Happy Homemaker Monday

                                                    

Please join Sandra for Happy Homemaker Monday HERE 

 

You may have noticed that I updated the name of my blog to Well-Versed Women.  More on that later!  That is my Instagram name if you would like to be friends! 

Last Week and Life News:::

I had a very busy work week but overall I was feeling pretty positive.  I got a lot of writing done, read my Bible every day, and celebrated my dad's 80th.  So, how can I complain? 

  

The Weather::: 
Monday -  59 and sunny
Tuesday - 52 and sunny
Wednesday - 58 partly sunny
Thursday - 60 partly cloudy
Friday -  53 and rain
Saturday - 49 and sunny
Sunday -  47 and sunny

Look at all that sun for the week!  It is still quite warm for this time of the year in Michigan, but I'm not complaining.  I love sunny days, no matter what season we are in. 

As I look outside my window:::
It's still really pretty with about 1/2 the trees sporting their gold, bronze, rust, and hypnotic orangey-yellow (my favorite) leaves.  The other 1/2 are already bare, but with a blue sky in the background, I don't mind. 

Right now I am:::

Working!  Thank the Lord, it is a quiet morning.  (I shouldn't have said that!) even though we have one of our main players out!  We also have one of our main systems out, which is public knowledge so I can say that!  It's a country-wide hack.  I don't want to sound like a conspiracy theorist BUT ............. 

On my tv this week:::

Days of Our Lives

YouTube videos 

Everything about the war - I did the same at the beginning of the Ukraine/Russian war and back during Desert Storm I was also glued to the television.              

Listening to:::
I listened to some Blake Shelton last night!  Christmas music will be starting soon.  I truly do want to start listening to more Christian Podcasts. 

Grocery Challenge:::
Well - week one was not perfect.  I had planned on spending $100 on the week for groceries, household items, and 10 for pantry/blessing box.  Instead, I spent about $120 with nothing for the pantry/blessing box.  And it was completely my fault.  I spent $8.50 on single serve iced teas and $17 on hummus and pita bread from the local Arabic store.  Those were definitely not needs.  

I was also supposed to be on a "no spend" for myself - I spent 5.99 on a game I am addicted to (just a puzzle type game) and 3.96 on the candle.  I am fine with the candle!  

This week I am determined to stay within budget for groceries and NO SPEND for myself! I still feel like things always come up.  My grown kids with their hands out, birthdays, holidays, extra bills, medical stuff.  SIGH

I went through my pantry/fridge to see what we had.  I do not have ANY freezer.  It broke 1.5 years ago and I've been living with just a fridge and an ice maker!  Anyway, the menu below utilizes what we have on hand as much as I could! 

I will mark meals that are pantry meals, meatless meals, and Dollar Tree meals!  (I have been watching Dollar Tree Dinners on You Tube and she is so creative!) 

 

On the menu for this week:::

Monday - Jambalaya (pantry meal - have all ingredients)

Tuesday - Lentil soup with garlic pita bread (pantry meal) 

Wednesday - Chicken and noodles with veggies and side of broccoli (need chicken)

Thursday -  Pesto rigatoni with side salad (meatless meal - need salad stuff) 

Friday - Hot dogs, chips, baked beans (have baked beans) 

Saturday - My soon-to-be brother-in-law's birthday party 

Sunday - Sausage tortellini soup (need most things) 

 Breakfasts/Lunches:::

I have on hand potatoes, eggs, bagels, oatmeal, apples, grits - we are set. 

Lunches for the week: I think I am going to try a couple of the Dollar Tree meals I saw - basically bulking up soups with extra veg and rice/noodles?  I'll update! 

 On my reading pile:::

I did very little reading last week.  Between working a little OT, my dad's birthday, and Nanowrimo, it's been pretty busy.  I plan on reading "The Giver of Stars" by JoJo Moyes and then I will most likely start on Christmas reads! 

On my to do list:::

• Work M-F
• Writing 1500-2000 words per day for NanoWrimo
• Jennah has class Monday (Jeff dropping her off) 
• Jeff's brother's birthday on Saturday
• Declutter corner in living room
• Clean windows in office
• READ (yes on my to do list so I will do it!) 

What I am writing and/or Bible Journaling:::

I am getting close to finishing my first draft of Christmas in Winnett, Montana.  It is going to be a sweet, historical romance.  This will be the 2nd book I've completed this year!  And by completed, I mean I still have to edit and do re-writes, so we are still looking at (hopefully) a release in summer and then this one in fall of 2024.  I am still working on the Women of the Word Bible Study as well.  I've had so many different ideas and I just can't seem to whittle it down to exactly what I want.  It may be a workbook type study with pages for word studies, memorization, verse mapping, etc. I'm leaning in that direction. 

From my camera:::

Looking around the house:::
Some rooms I really love and I'm happy with.  The living room is full of stuff that doesn't belong there.  And I really want new bedding - B UT - no spend!  lol 

On my prayer list:::

*My fiancé - he is still having nausea/vomiting most days.  His EGD was normal.  More tests to come. 

*My soon-to-be brother-in-law is having a mass removed from his lung to be tested.

*All of the innocent babies and children in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, and all wartorn countries.  

*Israel

*The Pro-Israel march in Washington D.C. tomorrow - praying there are no attacks and they are allowed to protest peacefully 

*The Israeli hostages being kept in gaza

*Israelies around the world - they were told to hide anything that promoted Judaism - for their safety.  Could you imagine being told to not wear your cross necklace or to bring your Bible with you, to hide your bumper stickers, etc?  It's really hard to believe it could happen to Christians, but now I'm not so confident.  

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

I heard a man from Israel asking Americans to pray Psalm 91.