Monday 31 May 2021

Memorial Day..


 Yesterday at church..I had the privilege to meet and talk to an amazing Iraq veteran.. who in 2005 was trapped inside a burning vehicle following a road side bomb blast. His two comrades were killed and he suffered third-degree burns over 70 percent of his body. He lost an arm..and went on to endure 40 painful surgeries. But he thanks God every day for His mercies and he is able to live an every day life with his wife and four children. His Faith and courage are inspirational... and I admit I became emotional listening to him. This is not a happy day... rather one to remember the fallen...and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Memorial Day... tho I wont say Happy... Instead I will say Never Forget...

And I never will!

Phoebe x

Saturday 29 May 2021

A Couple of Hens...

So today was my 'little girls' Hen Party.
another step towards her wedding in just over eight weeks
Im very blessed to have both an amazing daughter.. and daughter in law...
who are beautiful inside and out!

And Im still praying for a miracle so I can be there on The Big Day.

 Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Friday 28 May 2021

Official Date...

 So we have officially been given our closing date... June 9th..  a week on Wednesday. 
Im getting as many walks in as I can because soon I will be looking for new places to go.
When he finished work..MrD and I went to give our 30 day notice..
and then went to dinner at our favourite Mexican Restaurant just down the street
It may be the last time.

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Thursday 27 May 2021

Still On Track... and Barbecue Bubble-Up Bake...

The realtor received all the house disclosures just in time so we are good to go. Everything has been forwarded to the right people...so we are on track to close on June 10th. This means this Friday we can give our months notice here.. Most of our things are now packed leaving just everyday stuff... There should be no more frantic emails and phone calls from the powers that be... they just need to do their stuff now...so I can relax a bit.. 
Once those papers are signed tho... it will be all hands on deck to get that termite ridden wooden structure on the back of the house taken down and some of the foliage cut back around the house so the house can be fumigated asap....That includes a 10ft cactus by the back door that MrD has taken a shine to. It will be fun trying to move that!
Also...MrD went for his blood tests yesterday... and the results are already on his medical report. I think its great that Kaiser give you access to your records... but we will still need the doctor to decipher them. But... to me..they look pretty good.


Barbecue Chicken Bubble-Up Bake

Tonights dinner is an easy one... Im trying to use up some of my freezer foods so there is not so much to haul to our new home... I discovered I had a couple of rolls of Pilsbury Biscuits..and this recipe is a different way of using them. Very quick and simple..

1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can 8 count refrigerated Pillsbury Grands Southern Homestyle Biscuits 
1 bottle (18 oz) barbecue sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

  • Heat oven to 350°F. 
  • Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. 
  • Add chicken; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in center. 
  • Remove from heat and cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, separate dough into 8 biscuits. 
  • Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces. Set aside.
  • Place cooked chicken in medium bowl. 
  • Pour barbecue sauce over chicken; stir to combine. 
  • Add biscuit dough pieces to chicken mixture; gently toss to combine. 
  • Spread mixture evenly in baking dish. 
  • Sprinkle cheese over top.
  • Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted. 
  • Sprinkle cilantro over top. 
  • Serve immediately.

Tuesday 25 May 2021

Have a Bit of Faith...

A much needed walk today as I needed to chill a bit..
The realtor is stressing as the lender hasnt yet released the appraisal contingencies..
and we need them by Thursday
To me stressing about something we have no power over is futile...
but its beginning to rub off on me slightly
But I still have Faith...
and trust that the Lord will do his work before the time is up

He hasnt let us down thus far !

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Monday 24 May 2021

Whats For Dinner ~ Meal Plan Monday..

Start of a new week... and (hopefully) 17 days til closing. We spoke to the realtor and she says we need the appraisal disclosures before we can move forward..and we need them by Thursday so hopefully the lender will sort that out for us asap. If all goes well.. we will be putting in our months notice this Friday

We had a restful weekend...and MrD is feeling less stressed about things. He said we just have to trust in the Lord... and what ever path He wants us to take.. we will go. He even gave in and found himself a doctor to try and sort out the whooshing in his ears and his headaches. He will go for blood tests on Wednesday and we will take it from there... I am praying that its all stress based

Apart from that..decluttering and packing continues. I myself am not sressing about it... I have a list Im keeping to and by the end of the week all non essentials will be boxed up. Im going to make sure I get out for a walk every day...not only for the fresh air and exercise...but to get me away from the box city that is steadily growing.

Plus...it makes the time go faster....

Here's this weeks menu

Weekly Plan - 23rd May 2021

Monday              Sweet and Sour Chicken and Vegetables with Rice

Tuesday              Shrimp Tacos

Wednesday         Breakfast for Dinner

Thursday            Barbeque Chicken Bubble Up Bake

Friday                 Pizza

Saturday             Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Sunday                Loaded Jacket Potaotes with Leftover Pulled Pork

Saturday 22 May 2021

A Change of Mind...

Well that impulse buy of MrDs had to go back. Not that there was anything wrong with the lawn mower.... but we have been blessed with a whole lot of garden tools from MrDs boss... including a mower that my lovely hubby had his eye on but couldnt justify spending money on. They are second hand but in perfect condition... And I dont think any bribary will be involved to get him to use them...

