A Soup Kind Of Day

Andy has been feeling a bit under the weather today. I believe he's fighting a spring cold. He didn't feel like eating too much but agreed that chicken soup would taste good.

I dug though what we had and found frozen homemade chicken broth and seasoned cooked and chopped chicken in the freezer and onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms in the fridge. A few seasonings from the spice cupboard rounded it all out.

I chopped up all the veggies and sauteed them in the soup pot in a little olive oil. The veggies always smell and look so tasty during this step!

Lastly, I added broth, chicken and seasonings, brought the soup to a boil and then turned it down and let it simmer.

It was delicious!

Whenever I chop and peel veggies, I save the well-washed peelings/ends and add to a big freezer bag. When I have a bunch of chicken bones, I use this bag of veggie scraps to make delicious homemade broth!

Waste not, want not! 

An Update On Our Family

Some of you have been asking how Andy is doing now. Thank you for asking!

If you saw the picture in this post, you can see that Andy is looking and feeling quite well! We are grateful to be past the 1 year mark of his diagnosis. And last week marked 1 year since he began chemo.

Easter Sunday 2018--The sun was a little bright! ;-)

All scans and blood work continue to come back clear and show no sign of cancer. There is still a very small nodule on his lungs that Andy's oncologist wants to have removed. It is highly unlikely that this nodule is cancerous since all other spots on his lungs disappeared with chemo and this nodule has not changed in size in over a year. The disadvantage of this spot is that it is quite small and located in a hard to reach area, thus making any biopsy nearly impossible unless it is removed. The thoracic surgeon was unsure if he could even find it when we consulted with him last fall. We want to meet with him again to see if his opinion has changed. It is up to us if we decide to go ahead with the surgery or continue with careful observation for the next 12 months.

We appreciate your prayers for wisdom as we make this decision.

In other news, long time readers will remember that we announced 3 years ago (exactly 3 years ago!) that we were in the adoption process to adopt a baby. We went through the homestudy process in 2015 and were approved as a waiting family in October 2015. Since then we have waited for The Call that we have been matched with an expectant mother who has chosen us to parent her child.

After Andy's cancer diagnosis in spring of 2017, we went on hold with the agency as Andy underwent chemo and various surgeries.

Our agency requires certain paperwork to be updated every 365 days so when we began to talk with our adoption worker about going back to active status, she sent us a new packet of paperwork to update. This included 3 doctor's reports, new income tax forms and proof that our dog is current on vaccinations, among other things. Everything had to be redone because of the time that we were doing the paperwork so this packet took WAY longer than any adoption paperwork we have done in the past!

But I'm happy to say that I finished with the paperwork on Monday and it is now en route to our agency. Woo Hoo!

Our adoption worker should be scheduling another home study visit with us soon and hopefully after that, we will once again be a waiting family. We hope to be matched soon!

Thank you for your continued prayers for our family!

On This Day After Earth Day

Earth Day was yesterday. I stopped at the local health food store after church for some bulk spices. I took a reusable bag along for extra points on my rewards account.

At checkout, I was offered a free packet of heirloom tomato seeds in honor of Earth Day. Yes, please.

Some folks are big into Earth Day and loving the earth the other 364. Some folks scoff. Some folks like me, are somewhere in the middle.

I compost. I use reusable water bottles instead of buying bottled water. I use cloth napkins and real dinnerware. I cook from scratch, am careful about food waste, line dry some of my laundry, use reusable lunch containers and shop second hand quite often. I'm careful about the use of chemicals in our home.

Part of my cloth napkin stash. These have been going strong for around 3 years now. They're starting to show some wear from repeated washings. I usually get 3-4 years out of a stack of napkins. When they're worn out, I make new ones.

I grew up on the West Coast where things are just different. Overall, people tend to live a little greener. I hate styrofoam.

I also use some paper towels and paper plates some days. I use some ziploc baggies. We buy packaged food sometimes. I shop at Aldi where the produce is highly packaged but the price is right. Sometimes (like most of last year), I'm just too tired to recycle.

In spite of growing up in Oregon, I'm not a tree hugger. But I can't swing so far over to the extreme where I have no interest in caring for the environment.

This is where we live.  The Earth is one of God's gifts to us. As with all of God's gifts, I wish to be a good steward of what He has given.

On this day after Earth Day, can we all agree to be good stewards of our resources?

• To be intentional with our choices?
• To create more than consume?
• To conserve more than we waste? 
• To save more than we spend?
• To think before we act?

 A "green" smoothie.

