July 14

Hello again 

our week doesn’t look much different than last week so I will just last week’s to do list again and use a colored marker to check off my progress. 

The dollhouse has new exterior paint, shingles on the roof, wallpaper and floor coverings inside.  

The granddaughter has been here and has had lots of fun arranging things inside.  

She had Grandpa cut a scrap of wood into the bed mattress.  


She also had Grandpa cut 2 old wood thread spools in half to make the legs.  She covered the mattress with a scrap of flannel

I sewed the quilt from an inherited small unfinished patchwork piece.  

There are many ideas online for dollhouse things.  If you’re willing to use your effort and time,  many things can be made with scraps and trash items.  

We’ve been eating but I haven’t taken photos.  

I cooked this Saturday- ground beef from Oklahoma State University seasoned with homemade taco seasoning,  

rice and salsa made with tomatoes and peppers from our backyard.  

It’s one of our favorites and it’s just as good reheated as it was the first time.  

We’ve been cleaning out our attic.  It’s not really that bad but I’m just trying to make decisions and not leave a lot to deal with later.  

  


there seem to be ‘several empty storage tubs and not that much to deal with.  

Grandchildren are happy to go up there and bring stuff down so this summer is the time to do this job.  
  





They brought down my Barbies.  I played with them lots and then my children with them some

they are looking lots worse with wear.  

But our youngest granddaughter has requested them so…….

I read a tutorial on how to hopefully fix their hair.  So the girls all have their heads soaking in Downy and hot water.  

Ken has hard plastic hair so he will just need a wiping off.  

I put all the clothes in a lingerie bag and have them washing on delicate. 

Then I plan to spread them on a towel and let them air dry.  

I’ll let you know how it goes.  

It’s hot here!  but that’s very normal for July in Oklahoma.  

Hope you are all fine 

❤️ Rhonda u

July 10- -

Hello again,  

it’s been a busier week with errands and appointments, athletic practices- most involving grandchildren.  

One night this week was an evening football practice one town south of us 

we were given a bag of old crayons,  so of course we looked on Pinterest 

These projects look pretty cool, don’t they?  

I’m not impressed with how ours turned out.  We glued down peeled crayons onto canvas boards and melted them with a blow dryer.  

we also tried sitting the canvases on easels in the very hot Oklahoma sun with a magnifying glass.  

Neither really melted the crayons in an attractive way.  

So Marine Grandpa got out some real fire 

He certainly melted the crayons but I don’t like his results either.  

But the kids do like their art and they really  liked the fire.  

Can any of you tell what this is?  

a 12 year old so happy to shoot a rubber band with his hand.  

He had so much fun with a rubber band.  And yes,  he knows not to shoot people,  just a target or knocking over a small empty box.  

we’ve been enjoying really good summer fruit- nothing dance- just watermelon, cherries and strawberries all from Walmart.  

Hope you’re all having a good week

❤️

Rhonda 

Monday July 7 doings

Hello again everyone 

I made a to do list for this week last night 

I want to do more sewing and I got started on that mid morning.  

I watched/listened to a few CVS mega coupon shoppers.  They really buy lots and do it way more complicated than I do.  

I had a couple of appointments this afternoon so I stopped at just CVS.  

My total before digital coupons and last weeks Extra Care Bucks was about $40

I paid $10.39 and have $12 Extra Care Bucks for next week.  

I don’t wear lots of makeup and I don’t wear makeup everyday but I had used up my only eyeshadow and my mascara seemed empty 

so I am very happy to have new ones,  

I’ve had a few questions about the Kiss press on nails I wear.  

They recently improved their glue and it really holds!  

I don’t buy my nails at CVS but I looked at theirs.  

They had lots. 

The new nails seem to have this improved logo I circled below.  

And if I was buying nails,  I would look for it.  

Supper wasn’t pretty but it was easy and delicious.

I stir fried an onion, 2 bell peppers and a little cabbage.  

then I added about 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked rice,  soy sauce and 1 thinly sliced leftover steak for July 4th,  

My husband has a collection of gnomes in front of our house.  

They were looking very faded from sun and weather.  

I asked him to repaint them and he did.  

For the last year or so,  sitting in a straight back chair was out the question for him.  

So we are both thankful he can do normal activities for now.  

The gnome on the left is before he repainted it.  

Don’t they look happier now in their fresh paint?  

Hope you all have had a good Monday 

❤️ Rhonda 

July 5th

Nobody can see this flower bed in our backyard.  On one side is the 6 foot fence and on the other side is our giant concrete tornado shelter.

I think we grew green beans in it a few years ago.  

This year I planted zinnia seeds,  and for good measure,  I added some Oklahoma Wildflower seeds I picked up free from our local library,  maybe 2 years ago.  

The zinnias grew and the wildflower seeds really showed out!  

I’m not sure these are actually wildflowers though,  I’ve lived in Oklahoma since 1991 and none of these are things I see growing wild.  

But whatever they,  they are pretty!

there are wild sunflowers growing along roads and in rural areas but they are much smaller. 

Google lens says this blue is Borage 


Zinnias in a different bed.  

our neighbors can’t see them but the bees and butterflies can.  

And would you believe there is a Robin sitting on the nest again?  

