" Grocery Shopping "

Grocery shopping. This is not a task that I generally give a great deal of thought to nor do I enjoy it in any way.

For instance, I can never remember a time when I've had enough money to get all of the things I'd like let alone need. Never. We've always paid the bills first and whatever was left over, well, that would have to make due.

When my children were all at home, grocery shopping proved to be quite a challenge. Buying enough food to keep everyone fed and for the most part happy, wasn't always easy.

I do believe this is one of the reasons that I've never liked cooking. That's not to say that I am not a good cook. I am, tooting my own horn here, a good cook. My specialties being soups, a talent that I picked up from my grandmother Laverne and my ex in-laws. I also have a great talent, or so I've been told, for making something out of nothing. This I think came from my father who was a cook in the Sea Bee's. We didn't have much money in those days either. What extra we did have, my father drank so he was good at making something out of nothing.

Back to grocery shopping. I had to do a bit of it yesterday and it was an eye opening experience for me. You see this was the first time that I can remember, being able to shop for myself. I found this to be quite confusing as I quickly realized that I didn't know what to buy for myself. Oh there were those items, staples, we used to call them that we needed, but I truly didn't have a clue what I wanted to eat for the next few days!

I've always shopped for food with my children and husband in mind and I actually did buy a couple of things I could cook that my husband would like. Even though I rarely cook anymore much to my husbands dismay. I've put my own tastes on the back burner for so long trying to satisfy everyone else that I really didn't know what I liked or wanted anymore.

I love vegetables, all of them except for Eggplant which I'm allergic to. I always try to keep a big container of salad in the fridge for lunch and or dinner. Unfortunately finding good fresh vegetables right know is costly so I resorted to a lot of frozen ones. I only eat red meat a couple of times a month. Chicken and fish is my norm.

I like to eat healthy. Something the rest of my family could care less about. And now I can. My biggest problem now is cooking. I still hate it and I certainly don't like doing it for myself. I consider it a huge waste of time. I don't like food THAT much !!

So after my little adventure in the grocery store yesterday I came to the conclusion that I need to take some time to find some fast, easy and healthy recipes. It's much easier to buy the frozen lean meals but they really aren't that healthy for you. The sodium content is usually pretty high and I don't find them very satisfying.

So I will be giving this some more thought in the coming weeks. I will gladly accept any QUICK, EASY, HEALTHY recipes you may send my way!!

" Period of Adjustment "

I know I've been gone for sometime now from Blogland. Haven't really felt like sharing. So many of you have emailed, facebooked messages and even called to make sure I am alright.

I want to thank all of you for your concern. I am alright now but it was a rough road there for a while. Right now I am going through a period of adjustment.

The custody problems with my son and DIL have settled down for now. After mediation with attorney's, they both seem to behaving in a more adult manner concerning the sharing of my grandchildren.

Which is good for all concerned. 

My husband had to have yet another sinus surgery in November. Not a pleasant surgery. It was his fifth or sixth one and I just pray it will be his last. After that he was very sick and home from work for sometime. 

In the meantime our little girl told us just days before Christmas that she was moving out. Our last bird flew the coop. 

I don't think she was ready for this. My husband doesn't think she was ready for this. Neither one of us was ready for this so soon.

However, I don't know that we would have ever been ready for this. She left before Christmas and it was a difficult time for Jake and I. It still is. But she is 18 and and we couldn't stop her.

Needless to say this broke our hearts. We both became very depressed. Jake and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary on December 29th and it was the first time in 23 years we've been without children.

With my husband being gone five to six days of the week, this is the first time that I have ever been alone in 54 years.

This has been a very big period of adjustment for me.

Although I do enjoy my own company, it seems so strange being alone all the time. Lord knows I have plenty to keep me busy, so much so that I have trouble keeping up. That's not the problem.

I miss Kate so much. I have seen her a few times and we talk on the phone. It's just so hard for me to accept that she isn't a little girl. She still seems like one to me.

Some good has come out of it though. Jake and I have time alone now and have discovered that we do just fine when we are alone together. It's pretty peaceful. We worried about that for years.

But not anymore. It's actually very nice.

I couldn't do anything with Kate's room for awhile. I just kept hoping that she would change her mind and come back home.

But the other night I couldn't take it anymore and started taking all of the things off the walls that she didn't want to take. She took pretty much everything with her. What she didn't, we agreed that I would pack it up and she would get it at another time.

