Jeni and Rick were just having a friendly father-daughter sports discussion. They bantered about the Brewers and Cubs since Jeni has abandoned the Brewers in favor of a certain young man’s baseball team! And you know that a certain father in this household ALWAYS is against any invaders team! :)
I asked them about Bret Favre and Rick announced with great authority that the Packers are going to trade Favre. Jeni had no comment.
Stay tuned!
It is Monday, and normally I have put more thought into the week by now. I actually went back to bed this morning and slept, a very rare treat. I have a feeling that I need to get serious about taking iron and the other vitamins that will help with anemia…….
Here is what I hope to do and on Saturday I will look back and see what DID happen :)
Monday- I am about to get breakfast together and we will discuss meals for the next 10 days as on Thursday we do our next big shopping. I did get quite a bit from SAMS last week so pantry check will be in order and from there we will get our menus in line.
–clean the cottage
–do bookwork
–pick up house and clean floors
–drive Jeni’s car down to Sturgeon Bay to be fixed, pick up Rick at dealership where he is having his truck fixed again. We will have some time to go for a hamburger and call it a “date”.
–get music ready for worship team practice tomorrow
Tuesday –
–finish anything in cottage that did not get done/ mow lawn
–tackle office /computer area
–garden
Wed.
–pick up house and get meals ready for Rick’s lunch pail and supper
–gather all clothes and items that need to go to Goodwill
–go to Appleton to spend the night with Mandy who is in training there for the week. Hit the Goodwill store. We rarely go to Appleton, it is 125 miles away so this is a good excuse to do some much needed shopping.
–attend Wed, night service at a a church we have heard much about…..
Thurs. –
shop for a few things we need, go grocery shopping
head home
Friday- Sammy day
– garden
–work on school room
–laundry, if it isn’t raining
–office work
I have another list of odd and end jobs that I am going to write down and pick away at during the week. Hopefully we will it the pool or beach once or twice, but that always comes AFTER the work is done as a reward.
I know this week will fly by and that flips me out a little bit, the summer is going by so fast.
Jeni interviewed for a job as a nanny in Chicago. We are waiting to hear if she got the job and praying that God will lead her in this decision. This could be a good fit for her but not if it is not God’s will.
Mandy sold her first car last Friday. She is enjoying her job and especially the people she works with. I am so glad that she is seeing mature adults and making friends with new people.
Life is good
Blessed
Joyce
I have just a moment here to write a few lines. Sammy is here as his Dad is taking our youth group jet skiing and tubing. I am sure they are having a blast.
Melody is helping with Sam and has a whole play area set up with computers and rocket “things” as he is playing he is a space man. He has such a great imagination
I am loading a few pictures on our site.
Megan M and I have been friends for a few years. She is a sweet godly young lady who is so beautiful. SHe had a few days here and I was privileged to have her stop by and have lunch. She is so refreshing and a wonderful encouragement. I have learned in mentoring that there is much to be learned from the younger women as well. What a delight.
I am posting some flowers from our garden. They are not as beautiful this year because I have not had the time to take care of them. I am hoping to do some work in the next few days at taming the wild lot of plants out there. I have some perennials that need to be sorted and transplanted to other areas, so much to do, so little time.
Last night the races were cancelled. We were so bummed but it gave us the chance to go miniature golfing, which was Melody’s choice of family fun for this summer. We ate a quick supper and then headed to Sister Bay to the range. On the way I suggested that we make it a competition as our family is competitive. I suggested that I could be a team and Rick could have a team. I waited for a moment for one of my precious girls to jump at the chance to be on my team……….. I waited some more……. Rick started to smirk……….. NO ONE wanted to be on my team. So, we played individually, Rick won, of course. I came in second, not too bad. The best part……. we had fun!
Church was wonderful this morning, guest pastor preached on sin and it was powerful.
Came home to find every child here for dinner plus a guest. God is good as the food stretched and we all enjoyed fellowship and LOTS of laughter. Good time.
Blessed,
Joyce
We are celebrating the accomplishment of another T/L arrival at their big house. It is a scramble but always comes together. We did have an issue with a sink that was supposed to be installed and did not fit. Rick was trying so hard to figure out with the plumbers what to do. The plumbers left and I went into the laundry room to give a few of my ideas to him……….. you know, always wanting to be blessing! I showed him my idea and when he yelled for our daughters to find some work for me to do I took the hint :(. Another last minute glitch was Rick noticing that their chimney cap was bent and looking rather broken. The chimney man could not come until today and when he finished the job he spoke to Rick and said that it appears to him that a raccoon did the damage. Yikes, what a mess raccoons make when they get into a house. We were glad that the raccoon must have given up on trying to get into the chimney. Last year it was a bat infestation, I wonder what next year will bring!
