Tuesday, 17 May 2011
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WHY THE FURNITURE WAS IN THE FRONT YARD
Today's the day I tell you why the furniture was in the front yard.
You've all been great sports to play along with me, and you've been patient the last couple of weeks.
I'm grateful!
You just need to do one more thing.
Click over and see me in my new home on line.
See you there!
Monday, 16 May 2011
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TOMORROW
I'm not really sure why these two look so exhausted.
This project has turned out to be a family affair. I've needed the help of each and every one of them.
I love them all a bunch!
See you TOMORROW!
Sunday, 15 May 2011
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TWO!
Two (2) days!
God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27
Saturday, 14 May 2011
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DEADLINE!
I'm not one who enjoys skidding across the finish line of a deadline with only seconds to spare. I prefer working at a steady pace and meeting deadlines with plenty of time to spare.
I've hit a lot of roadblocks and tons of huge obstacles in the last days of this current project.
Dani has saved the day more times than I can count. The last couple of evenings Copper has dove in and worked with us, trying to help me meet the deadline looming large on my horizon.
I keep looking at one of my favorite watches. Even though the hands move counter-clockwise, time keeps marching on.
Holding my plans loosely and knowing that the Lord is in control of even my very insignificant projects.
THREE MORE DAYS!
God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
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THEY AREN'T TELLING
I love my kids.
They're good at keeping secrets, too.
Five (5) more days!
Monday, 09 May 2011
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Copper's Day Off - John Deere Edition
My husband came home from work late Saturday evening to find this in the side yard next to the drive way.
Not the way a guy wants to start his weekend. There the poor ol' John Deere sat until Monday morning.
Unfortunately, it was as bad as it looked. The cast iron thingamabob that holds on the wheel broke.
I love it when Copper uses all of his technologically advanced tools to make a repair. Apparently, this was a two stump job!
Despite his best efforts, and the use of two tree stumps, the bolt holding the mechanism that needs to be replaced would not yield. The tractor was pushed onto the trailer and taken to the John Deere dealer/repair center. The guys there said, "Wow. We've heard about that part breaking, but we've never seen it before.". I'm not sure that made Copper feel any better.
The tractor was unloaded and left for them to remove the belligerent bolt and order all necessary parts. My husband was good enough to take one of the stumps along to prop it up in their repair yard for them.
The day didn't end too badly, though. We had a great time at the concert. Good friends. Great music. Fun times. There's even a picture on my facebook page.
God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27Seven (7) days.
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MENU
The weeks are flying by, aren't they? Spring has finally arrived in California's big valley. Watering and irrigating schedules are back in full swing, the pool is uncovered and being readied for the summer, and the yard work is intensified. And I've still got that project in the works. Busy? Yes. Joyful? You bet!
Menu planning was made for times like these, but I love knowing what a valuable tool it is in the not-so-busy seasons of life, too. We had some carry overs from last week's menu. Aaron bought pizza for the family one evening. Friday evening no one was really hungry so we just made sandwiches (or had cereal!) and called it good. I've brought those two night's menus forward to this week. I've not planned lunches for this week. Dani's our "lunch lady" and I'm going to let her wing it this week.
SUNDAY (Mother's Day)
Breakfast: Blueberry Coffeecake
Lunch: Chicken Salad, a huge platter of Dipped Gingersnaps to share with everyone after church
Dinner: We're meeting Corin and her family for dinner out in the eveningMONDAY
Breakfast: Copper's Monday Morning Waffles
Lunch: Dani's Choice
Dinner: Fast Food on the way out of town for the Jon Troast ConcertTUESDAY
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Dani's Choice
Dinner: Tuesday Night is Taco NightWEDNESDAY
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: Dani's Choice
Dinner: Meatloaf Ooo La La, Roasted Potatoes, Italian Vegetables (The meatloaf recipe is from Circle of Friends Cookbook - 25 Meatloaf Recipes)
THURSDAY
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Dani's Choice
Dinner: Beef Empanadas, Spanish Rice, Green Salad (The recipe for the Empanadas is from The Six O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue)
FRIDAY
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: Dani and are in town for the Fortnightly Marketing Peregrination, the boys are on their own
Dinner: Deli Sub Sandwich from the grocery storeSATURDAY
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Dani's Choice
Dinner: Nachos - Our Saturday Evening TraditionBe sure to head over to Laura's blog to see hundreds of great menus at Menu Plan Monday!
What's on the menu at your house this week?
God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27Eight (8) days!
Saturday, 07 May 2011
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FOR THE MOMS
My favorite "mom" song is They Call Her Mama
, by Jon Troast. Great song! Check it out.
(By the way, I'm absolutely thrilled that I'll be seeing Jon in concert Monday evening!)I couldn't find a video of Mr. Troast singing that song, so I'm sharing my second favorite "mom" song instead.
Hope you enjoy it.Happy Mother's Day!
God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27Nine (9) days!
Friday, 06 May 2011
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KEEPING IT TOGETHER WHEN THINGS ARE BUSY
We all have seasons - days, weeks or even months - when our schedules are unusually busy. It happens to all of us.
Though our days may be crazy busy and unusually full, our families and homes still need us. So, how do we look well to our households during these exceptionally busy times?
Determine your priorities.
What are the things that absolutely must be done for your family and home? What are the things you need to know are under control for your own sanity? Can you delegate any of those tasks? My family requires three meals a day and clean clothes to wear. They're funny that way. That means it's important that I have a menu plan in place to keep meal prep stress free. I also need to keep the laundry on schedule - washing, drying, folding and putting away.
