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Happy is that people whose God is the Lord

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Cultivating a quiet life, simply and deliberately, to the glory of God.

Homeschoolers Partnering with Gov’t Schools: What’s the Big Deal?

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“When enough families have voluntarily returned to the government system, it will be a relatively straightforward matter to recapture the rest by imposing mandatory homeschooling oversight regulations.”

Are you a homeschooler involved with a public school program? Are you getting perks such as free curriculum, lessons, or even a check to deposit in the bank? Some are warning about the “shackles” of such programs. Are they right? Listen in as I interview DiAnna Brannan of Christian Homeschool Network, and consider her words.

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Christian Homeschool Network
Christian Heritage Online
HSLDA
Beginning Homeschooling (this where you can order the DVD of Exposing a Trojan Horse)
If you happen to be in Washington state, you can order the DVD here.

Here are some articles worth reading:
How Government and Public Schools Subvert Homeschooling and Private Schools
The Seduction of Homeschooling Families

Hot Dog Buns: First and Last Time?

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Well, I was pretty satisfied making these hot dog buns (for the first time!) because I had already figured out hamburger buns. I basically made the dough, stretched them long, and grilled it on both sides (rather than baking). You can google “make hot dog buns” for lots of different recipes.

Then I cut the middles apart and grilled the insides.

And oh boy did the kids love it! They almost never get hot dogs at home, so this was a real treat, loaded with mustard and sauerkraut.

And then, to ruin it all (sorry), I came across a study that basically seemed to say, “feed your kid a hot dog, and increase their risk for cancer”. I know too many kids with cancer (two…but that’s two too many)! Thankfully, the hot dogs I served were organic, all beef, with no nitrates or nonsense of that kind. Still, I have to wonder…what’s IN those things? Guess I better leave off hot dog bun making and figure out pita bread instead.

Hope your day is glory-ous!

Gloom and Doom Christianity

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Proverbs 17:20 He that hath a froward heart findeth no good…

There’s nothing quite like keeping up on the news to birth and speed up the process of atrophy in a Christian’s happy heart. It’s pretty difficult to stay centered in the joy of the Lord when, face it, the earth is full of abominations and wickedness, and it’s mostly done by folks who confess to falling short here and there but are, overall, pretty good people. It just sounds so reasonable, how sins such as telling a white lie now and then is innocuous….and yet as Christians convicted of both our own sins (liar, liar, pants on fire…) and the holiness of God (Revelation 21:8 …all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire…) we tend to stand dumbfounded by the foolishness around us. Don’t they see….I can’t believe…How could they….That’s not right…

There is a difference between discernment and despair. Discernment says, “I see it. I understand (that is, allow my heart to do that awful thing sinners hate: judge), and I know this is fully against God’s perfect Word and ways. I hate the sin that God hates. I cry over it.” Despair says, “Oh no! What are we gonna do?! The world’s falling apart!”

A little history? The world’s been falling apart since the trip in the garden of Eden. The atrocities we are privy to thanks to the era we’re living in are nothing new under the sun. Yes, they anger us. Yes, they break our hearts. And yes, they sometimes strike fear for our families and homes. But still there is no cause for despair.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

This is hard to do, this giving thanks in every thing. But it can only come from sitting firmly at the feet of Jesus, who created every thing and rules every thing. We forget that though the devil goes to and fro throughout the earth to create havoc, pain and death, he’s still on a leash (isn’t that something to give thanks for?!). Every horrible thing….God is using. Every tear…God is saving. Every martyr’s death…God finds precious. If you think you are grieved, angered and hungry for justice….how much more so in our eternal, infinite God? If anything, we ought to be even more humbled and even more fearful for those instruments of wickedness who will soon be face to face with a just God!

I think we Christians need to stop glooming and dooming about it all and reclaim and remember the JOY we have of (first and foremost) being saved from the wrath to come. We need to remember that every hardship is for our good, and managed by the Lord Himself. And can we just preach the gospel to ourselves more and remember that we though we may be experiencing chastisement or hardship (as a loving Father does to His children….for their good…) we aren’t being punished because Jesus took ALL the punishment for our sins upon Himself already? Is there a smile creeping upon your face yet?

Glory in His perfect ways today, glory in His goodness, His presence, His shalom. And maybe, every now and then…turn off the news and turn on your voice to sing hymns and praises. Then you, too, will be a wonder among men who may in turn have ears to hear the wonderful news of the gospel and find peace…and turn from their wicked ways.

Proverbs 16:6 …by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Psalms 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Blessings and joy to you today,

Homemade Beauty Products: Face Cream

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I made some homemade skin moisturizer not too long ago. Mostly because (a) I can’t afford $50+ department skin products, and (b) I wouldn’t want them anyway with all the names of things I can’t pronounce in their neat little jars. I happen to really like the cream that comes out of my kitchen, so I thought I’d share it with you. My skin is considered “normal” except a little drier in the wintertime.

I wanted to have enough left over to share, so you may want to halve the recipe if you don’t want quite as much.

I measured 2 cups of oil. I used mostly infused calendula grapeseed oil. I’ve used almond oil and coconut oil in the past as well; but I was just trying something new. To infuse a herb, just cover it with oil for a couple of weeks, shaking it up every day, and then strain. Calendula is wonderful for healing, but chamomile would also be lovely. Or just use the oil straight. I added a bit of azulene oil I had leftover from a waxing kit (owie). It’s a lovely blue, from chamomile, which isn’t blue…so isn’t that odd?

Then I measured 2oz of beeswax on my kitchen scale. One cup of oil to one ounce of beeswax makes a really easy to remember base for salves, too….which is basically what this is until we add water, later.

And water doesn’t have to be….just…water. I pondered which one I wanted to use here, and decided on the rose. Both smell yummy! You could also use a tea instead of plain ol‘ water, and do a little poking around the net or in books to see what herbs would be good for your skin type, or skin problems, etc. I measured about 3/4cup of rosewater and then plopped in about 2TB aloe vera gel. I’ve been learning a lot about aloe vera, and it is an amazing plant! I’m even taking aloe internally now, too (but not the gel! Ew!). In any case, do NOT use chlorinated, fluoridated, whatever-else-they-do-ated water. Buy distilled or use use a floral water.

Into my water mixture, I added about 20 drops of lavender essential oil, 50,000IU of vitamin A, and 4800IU of vitamin E. I simply cut open a bunch of capsules and added it. Both A & E are great for your skin, and will help keep the cream fresh, too.

Prep your containers, and then some. Because, trust me, it’s a bummer to be pouring out cream and run out of containers to put it into.

Ready? Gently melt your beeswax and oil together. After doing this, I remembered that I should have grated my beeswax fine, because it took so long to melt. I hope I didn’t lose any of my oil benefits from heating too long!

Now it’s time to be a little quick and purposeful. Put the melted oil mix into your blender. It will start to cool and thicken so keep going!

Pour in the water mixture while the blender is going. If you’ve ever made salad dressings or mayonnaise, the concept is the same. You’re blending oil and water together. You may not even use every drop of water; just watch to see it get to a thickness you like. If you accidentally add too much water, no worries…you made lotion instead!

As SOON as you see and like your cream, get it out of your blender! Use a spatula as necessary.

The beeswax will harden your cream to a lovely consistency within the half hour. Keep the tops off until it’s cooled. Don’t they look nice? And they smell good! I use this cream on my face every night before bed.

Don’t forget that it’s not what you put on your face that makes you beautiful. It’s your smile!

And P.S. cleaning everything is not for the faint of heart; it’s all creamy! I have success in cleaning when I use vinegar to cut it all. I add water, vinegar and a touch of dishsoap and run my blender as its very own mini dishwasher.

A Soap Making Craze

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Maybe if I stay busy enough I won’t spend time wondering if I’m sad enough. Isn’t that weird? You all are so kind to me; thank you thank you thank you. I haven’t even deleted any emails yet; rereading your words and hymns is a great comfort. So, I’ve been on a soap making craze, and for the you-know-who’s in my life who want PICTURES and DIRECTIONS, here they are 🙂 Well, sort of. You have to get your own recipe.

Making soap is a little like making spaghetti. Every woman has her “own way” of “how it’s supposed to be done”. This is just how I’ve done it, and believe me, I’m no expert. But I am, however, a woman with lots of soap curing in my basement! There are a lot of soap recipes to choose from, but the basics are relatively the same. I’m going to show you the basics, and you can use whatever recipe you want.

The first thing I do is prepare my mold because then I won’t forget about doing it and panic when I have a pot of hot caustic soap to pour and nothing ready. My husband and son made wooden soap molds for me in 1lb, 2lb, and 4lb sizes. I like using wood because it absorbs the heat, but you can use glass or stainless steel containers or even clean milk cartons. Don’t use aluminum, though, because it can react to the lye. I like to line my molds with freezer paper (shiny side is soap side), but you could just use some sort of grease or whatnot. I like the paper because it gives me something to grab to pull my soap out with. Don’t use foil, though (aluminum…). I try to smooth the paper out so there aren’t a lot of creases, but I’m not too finicky. Does this sound complicated already? I hope not!

If I’m going to put in any textures like ground oatmeal or scents like lavender or colorants, I set those things up and have them at the ready to pour right where I’ll be mixing everything. That way I don’t have to stop to take off a lid at the point when everything’s moving quickly.

Next, I weigh my fats and oils. I love my digital scale! It’s so accurate and easy to use. Whatever fats and oils your recipe calls for, use. DON’T substitute until you are ready to come up with new recipes (using things like lye calculators), because different fats act and react differently. So find a recipe that uses ingredients you either have on hand or are willing to buy…some of which is cheap and some of which is definitely not. Different fats/oils have different lathering and moisturizing qualities, so you’ll just have to experiment to find what you like.

After weighing my fats and oils, I melt them gently over the stove top. You could use a microwave (carefully), but I wouldn’t want to use a microwave for at least a dozen reasons, including not being able to watch my melting. As soon as everything’s melted together, I turn off the heat and let it cool to about 100 degrees. I use a meat thermometer to gauge the temperature.

Now it’s time to mix the second batch: the liquid and the lye. A stainless steel pot (never aluminum…which you shouldn’t be using in your kitchen anyway, IMHO) cools down pretty quick so that is what I use. In this picture I used coffee because I was making a coffee soap for the kitchen. Always use distilled water as your base, whether you’re using it plain, or making a tea (or coffee!) for soap. Do NOT substitute dairy milk for your liquid; making milk soap entails specially preparing the milk (not horribly hard, but another step.) Again, weigh your water and then weigh your lye separately. When you are ready to add your lye to water (NEVER the other way around), PUT ON YOUR GOGGLES AND GLOVES. Once lye mixes with water it heats up very fast (like to 200 degrees!). Keep a window open (it will be gassy) and keep the children A-W-A-Y. As soon as the lye dissolves into your liquid (stir), put the pot into an ice bath to get it cooling. You want to bring the solution down to a range close to your fats temperature, 100 degrees. And don’t stress about using lye. Yes, it’s dangerous but so is bleach and gasoline and poopy diapers. Be smart about your movements (that is, pay attention) and wear those gloves and goggles.

Once the temperature has hit about 100 degrees, it’s time to mix the two batches together. Carefully pour the liquid/lye mix into the fats pot. And please make sure your immersion blender is IMMERSED before starting it up. Keep the thermometer in the pot and blend blend blend until it begins to thicken and the temperature goes up a couple of degrees. It can take like five or more minutes, but don’t be discouraged! In this picture it was just about ready; you can even see the “trace” which is the track the blender leaves as it moves in the pot. I like to blend on the floor because it gives me greater control.

After it’s ready (that is, the mix has moved up a couple of degrees in temperature), then is when I add my pretties: textures bits, scents, colors. I prefer a more natural product (that’s no surprise, huh?!) so I don’t use soap colorants, and I do use essential oils. For a one pound batch of soap, I use about 1/4 oz of essential oil (that’s like half a bottle!). For textures, I just sort of eye it and add about 1/3 cup or more until I like what I see. I blend the goodies in just until it’s mixed, really a few seconds. Don’t take too long because it will just be that much harder to get it all out.

It’s time to pour! I use a plastic spatula to get it all out. And yes, I use my regular kitchen ware for everything. I figure that’s what dishwashers are for, and I’ve never had a problem washing everything well. My friend used a baking dish, lined with freezer paper. Put your poured soap in a safe place where little hands (and bigger husbands) can’t bump into them.

After pouring it’s time to wash. And yes, keep those gloves and goggles on!!! You do not want lye-anything to splatter anywhere (it will burn but just rinse with water if you get some on your skin). After everything’s cleaned up, you are done for the day!

Find something else to do…

The next day, it’s time to cut soap! Put those gloves back on! Here is a handy-dandy cutter the men in my life made for me. I just pulled out my soap from the mold and then set it in the cutter, and used my bread scraper to cut.

Psssst. You don’t need a special cutter. You could even use a knife. In this picture you can see the soap is still a bit soft; I think it’s because of the coffee, but I don’t know. It still worked though. And you can smooth out the edges a bit with your gloved fingers at this time, too, if you have pokey edges.

Find a safe place to cure your soap (away from little hands…). You could use cookie cooling racks but whatever you use won’t be available for about a month. I use old trays and paper sacks as a liner, recording the kind and date. I flip my soap every few days or so. You can see how it’s drying already. The longer you cure your soap, the harder it will get. You can buy ph strips to see if your soap is “for sure” ready (that is, the lye is completely finished and won’t burn)…but I usually wait at least a month and go with it. I’ve never had a problem (not that there’s never a first…).

So here is all of my soap! Top left is 4lbs of rosemary shampoo bars, and underneath that is a pound of kelp/bay/peppermint/tea tree. Top right is a pound of oatmeal/calendula/chamomile/beeswax/honey. Right middle is a pound of coffee/cocoa (with coffee grounds, too!), and on the bottom right is lemon/lemongrass/lemon peel/poppyseed. And no, I’m not that creative. I just looked around websites that were selling soap and thought, “hey! That sounds like a good flavor! I’ll do that!” I don’t like using colorants, but you can see that just the additives alone colored the soaps nicely.

That’s it! If you’re new (or even not) to soap making, I recommend my very favorite soap making book ever; totally easy to understand and use:

Understand though, that making soap is a bit like making spaghetti…and you will find your own personal style and way of making it work. I, however, am done with soap for a while. Which is a good thing, because now I’m in the mood to make beauty products as my homemade moisturizer is almost out. Calendula is currently steeping in almond oil…and I am keeping busy.

May the Lord bless you,

Home is Best for Ruby

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Ruby (now 2y, 4mo) is really getting up on her feet! I waited a whole month to get her first smile when she was a baby and since then I have been so cheered to see her learning and growing and thriving. I ought to mention I think she is thriving because she is not in any government-sponsored special needs program that whisks her away from us on a regular basis. It’s amazing what a lot of love and a lot of time at home has done for this child. I am glad for the mothers who have found programs like that useful (because, of course, we all just want what is best for our children), but I have to say….I am equally glad I just said, “no, it’s not for us.” Sometimes it’s hard to be the odd momma, going against the grain, stepping out of the box, rubbing the wrong way (etc etc). But, sometimes, times like this make it all worthwhile, listening to the Lord and plugging up my ears to the world. I’m sure Ruby will be walking in no time! I’m so thankful Ruby stays home!!

Blessings,

Can I Be Sad and Still Sing?

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Grief is something I will happily blow a kiss goodbye to when at last I meet my Lord. For one, the whole thing is draining. For another, nothing about it changes anything. And for another, I guess I don’t know how to do it properly.

The first week after the miscarriage I was a bit raw. The littlest things would set me crying, and I felt like I had a pool of hot tears always waiting to crescend down my face. I couldn’t read my Bible without crying over it all: the pain of partaking in suffering, the goodness of God, my thankfulness for Him. And if I felt like I was *making it* during the day, my 4yo would innocently say, “Baby Rose is dead” followed by my 6yo stating matter-of-fact, “Yup! And there she is in the rosebush!”

And then week two hit. And I gotta say, I felt almost normal. The bleeding stopped. I ran errands, I homeschooled the children, I made meals. And this is going to probably sound awful, but I was…..happy. I remember thinking, “Only God can be a joy-giver in the midst of pain” and I relished in His cheer. It was as if the Lord allowed me to look into His face…and how could I not be joyful?

But at the same time I wasn’t oblivious to grief. In fact, I was more aware of it everywhere I went. For example, when the market cashier and I exchanged the typical “how are you-fine” my mind busily spun out, “but I just lost my baby and I am really sad about that and I just want to hold her again….” I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in the gentlemen’s mind. Every face I see now, I wonder about grief behind the eyes. And I’m sorry for it, sorry for it all.

So I have my moments, but overall I think I am all right. Is that so wrong? What’s wrong with me? I think, I miss my baby, but who am I to question the wisdom of the Lord? How can I doubt His goodness to me in all things, His perfecting love, His bigness bigger than all my grief? He is a man acquainted with sorrow, deeply intimate with the pain I know and burden bare-er on my behalf. And yet I do wonder if I am just in denial, because honestly…why wouldn’t I be crying 24/7? I don’t know. But it makes me feel cold hearted at times to be laughing or singing, like I haven’t hit the allotted time yet to allow for it.

In any case, thank you all for your comments, your emails, your sweet notes in my post office box (they are still right at my kitchen sink…those words are such a balm). So many of you have suffered so much; I’ve crushed you all prayerfully and mentally in hugs! We live through such grief in this life! But through it all I would like to just fearfully, tenderly, lovingly and softly invite you to sit with me at the Savior’s feet. Any maybe, perhaps…maybe you, too will find a song on your lips, sweetened by the bitterness of sorrow.

May His joy be yours,

Natural Hair Care

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It’s nice to be beyond the love/hate relationship I had with my hair when I was a teenager (I wanted to say “young lady”, but no, I was a “teenager”). My naturally wavy hair eagerly curled up with perms…until a month later when I was sick of scrunching and wanted to iron it all back out flat. It took for-ever to grow my hair out, and then….I would whack it all off into a bob that never looked quite right no matter how wonderful it was *supposed* to look when I played with holding my long hair up into one in the mirror. And then I began to turn gray in my twenties.

I think it was in the midst of raising babies and keeping a home that I finally decided that I was going to let my hair be just that: my hair. I let it all go naturally gray in my thirties, partly because the idea of dumping chemicals onto my head that would seep into my scalp was distasteful to say the least. I also just didn’t have the inclination to color it; I thought it looked fine and so did my husband. The rest of the world, however, thought I ought to color and so I finally did (yes, I’m that weak). And yes, I look a lot younger, but I must confess that I only dye the top in a semi-permanent and the rest of my hair underneath is in its natural glory because I am certain I will go au natural at some point again.

The dye I use is a natural and organic product. I feel that if my skin is my largest organ, what I feed it ought to be, well, edible. Besides, it’s nice to hang out for 90 minutes in a salon and not feel like I’m gasping for fresh air when I leave.

At home, I’ve been using a shampoo bar for years. There are a lot of different kinds, but I use a Liggett bar, mainly because it’s the only one I’ve ever tried, and it works great. The advantages of using a shampoo bar are numerous. One, it’s cheap and there is hardly any container waste. Two, it just plain works and lasts a long time. Three, there is no need to use a conditioner afterwards because the bar does not strip the natural oils from my hair. I haven’t used a conditioner in years, and my hair is very soft. In fact, when I do use a “regular” shampoo, my hair not only needs a conditioner to detangle it all, but my hair feels greasy within a day. If you decide to make the switch, know that it will take a few days to get the other shampoo crud out of your hair.

One thing I do like to use after using the bar is a hair rinse. It’s not really necessary, but I like how it smooths the hair follicles down and adds softness and shine. Yes, I know a conditioner is supposed to do the same thing, but this doesn’t weigh down my hair or add weird things to it. Plus, it’s cheap to make:

Put 4 cups of boiling water into a large jar. Add 2TB of whatever herb you like, and steep covered for 30 minutes. I like to use rosemary, which is nice for dark hair. Chamomile is great for blond hair. You can choose your own flavor! After straining out the herb, add 4TB apple cider vinegar. Basically, it’s 1TB-1/4cup of ACV to a cup of water (plain or herb).

That’s it! I keep my rinse in a squirt bottle, and put it in my hair after rinsing out my shampoo. Rinse it all away with slightly cool water, and I’m done!

I rarely use any product in my hair; it just weighs it down. I’ve found a nice cut that works with my natural wave, so I don’t feel like I have to fight with my hair every morning. As if I would have time to do that! There’s something wonderful about accepting my hair as it is.

I never use a brush on wet hair; it would just rip my hair. I use a large toothed comb, and avoid using a hair dryer as much as possible. I think it is worth the money to invest in a nice brush. A good brush feels good in my hand and makes my hair look luxurious and shiny, and my scalp feels wonderfully massaged. I have no problem replacing my hairbrush once a year; I figure I saved enough money on shampoo and conditioner to justify it 🙂

I will say that if you want really nice hair, then you need to feed your body right and drink plenty of water. Your hair, nails, skin and teeth are expressions of what’s going on with the rest of your body; don’t starve them of needed nutrients!

You have a natural beauty! Enjoy it!

Saying “See Ya Later, Baby”

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…or something like that.

It was a difficult week. There was still laundry to do, meals to cook, and children to teach. My middle still garnered a pat or two during the day and then I would remember, “oh, she’s not there anymore…” And the dumbest things would set the tears flowing, like looking at the empty milk bucket and thinking how my baby would never get any from me. I got plenty of loving and prayers from everyone (thank you soooo much), and even had some laughs, but my insides felt hollow much of the time. And it wasn’t just because I had lost my appetite.

I’m thankful my body healed so well and so quickly. I drank up at least a good gallon or two of herbal tea (red raspberry, shepherd’s purse, nettle, oatstraw & alfalfa), and took in a half a bottle of post-pregnancy tincture I made for rebuilding (horsetail, burdock and chickweed). I took my herbal and salt baths of uva ursi, lavender, myrrh, comfrey, cypress, and yes, more shepherd’s purse. And then to balance it all out, I ate a full box of homemade truffles and three large servings of homemade creme brulee.

We all said our “good-bye’s” last night in the garage. It was late. It was raining. I didn’t care. I wanted her out of the fridge and put to rest.

My husband held the wee quilt I made for her–she fit right into the little square in the middle–and talked a little about life and death and of course GOD because how could you not in a time like this?