The walls in that room are just terrible. Full of tape and nail holes.

I plan on fixing all of the walls, repainting and turning it into my craft/sewing room. The sunlight in there is wonderful and it has a south and west view of my entire little yard. It will be nice to sit and look out the windows while working on a project.

Of course Kate could change her mind and want to come back home. In which case I'd let her have the room back.

I just don't know what the future holds but for now I am taking things one day at a time trying to move forward.

It's been tough but I'm working through things.

I'm slowly making my way through life without children. It's been filled with them for 35 years. The grandchildren help with that end.

I don't know when I'll blog again. I've been doing a lot of rearranging in my house and my life.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am, for the most part,

alright.

" Diana's Household Diaries. Finding Humor Through Troubling Times."

Thanksgiving Day conversation.

Youngest daughter says sarcastically to oldest daughter,

" We're going to have so much fun going through all of mom's crap when she dies."

To which oldest daughter replies in a bubbly voice while smiling,

"Yeah I know, I can't wait!!!".

Enough said.

" Hello Everyone "

Hello my friends. This is just a quick post to let everyone know that I haven't been online much at all or visiting blogs.

My family is going through two crisises at the same time. 

We're all physically alright but the emotional toll has

been exhausting to say the very least.

I'm still praying daily and hope to see some light soon.

For now though my mind is consumed with worry, pain, anger, and lots of sorrow.

Please pray for my family and I hope to be back visiting soon.

I just can't focus on anything else right now.

Love Di ♥

" For Rebecca "

I have a wonderful Blog friend who's name is Rebecca.

She has a few different blogs, all very interesting on there own but I came to know her through her Blog,

"Life and Godliness"

Now I can't honestly say how long we've been following each other because well, it seems to me that the older I get the faster time 

goes by. But that's not really important.

Rebecca's post's always seem to inspire me in one way or another.

Whether it be through God's word, crafting, thrifting or just striving to do the best that she can everyday.

This brings me to why I am posting this today. Over time Rebecca has requested to see certain things of mine and I always intend on posting about them but always put it off for one reason or another.

So today I decided to just go ahead and do it.

On her blog today she had a great idea for her fireplace which I thought was ingenious!! Then I explained what I do to my Mantle.

She said she wanted to see it so without further ado...

here you go Rebecca, the Mantle.

I apologize for the poor picture quality. I don't know if it's me or my camera. So here is another photo.

I have made different "Skirts" I guess you'd call them, for different seasons. This one is the Autumn one. I used to have a Halloween one but have since stopped decorating for Halloween.

I also have one for Christmas but I think I may make a new one this year. It's very simple. I just measure the length around the Mantle (sides included), double that measurement and just sew it as you would a simple curtain. I leave a small pocket across the top to thread some elastic through and tack it up.

Very simple. The one above also has a leaf garland that I hung over the skirt. You can make it longer if you want, mine is about 8 inches   counting the quarter inch hem and half inch pocket.

I don't think Rebecca knows this but I did a post about my Tin Collection because of her. She had posted about her Tins quite awhile ago. It had to have been over a year ago at least.

Do you remember that Rebecca? Well after I read your Tin post, I started thinking and took a look around my own house and realized that I also had a Tin Collection. I never gave it a thought and wasn't consciously collecting them until AFTER I read her Tin post.

So you see how simple it is for other's to inspire us?

I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I've felt down in the dumps and read one of Rebecca's posts only to be picked up by God's words and wisdom.

Now before I end this post I will tell you that Rebecca's really been wanting to see my little upstairs apartment. I call it my apartment because no one likes to go up there!! They don't like the stairs!!

It is my refuse. My sanctuary. I love it up there.

It's not very fancy or beautiful but it's so, so quite up there and peaceful. So I am going to end this post with a few photo's for Rebecca, of my little apartment!

Here sits Pixie, guiding the way.

My cats live up there too as they don't like the dogs!!

Notice the Tin sitting on the old stove.

  

You've reached the top of the stairs.

What's behind the curtain?

Here's what you'll see first.

Spare bed used mainly for grandchildren!!

The view facing the spare bed.

This is what you'll find behind the spare bed.

All of those books and magazine's,

All crochet patterns!!

Also behind the spare bed, 

all of my girly stuff !

The long hallway, closet on the left.

