Gratitude Journal Entry # 2- Hard Working Man

Today, I'm thankful for my hard workin' man. 

He's not only hard working, but an all around good guy. Though in the early days of our marriage, we were a bit like oil and vinegar.

 Two separate souls, with two totally different personalities that would often clash. In those early days, we found it difficult to deal with our differences, as if only one of us could be "right." But as time went on, we began to see the bigger plan for us and for our marriage. And instead of viewing our differences as a curse, we began to see them as a blessing.   Imagine if we were exactly the same. One of us would be unnecessary in the relationship! We  realized our unique likes, dislikes and opposing personalities bring a richness to the relationship. 

 Over the years, we have learned to love, accept, support, and allow one another to be who God made each of us to be. Today, instead of oil and vingear, we're more like chocolate and peanut butter....... A PERFECT MARRIAGE.

  (I'm grateful for chocolate and peanut butter too- how about you!)

Scrappy Saturday

We've had nearly 20 inches of rain here in S. Central PA this spring, and everyone around here is getting a little testy.  It rained everyday this week.  All this rain reminds me of a trip we took two years ago.

  Hubs and I had set sail on a celebratory cruise.  We were celebrating his 50th birthday (Jan), my 5 yrs. of remission from leukemia ( a story for another day)  and our 30th anniversary (Nov).  

Unfortunately, it rained nearly the whole week!  

But a little rain didn't keep us from havin' some fun and gettin' some R&R.

Take a peek......

Hubs thought he was "all that" with the show girl;)

While I wanted some sun to bask in, I have to say, I found
all the rough seas to be very exciting!  

It doesn't take much to entertain me!!

Our last day was beautiful-of course!

Click on any picture to enlarge.

The birth of a Gratitude Journal

 No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 thessalonians 5:18 NLT

I finally got around to catching up on reading my MaryJane magazines. And  while paging through the  Oct. Nov. 2010 issue, I discovered a theme.  

The theme of this issue was 

Gratefulness.

With articles titled, Attitude of Gratitude, Catalog of Blessings, The Gratitude Cafe, The Gift and Gratitude Restored I was motivated...

And the Bible speaks volumes about having a grateful heart...

so I decided to begin  my own

Gratitude Journal......

Blog Style!

So here's my first entry...

I'm thankful for peaceful moments on those days when I'm "Jack-sitting"!

Jack quietly playing with his toys,
instead of Grandmummie's toys!

Pure sweetness!

What are you thankful for?

A NEW PURPOSE FOR AN OLD TABLE and a recipe for BREAD

Nearly two years ago, my then, 22 year old son bought his first house.... a little cabin nestled in the mountain on 8 acres.  

The little cabin had been home to an elderly gentlemen.  And after his passing, the family put the property on the market- as is.  Yes, it was a mess and in need of a ton of work! 

Not only did he get the house that was in disrepair, but he also "inherited" a treasure trove of the old gentleman's "stuff."   

 But you know what they say.........

One man's trash is another man's treasure.....

My son gets my love for vintage junk.  So for Christmas this past year, he gave me one of the treasures taking up space in his shed....

This sweet little porcelain table is now mine!  

The feet of the table were rusted from sitting in the shed.  But my tricky hubby who can fix anything, fixed them up like new!

 I scrubbed up the table, but chose not to paint it, and leave it as is.  I chose to use put this table in my "butler's pantry"  for all my grain and bread supplies.  It worked out perfectly.

So of course, I have to include a recipe for some tasty bread. This is a recipe I have been using as everyday bread.  It's a recipe inspired from recipes and helpful tips from experienced bread bakers at some of my favorite places on the web....


Tammy's Kitchen
Home Joys
and Grain Miller


I mix my bread in a bread machine (Zojirushi) and bake it in the oven.  


Place ingredients in the bread pan in the order recommended by your bread machine.

Whole Wheat Bread 

(This recipe can be made into 1 LARGE loaf or 2 smaller loaves)

Gotta love a fresh from
 the hen house green egg!

1 1/4 c. water

2 1/4 T. oil

2 1/2 T. honey

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

2  1/2 tsp quick rise yeast

2 cups of wheat berries ground

 (equals approx 3 c. of wheat flour)

1 c. unbleached white bread flour

1 tsp of dough conditioner

Place dough in bread pan and allow to rise (about 30-45 min.)  Bake at 350. for 25-30 minutes.

This is an excellent tutorial with tips on baking bread.  If you are new to bread baking, I recommend watching this before beginning. 

You can find all of Donna's videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/thewheatguy.

Enjoy!

Scrappy Saturday- Sowing and Growing

I snapped these photos a few weeks ago while we were getting the field ready for planting.  Grampie took Jack for his first tractor ride.  It seemed to make him very relaxed.  

And though Grampie (and Jack) have been busy preparing the soil, and planting some seeds....

Our daughter has been busy Growing a new baby!

Scrappy Saturday- Andrew's Birthday

Today's Scrappy Saturday is dedicated to my baby boy who turns 24 on Mother's Day.  

Baby Andrew with a very young mommy!

My Boy- all grown up...

makes his mama proud!

Happy Birthday Bubba!