Preparing to Slow Down

10/9/23

I am trying my best to get things organized so that I will be ready for the slow down that cooler weather and less outdoor activity brings.  It's hard for me to enjoy baking and needlework when clutter abounds. 


My hope is to go through each room and address those areas where things seems to accumulate. The problem I have is that as I sort through the mess and place each item in its proper place I find another corner that needs to be addressed and my attention is averted to the new area, leaving the original task left unfinished. So my promise to myself is that I don't let the perpetual rabbit holes suck me in and that I stay focused on the task at hand.



Am I the only one with this problem? Let me give you an example of how this typically goes...

My cookbook nook is full of loose printed recipes that I have stacked on top of actual cookbooks because I didn't return them to their proper notebook after I used them. As I pull out my recipe binders I get the urge to take everything out and reorganize them by category in the new Pioneer Woman notebook that my sister in law gave me two Christmases ago,

So I spread the pages all over the dining room table and begin stacking them according to what the recipe is for.  As I hit the dessert section I stumble on a recipe for an apple crumble pie that would be perfect to take to my moms this week as we work on our sewing projects since I have a jar of apple pie filling that didn't seal properly in the refrigerator.

Then it hits me that I never put away the apple corer slicer that I used when I canned apple pie filling over the weekend with my grandboys. So I get up and head to the kitchen to put it away into my jam packed baking cupboard and remember that I promised my daughter she could have my extra baking pans and now I might as well separate those and get this cupboard organized while I'm at.

So now I pull everything out of the baking cupboard but decide I should make an inventory list of what I'm putting back in there so I head back to the messy dining room table after grabbing my household notebook and start a new section for baking pans and other useful cooking gadgets.

Then I notice that I never decorated or labeled my plain white organizational notebooks when I purchased them and think I should probably do that before I put them away in my nicely organized cookbook nook which of course I've forgotten about by this time. 

So I head into my craft area and select some pretty scrapbook paper and pull down a few baskets of crafting things and place them on the guest bed looking for my label machine.


So now after a couple of hours of "cleaning" my house looks messier than it did in the first place. Not only is my cookbook nook still not decluttered but now I can't see my dining room table and have baking pans all over the kitchen floor and baskets of craft tools stacked on the guest room bed. 


Of course, by this time it's time to start thinking about what's for dinner, just where we are going to eat it and where I can stack my baking pans so that I don't break my neck tripping over them as I cook.

Sound familiar? 

Tell me I'm not alone. Let me know what areas get you off track when you do organizing projects? Share it in the comments.

xo, Patty

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Fall Gardens and Second Chances

8/2/23

As I've been sorting through my fall garden seeds and reflecting on the successes and failures of my summer vegetable garden I am reminded once again of the blessing of second chances.


Gardening can be such a humbling experience.  You start out in the spring with all your fresh plant starts with such hope and so many plans for what you will do with the harvest you reap. You do your part and amend the soil, adding nutrients and sowing seeds into fertile ground. You tend to it with love, feed it when necessary and keep it well watered through the long hot days of summer.




And then an unexpected force of nature happens, a late freeze or a wicked heat wave and you lose a plant here and there.  You regroup, lower your expectations for the size of your harvest and you go on. And then a squirrel or raccoon or rat or gopher gets through the fence and helps himself to your entire tomato crop.

Just about now you are wondering what went wrong, what you could have done differently, will you bother trying again? 




And then you see that seed catalog that came in the winter that held so much hope for your summer garden and reach for the seeds that you ordered during the darkness of winter and remember that fall holds a second chance to start a new garden and reap a fresh harvest.





Life is like a garden in this way, we may do all the right things, tend to our lives and homes with all the love and devotion we are capable of and yet not reap the harvest we desire. Don't lose hope.  





Our God is a God of second chances and His mercies are new every morning.  He will not have us endure dark times without the promise of a greater future bounty. Trust his innate goodness and unending faithfulness.  Continue to plant seeds sown in love and hopeful anticipation.  You will reap a rich and satisfying harvest in the season God has appointed it for you.

If you are in a time of great abundance, thank God and give Him all the glory!

xo, Patty

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Cake from Scratch and Balance

7/27/23

I love sweets. I know how important it is to watch my sugar intake especially as I get older but a slice of something sweet with my coffee is still one of life's simple pleasures. 




In an effort to find balance in my quest to eat healthier I try to limit myself to something sweet with my morning coffee or afternoon tea and it must be made from scratch to avoid as many unhealthy ingredients (opting for organic whole foods) and preservatives as possible. 

I have found that most American cookbooks use more sugar than other cultures and will cut the amount of sweetener by a third and still produce a yummy product. I have many tried and true favorites that I will share in the days to come.

