I am a Victorian Soul, live in a small townhouse that was built in the mid 1970's, not a huge Mega Mansion, with my Hubby Joe, who is a Retired Letter Carrier. I worked night shift as an RN on a Hospital based Rehabilitation( Physical Medicine) Unit for 37 years before I had Knee Replacement Surgery and officially Retired in 2019 after 41 years working in Direct Patient Care ... I am LOVING Retirement!!!!

I DABBLE IN A BIT OF THIS AND THAT!!!!

" IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BE WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN"
George Eliot
George Eliot was actually a pen name for a woman named Mary Anne Evans......

BLOGGING FOR FUN AND FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Reflections on My One Little Word for 2015!!!

Here we are at the end of another year .......

For the past several years ,I have been choosing
One Little Word for each year...
A Word that would guide me through the year...
A Word to focus on......
My 1st Word was HAPPY in 2011, Please click HERE to read
My 2nd WORD in 2012 was TIME, Please click HERE to read


My 3rd WORD in 2013 was JOY, Please click HERE


My 4th WORD in 2014 was ME, please click HERE to read


My 5th WORD in 2015 was LIVE, please click HERE to read

I do like to aspire to do a few things in the beginning of a New Year......plan on what I would like to achieve during the Year......

This past year was the first year that I actually focused on and accomplished most of what I set out to do.......

  I realized that I needed to learn to say NO and to take care of ME in order to LIVE!!

From November of 2013 to November of 2014, this is what I got myself involved in:


1. Co Chairperson and Vendor of our Church's Holiday Craft Fair and Specialty Basket Raffle

2. Co Chairperson and Vendor of our Church's Spring Craft Fair and Specialty Basket Raffle
3. Co Chairperson of our Church's Summer Flea Market
4. Hostess at our Church's Harvest Tea where I did 2 Theme Tables and had close to 20 Guests
5. Co Chairperson of our Church's Holiday Craft Fair and Specialty Basket Raffle which I doubled in size, causing me to pull out as a vendor myself.

I did all this while working Full Time!

I took the opportunity of a new Priest being assigned to our church for Joe and I to "retire" from being in charge of any Fund Raising Events.

This was the best thing that I did in 2015!! So much stress was eliminated from my life!!

These were my aspirations for 2015 and how I actually did at accomplishing them!!



1. Get myself back on track to be healthier by losing an additional 15 pounds , at least. The more weight I lose, the better my knee will feel and the healthier it is for me overall.


Okay, after gaining back about 20 of the 55 pounds that I had lost the previous year, I am not pleased with how I did on this one so this was a Major Fail!!

2. Get back on my Exercise Bike for at least 15 minutes a day 5 times a week. I had stopped doing it because of back pain from several compression deformities in my back and after completing 12 weeks of Physical Therapy for my back, I hope to be able to do the bike without any discomfort.

I also failed at this one!!


3. Purge...... I am a Victorian Soul who believes in the Philosophy that "More is More'. I realize that I have much More than what I need so I want to take a long hard look at all the stuff I have and decide what I truly do not need and can live without. This is what will probably kill me!! I did take 4-5 boxes of Christmas stuff up to our church Flea Market garage and I am really being very picky with what I buy at the after Christmas sales....

I have actually done really well with this one. I started going through and deciding which items I absolutely needed, loved and could not live without. If they did not fall in any of those categories, then out they went....donated to our Church Flea Market or to Volunteers of America. I have gone through most of the house now and truly got rid of tons of things. So I think I got an A+ on this one!!


4. Organize.... Now I always considered myself a very organized person because I am a bit ( well, a lot) OCD but over the last 18 months, I feel like I can not get a handle on things so that has to change before I loose my mind.



As I have been purging, I have also been organizing those things that I have decided to keep. I have organized all the drawers and closets in the house, my Craft Room, storage tubs, etc. I even did most of the Attic .
I think that I truly accomplished what I set out to do with this one for the year.

 

5. Eliminate some bills and get finances in better shape and spend less money

Joe and I have been working on this for 2 years now and have done well. All of our credit cards are now paid off and we do not use them unless there is something we need in an Emergency. We remortgaged the house for a lower interest rate and for less years to be close to being paid off coinciding with Joe's retirement. We have also curbed our spending , buying only what we need and not impulse spending. 

