My Weekend Plans

Posted on Friday, September 5, 2008 at 07:22

Autumn is well and truly here. This is my favourite season. It has a "smell" all of its own and I love crisp, dry days. Now I have to stress that this not what it is like today.....very wet and very windy....but I love it anyway! It's a time when we can cosy up around the fire, drink coffee, read books and generally just enjoy each other's company. So that is what we are doing tonight!

Tomorrow if the weather does not dictate otherwise hubby will play golf. Whilst he is doing this I am going to clean my house from top to toe and get all the laundry washed and ironed. It has kind of fallen behind this week due to my running around doing other things and this makes me twitchy!! LOL!! I can feel myself getting agitated with everything being topsy turvy so to enjoy the rest of my weekend the house is going to be scrubbed from top to toe!

I also have to cook up some meals for my inlaws for next week. The hospital had organised meals for them after my MIL's operation but this service has now come to an end. My MIL is not really up to standing to make meals yet so I am making  their meals ahead of time so they can frozen and used when needed.

Some cooking also has to be done for hubby and the kids for next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as I will not be home. I absolutely cannot wait to next week as my mum, my SIL and myself are going to Edinburgh for our annual trip. It is really good fun. We spend a few days shopping, sightseeing and stopping for cups of coffee and lots of yummies to eat!!

So, a busy few days ahead but days that I am really looking forward to!

Have a lovely weekend!

Catherine

Just Taking a Wee Break.....

Posted on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 01:43

No not from my blog!!! LOL! From housework.....for 10 minutes!!!!! I have to do my ironing but I thought I'd have snack first and then I would have energy to tackle it!

I spent this morning doing the short nursery run with James and then going over to my MIL and cleaning her house. I am going to say something now which I'm sure a lot of people who know me thought they would never hear.....I enjoyed it! When hubby and I got married I got on well with my inlaws but when my children were born I feel the relationship deteriorated. On the surface all seemed well But I spent a lot of time grumbling about them. In July my MIL went into hospital for a knee replacement and since that we have been getting on REALLY, REALLY well! I go to see her every day, do chores for her, run errands for her and just sit and chat a while. People have joked with me that maybe she received something in hospital that changed her! BUT and it is a big BUT.....my MIL DID NOT change. I did! it was not my MIL who needed to change. She has her quirks and often says something without thinking first but she ALWAYS means well and has one the kindest, Christian hearts I know. It was ME who was critical, who grumbled and was intolerant. I was blind to the fact that they were now MY parents as well as my natural parents since I had married their son, and so I should treat them as my parents! (It only took me 11 years to figure this out?!!!!). God tells us to honour our father and mother and I now strongly believe this means our inlaws as well. Thankfully I have realised this as I was missing out on so much!

Anyway, this was meant to be a short break as I only have an hour before the school run and I have a MOUNTAIN of ironing to do! Does anyone want to do it for me?......No.....Aw well, it was worth a try!!

Tear and Share Garlic Bread

Posted on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 04:20

I made regular bread dough in my bread maker. When the dough was ready and had sat for 15 minutes I knocked it back and rolled it out into a large circle about the depth of a thin pizza base. I then spread this with butter and on top of this, garlic puree. The dough was then rolled swiss roll style into a long sausage shape. I then cut it into about 1½ inch slices. I arranged these in a circle in a round cake tin. This was then put into the oven at 200°C for about 25 minutes. Arrange on a plate once done and enjoy tearing and sharing!!

Catherine

Happy Birthday James!

Posted on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 03:45

I can hardly believe my baby boy is 4 today! Where does the time go? It really does not seem that long ago since I was in hospital holding my precious new bundle. Now he is a "Big" boy of 4 and starting nursery school!

So far he has had a lovely day. After his hour at nursery (settling in period) he came home to play with his new toys: a military areoplane, lots of Lego (I'm having fun with it too!! LOL!) and a Transformer. He also got from a friend a Scrabble Floor Puzzle. We'll give it a go later on.

When his daddy finishes work later on we will go out to eat at Pizza Hut. This is where he will get his birthday cake......a chocolate cake (what else!!) in the shape of a monkey.

Age 1

Age 3

Age 3

My handsome, funny and loving son!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Catherine

Cleaning the oven......yuck!!

Posted on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 03:30

Today I did one of my least favourite jobs.....cleaning out my oven. It's a job I keep putting off and off but today I finally did it......because I had no choice!! LOL!! Last night I made my own tear and share garlic bread and although I thought I was careful the garlic butter oozed out of the baking sheet over my oven. Yuck! It was truly horrible. Gas masks were almost necessary in the kitchen because of the smoke from the burnt butter and it was really stingy in my eyes!! Needless to say the oven was a horrible mess, so before it could be used again it HAD to be cleaned. Bicarb of soda made into a paste did the trick. It cut through the grease and once cleaned off I was left with a shiny, sparkly oven. That should do it for another wee while.

By the way.....the garlic bread still baked beautifully and was really scrummy!!!!