Right now I am using British baker, Mary Berry's Baking Bible and have found several delicious recipes with a bit less sugar including this Coffee and Walnut sponge cake. It is sweet enough to satisfy my craving but not overly so. It only has frosting between the layers and on top which eliminates another source of sugar.



As women we have the ability to encourage a healthier diet (and lifestyle) for our entire family.  If we are the main cooks in our family there are so many easy ways to substitute less than healthy ingredients for more organic and real whole foods without our families noticing much difference in the taste.


I am a firm believer in moderation and balance.  Cutting out my husbands favorite dish because it isn't good for him shouldn't be my first option.  Instead I will look for alternative ingredients that achieve the same (or close to) flavor results. This usually means cooking from scratch. 





Seeking ways to satisfy his craving and look after his health may take more time but for me it is definitely worth it.

I'd love to hear some of your favorite ways to look after your flocks health and well being? Share in the comments.

xo, Patty
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Life and the Garden in July...

7/25/23

I have been in a reflective mood as of late and find myself feeling a bit like the garden, hot, bothered and a bit worn out.







July has always been a bit of a beast but this year it just seems to be amplified. My goal in life (as in my flower beds) has simply been to keep things alive until the heat relents and things perk up.  I realize for all you optimists out there that this is not the ideal way to live but I believe that seasons like this are unavoidable and possibly even necessary.



Having lived over a half a century I've come to appreciate the benefits of slowing down and learning to enjoy the quiet things in life that busy times in the garden don't allow time for. Reading books, building puzzles, embroidery and journal making have provided me with the joy and hope that cooler months in the garden bring.  My mind enjoys the creative outlet and my body appreciates the break as well.



This downtime, while somewhat forced, provides us with not only rest but also anticipation for what's to come. The summer heat will give way to the cooler breezes of fall and our energy will be restored.




Our lives, like nature, come with seasons as well.  Some are full of sunshine and roses and others get choked out by deserts winds and knee high weeds. Our worth, our hope and our joy are not found in the circumstance of where we find ourselves but in the One who holds the future. 


If you find yourself struggling under the heat of summer or a season of transition don't lose hope. You are not alone in how you feel. We all have those times. While the length of our seasons may differ, times of refreshing are ahead. Trust Him to deliver the change at His appointed time.


xo, Patty

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Welcoming Spring - 9 Things I Want to Accomplish this Week

4/3/23

Spring is in the air and I for one am ready to welcome it with open arms.  

It has been a long cold and rainy winter here in the Southern California desert.  Don't be fooled by the old song, it does indeed rain here and when El Nino happens through, it rains in record numbers.  



The upside to all that water is the lush green spring we have in store for us.  The ranunculus are already putting on a spectacular show and I am having trouble keeping them cut fast enough to ensure they continue providing blooms for as long as possible.  Ranunculus are one of those flowers that actually produce more flowers the more you clip them.  



I decided to make a weekly to do list to help me stay on top of all the things I want to accomplish in the next couple of months and thought it would be fun to share it with you.  Partly for encouragement and partly for accountability.


If you are like me, it can be easy to let things slide until tomorrow but that can quickly turn into next week, next month or next season and before you know it you are living in clutter and cobwebs with no creative energy or desire.


If you're game, grab a notebook or planner and join me.  Ready? 


Here's my list for this first week of April...


1. Clean the baseboards and ceilings. (Did I mention cobwebs?)


2. Shred and divide the cheese that I took out of the freezer when I cleaned it out last week and plan menus to use it up before it goes bad. (I use the attachment on my Kitchen Aid when I have a lot of cheese to grate.)



3. Wash and change out my daily aprons.  The ones from Christmas are still hanging on the hook.


4.  Figure out a better way to store my empty canning jars as we are all tired of listening to them clang together on top of the dryer.


5.  Plant my pepper plants on Thursday, after this last cold front moves through.




6. Head to the nursery for bedding plants to freshen up the topiary containers.


7. Move the Iceland poppies since I can't seem to stop whatever creature sneaks into the garden at night and eats the flowers right off the stems.




8. Organize my craft table and rolling cart.  The area I currently have designated doesn't inspire me to create.  Having my most used supplies on the rolling cart will allow me easily transport my things to work at the dining room table where the natural light shines in.




9.  Sew up my garden stool cover and table topper for my garden side table.


The list may seem long but most items will only take 15 minutes or so.  I have them spread out over several days this week so hopefully this will motivate me and help me stay on track!


What did you come up with? Share it with me in the comments and we will meet back up here next week and see how we did.


Have a wonderful first week of spring! Get outside, listen to the birds, inhale the fresh air and behold the beauty of the fruit tree blossoms!


xo, Patty



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