Then we lay the quilt down into the soil. The soil is a story in itself. I couldn’t bury her here in the woods. Our woods are for sale (along with the house). It just felt weird, “leaving” her here. So I went to the nursery with my other four girls and found absolutely nothing worth buying that seemed to fit. That was a hard day. Coming home with nothing.

My husband put the baby gently on the quilt and covered her up with the rose petals I had saved. I wanted to save a petal, but I just couldn’t. Just give them all to her, all of them… I didn’t want a single particle of dirt touching her. Even though I knew her body was going to return to just that.

Every one of us gently put a handful of dirt onto the petals, and then she was covered up completely. I think even our four year old will always remember this.

So this is what is left from the night. A beautiful pot I bought at 75% off (I could never afford to buy one of these!) filled with a lovely rose bush that dear friends showed up with on Friday; a rose bush that was such a favorite, they had it carted across state lines when they moved. It was a beautiful sacrifice. We shared supper. News. Laughs. Wine.

My heart feels a bit like the rose bush. Barren, a bit prickly. Sort of dead-looking. But I know that spring will come, and that in my moving forward…laundry, meals, children…I can go forth in faith that this, too, was for my good and for His glory. Nothing is wasted, my tears are counted, and I am looking forward to that great time in heaven when so many of my friends (and so many of you, my bloggy friends!), will rejoice in the reunions with the ones we’ve lost, no matter how and when they were lost. And as we know, what truly belongs to the Lord is never lost.

Goodbye, baby. I love you.

Miscarriage

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I lost my baby Sunday morning.

And yes, I am bawling as I write. But I need to write.

I hadn’t really bonded with my baby while she (I think *she*) was in my womb. It’s the wrong time…I’m not ready…I think I’m getting too old for this…. Furthermore, I never really felt pregnant, other than my expanding waistline. No nausea, no nothing. Just the two bright lines on the pregnancy test. Twice.

And then, Saturday afternoon after coming in from the yard work, I put myself to the kitchen task of preparing for Sunday’s potluck. And I felt it. And I saw blood.

I really tried not to be anxious. But I already knew. For some reason, I had already heard the “tweet” in my mind the weeks before that I would be sending out as an SOS to my friends, “bleeding”. I had mild cramps, and took lots of herbal tea and put my feet up and then got a good night’s sleep. The next morning I felt it again, and ran to the toilet. Where my baby came out.

I immediately got on my knees and dug for her (I’m sorry if this is too gross). And, oh God, I found her. So perfect. So small. She fit in the palm of my hand. A head, a face, arms and legs and little feet. Oh God, how can anyone abort something this precious? I was 12 weeks along.

I didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t like I had prepared for this moment. On the counter though was a bowl of rose petals I was saving for my bath, and on them I gently laid her. I barely got the words out to my husband, apologizing and crying all the while, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…

He was ashen but wanted to see her, too. And he was so sad, which made me even more sad. And he said, “You know….I was already thinking of naming her Rose…” We just held each other.

After an hour or so I encouraged him to take the children to church. They needed the Body. I needed the quiet. I wasn’t ready, however, for the painful three hours of labor-like contractions as my uterus cramped down to size, expelling the placenta and tissue during that time. It made everything worse. All the work of having a baby. And not getting to have the baby. I stayed in bed until the next morning, trying to encourage my children that yes, I was all right, and that, yes, this is an awful sad thing and we can all cry but God is still bigger than death and our baby is safe in His arms. I know because He tells me so, and He is not a liar.

I had a tinge of guilt, of not being *ready* for this baby, for another pregnancy. The accuser was swift, you didn’t deserve this baby…. My God was quicker still, dear one, do you “deserve” the ones you are raising? They are all miracles, gifts, not from your own works, but from mine own visitations, yours to raise for My glory…

So now I find that I need to bury my baby. And how do I do that in a place that is for sale? How do I put her under our special tree knowing that someone else may just knock that spot down and I’ll never get to visit it again? I am anxious to put her body to rest, but I have stupid thoughts like the ground is cold and winter is coming and what an awful dirty place to put a precious baby.

I am taking my tender girls to the nursery to pick out a tree, a rosebush, a something in a big pot. We will bury her in there, and take her with us when we move. And, if God graces us with a new home we can own outright, we will transplant it whenever that time comes. I made her a little mini-quilt, about 6 inches square, to put in with her and the rose petals. Because I have made a quilt for all of my babies. And she will fit perfectly in hers.

I am so heartbroken. It comes in waves. Moments I am all right and can switch laundry around. Then I just cry and cry and cannot speak to anyone at all. I feel awful that I never bonded with my baby until I held her in my hand, but bond I did and I miss her and want her back.

I know a lot of you have gone through this. I used to joke with my friends that I never wanted to join their “club”, because just about all (all!) of them have lost at least one child, and some at birth and some even in toddlerhood. And now they come around me, hurt that yes, I am one of them because they didn’t want their pain for anyone else either. They’ve brought me steak lunches, homemade creme brulee, breakfast muffins, supper for my family, cards, prayers, hugs and kisses.

I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry for all of your losses, no matter how they occurred. I am crying for all of you, too, because death is so awful and hurts so bad. But let us hold fast to the hope of the resurrection, that in Jesus death has lost its sting and that yes, we WILL see our children again because He who has promised is faithful. I believe that somehow our lost babies will grow up to know and receive the Lord. I am so thankful to the Lord for His nearness, His comfort, and yes, even His sovereignty in all things. Even in this, it is for my good because He loves me. Dear Jesus, let me not waste the pain, but oh God, somehow, let even this bring glory to You because I have nothing to offer you but my broken heart.

My love goes out to you all, sweet mamas.


The Mind of Christ, Part 3

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(or…how to study your Bible)

The mind of Christ is unsearchable, really. The closest I’ve been to even considering it on a daily basis is when *stuff* happens and my quippy quick and proud response is something akin to, “Lord, what are you thinking?!” Sigh. Stupid me.

I want to finish dumping my brain on this Bible study. What caught my eye initially was “But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor 2:16). When trying to understand a passage of scripture, it’s very important to read it in context. Meaning, back up and read, sometimes a few lines and sometimes a few chapters! In fact, when backing up from v.16, the previous two verses begin with “but”, so I could go back even further to read what those two “but”s were contrasting.

Sometimes it helps to break up natural pauses, like where the commas are. And sometimes I like to focus on the verbs. Here, I picked up on four verbs: receiving (things of the spirit of God), knowing (them), rightly judging all things (discerning) and being judged of no man (no condemnation). In looking up the word “mind” I found that many, many verses throughout the Bible fit in with those four big ideas. It is SO cool to see phrases and ideas repeat and repeat throughout the scripture, especially when I remember that these books were written by so many people, so many hundreds and thousands of years apart, from so many different lands….and yet they all spoke of the same thing. I love the Bible. It is so precious, and what a gracious God to give it to us, to not leave us guessing about Him or history or what is to come or how we are to walk.

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

The Lord says we are to rightly judge all things, to discern between the silly and the sober (Titus 2:6, 1 Peter 1:13). And rightly judging means, I think, that when confronted with a teaching in the Bible that contradicts what I already “know”, that I must be willing to change my mind, to change my course of thinking to make sure my mind is in harmony with His (Num 16:28). It also means being discerning regarding the words that come from my mouth (Pro 29:11). It means judging what would be idolatrous (Ezekiel 20:32 ), and checking pride. Oh, pride! Chief of all stumbling blocks!

Pride is an awful thing, and has no place in a mind that wants to be ruled by Christ, filled with HIS thoughts. The consequences to pride hits hard in the mind: corruption (2 Cor 11:3), hardening (Dan 5:20), and a seat with traitors (2 Tim 3:4). God warns us not to be wise in our “own conceits” (Rom 12:16), but to be soft, teachable.

Learning to rightly judge requires a proper fear of the Lord (Rom 11:20), and a firm resolve to trust Him (Luke 12:29, 2 Thes 2:2) when He reveals that we are otherwise minded (Phil 3:15). We must not be swayed by the love of man (Num 24:13), and it is beneficial to seek out likeminded people who also love the Lord Jesus Christ to test what our minds are resting on (Rom 15:6, 1 Cor 1:10, 2 Cor 13:11, Phil 1:27, Phil 2:2-3, 1 Peter 3:8).

One of the greatest things I learned about cultivating the mind of Christ is that it is not MY job to cultivate it, but to simply with the faith He’s given to me trust Him to lead me and mold me to His way of thinking. It seems obvious that we cannot instruct God (but, boy, don’t we try?! Rom 11:34), but He does reveal Himself to us, because as His adopted children through the Lord Jesus Christ, we are His friends (John 15:15). And besides, I find it frightful at best that God Almighty not only sees every deed, but knows every thought! Why WOULDN’T I want the mind of Christ? Ezekiel 11:5 …for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

God wants ALL of our mind conformed to His way of thinking (Matt 22:37), and He wants us humble enough to renew it (Eph 4:23) so that we are transformed to it (Rom 12:2). And yes, this IS going to mean going against the grain, confronting culture, being a bit peculiar in fact! But we are exhorted to not grow weary, and to consider HIM lest we grow faint in our minds (Heb 12:3).

It’s been an interesting study. Studying God’s Word is always interesting! I loved this verse about reading the scripture with readiness of mind:

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Want the mind of Christ? (I do!) Receive Him through repentance and faith, and read your Bible daily. Did you know that twelve to fifteen minutes a day of reading (not “in depth” study, but simply reading) gets you through the Bible in a year? And you never know what trails you’ll end up on, and it is always a blessing! May the peace of God be yours, in both heart and mind, as you allow Him to reach and teach you.

Bye, Bye, Summer

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How did I get to mid-October already? Yet, here we are with crisp sunny days and leaves glowing with yellow. It’s time for garden clean-up: the last mowing, the weeding and mulching, putting away the hammock and so forth. Garlic will hopefully be planted in the next couple of days, but it is bittersweet, wondering who will pull it out in July as our home is for sale. Do I even want to cloche the fall vegetable offerings? Part of me just wants to put it all to bed, to say my goodbyes and let it rest.

The kitchen has been busy as usual. Lots of jams are put up, and applesauce, and salsas and tomato sauces and dehydrated garlic, onion, hot peppers, mushrooms and various herbs from the garden. I’ve got plenty of salve for boo-boo’s and lots of tinctures for ailments that hopefully won’t show up now that I’m armed. A fun thing I’ve been doing is preparing “tincture kits” for my friends while watching a movie (Pride and Prejudice!). You should have seen and smelled the small media room; it was clouded with a dry herbal smell for days! For five bucks each, my pals get all the premixed organic herbs and can make a pint of tincture for themselves. It’s a very happy go around.

We’ve been milking and are now working to dry off the goat. She has become a real pain, laying down on the milk bucket. My husband has to hold her backside up in the air so we can milk! (Find that man a chiropractor!) Twice we’ve had to throw out the milk because goaty stepped into it. And recently, I got into my beehive completely excited for the honey harvest I was going to have and when I got in there….nothing. Nada. Not only was there no honey to harvest, there wasn’t enough to feed them through the winter. So I am feeding my honeybees (trying not to sulk about it) and in all practicalities, starting over. I ought to mention that summer never *really* arrived here in the Pacific Northwest so not only did the bees not do well, dozens of tomato plants with fruit that rotted on the vine were pulled out by gardeners all over the area. I did manage to get my 85 pound puppy into the van for his trip to the vet to get *fixed* (that is, really, “broken”), but had to clean out the poop when I got home. Did I mention he is a big dog? No small potatoes there! Ah, the ease of country living…

I managed to sneak away for a weekend to the beach and got three scrapbook albums finished. When I first got there, I took a good look around and realized I was surrounded by scrapbooking professionals with tools and lights and electrical gadgets I’ve never even heard of. I was like, um, here are my pictures, papers and tape and pen. My books are very, very plain, maybe a strip of colored paper on the edges and that’s that. It’s just not my thing to make ornate pages even though I can totally appreciate the artistry that goes into them. And anyway, I got three books done. To me, that’s golden. And walking on the beach wasn’t too shabby, either.

I spun some more yarn, and tried to knit a hat. Which I finally ripped all out because I couldn’t get the GAP to close (you knitters will understand). And I am currently trying to knit a sock. Which I think I’ll probably be ripping out because I can’t get the GAP to close. Sigh. Knitter at heart, but not in my fingers. Maybe I’ll just end up spinning yarn for other knitters. In the meantime, I made a nice basket, finished an autumnal quilt, and have stacks of fabric waiting for other projects. And I have a nice gentleman from N’York making me some new harnesses for my loom.

I hope you’re enjoying your first days of fall! It’s a wonderful time to plan projects for those restful and quiet days of winter.

Blessings,

Farmed Fish: A Good Catch

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I loved Sally Fallon’s word for those who claim to *know it all* about proper politically correct foods: diet dictocrats. These are the same folks that say red meat is BAD, saturated fats are BAD, eggs are BAD, bread is BAD. So it was no surprise that my assumption about fish was: wild fish=good. Farmed fish=BAD. Then I met a solid Christian gentleman who, of all things, farmed fish. And he asked me point blank, “So….what do you think of farmed fish?” Listen in on our conversation and be ready to challenge your own assumptions in the process.

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Not every farmed fisherman practices with integrity and environmental consideration. But the same can be said for fishermen out in the wide blue open sea. Do your research, inquire about the company you’re buying from, and serve your food of choice with confidence, regardless of what the media diet dictocrats have to say about the matter.

The Mind of Christ, Part Two

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(or…how to study your Bible…)

See here for Part One

I recently read an account of a brother in Christ attempting to shame another brother in the faith on his lack of “training” to properly read, understand, apply and teach the Bible. His idea of this sort of training was to spend many years (seven, to be exact) and many dollars at the feet of other men learning how to “properly” approach the Bible. I find this so arrogant and odious! Even William Tyndale’s understanding of the issue related on simply two things for the plowboy: one, obtaining the skill of reading, and two, having access to the Scriptures in English.

I’m certainly not saying that undertaking further education in Bible history or theology or whatnot is a waste of time, but I am saying that the best way to know the Bible is to, well, read and study the BIBLE. To hear a sermon based on nothing but the Bible is a treat; many are peppered with sections of commentaries, lexicons, quotes from other authors, learning foreign language (“in the Greek”), etc. Interestingly enough, the reason that those quotes and commentaries can be so useful and so enlightening is because those authors studied the Bible, themselves, and have fruit to share. I don’t know enough about Matthew Henry to say (and I do like reading his thoughts on occasion), but I do wonder….what commentaries did HE read? I suppose these study tools are not necessarily bad, but studying the Bible itself and comparing things spiritual with things spiritual ought to be primary. I appreciate sharing in other people’s studies and discoveries, but it will never be as sweet as time alone with God. Which is why just listening to sermons will never replace ongoing, lifelong personal study, and every pastor I know would probably agree.

The dearth in Bible knowledge in the land is not because there is a lack of other resources to study. You don’t need to load up on shelves-full of other books about the Bible. There is, as we know, no end of book making (Ecc 12:12). At this time in history, we are practically buried in Christian resources and books to study. I’m not *against* such study tools, and yes, I used a study tool even here: a concordance (does that make me a hypocrite?). But I do think we generally lack Biblical knowledge partly because many Christians, if they open their Bibles at all, treat this Book as a place to get a simple devotion to bless their day instead of taking any time at all to buckle down and study related passages and words and threads between the same covers. As an example, instead of looking up and studying “prayer” in the Bible, it’s far easier to read another author on the subject.

All this to say…don’t let other Christians turn their noses down at you because you didn’t study xy or z regarding your faith via a source outside of the Word! In fact, I have confidence that if ALL you had was your Bible to study, and you DID study it, you would learn to rightly divide scripture because God Himself, through His Word, is your teacher.

Job 36:22 Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
Psalms 25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Psalms 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
Psalms 119:12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
Isaiah 28:26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.

The assumption I make here is that a person studying the Bible has repented, put his or her trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and is born again. Otherwise, the Bible is foolishness and nothing more than a book of quotes, because he or she is blinded to the truth (2 Cor 4:4). It is dead to him or her, just as it is alive and living to any Christian who truly knows and loves the Lord. No Holy Spirit, no Biblical understanding. That’s just the way it is. You need the Holy Spirit to understand the Bible.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

When reading the Bible even for the 34th time, interesting words, phrases, or passages are illuminated that may have been overlooked before. That is why the Book is called a Living Book; you can never fully read it! It is like gaining a deeper understanding or unearthing more treasure, each and every time! I was recently intrigued by 1 Cor 2:16, “But we have the mind of Christ…” and it lead to a study on that word (mind…occurring 139 times) and phrase (mind of Christ…which occurs only once). Reading every verse within context was a blessing! I learned that having the mind of Christ begins with receiving the things of the Spirit of God (Part One). And I also learned that having the mind of Christ means knowing them, what they are, to begin with. No one can fully know God’s mind. But we CAN know what He has chosen to reveal to us, through His Word.

It seems that one part of having the mind of Christ means having the ability and willingness and discipline to bring to remembrance who God is and what He has done. We forget so easily! I am certain I am a worse forget-er than any of the Israelites whose feet crossed the day before the Red Sea. God speaks of how we call things to mind, both in remembering blessings and cursings (Deut 30:1), and calling His covenant to mind is a command to His people.
1 Chronicles 16:15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations…

And yes, I understand that this command was to a certain people at a certain time in a certain place in history. But the PRINCIPLE remains: we ought to remember His works, His gospel, His promises. And when His people are NOT “mind”ful of His wonders, they end up rebelling and returning to bondage, and in essence, losing their minds (Neh 9:17, Rom 1:28). Remembrance, keeping in mind, is for our own good. And, I might add, if you or I do not read and study our Bible, how will we bring any of it to mind at all? In fact, forgetting God is a curse, no matter how prosperous or “happy” our life is (Jer 3:16); and truly, the day will come when those snippets we halfheartedly listened to or read will come back to convict us when trouble comes (Mark 14:72).

The point of knowing what is important to God, of reading His Word (otherwise known as “sitting at His feet”) is to recall what those things are, and often, to meditate on them, to cultivate a mind that thinks like God thinks. This is impossible but for the work of the Holy Spirit and nothing that we can bring about on our own power, no matter how many hours we spend in “quiet time”. But we do need to study our Bible.

Pitted against the “Christianity” d’jour of “accept Jesus and all will go well”, the Bible presents history upon history of trial, tribulation, and calamity for God’s people. Read Lamentations 3, and wonder at the horrific devastation listed line after line….and then follow to the cornerstone, the turning point, of 3:21: This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. A mind that is properly functioning remembers who God is, what He has done, and what He will do, and that remembrance brings HOPE. The rest of that chapter has so much praise for who God is, and that I think is what our remembrance brings, too: praise.

So, take some time to study, friends. And keep smiling sweetly when “smarter” Christians want to pat you and your studies on the head; every family has kooky relatives. 🙂

Peace,

Mushroom Hunting

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A young woman I know mentioned that she liked to go “mushroom hunting” and so, being ever so my timid self (ha), I immediately asked if I could tag along! After all, we live in the woods, so I wanted to learn about the food growing there in my own backyard. She was just as enthusiastic about going hunting again for more mushrooms, so my 8yo daughter and I donned our boots and grabbed a big bucket and off we all went.

As we were tromping through the woods and brush on an usually balmy afternoon, I casually mentioned that I really had no sense of direction, and was glad she was leading the way! This was what we were hunting for: chanterelles, a bright orangy mushroom used as a delicacy in cooking. “Yum yum”, says I. And, “Yum, yum” said the wee critter that got to this one first.

I learned all sorts of things to look for, such as the vein markings. There were SO many mushrooms in the woods, and I SO wished I knew what they all were! I learned how to use a knife to slice the mushroom off the forest floor. That way, the roots stay put to make even more mushrooms. I love how God loves to keep life going, even in fungus!

My 8yo had a blast. She was just a gabby-abby the entire time, delighting in everything from spider webs and how the light hit the trees and in all the different tracks we discovered.

Well, as it turns out, the chanterelles were hiding pretty well and it wasn’t too big of a harvest. And we discovered new areas that my friend had never been to before (read: we got lost). And I was getting tired. But we still pressed on through blackberry brambles and over fallen logs, looking and looking, and whooping it up when we found a small patch of chanterelles. We had a blast!

I went home with about a pound and a half of mushrooms, plus the assurance that yes, we were going to go out again soon. I left them on a paper bag for a couple of days to dry up the dirt flecks and pine needles on them. I was hoping to dehydrate a good ten pounds worth, but that will have to wait until next hunting trip 🙂

I spent some time today brushing off the dirt. Like raspberries, rinsing mushrooms rinses away all the flavor. I contemplated how this was free food, much like the blackberries on my dirt and gravel road.

Tonight I made a chanterelle sauce with olive oil, leeks, garlic, thyme, garlic, chicken broth, a bay leaf, a splash of red wine vinegar and a dollap of dijon mustard. It smelled awesome.

We enjoyed our harvest over a good New York grass-fed steak, with a buttered baked potato and summer sweet corn. And it was wonderful sharing in the wonder of free food for the taking, just in our own backyard. God is so good to provide so much.

Bon Appetit!

 

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First Aid Kits: What’s in Yours?

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Confidence in reacting to the boo-boos of life is stoked by being prepared for them. I keep two first aid kits: one at home and one in the van. As usual, my focus is on natural remedies and a drugless approach to treating the everyday scrapes, bumps and tummy aches.