Maybe you are full out "green". Or maybe you're like me and make small choices each day to minimize waste and maximize health, both for ourselves, our finances and the environment.

I cannot do everything but I sure can do something.

Maybe I can turn the lights off when I leave the room. Turn off the water instead of letting it run.  Save those veggie scraps to make stock. Walk somewhere instead of drive. Hang those clothes up to dry instead of running the dryer. Plant those tomato seeds already. Just this once.

And tomorrow, make some of the same choices again. 

Little choices add up to create a big impact. 

What will you do on this day after Earth Day?

**You may be interested in another Earth Day post I wrote "back in the day": Kermit, It is Easy Being Green.

Food Lion House Brand Promotion

If you have a Food Lion near you, they are having a House Brand promotion that is going on through April 24th.

For every house brand product you buy, you get 25 cents back. You must buy a minimum of 4 products in one trip to get the rewards and a maximum of 40  per trip. The quarter back rewards are printed as a voucher to use towards your next purchase.

Since Food Lion runs this sale twice a year, I like to use it as a time to stock up on low-priced pantry staples such as canned tomato products, canned beans and canned vegetables. Pasta sauce, pasta, rice and low-priced condiments are also good things to buy.

Purchasing products that are naturally inexpensive gives me more bang for my buck! For example, the cans of tomato sauce I purchased today are 29 cents. With 25 cents back, each can is now 4 cents. The tomato paste was sale priced at 28 cents. After the promotion, these are 3 cents each. The diced tomatoes are 54 cents each. Take 25 cents off and each can is now 29 cents. The green beans were 38 cents each and 13 cents after the rewards.

These are definitely great stock up prices for me! No coupons required!

Not pictured is the brown rice, blocks of cheese and french bread that I also purchased. These were all house brands as well and were, in order listed, 57 cents, $1.25 and $1.25 each after rewards.

I bought my max of 40 items on this trip and received a $10.00 voucher to use on my next shopping trip!

If you have a Food Lion nearby, it may be worth your time to check out this sale!

Catch-Up Week: Day 5

Hooray! It's Friday! Do you have any great plans for the weekend?

We're hoping to get the grass mowed for the first time this spring. A few things around the house and hopefully a movie!

What I accomplished today:

• Prepped dinner--Oven Fajitas. This dish is one of my faves for being budget-friendly and easy to prep ahead and just slide into the oven.
• Washed a load of towels. 
• Cooked some chicken breasts for a new soup recipe I'm planning to try tomorrow. 
• Wiped down refrigerator shelves. 
• Cleaned the bathroom. 

I've been able to get the house into better shape this week. Of course, there's still more to be done but at least some improvements have been made. I will keep working on a few things each day.

Talk to you next week! Have a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

Catch-Up Week: Day 4

 A picture of cute Willie to add interest to this post!:-)

Today wasn't quite as productive as yesterday.

I took the liberty of sleeping in a bit and finishing another library book! So my routine was a bit off. But that's ok sometimes too. ;-)

Here's what I accomplished this morning:

• Hauled trash and recycling to dump.
• Folded and put away all laundry from yesterday's washing. 
• Collected a pile of papers/junk mail and threw them away. 
• Made fruit dip. Today I mixed some leftover cream cheese frosting with some freshly whipped cream and it turned out very tasty. Andy was excited about it!

I meet with a friend on Thursday nights to share our insights from the week's Bible reading so did that tonight. No other housework tonight besides cleaning up kitchen and running the dishwasher.

I just got back from walking Willie and am ready to shower and go to bed.

Have a good night, everyone!

Catch-Up Week: Day 3

Hope everyone has had a good Wednesday!

I did three loads of laundry first thing. I've been hanging up most of our clothing to dry instead of running the dryer. I have a rod for clothes on hangers in the laundry room, then the rest go on two free-standing drying racks. I keep one of the drying racks in the tub of our guest bathroom! It's out of the way there and we don't use this room much on a regular basis. I also hang stuff on the shower curtain rod in there. We had an extra shower rod so I put that above the tub and I can hang laundry there too. Today I put the second drying rack in the guest bathroom too. As you can see, it was full but did the job!

We had a birthday luncheon for a coworker today so we all brought some kind of food to share. Another coworker and I did a fruit tray together as our contribution. She brought cantaloupe, pineapple and strawberries and I brought apples, grapes and fruit dip. I whipped up this "real food" fruit dip from Heavenly Homemakers. The bowl was scraped clean and the small amount I left at home for Andy to eat was also gone by evening! So I guess it was a hit. I have enough ingredients left to make another batch of fruit dip tomorrow as we have some leftover fruit to eat it with.