Now that warm weather has arrived in California, keeping up with our watering/irrigation schedule is a necessity, too. Dani and I are splitting the watering schedule 50/50 this year. That, alone, has taken a huge load off my shoulders!
For my own sanity, I want a clean kitchen after every meal (Aaron's job), relatively clean bathrooms (everyone works on this), and beds made every morning.
Like I said, for sanity's sake, I want the beds (all of them) made every morning!
Other than that, we do what we can, but we don't sweat what's not getting done. For example, our Discipleship Group from church met in my home Thursday evening. Dani and I had to be out of the house for several hours, and so the boys did the dusting, cleaning and vacuuming. It wasn't perfect, but during this crazy-busy time, I'm not sweating the imperfection. I was happy for their help!
Now that you know what your priorities are, keep them in focus. Don't get waylaid by facebook or blogs or phone calls or that great magazine article or anything else until your top priorities are taken care of.
Get plenty of sleep, drink water, eat right and exercise.
Busy seasons are usually stressful. We should take care of our bodies all the time, but we should be even more careful to do so when life is hectic. Drink plenty of water! I'm especially tempted to load up on caffeinated beverages to keep me going, but they can cause dehydration. So, enjoy the coffee, tea or cola if you must, but be sure to drink lots of water, too!
Try to keep healthy snacks at hand, and stay out of the cookie jar. Don't skip meals. Try to eat a balanced diet.
If the busy season you're in isn't physically demanding, and if there's not time for your regular exercise or workout routine, try to do something to be physically active every day. Take a bike ride. Go for a walk. Take a dip in the pool.
Resist the temptation to work late into the night. I know it's tempting to use those late night hours to maximize production when everyone else is asleep, but you need your sleep, too. Get to bed on time.Don't forget the necessity of down time.
Allow yourself some time every day to do something that is relaxing to you - go for a walk, read, knit, or sit in the sun and pet the cat. Whatever is relaxing to you, take time every day and do it. I'm relaxing these days by kicking back with a book in the evening.
My season of being super busy will wind down in a couple of weeks. After that, I'll have more time to pull my household schedule and routine back to normal. In the meantime, this is how I'm keeping it together while life is busy.
What are your priorities when life gets busy? How do you keep those priorities in focus? What's the one thing that helps you relax a bit?
God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27TEN DAYS!
Thursday, 05 May 2011
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THE PROJECT AT HAND
Dani has been giving me a lot of help on a project that I'm working on. I've been teasing the gals at Facebook a bit with pictures like this one. I thought it was time to bring everyone in on the fun!
No one is moving in, and no one is moving out. There are no weddings planned. Our neighbors thought we were crazy for hauling the furniture into the front yard and then hauling it back into the house. They may be right!
In fact, the project really isn't anything that BIG or EXCITING, but it is taking a lot of time and I will be able to share it with you soon.
In fact, you can expect it in 11 more days!
God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27
TrueContact Me
You can reach me by e-mail at: copperswifeATfrontierDOTcom
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OR
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Please know that I read each and every comment, e-mail or message that is sent my way. If you've asked a question, or raised an issue, it is quite likely that I will be able to answer or address your issue in an upcoming blog post. However, in order for me to honestly live the life that I share with you on my Copper's Wife's blog, I must spend my days looking well to the ways of my own household. My days are very full with the things the Lord has so richly blessed me with! Therefore, I may not be able to answer or respond to you personally. Thank you for your understanding.
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Recipes
Not to worry, all of the recipe links are safe and sound, but I cannot simply copy and paste them into this new system. Please be patient as I work on importing them to the new format. Thanks!
RECIPES FOR THE HOME
2. Favorite Fall Simmering Potpourri
3. Winter Citrus Simmering Potpourri
OUR TYPICAL SUNDAY MORNING FARE
(Coffee Cakes, Sweet Rolls and the Like)
8. Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Rolls
9. Apple Upside Down Coffee Cake
10. South of the Border Coffee Cake
BREADS, MUFFINS & BREAKFAST DISHES
5. Copper's Wife's Health Nut Muffins
BREAD MACHINE RECIPES
1. Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread
2. Copperswife's Everyday Whole Wheat Bread
HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK BAKING MIX RECIPES
1. Homemade Buttermilk Baking Mix
APPETIZERS & SNACKS
2. William's Peanut Butter Balls
MAIN DISHES
(including soups, stews, sandwiches & pizza)
3. New Year's Day Bean & Ham Stew
4. Focaccia
6. Double Decker Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
10. Chicken and Dressing Casserole
13. Mexican Corn Bread Casserole
14. Chicken Waldorf Salad Sandwiches
17. Cowboy Casserole
21. Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder
22. Lisa's Stuffed Loaf (Sandwich)
23. Cranberry Glazed Meat Loaf
24. Coke Steak
25. Hamburger Patties with Mushroom Gravy
26. Quick Chicken & Noodle Stew
28. MooBockOink (Rolled Chicken Breasts)
SALADS AND SIDE DISHES
6. My Mom's Scalloped Potatoes
DESSERTS
2. Grandmother's Applesauce Cake
3. Chocolate Crazy Cake (No Eggs)
10. Reverse Chocolate Chip Cookies
11. Thelma's Berry (or any fruit) Cobbler
Special Note
PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE: All original written material, photographs, recipes and tutorials on this blog are the sole property of the author and may not be copied, in whole or in part, or re-printed elsewhere, without the express written permission of the author. If you see something you’d like to share, just ask!