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Here is the list of what I keep in the van (see the photo above):
* bandages
* arnica for bumps and bruises, apis for bee stings, and belladonna for sudden fevers
* Rescue Remedy for calming
* a packet of cayenne pepper for bleeding control. No, really. A little cayenne on the tongue helps to stop bleeding. Worked wonders on my daughter’s bloody nose not too long ago, in fact.
* a bottle of shelf-stable probiotics for upset tummies. That is MARVELOUS to have on hand when a child gets a stomacheache while out and about.
* a jar of herbal salve
* hand sanitizer

In my home kit, this is what I keep on hand as a BASIC:
* rubbing alcohol for disinfecting a wound after cleaning it
* all sorts of bandages and adehesive dressing
* tweezers for splinters and, because we live in the woods, a tick-remover kit
* arnica gel for bumps and bruises

In addition to my kit, I have these things in my home to treat my family as needed:
* several ice packs in the freezer and the Boo Boo Bunny of course

* aloe vera juice (in a spray bottle) in the fridge
* a variety of homeopathic remedies for various ailments
* a variety of essential oils
* a variety of homemade tinctures for various ailments
* a variety of homemade salves for insect bites, rashes, cuts, etc.
* Rescue Remedy for a quick, calming response

* a variety of homemade and store-bought teas
* a variety of dried herbs to use as needed
* a homemade 4 Thieves disinfectant spray; here is an easy way to make some
* activated charcoal for poison control
* electrolyte replacement drinks for fevers or diarrhea

For more specific information regarding treating your family’s health care needs, give a listen to:

Dr. Mom: Preventative Health Care for Families

and

Dr. Mom: Loving Health Care for Families

Here are some books I like to use in keeping my family healthy:

It is a joy to take care of our families! Keep learning!

 

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Come, October

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….or, “What do stay-at-home moms do all day?”

I’m looking ahead at my next two weeks and am already eager to greet October when it gets here. I stared at my calendar a good couple of minutes and figured that I better just do what I’m best at when I start to feel overwhelmed: make a list.

So, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, these are the things that are clamoring for my attention before the month ends:

  • my children need to attend speech therapy, music lessons, an introduction to a Lego Robotics class (combined with a spinning class for the young ladies), and, for the 4 and 6 year olds, an appointment with the dentist to get the “thumb sucking talk” and encouragement to quit (with prizes, of course). Ruby just got her new updated program so I need to organize that and set it in motion, too.
  • I am picking up 150 lb of wheat berries that I’ll throw (or, “gently place into”) the deep freezer for a wee bit (to kill off any hitchhiker bugs), and then blend into the mix I like to keep on hand for baking. If I could remember off the top of my head what it was, I would share that with you. Maybe I’ll leave it on a comment. When I catch my breath and can actually visit my own blog again.
  • And speaking of my blog (thank you for visiting me :), I have a new podcast to upload on first aid kits, hopefully in the next day or two. And, oooh, are you gonna like the one the one that comes up after that! It might just rock your grocery shopping world!
  • I decided that, yes, I would buy 20lbs of tomatoes to try my hand at tomato preservation. I’ll be borrowing my friend’s canner (mwah!) and giving it a go. I would love to try preserving my own salsa! And no, I’m not going to skin all of those tomatoes. And I ought to mention I have boxes of peppers and apples coming as well. All on the same day.
  • I was offered a trip to go mushroom hunting, and after I learned that my new mushroom friend had picked almost three quarters of a five gallon bucket of Chanterelle mushrooms in two hours…well, you can see that I can’t pass that up! Those will all be dehydrated. I hope.
  • I’ll be running off to the beach this weekend to scrapbook. Doesn’t that sound delicious? Well, yes….but my old photos and whatnots were stuffed into a closet about a year ago because I just didn’t have the time (or, rather, the inclination…) to deal with it. So I signed up to go on this retreat so I’d be forced to. And that means, well, I now I AM forced to dig everything out and actually *deal with it!* If it’s sunny this weekend, I’m afraid I’m going to be a grumpy scrapbooker who’d rather be walking the beach instead of cutting and pasting (that’s a figure of speech, of course, don’t send your consultants to me to try to keep the paste away!)
  • My dog is getting “fixed”. I’m not sure why they call it that when in reality he’s gonna get BROKEN, but somehow I’m going to have to train my 100 lb puppy to want to jump into my car, go for a ride, and then happily greet the vet and staff in an indoor setting. I’m wondering if chamomile or valerian works on dogs. Maybe a chanterelle would do the trick.
  • I need to harvest the honey from my hive and prepare my bee’s house for winter soon! This is a definite AFTER scrapbooking retreat deal, and I am hoping to have a nice, sunny, dry, warmish day to do it. And if you live up here, you can stop laughing or there’ll be no honey for you! (You know who you are!)
  • A few “would be nice….” things. One is to finish my basket; it’s very close but I haven’t touched it in a couple of weeks. And it’s definitely the time of year for me to make my homemade tinctures and teas for the cold and flu season. I’m just saying that when I DON’T prepare these things for my family, they end up sicker than sick. Something about Murphy. Lastly, we need to finish the mulching around the property to winterize the gardens and keep them looking spiffy for that buyer who, if he or she wants to buy our house, immediately cancels all of the above items to make room for packing, finding a place to live, and moving.

I ought to mention that in between all of this, I still need to maintain a house clean enough for any showings (for that buyer….yoooo hooo, where are you?….) and manage the homeschooling as well. And cook, because we all like to eat. So if you don’t hear from me in a while, it’s not because I’m in a daze over our new pregnancy (HA! AREN’T YOU GLAD YOU READ TO THE LAST WORD?!), but because real life is calling and if I don’t answer, I’ll get run over by my circumstances.

May you be blessed in the midst of your doings!

You Don’t Need 5 Acres…

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…to bake up a batch of fresh bagels. Unless you want to grow the wheat for the flour.

Homemade bagels smell and taste ridiculously delicious, and they are not that hard to make. It involves preparing the dough and rolling them into circles the night before, refrigerating it, and then boiling and baking in the morning. SO yummy!

I think sometimes folks have a romantic notion that when they get their five acres (or 500), then they will learn to bake from scratch or knit mittens or grow a large plot of herbs. Homesteading, however, is less about location and more about a state of mind. You can bake homemade bagels in an apartment in the middle of a city, with nothing more than the doormat as your property outside of it.

The world of books and google put learning all sorts of things easily within your reach. Don’t wait! Enjoy the liberty you have to start learning, try your hand at the things you’ve been dreaming of, and then if the Lord ever does bless you with land, you’ll be way ahead of the curve in getting going.

And fresh bagels taste great split and buttered, toasted over a grill, and then slathered with cream cheese and topped with smoked salmon. It’s a close-your-eyes kind of experience 🙂

Blessings,

A Baby with Down Syndrome

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The local midwife called me wanting to know if I would be willing to meet with a mother who had just had a daughter with Down Syndrome.

“I’ll be there!” I said, and within days, I was oogling over the beautiful wee treasure she presented to me. “She’s so beautiful!”

The mother seemed very tentative, but I think she was happy to meet Ruby. Ruby is two years old. She is crawling, playing, curious, in and out of rooms with doors to happily close behind her…and usually very, very happy.

Do you ever feel like it’s all your fault?
Well, the thought did cross my mind once or twice. But if I were to take fault for the extra chromosome my baby carried, then I would have to take credit for the normal set my other children have. God is the one who crafted the baby within my womb; it is His handwork. I was simply a trusting, willing, vessel. And I don’t believe the Lord makes mistakes, but allows only what is for my good.

What programs did you do?
I was overwhelmed with the amount of “help” that inundated me within hours of Ruby’s birth. People were already talking about wonderful public (read: government sponsored by tax dollars) classes and programs and how, when Ruby turned three, she would go onto her very own special school bus. I am thankful I listened to my mother’s intuition and just simply said, often and quite clearly, “No, thank you, right now we are just working on nursing.” And it WAS work; she never nursed easily, but I was stubborn and persistant, knowing that breastmilk was going to be the very best for her, not running her all over town to have strangers cuddle and “stimulate” her.

And now?
Now we are involved with a neurodevelopmentalist who evaluates her three times a year, sets up an individualized program just for Ruby, and trains us (her parents) how to do the activities. Our FAMILY is Ruby’s team of therapists. The bus can go right on by, see ya buh-bye.

Do you worry about persecution?
Well, yes and no. Most folks will simply just look on and smile, or give a sympathetic hug, or share about their own child or relative with a disability. Just like when I garner attention with my six children about me, people will read my own face to see how wonderful or how awful my life really is. I smile a lot. I have six reasons to. But I do know that people, despite the philosophy d’jour, have real sin and ugliness in their hearts, and that out of the heart comes who they really are. I can’t (praise the Lord!) read their thoughts. I can only love through Jesus Christ, and without Him working in the lives of others, I don’t really expect wholesome acceptance of Ruby, even if they hide it well.

What about Ruby’s feelings?
She will probably be hurt. But we have all been hurt. You know, Ruby is blessed. She will know she is different, and it is a physical, obvious trait. But a whole lot of people walking the broad road don’t think they’re just as handicapped, just as fallen short of the way it ought to be, and in need of repair. The outside shell may look good, but the inside is a rot. We all have “special needs.”

What about Ruby’s future?
I have about as much control over her future as I do any of my children’s or even my own. Ultimately it is in God’s hands, and we just try to glorify Him in our thoughts, words and deeds while we are here. Only He knows when death will visit any of us, and it will visit ALL of us (unless He comes soon!!). Currently my hope and mindset is that Ruby will be able to take care of herself independently, but that either her parents or her siblings will be her protectors. But today we’re working on today.

The point is……enjoy and love and teach your babies, every minute. Your time with them is shorter than you think. I’ve had friends bury children; we are not due a whole lifetime with any of them. Just because you bare a child without a disability does not mean his or her heart is clean, and does not mean *whew!* now he or she will grow up without suffering a major tragedy. Trust your motherly instincts and keep them close (even, *gasp!*, “sheltering” them).

Ruby is not a burden. I am blessed.

With love,

The Mind of Christ, Part 1

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or….how to do a Bible study…

1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

I read this passage not too long ago and my first inclination was, I’m sorry to say, one of almost mocking. “But we have the mind of Christ? Yea, riggghhhhhhhhht….” For I know my own mind, and the idea of possessing the mind of my Lord and Savior seems almost cruel to someone (that is, me) because I know I will not, cannot, ever attain even an ant’s brain amount of the mind of God. And yet…there it is, in black and white, “but we have the mind of Christ.”

Studying the scriptures is most worthy at a juncture like this, so I backed up and read the verse in context, because that “but” means something that is in comparison to. There is no commentary on the planet that is of more value than comparing scripture with scripture, so that is where I went. After all, Jesus IS the Word (John 1:1, 14), so to where else would I reasonably go to study?

Here is the verse in context:

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

After I looked up the verse in context, I used a concordance and looked up every time the word “mind” was used. I cannot speak with authority about other Bible versions, but I will say that the King James Bible has a built-in dictionary that defines all of its own words. It is truly miraculous. So that is what I use (among other reasons). I don’t need a man-made dictionary to define Bible words, and with a KJ Bible, you don’t either. But I digress…

The first thing I noticed was that the comparison was between a natural (unsaved) man, and a spiritual (saved) man. Now I know “spirituality” is all the rage these days, but the Bible makes it very clear here that to have the mind of Christ, it begins with receiving the things of the Spirit of God. And to receive the things of the Spirit of God, the desire to DO so must be there.

1 Samuel 2:35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind…

The “natural” man is not a faithful man, and completely unable to do according to that which is in the heart and mind of God. An unsaved man may possess many good, maybe even heroic, qualities and may accomplish many sacrificial works, but none are acceptable because of the state of his unregenerate mind (Pro 21:27, Col 1:21). His unsaved mind is captive to the law of sin (Rom 7:23), and he is considered only with his own thoughts and selfish desires of his own flesh and mind (Eph 2:3). He is offended by God, and consumed with vanity (Eph 4:17, Col 2:18).

To know the mind of Christ begins with receiving the things of the Spirit of God. It is God Himself who will put His laws into our minds and writes them in our hearts (Heb 8:10). A natural man, no matter how spiritual he or she feels or professes to be, is blind (2 Cor 3:14) to the things of God and the first clue of that is the “foolishness” of the Word to him (1 Cor 2:14). The first and second commandments are clearly broken, and gods are created to suit their own needs and ideas. Instead of arguing and reasoning from scripture (why would they do so?), they come with their own puffed pride and worldly knowledge, forgetting that the very God that gave them breath and life (Deut 32:18) just may require something in response from them. Knowing the mind of Christ begins with knowing God, and knowing God begins with wanting to.

..if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever (1 Chr 28:9).

Humility is a hard thing for all of us. Those of us mothering toddlers SO understand this! But until we understand that God has no reason to reveal anything at all to any of us, that we ARE that wretched, inside and out, we will not have room for Him at all, and He will just let us rot in our own self-righteousness. Is it any wonder that people who feel the best about themselves are by far the least humble and teachable? Arrogance is celebrated! God, Himself, is MINDful of us however (Ps 8:4), and He will give to those that fear Him (Ps 111:5, 115:12). The reason why He would give even a token of attention to any of us at all, is something I expect I will never understand, but somehow it gives Him the glory He deserves and truly is owed.

The blessings of receiving the things of the Spirit are huge! Perfect peace (Isa 26:3) that is born of trust for the dear Savior’s atonement for our hell-deserving sins for starters, and a sound and right and ready mind that is cultivated through His Spirit (Mark 5:15, 2Tim 1:7, 2 Cor 8:19) to carry us through this time on earth, too.

Humility of mind is a requirement for knowing the mind of God. It is not in trusting our own works or riches (1 Tim 6:17) or even in having any sort of attainment of perfection, but in action and attitude knowing you are saved because it is evident you have more than yesterday: mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forebearance, forgiveness, charity, the peace of God, and gratitude. Receiving the Spirit of God means in all things giving thanks to God, and in letting the Word of Christ dwell richly within(Col 3:12-17). Which means, of course, that we have to read our Bibles.

The natural man scoffs at the idea of humility towards Jesus Christ, the Truth and the only Way to God, proven by the historical fact of His own resurrection. The unsaved man has rejected the obvious witness of creation (Ps 19:1, 97:6) all around him and has suppressed the truth in his own conscience. The wrath of God abides on the natural man, and truly it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31).

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness…

Please, if the Lord has revealed that you are storing up wrath for yourself, I urge you to repent and trust Jesus alone for your salvation!! Otherwise you will never know nor receive the things of the Spirit of God. You need nothing but a contrite heart and spirit, and He will not despise those.

Psalms 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

You need nothing but willingness. Have you that? The mind of Christ begins with receiving the things of the Spirit. Come to Him in repentance and faith.

2 Corinthians 8:12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

Blessings,

Milk From (Your!) Front Yard

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Well, if you have the space….why not? In this podcast I’ll share about the benefits of whole, raw milk, share an interview I did with my cow-owning friend, and tell you about my own dairy goats. As usual, my husband pipes in at the end. If you can grow lettuce, you can milk an animal.

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The benefits of raw milk are many! This is a wholesome food provided by God for our benefit, but we have, like so many other foods, messed it up. Here are some of the very good reasons to switch from dead, pasteurized milk, to the living, raw real thing (along with lots of links from here to follow up for more research!): The Health Benefits of Raw Milk. That website is FULL of great information.

If you are interested in finding your own source for raw, real milk, go to http://www.realmilk.com/where.html. And yes, you will be paying more for this milk. But you are buying REAL food and not junk. It really matters!

If you’d like a history of how we got to where we are, concerning the milk supply, this book is very informative and very entertaining. It also answers questions regarding cholesterol and stuff like e-coli. It’s not a hard read at all:

This is the book my friend Sonja was referring to in her interview. It is definitely a favorite among dairy cow owners:

And here is the link to the website with helpful information and forums she mentioned: http://familycow.proboards.com/index.cgi.

If you’re more interested in keeping dairy goats, this is a good starter book with lots of helpful information:

Here is some more information on the kinder goat breed that we raise and love.

 

And, not to get political over this, but when the government is involved in choosing FOR you what is “best”, topics such as food choices and medical procedures (etc. etc.) get messy. This is one book on my “want to read” list…and one you can ignore if you don’t value your liberties to make your own decisions, taking responsibility for your OWN health and life:

 

This podcast was featured on:

 

Blessings to you and yours,

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Living Slow

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Every now and again I wonder what everyone is rushing all about life for. Usually I think of this while watching traffic, knowing that each multi-thousand steel encasement has at least one person in it with places to go and things to do. And because of the stainless bubble surrounding said person, there is opportunity to rule this mini world with radio or phone (hands free, of course) without any bother or sacrifice to anyone else. In fact, if there is a chance of interaction with another vehicle, it’s usually not the tip of the hat (whatever happened to those manly things?) and an acknowledgement of another human being. It’s usually, um…mean.

I want the slow life. I’ll readily admit I love to drive and yes, with loud music, but if I had my druthers, I’d rather saunter around on a horse from place to place, noticing seed pods coming before the flourish of fall leaves.

Other than twitter and email, I’ve been MIA in reading blogs and whatnot on the computer. It’s a love-hate thing. Love the information I can get. Hate how it pulls the life out of my marrow. Love writing and sharing photos. Hate how sedentary I am while doing it. If my computer finally died, would I cry? How many people are rushing through their lives to get back to the computer, to social media, to blog hopping, to texting? How, I wonder, did people ever fill their time before this blessed technology? I’m not altogether certain, but I am sure more lives involved more people and projects.

Here are some snippets of my life lately. And yes, it takes a while to upload photos, format them, post them, write a blog and then *ta da!* “publish post”. I think it’s worth doing on occasion. I think…

**OH OH!! This blog is interrupted for a phone call from my brother! YAY!!**

So…where was I….oh, pics to share with you! Consider these some of the “instead” things I’ve been doing while off the computer. I harvested a goodly bunch of hardneck garlic and after curing them all, I peeled and cut apart all of the cloves. It was a lot of work, but I find fresh powered garlic so yummy all year long, so the time is worth it to me.

Then there was the dehydrating and powdering to do. The whole house smelled like an Italian restaurant. Mmmmm….

I ended up with almost three quarts of powdered garlic, and began sharing some with friends. If you want to make your own, you can see my directions here.

I also made a good batch of fresh salve. I cold steeped herbs (comfrey, plantain, goldenseal, calendula, chickweed, echinacea, and chapparal) in olive oil for a couple of months. Then, I used up some beeswax from my own hive (with bits of honey still on it) and put in tea tree oil and lavender essential oils. I think it’s the best salve I’ve ever made!

We’ve been buying fruit by the case and canning them in jams. The fruit leather is real good, the cobblers are tasty too, and the pies….oh, the pies!

The cool thing about friends that have gardens is that they share! We gleaned green beans from their little farm and then snapped and blanched and froze them all up for the winter. And of course, there was plenty for eating for suppers!

My girls and I have been working on making baskets. We took a field trip and bought supplies, and then invited a lovely woman to come teach us how to do this. I’m so inspired! I think I’ll be able to say, “hmm, I want a basket for my (whatever)” and then be able to make one! My plan is to tea dye my basket when it’s finished. Notice the mug. It says, “Smile at the rain.” I needed to. Because it was raining. Because summer never really showed up.

My kids don’t have or play video games, unless you want to count their math program. So they have to find other things to do. My 12yo has been copying photographs with colored pencils. And my 10yo son has been picking up cans alongside the road and then using them for target practice. And so forth…

I’ve been enjoying watching my puppy (on the left) growing up. He’s larger than my yellow lab now. Raising a puppy is a challenge, but I’ve enjoyed it very, very much. It’s nice to sit outside and read a book while watching these dogs play with each other. What’s wrong with being a homebody?

So, that’s a little mish-mash. Fall is coming on. To me, the official start of fall is when I pick the last of my sweet peas, clean up the garden a bit, and plant for a winter harvest of greens. I’ve made peace with summer leaving without much of a visit. I’ve been eyeing my knitting and sewing projects, preparing for the homeschooling year, reading various books and trying to keep my mind and heart on the length of days I have left in this life and the wonderful God who lets me live them. You have a wonderful life, too. Don’t miss it.

Blessings,

Keep Your Babies Home

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Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Are the reasons to send a small child off to school valid? How important is it to utilize preschool and kindergarten programs? If you’re wavering between sending your child off, or keeping him or her home, this is an important listen for you.

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Thoughts to consider:

  1. Is there Biblical support to send a young child away to be educated?
  2. Are you in agreement with the social activism taking place there?
  3. Is that place fostering good physical, mental and spiritual health?
  4. Is your idea of socialization conformity to peers, or of rightly relating to people of all ages?
  5. Does the research support early education as a viable and worthy method of training up and educating young children?

Links to read and consider:

Early Education Shows No Benefit
Mandatory ‘gay’ day for K-5 Students
I Would Prefer Not To

You can also go to my links page, and scroll down to the “Preschoolers” section for a lot of very helpful links and books to help you with your wee ones.

I am afraid that the schools will prove the very gates of hell, unless they diligently labour in explaining the Holy Scriptures, and engraving them on the hearts of youth. I would advise no one to send his child where the Holy Scriptures are not supreme. Every institution in which men and women are not unceasingly occupied with the Word of God must be corrupt.
–Martin Luther

I would rather my child had a limited curriculum and access to limited educational resources, and yet learned by basking in the atmosphere of someone who had true pleasure in the books that were pursued, than that he should go to some well-equipped and soulless situation where, theoretically, he could ‘learn’ at optimum speed.
–Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

The perfect environment in which to learn will depend less on the rooms you decorate than the atmosphere you cultivate!
–from a post from Home Hearts blog

Isaiah 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
Proverbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Psalms 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

The Lord bless you as you endeavor to raise your babies in the ways they should go.

The Quest for Thornlessness

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Psalms 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

I miss writing. I really do. There are a lot of things I like to dabble in and do, but the only thing I really enjoy doing is writing. Even though it seems that my podcast is even more popular than my blog (thank you for listening!), I’d rather write you all a letter than sit in front of a microphone. Which isn’t bad, just different, y’know? The subject at hand for podcasting is always too long for a blog post. In any case, all day long the ideas, the phrases, the outlines form in my head. But unless I jot them down *poof* away they go. I’ve gotten too spoiled to use a pencil and now just wait for computer time. And when it comes, it is short. It’s like getting a mac truck going down the highway, setting it to cruise, and then *road construction* it is stop-start-stop. The Lord knows this. For some reason, I need to let this drive to write go, too.

I’m reading Disciplines of a Godly Woman. It is so good. I don’t mean “SO good” like “ya gotta read this best seller!” I mean “so GOOOOOD” like “it’s just the words I need from a woman sweet and humble enough to share her insight.” This book is re-setting my priorities. Each section, each chapter is a thoughtful exhortation and reminder to put first things first. Like prayer. Like worship. Like contentment and perseverance. I’m reminded that my life is NOT about what makes me happy, but about what the Lord–the God who gave me life and who redeemed me from my sin–wants from me. Like character. Like meekness. Like submission, obedience, a nurturing heart and an open mouth to tell others about Him. What does it matter if I get to do what I like if it means missing out on the work He wants to do in me?