Other accomplishments today include:

• Calling to cancel an appointment for next week. 
• Placing an online order.
• Vacuuming all the floors. 
• Dusting.
• Spending 10 minutes picking up trash around the house, including breaking down some cardboard boxes to go to dump tomorrow.
• Organizing my shirt drawer--it was a mess but took just a few minutes to straighten it up again. 
• Cooking a quick but healthy meal for dinner--baked fish, sauteed zucchini and mushrooms and steamed asparagus. I prepped the veggies this morning so getting dinner on the table tonight was super fast!
• Making a batch of yogurt in the Instant Pot. 

 Willie isn't as impressed with vacuuming as I am.

Wednesday was productive! What did you do today?

Catch-Up Week: Day 2

Happy Tuesday! I hope you lovely people had a great day.

My mornings start out the same nearly every day--at my kitchen table to spend a few minutes in God's Word.

My big chore of the day was grocery shopping. I headed out to Aldi early--our store now opens at 8am which I love. It works so much better for shopping on weekdays than when they opened at 9am. I only stopped at one store today and got most everything we'll need for the next two weeks. I will make a quick trip to Food Lion another day to get a few things Aldi doesn't carry and take advantage of some sales.

It's piled up pretty good so every item can't be seen but will give you a good idea of what I bought!

A friend from church had surgery last week and I was scheduled to take him a meal today. I started cooking as soon as I returned from the grocery store. It didn't take too long to make sloppy joes, cut up raw veggies, make some dip, and cut up some fresh fruit. I bought hamburger buns, potato chips and a package of sliced cheese to send along as well. It was a very simple meal to make and since I made a big pan of sloppy joe meat, I had enough for our dinner as well. Win, win! We delivered the meal after I came home from work this evening.

Other household accomplishments today:

• Did two loads of laundry.
• Changed sheets on our bed. 
• Made Breakfast Pumpkin Custard for tomorrow morning. We really like to eat this cold. A pan of this will make several breakfasts for the 2 of us. I have made a number of changes to the original recipe by now. :)
• Read a few chapters in my current library book. 

I was hoping to do a few more small tasks tonight but it has been a busy day and I am tired. The same chores will be there for me  in the morning.:)

Have a good night, everyone!

Catch-Up Week: Day 1

As I mentioned earlier today, my goal for this week is to catch up on housekeeping after a very hectic week last week.

I work half-days outside the home right now, so my home hours are limited and a bit split up over the course of the day. With careful diligence though, I am able to keep things in some semblance of order.

This morning, I planned to work around the house before going to work but that changed yesterday when Andy discovered an adult trike for sale on Craigslist. It turned out that we could go look at it this morning--on the other side of Charlotte.

He has been looking for a trike for a long time and had the cash put aside. Because of some physical challenges, he has never been able to ride a traditional bicycle. The trike he found was nearly brand new and was at least half of the price he was expecting to spend (based on others we had seen listed).

So we headed up the interstate, looked at the trike, bought it and brought it home. He is so happy with it and with a couple minor modifications, should be a good fit for him. I hope it works out great for him!

"When I recover from surgery, I want to go to Captain D's", said Andy after his big surgery last August. 

So we stopped there for lunch on the way home today. Our town doesn't have a Captain D's so we waited until we were near one. Andy had been waiting for this for 7+ months! #Goals #WeDon'tGetOutMuch #Finally

By the time we got home, it was time for me to go to work.

This evening, I've been able to do a few things:

• Emptied trash cans.
• Emptied compost bucket.
• Put a few things away that were setting out where they didn't belong. 
• Brought potted plants in from outside as we expect a frost tonight--in April!
• Jotted down a 2 week menu plan and grocery list so I can get groceries tomorrow. 
• Finished a library book!

 I'm trying a 2 week shopping trip this time. 

It's been a good day! 

What did you accomplish today?

A Week Of Catch-Up

Last week was crazy!

The first two days started out pretty good then from Wednesday on, my days rather hectic. I worked a full day on Wednesday then between Thursday-Saturday, the dog had his yearly vet appointment, I had a special baking order to fill (I have a small baking business on the side.), we had a yard sale and this month I am teaching the children at church so I needed to prepare my lesson for Sunday.

I was tempted to postpone the yard sale but we had already postponed it for at least three weeks due to cold and rainy weather. The forecast for this past Saturday was perfect so we forged ahead with our plans even though it was a little nuts. Sometimes that is just what you need to do! We had the yard sale, it was successful, now it is over!