 
6. This one has to do with the one above....... Go PART TIME by November of 2015!!!

I have come to the conclusion that I need to take better care of myself and that going PART TIME will seriously help with that. My job is very physical because I work in a Rehab department as a nurse and I lift people for a living, some times 200 and 300 pound people who have disabilities!
I also work full time night shift and sleep very little. As I am aging, it is taking a physical toll on me. Dropping down to working 7 days in a 2 week pay period from 9 which is still
considered full time should help that a bit but there are issues with going part time that I will talk about in a later post.
I was able to go Part Time at the end of July! So this one was a major accomplishment!! And one that greatly improved my quality of Life!



7. I think the most that I aspire to do in 2015 is to Enjoy My Life! I feel that I have not been doing that for some time now and Life is short. You never know when it will be taken away from you so I need to make changes now that will allow me to enjoy my life!


Okay, I truly have been enjoying my Life this past year........

I have taken the last year to purge, get organized, free myself of previous obligations, focus on what I want to do and when I want to do it, enjoy my house and garden like I did in years past, get rid of some of the stress in my life and change my work situation!!!

I reconnected with my sister and her family and hosted a Christmas party at our house for over 20 members of our family!!

All in all, I think I did pretty good this past year at reclaiming my Life!!! 

Allowing me to LIVE more!!




All of this has allowed me to relax and enjoy simple wonderful everyday things!!



I also chose to continue to Blog!!

This is my new philosophy on Life!!
How true this was for me!!

I hope you enjoyed reading how I changed my Life over the past year!!

I also hope that maybe I have inspired some of you to make changes in your Life!!

Soon I will reveal what My One Little Word will be for 2016!!

I just want to say that this song became my song for 2015 because I fought to take my life back!!



I want to THANK everyone who stopped by to visit Debbie-Dabble and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas during the past year!!

I truly appreciate your friendship!!!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!!

And I do hope you will come back to visit again!!

If you do not have a blog, PLEASE give me some way to reply to your comment, maybe by including your email in your comment. If I can not find a way to reach you, I will reply on the post where you commented so please check back......

Hugs,
Debbie


I am linking up to these weekly parties:

2016 Blog Hop Share your One Word, Goals and Resolutions!



WEDNESDAY
Fluster's Creative Muster Wednesday's
Wake Up Wednesdays
Ducks in a Row Wonderful Wednesdays Blog Hop
Wow Us Wednesday
Sizzle into Summer Party
Vintage Inspiration Party
Party in Your PJ's
Dream Create Inspire Link
What's It Wednesday

THURSDAY
Homemaking Weekend Link Up Party
It's a Party
Share Your Style Thursday Link Up Party
Home and Garden Party Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday
Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop
Inspired Creations Linky Party
My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday
Idea Box- Thursday Linky Party
Grace at Home Party
Vintage Charm

FRIDAY
Simple and Sweet Fridays
The Creative Exchange
Home Sweet Home Friday
Friday Features Linky Party
Show and Tell Friday
Home Matters Linky Party
Friday Favorites
Welcome to the Weekend Blog Hop
What To Do Weekends
Friday's Five Features Party
Flaunt It Fridays
Funtastic Fridays

SATURDAY
Pink Saturday
Best of the Weekend Party
The Creative Collection Link Party
Simple Saturdays Blog Hop
Saturday Sparks

SUNDAY
Share It One More Time Sundays
DIY SHowcase
Snickerdoodle Sunday
Sundays at Home
Share It Sunday
Bouquet of Talent Linky Party
Sundays Down Under
Silver Pennies Sunday
Happiness is Homemade Linky Party

MONDAY
Inspiration Mondays
Busy Monday
What'd You Do This Weekend?
Make It Pretty Monday
Merry Monday Linky Party
Cooking and Crafting with J & J
Blue Monday

TUESDAY
Show and Share Party
No Place Like Home Party

Please take some time to visit these terrific hosts and all those joining in on the fun!

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Sausage Filling


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Now  I make no bones about the fact that I HATE to cook.........

I know how to cook but I would rather do just about anything BUT cook.......

For Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, I make a very EASY Sausage Filling to serve with Turkey.........

And I mean easy because I just came home after working all night and threw it together and popped it in the oven so I will only have to heat it up tomorrow for Dinner as I am also working tonight ( Thanksgiving Eve, remember Hospitals never close!)

This post took longer to do than the Filling did!!

4 simple ingredients and seasonings.......
 1 Bag of Martin's Potatobred Soft Cubed Stuffing......
 Diced Celery........

I use about 3/4's of the container.....
 Yes, I get fresh already diced celery!!