Meekness is a hard road. Some days I feel wronged and misunderstood. Some days I know I am wronged. But what do I have, really? My self-righteousness (feeling like I’m a “good person”)? My morals (feeling like others fall short of my standards)? I’ve been working through The Quest for Meekness and Quietness of Spirit. I’m not sharing this because I’m humble enough to (ha) but because I long for that quietness in every moment. I don’t wish to be irked or irritated or provoked anymore. By anyone. Ever. Is that even possible? I do not know. But God is allowing plenty of opportunities in my life to choose the path of snippiness or humility. I want to be by His feet at all times, but sometimes it grieves my haughty spirit to do so. Sometimes the digging out of the thorns of self-righteousness hurts. It just seems better to let them stay there. But I want more of God, and He wants more of me to look like Him. Thornless.

In the midst of these things, the morning sun still continues to show up. What a mercy to have another day, again and again. The air just tastes sweet. Cleaned up from yesterday’s garbage. I never know what the day will bring. Naptime and cuddles? A sold house? A trip to the ER? It is a blessing to just wake up in my bed, to whisper “thank you” to Jesus for another day.

I’m in the barn in the mornings, milking my friend’s goat. It is pleasant. I love the smell of fresh hay and fresh shavings on the floor. I love getting milk for my own family. There is work involved; sometimes I have to (er, lovingly) shove her against the wall and hold her there when she is impatient and wants to be done. Sometimes I am too tired to go out in the morning. And sometimes the mosquitos are annoying. But do I really deserve better? I deserve nothing. It is all a gift, including the milk.

Part of fall-out from not writing is looking for other things to do with my hands. Well, why not learn to create a basket? I know I could buy one for a buck at the dollar store, but it’s not the same as playing with reeds and learning the rhythms of weaving. Maybe I’ll love making them. Or maybe this will be the only one! I will tell you that in doing these things, I have a much greater appreciation and respect for others that do them. Have you ever mocked or carelessly thrown away a handmade gift? If so, you threw away their time and love, something that is precious. It’s good to be careful with the souls of others, to show them gratitude, love, acceptance for their efforts. Even if you do not keep the gift.

I am pretty proud of myself (is that self-righteous?) for knitting my first pair of socks! Yes, the toe is wrong and I’ll have to take it out and redo it (someday I’ll thank my friend for that), but the idea of knitting a pair of socks is so wonderful to me! And they feel so good! I’ve already gone out and bought the next skein of yarn for pair number two. On another level, I spun my first ball of merino-silk yarn, and want to make a hat with that. I’m such a fiber and fabric crazy-woman. I also have a stash of lovely red fabric just waiting for my next quilt; a red and white something-or-other. And another dear friend is teaching me to read patterns and to sew. Such lovely people in my life.

I am homemaking and homeschooling six children besides these things. Sometimes I just can’t believe my life, I am so thankful. My children are with me, all day long. To some moms that may sound like a curse (for the mom), or perhaps a horrible situation (for the children). I just am sad for them (is that self-righteous?). Building relationship and character are so important. We have a nation full of independently minded whiners who expect to get all the entertainment and goodies they “deserve” just for breathing. I’d rather build a nation of inter-dependent families members who work hard and are grateful for anything they get, including the air they breathe. Staying at home, doing laundry, teaching my own children how to read….small pebbles for the future big ripples. God’s grace is abundant in gifting me this life.

So that is where my little speck-of-dust-in-the-sandy-beaches life has been lately. I can tell you that some days my little “happy home” wears me down and I am tired. That is when I am most at risk to cultivate a pity party and rehash the wrongs others have brought upon me or to pitch a fit about why things aren’t the way I want them. I don’t think anyone’s home is perfectly happy all the time. The question is not how happy is your home; it is….what is God teaching through this trial or that event or from the words of that person? What fruit is He seeking from you and from me in the midst of daily-ness? And, are we willing to lay down our lives to give Him His due: glory, worship, honor?

It is worth it. He is worthy. Pull out the thorns, Lord.

Blessings,

What’s in Your Pantry?

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What’s in the pantry matters! You do have control over the food you provide and prepare for your family. Learn to create a health-promoting, wholesome kitchen, learn to cook from scratch, and learn to take control of your families bodily AND financial health. It really matters!

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Supplies for a healthy pantry:
* glass gallon and half-gallon jars with lids
* 5 gallon buckets with zip lids
* a canner with jars and sealing lids

What to buy:
* the healthiest, most organic food you can afford
* what your family will eat!
* food in bulk; ask for case discounts, join co-ops, shop sales, etc.
* locally grown meat and produce, as much as possible

How to begin:
* Start with what you already like to cook, and slowly build your stock.
* Think of having mostly “ingredients” and less pre-mixed foods
* Ask for help! Lots of people know how to grind wheat, bake, make jam, can beans… Ask!

Keeping hubby happy:
* Have snack foods on hand! Trail mix and nuts ready to eat will keep him from helplessly staring at all those jars of dried beans and millet when you’re away (smile).

Blessings,

Yesterday

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As I write this, I have a lovely woman in my living room teaching my 8 and 12 year old daughters how to crochet. They are finishing up little purses so that on Monday we can all go to the basket supply store in the city to gather goodies to weave baskets. It just sounds like fun!

Speaking of fun, these two little girls baked a belated anniversary cake for my husband and I last week. They decorated with playmobiles all of the members of our family doing various (realistic!) tasks. And yes, the cake was delicious! They served it up with china, old photographs from our wedding, and romantic music. So sweet.

Yesterday a friend of mine came over and in exchange for feeding her half dozen children lunch, she finished painting the rails on my porch. I hope you can get the idea from this picture that this was no small task! And I also ought to mention she had her baby on her back most of the time, too. She’s always said that she loves to paint. Now I believe her.

In the meantime, my 10 month old maremma hung out on the porch trying to stay out of trouble. He is now learning to roam around the property, guarding his “flock” (his family and our livestock). Isn’t he adorable? And smart. He is one smart doggie. He is learning not to be so naughty with his mouth.

While my friend painted, another friend and I worked on our sewing. She had her children here, too. There were (1…2…) 17 children happily playing here! I finished up the dress for my 8 year old using a “jelly roll” of precut strips. Here is a place you can get the pattern.

Because my friend finished the paint job (finished! I couldn’t believe it!) before lunch, I had time to enjoy a goat-milk mocha that afternoon (yay! I can have mochas again!) and get caught up on my reading for the Principle Approach yahoo group. I am SO enjoying my reading; these books are treasures of old writings and current thoughts about American Christian education. Very, very thought-provoking, and very, very worth my time.

This was my view when I looked up from my reading: my 8 and 6 year old stripping lavender buds to store. The room smelled wonderful!

To finish off the day, last night I took my painter-friend’s children also for supper so she could go out on a date with her husband. We had fried chicken (doubled for a meal that I delivered for a family in need today), mashed potatoes and broccoli. And chocolate-walnut brownies. And raspberries. Mmmm….

The day was full of people and pleasures and projects and play. What a delight to be home. I wouldn’t want to trade my apron for a business suit. Ever. Truly.

Real Life Happens Outside of the Computer

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This is from our road trip; the scenery was beautiful!

Life’s been so full lately that I am hardly missing my online world! My computer time has been almost nonexistant, and my blogs unread and unfollowed. Other than tweeting with my friends and answering a few emails a day, it’s been pretty quiet (for me!). Add to that our typical schedule-less household for the summer and I have suppers prepared at 8:00 and children not going to bed until 10:00!

Showings on the house continue with very positive feedback, but even that traffic seems to be slowing a bit. I am not concerned; I know the Lord has gone ahead and is preparing for our next home so I will content myself to practice patience rather than run ahead of Him. Not that I don’t want to start packing, like today! There’s been a lot of talk in our family of “what if…..” so who knows where we’ll end up or what we’ll do. Well….GOD knows (smile).

We found a lovely new home for our two milk goats and supplies, and with the money I bought a discounted spinning wheel. Oh, it’s so relaxing to spin! I just love the feel of the wool through my fingers and to see it twist into yarn is so amazing. Sometimes I listen to my iPod, either to audio Bible or to Wretched Radio. I can see from the photo I need to work on my posture!

One thing that is helping my posture is running. I’m two months into training for a 5K in September, and although I am still slow (it takes me 3o minutes to run 2 miles…is that slow?), I am toning up and feeling good. A couple friends are doing this with me, and that makes it easier. Friends are good to have, are they not?

In the meantime, I took the entire herd of milking goats from a friend of mine who needed a break from their care as her 3 year-old son is undergoing cancer treatment. It is a big help to me as well, as I am learning to milk her goat and getting milk for our own family now. I love learning ways to provide wholesome food for my own family, right from my own yard. It’s very empowering to see all that wonderful frothy fresh milk every morning!

Speaking of the yard (or garden), we’re about finished picking peas, and have been eating salad and strawberries for a bit now. I don’t have a *lot* of any one crop, but I am looking forward to drying and powdering all the garlic I pulled! And I am very hopeful that I’ll have a good amount of honey to pull this early fall as the hive is going strong. I dream of having large amounts of produce to can, dry, freeze…someday, maybe. Tonight I traded three dozen eggs with a friend who brought me a large bag of produce from her garden. It’s so nice to help one another.

I have a gentleman coming soon to help me set up my loom, and I have designs to create cotton dishtowels with the instruction of an experienced lady. I cannot wait! I think working on a loom would be a wonderful thing for Ruby to do when she is ready, and it could possibly be a source of income for her as well.

I am reading a lot! Books on spinning, on yarn, on living out Christian principles and on theology. Books on various health topics, homeschooling and magazines of all sorts. I wonder if I’ll actually finish any of them this summer, as I pick from here and there instead of just finishing one. I just got snail mail from a dear friend in California, and need to write her back. And I’m picking at projects here and there, trying to finish them up before our next adventure.

Visitors are plentiful and often; it is a joy to share our home with others. It’s so neat to actually have visitors that take us up on the annual Christmas letter “if you’re ever this way…”

In between all of that, I am hoping to finish knitting my first pair of socks under the watchful eye of my friend. We have a field trip planned to a basket-supply store in the city with the basket-making momma of a friend; I am envisioning sitting on the porch and weaving a basket or two in the early fall. Maybe I’ll get around to watercoloring a picture and maybe I’ll actually sew that dress I wanted to do. A friend of mine comes over once a week to help me learn to read sewing patterns and to do things correctly on the machine. Like I said, it’s a little of this and a little of that. It sounds like a lot, but it’s really nothing heavy. And have you noticed how many other people are involved in these projects?! There are so many people around that know how to do stuff. Most folks are thrilled to pass on their skills and knowledge!

I need to finish painting the rails on our porch(es) before summer goes away. And at some point I’m going to have to reorganize my homeschool and schedule for the fall as well. All this to say…I think living real life is so much better than living in a computer world. I’d encourage you to go outside and grow and cut some flowers, sign up for that cake decorating class you’ve been wanting to do, and spend a few hours in the kitchen making sticky jam with your toddlers. Summer is short; fill it with real life!

Blessings,

Lavender Dreams

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Lavender. Oh how I love lavender! I love the way it looks, the way it waves in the breeze, their easy care. I like to make beauty products with it and hang them to dry. I have about a dozen lavender plants here and there around the house, but there are around 200 varieties of lavender. Here is some information about lavender from one of my favorite farms.

Yesterday, I picked a nice basket of them from the front yard, always right below the first set of leaves.

I suppose I ought to mention how much I like the smell of lavender. Mmmm…. Notice that this lavender is picked before the flowers open.

This is what I find beautiful: rows and rows of lavender, swaying in the breeze like the ocean swells. And the scent of it all brushing together is so lovely. We spent the day at a lavender festival, and I could almost just close my eyes and imagine this scene growing outside my own home. Maybe someday…

In the meantime, I was thankful for the relaxing day! And now I must go have a lavender shortbread cookie right from the oven before packing them up for our church potluck tomorrow. I am so grateful for little pieces of heaven like this!

Blessings,

Homemade Seasonings 2010

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It’s harvest time, for whatever there is to actually harvest this year. We’re enjoying salad from the garden, at least. One of the things I enjoy doing is drying the seasonings I want to use in the kitchen throughout the year, but it is a little bittersweet. Is it too much to ask that someone will buy my home and LOVE the herb garden I planted and tended? Perhaps. But I ask anyway. Here is how I dried my Greek oregano:

I trimmed my oregano plant as it was flowering. I didn’t want the flowers to go to seed, because I didn’t want it to spread anymore. It’s best to trim herbs and flowers at the beginning of the day rather than in a full hot sun (ha ha…like we have that!).

I stripped the leaves off the stalks. If you try this and it doesn’t strip easily, flip it around. There is definitely an easier way to do it.

I ended up with two large bowls of oregano leaves. And hands that smelled like oregano.

Some folks wash their herbal leaves and some don’t. I do. I spin it a bit at a time in the salad spinner. Then I put the leaves onto dehydrator trays and dried them at 125 degrees for about 12 hours or so. The leaves were crispy, not bendy.

I put the leaves into a big bowl and just crumbled it all more with my hands. It made a decent amount, and now it’s all ready for spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning, meatloaf….

I also pulled the garlic I planted last fall. The bulbs were beautiful! Last fall I decided to plant just hardneck garlic for drying to powder, rather than any softnecks for storage. I just didn’t have the room to do both, and I use the powder for just about every garlic need I have anyway. Did you know that the powdered garlic from the store is mostly from China? Yikes! Besides, making it fresh is amazingly better!

I’m contemplating planting garlic this fall. Would the new owner know what those stalks coming from the ground are and what to do with them? Then again, with this market, it could be me pulling up garlic this time next year. Hmm..

In any case, I was very, very pleased. I set them in a shady spot in the barn to cure, which will take about a month or so. Then I will powder them.

May your garden be fruitful!

Dr. Mom: Loving Health Care for Families

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Even in doing all the preventative measures talked about in Part One, moms still need to have a plan in treating illness when it occurs. It is our responsibility to watch over and encourage vibrant health in our families. Here are some thoughts in treating illness when it happens.

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  • Stay home. The world will wait. The body cannot heal and recover well when the ill person is off running around. Give your mind a rest as well.
  • Use home remedies. This is a book I like to use, but there are certainly others:
  • Use herbs. They are God’s pharmacy! Beware of “green” witchery, as ALL witchery is an abomination with the Lord. Psalms 104:14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth… Here is an excellent site that I trust for information regarding herbs. They also carry a number of very helpful books.
  • Heal the digestive tract. Use plenty of rice, fruit and vegetables. Use probiotics. Learn to make homemade chicken broth and keep some on hand in the freezer or canned. Here’s how I make chicken broth:
Put one whole, organic chicken in a large pot.
Add roughly cut carrots, celery, and onions.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least a couple hours.
Strain out vegetables and save meat for a meal.
Add salt to taste to broth, cool, and preserve.
  • Increase circulation through baths, using sea salts and essential oils. Do wet sock treatments.
  • Use chiropractic care. Here is the article written by my husband on ear infections, and here is the one written about Licking Doorknobs (you KNOW that sounds sick!).
  • Offer plenty of liquids: water, herbal teas, electrolite drinks (such as Recharge), mild juices. No dairy, soda pop, or orange juice.
  • Keep up on the supplements! I happily get mine from here, but there a lot of good, quality companies out there.
  • Seek a doctor that respects YOU and comes alongside in treatment as a team member. Know when to take a family member to the doctor, and then do so.

If you’re looking for a good starting point, I’d recommend this book:

May the Lord bless your efforts to keep you and your family well!

On Marriage

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Within a span of two days, I’ve been told that two women I know have picked up and left their homes and husbands for other men (who also left their wives), moving out of both state and mind. One was an acquaintance whom I considered a happy, enthusiastic, Christ-loving woman; she had also shared her testimony to a small gathering I was a part of. The other was a beautiful woman who I spent years laughing with and witnessing to. Both are gone.

It’s hard to know how to feel. Surprise. Anger. Sadness. Part of me understands, the part of me that gets prideful enough to feel I deserve better than I’m getting, the part of me that downsizes the overwhelming grace I’ve received from the Lord and upsizes the sin in my heart. No marriage is perfect, and I suppose that is the point.

That longing for love, acceptance, gentleness, protection? It is legitimate, I think, having a heart created by God to seek and to know Him. Our husbands sometimes fail in their husband-ing, but are we so blinded that we cannot see how we fail as wives as well?

It seems foolishness to expect two sinners to stay the course, to stay married. But God loves to take what seems foolish and turn it into something beautiful to behold, whether we see that in this life or the next. As Christian women, we have everything we need, including LOVE, from our heavenly Father. We have His Word to read and to feed our souls. We have His Holy Spirit to cheer our hearts and to guide us. He knows our almost covetous longings and our shortcomings, and yet He still meets us and gives us grace upon grace. Is His arm too short to bless us as we stay in our marriages, trusting Him to do His work in it?

I wasn’t there to see the fights or how awful things got in these homes. I don’t know if there was any abuse or infidelity on the husband’s part. All I see is the fall out. One of the husbands was encouraged by the church to leave. The other lost his house, saw his business plummet, and then died within the year in a horrific car accident. Both households have grown children who will never be the same.

It is sobering. Walk wisely, wives, examining yourselves in truth and forsaking those little stirrings of things that could be so much better “if”. Repent of your own sins, taking them to God, before they give birth to action, and above all, recognize that, like you, your husband is just trying to find his own way in his marriage. Love and grace cover a multitude of sins, and starting in our own homes is the place to begin.

May the Lord bless you,

Summer Goals and the Art of Learning

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Every summer when the children pack up their schoolwork for a short while my mind goes into overdrive planning all of the things I myself can be learning in the time I usually spend teaching them. Suddenly I have hours of blocks of time that I can devote to research and reading and gardening and whatever else I’d like. So I came up with a *wish list* of things I want to do and learn, knowing that at best I’d only be able to dabble in a bit of each if I didn’t want to wholeheartedly focus on only one or two. Here are my thoughts about what I’d like to do:

  • spinning: no, not the exercise kind. The kind where I take a big pile of wool and turn it into yarn. And then I take the yarn and turn it into whatever I like. A kind woman at the old milling town nearby is teaching me what she knows at her shop (for free!). I just love the quietness of spinning and the wonder of turning a big soft pile of wool into a beautiful bobbin-full of yarn. I’m such a newbie I don’t even know the right technical words! I bought this book to help me learn:

  • weaving: did you read about the amazing gift I received? I have calls into two different people to help me set it up properly and get it going. I just may use all that spun yarn to create lap blankets. I also want to play with cotton and make kitchen towels. Oh, this is going to be fun! I am reading more about weaving from here:

  • yarn learning: because I’m fairly new at the all of this, I picked up this book all about yarn to read. I am really enjoying it a lot!

  • watercolors: I’ve always liked the look of watercolors, and I thought I’d take the children and myself outside for some art time. I am reading through and planning to play with the exercises out of this book:

  • basketry: I have plans to make it into the city this summer to visit a basketry supplier, and I know a couple of people who know the basics (yoo hooooo…). I have lots of baskets around my home and know I would enjoy sitting on the porch and trying to craft one of my own. Here is a book I like on the subject:

  • In the kitchen, I am going to be very busy making lots of jams and jellies for the year, plus dehydrating seasonings. For the “new” thing I want to learn, I am going to try my hand at making crackers, because we go through them like crazy!
  • I have lots of writing to do. This is a challenge for me as my husband and I share a computer that goes to work with him. Someday I may (or not) have my own, but in the meantime I just content myself with picking at projects here and there. I am working on putting my last blog into a book format, and also am putting together From My Kitchen Table 2 (see here for the first one). At some point I’ll put ISBN numbers on them and sell them through Amazon, etc. I also have a paper to write to finish up my masters degree in Holistic Nutrition, and will be writing about treating dental caries through nutrition. Doesn’t that sound interesting?
  • I’ve given up whining about not feeling at top notch and promised myself, for my 40th birthday year, to do all I can to be healthy. The first thing I did was a detox, and then I made appointments with the dentist and the naturpath. I got my hormone levels checked and have plans to check the heavy metals in my system as well. A friend spurred me onto running my first 5K this September for the good of fighting the slave trafficking problem (did you know that slavery is worse TODAY than it has EVER been?!). So, I am currently running on the Couch to 5K program and loving it; I’m starting week 5 tomorrow!

Other things continue: Bible study and memory, book reading, gardening, etc. Is there anything you are wanting to learn? It’s never too late!

Blessings,

Dr. Mom: Preventative Health Care for Families

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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Keeping our families as healthy as we can is ourresponsibility. The Lord has blessed us with amazing provisions to use in supporting our body’s attempts to stay healthy. (We have access to clean water in this country, for starters…) Here are some thoughts regarding how to keep your family well, using the methods I’ve used for at least a dozen years.

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* sleep. Get plenty of rest! I know it’s difficult to be a mom with a newborn or a special needs child who is up at all hours of the night. Steal those naps as needed, and make sure your babies of all ages are getting plenty of down time, too. Give thought to the bedding as well. A third of your life is spent sleeping; make your mattress, pillows, and bedding as natural as possible to avoid breathing in chemical fumes that are toxic. As an aside, this very day I spoke to a mother who was able to get her son’s asthma under control by replacing his pillow and by using a nonallergenic mattress cover.

* food. Can you imagine growing, harvesting, hunting or fishing it? Eat as cleanly as possible. Cook from scratch using organic, home or locally grown produce and meat. Avoid GMO’s and preservatives, MSG and other toxic chemicals that literally damages your health. Our family motto: “It’s cheaper than cancer.” Do your research and be wise about food your family eats.

* water. Drink more of it, and make sure it’s as pure as possible. Invest in a quality water filter if needed. Avoid plastic water bottles! Forget the soda pop; it sucks the calcium from your bones and is full of empty calories and chemical-sugary goop.

* play outside. It’s good for the kids gross motor skills, their eyes, and their lungs. And yours, too.

* mind your mind. Would the book you’re reading or the TV show your kids are watching pass this test?
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

* warmth. Keep a watch on how well dressed the children are. Socks, hats, sweaters, etc. Stay away from synthetic or polyester fibers that don’t breathe and allow persperation to evaporate, especially in sleepware.