They usually take a few weeks to lay and hatch their eggs.  

they are little messy but we enjoy watching them.  

Hope you all are having a good weekend 

❤️ Rhonda 

July 4 The United States of America’s Independence Day

We will be celebrating at home.  I think my husband will grill some steaks to eat today and hamburgers to eat tomorrow.  

We have a pretty good view of our town’s fireworks show from our backyard.  

Our visiting dog doesn’t get crazy during fireworks but last year she was nervous so we will stay close to her too.  

Happy Birthday USA ❤️🇺🇸💙

Rhonda 

July 3 doings

Hello again 

we rarely eat 3 square meals anymore

I prefer a late breakfast and then an early supper and that’s usually plenty to keep me going all day.  

we had an unusually big breakfast today. 

There was some cream in our fridge that needed used,  it was about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups.  

So I looked at my freezer biscuit recipe and did little math figuring to make a recipe and half to use all that cream.  

Today’s breakfast was biscuits, sausage and biscuits.  

I had 1 biscuit, my husband had 2 and our visiting dog had 1.  

if you want the actual biscuit recipe,  it’s on this blog, just search for freezer biscuits in my search box 

the eggs ended up a little more cooked than I’d prefer.  I’ve started cooking in cast iron and it’s not second nature to me yet.  but we still ate them. 
Winnie was very happy with her biscuit.  

I spent the afternoon at my mother’s assisted living apartment.  

I took her some watermelon in throwaway dishes 

she liked it a lot! 

it’s amazing how many of our food products come in plastic containers.  

I don’t keep all of them but I do have a box in the bottom of our junk pantry to keep some of them.  

I use them like i did today.  The grands sometimes use them  for paint dishes or to hold a bug or whatever.  =

I also keep a small box for a few cans.  They come in handy to pour grease in or to plant some seeds or whatever, 

I don’t suggest you be a hoarder, but keeping a few things like these if you have room to spare can come in handy.  

supper was very easy.  I made soup with the chicken breast cooked in the crockpot yesterday.  

I added a diced potato, a little leftover rice, some cabbage and some frozen peas and carrots.

It was delicious with some sharp cheddar and crackers.  

Hope you’ve all had a good day 

❤️

Rhonda 

July 2 doings

Hello again 

So far in 2025,  we have had 3 nests of robins in our backyard pergola.  

Last year we had 5 nests.  

Sometimes the babies fly off without much coaxing. 

 Sometimes the parents really have to talk the babies  into flying off the beam.  

This was the last one of the current nest.  I watched it sit on the beam for awhile.  

Our visiting dog was taking a sunbath and that didn’t phase the baby robin. 

Then my husband went outside and said “baby bird, it’s time for you to fly away”. 

And it did and he was there to watch it.  


I bought a monster watermelon at Walmart yesterday. 

I had to cut it to get in the fridge.  

That’s a quart jar beside to help show how it big it was.  

I cut it,  was happy to see it didn’t have very many seeds and it’s really tasty.  

Doll House progress-  all the wallpaper and floor coverings are installed.  

It need the baseboards and roof shingles, paint touch ups,  curtains - I’ve thought of so many things!  

But we are just trying to get the bones in place and our granddaughter can add all the doodads and embellishments she wants to. 

I thawed out 1 package of chicken breasts yesterday.  

This morning,  I cut one of them into tenders and then put them in that pickle jar of leftover pickle juice to marinade all day. 

The other breast went into the crockpot with carrots, celery and water and cooked until it was shreddable.  

It went back in the fridge and tomorrow’s meal will be made with it 

Tonight’s supper was those dill pickle chicken tenders with corn on the cob

also a leftover baked potato cooked with an onion and 2 bell peppers from our back yard.  ]



Hope you all have a good Wednesday 

❤️Rhonda 

July 1 doings

Hello everyone 

interested in what we did July 1? 

I started the day with a long list of errands 

My husband drove me and we did every errand except we didn’t buy a few things that I thought we might. 

I’m still wearing Kiss press on nails.  

This pattern is called Hearts Aflutter.  

Their names make no sense.

  I would have named these Gingham & Fruit.  

I’ve been doing some small coupon shopping trips.  This is what I bought July 1, plus 2 6 packs of paper towels not pictured 

I spent $7 at Walgreens and $15.33 at CVS 

If you’re interested in coupon shopping, there are many online experts.  My favorites are Savvy Coupon Shopper and LASavings.  Both are on Youtube  and Instagram, Facebook etc

Look at the deals they suggest and do a small trip.  I like to do deals that give store money back.  That money makes the next week’s purchase cost less.  

I share my extras with family members.  

Our ten year grandson is especially fond of a pump bottles of Irish Spring 5 in 1 shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash and I don’t remember what the 5th thing does. 

 He thinks it’s very efficient 😊

My husband and I are working on a doll house that belongs to our oldest granddaughter.  

By her request, it stays at our house.  

she started painting it a while ago but didn’t finish.  

so we are doing exterior paint, flooring, roof shingles and wallpaper while she is away this summer.  

it’s fun.  

if you didn’t know,  dollhouses and miniatures are a big deal right now.  Look on Pinterest if you have a few hours to spare.  

Hope you are all well

❤️

Rhonda