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Diary of a New Homemaker

A Thankful Year

John and I were going over the year last night, as one begins to do come Thanksgiving. Our assessment: nothing horrible happened. The roof is still over our heads. John got a small raise. My surgery went very well. Jo's college experience is tough but good--and boy has she grown as a person. And Lou is coming out of the turbulent years into something mellower. We'll call it good.

I hope your year has gone at least as well. I'm thankful for everyone who visits here.

Newest Article

Organizing and Cleaning for a Move

My family and I are preparing for a move. Now last time we moved we did not have time to prepare. A desperate situation made it a grab and go affair. We moved from a large house into a far smaller one and we still have boxes we have yet to unpack.

That was almost eight years ago.

Thankfully this time around we have a little more warning to prepare. In fact, we have yet to find the house we are moving to, but we want to move soon and are looking. This time, we’re taking a proactive approach to our packing needs. Unlike the previous move, we have no wish to take every knickknack and scrap electronic we had. I could swear we even packed up the trash!

To cut down on the clutter in our new home, this time we’re cleaning and discarding stuff before the move. Here are ten ways we’re getting ready to move without a lot of mess coming with us.

A Seasonal Taste:

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream

f you associate pumpkins only with Halloween and Thanksgiving, think again. Fresh pumpkins are available throughout the winter and its use extends beyond the jack-o-lantern, seeds and pie filling. In spirit of its cold weather harvesting, whip up pumpkin ice cream. What makes pumpkin pie so irresistible is what makes pumpkin ice cream so sweet and delicious-the soft orange flesh (which is packed with Vitamin A). Depending on your patience and time, there are two ways to get the main ingredient: roast it or buy it canned.

A Taste of the Hands at Home Section:

Creating a Faux Verdigris Finish

f you like the look of aged copper but can only afford cast aluminum--or even plastic--then you can fool everyone into THINKING you could afford the real thing. All it takes is paint. Don't worry if you're not artistic; you don't need to be. It even helps if you're naturally messy. But the results are impressive.