Ann Leach

Actually, I'm not sure how much resting is going to happen today, but I have been working on some relaxing projects and also rejuvenating my spirit.  These are small projects on my homemaking list -- those little things we do to make a house into a home for our families. After catching up the dishes this morning, I jumped right into one of my favorite projects -- baking bread, and turned out these 2 beauties. Look at that crumb.  Don't you just want to spread a big glob of butter on a slice and eat it with a glass milk??  Maybe it's just me, but that's exactly what I did! Watermelon for afternoon tea is cubed and ready for eating. We found a recipe for a banana smoothie to make and drink for breakfast this morning.  Daughter was too happy to help with the honey! While looking for the curtains, I found the tablecloth I made in Australia and brought back.  It was so easy to just lay it on the table, but it makes such a di...

Oh, finally.  We're back on our property (Fountainhead) in the US, mostly unpacked, and settling back into our routines.  Husband has gotten a job already and I am getting our home set up, slowly but surely. In the unpacking, I came across my collection of "The Tightwad Gazette" books and have started reading them again.  For those who aren't familiar with them, Amy Dacyczyn published "The Tightwad Gazette" newsletters during the 1990s, which later became three published books and then finally one complete edition.   The third book of the series starts out with an article titled:  Drowning in Rising Expectations; which is spot-on even 20 years later, and I'd like to share it with you here: The idea that baby-boom generation has fewer opportunities and most struggle harder than previous generations is believed by millions of Americans.  Specifically, they believe that it's almost impossible to afford kids on a middle class income anymore...