Yard sales are almost always worth it to me. We live in a great location for it so all I have to do is set our stuff out on tables in the driveway, put some signs out by the main road and we get traffic as long as the signs are out. Early spring before the South Carolina humidity sets in is the best time for our sales. It seems like people buy more when yard sale season is just beginning!

Anyway, we sold at least 75% of our stuff and the rest went right to our community thrift store!

Sunday was filled with church and getting ready to go to a surprise 50th birthday party for one of our dearest friends. It was a full but good day.

Now I'm ready for a week with more down time and some serious housework! Time to get back on track!

I always love reading about what other homemakers do on ordinary days at home, so I'll be posting this week about my progress.

Talk to you again soon!

Sunday Afternoon Food Prep

Happy Sunday!

I hope you all have had a relaxing Lord's Day. We were at church this morning then came home to pork loin in the crockpot, coleslaw, rolls and veggies for lunch. After cleaning up lunch, I took my traditional Sunday afternoon nap.

I love to nap on Sunday afternoon, do you?

When I got up from my short nap, I whipped up a pan of homemade brownies for a yummy treat. Then it was time to work on prepping some veggies for the week.

I love having produce all washed and chopped. It makes meal prep so easy! Just grab the prepped veggies and go. We like to eat fresh veggies with our meals. Having them ready means I can grab the container from the fridge and set it right on the table.

Today, I had some carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, radishes, grape tomatoes and bell peppers to use. Most weeks, I'll also prep fruit but the fruits I have on hand right now are bananas and apples and I don't cut those up ahead of time. So just veggies to work with today!

While I worked, Willie found a sunny spot to take a rest. He is pretending to rest but really was in a supervisory role, waiting to scoop up any veggie bits that may drop. He likes most veggies. So healthy. LOL

When cutting the tops off the bell peppers, I discard the stems and set the rest aside. Then I chop the tops up to add to scrambled eggs or on salads. I've seen some people throw them away but I don't. Waste not, want not!

I love using Mason jars as storage containers. The produce stays nice and fresh. And they look pretty all lined up! The jars don't take much space in the fridge either.  Some folks report that it stays fresh really long this way but we usually eat it too fast to find out. Most of this will be gone within 4 days. By then, it will be time to shop for more fresh produce and start the process all over again. ;-) I use plastic Mason jar lids for my jars as you can see in the next picture.

The carrots and zucchini will be cooked as sides for dinners in the next few nights. I may use some of the peppers for fajitas this week since I have all the ingredients for that. The chopped peppers will most likely show up in eggs or on salad. I already have washed lettuce in the fridge.

This afternoon, I also hard-boiled some eggs and made egg salad for lunches. Since I'm working all day tomorrow instead of my usual part-time hours, I went ahead and packed up a lunch for me while I was at it. It's nice to have something ready to just grab really quick!

Prepping fresh produce definitely makes my life easier and helps to start my week off on the right path!

Goals For March (And Recap Of Yearly Goals)

Happy March! We are now in the third month of the year--January and February, where did you go?!?

 Daffodils blooming by the river by my parents' home.

Truly, the first two months of the year flew by. A case of head lice (my first, ewww!) and a nearly 2-week long trip to the West Coast to visit my parents helped time move quickly. Now that my hair is clear (Thank you, Jesus!) and I'm back from my trip, it's time to get back to working on our goals for the year.

Tea party with lifelong friends while visiting my parents.

My goal for 2018 is to be intentional. Below, I've copied my goals for 2018 from this post. My updates on each item are in italics.

Being intentional this year means:

• Not overloading my schedule. Doing pretty well with this. Some days are more overscheduled than others but I believe that's just how life is sometimes.
• Allowing time for rest and downtime. I don't want to be "busy" all the time. I've been able to sit down for a little while almost every evening after dinner so that's an improvement. I'm not a good sitter. (haha) I also tend to fall asleep if I sit too long.
• Being creative, just because. I like to make things and that is the first to go with a busy schedule. Still need to allow time for this. I try a lot of new recipes just for fun though. So that should count for something! 
• Continue decluttering the house. I'm using this chart to motivate me! And planning an early spring yard sale as a goal for getting the stuff out of the house and helping with my next point here. ;-) Yard sale is scheduled for March 17, weather permitting!
• Practicing frugality and carefulness in our finances in order to rebuild our savings and pay off some home debt we incurred in 2017. Due to several situations, a 2 week break from work for me over the holidays being one of them, the first couple of months of each year are tighter financially for us. By March and April, things seem to loosen up a bit and flow a lot better. We have been careful and hope to see more in the way of savings and debt pay-off soon.
• Creating simple home routines that I can be consistent with long-term and actually see results! This is going pretty well. I have been keeping up with my goal of cleaning up the kitchen each evening. It's not perfect but so much better!
• Continue reading God's Word with purpose and be part of a group that meets weekly to disciple others. In progress!
• Being careful to not let other's ideas and expectations of me dictate my daily life and decisions. This is an ongoing daily decision. I feel like I'm doing well with it though.
• Living mindfully. Making careful, deliberate and thoughtful choices. Slowing down and getting back to basics really helps with this!