* house cleaning. Yes, dust! And mop, and clean the toilets and vacuum… And do clean out your home vents if you have them on a regular basis. If your house is old, test for mold.

* fresh air. Let the clean breeze in through the windows as much as you can to push out the stagnant unhealthy air.

* sunshine. Morning sun is best, but if you’re lacking in sunshine (like we have been), consider supplementing with extra vitamin D.

*preventative medical care. Choose your health care practioners to be on your health-building team. Our family uses chiropractic, dentistry and naturpathic doctors in our preventative schedule. We’ve interviewed and visited with a medical doctor also, in case someone breaks an arm. Some of my husband’s websites are AnchorChiropractic.net (lots of articles and resources there!) and SpinalColumnRadio.com (for my podcasting friends). Make sure your doctors respect YOU and the choices you and your husband have made for your family’s health needs. If anyone’s treating you like a dummy, it’s time to find someone else.

* limit exposure to toxins. Filter the chlorine from the tap water, for starters. Here is just one article on the effects of bathing in chlorinated water. Pay attention to the cleaning products in your home, especially if your children are expected to use them.

* supplements. We like to use products from Beeyoutiful, but there are certainly many, many good quality companies around. My children regularly get a multivitamin, cod liver oil, and extra vitamin C.

* preparations. Do your homework and be prepared for the next fever or vomiting attack! Have a plan and get your supplies in order so that you will be more confident about treating your family when they are ill.

* love. If you do all these things, and have not love, then true health is even further away.

God bless you as you labor to keep your family in full health!

 

Ruby’s Birth Story

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Ruby turned two last month! What a complete joy she is, still.

As I watch my other children grow and develop so quickly, I am blessed with this wee one who is on her own time, slow motion aging. She is just now on her hands and knees to crawl, and isn’t making words yet, but her loving demeanor and ready smile is a blessing to us all. Sometimes I just look at her and wonder why I would have ever worried about having a child with Down Syndrome. Someday she will meet the Lord face to face and be healed and whole, but in the meantime I am glad she is a part of our family.

Because we are homeschooling and discipling our children ourselves, Ruby stays where she is loved: home. We work with a neurodevelopmentalist to create a program that fits Ruby, and her parents and five siblings are her physical therapists, speech teachers and nutritionists. So far she is thriving and I have no reason to believe that she won’t reach her greatest potential under our loving roof.

Unlike adopting a special needs child or having an ultrasound in hand ahead of time, Ruby was a surprise to us at birth. Her birth itself was adventurous! My midwife abandoned me the morning I went into labor (via email, no less), *feeling* like I didn’t like her (what?!). I was left with driving around town that morning, in labor, to get an ultrasound first of all; there was a question of this baby being breech and now was the time to know for sure. I had trusted this midwife to birth a possible breech and had full confidence I could do so under her experienced hands. But like so many people these days, she trusted her (very wrong) feelings instead of what was true.

I didn’t know of any midwives I could just call on while in labor (“umm…I know you don’t know me…but could you help me deliver my baby, like within the next 12 hours or so?”) so I ended up at the hospital (where else was I supposed to go?). I still remember how cold the doctors were, standing there in their blue suits with their arms crossed asking how come I didn’t have any prenatal care done and listing all the labs I would need because my midwife was dragging her heels to send those labs in. I was protesting in between contractions and was frankly very frightened! The nurse attending me was cold as well, pushing paperwork for me to sign in between the shooting pains without so much as a comforting hand.

So, the baby was declared breech and, because they don’t *do* breech births, I was told I would be having a c-section. In the morning. After their other patients who had appointed surgeries were finished. I was in dismay! They were telling me I had to continue in labor all through the night and then not be able to birth my own baby in the end anyway. I felt nauseated and made my way to the bathroom.

“Oh God!” I remember crying. “Save me from this torment!” And then the blood gushed, and suddenly I was given priority. Oh, how I love Jesus.

I watched the clock tick for the “one hour” rule post surgery, And then I watched it tick longer. And longer. After more than two hours, I finally got a call from the nursery. It was my husband. He told me, “…they think she has Down Syndrome….”

“I don’t care!!!” I wailed. “I want my baby!!!”

The Lord provided me shelter in the hospital as a boarder at a time when other moms with their babies in the nursery were being told to leave to make room for delivering mothers. He also spared Ruby from a heart defect, which she had a 50% chance of having. While we were in the hospital those ten days waiting and hoping for her to maintain her own air intake, a friend arrived to deliver her baby. And then that very same night we mourned the loss of our other friend’s toddler, having died in a horrible accident that very day.

I waited two months for Ruby’s first smile. In the meantime, I read lots of books and literature about Down Syndrome. I consoled family members, which was difficult as I felt I, myself, needed none. I was satisfied and happy with my baby, and horrified that more than 90% of mothers with a Down Syndrome diagnosis in utero would abort this precious gift of God.

I am enjoying every moment with Ruby. I feel entrusted with a special jewel, straight from the Lord. I am certain she will live at home with us as an adult, and I am dreaming of what we could do together, she and I: maybe quilting or gardening or weaving or some sort of ministry. I am thankful she has a wonderful daddy and five fabulous siblings who love her so much, as well.

Some people may believe that the circumstances surrounding her birth were ordained by God to save her life. To me that sounds too much like the “end justifying the means”. I believe that what happened was plain cruelty; what midwife abandons a woman (in labor, no less!) who has entrusted her to deliver her baby?! I believe that what was meant for evil, God meant for the good of Ruby being born where she would have the best care, that He turned these things for our good because He loves us.

So Ruby is two. I do praise the Lord for this very special child and for all the ways that He will use her to grow me up and to teach me that He alone is trustworthy and neverfailing. It is a joy to be His.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

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It may not look like summer outside. We may keep on eating warm lentil soups and crockpot casseroles. Sweaters are still within reach. But……I am still going to make PIES. That is one of my *summery* things, and I’m stickin’ to it. We harvested some rhubarb from the garden but the strawberries are sad little things (pining for sun, I’m sure), so they came from the market. This recipe is easy.

In a bowl, mix up 1 cup of sugar (I used coconut sugar), 1/4 cup organic flour (non GMO), and 1/8 tsp each sea salt, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Add 3 cups each of hulled and halved organic strawberries and sliced rhubarb pieces. Let this mixture sit for about 15 minutes, stirring on occasion.

While you’re letting that sit, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and make dough for one 9″ single pie crust. My favorite crust mix is this: 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp sea salt, and 1/3 cup organic vegetable shortening into a food processor. As it mixes, dribble in 4 to 5 TB of ice water, and let it mix just until it forms a ball. Roll out onto floured surface and cut strips.

Put the strawberry rhubarb mixture into a deep pie dish, and top with 2 TB pieces of unsalted organic butter. Lay on the strips of dough, forming a lattice. Brush the lattice top with fresh cream and sprinkle on a touch of white (gasp!) sugar.

Bake until the pastry is golden brown, anywhere from 30-45 minutes. Let cool completely within sight and smell of your children and watch them down their vegetables to get their dessert. This is a “scoopable” pie, it isn’t firm. So use a bowl, scoop away, and top with ice cream not made with funky ingredients. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Sweety Pies.

Around the Yard

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Well, I can’t have you all over for tea and scones, so I’ll just take you on a tour around the yard. This is more of what’s going on in my (outside) world:

The hens want out. They want out, badly. I almost feel cruel just walking by, leaving their door shut. But I like the tender seedlings growing in my garden, so they can just scratch at the bit of earth they have and choose to be happy. And lay us some more eggs.

Here is my puppy. He’s 10 months old and larger than my yellow lab. He is a maremma and very ACTIVE!

Peaches are actually growing! This is their second year; the tree is shorter than I am, but its branches have about a dozen peaches. I can’t wait to pick a ripe one! Assuming of course the sun will come out and do its thing…

Love these roses against the striped grass. So pretty.

I bought these pink hydrangeas from a wonderful nursery that was bought out (forced out) by a big company. A lot of us were pretty stinkin’ mad at the whole deal.

The tomatoes are growing well in the greenhouse. My honeybees usually make it inside to pollinate, but they’ve been content to stay out of the wet weather. We’ll see how much fruit sets…

I planted valerian from seed. Do they like to spread! But I think they smell nice and look lovely.

Blackberries are coming on like crazy. No one around here plants them. We just pick them and then yank them out from the middle of our yards and gardens on a regular basis.

These are another of naturally growing flowers in our area: foxgloves. They’re toxic, but check out the amazing landing pad they have for bees! It looks like an airport’s landing strip!

I planted these calendula from seed. What a wonderful herb to treat wounds with; they are almost always in my boo-boo salves.

The lilies were shared by a sweet friend of mine. Spliting garden treasures is a wonderful thing to do!

Batchelor’s buttons for floral bouquets in a pretty blue…

…and borage blooming. I love picking the borage blossoms, freezing them in water in ice cube trays, and putting them into summer drinks. Pretty and gives a quite tasty flavor, too!

It looks like we’ll have plenty of green peas to pick.

Yarrow grows in the “weeds”. Some of the best herbs are (ahem) “weeds”. Fever-killers, these are.

Grape colored poppies! This is the third year I tried planting them and here they finally are! I just love them.

And we redid our raspberry beds. Again. I hope the next owner enjoys these berries.

That’s lavender on the left. I don’t think I could ever grow too much lavender. I have dreams of planting fields of lavender.

And there’s our puppy saying “bye bye”. Goooooood puppy, mwah!

Blessings,

Summer Schmummer

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I think I spoke too soon that summer had arrived, for after two days of sunshine we returned to our regularly scheduled programming of overcast gray and rain. The locals are in great lament over the lack of umph in the vegetable garden, but we have slowed down our schooling a bit to make time for other projects.

Like cards. I like making these. So I had a baby card, a birthday card, a thank you card, and a thinking-of-you card made. Unfortunately, time got away from me that day and when I looked at the clock it was 6:00 suppertime! Ack! Thankfully, there was plenty of leftovers for very quick burrito making!

I decided to treat my 6yo to a new skirt and placed it on her bedside as a surprise the next morning. I told her, “you were just soooo pleasant yesterday I just had to give you a treat!” She was pretty happy….and very pleasant the next day, too.

And even though it’s pseudo-summer, I’m still game on allowing the children to run around barefoot. Seriously, aren’t toddler toes the most adorable little things around?

Well, my 8yo didn’t think so. This girl is always creating something, so she decided to stop waiting on Mom to buy flipflops and took matters into her own hands.

Not only did I give in, but I bought an extra four or five pairs. They were only $2 a pair!

Part of me just wants to finish up all of the *works in progress* I have stashed away. I suppose it’s because our house is for sale, and I just want to finish all the things in my “in box” before starting over somewhere else. It just feels more tidy, y’know?

I love the mini-buttons here. I didn’t know what to do with them, but found a sampler I had done a while ago. Also check out the embroidery: it’s done with hand dyed floss and has a natural variation in the color. It’s just yummy. I’m looking forward to adding more colors in the future.

Here’s the still-in-progress-what-to-do-with-it piece. I may make a pillow. Or a wall hanging with a vintage-looking frame. I dunno. But I better decide before my house sells!

I’m really enjoying the flowers in my garden this year; the lack of sunshine hasn’t dampened their voila. I don’t know if I’ll get to enjoy them next spring/summer, so I’m just making a special effort to stop and take them in. And smell those roses while I’m at it.

Blessings,

God’s Hands Overflow

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I don’t know why the Lord blesses me so. All I can think is that it must give Him pleasure to do so, and to show His goodness for a weak woman such as I. There is no way I can bring forth such amazing provision for myself, and I am truly humbled. For example, not two months ago, a woman from our church said she had something for me. I brightened and said, “What? A hug? A prayer? A blessing?!” She laughed and said, “Well…yes! AND…I’ve decided to give you my serger because I am not using it and thought you might.” A serger!! It is one of those machines that I hoped to own someday, but could never have enough extra money to purchase. So I am thankful. And she got her hug!

A couple of weeks ago I found myself in an amazing fiber shop. Well, I ought to call it a shoppe because of the historical little town it is in. I just stood agape at all of the beautiful woolen yarns and spinning wheels and I think touched just about everything in her store. And then I saw the store owner’s loom, and we made conversation. About my yiayia who lived in a village in Greece and made blankets for all of her grandchildren. About how I tried to track the loom down but no one was much interested in doing that. And so on.

So, the store owner put her hand on her chin and thoughtfully looked at me and said, “You know…I have a loom at home I’ve been hoping to give to a good home….”

Give? Give? GIVE?!!!!!

I did not answer right away as I was in shock, but actually left the store. And then returned within the hour to say, very sheepishly and quietly, “yes.” And so here it is! In my home and waiting for me to gain instruction. To say that I am awed by it would be an understatement.

It is a countermarche loom, and from what I’ve been reading, that means that tying it up is not too easy, but that the weaving itself is. I’m thankful that it is warped and ready! It has historical value. It was built by a Russian immigrant for his daughter (granddaughter?), who apparently gained commendations for her weaving well into her old age. The loom needed to go somewhere where it would be loved. And do I ever!

The wood is beautiful. The parts are amazing. The size is incredible. And there is just a little bit of weaving from the original Russian owner left on it; it feels like a blessing, a handing down. I don’t think I’ll ever throw away this little weave.

My 8 and 12 year old daughters are just as excited. Maybe these things are not really for me. Maybe these things are really for my four daughters (the 6 and 2 year olds coming up from behind). I do not know. All I know is that I am grateful to God, and awed by his gifts. I hope to do right by them, and to glorify Him in it all.

Blessings,

A Day at the Civil War

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We love going to the Civil War Reenactment every year. North and South have set up camps, and they are open to wandering through and visiting with the folks who are in full dress using authentic tools and materials.

There are families that travel through and participate in the Reenactment on a regular basis. I think every year we get a bit starry-eyed and start plotting how to get ourselves onto their wagon. Someday…

The battle scenes are chilling. For one, the cannons are real and they are LOUD. For another, watching soldiers fall by the wayside is sobering; each one represents a brother, father, son. One of the shocking things I’ve learned is that people would take up picnics to watch these battles from a safe distance. I can’t imagine a more horrific way to spend a day!

I believe most of the men that fought were very young, teenagers even. It is hard to imagine when I drive past skateparks those very same young men donning weapons to fight for a cause bigger than themselves. I pray I never see that happen.

I love teaching our children real history. I love inspiring them to love their country and to appreciate the sacrifices that have been made on their behalf. My 12 year old daughter made her own dress for the event this year and really enjoyed that, too.

Redeeming the time,

Summer Shows Up

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I feel for you all back east. I really do. I lived back east for a while and the heat and humidity were challenging and I spent my days going from an air conditioned house to an air conditioned car to an air conditioned work…it was h-o-t.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, however, we’ve been dealing with rain. And more rain. And more rain. And if the rain stopped within the last six weeks at all, it was overcast. The only reason I knew it was daylight was because the sky was a lighter shade of gray. But two days ago the sun came out! And I think every person here is soaking it in! Never mind the mosquitos, never mind the light sunburns, we are OUTSIDE.

This is why we put up with rainy dark winters: warm sunny summers with sea salty air to breath and gardens to enjoy. It’s also why the tourist season is so busy this time of year. I’m just so thankful to the Lord for allowing the sunshine to come forth! Happy summer!

The Value of Tenacity

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TENAC’ITY, n. [L. tenacitas, from teneo, to hold.]

Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Nehemiah brought it on himself, I think. After all, when the surrounding citizens sought to join him in rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem, he told them not only “no”, but “ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem” (Neh 2:20), even though these folks claimed to follow God as well. His drawing the line stimulated them to wrath, indignation and mocking. Conspiracies abounded to not only fight against Jerusalem, but to hinder the work of the wall.

How much easier it would have been to just offer friendship and bread to these people. Give a little, take a little. What’s a little idol here and there? As long as you’re perceived as amiable enough, won’t that be an opening to relationship and to teaching about the true God?

We could learn a lot from Nehemiah. In the face of opposition, he set his face toward God, and planted his feet firmly. In the midst of the results of this stand, he did not despair or blame God. He did not sway like the wind. Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them (Neh 4:9).

Jesus Himself is the fullness of tenacity. How many times has he spoken thus to me?

  • Matthew 26:40 …What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
  • Matthew 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?…
  • Matthew 14:31 …O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
  • Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel…
  • Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

If you are a Christian, do you not marvel the hold of Jesus in your own life? And what sin we fall into! What sloughs of despond! What worry and concern about what our friends or enemies will think! What bitterness and envy and shallowness and self-centered pity-parties! If it isn’t the surrounding culture attacking and hindering us, it is we, ourselves!

And yet the Lord does not let go, He does not put us aside, nor turn to the left or right of the Father’s will. Rather, He draws us near with lovingkindness and compassion. He always is about the Father’s work. Ought we not to do the same?

John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

Many mothers have “ought”s that are lying in rubble. I ought to smile more. I ought to keep my home clean. I ought to stay home with my children. I ought to respect my husband. I ought to prepare healthy meals. I ought to homeschool. I ought to lose some weight. I ought to spend less money. I ought to encourage my friends more. I ought…

What is needed more often is NOT more of culture or even self-examination, as the mirrors have been in plenty and we are well aware of the stones and blemishes. What is needed is the attitude of Nehemiah, one of tenacity and perseverance, one of “nevertheless”. We will never get to the point of dedicating our finished work to the Lord if we give up the fight of putting up those walls.

Are you trying to exercise more? Fight for the time and the space to do it. Are you faltering in respecting your husband? Fight for the wisdom of God in learning how to do that more. Are you losing your children’s hearts? Fight for a heart of prayer and for tenacity in proper discipling.

The answer to hindrances is not to just sit amongst the rocks, cutting stones into our flesh crying out “woe is me”. The answer is to act on the promises of God to lead and to guide you in the building of your marriage and motherhood and home, and to just get up and do it. Forget the mocking, laugh at the impediments, smile at the future to come and pray hard. And remember that it is never by your own works anyway, but by God’s grace.

Psalms 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

These days, a joyful mother fixed on her God and her home are an oddity. I imagine it is somewhat like trying to build a city in the middle of a culture of rock throwing. But go ahead, build it. Ask for godly help, obtain the tools, and most of all, rely on God to persevere through it all. Be tenacious. Run the race. You can do it. He is able.

Blessings,

Detox

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I had the most delicious lunch. It was a baked potato with olive oil, salt & pepper, cut tomato, and a salad with raw red onion and sauteed garlic scapes with oyster mushrooms. The dressing was divine. Here is the recipe for the dressing blend, adapted from 7-Day Detox Miracle:

  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 TB garlic powder (this was strong, but I happen to love garlic)
  • 1 TB miso
  • a large handful of fresh basil

I didn’t even bother thinning it out with water. I just mixed it into the big bowl of salad.

It is day four of a detox for me. I’ve been nursing or pregnant for over a decade and never felt comfortable with doing this before. But now that my fertility is slowing down (that is, I’m neither pregnant nor nursing), I thought it good to take advantage of the time to clean out.

I am using the book linked above as a guide, but from the beginning I gave myself permission to do, or not, whatever I could do. I gathered my herbs and supplements, which are:

The first day was a fast day, except for supplements and lots (and lots) of lemon water. I was surprised that I felt rather good all day. I guess I had enough in my gut to keep my digestive system going. Other than habit (“I usually eat something about now….”), and a short hunger pain around 11:00am (which I satisfied with lots of lemon water), the day went by. One thing that did happen was that around noonish I began feeling phlegm sliding down the back of my throat, and I swallowed that all day long. It felt disgusting, but I also felt like my lymph nodes were cleaning house, so I just kept going. I was feeling rather tired by 7:30 that night, and after a wet sock treatment (I put on warm wet socks) I was asleep by 8:30.

Second day I was up at 3am with the dogs barking, and never went back to sleep. I spent time praying, read my Bible, wrote letters, and got my day started. About 10am I started to feel a bit woozy, and remembering that I need to be a mom for my children and not a zombie, I prepared a 10oz smoothie: a young coconut with its water, a banana, rice protein powder and a handful of beet greens. I was able to fast the rest of the day without any trouble, and got an hour nap. My head began to feel a little funny that night; not a headache, exactly. I couldn’t tell if it was because I was detoxing or if I was just tired. I did the wet sock treatment again and went to bed at 10:40pm.

Third day (yesterday), I began to eat meals again, although I have to admit I probably could have fasted another day. I was feeling really good. The first couple of days my hands were feeling rather cold, but day three found them normal temperature. I also noticed that my hands were SO soft, very supple and smooth. My skin everywhere was (and is) soft. Even my husband is amazed. For breakfast I had a smoothie of a young coconut with its water, blueberries, mango, banana, and powdered greens. I had an artichoke with lemon flax oil. Lunch was what you see at the top of this blog, and supper was falafel, brown rice, and a veggie soup with bean threads.
I had so much energy yesterday that I stayed up way too late, close to midnight.

I have four more days of rice, fruit and vegetables (with supplements), and then I’ll start adding other foods such as egg, dairy, and meat slowly. I’m looking forward to testing myself with these foods to see if I have sensitivities or real allergies.

This is long enough, but I have more to share about the idea of detox. In the meantime, have a blessed day!

You’re Never Too Old–or Young–To Learn!

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Well, if I can’t be outside gardening in the rain, I may as well be inside sewing. Or knitting. Or crocheting.

This is the first thing I’ve ever crocheted, and even though it was tedious at times (row after row after row…), I know I am going to enjoy it. I used oh-so-soft alpaca yarn and found the idea and pattern from here.

I also decided it was time for me to get serious about seriously learning how to sew with a sewing machine. A friend of mine comes over regularly to help me read the pattern and then translate it into something I can understand (God bless her!). So I finished up the first dress I’ve ever done! It was a birthday present for Ruby, who just turned two. It matches the bloomers I made a while ago.

I am almost finished knitting my first pair of socks. It is so much fun to finally get to a place where I have more time and space to do these sorts of things. And speaking of learning new things, a friend from church has agreed to come once a week to teach my 8yo and 12yo how to use a sewing machine. One of my prayers is that my daughters would excel their mother (that would be me) in all things, and although I don’t know how their lives will play out, at least their sewing (for one) is off to a good start. And yes, my 8yo sewed this dress herself! See how happy she is!