Catherine

Menu Plan Monday

Posted on Monday, September 1, 2008 at 12:00

Monday:

Spaghetti Carbonara and Garlic Bread

Tuesday:

James' Birthday Tea

Wednesday:

Chicken Pie, Potatoes and sweetcorn

Thursday:

Tortillas with a variety of fillings

Friday:

Sausage, Mash and Baked Beans

Saturday:

Pizza

Sunday:

Roast Chicken Dinner

Catherine

My Wish For A Rural Life

Posted on Sunday, August 31, 2008 at 08:48

Oh how I wish I could move to the country side. My hubby is a city boy through and through and would be very reluctant to move. The one place he did say that he would consider a move to is a few miles from where we presently live. I do think he said this as he felt a property would never come on the market there and he would be safe!!! But.......there is a small house (needs work) for sale! It is rural but still close to our church, the schools the kids go to and only five minutes from where we are. It sits on 1½ acres and has several outbuildings. The problem.......the price. At any other time it would be considered reasonable because of its location, but as houses are basically not moving and the unsteady state of the economic market it wouldn't be a good time to try and sell. As well as that it needs a lot of modernisation and that too costs money. So all in all I won't be moving but I can dream............

You can see where the house is situated here

Catherine

The New School Year

Posted on Sunday, August 31, 2008 at 08:38

The uniforms are presses, name labels have been attached, pens and pencils sorted, schoolbag packed and lunch made......the new school year starts tomorrow. Amy is ready to go into Primary 4. This means she is now in the senior part of her primary school. She is looking forward to it but a little apprehensive as she is in the senior playground and stays on i n school for an extra hour every day, now finishing at 3pm.

James begins Nursery School tomorrow (his pre-school year). He is soooo excited. His "uniform" ( a red sweatshirt with the school logo) is sitting waiting for him and his Wall-E schoolbag is packed (all he takes is a change of clothes).

Although in one respect I am looking forward to them going back to school I will really miss their company. I enjoy the summer holidays (including very wet ones like this year!) as I get time to do things with them and bring them to places that we can't do during the year.

I have decided that I will go out for a coffee and read my book until James is ready to come home ( they only go in for an hour the first few days to get used to their new surroundings). This I could enjoy!!!

Catherine

Pork Fillet With Honey Mustard Gravy

Posted on Sunday, August 31, 2008 at 04:11

I tried this recipe today and it was really delicious. A lovely Autumnal meal!

Ingredients 1 tbsp prepared English mustard 3 tbsp clear honey 150ml/5fl oz dry cider or apple juice 4 x 200g/7oz pieces pork fillet salt and freshly ground black pepper Method 1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. 2. Mix together the English mustard with the honey and dry cider in a bowl. 3. Using a sharp knife, remove any fat from the fillet and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 4. Place the pork in roasting bag, pour in the cider mixture,seal the bag and set in roasting tin.Cook until tender and cooked all the way through - about 25-30 minutes. (There should be no trace of pink left in the meat.) Use the juice from the roasting bag to make the gravy.

Catherine

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Posted on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 06:47

Catherine

Menu Plan Monday

Posted on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 06:41

Monday:

Pizza Hut (a treat for my kids and my nieces who are here to stay for a few days)

Tuesday:

Spaghetti Bolognese + Home Made garlic bread

Wednesday:

Chicken Goujons, Salad and Chips

Thursday-Saturday:

Visiting my mum

Sunday:

Sticky Roast loin of pork

Catherine

Update

Posted on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 06:39

Catherine

Please pray

Posted on Friday, August 22, 2008 at 02:42

I have started to come off my anti depressant medication under direction of my doctor. I am really happy about this and I know i am ready but there can be some initial side effects as my medication is reduced. Please pray that these are few and short lived. My doctor thinks I should be off completely in about eight weeks. Woo Hoo! No medication after 8 years......I can't wait......!!!!

Catherine

Menu Plan Monday

Posted on Monday, August 18, 2008 at 09:05

Monday:

Irish Stew (made from leftover roast lamb from Sunday)

Tuesday:

Chicken Chowder and Wheaten Bread

Wednesday:

Baked Potatoes and Various Toppings

Thursday:

Fish, Potatoes and Veg

Friday:

Quiche, Salad and Chips

Saturday:

Pizza

Sunday:

Roast Chicken, Potatoes and Veg

Catherine

My testimony

Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 11:14

I grew up in a home where I was encouraged to go to church, Sunday School, Christian Endeavour and any other group that was available. I loved going and always had a keen interest in the Bible, its stories and the testimonies of others. The first time I remember asking God into my life, I think, was when I was about nine or ten. I don’t think I really understood what this meant and every so often I would ask Him into my life again.

At fourteen I remember talking to my minister at a youth event and again committing my life to God. This went on for years and after I would make a commitment I would be on a high for a few days and then this would fade and I would not “feel” as though I were a Christian any more.