Yesterday I took a trip to Green Bay with my friend Susan. She is an expert shopper and a gourmet cook so I wanted to shop with her to glean her wisdom. She actually does quite a bit of shopping at SAMS so off we went. We left at 7:00 a.m., and I had not had enough coffee!
Susan is retired and so she has more time to enjoy the perks of living in DC. She took me on quite the trip as she does not use the West highway -42 neither the East highway – 57 but does a well learned zig-zagging assortment of back roads down the middle of the county to avoid tourist traffic. At first I was a little confused at how this would save time, but, it did not take longer, and I got so see parts of DC that I have never seen, and they were beautiful.
I had not been to SAMS for a couple years and I was delighted to see the prices were a great savings compared to what we pay in DC. Since I was alone, I took the time to think and check every price and follow my list and master pantry guide. I was thinking to myself how nice it was to be all by myself doing the shopping, and then I checked out. Looking at the towering cart filled with groceries and trying to carry the boxes to pack everything into reminded WHY I always am glad the girls are along……… I was sweating in the hot and humid Green Bay sunshine as I loaded Susan’s car with my purchases. By the time we loaded her things the Toyota was bursting at the seams!
It was a good day and a wonderful chance to get to know Susan better as she is a very interesting lady.
Today I cleaned some of my house, did some bookwork, put away some laundry in our room and realized I did not do any laundry this week for Rick and I. I will get our laundry started early tomorrow and on the line so it is dry before we head to the races. I also took Melody and Sam to the library this morning. Sam is starting to enjoy my reading books to him more and more.
I have supper going on the stove – corn beef. I will add veggies in a little bit before we head to our neighbor’s pool so when we get back it will be ready to eat. Yum.
We are all excited to watch the first episode of Monk tonight. It is reported that he ( the main actor) is in town right now as he and his family usually come this time of the summer.
Brett Favre – We had a heated discussion about the Packers and Brett Favre on Tuesday night at the supper table. I guess I should not say WE as I was not allowed to get a comment in at all because one is not deemed sports minded in our home unless you watch ALL four quarters of EVERY Packer game and can name more than 5 players. Ok, so I am not completely qualified,but I still hear what my husband is saying to other men on the phone and I like to throw his opinions around with an authorative tone to anyone willing to listen. You should have heard me telling my sweet friend (who is a Chicago Bear’s fan, but we love her anyway!) the scoop on what’s happening 
Anyway…….
Rick and Jeni were not seeing eye to eye on Brett’s behavior. Jeni is a diehard Brett fan and would not hear one negative comment from her father about Brett’s decision. She feel he was pressured, almost bullied into retirement by the coaching staff, oh pleeeeeeaaaaaazzzzzeeeee!
(but what do I know?)
Brett Favre has fallen from grace in Rick’s eyes and boy does he have the facts to tell you about it. I have a feeling it is going to be a tense football season this year with it starting off so messy. I will let you know if father and daughter can reconcile on this catastophe in Packer football.
Here is the joke, it is a good one, enjoy!
I just heard an old joke about the horse of many names. A flatlander drives off the road and his car gets stuck in a ditch. Along comes a farmer with a workhorse and he is asked for help. He hitches the horse up to the car and yells, “Pull Tiffany!” The horse doesn’t move an inch. Then he yells, “Pull Montana!” The horse barely stirs. Then he yells, “Pull Dixie!” The horse stands at attention. Then the farmer yells out, “Pull Morgan!” and the horse steps right up in the harness and pulls the car easily out of the ditch. The flatlander looks in amazement and asks, “Couldn’t you remember the name of your own horse?” The farmer smiles and says, “Well, that’s not how it is. He’s blind and I didn’t want him to think that he would have to do all that pullin’ on his own!”
One more thing….. Mandy’s car dealership is supporting the races tomorrow night and she is driving the PACE car! We are so excited to see her driving some sweet little ride around the track. it is a big deal for our family…….. we are small town hicks aren’t we? Wouldn’t have it any other way.
Love it :)
Blessed
Joyce
This is the week with the most work in our caretaking job. It is the week that the owners of the BIG house arrive for their 6 week stay. It means work, but we are all grateful for the ability to do this job.
So, today after Rick left for the boat I headed down to the house to set up a tarp for mulch to be dropped on. One of the jobs we are starting to do at this house is more of the lawn and garden care. We are hoping to save T/L money but also do a better job than the other landscapers.
I came back home and had my quiet time bringing many joys and concerns before God. It was good and I felt strengthened by my time with the Lord. When the girls got up we stared laundry and Melody made a batch of 6 week muffins with me. We ate muffins out on our new table and worked on the list for the day. Kristi suggested that we go to T/L and get the work there done first. That sounded good to me but I had to brown up 10 pounds of hamburger to freeze for meals and make the marinade for some of the pork chops that I had bought. They did some quick clean up while I did those things and then we left.
