things that I enjoyed but at a very hurried pace.  Then by the time my summer break was over, I didn't really feel like I got a break.     

As we came to this summer, I set some different goals.  I wanted to get back to cooking more and experimenting with creating my own recipes, as well as trying some new and old ones, and then modifying others after we had tried them; making them either healthier or more to the want of our taste buds.  It was my son that inspired me to change our family blog to more of a food and family blog!  

Since that summer of 2008, things have changed a lot around the home front.  Our son has since got married and we have a wonderful daughter-in-law!  Our daughter is still at home but in her fourth year of college, changing majors only for the 1st time, she is hardly at home between work, school and a serious boy-friend.  These changes have allowed us to do some remodeling and that has been exciting!

It actually all started with remodeling our kitchen three years ago!  It isn't anything huge but it works for our family.  In the foreground you can see a bar and pass-thru window, yes we knocked a hole in a load bearing wall!  That was fun stuff!!  We wanted our kitchen to open up into our dining and living area so when we were hosting family or friend gatherings (which we do quite often) we could feel like we were all together!  

So welcome to my "new" first space of creating, our kitchen!!

This was my "original" first place for creating.  This room was used to homeschool our daughter for six years when we moved into our home thirteen years ago.  We did lots of lessons and crafting in this room!  Our idea with putting this long 10 foot counter top in this room is so that one day it would transition from the schooling room to my crafting/sewing room.  

However......

Our daughter did go off to high school eight years ago but it wasn't until this spring when we tackled refinishing our wood floors that we transitioned this room from the school/crafting room to basically "The Office".  We cut down the 10 foot long counter top, and now we each have a place in the room with our computers to work on whatever project we might be working on using the internet.  Yes, my husband has this 4 foot section of the counter.  We just did this project a few weeks ago and have not completed his area, totally.  

This is our daughter's area of the room.  There were some ugly sliding doors on this closet and we took them off and put this curtain up using a tension rod.  

I like the look a lot better, makes the room seem a little homey!

  

This is my area!  A friend gave us, yes gave us this roll top desk!!  

This is were I find all my inspirations behind my cooking, crafting and home decorating ideas!!!

This has become my "new" crafting/sewing area!  It is now our extra room in the basement.  Eventually, the other 6 foot section of the counter top is going to be placed in this room!  

This room is still a work in progress!!

Although, I do find myself at this table more often putting together my crafty things, or pulling out my portable sewing machine to repair something.  

Then, if it is a nice day outside temperature wise, I often find myself out on our back patio creating.  

I have used this area for a couple of projects this summer!!

Thanks for taking a look at my spaces where I have fun creating my food and crafty items.

I hope you come back for more!!

Last night was our first time to meet for our summer Bible study!  Throughout the school year on a Monday or Thursday night, in the past and in the evenings, I have hosted a Bible study and for quite a few years.  Usually, I am involved with a summer Bible study.  However, in the past I have been involved with a summer Bible study that meets during the day.  I have even hosted a Bible study during the day in the summer in my home.  This summer, rather than being involved in a daytime Bible study, I chose to be involved with an evening one, and, I decided I would even host it!

It is always a great time of fellowship, food and studying His Word!  We had a couple of new faces and it always amazes me how we are almost all like long lost friends coming together.  It is totally His Spirit that is our common bond and makes us to feel this way.  I think this gives us a little glimpse of what heaven will be like one day!

Our study for the next 6 weeks is written by Tammie Head and is titled "Duty or Delight?  Knowing Where You Stand With God".

Last night I handed out the books to the ladies and then we read the information about the Author, read the Forward written by Beth Moore, the Introduction of our study, and then the first days worth of study.  The first chapter is titled: "Knowing God Has Chosen Us".  In this first day of or our lesson Head speaks of our confidence and what do we place our confidence in, and the pitfalls we can fall in to by placing our confidence in worldly things.  The first question Head asked in her book is: "Have you had any blows to your confidence lately?"  Rather than having the ladies share on the very first night their answer to this question, I asked them to ponder the answer to that question for a minute in their own minds, not having to share out loud, but rather thinking of a time lately this might have happened to them.  Then, I did ask them to share out loud with the group, a woman they knew in Scripture that might have had this happen to her?

Here is what we came up with:

Mary - Being pregnant before she was married and then continuing to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.  (Found in Matthew and Luke)

Ruth - Naomi being just a bitter mother-in-law toward Ruth, but Ruth's perseverance in being the best daughter-in-law she could.  (Book of Ruth)

Hannah - Being the wife that was unable to bare her husband a child, then being taunted and ridiculed by her husbands other wife.  However, she continued to pray to the Lord for a child, believed she would conceive and was blessed with her son Samuel in which she dedicated back to the Lord's service. 

(I Samuel Chapter 1)

Esther - Being confident to go before the King, her husband without being called in to his presence, in order to save the Jews.  (Book of Esther)

Elizabeth - John The Baptist's mother.  Being confident that God would give her a son in her old age, and then blessing her to be the mother of the one to spread the Word of Jesus prior to Jesus being called into His ministry.  (Luke 1)

Jochebed - Mother of Moses.  Being confident that her son would not be killed and grow to be the one that would lead the Jews in their Exodus.  (Exodus 2)

Sarah - Abraham's wife, Jacob and Esau's mother.  Sustained blows to her confidence from Hagar, her maid servant, due to Sarah being barren.  Gaining confidence in her Lord rather than herself.  (Genesis 11-25)

Proverbs 31 Woman - The epitome of confidence, because of her LORD.

This is what Head is trying to help us discover, the key to each one of these women's confidence was not by their own strength and power as some ultimately discovered, like Sarah.  Rather, knowing their confidence came from the LORD!  For that is the secret to unshakeable confidence:  

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, 

whose confidence is in him."  

Jeremiah 17:7

Our time ended with fellowship and floats!!!  We made traditional rootbeer floats with vanilla ice cream and then diet 7up floats with rainbow sherbet!!!   "So Licious!"  

One of the ladies at my Bible study and a long time friend, also brought this fabulous energy bar recipe for me to try.  Some of you might recognize it, she actually found the recipe through facebook.  You have to try this recipe it really is FABULOUS!!!

Homemade Energy Bars
by Lindsey Slack/April 24, 2013

Why this recipe works:  Most energy bars are made with hard to pronounce ingredients and don't taste that great.  Here's a healthy, fuel-filled alternative to the pre-packaged kind.

Ingredients:
6 oz. pitted dates (1cup)
1/4 c sunflower seeds
3/4 c whole raw almonds
2 T chia seeds
3/4 c dried cranberries
2 T coconut oil

Directions:
1.  Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving excess hanging over the sides to make a sling.

2.  Process all ingredients in food processor until finely ground, about 2 minutes.  Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish spread into even layer, pressing down using offset spatula or hand to firmly compress.  Transfer to refrigerator and chill until mixture is firm, about 20 minutes.

3.  Lift parchment sling out of baking dish and place on cutting board.  Using sharp knife, cut into 9 bars.  Bars can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen up to 1 month.
Makes 9 Bars


Here is a web link for more information about the nutrition of chia seeds:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-chia