During my school years I craved to be popular and unfortunately because of that I made some very poor decisions with regards to relationships. I made some mistakes that have haunted me for a very long time and that I can only say that in the past number of years I have got over.

As far as my family were concerned I was the perfect daughter. I was heavily involved in my church, youth groups and other Christian organisations and to all those involved I looked as though I was leading a “perfect” Christian life. However, in reality this was not so. With the benefit of hindsight, God was very gracious to me during this time and ensured I did not get into any lasting trouble!

When I left home and went to university I settled a little. People knew nothing about me and I could start fresh. There was none of the narrow mindedness and bigotry which I had grown up with and people accepted me for the first time for who I was and were not concerned about my family background. God again blessed me on my first day away from home by leading me to two Christian girls who have remained my best friends ever since.

Over the next few years things went quite smoothly and I graduated with an Honours Degree in English, proceeded to a year’s post graduate certificate in teaching and then went on to teach High School English in a number of different schools. I enjoyed this but again made a number of silly mistakes!

In 1996 I met Peter and fell madly in love. We married in 1997, ten months after we started seeing each other!! Again, everything went well! I had my first child, Amy, in  2000 and felt my life was complete.

 However, through all this, God was only on the periphery of my life and not in complete control. Ten months after my beautiful little girl was born I was contemplating suicide. My spiral into depression was rapid. I felt I was a terrible mother and wife and was haunted by my previous life. I felt suicide would be the best option as Peter and Amy would have had a better life without me. We sought medical help and this certainly helped.

Medication is certainly an essential part of dealing with the physical reasons for depression but for me there was more to deal with. Through the help of a Christian therapist I dealt with a lot of spiritual issues. I had totally rejected “church” at this point and felt rejected by it. In the past I had asked God’s forgiveness for the mistakes I had made but I never “felt” forgiven. Unfortunately I rely too heavily on feelings and not on the truth that when we ask, God forgives. I even doubted my salvation.

This lasted for almost three years. I finally realised that I needed God in my life and I needed to surrender total control to Him. I still have some bad episodes of depression but they are being controlled by medication. I know that God didn’t cause me to suffer this but I do know that when I have it He uses it to draw me closer to Him and to remind me who’s in charge.

I now KNOW that God saved me when I was a little girl, but my walk only truly began with Him a few years ago! I just thank Him for being a merciful, faithful and loving God.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Posted on Monday, July 28, 2008 at 01:56

Catherine

Looking For Recipes

Posted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 10:56

Recently I was diagnosed as having Candida. For one month I am on a strict yeast free, dairy free diet. Unfortunately I am struggling to get recipes so I am sending out an urgent plea for ideas. Please let me know if you have any.

Thank you!!

Keeping A Proverbs 31 Heart Challenge

Posted on Monday, May 26, 2008 at 02:56

Last week I was trying to fulfill two things in the challenge.....tidy up and fix my home and spend more quality time with the kids. On the whole this went quite well. Inside got tidied although today you wouldn't think it had ever been touched. Our plumber is here fixing up the ensuite. The stairs and floor are covered with dust sheets but dust is still getting everywhere as they rip out the old shower and cut wood!! Back to scratch as far as cleaning is concerned when they leave!

I have had a great time with the children. Due to the good weather we have been outside more. We went for a lovely walk at the weekend. Whitehead is a seaside town very close to us and it's lovely to walk along the water's edge there. On a clear day Scotland is plainly visible but it was overcast while we were there so we didn't see much. I've put a few photos of the are that were taken last year..

We also spent some time at the weekend making shapes from papier mache. The children had great fun (so did I!!) playing with the mixture. Some weird and wonderful shapes were made...some recognizable, some not!!! We have had to give them a few days to dry. Hopefully then they can be painted.

How did you get on if you were doing the challenge?

Catherine

KEEPING A PROVERBS 31 HEART CHALLENGE

Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 06:48

Jeannie at Honey Milk Heirlooms has set the challenge for this week. Two areas are to be covered during the week. The two I want to work on are: Managing The Cleaning and For The Family.

In the matter of managing the cleaning the problem has been I have let the house and laundry slip over this past week. The weather has been so beautiful here that I have spent my time outdoors and ignored the increasing mayhem beginning to occur indoors. I don't regret the time spent outside as this prolonged good weather is very unusual for us and I don't want to waste it, but, I don't want the housework to slide as it then becomes an enormous task that I don't want to do. So, this week has to be spent wisely. I can still enjoy the weather but I must get up a little earlier and try to manage the tasks inside the house first.

I also need to make sure I spend enough time with the kids enjoying their fun and joining in their play. They so love it when I do this and I always notice an improvement in their attitude when I spend QUALITY time with them. I have to admit though...I sometimes find this hard.

So these are my challenges this week. What are you going to do?

Catherine

Menu Plan Monday

Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 01:09

The weather is beautiful here at the moment so the week's menu is going to be easy.......BBQ, BBQ, BBQ and guess what MORE BBQ!

So it's salads and meat all week!

Catherine

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