Once at the house the girls set to weeding along the paths and front landscaping. I went upstairs and tackled the master bath, elegant but time consuming to clean!
One of the perks in this house is a fantastic sound system which carries all over the house and outside. WE played Brooklyn Tab Choir and I tell you, there is nothing like working hard while worshipping!
Rick and our hired man arrived later and we all worked together to move a huge pile of mulch to the lakeside of the house and spread it around a garden planted there. The men shoveled and carried the mulch and the girls and I spread it all over the garden and around the bushes and flowers. It was hard work but it looked so nice. We then moved to the front of the house and spread it around beds there until it was all used up….. 10 sq. yards worth. Annie did a drama pose spread out on the last pile of mulch and I wished I would have had my camera. I would have entitled the picture “Death my Mulch!”
The best part is that Rick was pleased with how it looked and for all of our help.
I had hoped to return to T/L to work after lunch, but I got home in time to put supper in the crock pot and then got a phone call from a homeschool mom trying to deal with college transcripts. I drove to her house and checked out the transcripts, which were very impressive by the way! I had not see this friend very often recently and it was great to talk to her son and see how well he is doing. Luke has applied himself well to school as well as working and teaching other youth skills and keeping very active with worthwhile pursuits. I was more than impressed!
I got home later than planned and the girls were up at our neighbors pool so I joined them although not to swim. It is a heated pool but I am still dealing with getting chilled and then not being able to stay warm. The enjoyed it and came home glad for hot food out of the crock pot.
It has been a full day.
The next few days will be spent working more on getting the T/L house done. We have workers to meet and oversee in the morning and then I will work with the girls there together in the afternoon.
I hope to get my house cleaned well eventually……. maybe Thursday! :)
The girls continue doing some summer school and I work with Melody on reading and flashcards almost every day. Life is busy, and it is good.
Blessed
Joyce
I have been wanting a metal table and chair set for years. I am one who enjoys eating outdoors and although we have a large plastic table and chair set, with a hole in the middle, I still wanted a smaller set for when it is just a few of us eating. I shopped all spring and was stunned by the asking price for wicker sets and even some plastic sets. While shopping at a used store that I frequent when south, I saw just what I wanted, a green metal table and chairs with pretty scroll work and comfy seats. Price – $85. That was three weeks ago and I had not been paid for any of my cleaning jobs and…….. I was afraid to be extravagant. So…….. I applied my Crown Financial wisdom from their latest book and decided to wait and pray. Last week as I was heading south to Green Bay taking some youth to youth group we drove by the store and the set was still out there! I really got excited because I felt it was an OK from God to go get the set. My only issue left was my sweet Ricky who does NOT enjoy eating outside and I knew it would be a tough sell. I pulled him aside and asked him if I could ask him about something and he gave his standard response, “no.” I laughed and told him about the set and how I had waited and saw it was still for sale. He figured that it was probably junk and that was the reason that it had not sold, but he said that I could take his truck to Sturgeon Bay and look at it, but since I was heading south I offered to deliver fish for him. Annie and I hit the road with 60 pounds of fish balancing between us in the front seat and 100 pound in the bed of the truck. We actually made each stop and did as we were told as far as the bills and collection plastic tubs…….. it was actually fun! As we got farther south I was a little concerned that we would drive all the way down the peninsula and it would be gone….. but decided to have faith that this was a gift and answer to prayer. It was THERE! Annie and I tested it out and found one chair that needed some welding but not anything necessary for use. SOLD! We loaded it up in the truck with excitement.
We headed over to get groceries as when in Sturgeon Bay I never pass up the chance to save money at the large grocery stores. I also went and filled Rick’s truck with gas that is 25 cents cheaper than up north. We headed home with a full truck, talking all the way as I rarely get one on one time with each of my girls. it was sweet.
Due to rain, it was Sunday before we got to use the set. We girls ate outside and Rick sat inside! He wanted to watch NASCAR anyway. I grilled pork chops with a side of vegetables and a salad. Dessert was a few strawberries with some vanilla yogurt on top. It was delightful to enjoy the breeze and talk with our girls. I have always noticed that they are so more talkative when we eat outside. Someday I hope to have a deck outside our patio doors, but I know THAT will be worth waiting for as well!
Call me Blessed!
Joyce
One would think that after 27 years of being a wife I would have this frugal kitchen life down pat. But alas, I have mountains of victory and valleys of defeat (overspending and waste!). I have decided that it is time to gain control on this once and for all.
I have know that for years it has been a problem with not having the time to get organized twice a month with working and volunteer work claiming some of my time. But that has changed and I can actually take the time and see the value and savings in organizing meals for two week time periods. It has been a month of testing this out and again I am reminded that God is a God of order as bringing my cooking into order has brought savings, but more than that peace!
