Hello, Friends!
We had a wonderful time last night having a friends and family meal. Any holiday is a good excuse to have people over to share food and a good time,as far as I am concerned.
We had cottage pie and colcannon and cupcakes for dessert. Everyone loved the food and over ate!
Cottage pie is ground beef , celery, onion and gravy made from beef stock, a tablespoon of tomato paste and one of Worcestershire sauce . Some add carrot as well. You cook that and then top it with mashed potato and cheese, I use dairy free cheddar and bake for about half an hour until the potatoes are brown and crisp on top and cheese nicely crisp and melted.
I will put the recipe on my Rock & Roll Cafe blog.
Colcannon is the Irish version of Bubble and Squeak. It is mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage. People thought they wouldn't like it until they tried it and none was left over! I will also work on posting that recipe as well.
The weather has been very sunny with few clouds and though chilly, it does seem that spring is on the way. The equinox is March 21st.
fool proof !
I am busy today making wasp and hornet nest deterrents. And here is the link where I showed you how to do that a while ago. Yes, they work 100% and you will not have wasp or hornet nests near your home if you hang them where you do not want those critters to be!
Clearing out your mind...
Clutter doesn't just litter your home with useless junk, it also burdens your mind and body with more useless work.
The mind reacts to clear, orderly space in a positive way.
It reacts to too much clutter and a busy landscape in a negative way.
In a clean and orderly place your mind will work with efficiency and higher capacity.
In a cluttered,disorganized space the mind will work more slowly, your body will take on a burdened, lazy attitude and your thinking will be skewed. You'll get headaches and indigestion too.
Your mind looks at the disorganization and sighs. It sees too much work, too much stuff, too much to clean and that alone is tiring and deeply unsettling to you and others.
God is the author of order, not chaos.
So, let's get rid of the clutter and free the mind and body of useless energy drain and work.
Here are some keys to help.
1. Start by working on one area of the house at a time.
Let's say you work on the kitchen today.Perhaps the next place is your bedside table drawers. Organize the work in chunks. Set a time, say half an hour and work at the job. Don't tackle the entire house at one go.
2. Have 3 bags or boxes: Blessings, Junk and Maybe
Blessings are things you will give to others or perhaps list on eBay or Etsy.
Don't view removing something from your home as loss to you. View it as a blessing for someone else who may have need of it.
The maybe pile are things you are not sure what to do with. Decide after they are removed from the area but learn to be ruthless. 3. Throw out duplicates or bless someone else with them.
4. If you haven't used it in 6 months, you aren't going to. Get rid of it. 5. Most things can be replaced. If it's broken and not been fixed, throw it out.
How many broken appliances are sitting around? Why?
6. Mementos mean more if there are VERY few of them. Get rid of the rest. Do you even look at the stuff?
7.You are not defined by the things you own or keep. Pare down.
Meditate on this one because it is the root cause of why people hold on to things.
8. Keeping something for someday holds you back from living today.
9. If you have to move things to clean, if you have to clean in order to clean or are constantly moving things from one place to another get rid of it.
10. Throw things out before they accumulate and clean as you go.
Junk mail should go right in the garbage..right now.
Don't save old pens or broken flashlights. Don't save rubber bands.. come on folks. Its junk.
Get rid of the junk drawers.
You don't live a in junk yard.
11. Organized clutter is still clutter.
Just look at homes filled with baskets and boxes filled with "stuff".
Homes where children have far too many toys kept in baskets, bins that take up entire rooms are over kill and teach greed and mess.
Why?? Put it out for bulk collection. Its nonsense!
12. Value your health.
If you have asthma or COPD, get things out from under your bed. Its a health hazard. Throw the stuff out.
13. Don't be greedy or needy for possessions.
You don't need 20 T shirts, a dozen sweaters,10 pairs of shoes, 5 coats, dozens of pants, shorts, or purses.
How much is too big?
How much is too small?
Why do we horde things for later? Give them away to someone they will fit and who may really need them.
Bless someone else with your excess.
If you can't get into your closet.. something is wrong. Remedy that.
14.Stop being a hanger on...
When you buy something new, throw out 2 of the old things.
Need motivation to start?
Genesis chapter 2..... God commanded the man to dress and keep the garden.
The garden, Paradise, was their home and they were commanded.. not asked.. to work it..for that is the real translation and keep it maintained. You are commanded by God to work on and keep up your home. That includes inside and outside.
Keep is from the word shomer. Shomer means you guard, preserve, upkeep and faithfully maintain something.
Are you keeping this commandment?
Solomon said, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all of your might!"There is also the saying "faithful with a little, faithful with a lot".
If you cannot manage your home, how do you manage the things of God?
What if you are tired all the time and find it hard to get things done?
See your doctor. It isn't normal even if you are older.
B12 can help. Getting proper sleep and eating proper food too. Are allergies making you sluggish?
But a big culprit of being sluggish and tired is that not moving makes you tired. You aren't getting the oxygen your body needs. (on that note.. ever had a sleep study test? Not breathing at night can make you sleepy during the day. It isn't normal to be sleepy all day. Most insurance covers this and a CPap makes a huge difference in your health and well being) Sleep apnea is very common and a cause of high blood pressure,heart disease, strokes, depression, lack of energy, etc.
Moving creates energy and exercise creates good hormones that elevate the mood!
The tired of hard work is not like the tired, dull, heavy feeling that comes from not doing things. They are completely different feelings.
Real physical tired is not sluggish, heavy or dull minded. That is not the same thing.