My goals for March:

• Make tax appointment and get taxes done. 
• Schedule vet appointment for Willie. 
• Schedule physical for Andy.
• Finish packet of updated adoption paperwork--includes 2017 tax forms, updated vet records and a physical for Andy (already did mine) so this goal is contingent on getting those things done. :-)
• Continue with homekeeping routines. 
• Quick clean of bathroom each day. 
• Have a yard sale. 
• Start working in garden. 
• Drink tea often--a simple thing I enjoy!  
• Blog each week--I've missed it. 

 What are your goals for March?

Clearing The Kitchen Counters

I'll be really honest here. Cleaning and keeping the house decluttered has been a huge struggle for me, especially in the past 3 years.

I hit on a cleaning routine that works and it is great. Until it doesn't. Then things just get a little out of control. I've always struggled with paper clutter.

In being intentional with my life this year, one of my goals is to build in some gentle routines for home-keeping. It is important to me that I am a good steward in caring for my home and the people in it. I also feel very anxious and stressed when I see surfaces in my home being constantly cluttered and messy.

It's vital that we understand that life is not always neat and clean. Some days and seasons are more messy and cluttered than others. It's important to have correct and realistic expectations for the season we find ourselves in. This past year as we walked through cancer treatment for my husband, it was all I could do to keep up with the minimum--just enough to keep us going and the house livable. So I understand first-hand how we need to adjust our expectations with the seasons.

But at the same time, I realize that by building in some small routines, I can start to experience a home that is closer to what I have in mind when I picture a clean and uncluttered home. I am starting with my kitchen and the bathrooms as those are the biggest problem areas for me at this time.

I had the day off from work yesterday. I ran errands in the morning and in the afternoon, my goal was to clean off the kitchen surfaces.

It looked like this:

Something piled or out of place on every surface. Maybe not the worst it's been but still messier than I'd like.

I began by hiding my phone so I wouldn't be tempted to waste time looking at it. Then I began taking things off each surface. I started with the table. The boots were on the table to remind me that one of them needed to be repaired. ;-)

As I removed items from each surface, I put things away in their proper place or threw stuff in the trash as needed. A few items were put in my donate/yard sale pile. Then I cleaned each surface with Mrs. Meyers all-purpose spray and a soft cloth.

Each clear surface made me smile.

After about an hour (and after dinner when the crockpot was put away), the kitchen looked like this:

So much better!

One routine I have been practicing for years and has made keeping up with dishes so easy, has been to fill the dishwasher as I go throughout the day then run it at night after dinner is cleaned up. First thing in the morning, I empty it and put everything away.

Sometimes I hand wash bigger items and set them out on a towel to dry. Often I will leave them for morning, then put them away at the same time I am emptying the dishwasher. It works and is not a big deal. But last night, I had probably 8-10 hand wash items so instead of leaving them for the morning, I decided to see how long it would take me to dry them and put them away. It took a whopping 3 minutes. Seriously! Three minutes and my counter top was clear!

Sometimes, I fool myself into thinking I don't have time to do a task when in reality it takes very little time. By doing it right away, I get it done and don't have to play catch-up later.

My homemaking routine for this month is to do my best to clear and clean the kitchen counters and sink each evening after dinner. It should take only about 10 minutes if I keep up with it daily.

Do you have a cleaning routine that works great for you? Please share in the comment section. Thank you for reading!

Goals For The New Year--2018

Pretty summer flowers to remind us that brighter (and warmer) days are ahead!

I think it's safe to say that 2017 was not our favorite year! But even in the midst of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, God was so faithful to us and to His Word. He has taught us so much through this experience so in a weird way, I wouldn't really want to change it.

At the same time however, experiences such as these can wear a person down. It is just a lot to deal with!

As I go into 2018, I feel tired. Excited with the promise of a new, bright, shiny year. But just a bit tired.

