Empty Nest menu #115

 Spring is one of my favorite seasons, especially at Highlands.

Monday - Pan Fried Tilapia, the rest of tabbouleh, asparagus {sew today}

Tuesday - Crockpot BBQ boneless pork chop, with potatoes and green beans

Wednesday - Wine Wednesday with The Girl

Thursday - Mole Chicken, grilled okra, rice {re-check the sprinklers}

Friday - Salmon with sweet chili marmalade sauce, baked potato, salad {payday}

Saturday - TBD {start refinishing kitchen cabinets}

Sunday - Grill for The Girl {rest and relax}

Gina

Two me's can exist at Easter, too

 Just as two of anyone else can also exist.

After all, everyone had moods, feelings, and a psyche!

I have blogged this topic before...

funerals are for the Living...

You can blog about your meals and projects and home and crafts and sound like you are the old you.  The next day you might have nothing to say as depression seems to consume you and push you back at least one of the steps that you painstakingly took forward.

It doesn't mean you don't still have a right to both you's.

No one is gonna get that unless they've lived it themselves, and most people will keep telling you they are "trying" to be understanding but they truly don't what to say or do and etc blah blah they still love you.  Great as that is, it changes nothing.  Two you's are still there and maybe will be for a nice loooong while.

  Friendships are hard.  Holidays are hard.  Work is hard.

Sometimes even days off are hard.  And that's where I am, but not where I will be forever.  Spring is the season of hope.  So very truly from me:  Happy Easter to all of you, and to all of my family as well..

Gina

*5 thing Friday will be back next week

Empty Nest menu #114

Leftovers are a beautiful thing. 

Monday - Chicken Enchiladas, green salad with avocado

Tuesday - BBQ beans and Sausage, creamy corn, salad

Wednesday - Wine Wednesday with The Girl

Thursday - Greek Pork chop, tabbouleh, green beans

Friday - Sloppy Joes with hidden veggies*, sweet potato fries

Saturday - out {might visit my mother, we'll see}

Sunday - Easter Potluck at Camp Rustown

*I will add finely minced bell pepper, onion, and carrot

Gina

5 thing Friday - patio grill, avocado tree, one pot meals, kitchen cabinets, art

I brought home this little gem from Highlands: 

It is essentially a pot-bellied cast iron grill.  It has been sitting out in the open at Highlands for years, originally bought for scouts.  And now it will live on my patio and be my little grilling friend.  I don't think the outside rust makes one bit of difference and the inside is in good shape!

Bonus: I have enough charcoal to last a good long while.

Free(ish) to me avocado tree, courtesy of one of these little avocado seed holders I bought for stocking stuffers.  (This one belongs to The Girl)  I was inspired by her having one on her patio that is going great and already making a tree!  Mine is now planted and out in the sun.

Two one pot wonders.  The one above is a cubed cilantro lime seasoned chicken breast, a head of broccoli florets, some garlic, and a 1/2 cup of raw rice.  Once the chicken was nicely browned, I threw the rest of the items in, added a cup of chicken stock, and simmered it while I showered after work. 

This one is two boneless BBQ seasoned pork chops in my small crock pot with 1/2 a bag of frozen baby potatoes and about 3/4 cup frozen green beans and two pats of butter.  It cooked all day on low and I even had enough pork to do 2 soft tacos for lunch the next day.

The sad state of my kitchen cabinets.  But believe it or not, I don't want to paint them.  Someday I will have the wallpaper taken down in here and have textured white walls, and I love the look of wood against that.  Instead, I am going to refinish them.

Wish me luck.  It will be a project spread out over a couple of weeks, I'm sure.

The above photo was taken in 1986, when Hubby and I had been married all of one year.  Its a great pic, and has been hanging in the front room for years, but was time to let it go into the cedar chest for my peeps to have one day. 

I took it down on Sunday and hung this pretty.  I love the colors and the accents of gold on it and it makes me feel peaceful to see it as I leave the house in the morning and return in the evening. 

Peacefulness is something I could use more of.

Gina

Big project: sprinkler system

Well, as per what was the usual, I let what I knew to be outvoted by what someone told me.

  Isn't my shaded dirt pretty?

That is, that I was obsessing over the landscaping and "dormant" grass.  Now, I'm not writing this to complain about Mark and his shift in priorities. But I am here to say that my shift to taking care of Camp Rustown is in full swing.  And I am starting with the outside.

There's just no reason not to take care of a place where I enjoy living.  Now that the trees are trimmed back, the grass and landscaping can thrive.  And to that end I had the sprinkler repair guy come out and replace a lot of the sprinkler heads, cap some off,  and re-route a pipe in the front yard.

Did it create a giant mess? Yes.

And some replanting to do...

But I can envision having grass and healthy landscaping once again and I think the curb appeal of my house is about to be greatly improved.

Please note that a lot of raking and mulching and such cannot even be done until after the oaks have finished dropping their pollen buds!  But just after one year of hand watering it and spreading grass seed and getting the trees trimmed up, I have some grass and I feel hopeful!

Even the backyard will bounce back.

So I sit in my chair and lay my plans...and cross one more big project off the list.

Gina 

Empty Nest menu #114

Signs of spring are all around!  My little olive tree started leafing out almost the minute I placed it outside of the kitchen bay window.  It is now occupying a spot where an oak once stood - I guess it likes its new home.

Monday - Grilled Cilantro Chicken, spring salad with blueberries and pomegranate vinaigrette

Tuesday - Out {I'm on call and I don't want to have to cook!}

Wednesday - Crockpot Pork Chop with mesquite smoked potatoes and green beans {counseling at 6 p.m.}

Thursday - Out {seminar from 6:30p - 8:30p}

Friday - Pepper Steak, brown rice

Saturday - Dinner and sunset at Highlands - maybe shredded chicken over chopped salad

Sunday - Grilled Chicken Thighs, grilled okra {using my new to me cookstove!}

Gina

5 thing Friday - orchid, purse, bouquet, downtime, a new Cannary

 I bought a tiny orchid for the kitchen table and all of its buds have bloomed.

Its just cute!

I found this sweet woven tote with leather handles at Goodwill for $5.49.  Its a "perfect size-perfect color-just my style" purse for summer.

One of The Girl's friends sent this bouquet and a kind note the day before the memorial.  Very sweet, made me cry. 

The evening of the memorial, I came home, cut Firstborn's hair, putseyed around the house a bit, took a nice long fizzy bath, did a face masque, and laid in bed intending to watch a movie.  I ended up crashing at 9 p.m. and sleeping 10 hours.  That never happens!

A coffee date with these two - sharing that they got MARRIED.

The time was right, they were tired of waiting, and good for them, jumping head first into the future together.  No one was surprised that they did it, just surprised it took so long.

Congratulations, Scout and Dutch!  We love you both!

Gina