Wednesday Snap Shot

Wednesday Snap Shot is a quick peek into my week.

If you'd like to join in on my Wednesday Snap Shot.. copy and paste my post, add your answers (you can also copy the pic).. link your post to my blog and then come back and let me know you shared your week. I'll come and visit you and read about your homemaking week!! :)


So Far This Week
It's been a wintry type week here. The big storm that came down from the north and hit most of the country also gave us our share of snow, sleet and ice. On Sunday it was mostly just ice and my hubby decided to not risk the trip to work. Normally he will drive through most anything and rarely misses work, but ice is another story. I for one was happy that both my younger children and my hubby were safely at home when the ice came.

Other than a trip to town to get groceries before the storms hit, I stayed home, hibernating, cooking and cleaning up. Yesterday the roads cleared enough for another grocery trip. We were almost out of half n half.. crisis, I tell you! Ha, ha.. :) .. More snow fell and I'm sure it is the most difficult winter I can remember in my 20 years of living here. More storms in the forecast for us. I, for one, will be happy to see January come to an end. I'm reading garden seed catalogs with happy thoughts of spring in my mind! :)

The only down side was my youngest son getting sick. He stayed home from work on Friday and slept through most of the weekend. By Monday he was feeling a little better, but not completely and we were snowed and iced in, so he stayed home from work again. By Tuesday he was feeling much better, hubby had plowed the driveway and the weather was improving, so he headed to work.


On My To-Do List
Today I plan to...

Cook food, clean up my house, pray for some snow melting (not really thinking this is going to happen :), do some laundry, read and keep stocking the wood stove to keep us warm.


Projects I'm Working On
I'm still waiting for my yarn order to arrive to start working on my baby blankets. But with the indoor weekend I did a mini project. I crocheted a couple “messy bun hats”. Basically a typical hat/beanie but with an opening in the top so you can have your pony tail or bun sticking out of it. They are super cute (at least I think so! :) And super easy to make. The only yarn I had on hand in the right weight was black, so my hats are black.

I used THIS pattern. It was nice she had a video, it is an easy, beginners type pattern.

I made the first one exactly according to the pattern (pictured on top). But on the second one, instead of starting by crocheting a chain of 24, I just did 24 double crochets around a hair band. I liked that much better. I also made the second one a little bigger using a bigger hook and adding a couple extra rows.

 



Today's Weather
High of 33, low of 20 and snow is supposed to continue to fall

The View from my Deck (or window)
It's still snowing this morning, not sure when it will let up.  I for one am done now with winter!  Ha, ha  :)

What I'm Reading
I finished reading Peril at End House by Agatha Christie and started reading Anne Bronte's, The Tenant of Wildfeld Hall. The book was a recommendation from my daughter Emily who, like me, enjoys all the books by the Bronte sisters. I'm almost half way through it and am enjoying it quite a bit.

In my Bible reading I finished the book of Judges and the book of Ruth. Judges is an awesome book. I see Israel in this endless loop.. they sin, they suffer the consequences of their sin, they cry out to the Lord, He redeems them, they are blessed.. and then they fall away and the cycle begins again. Oh the picture of what we can walk through in our lives if we don't stay faithful to our Savior.

Ruth is a beautiful book. A picture of a faithful woman who had a part in the lineage of Christ.

Now, it's 1st Samuel. I'm loving reading the Bible in order. I've used a lot of plans and Bible's that are One Year Bibles, and I loved them too, they are great, but it's been nice to have something new and different this year.


What I'm Listening To
Snow seems to make everything strangely quiet!  At this moment, I hear my clocks ticking and just heard the plow go down our road a few minutes ago.

Something Frugal I've Done This Week
My son loves Arizona Ice Tea. While he was sick this weekend he really wanted some. But there was no way I was going driving in the winter conditions for ice tea. So instead, I made him 2 quarts of homemade tea. He loved it. I said, well I know it's not Arizona Tea.. but.. and he said.. no.. it's actually pretty close! I'll need to have you show me how to make it. Ha, ha!! So the frugal ways are appealing to the next generation! :)


Fitness and Health for the Week
Once again winter makes it hard to be active. Our wood furnace is in the basement and during this cold snap I am going up and down the stairs many, many times a day restocking the stove. I figure that has to count for something besides keeping the house warm! But with snow, sleet, ice and temps in the 20's I'm not very motivated to get out and walk. Hoping for better weather soon.

As for health, I made bone broth on Monday and it came in handy not only for my son but it is something that I try and have daily. I have enough bones to make another batch of beef bone broth, then I'll make chicken. I like both types of broth, but chicken is my favorite.

I've also been eating more fresh fruits and veggies and continuing to try and limit my starchy, carby type foods. Easier to do on some days than others. But, I keep it as my goal.

One thing I do that I love is smoothies. I made this one the other day for my son and me.. I like this combo, protein, fruit, fiber.. kept me full most of the day. I add a couple hand fulls of spinach or kale to it when I have it on hand.

1 ½ cup water
¾ cup cottage cheese
5 or 6 frozen strawberries
½ cup, heaping, frozen blueberries
1 frozen banana
2T oats

Blend it all up and enjoy.. makes enough for 2 people..