While we were in Lowes.. we looked around the gardening area at all the plants (cant wait) and at the washers and dryers again. I have had to have a rethink on how I want my laundry room to look. There is just not enough room to have them side by side... so for the sake of one little inch... I will have to conceed and get a stackable. Not ideal...because it will blot out some of the light from that lovely window...but I will make it work. I wonder if the last lady didnt have a dryer.. or maybe kept it in the garage. Or maybe...like I plan to do.. hung her laundry on a line to dry?

Its going to be really good having that option again

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Friday 21 May 2021

Friday Walk...

A lovely day for a walk.. its good to get out and about.
Everything is progessing nicely with the house...
Everyday there are more documents to sign..
But every day we are one step closer to June 10th..

Exciting!

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Thursday 20 May 2021

Good News...

Just a quick post today.. Earlier this I had my hospital appointment and..I must say.. the oncologist was very pleased... and surprised that I have lost 41lb since my last visit on January 4th. 

Apart from being a bit anemic..all my test results are great and there is no sign of the cancer returning. After my treatments ended I was told that the cancer would return in a year...and was given a five year life expectancy...but that no longer applies. She is moving my check ups to every six months.. for two times...and then it will become yearly. 

So..all in all thats very good news

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Monday 17 May 2021

Whats For Dinner ~ Meal Plan Monday..

So...it appears the Blue House has termites. Apparently its very common in California. The house needs to be tented and fumigated. The annoying thing about it.. is that the infestation is at the back of the house... in the poorly constructed patio area that we planned to take down anyway. It has spread to the fashia and thats where the problem lies. The rest of the house is absolutely fine ...with no termites. It will be another very large expenditure... and our pockets are not that deep...especially when we will have to replace at least half the roof before winter. We have to do a lot of juggling and see if the house is really worth the extra funds..when we have already paid out so much. We shall have to see what all the quotes are.

Apart from that life goes on. This afternoon I have blood tests ready for my check up with the oncologist on Wednesday. Im sure all will go well

Have a great week..and here's our dinner menu

Weekly Plan - 17th May 2021

Monday              Beijing Beef and Vegetables with Rice

Tuesday              Chile Lemon Chicken Tacos

Wednesday         Crockpot Mustard Pork with onions and potatoes

Thursday            Chicken Lazone on Spaghetti

Friday                 Pizza

Saturday             Baked Ham, Baby Potaotes, Caesar Coleslaw

Sunday                Loaded Jacket Potaotes

Saturday 15 May 2021

Issues....

 So...the house report has come back... Its not too bad. There are a few small issues that can be dealt with and are in line with a house that is nearly 70 years old and the previous owner having lived there for decades. The house is structurely sound.. the plumbing is good and so is the sewerage system. 

Except ... the roof has to have a few repairs... and possibly in the future be replaced. Luckily we dont have to worry about leaks right now...as it hardly ever rains in California. We will get a few roofers out to get a few quotes.. but luckily MrD used to be in the building trade and has worked on roofs many times

Now we just have to wait for the termite inspection report and hope that the appraisal is good

Fingers crossed

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Friday 14 May 2021

House Inspection...

MrD took another day off...and we took the hours drive to the Blue House so we could be there for the house inspection.

Of course MrD had left it to the last minute to realize that the truck was too dirty to park in the driveway... so we had to call in a car wash on the way...and we arrived at the house four minutes before the 9am appointment. Although...our realtor was already there... and the house inspector was already on the roof... and the sewer inspector already had his camera down the drain.
The whole thing took about two hours... and I must say the two guys were very nice..and explained things as they went along. MrD had lots of questions and they were very helpful answering them. I spent most of the time talking a few measurements.. taking photos...and staying out of the way. Im good like that.... plus I found lots of Aloe in the garden...and the cogs in my brain started turning with ideas...We should get the report by tomorrow
On the way home we stopped for a bite of lunch.. and then called into our local Lowes to check out a washer and dryer. We have a slight problem as the laundry area is smaller than I thought (old house)..and I have to find a pair that fits. I really dont want stackables as I really dont want to lose that
 window.
I didnt find anything suitable. but MrD walked out with a lawn mower that was on sale.. saving $225...

I love a bargain...

And by the looks of it...so does he

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Thursday 13 May 2021

Check Up...

 So today I went for my mammogram and CT scan. Both appointments were at the same time..so I found myself running back and to between two hospital buildings... Well that one way to get your daily exercise in!

Its the good thing that I decided to book in for the CT scan first... because they gave me that horrible witches brew to drink and it takes an hour to work...so I went to the other building for the other tests done
Ladies its so important to have regular check ups.. I will say.. scans ...mammograms... pap smears.. are not particularly pleasant.. but so worth the effort. Life can change direction in a second...dont find yourself wishing you had done something sooner

Now to wait a couple of days for the results

Love and Hugs
Phoebe x

Wednesday 12 May 2021

Planting Pumpkins..

Wearing her pink sparkly wellies..
and her new gardening gloves..
Little Miss got stuck into her garden chores...
and planted some pumpkins seeds
Hopefully they will grow by Halloween.

Love and Hugs 
Phoebe x