My goals for 2018 include the word 'intentional'.

To me, being intentional means living life with a purpose, making choices that align with my values, aiming for a specific goal.

Being intentional this year means:

• Not overloading my schedule. 
• Allowing time for rest and downtime. I don't want to be "busy" all the time.
• Being creative, just because. I like to make things and that is the first to go with a busy schedule.
• Continue decluttering the house. I'm using this chart to motivate me! And planning an early spring yard sale as a goal for getting the stuff out of the house and helping with my next point here. ;-)
• Practicing frugality and carefulness in our finances in order to rebuild our savings and pay off some home debt we incurred in 2017. 
• Creating simple home routines that I can be consistent with long-term and actually see results!
• Continue reading God's Word with purpose and be part of a group that meets weekly to disciple others. 
• Being careful to not let other's ideas and expectations of me dictate my daily life and decisions. 
• Living mindfully. Making careful, deliberate and thoughtful choices.

Here's to an intentional year!

Have you thought about any goals for 2018? if so, would you please share them in the comments? Thank you! 

This & That

Life has been marching along at a pretty fast clip around here. One day the calendar says September and now here it is December already!

Andy is considered to be fully recovered from his surgeries at the end of August/first of September. It was a long slow road but by the end of October, we could definitely tell he was almost back to normal function. He was cleared to return to work in November and he has really enjoyed that! He had not worked since the tumor was discovered in late February and with surgeries and chemo, did not have the stamina required to do his job. He was also on lifting restriction for almost that whole time.

Now that he is working again, it is such a blessing to receive an extra paycheck! I was able to continue working the whole time Andy was sick which was a blessing. It was an exhausting time of course, but we made it through! My employers were wonderful in allowing me a flexible schedule so that I was able to go with him to almost every appointment and chemo visit. All of our bills were payed and even some money put in savings during this time. We thank God for His provision!

We saw the thoracic surgeon regarding the nodule that is still on Andy's lungs. His oncologist wants it to come out. But due to it's tiny size and difficult-to-get location, the surgeon is less than confident in his ability to find it at this time. Because this particular spot has really not seen any change in size since the cancer diagnosis, the oncologist has agreed to delay surgery and observe this spot closely for a 6 month time frame. After 6 months, we'll see if surgery is still needed. Of course, if it seems that the spot is growing at any time, a decision for surgery will be made. It is in such a  place that a biopsy is not a good option and the only way to really know if the spot is cancerous is to remove it and then biopsy it. So we proceed with caution. With the exception of the lung nodule, Andy is considered cancer-free at this time.

All of Andy's family was here for Thanksgiving. It was a busy time but went great. I think a good time was had by all! Our dog Willie certainly enjoyed the company of cousins and grandparents!

With Andy mostly recovered, I was able to spend some time on a few home projects that I had planned. First was finishing the massive hallway painting project. How long can it take to paint a hallway? Apparently, several months! With the hallway being completely brown paneling and everything we had going on, this took a while with a lot of starts and stops. SO MANY coats of paint and primer. Oh my word.

But now that it is done...I am LOVING it! This was one area of the house that made me feel a bit depressed. It was so dark and ugly. Now it is light and pretty. (I think so!) This isn't the easiest space to photograph but this end of the hallway going into the kitchen makes me happy. I light the candles in the early morning hours and it is just so cozy!

I also painted the front door a lovely red. And redid one of our flowerbeds with hydrangeas! These "small" projects have improved our home and given me great satisfaction.

Does anyone else feel like they need a break in between Thanksgiving and Christmas just to get themselves together? I do. ;-)During the week after Thanksgiving, I cooked and froze the fall pumpkins from our porch, packed up the fall decor, used up Thanksgiving leftovers and a pile of other tasks. I also started a pantry challenge to go through mid-December. Our freezers and pantry are SO full! A good time to use things up and save some cash!

Hopefully, Christmas decor will go up in the next couple of days. I would love to have some time to sit down and sew too. We'll see. :-)

Thanks for reading!

Another Update!

It's been over two months since my last update.

Andy had surgery on August 28 to remove a handful of cancerous lymph glands in the abdominal area. It is a pretty invasive surgery so he stayed in the hospital for five days. His parents came to visit for his surgery and were a big help in driving back and forth to the hospital. There are only a handful of surgeons who perform this kind of surgery in the area and you want someone with lots of experience so we went to the big hospital a little further away.

The surgery itself lasted for six and a half hours--very meticulous--but went very well. The surgeon was very pleased.