Rejuvenate yourself by moving.
If you are in pain, get physical therapy for it if possible and exercise as recommended but do not stagnate.
Get up, get dressed and get busy.
Next time I will talk about my routine in cleaning and then what to do if you have no help around the house.
And if you need further inspiration, join us for the 30 bags in 30 days declutter challenge.
Throw out a bag full of clutter every day for the next 30 days.
Sophia is a fellow New Jerseyan and a lovely girl.
Enjoy the video.
(the accent is French)
Here are some vignettes of from around the house and yard taken with my phone Thursday for Friday Foto Friends?
The Nor'Easter kept me indoors though, here, in Southern New Jersey, it
was rainy with some moist snow and high winds but, nothing too awful like it was for other areas.Thursday was cloudy and cold.
So I took some photos around the house Thursday so I would have something to use.
As usual you can click to make them full size.
Below is the freshly polished breakfront with its little leather desk.
Each compartment is separate and hold china for different occasions. Drawers hold table linens.
The breakfront is pretty at night with a little light on.
A shelf on the bookcase.... Books read over and over and over again.
I had laundry to do. It was getting dark.....I like the lights on the dryer :)
The view out the laundry room through the door and screen shows bits of snow around the Holly tree.
I made a wreath out of shells and hung it on my bedroom door.
It moves around though and at one time was on the mirror over my dresser.
Shells are scattered all around the house.
Here are some by the front door in a dish.
A vignette in the relationship corner of the office.
A pair of penguins moved from the bookcase to a new home here.
I added sea glass to a frame holding relatives enjoying the beach at Belmar, NJ in 1927. Young love!
The Samovar sits on the buffet . It is from Russia. There is a fairy tale painted on it.
A bowl of glass rocks sits on an end table. My daughter likes to play with them...
Outside the trees are reflected in the big pond.
Thursday night ended with a soft sunset through the trees of the woods..
This last ones are taken with my camera this past summer but I have to include the bay :)
And then I just wanted to peek in and say 'Hello', so I took a photo in the mirror. The flash was bright! But, hey, there's my eye!
Friday brings a collection of photos for Friday Foto Friends on a stormy, windy day at the New Jersey shore.
Winds sound like a freight train passing on through.
The Famous Anonymous kid has a tour of Rutgers U today. I went there myself. We are waiting to hear from Columbia U. Her interview at Columbia went very well.
Hunter in NYC accepted her also but for her it is a choice between Rutgers and Columbia, both excellent schools. She wants to be a doctor like her grandfather so both have wonderful medical colleges.
Now, here is a small collection of photos taken throughout the seasons.
As always you can enlarge any photo to full size by clicking on it.
We are having a Nor'easter here at the Jersey shore.
Gale warnings are flying
Stormy clouds roll in while rain falls, winds howl
The picture on the little leather topped desk says it all.
On stormy days the kitchen is often the best place to be,
brewing fresh coffee or tea. A cheery apron brightens the day
Or, just stay in bed.....
Below, from autumn, a portrait of two neighbors of mine.
dockside regulars... these two characters are here every day along with other regulars looking for a meal or a handout
And looking back: waiting for fireworks on the 4th of July...
Curls at sunset.. the Little's curls found their way into this sunset photo taken on the lagoon.
The open bay is to the right
Water color depends on the weather and the sky.
It was navy blue this day and clear to the bottom.
Winter skies can be so pretty.
Powdery pink sky in winter.
Trees are bare but cedars never fade
Temperatures have dropped to 24 F today but I was warm and cozy inside most of the day.
I made a quick trip to CVS with the Little and we stopped for hot Pumpkin Spice drinks which were very nice and warmed us up nicely.
Friday seemed to come very quickly. But every day is welcome and today was a busy day for art that needed work and writing that took up much of the day.
Then, of course, there was the Sponge Bob Squarepants movie that we watched. (Yes, I love Spongebob as must as the Little does. She is 9 and well, I am not much older.)
Since it is Friday, I am adding my addition to Friday Foto Friends.
This week it is a collection of mostly unrelated photos.
Photo Bomb....
The Famous Anonymous was invited to meet the Queen and when photos were taken of the Queen she had to jump in and ruin them! You can't take her anywhere!
Well no, that never happened. I simply Photoshopped her hand into a photo of the Queen.
100% pure Photoshop! No artificial ingredients added 😉
Garfield. He was with me 21 years and in my heart forever. What a handsome golden man he was.
On a shelf, the little coach heads for Boston....Bon Voyage!
Meanwhile the bay is getting colder. No boats out today.
The Little at the Vatican
Out the window on a stormy night
Phragmites goes to seed. It's so fluffy. I love the oatmeal color. Looks like it is made of wool.
On the water taxi leaving NYC for home. Doesn't take long by water.
The Little getting her hair done for cheerleading with the big purple bow. She won't be cheering next year. Her coach was over zealous. When the Little couldn't complete a split she pushed her head down forcing her into one. That's extremely dangerous. So she opted to stay out next year. Honestly, can't adults get some kind of normal balance in kid's sports and activities?
In the Kitchen dining area last Spring.
Beautiful Puerto Rico this past Summer before Hurricane Maria. This is taken in El Yunque national forest. The water is pure, the air is pristine and there are no bugs because the birds deal with them all.
So much destroyed by that awful storm. Please remember the Puerto Rican people. They are wonderful people and they even serve in the military for little reward. They still need our help to heal.
have people over to share food and a good time,as far as I am concerned.
