Saturday, September 26, 2015

A Happy Saturday and Celebrating An Anniversary!

It was a good Saturday morning at the Chapman's house!


When I woke up - after turning the light out last night at 11:00 and waking up at 9:00 this morning - 
Louis Dean had my coffee ready and was cooking breakfast!


While HE cooked, I took that first cup out on the deck and sat in my glider.
I am LOVING that glider!!!


Breakfast - complete with homemade biscuits!
It was SO good and he even cleaned up after himself!!!
At least he did the best he could!

We sat out in the gazebo to do our reading and I am happy to see that Blogger allows me to post video snippets again.


He is just the cutest thing!!!
Our family reunion is next Saturday and we have been going over some songs.
I don't think we've ever had 'live music' there before - at least the times I've attended.
I flat out can't sing - so we will just call what I do 'entertainment' as in COMEDY!!!


Last week we noticed this separation on the side of the house.


Then a few days ago I noticed THIS separation on the INSIDE!
See it up there??
Louis Dean has his work cut out for him.
It's always something, isn't it???
I have absolutely no idea what I would do without him!
He can fix ANYTHING!


While he was studying the situation and doing things outside,
I made muffins. Only two ingredients + spices and chopped pecans.


My sister made the same thing this morning and I think hers turned out prettier than mine.
Probably all the spices darkened mine up.

I felt better today than I have in a long time. Still a little wobbly after I take my meds but I managed to finally clean my kitchen today. Or at least most of it. Over half. I think. Unless you count the fridge so, no, I only got half of it done. Still, that's quite an accomplishment since I haven't done much in over a week!


I just love the smell of CLEAN!


My planner area had really piled up!
Now it's all neat and tidy with the random recipes I had clipped and saved all sorted and in the proper places.
The box holds some of my favorite vintage cook books.


This small box holds all those clipped recipes that aren't on cards.


This cook book is really old but I'm too tired to go in there and check the publication date.


I don't remember where I found this small book of handwritten 'receipts' but the date on this tax formtis 1933. That's 3 years before Louis Dean was born. I just discovered this paper tucked inside the back of the book this afternoon. What makes it interesting is that my granny was a Hancock. Hmmm...


I didn't get to the floors yet, either, but everything else has been cleaned! Top to bottom.


It has been scrubbed and polished to a high shine!


I love my kitchen.


I know the counters are covered and you must move the ceramic pie plate off of the toaster if you want to toast something.....but I don't mind and Louis Dean has got used to it.......finally.


I made it as far as the coffee stand - minus cleaning the fridge.
"Coffee's ready for in the morning!"
Louis Dean LOVES it when he hears me say that!
He tends to stumble around in the morning and spills coffee grounds all over the pace and even spills the water sometimes. As for me, it's easier to have it prepared and ready to turn on than to clean up the mess. I stay in bed after I wake up until I'm NOT stumbling around!


I have my work cut out for me - this is the REST of the kitchen yet to be cleaned!
That's a job for another day.

September 26, 2005 was the date Mother suffered a massive stroke.

April 2014

Deanie wrote the following this morning on her Facebook page:

10 years ago today in the early morning hours, our mom suffered a massive stroke!
Today she is very healthy & 106 pounds less in weight. Her only impediment is her speech. She is very blessed.

I shared hers on my page and added to it:

Who knew God would bring so much ultimate good from a serious stroke? We have grown together as a family in our relationship as we have cared for our mother. Mother has had the very best care possible! She lived with Nita for 7 years and now lives with Deanie. Thank you, my amazing sisters, for bearing the brunt of all the responsibility in taking care of her!

We are grateful every year to be able to celebrate yet another anniversary!

Now it's time for me to toddle off  to bed.
Louis Dean and I have been acting like little old people.
We used to sit out in the gazebo and have a glass or two of wine late at night.
Now we are showered and in bed along about 10:00- 10:30 and then read for an hour or so before turning lights out.
Ah, I remember those good old days and I hope to see them again soon!