Andy was discharged that Friday and all was going well until the following Tuesday when we noticed a significant amount of drainage from one spot on the incision.This did not seem normal so we immediately called the doctor. He told us to come right in to get it looked at.

I was going to drive Andy in to the doctor myself but Andy insisted I call a retired friend of ours to help. It was a good idea because Andy was moving extremely slow at this point (big incision!). I figured some extra help getting him in and out of the van would be helpful.

When we finally got in to see the doctor, he took one look at it and declared that something was not closing correctly and Andy would need emergency surgery to reopen the incision and then re-close it properly.

This was right around noon by now and surgery was quickly scheduled for 3pm. We were assigned a hospital room and quickly escorted over to the hospital which was right next door. Andy got settled in his room and they began prepping him for surgery. Thankfully, he had eaten very little that morning and had only drank some water. I stayed with Andy in pre-op until they wheeled him away to surgery. I then met up with our friend who had come with us. I was so glad that we had asked him to come as he sat with me in the surgical waiting area during this unexpected surgery.

Again, the surgery went well. The doctor was so busy that he called me on the waiting room phone instead of coming out for a consultation. He said there was a good amount of fluid built up and had it not been caught right away, it could've gotten very infected and caused much worse problems. They put a wound vac on the incision to dry out the area before closing the incision back up.

Andy was in the hospital until Friday again. Before discharge, the surgeon came up to remove the wound vac and then staple the incision closed again. Call me weird but I enjoyed watching the process! It was fascinating.

While the surgeon closed him up, he said "Oh, by the way, the pathology report came back and there was no sign of cancer in the lymph glands. Just dead scar tissue." This was the best news! We were so thrilled and give God all the glory for this!

Andy has been home for over two weeks now and is doing good. Recovery is slow but coming along. He sees the surgeon on Tuesday to get his staples removed.

He had an appointment with his oncologist on Friday. Everything is looking good. He'll have some more CT scans coming up just to make sure everything is clear. The oncologist still wants a specialist to take a good look at the nodule on Andy's lung and possibly remove it. We are waiting to see what will come of that. Our "lymph gland" surgeon says there is over a 99% chance that it is also dead scar tissue as everything seems to work together in this kind of cancer. Even though it is most likely nothing serious, the oncologist wants to be thorough and we appreciate that!

Thank you for your prayers!

Post-Chemo Cancer Update

Andy had an appointment with the oncologist yesterday to discuss the results of his most recent CT scans. Basically, these scans were to show us whether or not the chemo had done its job!

We were happy to hear that the cancerous abdominal lymph glands had shrunk considerably in size. As expected, they have not shrunk to normal size so surgery to remove them is still in the near future.

Several other spots that were seen before on the lungs are not there now, which is good news. However, there is one spot that is questionable. It could be something but could also be nothing. The oncologist suggested possibly a PET scan to get a better look and see what is going on there. Because of how these scans are done, sometimes it is difficult to see things accurately.  He was going to discuss it further with the head of oncology and get back to us.

Andy is doing very well. His energy level continues to rise little by little and he is feeling more and more like himself. At this time, we haven't really noticed any lasting side effects from the chemo which we are grateful for. He does still have that dry cough but it doesn't seem to be as bad as it was.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Frugal Friday

In the midst of decidedly not-frugal chemo, doctor appointments, hospital stays and surgery plans, we still try to be good stewards of what God has given us.  Making good decisions with our money and using what we have to its fullest potential saves us money and also prevents waste.

Here are some ways we've saved money and lived frugally here recently:

• Accepted loads of garden produce from neighbors and friends. We've eaten fresh green beans, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, banana peppers and corn on the cob. I have a crockpot full of green beans cooking for dinner tonight using this recipe.  We were given over a dozen ears of corn so I shared half of it with our neighbor as the two of us couldn't eat it all. 
• Used a store coupon at Petsmart for a FREE small bag of dog food. We also had $5 in rewards to use online so we used it to buy some dog treats and selected to pick up in store instead of paying for shipping. I picked up our online order at the same time I got the dog food. Willie is happy.

• Went on a date to Olive Garden and used a gift card to pay for most of our meal. Also, we had enough leftovers to take home and eat for lunch the next day. 
• Used several coupons when grocery shopping.