My 12yo is finishing up a Civil War reproduction dress to wear to the Reenactment this weekend. It is so beautiful and I will definitely share with you all soon.

I will say that none of these things are done overnight. The key for me is to just keep picking at it, a little here and a little there. The tortoise wins the race, and keeps her family sane 🙂

Blessings,

In the Garden: Early Summer

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Spring has been very wet here, more so than usual. I think the entire month of May was made up mostly of rain, and the sun was everywhere-but-here. I don’t mind the rain most times, but it became more and more difficult not to gripe about it. And really, I have nothing to gripe about: my seedlings were all watered without my help and I was able to work on sewing and handwork projects (which I’ll share later). Something in my heart rings about being thankful in all circumstances.

Want a little tour?

The garlic scapes (the curly flowering coming up in the middle of the stalk) have now been cut and I am enjoying them chopped and fried. I am down to my last half dozen or so garlic heads from last year so I am really, really happy to see these coming due. I have even more growing in another raised bed.

The cherries are ripening.

Oh, is there anything better than salad from your own garden?!

This isn’t a food, but I just love the flowers on this Japanese Snowball tree.

Now, this IS food. Yum. Too bad the strawberry crops up here have suffered so due to the wet.

I enjoy growing and drying my own herbs for seasonings. Here are different varieties of sage.

I like the look of lavender growing together with chamomile.

The peas are coming!

What’s a garden without a birdhouse?

Lemon balm. For summer tea. And drying, of course.

Roses are blooming (miraculous up here in the Pacific Northwest!). They smell so nice.

I love the look of hydrangeas together with creeping jenny. The color just pops.

Calendula is back. Calendula is a wonderful herb for healing.

And here is the guardian of the gardens. We’ve just begun letting her outside. Don’t all cats need a garden to bask in when the sun shines?

I hope you’re enjoying God’s creation in your own gardens as well.
Blessings,

Finding a Framework for Your Day

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“Where do you get the time?” In this podcast, I share how I organize my time so that I have the time to knit, sew, quilt, write, and do a host of other things that I enjoy doing. If you want to find the time, laying a foundation in ordering your day is key.

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The 3 A’s of organizing your day:

Attitude Decide how you’re going to approach being a wife and homemaker: as drugery or a gift. And learn to smile!

It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home.
Anonymous

the A List What are your priorities? How to find out what your priorities should be:

  1. Ask God. And read His answer in His Word.
  2. Ask your husband.
  3. Take thought of your children’s needs.
  4. Focus on your home; cultivate a vision.

There is nothing like staying home for real comfort.
Jane Austen

Arrangement Some simple ideas of how to organize your time:

  1. Pray and schedule your week, tagging each day with its own “big idea”…errand day, desk day, maintenance clean day, deep clean/project day(s), family day(s)
  2. Pray and schedule your day. God will always give you enough time to do everything He desires you to do. Meals, naps, playtime, schoolwork, chores, etc.

Additional Tips:

  • Use creativity to fit your routines to your needs and family.
  • Do think about what your children are to be doing at different points of the day.
  • Make sure you have time with your husband.
  • Make time to care for yourself, spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally…
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Some recommended resources that have helped me:

Flylady.com If you’re new to the whole idea of dividing your week into task-oriented days, check out this wonderful website to gain control over your homekeeping.

Titus2.com I have been creating and using a schedule for our household for many, many years. I have NEVER been able to keep it *perfectly*. But, that being said, I love Teri Maxwell’s emphasis on seeking the Lord, and I have been tenacious about setting and using routines in my home. It’s not about being enslaved to a schedule; it’s about finding liberty and time to do all that the Lord would be pleased for me to do.

Don’t give up!! You have one of the most important tasks in the entire world! That is why great sacrifice is called for. But oh….just wait…your children WILL rise and call you blessed. Keep at it and stay close to Jesus always. You can do this.

Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Blessings,

A Home is More Lovely Than a House

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This is my house in the midst of winter. It is, as I’ve heard no less than three times today, a very beautiful house. It’s surrounded by woods at the end of a long gravel road. Inside, there are wide plank wooden floors and stainless steel appliances within 3800 square feet of living space. Not including the basement and attic.

I’ll admit my flesh pangs when the responses to our “For Sale” sign border on grief of leaving something so lovely. I doubt our decision to downsize, to rent, to save money to pay cash for another home. I doubt our conclusion that the amount of money to keep this house going is too much for our comfort level. I doubt my husband, my children, myself and my dogs will ever be really happy living anywhere else in the entire world except in this one house on this one lot. Because, after all, it is a beautiful house.

But a home a house does not make. When I think of my home, the materials of the structure don’t seem to factor a whole lot. Instead, what I think of are things like:

  • greeting my husband after a long day with a smile, a gaggle of children yelling “DA-DDYYYYYY!” and a homecooked meal
  • babies and toddlers pattering around the living spaces, dragging their stuffed comforts behind them.
  • the smell of fresh bread baking, and the promise of a slice with melting butter
  • being there to read to my children, and speak of word of encouragement or rebuke as the need arises
  • cutting flowers from the garden to put into the mason jar by my kitchen sink
  • listening to my children run and yell and play together as each other’s best friends, and serenade our guests with their vocal and musical instruments

Can’t I take those things with me? What matter is the square footage? Can’t I grow another herb garden? Can’t I still bake cookies or invite a friend over for tea? Will the hugs and kisses and laughter subside if our children never grow up to have their own rooms?

I have no idea when the house will sell. Or if. Or where we’ll go. But I don’t feel anxious about it at all. In fact, I have to admit I’m pretty excited! I love it when the Lord mixes things up. I’m looking forward to relieving my husband of stress, and of teaching my children that peace never comes from the living standards you set but from being content with where the Lord plants you. I never want to pine for what I don’t have or envy those that do.

If God wills it, it’s not so much a little house with a garden I want most (but Oh, God, who hears my prayers, grant me these I pray…), but His peace and grace and love to dwell wherever we are. Of this, I have no doubt, no matter how He chooses to shelter us.

Go before, Lord, go before…

Waiting for Jesus,

Rainy Day Projects

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Other than a crazed baking marathon (bagels, cinnamon rolls, yeast and banana breads, cookies, pizzas….hmm…I think I found where I got my five extra pounds…), I’ve been picking at little projects here and there while holed up inside as it pours rain outside. I don’t have extra money for fresh supplies, so I’m going through my craft books and fabric stashes. I made this quilt top in only two days! Most of the fabric is reproduction Civil War.

And today I made a little case for my sewing needles. It will come in handy as I usually take some sort of handwork along with me when I need to go out. It feels nice to choose some easy and quick projects to keep my hands and mind occupied while I wait for the phone to ring and a buyer to come make an offer on our home.

Speaking of projects, a sweet woman at our church gifted me with her very nice serger machine! I was very amazed, and of course very, very grateful. A serger has been on my “someday I’d like” list for a long time. God knew. Why He blesses me so, I don’t know. But I am thankful.
Blessings (and good night),

In the Garden

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Guess I’m on a posting spree tonight. Here are some photos of what’s going on in the gardens today. Everything’s had ample water (rain rain rain), so green it all is. The tomatoes aren’t too happy, but then again, they never really seem to like it here in the Pacific Northwest anyway, with our cool nights.

The peas are climbing like crazy.

I like the spring flowers on this tree. It’s a Japanese Snowbell.

Little violets are here and there.

Cherries are on their way.

These pansies were leftover from last year, and self seeded. It was a sweet surprise among the strawberries.

I imagine I’ll feel like eating more salad when it feels more like summer.

Oh Lemon Balm, Oh Lemon Balm, how lovely are your tea leaves…

I hope you are enjoying the fruit of your garden labors, as well.

Blessings,

A Toy for Ruby

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Many moms know that the toy itself is sometimes not as good as the box it came in. The truth is that children will make toys out of anything, so there is really no need for an avalanche of the newest and bestest of whatever is currently popular as play things. My last podcast touched on this very issue. Anyhow, I thought I’d share how happy little Ruby was with the box of filler paper that came in the mail (with a product, of course). She had such a great time!

Isn’t she cute?!

It really IS the little things, y’know?

Blessings,

Thoughts on Selling Our House

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We got two showings for our house before the “for sale” sign went up on the road, and all three of those events caused not just a small amount of silent emotional retching. It all sounds so right: sell, downsize, live (way) beneath your means, hopefully mortgage-less. Reality is more like: becoming a clean-carpet-nazi, pining for telephone calls, losing my appetite and yet gaining five pounds (what’s up with that?!). It means explaining (again and again, to myself, too) that houses are made of sticks and glue, but God and people matter more. Ultimately, though, when I need to reboot my brain about how and why and where and what, I always end up at the Lord’s feet.

Psalms 71:1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

The last time I sold a home, it was my sweet, small condo that I priced to the (allowable) hilt and sold on my own within the week. Today, however, it seems more a matter of waiting….and waiting…and more waiting… It almost feels like the house will never really sell, because, after all, it was built for us. I picked out all of the cabinetry, flooring, paint and door hinges. The floor plan flows well for our family, and the property is *perfect* in privacy and size. It just feels weird to think of someone else cooking in *my* kitchen or using *my* herb garden (that I started from seed. And nurtured.) I wonder if we’ll be still be here when the apples ripen on the trees. The ones we planted. And where are we going to go? Will my children have space to run and play in a safe environment? What’s going to happen to our hens and ducks and goats and dogs and cat? Will my husband be inspired by the changes? Or will he lose heart? Why would God allow us this house and open all sorts of doors to enable us to be here…and then slowly start closing them?

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

It’s been difficult for me to enjoy my garden when I feel like I’m tending it for someone else. Which of course is a blessing in and of itself, but still…

It’s also hard for me to not just take charge of matters, and do something crazy like plaster my house-for-sale fliers all over the county. I feel the need to create lists, start packing, find a rental, reserve a truck. Instead I move throughout my day almost in denial, because there really is nothing else for me to do but to just keep homeschooling, or cleaning, or serving others in my home (which is hard to do when you’re eyeing the carpet). Mostly, it’s a matter of just stepping with one foot in front of the other: change the next diaper, prepare the next meal. And underlying it all, it is about knowing that my confidence is not on knowing where the next step is, but rather on knowing the Master Pathmaker, Himself. And I do trust Him.

Proverbs 3:26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Currently, I am just working on finishing things up. Spring cleaning and mulching outside (when it stops raining for 20 minute gaps), and completing homeschooling studies. I finished my 2009 photobook, and put together a quilt top in two days (see…the rain IS good for something). And I have projects still to complete: a thesis, two books, two dresses, a pair of knitted socks and some old photo albums to rescue browning pictures from. A garage sale and an open house to prepare for, and a six year old to practice phonics with. Honey to harvest and oil changes and writing assignments to proofread and used curriculum to sell. There is plenty still to do. Eternal work still counts more than daily details.

Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Someday, Lord willing, that phone will ring with the buyer who will make our house their home. I trust God to go before, to prepare a place for us, to encourage my sweetheart and to walk with me in my days and thoughts. Truthfully, I feel a little silly even allowing ponderings of *what if’s*, but I am but a worm and God is big and gracious and I will be content taking refuge under the shadow of His wings. And, truly, there is nowhere on earth better than that in which to make my home.

Toys and Their Organization

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Toys don’t need to be so hard to deal with. Here is how our family works out how to choose them and store them so that they are not only fun for the children, but lovely additions to our decor as well. My husband, Tom, pipes in on this episode to give his view on this issue as well.

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Here are some photos to share of toy storage within our home.

This is in my daughter’s closet. Three separate drawers separate three different toys: playmobile, Madeline dolls, and dollhouse equipment. The real only way I know to keep things like this from getting crazy mixed up is to be diligent about inspecting toy clean-up. Do you know the saying? “It’s not what you expect, it’s what you INspect”.

These bins are in my boys’ room. The top is full of K’nex, and the bottom is full of wooden building blocks from my husband’s boyhood.

More bins in the same room on shelves. Five of these bins are Legos. I would personally rather dump the whole mess into one big bin, but because my 10yo insists on keeping certain aspects separate, I allow him to have this many bins. As long as it’s neat and tidy, I’m good with that. Notice that there aren’t any bins with more air than toys.

These are in my living room. And, no, I didn’t pick up the train set and trains before taking the photo (not my job, y’know?). The trains go in the apple basket, the colored building blocks into the red bin, and the large wooden cars, trains, and boats go into the wicker basket. I like how it all looks and it’s so great for visitors of all ages. Nothing loud or shiny or lit up like ferris wheel lights.

This is what’s in my kitchen. On the bottom shelf are all kinds of toys that little babies and toddlers can play with. You could use a bottom drawer as well. It’s a great spot for wee ones who just want to play near Mommy. Again, there’s nothing annoying (to me) in all of this that would overpower the music I have playing or the phone call I’m fielding.

Anything can be a container. Here is a vintage kindling box that we use to keep musical instruments in. These ARE loud. But, sometimes, kids just need to make a joyful noise, and I find it better if they are part of that creative process. Much better than pushing a button and hearing a tape or whatnot.

Lastly, here is a short article regarding plastic in toys, and there are some places to shop there. I rarely shop for toys so I honestly can’t give you a favorite of mine.Enjoy your babies AND their play time! If you have any comments, please feel free to email me, and I may put your thoughts into a future podcast or blog.

Blessings,

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Choices and Change

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I find myself slowly picking through my front pasture a lot while training my maremma to follow my voice. If he doesn’t listen, he gets corrected. Somehow, I understand that discipline in a real, personal way (smile). At eight months old, he is larger than my nine year old yellow labrador, and his wolfish good looks play nicely with his puppy exuberance. I let him run off to play a lot, knowing he’ll come to me when I ask him to.

In the meantime, I’m running my black muck boots through the greenery. Plantain….dock….yarrow… I do find it a little surprising that after all this time I am finally starting to recognize not only the weeds under my feet, but to know what they’re good for. I didn’t think it could ever happen, but there I find myself: bug bites….anemia…fever…

It’s almost meditative. In a Christian way, of course.

It’s hard to know how much to share, given the very nature of worldwide eyes, because pearls are usually fodder for pigs and precious things ought not to be given freely. But I will say, for the time, that a house a home does not make, and given the choice between (a) the current brick-n-morter and (b) freedom for my husband to follow other dreams…I think it is most fitting and proper to happily and most contentedly hand over the keys to release him.

…chamomile…catmint….red clover…

What power does a woman have over her man to drive him to provide? To me it is almost frightening. A wife whose standard is beyond basics, say, fresh water and a warm shelter and clean clothing, puts the prod to her husband’s back. He loves her of course, and even if she is hard to love, his drive to properly (“properly” being defined in part by her expectations) take care of his family may very well send himself to an early grave with pressing so hard for so long for….what?….that which is someday slated to burn and will never be fit to accompany anyone beyond death.

So. We are grateful to be in a position to choose to sell our home. Yes, the market is hard right now. Yes, our home is down in value. But we are ready to bless another family with our amazing house and to make different choices for our family. And if God wants it sold, then sold it shall be. And there in the meadow I sometimes think of stupid things like I’ll have to change the photo on my header. A small thing. I think.

…shotweed…miner’s lettuce…(nibble nibble)…

The truth is that how we live and what we talk about presses into our children. Our standards become their standards. What they grow up in and around become what is “normal” and right and true. It is what they pass on to your grandchildren. If our children eat cake every day, then that is the appetite they will have for proper food. How they spend their time, how they see us walk…our sons will rise forming in their inmost being what is expected of a true man, and our daughters will grow expecting their husbands to meet the standards we’ve crafted.

So…our house is on the market. It may not sell. It may sell tomorrow. I do not know. In the meantime, I am continuing to spruce it up and lay it down. Outside, I am watching my honeybees gather pollen from scotchbroom and chives. I am pressing more and more into the Lord my God, thanking Him in every circumstance, and grateful for the opportunity to learn to love my husband more in the ways that he truly needs.

Blessings,

Refiner’s Fire. Ouch. But Good.

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1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Maybe it’s my age. Or maybe I’m just paying more attention (because of my age?). But there have been a goodly (badly?) amount of trials that have come about to so many of my friends–and myself–lately. These trials are aptly named partly because there are major decisions to make in the midst of them all, and the choices are gut-wretching and real and have serious ramifications. None of us have crystal balls (because, for one, the wrath of the Lord would be not-so-fun!), but even so, we do all desire to make the right choices–that is, the choices that would best lead to the best outcome for the best price (you know, in our “fleshly-understanding of what that would be” sort of way). What kind of treatment a child with cancer ought to get. To stay with or to leave a husband who has been unfaithful. To give up a paying job or to forget the dream of self-employment. To pay the mortgage or go to the grocery store. Hard choices. Lots of time at kitchen tables. Tears. Pain.

It seems to me that perspective is so very important. I do not mean in a manner that lowers others to place our own situations in a better light. There is something inherently wrong with looking at the bright side by pointing out someone who is dealing with something worse. Their “worse” doesn’t really matter at all, because the pain of your “better” is still painful, and added guilt over the matter doesn’t relieve much at all.

By “perspective” I mean by beginning with a heart and mind set on the Lord Jesus Christ. When trials arise, it is really not proper to ask, “why me?” That puts us in a position of judging what God has allowed, and who can be His judge? But rather to say, “yes me, and so much more than even this do I deserve”. It means to acknowledge His great kindness in all of the time He gave (and gives) without trials. It may be a time to both be weary and sad and scared and heartbroken, but it is also a time to say, “yes, Lord, even so.” If all things truly work for our good (do we really believe that?), then we must fervently look to what the Lord is trying to teach us through this, and to steadfastly cling to the Rock who never moves even when our world does. After all, dear Christian, where else would you go?

John 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

The only way not to fall in the flesh is to walk by the Spirit (see Gal 5:16). If anger is a sin (Eph 4:31) and worry is commanded against (Phil 4:6), what is then a proper response? The first thing, always, is to take a hurting heart directly to the Lord in prayer.

1 Samuel 1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

It is such a privilege to have God’s ears to our cry. During this time, we are not stagnant, we are proactive. We are drawing upon His strength and seeking His perspective, which is above our own meager thoughts and fleshly ways always. He knows why your daddy left, your brother turned to homosexuality, your child died. That in itself doesn’t make the pain go away, but if even the sparrows do not fall unnoticed, it is something that He is not blind to the overwhelming floods that occur in this life. He knew they would come, but He also gave us the command to be in the midst of it all “of good cheer” (see John 16:33) not because these things would be understandable or even pleasant, but because the death of people or dreams is not the end of the matter. HE is the end of the matter, and HE still is living and alive, working all things for good and in the process giving even the sorrowing widow a deep seated peace in her soul that surpasses all understanding.

In these times, it is good to remember we do have choices. Walking in the Spirit means making some choices that feel at times counterproductive: like gratefulness in every thing, not just in every “good” thing (see 1 Thes 5:18). Like finding something in the fog to praise God for. Like giving up our own wants and instead accepting what God sees as our needs. Like submitting under the burning to purify the dross. Like recognizing God’s sovereignty in everything, as Job (2:10), “What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?”

I do tremble at times when in trial. I am not the strong, unmovable woman o’God that I desire to be. My teeth rattle and my knees go weak. I doubt. I try to fix things before asking the Lord. But on the other side, I do see my need more for the everlasting arms (Deut 33:17) and for savoring His words, bathing my heart in them. How can these needs born of affliction be bad? I ponder and cherish His Words such as:

Psalms 57:1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Tribulation is painful. But, beloved, they are not without purpose, and they are not the end of things. Resurrection is the end of things. May we all in our own heartaches remember our friend in Jesus, and that empty tomb, and be found faithful and full of praise for it all when He returns.

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/KM2kbogwgBM&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01

Blessings,

Simple Window Treatments

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We’re blessed to live in the woods, where there are no neighbors within sight of any of our windows. It’s not that they aren’t there. It’s just that they are, well, through a multitude of trees. Most of our windows have nothing but a nice view, but I thought I’d share how we decorated some of them.

My girls made and put tissue paper flowers on the rods of their curtains (and lots of other places in the room). The kids have curtains in their rooms because it sure does help come naptime to darken a room. They need to be wacked now and then to dust.

This little window treatment came from a bag of crocheted things given to me from my mother. I really didn’t know what to do with any of it, but half a dozen or so clips later, this is now in my kitchen table area.

This piece was actually a petticoat that I bought from an antique store. I always thought I’d fix it up for one of my girls, but three years later, it was still in my “project to-do pile”. So I snipped a side, sewed up a very lazy stitch for the rod, and now it hangs in our craft and sewing room. Isn’t it cute?

I really like this little guy. He is hanging in the bathroom area. I don’t want curtains in this bathroom; it would need cleaning every other week and my life is full enough.

Lastly, this is something I picked up from a garden store. I like how the light comes through the little pieces. It’s hanging in my kitchen, so I enjoy it while I’m cooking or cleaning there.

As you can see, curtains are not the only things that can treat a window. Actually, the best window treatment I know of is just a simple cleaning. Here is a recipe for a window cleaner we got from a gentleman (truly) friend who came to clean my windows with the children:

Window Cleaner

To make 1 quart, mix together:
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tsp. liquid soap or detergent

4 cups of water

Use a squigee and always leave your windows dry for a streak free view. Let the light in!

Wimpy Evangelism…is Better Than None

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One of the problems with reading the Bible as plain English is that sometimes the commands given are written….in plain English. What am I supposed to do with this?

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

It’s that whole whopper of a two letter word in there, following the action command of another two letter word: Go YE….

Me? No thanks, Lord. I’d rather just keep You all to myself and we could just interact and You could just bless me and hear my prayers and bring others to Yourself all by Yourself because isn’t that what You really do anyway with all that power so why do I have to be involved with telling anyone…?

I’ve yet to win an argument with God. Not that I don’t try. Just yesterday I tried to excuse the promptings God gave me to GO YE but when I followed up with peeking into the Bible, He greeted me out of the blue with:

Isaiah 63:7-8 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.

I tweeted my friends what I was up to so that they could bug me about it later. Nothing like accountability, I say.

So, it was a beautiful day and my friend canceled my babysitting her children anyway so I couldn’t stay home (nice touch, there, Lord). I gathered up my tracts and my children to go on some errands and then head to a park, where, I hoped, I could talk with some other mothers about Jesus.