The girls and I go though our cookbooks and select meals, check what is in the pantry and freezer and put the menu together. We shop getting only what we need with the exception of anything really on sale that is worth getting. This past week I found pork for under 3 dollars so I stocked up on that. I am absolutely amazed at how peaceful it is to look at the calendar and see what is for dinner and know that everything is in the freezer, fridge or pantry. My last stock up is for a 10 day period and the only thing I may need to get is some milk and lettuce if needed. So far so good, and I have saved over $125 dollars this month. That is a blessing with fishing being so poor.
It was Annie’s job to check off what items we had and so here she is pictured doing that work. She is a good organizer and was very helpful.
This weekend we will gather another menu and shopping list. I will be going shopping in Green Bay and so I hope to save even more. I will also hit SAMS for some bulk items and I have heard people say that their meat is good, we’ll see! I will ask Matthew where he has been shopping as he is good at saving money and will direct me to the cheapest place.
I am thankful for the time to THINK, to organize, to teach my daughters this skill and better be a helpmate to Rick. It really is a learning process isn’t it? Worth the work
Blessed
Joyce
I am one who find great delight in the cycle of life, the turning of the seasons and the traditions that each brings to our home. The 4th of July certainly ranks among the top 10!
Every 4th of July we head out to a Christian camp called Camp Zion, started many years ago from a church in Zion Ill.. As a thank you to the community they hold a breakfast which we have always enjoyed attending. This year was no exception as we all piled into our cars and headed out to the bluff where the camp is located. Jeni’s room mate from college, Jessie, drove up to be with us for the weekend and amazingly she and Jeni beat us to the camp. That’s kind of early for those two :)
We had breakfast and Jason (Jeni’s friend) waited on us and brought seconds to us at our table. Because he is on staff there he has to work the breakfast. After breakfast he took us on a tour of the camp. It was fun to hear the facts about the start of the camp and how all the building came to be. We started out and I told all the girls they had to line up behind Jason and so he looked a lot like the Pied Piper. But then, what young man can resist being followed by these sweet girls.
We ended up going all the way down to the bluff and out onto the dock. Jason is the life guard there and so we asked him what he would do if Jeni fell off the dock where we were standing and was drowning. He replied ” I would tell her to stand up!” He is funny!
After leaving camp we headed home to do some clean up and get ice for the coolers holding our groceries as our fridge quit working during the night. It is only five years old but not working at all, and we had a packed fridge due to the food needed for all the meals with guests that were planned. Oh well, I love camping, although I would really rather do it outside of my home.
Later that afternoon we set up tables and chairs and friends started arriving. Our very good friends the Carlsons were staying in our cottage and they came down and Ron did the grilling. Our older children all rolled into the house (it’s funny how they do that around supper time!), all with a guest or two in tow. Our other families showed up and we had just a wonderful time talking under the trees as we fellowshipped together. There is nothing like being with ones who love you, encourage and support you. God is SO good.
At 7:00 we headed down to the docks to find our way onto the large ferry boat of friends of ours. The older children all headed down to the fish docks to jump on the fish boats for their regatta ride. I used to ride on top of Rick’s fish tug, sitting on plastic fish boxes, sliding across the steel top trying to hold onto toddlers, baby in arms and eyeing where the older ones were, heart pounding in fear every time the boat would tip in the waves from the other boats. It is no wonder I find it absolutely calming to ride in Charlie’s boat with it’s nice seats and life preservers under every chair. Or, maybe I am just getting older! Nah!
The regatta was peaceful as I mentioned above, and such a scenic ride as we went along the bluffs waving to people on shore as we waited for the regatta to start.
The regatta ended with just enough time for me to head back to the house and gather chairs. blankets, watermelon and drinks for down on the beach. We met other friends on Rick’s parents shorefront property and set up camp for the evening. Eventually our older children with friends ended up down there as well and as the sun set over the water we started to sing every patriotic song that we knew and then started on the great hymns. The best part was that everyone present was part of worship teams in their home churches from 4 different states, and the harmonies just flowed. It was one of the sweetest 4th of July memories we have ever made.
We laughed and joked around, shared stories and oohed as the beautiful fireworks went off. All along the beach and around the bluff you could see people joining together, not to mention the crowd of thousands that sat on the Gills Rock hill to watch these fishermen, a few friends and our son set off a splendid celebration. I taught newcomers about the rule of kissing on the green ones, hugging on the red ones and winking on the yellow. They all loved it!
It was late as we headed out of town, the opposite way from home because the highway becomes only south bound on this night. We did wind our way back through the one and only traffic jam Gills Rock knows, and it is an annual event!
The rest of the weekend consisted of breakfast with friends, campfires, dinners together, worshipping together on Sunday morning, sharing hearts and encouraging one another to stay strong.
It was a blessed time, and I am thankful
Joyce