12 comments:

Wanda said...

So glad to catch up with you and your darling. You and I love our kitchens. Yours is so full of love and lights and wonderful things...I love peeking in every corner...as you find a way to make every corner and every nook special. I always make the coffee the night before too.
So glad you are doing better. You mentioned your wonderful sisters. My sister and I had the pleasure of caring for our mom when the cancer made it impossible for her to care for herself. Those are treasured memories. I lot my only brother last year, and my only sister gave me a big scare this week as she had emergency gallbladder surgery and didn't do well, blood pressure problems, breathing problems,.....I was so worried. But after a week in the hospital she home and resting. Talked to her tonight and she said she may be 80 but she's a tough old bird. Love my sis. Thanks for your endearing friendship Linda. The video clip of LD...precious. Sweet Dreams.

Joy@aVintageGreen said...

Sweet Dreams Linda.

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

So glad your mother is doing so well. And what a blessing you all are to her taking care of her!

Glad you are feeling better - those muffins look wonderful!

Deanna

PATI CLARK said...

The Kitchen is my favorite part of the house -Meals and memories !!!!! Love your kitchen !!! Everything in its perfect place !!! Great video I might add !!! Glad your feeling better !!!!! Love everything Pumpkin Spice !!! Let the Fall baking begin !!!

Penny said...

I think the muffins look so tasty, I could smell those spices all the way over the sea! I do stuff in advance too, it saves mess in the long run......! Hope LD gets to the bottom of that big gap in the house before the winter! Could be a bit draughty! X

MadSnapper said...

i loved the t for texas and tennesee song and he is so cute. you are blessed to have him and your sisters and mom. his singing took me back to my childhood in KY... the same sound and accent. glad you are feeling better

Vee said...

So glad that you are feeling like puttering again. That's a very good sign! Your mother has come a long way in those ten years. Amazing. She has good kids!

Susie said...

Linda, I too have the coffee pot ready for mornings...as soon as I clean it up , I just go ahead and prepare it for the next morning. I do not want to overly alarm you, but tell LD it's "T" for trouble...I think your home may be shifting , that can be due to all the rains around your foundation this past year. That much separation is extreme. There are businesses that can find the problem and they fix the foundation. Linda, this is part of what may be happening to our Catholic church here in Tipton. Lightening struck the steeple and caught it a fire. They rebuilt the steeple, then this year all those heavy rains and even last spring and fall were heavy . The stucco has been popping off. I can see bricks under the stucco. The people who care for the church said the rains and the fire have disturbed the main trusses. We may have to tear the church down. They have services in the school now. Please have your home checked out...as soon as possible. Waiting can only make it worse. I love you guys and do not want the camper to be your home....even though that is a fun outing..please. Love you, Susie

Arlene G said...

What a testimony your mama has as she has recovered so well from a devastating stroke. And you girls are so sweet to her...you are a testimony also!! And I would love to visit your house and pause and look at all your debris as LD so lovingly calls it!! I hope you find out what is going on with your house! We have similar foundation problems in our area due to clay in the soil! Lots of rain can cause so many problems. I saw where you had visited my friend, Mrs T...she is such a lovely person. I met her years ago when we were in a Housewives Forum online. We would all check in and tell what we were doing each day. I miss those ladies and the forum. I guess the internet has evolved and blogs are more popular tan forums these days. I always felt those ladies were my coffee break friends as we gathered to share our lives even though we had never met. One of the blessings of blogging is all the friends I have met, like you and LD!!

Jill said...

Your home is so lovely! I love all your old cookbooks, I collect them as well and love seeing the handwritten notes, etc. Those muffins sure look delicious too! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Blessings,
Jill

Angie said...

I love seeing pictures of your home. Your home reminds me so much of my grandmothers. She loved all her little treasures too. Boy did I hate having to dust them all though!

Carla said...

Loved the video. I like how you make notes in your cookbooks. I have one of those old betty crocker books. It was my moms. I also have a new one. The picture of y'all and your momma is great. Whata smile!