At the end of the hallway there are lots of children's books and some toys for the grandchildren.

Self Explanatory!!

My craft room

next to the bathroom.

My room,

small yet cozy!!

View from foot of bed.

Almost done.

My favorite chair.

So that's it Rebecca. 

It's not the most beautiful little apartment

but it's mine and I love it.

As a matter of fact now that I think about it,

Jake liked the house for the fireplace and I liked it for the upstairs.

There are also two bedrooms downstairs.

I just want Rebecca to know that I haven't forgotten her requests.

If I've forgotten anything else, blame it on my brain!!

Please visit my friend Rebecca if you haven't already.

She is very inspirational too me,

And we are both 

THRIFTAHOLICS!!!

" One of THOSE Days "

And it's not even half way through!!

It all started this morning, well last night actually. I haven't been feeling myself since the surgery. I've been feeling very tired but I chalked that up to having surgery twice within a bit over a month.

My hands are doing great by the way or else I wouldn't be typing right now. No my hands aren't the problem. I started feeling sick last night while trying to sleep. It wasn't until this morning that I realized that I have a cold or something, I think everyone I know has or has had whatever it is that I have!!

Anyway I wasn't going to let not feeling good stop me from my day of thrifting! No sir not me. I started my morning by taking a shower which in turn ticked off my teen who wasn't done getting ready for school. "To bad I say, you're out!" as I kicked her out of the bathroom. Which as it turned out, was good that I did. We had a water main break shortly after that. I did manage to get the shower done before it broke.

No water. None.

Here they are working on it.

They said we would have water in a couple of hours, that was four and a half hours ago. I'm still waiting. Good thing I had four gallons of water in the pantry but that doesn't help when flushing!

I left the water problems and the house behind as I got in my car and left. Heading the thirty or so miles to the thrift shop which is just past my son and DIL's old house that they used to occupy together. That's when the tears started to flow. I don't know what came over me other than sadness for the loss of what used to be I suppose. But I felt the fool driving down the road crying when the whole purpose of the trip was to get away and enjoy myself!!

Road to thrift store.

There's a lot of farmland around here and trees that are looking more and more naked.

How ridiculous I felt driving and crying so I found a good song on the radio, turned it up and dried my tears.

I arrived at the thrift store and as usual had a great time looking around. I had my mind set on some more Autumnal decorations but they were pretty much all gone. I did grab these two little statues however. Last time they weren't priced but today they had a $3.00 price tag on them so I bought them.

I thought they were very cute! I also bought a small vase similar to the one I posted a few weeks ago only this one was orange. I used both of them for my reed diffusers. 

I found a beautiful, brand new, satin, quilted, full size bedspread and shams, again BRAND NEW, the color of my bedroom, for $8.00.

I was going to throw them in the wash to soften them up today but well, no water.

Pleased with my finds today I headed home. On the way I took a detour to my DIL's house. What the heck, right?

I was so glad that I did. I was welcomed with open arms and a cup of tea which I was desperately in need of as my throat was feeling funky not to mention the rest of me.

That was a decision I was glad that I made. We talked and talked just like days gone by. The love is still there and I don't think that will ever change. 

My grandson was home as well so I was able to visit with him a bit before he would be off to pre-school. 

I didn't stay too long as my DIL had to go to work but it was a good visit. I was glad that I stopped. I'm pretty sure she was too.

I really miss her.

I'm on my way home now and it's raining, dreary. Again I turn up the music and sing on my drive home. I make it in the door to find there is still no water as I stated previously. 

Then my daughter Katie calls me from work/school. She works in the cafeteria at school now which is much more convenient than McDonalds as there is no driving involved. Also no late nights.

It seems that she is having a bad day at work. She wants me to call the school and have her sent home. I can just picture my husband right now. I know he would be thinking, if only I could have Di call my work to have them send me home because I'm having a bad day, LOL!!! He'd be home everyday. We'd be homeless!!

I told Katie that she's tougher then that and that she could stick it out for another hour and a half. She's due home any minute and I know she is going to be irritated with me. Teenagers are so much fun (Sarcasm).

I sure hope the rest of the day goes a bit smoother. Water would be nice. I think I'll go make myself a cup of tea and pray they get the water main fixed soon.

So how was your day?

Update: We have water!!!!!!!
Praise Jesus and the City of Mt. Vernon.