From My Home to Yours: 2/22/25

  From My Home to Yours

2/22/25

~ The life we've chosen! ~

Our home started out as old broken-down ugly shell of a house with a huge hole in the roof ...

Over the last 20 years or so, we've done a tremendous amount of work on it and turned it into a cozy home, paying as we went and doing most of the work ourselves ...

We cook from scratch ...

Grow a lot of our own food ...

Preserve food ...

Keep a well-stocked pantry ...

Grow herbs for medicinal, tea making and culinary purposes ...

Do a lot of DIY's ...

and so much more!

This is the life we chose, and we love it!  Looking back over our lives and at the crossroad decisions we made that brought us to where we are today, I/we can honestly say, we'd choose the same path.  Oh sure, some of the smaller decisions would be different, but the big life changing decisions that brought us here, would be the same.

In a nutshell, we love the life we've chosen and here's what that life has looked like since I last wrote ...

We had a mini-ice storm that marched in one evening and caused havoc for a couple of days. Thankfully, we never lost power and honestly, we just enjoyed being able to stay in and not have to go anywhere!

There was a death in the community, and I prepared angel biscuits and made mini ham sandwiches for the family.   Angel biscuits are so light and fluffy, perfect for 'mini ham sandwiches!' I made enough for us to have a meal here at home as well.

Hubby requested a pot of chicken and dumplings during the 'ice storm' confinement, and I was happy to oblige!  Here's how I make them from scratch.

This week's seed starting schedule had me starting lavender seeds.  I want to grow lots of lavender this year if I can for medicinal purposes, tea making purposes and sachet making purposes.

So far, I've planted calendula, sage, lavender and not pictured, basil using the milk jug method. They stay outside housed in this crate, so the wind doesn't blow them over or away.    Also, on this week's seed planting schedule was petunias.  I thought I had some petunia seeds, but I don't so I'm either going to have to buy some or not plant them this year.  I really wanted to put them in my knockoff stacked planter (similar to a greenstalk); I think it would really be pretty having them cascading down from each opening.  The next time I'm in the vicinity of a Dollar Tree, I'll check and see if they have any.  I'm willing to pay $.33/pack for them, but not more ... remember, we're in financial 'hunkering down' mode again!  Next week, I'll start planting tomato seeds and pepper seeds that I saved from previous years!

The cabbage seeds I planted about 2 weeks ago did really well during the ice storm and frigid weather.  I covered them and kept my fingers crossed.  I'm happy to report that it looks like I have near 100% germination rate.  I'll try to remember to take an updated picture next week so you can see what I'm talking about!  

It's been bitter cold a good part of the week, so not much got done outside.  Today, however it got up to 56 degrees and the sun was full on ... so, I took myself out the door and for a walk.  Oh, how good it felt to be outside with the sun shining on my face!

I want to stay a big thank you to everyone who has sent cards to my hubby during his recent medical event, it has meant a lot to him.  I also want to say a big thank you to those who sent me 'happy mail' ... to let me know you are including me in your prayers along with my hubby or simply to say, 'you're in my thoughts.'  And then there are those who have been so faithful to check in with us via phone calls or text messages ... what a blessing to have such an army of friends and loved ones surrounding us with love, care and concern.  If you are one of those, may God abundantly bless you in ways that only He knows are needed.  Hubby continues to do well considering what he went through and starts cardio rehab this coming week.

I've been getting in snips of sewing throughout the week, but don't have anything finished to show, maybe next week.  Our focus right now is on getting hubby completely recovered so that he can return to his normal lifestyle, until then everything else is taking a backseat including my beloved sewing.

In the kitchen, I'm finding that hand washing our dishes is not so bad (Remember from last week, our dishwasher died!).  I've taken to listening to an audio book or podcast, etc while doing the task.  I'm also recalling all the little shortcuts I use to do before I had a dishwasher to make it easier such as cleaning off the plates, pans and bowls before stacking them for washing.  I find that having the dishes cleaned off and ready to wash one right after another is a big help and time saver.   I do not like to feel bits of food floating around in the dish water ... nope ...  nope ...  nope ... and scrapping/cleaning off and out the dishes and pans before washing keeps that from happening.  

We're watching every penny, nickel, quarter and dime with intentional purpose right now as our out-of-pocket medical expenses have dramatically increased ... and it's okay!  We still have much to be thankful for ...

Our God who continually goes before us and prepares the way ...

We're still able to keep our bills paid ...

Building our savings has been put on hold, but we haven't had to pull from our savings ...

We're not being forced to choose between the meds my hubby has to have or food as our well-stocked pantry is seeing us through ...

We have health insurance ...

We have a mountain of people who love and care about us ...

and so much more ...

Yes, we do indeed have much to be thankful for!

 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5

That's it for this week!  What did your week look like in your home?

 

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

You might be interested in my other blogs ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

From This Heart of Mine