3/4 - 1 lb. of Pork Sausage and 1 jar of  Heinz Pork Home Style Gravy......
 Mix stuffing, celery and gravy in a bowl.......
 Mine is a bowl from Tupperware called "That's a Bowl"............
 Fry the sausage up until brown........
 Drain and add to the stuffing mixture........
I season with onion salt ( you can add diced onions but the boys do not like them), garlic salt and pepper!

Pour mixture into a pan and YES, I even use a disposable tin foil pan!!
Cover with tin foil and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes!!
  And here it is ready to serve........
 I cut it into squares and place it on a nice platter to serve. Pour gravy over or eat just like this!!
 The potatobred stuffing and the gravy make it nice and moist.

Another option would be to use turkey sausage and turkey gravy to moisten the stuffing......

 EASY PEASY but delicious!!

And may I add that Sam's Club makes a mean apple pie!!  We do not care for pumpkin.....




Sausage Filling

3/4 lb. of pork sausage
I package of Bread crumbs ( Martin's potato Bread Cubes)
3/4 tsp. of pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1 can of Heinz Pork Gravy
1 cup of chopped celery
Sprinkle with onion and garlic salt

Fry sausage
Combine all ingredients in large bowl
Make sure bread crumbs are moistened by gravy
Pour into baking dish, cover with tin foil, use second rack

Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degrees preheated oven

ENJOY!!!

Just the 5 of us will be enjoying Thanksgiving Dinner together around 4:00 pm so I can sleep a bit in the morning after working the night before and so Jim and Danielle can get a bit of sleep before they go in to work at Target for 10:00 pm on Thanksgiving Night.........

I have worked either the Eve or the Day of every Thanksgiving for the past 37 years so working on a Holiday is no big deal for my family....We just work around it!!

I am off on Thursday and Friday nights though.......

I hope you get to spend Thanksgiving with those you love!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

And I hope you will come by and visit  again!!

Thanks to those who took the time out of their busy day to spend a little bit of time with me!!

If you do not have a blog, PLEASE  give me some way to reply to your comment, maybe by including your email in your comment.  If I can not find a way to reach you, I will reply on the post where you commented so please check back......

Hugs,
Debbie


I will be linking up to these parties:


THURSDAY
 Homemaking Weekend Link Up Party
 It's a Party
Share Your Style Thursday Link Up Party
Home and Garden Party Thursday
 Share Your Cup Thursday
 Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop 
Inspired Creations Linky Party
My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday 
 Idea Box- Thursday Linky Party
Grace at Home Party
Vintage Charm

 FRIDAY
 Simple and Sweet Fridays
 The Creative Exchange
Home Sweet Home Friday
 Friday Features Linky Party
 Show and Tell Friday
 Home Matters Linky Party
 Friday Favorites
Welcome to the Weekend Blog Hop
What To Do Weekends
  Friday's Five Features Party 
   Flaunt It Fridays

SATURDAY
  Pink Saturday
 Best of the Weekend Party
  The Creative Collection Link Party
Simple Saturdays Blog Hop
 Saturday Sparks

SUNDAY
Share It One More Time Sundays
DIY SHowcase 
 Snickerdoodle Sunday
Sundays at Home
Share It Sunday
  Bouquet of Talent Linky Party
Sundays Down Under
Silver Pennies Sunday
Happiness is Homemade Linky Party

MONDAY
Inspiration Mondays
 Busy Monday
  What'd You Do This Weekend? 
 Make It Pretty Monday
Merry Monday Linky Party
Cooking and Crafting with J & J

TUESDAY
    Show and Share Party
 No Place Like Home Party 
 Wake Up Wednesdays 
  Ducks in a Row Wonderful Wednesdays Blog Hop 
 Wow Us Wednesday
 Sizzle into Summer Party
 Vintage Inspiration Party
Party in Your PJ's
Dream Create Inspire Link
What's It Wednesday


Please take some time to visit these terrific hosts and all those joining in on the fun!

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

A Table Transformation

First, I want to Thank my friend, Sandi, over at Rose Chintz Cottage, for featuring my post, Want to See What Joe Bought, as the Most Viewed Post from last week's No Place Like Home Party!!
 Thanks, Sandi!

This is a Brand New Party so please stop by and link up to this lovely party!!
I was driving home one day from work and I saw this table on the side of one of the dumpsters in our development........
When I got home and thought about it, I thought it would be perfect in a little space that I had been planning.......

So I sent Joe back down the hill to scoop it up!!!