I will tell you that I have talked with others about the Lord, so it’s not foreign. It’s just never easy. It’s a whole lot of fishing into an agnostic post-modern pond, and no one gets up in the morning raring to gather rude comments or dirty looks. So, my typical tract tact is to just leave them in places. Like public restrooms. Or shopping carts. That sort of thing. Stealth evangelism. Safe.

Store number one. Forgot the tracts in the van. Oh well, I couldn’t go back to get them, could I? (Although….would I have gone back for my wallet?!)

Went through a drive through. Didn’t give them out to the rushing employees. Strike two.

And then…pretended I didn’t hear the Lord when I was in conversation with a mom at the park. Lalalalalala…oh look it’s time to go….

How wretched do you think I felt? I will tell you. PRETTY STINKING WRETCHED!!

And then……and then……my friend tweeted me on my cell phone. Something akin to “how many have you given out yet?”

I commenced imaginary multiple head bashing against the steering wheel.

“Ok, Jesus. I hear you. Let me get rid of the stack in my pocket before I get home. To REAL PEOPLE. Help me not be so stupid and weak.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

(Yes, you too can have memorized Bible verses pop into your head in the middle of Costco at the most opportune times)

So, we sought out every sample lady we could find, sampled her sample and then gave her a “million dollar tip”. We gave the bagger at the check stand one, too. And you know what? All were gracious and happy to get them. They thought they were cool. And best of all, my pocket was empty when I got back into the car.

I don’t know if I’ll ever give out hundreds of tracts or lead another person to Christ. I hope I do! All I am sure of is that God’s commands are pretty clear, and that He saves others using weak folks and foolish preaching.

So, I say…teach me, Jesus, and grow in me a heart that sorrows more and more every day for the lost and perishing. Give me Your voice. And let me grow to love You enough to obey, and to love people enough to tell them about You.

Blessings,

Opening Day at the Farmer’s Market

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Our family decided to take part in our community’s farmer’s market last Saturday for opening day. We didn’t have a lot to sell, but it was still a great experience. I had to come up with a name for our farm (if you can call our mini-homestead a “farm”), so I named it Sweet Pea Farm. I figured I grew a lot of those, both in the floral and babe varieties. 🙂

What really drew people to our little set up was the cages of baby bunnies. My daughter sat and allowed all sorts of people and children to interact with these sweet animals. Thankfully, the rabbits didn’t get too stressed with all of the dogs coming over to visit. And there were a lot of dogs.

We sold out of everything except some herbs. I took them home intending to dry them but decided I really didn’t need to as I still had dried seasonings left from last autumn. Other than the chilly weather, our first experience with an open market was positive, and I was very pleased with how well my children interacted with all of the people they came into contact with. Socialization? Check.

Blessings,

Scripture Memorizing With Children

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Psalms 119:16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

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1. Have a plan.
2. Teach your expectations.
3. Offer incentives and rewards.
4. Enjoy!

Here’s an article about one reason to use the KJV for children, and why the KJV English is easier to memorize.

Here is the link to Scripture Memory Fellowship.

Here are some verses regarding remembering:

Deuteronomy 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart…

1 Chronicles 16:12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth…

Psalms 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Psalms 63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Psalms 77:11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

Psalms 78:35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

Psalms 105:5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth…

Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…

Mark 8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

Jude 1:17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ…

Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

A Fear of Down Syndrome (et al)

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God: “Fear not.”

Fear is debilitating. And that is the main purpose of fear. Whether it is staying in a marriage that is difficult, losing a source of income, or, as in the example above, having a baby after the age of 40, buying into fearfulness means that we believe God doesn’t notice when swallows fall anymore.

I’m just unsure why the collective *we* think we are due a life that is easy and enjoyable and fun and full of all of the people and things we want. And that when people disappoint us and things go awry, all we need to do is read up on more self-help books, get counseling, quit parenting, get divorced and give those annoying people (even mentally) the hand signs that mean, so to speak, “get lost.” Then there are those spirit-filled-with-what-kind-of-spirit-IS-that kind of people who preach and teach that all we need to do is WANT an easy life, and CALL one to ourselves, and CHOOSE to have one; that the reason things are hard are because the easiness isn’t getting “spoken into” existence or, perhaps, you need to just choose a different pet as your own personal spirit guide. And when the god you’ve made doesn’t suit you anymore, just trade he/she/it in for a different model. The world is full of people excusing and glorifying themselves. That is one reason why when hardship occurs, when the rug gets pulled out, the fruit is anger, resentment, bitterness, cynicism, and even more hatred of God. And fear. Lots of fear.

The truth is that our world has fallen. We’ve rebelled against a holy God who gave us our very breath. If our own hearts convict us (and we all have consciences), if our own homes are not the picture of heaven-on-earth (and we all have selfish selves in them), how might we expect the world at large to serve our own expectations? We can’t even meet our OWN expectations!

When those expectations clash with reality, faith really is the only way to turn. Faith in our own efforts and plans or faith in God’s sovereignty and goodness. Yes, go forth with those plans and efforts to correct the wrong (see a doctor when you’re ill) but don’t put all of your hope and trust in that doctor, and certainly do not sin in the midst of trying to “fix” a problem.

I’m glad I didn’t know that Ruby had Down Syndrome when I was pregnant. I know I’m weak-kneed and would have traded my peace and enjoyment of the pregnancy for fear of the unknown. And other than in my Bible, there are not a whole lot of places in the world that are telling me to “fear not”. Rather, there are multiple places blaming me for any fear I have.

And you know what? As much as I wish Ruby didn’t have Down Syndrome, I’m still glad she is here. I’m 40 now. I don’t know if I will have another baby, but I don’t fear having one. I don’t even know if the children I have right now will get through life unscathed by tragedy or illness or hardship, but I somehow doubt it.

All I know is that the peace of God in the midst of trials is very sweet, indeed. And so, sometimes, are the results of those trials. Fear not. God is bigger than the boogie man.

Quilted Bible Book Cover

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I have two Bibles that I use. One is a larger, standard size that I use to study with and take notes in. The other is a small one I keep on hand to take with me to church or anywhere else. The little one is definitely showing its wear, and the cover is falling apart. And no, it’s not necessarily because I study from it ten hours a day 😉

Money is really tight around here these days (know the feeling?). I was feeling rather mopey about not being able to buy a new Bible (now, wasn’t that rather holy of me?).

I poked around the internet for a Bible book cover pattern and I found one here! Because my Bible is smaller, I decided I didn’t need carrying handles or a place to put a pen. Then I searched through my fabric stash and found some leftovers from my pillow project. Two hours later, this is what my old Bible looked like!

 

I’m as pleased as pie! (Is there such a thing?!) I love the inner lining:

It came out so great, I’m going to make more! I think my bigger Bible needs one. I think my friends need one. Do you need one? 🙂

Pin Cushions

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Just wanted to share with you some sweet pin cushions I got for my birthday. Wouldn’t a pin cushion be a lovely gift for your friend(s) this Christmas? All it takes is some scraps of fabric and thread. Just about anything can be used as a filler, but I love the feel of crushed walnut shells. I believe you can get that at a feed store.

Ruby Learns to Eat

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I can’t believe how quickly Ruby is catching on to some things. She’s been feeding herself with her fingers and hands for a while, but it seems like she just figured out that, “Hey…forks and spoons are neat!”

First, she scoops up some yummy homemade granola and raw goat milk from the bowl…

Then, she gets the food in fast as she turns the spoon upside down. Hopefully more food gets into her mouth than onto her chest!

At the end of it, she gives her head a little pat for a job well done!

Babies on the Farm-ette

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Well, trying to breed our doe milk goats twice in the past year has resulted in nothing more than a couple of contented goats making our pasture picturesque. After weighing our options, we decided that what we would add a buck to our small herd to avoid yet another trip to the breeders across a ferry and throughout windy roads and of course adding stress (again!) upon the girls (and me!). What this means, besides the work of finding a quality buck and managing my herd differently, is buck-proofing the fence. Is “buck-proofing a fence” even possible?! It also means yet another year of waiting until I become a goat-milking mama…and that’s assuming these girls will even conceive. Ah well, God’s best for me is to trust His womb opening and closing, even in goats! Photobucket

We did have babies here, though! My daughter bred her chocolate havana rabbits and had eight kits that survived. All of her babies are so friendly and cuddly due to her daily loving attention.

Wouldn’t you want to take one home?

And here is what we found earlier today right outside our back door! Aren’t they adorable?! These are chickadees, five of them. What a gift life is.

Finding Courage in DisCOURAGEment, Pt 4

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Asking for help is key to conquering discouragement.

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Back in USSR, Russian adoption return
“If it gets too tough, do parents have a right to call it quits?”

You will never this side of heaven be perfect, but that doesn’t mean we have to abide by low expectations, either.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…

For Elijah’s trial and discouragement, and how God met him during that time, see 1 Kings 19.

Understand that every trial has a purpose.

Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Seek God’s wisdom FIRST.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Pray for help.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

The Good News!

Thanks to Fish With Trish for her concise gospel presentation.

Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Keep looking forward!

Psalms 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

God in 1 Kings 19:15 to Elijah: GO….
Elijah in v. 19 to God: “So he departed thence...”

Obedience and purpose and moving forward, pressing on…

Rejoicing with you in the simple joys of everydays,

Fragrance from the Garden

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One of the best things about blogging is using my camera more often. And one of the best things about using my camera more often is in learning to see the simple things with a new set of eyes (through a viewfinder). How beautiful, really, is just a few cut blossoms from the yard in a clear canning jar? We don’t need to wait for floral deliveries; we just need to make the time to walk around with a pair of pruners and snip snip snip some of the lovely blooms for our home to enjoy.

Our cherry and apple trees are in full flower, and the plum, pear, and peach trees are also not looking too shabby. It all smells like spring. Delightful.

Want Happy Kids?

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“I just want my kids to be happy.”

Proverbs 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

Making our children happy is long sought over in the quest of parenting. The choices we make in food, fun and clothing, the discipline issues that are (or aren’t) dealt with and the techniques used thereby, and the visions in our heads of our grown, adult children usually revolve around this hope of creating happy people.

Happiness, however, in the Biblical sense of things does not have anything to do with molding adults who are healthy or well-educated or even wealthy for that matter. Children that end up with college degrees, climbing careers or McMansions on cul-de-sacs are in no wise guaranteed happiness by those things; just look around at the disengaged, angry and whiny adults around you!

Do we really want our children happy? Then methinks our focus will be on different goals and different means to those ends. Perusing the Bible finds happiness coming from:

  • becoming more and more like the Lord, saved by Him and looking unto Him for help (Deut 33:29)

  • a hunger for the God’s wisdom above any man-centered wisdom, which of course seems as foolishness to unrepentant people (2 Chron 9:7, Pro 3:13, Pro 3:18, 1 Cor 2:14, 1 Cor 3:19)

  • a thankfulness for the trials God allows, and for God’s corrections and chastisements (Job 5:17, Ps 94:12, 1 Thes 5:18, Rev 3:19).

  • allowing the Lord to build our families, understanding that the baring of children is a blessing, not a burden (Ps 127:5)

  • learning to work, and to work hard (Lam 3:27, Ps 128:2). This involves creating an appetite for work and for the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. Happiness does not come from “letting kids be kids” and doing all chores around the home while their eyes and minds are quietly imbibing movie or gaming videos.

  • belonging to God, trusting Him, and acknowledging Him as LORD (Ps 144:15, Pro 16:20). This means more than raising a child who simply “believes in God” as the somewhat 92% plus of adults in our country say….but do not heed.

  • relying on God for help, putting hope in HIM, not in our circumstances or dreams (Ps 146:5)

  • fostering a merciful attitude toward the downtrodden, the weak, the elderly, the poor (Pro 14:21)

  • growing in holiness, loving God’s law and hating (yes, hating) sin as defined by God (Ps 101:3, Ps 119:128, Pro 29:18).

  • maintaining a clear conscience before God (Rom 14:22)

  • enduring in the faith through trial, pain and suffering (James 5:11), through the light afflictions of scorn and even the heavier weight of the terror of persecution (1 Peter 3:14), knowing that even in receiving reproach for the name of Christ, God is glorified (1 Peter 4:14)

The way I see it, much of what we think ought to be done with our children have nothing to do with these goals. If we are truly honest with wanting happiness for our children, then we must schedule and direct our days to reflect God’s goals and to seek after what HE says brings happiness.

What does this look like? Repenting of your sins first of all, and receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Then, spending ample time in God’s Word (no Bible, no breakfast; no read, no feed), reading about and supporting missionaries, seeking ways to serve others, learning to pray and to use a concordance to study the Bible (and then actually doing it), building a family with children, and teaching the young ones to work. It means that when trials and hard things arise, God’s throne is the very first place to we run to. These are the appetites we must foster in our children if happiness is truly one of our goals.

May you be blessed as you seek real, abiding happiness for your children, serving the Lord in His ways as you seek to become more like Him.

John 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

The Chains that Bind

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Beware of who you lament your workout (or lack thereof) woes to. Two friends of mine ganged up on me encouraged me to start working out again after I explained whined about my body feeling rather weak, even though I was walking/jogging on my treadmill.

“It’s only twenty minutes!” said one.
“You’ll feel so great!” said the other.

So I bit and bought the video and after the first oh-so-notverylong workout found myself the next day about unable to move at all. Serves me right; after finishing up that same workout I recall thinking, “Now….that wasn’t so bad….”

Thankfully I have two friends (nah….they’re *buddies*!) doing this crazy every-or-mostly-everyday workout with me. Each of us has a paper chain of 30, with the expectation that we will each off the 30 days before Mother’s Day. You know, so we can all be “hot mamas” heh heh.

Ok, so the really fun part in all of this is that once a chain is removed, a cell phone photo of its destruction is sent to the other two parties. So far we’ve had chains run over, fed to children and geese and dogs (not really, people, sheesh!), flushed down the loo, used for firearm target practice and planted in the midst of dog poo (yes, really). When I hear the wee notes of a message received on my cell, I honestly have no idea what in the world is going to show up these days!

So far I am a week in and ready to move to level 2 (woo hoo!). I’ve had to do this in the morning because once the goats and poultry and dogs and children are up and needing to be fed, my own quiet time is o-v-e-r. I wish I could say my six-children-tummy is tightening up but even I have no hope of that ever happening. In fact, I’ve gained two pounds! Yeah, yeah, muscle schmuscle.

I guess if I ate more of this instead of leftover scraps of baklava, that would help matters.

This cereal, by the way, is one of my favorites lately, and it comes from here:

And this is the video we’re using, and yes, it really only does take 20 minutes to work out all parts of my body. That’s a good thing, because I for one do not have much more time than that to devote to just working out. Once I figured out the routine, I cut the sound and began listening to my favorite podcasts. That sure made the time go faster!

It does feel good to take care of my body. All of you moms out there that just workout and love it and are so diligent, you inspire me. I’d rather stay in bed! I just have to remind myself of my goals every morning while I lace up my shoes in the quiet hours before the house awakens. And remember never to complain about things to friends who are eager to cut off the whining.

Silhouette Quilt

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I finished a small wall hanging of my children’s silhouettes. It wasn’t hard to do at all. A friend of mine took each child’s photo, side view, against a sunny window. Then she played with photoshop to produce an image that was simply a dark gray silhouette. I have no idea how to play with photoshop, so if I had to do this on my own, I think I would have just *winged it* with the color image.

Anyhow, then I traced the image onto freezer paper, ironed it onto black fabric, and then cut the silhouette out. I ironed the black fabric (now shaped like my child) onto the background. Some borders were added and then the whole thing was quilted and bound.

I love looking at it. They won’t be this little for long, so I’m glad to have this time captured. My husband, however, looks at it and it bugs him. He’s a chiropractor and says, “Hmm…so-n-so really needs an adjustment.” Funny guy. I’m used to that sort of thing, however, because he picks out the same such when he sees people walking.

Another option is to put a child’s silhouette into a picture frame. There are a lot of different things you could do, but don’t wait. Those chubby cheeks thin out before you’re ready.

My 2 Cents on the TTUAC Headlines

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I can’t sleep. This has been on my mind for a while now and I felt compelled to respond to the horrific events that have come about from the needless death of not one, but two, children. I feel just sick. Here is the letter I wrote and sent tonight via email. I thought it proper for me to write to you, also….

Good evening, friends,

I have been in real angst over the death of a child recently from a parent who claimed to follow the To Train Up a Child book. This book was a real help to me in helping me learn to parent my children and because of that, I have bought multiple copies and I believe I gave one to you. This review was the most humble and gracious one I have read regarding the incident(s) and put into words my current thinking about this book, and that is why I am forwarding it to you for your consideration. http://www.tina.thejobes.com/2010/03/to-train-up-a-child-book-review/

PLEASE know that it is IMPOSSIBLE to be 100% consistent in just about anything, especially child training. We’re just mommies trying to find our way in parenting children that change from one year to the next (or one minute to the next) and the most important thing we can do during that is to LISTEN TO THE LORD and to READ OUR BIBLES. There *is* NO perfect method/book/author/way to raise up children that is fail-proof. We all need the tender mercies of the Lord to direct our paths each and every single day. Mommying ought to be and I believe CAN be a joy-filled endeavor, but trials ARE going to be a part of the journey and there WILL be tears to go along with it at times (or is that just me?;)

Friend, just know I love you and know you are doing the best that you can. Please don’t ever hold up any standard higher than what Jesus reveals to you through His Word. He WILL guide you and teach you and love you and…yes, discipline you. We all need that. Stay in the Word, stay in prayer, stay in fellowship with the saints. Repent where needed and forgive 70 times 7. Know that God Himself gave you your children not just for their own good, but for yours as well.

I do pray for these precious families, including the Pearls. What a heartbreak, all around.

With love

Finding Courage in DisCOURAGEment, Pt 3

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3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Sometimes it is really hard to take every thought captive (listen to Part One) or to get working on what is needed or required (listen to Part Two). Sometimes, our discouragement grows because we just are not as healthy as we could be…so we feel like we’re physically and/or mentally dragging. Let’s investigate various aspects of how taking better care of ourselves might bolster our courage.

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Health-y verses:

Read your Bible day AND night!
Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Isaiah 58:2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

Isaiah 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.

You can download and listen to a free audio Bible here. And there is an excellent article on how (why and when) to read the Bible here.

Hope in God!
Psalms 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Guard your heart!
Proverbs 3:1-8 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

Seek wisdom!
Proverbs 4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Watch yer mouth!
Proverbs 12:18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

Guard who you’re learning from!
Proverbs 13:17 A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.

Guard your reading/listening habits!
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Pray!
Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Jeremiah 33:6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

Discern fad diets/health fixes!
Acts 27:34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.

Healthy habits
* Drink enough water. If I needed a water filter, this is where I would shop for one:
* Dump the soda pop
* Take a good quality supplement. I appreciate and trust this company, but there are others that are also good.
* Eat a variety of wholesome food. Start learning!
* Get any needed medical testing done: thyroid/estrogen/iron levels; allergy testing, etc.
* Exercise
If you want to join me 🙂
* Have babies
This article has great references, but online this is the only place I could find it. Too bad this blogger did not include the medical journal references.
* Postpartum depression
* Post-abortion help

Have a healthy week!

Why I Left Facebook

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The hard part about explaining why I left Facebook is that the vast majority of my real and internet friends still participate in it. So no matter my reasons for departing, some will necessarily feel condemned for their continued practice. That is not my intent, but if anyone else has been feeling the uncomfortableness of it all, then let your own pruners sharpen. Otherwise, this is my own gig.

I left Facebooking because:

* I love God more. I will tell you that since I joined the party that never sleeps, I read less of my Bible. I haven’t memorized any Scripture in ages. And instead of conversing with the Lord during the day, I am crafting tweets that I know will run through Facebook. But I miss HIM. And I understand now why He didn’t want me doing that in the first place. I just ignored His council and joined up anyway…because I “know better” about these things, I guess Photobucket. Again, not judging anyone for their own walk, just observing mine and not liking the view. I figure if I’m bored in the evening and just want to unwind, let me crack open my Bible or pray while I knit instead of finding the laptop.

* I love my friends. I am blessed to have a handful of real, deep, loving friendships. Yet I feel that even those relationships have waned as we now “keep in touch” via Facebook. For me (again, this is for me), relationships just are not built on “checking in” on one another’s publicly posted snippet of a day of what’s on their mind. I would rather talk with someone, walk with someone, share a cup of hot whatever and share our hearts. I’d rather make the time to meet or talk or write or even email one-on-one than try to keep up with trifles to the masses. I am not one of those blessed by deeper relationships via social networking, (although I had really hoped that would be the case with some of the people in my life) and I really don’t care if I ever find my second cousin twice removed, but I’m glad for the 400 some-odd million people that apparently are and do. Instead, I found it rather annoying when I, in person, inquired about a topic only to be told that it had been posted on Facebook (like, I should be totally up on everyone’s post at all times!). Man, 400 million people!

* I love my husband. One of my concerns is the very real occurrence of past boyfriends seeking me out. This may sound really very lame, but I do not care (it must be one of those *turning 40* things). I’ve had men find me in person and find me by phone. I had a man talk with my husband and offer him a beer! The very sad thing is that although I love my husband to all ends, I am but a weak and sinful woman who recognizes the pull of “what if”. When half the marriages are ending in divorce, even in Christian homes, and when sites such as Facebook are reconnecting old flames like wildfire, I am not so prideful to think that our marriage is one that cannot by any means fall. I choose to protect ours. Again, not judging! Go ahead and check in with your old love, go ahead and keep him as a “friend” (you do see that I am NOT recommending that, though!), but I’m keeping my heart out of it for the sake of my husband’s. And mine.

* I love my children. When I am “checking” the computer multiple times a day or answering comments or sending texts on my cell, I may be thinking that I am giving importance to the person on the other end. What my children see, however, is that I’m giving importance to a piece of machinery. I am teaching by my actions that watching the back of my head is more important than spending time with me baking cookies, pulling weeds, or even just reading a book on the couch. What they are learning is that the computer and Internet is where life is *at*. I disagree! Life is enjoyed with God! And in smiling and playing with my children, and in feeding my hens, and in basking in whatever slice of sunshine I can get up here in the northwest!

