Author Archives: ~~Rhonda

Living in a small town, I share my life with my husband Russell (married in 1977), five children (one still at home), and six cats (one indoors, the others outside).

I teach an online class called “The Christmas Notebook” which is about all things holiday prep. The many facets of celebrating Christmas comprises one of my favorite hobbies. Other favorite things include gardening, reading, cooking, and scrapbooking.

autumn is sneaking up on me

With not feeling well so often and the temps being way too hot for so long, I haven’t spent much time outside for a while. But Monday was gorgeous out and I rode the lawn mower around, pulling the wagon for DH while he pulled weeds and cleaned up around the yard. I was surprised […]

picture puzzle blocks

Last year I made these puzzle blocks to use as stocking stuffers for my granddaughter. They turned out well, though I learned a few things. Like, don’t use a picture that will cut someone’s face into four pieces. And choose six pictures with very different coloring around the outside edges, if you can. It will […]

menu plan monday ~ september 5, 2011

We’ve had some pretty hot weather this past week, but when I woke up this morning, the temperature outside was 57! I did a double-take…did that REALLY say 57?? Yes! A beautiful day! DH and I spent some time in the yard. He pulled tall weeds that are so getting away from us, and I […]

so i start early…

It’s almost September! In this household, that means our Christmas prep is underway. I’ve pulled out my Christmas Notebook, the Room Pages binder, the party planner, and miscellaneous storage binders full of Christmas ideas. This year, I’ve also added Pinterest to my bag of Christmas prep tools. Being visually oriented, Pinterest is a great way […]

menu plan monday ~ august 29, 2011

I’ve been busy getting my Christmas Notebook updated and ready for the holiday season. Plus a few other necessary binders… More about that in another post later this week. For now, here’s our week’s menu. Monday Homemade Pizza with Mushrooms Tuesday Roasted Chicken Baked Potatoes Steamed Aspargus Corn on the Cob Green Salad Wednesday Chef […]

getting to know you, getting to know all about you…

Oldest Daughter brought a kitten home with her when she finished her summer job at a girls’ camp in New York. The kitten, Cedar, is probably a few weeks older than our newly acquired kitten, Amy. It has taken them about a week to get used to one another. But now they play hard! Here […]

homemade tortillas

Oldest Daughter asked for tacos for supper. I decided to make Homemade Flour Tortillas. They were delicious! I made two modifications to the recipe. First I used Crisco instead of lard. I have never cooked with lard and didn’t want to buy it for the small amount needed in this recipe. Second, I used hot […]

menu plan monday ~ august 22, 2011

Our oldest daughter brought a kitten home from the camp where she worked this summer. Cedar and Amy didn’t hit it off at once and are still a little hissy, but they are beginning to play together. They’ve been fun to watch. Their antics and growly fits make us laugh. I think they’ll be fast […]

my peach cobbler

For years, I’ve used a recipe from the August/September 1998, Taste of Home magazine, called “South Carolina Cobbler.” But it didn’t take long to know the recipe called for too much sugar for our tastes. I’ve revised it over the years until it fits a 9×13 baking dish and uses less sugar. I also added […]

menu plan monday ~ august 15, 2011

The high temperatures of the summer months seem to be a thing of the past. It’s much more pleasant outside than it has been for a long time. The windows are open, the birds are chirping, the locust are singing. And the hostas are blooming beautifully. These particular ones are ‘Invincible.’ They have glossy green […]