It was a little rough around the edges or should I say, the top of it!!
I scraped the peeling veneer off of it......
Joe sanded it down......
Yes, this all happened in the Summer......
I think it was part of a dresser at one time....

Joe applied wood filler to the top......
Sanding it down again.......
Then it was ready to paint......
Please excuse the dark photos but it was a rainy day when I painted it in the Den......

First I applied a coat of Kilz to the table.......
I plan on painting my Bedroom furniture in the Spring and I am still undecided as to how and what colors I will use , so I decided that , for now, I would throw a coat of Antique White paint that I already had on it......
And until I can decide what knobs to use on the drawers, I used these that I had in my stash......
It doesn't look that bad now does it????
In the Summer, when re-arranging rooms, I decided to get rid of a larger table that I had in the corner of our bedroom.....
 Since I am now part time, I want to be able to enjoy a hobby that I had many years ago...

READING!!

 I wanted to create a little Reading Corner for myself in the Master Bedroom and I needed a table to fit in next to this chair by the window........
 This table fit perfectly!!
I am going to share more about my little Reading Corner in a post next week so for now, I just want to show you the table.......
You can see part of the dresser in this photo and how my Dad painted my Mother's bedroom furniture that was bought for her when she was 16 years old, by her parent's which was 80 years ago.

As I mentioned before, I plan on painting it in the Spring......

Back to the table.....
I think I may leave it antique white and paint the rest of the bedroom furniture the same.......
I am really glad that I sent Joe back down the hill to grab this table that was standing next to one of the dumpsters in our development!!
As I mentioned before, I will share more on this Reading Corner here on my Regular Blog next week........
I hope to post once a week or once every 2 weeks here on my regular blog during the Holiday Season.

I am posting regularly now over on my Christmas Blog, A Debbie-Dabble Christmas!

And you may have noticed the Christmas Tree in the corner......
Soon I will be starting my Christmas Home Tour over on my Christmas Blog,  with this Tree ......
And another one in the Master Bedroom..........
So I hope you will stop by and visit  both my Blogs again!!

 I want to wish my sister, Barb, a very Happy Birthday! Barb was born on my Dad's birthday, who would have been 96 years old today! He always said that Barb was the best gift he ever received on his Birthday! Even though he passed away 28 years ago, not a day goes by that do not think of him. Happy Birthday, Barb and to Dad, up in heaven!!
                                                         

 Thanks to those who took the time out of their busy day to spend a little bit of time with me!!
                                                
If you do not have a blog, PLEASE  give me some way to reply to your comment, maybe by including your email in your comment.  If I can not find a way to reach you, I will reply on the post where you commented so please check back......

Hugs,
Debbie


I am linking up to these weekly parties:
 Wake Up Wednesdays 
  Ducks in a Row Wonderful Wednesdays Blog Hop 
 Wow Us Wednesday
 Sizzle into Summer Party
 Vintage Inspiration Party
Party in Your PJ's
Dream Create Inspire Link
What's It Wednesday

THURSDAY
 Homemaking Weekend Link Up Party
 It's a Party
Share Your Style Thursday Link Up Party
Home and Garden Party Thursday
 Share Your Cup Thursday
 Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop 
Inspired Creations Linky Party
My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday 
 Idea Box- Thursday Linky Party
Grace at Home Party
Vintage Charm

 FRIDAY
 Simple and Sweet Fridays
 The Creative Exchange
Home Sweet Home Friday
 Friday Features Linky Party
 Show and Tell Friday
 Home Matters Linky Party
  Friday Favorites
Welcome to the Weekend Blog Hop
   Flaunt It Fridays
  What To Do Weekends
Friday's Five Features Party 

SATURDAY
  Pink Saturday
 Best of the Weekend Party
  The Creative Collection Link Party
Simple Saturdays Blog Hop
 Saturday Sparks

SUNDAY
Share It One More Time Sundays
DIY SHowcase 
 Snickerdoodle Sunday
Sundays at Home
Share It Sunday
  Bouquet of Talent Linky Party
Sundays Down Under
Silver Pennies Sunday
Happiness is Homemade Linky Party

MONDAY
Inspiration Mondays
 Busy Monday
  What'd You Do This Weekend? 
 Make It Pretty Monday
Merry Monday Linky Party
Cooking and Crafting with J & J
  Blue Monday
 Vintage Show and Tell Party

TUESDAY
    Show and Share Party
No Place Like Home Party 

Please take some time to visit these terrific hosts and all those joining in on the fun!

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