• Sam's Club runs specials each month where select items are on special. This month, several items that we buy regularly were on special. So I stocked up even if we didn't need them quite yet--$3 off laundry detergent and $5 off dog food. Both are items that I would be buying next month so I saved $8 by buying them now. I also got $1 off a bag of avocados and $.50 off cheese. 
• Submitted some medical receipts for reimbursement. 
• Hung most of our clothing up to dry instead of using the dryer. Still using the dryer for sheets and towels as I don't yet have an outdoor clothesline. 
• Cut buttons off a couple old sweaters before discarding them. The buttons can be used for other sewing and craft projects. 

• Repotted some tiny basil plant "babies" that were in my big planter of basil. I plan to share these extra plants with friends. Also made pesto from some of the basil. 
• Eaten a lot of odds and ends from the freezer. I noticed we had quite a bit of food in there that should be used. I've been planning my menus from the freezer and pantry then only buying what we still need from the store. I plan to clean out and defrost the freezer in August so eating down the freezer is a good idea! Some of the items are only a serving or two but I group a few things together and no one goes hungry!
• Painted our hallway. I have had the paint and primer for a while and have not had time to get to this project.(I got the supplies right before Andy's diagnosis.) I had the week of July 4th off from work so made time to work on it then. The walls are paneling so this took a little more time and effort  than just slapping a coat of paint up. But the final result is very much worth it! Why is this frugal? Well, I didn't hire someone to do the painting for me. Plus, painting is much less costly than ripping out paneling and putting in drywall! (Although that is in the "someday" plans.)
• Requested a book through our library's inter-library loan program. Within a few days, I received notification that the book was ready to pick up. I combined stops while running errands and ran into the library while driving close by there anyways. My library has started something new and now includes on your receipt how much you saved by using the library that day. I saved $24.99 by using the library over buying the book at list price. 

How have you lived frugally this week? Please share with all of us in the comments!

Done With Chemo!

We are done with chemo!

Andy went through three 3 week cycles of chemo. The doctor wanted him to do a full 4th cycle but due to a bad cough that could be caused by one of the drugs, they decided to do only one week of the 4th cycle. Even though all tests for toxicity to one of the chemo drugs came back negative (Praise God!), the oncologist wanted to take precaution and eliminate that particular drug from his regime. 

The first week of each cycle is five straight days of 7 hours of chemo each day. By the end of the week, you can imagine how worn out a chemo patient would be! 

This "heavy week" is what Andy's last week of chemo was and by Friday, he was exhausted and not feeling very well. We were pumped that it was his last day though! 

Unfortunately, he began feeling quite ill in the afternoon and by evening was running a fever and throwing up. Because he couldn't even keep meds down and a fever with chemo often indicates an infection, the doctor put in an order for him to be admitted to the hospital overnight for observation. 

I was so glad we didn't have to sit in the ER waiting to be seen. Within 30 minutes of talking to the doctor on the phone, Andy was being settled in the hospital room! His fever was higher by this time so they gave him meds to reduce fever and got him started on IV fluids to combat dehydration. 

Andy ended up staying at the hospital for 3 nights and was discharged Monday morning. By this time, he was keeping bland foods down and able to get enough fluids. His blood tests looked a lot better too. He was treated for a mild UTI but the doctor was unsure he actually had one. 

So now he's home recuperating and getting better each day. 

He has CT scans scheduled for next week to see the results of the chemo. He has an appointment with the oncologist toward the end of the month to discuss the results of the scan.  We are hoping for a good report! 

Thank you for all your prayers!

Chemo Update: 3rd Cycle Done!

Andy has now finished the 3rd cycle of chemo. He had a much harder time with the 3rd cycle and felt pretty rough for the full three weeks. He caught a bad cough during this cycle and has felt generally very run down.

Due to the cough, Andy wasn't able to finish the last treatment of the 3rd cycle. The chemo drug he would be receiving is known to cause lung issues so the nurse consulted immediately with the doctor as to what they should do. No chemo that day. He was sent to get a chest x-ray and a pulmonary function test. Later that week at a routine appointment with the oncologist, he was ordered to get a CT scan done on his lungs. This was to check for toxicity from the chemo drug. All tests came back clear and show no signs of anything wrong.

They believe the cough is most likely due to a suppressed immune system. He is using cough medicine and it seems to be improving slowly. They gave him this week off from chemo with hopes that his body will recover some.

From what it sounds like, the doctor plans to have him continue with a 4th cycle of chemo. We will find out more details at his appointment on Friday.

Once chemo is finished and he is strong enough to have surgery, he will have some cancerous lymph glands removed. We are hopeful life will return to "normal" by the end of the summer!

We are grateful for the strength the Lord has given us so far as we have traveled this journey and continue to rely on Him. Thank you all for your prayers!