* Lastly (I think), I love learning. I’ve been one step, one thesis away, from my masters degree for…..a year? I have books to read (and write!) and projects to tackle. It just sounds lame to me that “I don’t have time” to learn to (whatever) but somehow I found time to write a couple thousand news blurbs. Which were all about me. Like this blog (hmmm….) I want to learn to crochet. And soak grains for baking. And milk dairy goats. And just plain to better keep the home, mommy the kids, and love my husband. I’m a work in progress whose lifetime is a vapor. I want to suck the marrow out of life, REAL life.

Ultimately, the Facebook distraction was fodder for neglect. And it wasn’t important enough for me to figure out how to let it coexist with my life.

This is hard because I care too much what other people think. But that alone, perhaps, is the best reason for letting go of Facebook. I don’t condemn others for the choices they are making with their time and relationships; I don’t have time or the heart or the mental capacity to send zingers of judgment. I still care about all of my “friends”. I still want to know you more. But if I’m to be a real friend to you, your heart is going to have to be a little more exposed to mine in the process from now on, and not just through casual published headlines. It’s gonna cost you time and effort and risk. And that is why, I expect, I’ll always have just a “handful” of real friends with relationships that transcend technology, even if we do share a 140 letter tweet on occasion.

What One Silly Sign Will Do

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Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The King James Bible is a treasure. It is the absolute infallible Word of God, preserved for our time and forever. If any person saved or unsaved wanted to read God’s perfect, unerrant, complete and faithful finished translation of the Bible in English, I’d sincerely and joyfully give them a copy of the KJ Bible.

Are you still with me? Good, because there are some that will roll their eyes and depart rather than read on to find out how profitable this Book really is.

Recently, I bought a nice sign for my bathroom that stated, “Create in me a pure heart, O God”. For some reason, it needled me. And then I looked up the verse:

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God…

Clean! Not “pure”.

Are you still with me? Good, because there are some that will roll their eyes a second time and depart.

I have been studying the difference between “clean” and “pure” via 28 pages of printed out scripture and pages of chicken scratch that I better translate soon before I forget my train of thought. Anyone can do this with a King James Bible; simply look up every time any word appears and read ALL of the verses (and yes, don’t forget context!). The King James has a wonderful built-in dictionary that defines ITSELF, so there is no need for Bible dictionaries and lexicons and whatever else man has put together to “help” God’s servants understand His Word. And shouldn’t we be thankful for that?! Can you imagine our brethren in restricted nations burying and hiding their precious Bibles, *knowing* (falsely!) that they need collegiate material to *really* understand what God is saying to them? It’s just the same-old age-old “Yea, hath God said…” (Gen 3:1) pricking of the devil who tempts us with a tree of knowledge that we believe we need more than (in addition to) what God has given in His Book.

And the division! What a sorrow! Not only can the body no longer rise to repeat in one voice the Lord’s prayer or any other Scripture (because we are too busy finding versions that we personally “like”), but the infighting regarding Bible versions is crazy! Yes, there are “KJV-only” people who will verbally slay their Christian siblings (and God forbid, let me never be nor become that!), but there are equally “everything-else” people who will not even give the time of day to consider their concerns or will arrogantly puff up what they believe is academically superior knowledge regarding what God “really” said or “really” meant. The belittling on both sides is, well….unChristian! Come on, now, can we not reason together?

1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

In studying the difference between “clean” and “pure”, there are definitely some similarities as well, and sometimes are used synonymously. But in just this instance, let us look at it phonetically:

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart…

The word “create” and “clean” both start with a hard /c/ sound. And both have the /ea/ sound as well.

Visually, “create”, “clean” AND “heart” have EA in them.

With your mouth, just say the words: CREATE CLEAN, paying attention to where your lips are. Now say CREATE PURE. Which set creates more work? The second one, of course, with pursing the lips to say “pure”.

Why does this matter? Because in terms of Bible memorizing, the King James version is just plain easier! So, even if the two words were completely synonymous, choosing the word “clean” was and is the better choice. Furthermore, if the two choices really WERE synonymous (as in, “what does it really matter?”), then does not that make us wonder all the more why a change was necessary at all? How does this *new* word make it “easier” for us to understand?

Well, I set out this morning to type out my study and to share it and instead spent it explaining why one silly little sign with a different translation on it makes any difference at all. If you’re still with me, maybe now’s a good time to close up the computer and pick up the Word. Every word is precious. Savor them all.

Blessings,

Thirsty?

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Deuteronomy 33:3 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.

Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

I am so thankful for the Bible. It is an incredible Book, full of prophecy both fulfilled and yet to come, full of wisdom and history and life-changing Words. Reading it builds my faith, strengthens my character, brings me to repentance, teaches me to praise. I have found (on a quite regular basis, alas!) that my lack of zeal in reading it and studying it simply and shamefully exposes my heart in the importance I give God’s words, and in the woefully inadequate amount of gratitude I have for them.

I regret as a young woman not knowing the Lord, and with it not spending time in study of the Word. It is difficult at best to carve out time even with the best of intention with a husband and half a dozen children needing my attention. But, like any knitting project, picking at it bit by bit, even for small amounts of time during the day, adds up.

We must eshew the things that suck away what little free time we do have if they cause us to slumber from drinking of the Word. If we are more anxious and eager to check our email (or Facebook) accounts than to read the Bible, then let us be pricked, Oh God! If we are more willing to tap out our own words to others (talk talk talk) than to savor and spend time in prayer to our Father (and listen listen listen), then our view of ourselves is sorely in need of mending.

A King James Bible, a concordance, a notebook and pencil. And our hearts. With humility comes understanding and wisdom and strength for the day. If you’ve been a little thirsty lately, I just wanted to remind us all where the living water really is. Drink from it today.

Blessings,

Beginning of the End???

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I’m turning 40 tomorrow. The funny thing is I keep forgetting. And when I do remember, I find myself watching my children more, trying to embed deeply into my memory the flavor of being surrounded by six of them all day long. I’m listening to them more, hugging them more, looking into their eyes more. Recently, I put out the plates to prep them for supper portions and just stood there looking at them all. I felt a little like I was mourning. Today, a full life of husband, home and children. Tomorrow….what?

I’m really not trying to borrow trouble. But twice I’ve been told by well-meaning older women that 40 was the beginning of the end. Upcoming: aging in warp speed, the end of fertility, and rebellious teens (I’m still not buying that one, I don’t care how stupid that makes me).

It’s a little depressing. Even though I did get carded last week buying an Irish beer for my husband’s St. Patrick’s Day supper (THAT was funny).

Sometimes I really doubt myself about how content I really am. Maybe I’m not *happy* at all, but just snowed under delusions of how blessed my life is. Why do I feel *patted* on the head by people who claim to understand more or know what life’s all about, but can’t seem to walk in their own peace with Jesus Christ? Why do I even care? I hear 40 is also when you begin to really not care what other people think. But even that seems pretty self-serving, too. I do care about people. Mostly that they would be saved and come into His rest. Which means they generally know that. Pat pat pat.

So I looked at the long counter of empty waiting plates and I just got teary-eyed. I want to be my best and give it, too. I want to Jesus to complete His work in me, now, before I die. I want my husband to have an amazing wife, and my children to have a steadfast and faithful loving mother. I want my lips full of praise all day long and my heart full of faith and not fear. If forty is the beginning of the end, then I am doomed. Because certainly I have not arrived at any sort of mountain top yet. And my life is not about my *want*s anyway; it’s about God’s working in my life to mirror His Son, more and more. I just wish I could look in the mirror already and say, “Oh, hi Jesus!”

I wish I were happier about my birthday. But I think my Father is pleased with it, so where else shall I go? Tomorrow I am 40. By God’s grace.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Finding Courage in DisCOURAGEment, Pt 2

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Mothering and homemaking are hard work, so….work hard!

The loudest voices either tell us that our work at home is not of value or that if we succeed at any of it, we’re just Type A perfectionists. Put away feminist thought AND work hard to serve your family. Learning something new and accomplishing your goals are smart weapons in battling discouragement.

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Love and serve your family without apology.

Philippians 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Keep learning! Keep going forward! Keep your hand to the plow! Yes, you can learn to respect your husband, keep house, garden, raise children, butcher chickens 🙂 etc……

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 20:4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 9:10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope…

“Contemporary feminism is grounded on Gilman’s belief that a distorted nature characterizes those women who prefer homemaking and child-rearing to marching through those open gates into the workplace.”
Carolyn Graglia
Can the Traditional Family Survive Feminism?

Blessings,

Marshmallows

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The more time I spend in the kitchen, the more I figure out that a lot of the foods I buy at the market are overpriced, tasteless, and full of stuff I don’t want in my body. I couldn’t believe it the first time I figured out how to bake bread. The loaves coming out of my oven were warm and heavenly dripping with butter. The loaves I still brought home from the store….began to taste like metal. And then I figured out that buying *real* bread from the market (fresh, made with wholesome ingredients) was going to cost me $6 a loaf Photobucket.

I slowly began realizing that just about everything I could buy from the market, I could make at home. Except I could skip all the pharmaceutical acronyms and anything else I didn’t want in my food. I’m not saying I don’t ever buy the processed product. I’m just saying….I don’t have to.

So I made marshmallows recently. And no, I didn’t go dig up my marshmallow roots and extract the sap (but don’t put that past me). In fact, I didn’t even use a substitute for corn syrup (*gasp!*). The great thing about making this sort of thing from scratch is….I don’t make it from scratch often enough to worry about it. I figure it’s like fast food. As long as it’s not a daily diet, I’m probably going to live through it.

I’ve made marshmallows before, and this recipe was definitely easier. And yes, I printed out and read all 58 pages. There are a lot of variations, including different sweeteners and so forth. I would love to try using rosewater for a sweet pink and flavor someday. This time, I just went “basic”.

After preparing a 9×13 inch pan with powdered sugar, I put 1/2 cup water and 3 TB unflavored gelatin into the bowl of my mixer. Do NOT use beef gelatin! Unless you want your marshmallows to taste like beef. Which my first batch did. Y-U-C-K!!!

In a pot, I put 2 cups sugar, 2/3 cup corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. I heated and stirred the mixture until it hit 250 degrees on my thermometer.

Then I ran the mixture on low speed while I drizzled in the hot mixture from the pot. I added 1/4 tsp salt and turned the mixer on as high as I could (at an 8) without splattering boiling liquid around. The plastic wrap helped keep the splats contained while the mixture began to increase in volume.

It’s neat watching it start to fluff up! This whole process is quicker than a trip to the store!

I knew it was done once it all looked like marshmallow cream. At the end, I added 1 TB vanilla (ok, the vanilla was homemade, so that’s good, right?). I think the whole mixing process took about 7 minutes or so.

Then I poured the mixture into my prepared pan and let it sit overnight.

Do you think I’d put this spoon into the sink without licking it all off first?

The next morning I cut the slab into strips with my scissor-knife, and then into cubes. Powdered sugar helped it not be too sticky, but it took a little bit of patience.

I dredged the cubes in powdered sugar. No more sticky marshmallows! And ready for s’mores, eating out of hand, or putting into gift bags with a ribbon for whatever friend *happens* to drop by.

Yeah, they were delicious. And they didn’t last long enough to go stale, either. I bet if we did the hard work and learned to create all sorts of goodies from scratch instead of easily and carelessly piling them into our grocery carts, we certainly wouldn’t overeat any of them! I guess I better figure out how to make chocolate next (kidding! I think…)

Baby Pants

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Leaving Facebook hasn’t killed me and my friends are still talking to me so I was able to take it in stride when my cell phone broke, leaving me Twitterless in Seattle (so to speak), too. All I need now is for the dinosaur computer upstairs to completely melt down and that will be *it* for internet connection during the day. My husband takes a laptop to work everyday, so I can play on it in the evening when he’s home if he has other work to do. Like now.

So *instead* of Facebooking and putzing around online during the day (yikes! I have 284 unread blogs! And I only have 33 on my read list! Maybe that needs to be cut as well…) I’ve been catching up on things around the home and continuing my quest to learn how to sew clothing. Check out what I made today for my Ruby:

Isn’t it so cute?! I used this pattern and believe me, I didn’t believe I was going to end up with pants even when I was getting to the end of it. I couldn’t *see* how turning it around and whatnot was going to produce a product that two wee legs were going to get into. Was I surprised when it actually worked!

And come on now, won’t her little hiney look adorable in these? I sewed the pockets closed by mistake on purpose because she isn’t exactly at the point of using pockets yet.

Later that evening my husband brought me a birthday gift from a friend who won’t be able to go to my shing-ding given to me by my very sweet friends for my 40th birthday coming up. And I pulled out this:

Yes, this apron is GOR-GE-OUS. And yes, she made it all by herself. And yes, it puts my little pair of pants to sewing-shame. But I so ADORE this gift!!! It took her a crazy amount of time and effort and care that I am not even the little bit worthy of. Her time was the biggest gift. It was her *instead* that blessed me tremendously, and I am so humbled. Thank you, friend!!!

Blessings,

Wanna Play?

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Hmmm….what to do, what to do…

I think I’ll commando crawl as fast as I can to the end of the door!

Then I’ll close it before Mommy shows up!

Thankfully her toes are keeping my fingers safe!

Then I’ll peek-a-boo to see Mommy say, “Boo!”

It’s just so funny!

And now let’s do that over and over and over…

Retreat Bookmarks, Part 2

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Well, I finally finished up the hundred and whatever bookmarks with some help from my friends (thank you kiss kiss!). Figuring out how to transport and display them was a challenge. Two half-gallon jars like this one did the trick:

….at least until I tipped the jar over…

That’s when you know you have good friends. They’re the ones that will stay until every one is untangled. And then….then they’ll do it again at retreat when the last dozen or so get tangled again. Beaded bookmarks are beautiful. But a hundred of them? Dangerous.

Beaded bookmarks

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So I’m liking the new “Instead” theme I have going on. Now that I’ve decluttered my online life a bit, I’m finding a lot of things to do “instead”. Currently, I’m beading a hundred-and-so bookmarks for gifts at a ladies retreat, ala Above Rubies. I cannot wait to go and be surrounded by a hundred (and so) women who respect their husbands, keep their homes and love love love their children….or so they try! No eyeball rolling, muffin-topping, man-hating for two full days. Staying up so late that laughter mixes with tears only because I’m too stinkin‘ tired to even get the joke but it is SO hilarious. Reminding myself that enjoying the beauty of Biblical womanhood and motherhood is a true blessing. Worshipping God through song and hearing the testimonies of many, many who-would’ve-thought ladies. Bliss.

I’ve been making bookmarks for these ladies for a few years now. This year I decided to go with beads. Oy my eyes. I like the stainless steel butterflies, new creature and all.

Here is what a finished one looks like. The top has a washer attached that a woman can pound out a word or verse reference on with my ABC punch set. I think that’s totally cool. I used embroidery floss, separated into three threads per strand.

I like how it looks hanging from my Bible. It’s mixed in here along with another threaded and beaded bookmark.

The best part of this “instead” is spending time with the real young lady right in front of my eyes. And the best part of the upcoming retreat is taking her, her 8 year old sister, and Ruby with me. I’m thankful.

Blessings,

Natural Face Care

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I’m pretty fickle about health care products, and can’t seem to find *the* magic potion that I will love for more than a couple of purchases. When I was in my twenties, I bought the fancy (and expensive) department store lotions to combat the “signs of aging”. I laugh about that now!

As I learned more about what I was eating and what I ought to eat, I began to question what I was putting onto my skin, and what my skin was eating. Turning over the beautiful pink boxes to read the list of nonsensical jumble of letters that made up some sort of chemical concoction certainly gave me pause. I was also extremely concerned about the over-the-top expectations that our culture had about youthfulness and what constituted beauty. I’m sure a lot of you have seen this portrayal of going from reality to “the standard”.

I’ve been comfortable in my own skin for a long time. Thankfully, I have a husband who is comfortable with how I look as well! The basic things I do are to keep my face clean (morning and night), and to give my skin moisture. Currently I like the pomega facial cleanser I am using; I got it for myself for Christmas and I’m only halfway through the bar. Every few days I will use an exfolia cloth to gently scrub off the dead skin cells.

In the morning I use a light amount of straight almond oil for moisture. At night, if my skin is feeling really dry, I’ll use coconut oil. What I’ve really been liking lately is the “Perfect Cream” I made from a recipe by Rosemary Gladstar (who, by the way, has *interesting* beliefs, but great recipes). I used the azulene oil that was leftover from my wax strips and my cream not turned a lovely blue, but my face loved the calming effect of the chamomile. Some mornings, I will use witch hazel for an astringent before moisturizing.

For makeup, I use products that I feel good about my skin being exposed to. I’ve been using Logona products for about a decade now. I know I ought to wear a sunscreen….just add that to the list of I oughts 🙂

I will tell you that no product on the planet can make you more beautiful than your smile. And nothing will age your face faster than a sour countenance. Use whatever products you like and are comfortable with, but if you want true beauty, learn to live out the joy of the Lord.

Psalms 16:6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places…

Blessings, from an almost 40 year old

Finding Courage in DisCOURAGEment, Pt 1

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Let’s talk about discouragement, because it’s been in far too plenty of a supply these days. Grab some tea, listen in on A Happy Home’s first podcast*, and ponder changing the eyewear.

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We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.
–Helen Keller

“What you see in the circumstances around you is dependent upon the lens that make up the glasses upon your face.”

Three sets of glasses to try on:

1. The glasses of opportunity
“Difficulties are opportunities for our growth and sanctification, not enemies nor proof of our failures.”
2. The glasses of vision
“This, too, shall pass.”
3. The glasses of gratitude
“The more we look for things to be grateful for, the more our joy grows.”

What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
–John Lubbock

Lamentations 3:22-3 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Psalms 77:9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?

Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Psalms 144:15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose Godis the LORD.

* What’s a podcast? Click here for a very clear explanation, given by my very marvelous husband.

Life or Death

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The frogs are newly noisy in the evenings so even though the calendar disagrees, I say spring has sprung! When I am able to meander outside during the day, I find myself looking for signs of life, whether they include bulbs pushing up through the soil or buds ripening on the fruit trees. I also find myself more aggressive in shooing the hens out of my kitchen garden because if my garlic gets dug up there is going to be major amounts of chicken pot pie on the stovetop, pronto!

I do have some areas in the gardens that cause me pause. I’m just not sure if particular trees and whatnot are going to pull through and live, much less thrive. When I gently bend back the twigs, some are, well, green and “bendy”……and some just sadly snap off. So I just keep them in the ground, tending to them, waiting. Waiting to see if life prevails.

This wee magnolia tree I rescued from an overgrown patch of woods last fall. Lichen is growing all over it (is that bad?) but several branches have buds. I think. I’m almost sorry I moved it when I recall the beautiful white flowers that originally came forth through the brambles. I’m waiting to see what happens.

This crab apple tree was taking over all of the sunshine in my kitchen garden, and up here in the Pacific Northwest, we need all of the sun on our vegetables that we can get! So I moved it last fall to a place where my chicken tractor had been parked. Unfortunately, I didn’t think until later about all of that great (and hot) chicken-poo that was now mixed into the soil. I think I fried half my tree. But I’m waiting to see what happens.

Roses got moved as well. I love roses. But I do wish they loved living in maritime weather; it is always a struggle to keep their leaves unpunctured by bugs and blackened by mold. I’m sure using a chemical solution would be helpful (and I have done so in the past) but now that I’m keeping honeybees I’m a lot wiser about that sort of thing. So I just live with whatever holes the organic essential oil sprays can’t keep from occurring. And yes, I’m unsure how the transplants went. I’m waiting to see what happens.

My daughter’s been making valiant efforts to save two runts from the two litters of rabbit babies (kits). She’s been successful (we think) on saving one by helping the mom to nurse the wee thing, but there is another one who the mother has completely rejected and won’t let nurse. My daughter’s been struggling with fostering the runt on the other doe. It’s unsure what will happen to the little one. I’m waiting to see what happens.

Do you see a theme here? I have no guarantees about how my efforts will play out when I care for anything that’s been gifted with life. All I know is that life is beautiful, and whatever the future holds, I will always be grateful to God for having even just a small part in the wonder of it all. Even if a lot of it seems to be…waiting to see what happens.

Blessings,

Sibling Relationships

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One of the reasons I love homeschooling is that it fosters good sibling relationships. Brothers and sisters are home, together, all day long during the hours that they are at their best. Older brothers and sisters learn to love and care for their younger siblings, and, in essence, are pre-learning good parenting skills. Younger siblings not only have multiple friends to play with but have models of what it is to work cheerfully, honor parents, and grow in good manners and character. There is plenty of time for youngers to play with youngers, and olders to “hang out” with olders. It is wonderful! I totally disagree that children “need friends their own age” or “friends that are just their own” (in other words, outside of the family). Whatever for? Instead, I encourage our children that other friends (and yes, they do have them!) come and go all through life, but brothers and sisters will, for better or worse, be brothers and sisters all of their lives. That is one reason I believe that the best *gift* you can ever give your child….is a(nother) sibling.

Here is my 8 year old playing a game she made up with her 5 year old sister. Even the die was made from paper! My 8yo enjoyed teaching her sis something new, and my 5yo was happy to get some one-on-one time with one of her big sisters. No one loses in that game!

It is worth the hard work of running a busy household and organizing learning opportunities for each individual child when it stokes the hope they will all be there for one another when that blessed day comes and we are no longer with them. I am thankful, truly thankful, for the chance to foster good relationships between them while they are under our care and guidance.

Instead (of Facebook)

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I closed up my Facebook account. Again. This time I’ll be wise and not go “check to see if I’m still there”. In case you didn’t know (or care), once you’re signed up, you’re forever signed up. They just keep you in their back pocket for the day you return, and when you do, voila! Every setting you had is brought right back up! I find it creepy, but there it is.

I’ve been sitting on a blog post about why I left, mostly to explain to whomever “friend” decides to stop by here to figure me out (hello!). It’s a hard thing, though, explaining why I don’t find it a blessing without stepping on the toes of part of the 400 million people that apparently do. So…it’s just sitting here, waiting. For whomever cares. It’ll come, but not tonight.

I also cleaned out my email box of newsletters, groups and so forth. None of it was bad; it was all great! But, they added to my computer load of little foxes, stealing from the vines of my time. I also recommitted my blog’s “no comments” policy. I tried to offer them (and thank you for those of you that commented!), but they once again became stumbling blocks for me.

I have to realize that the time I have is short, and I can’t do it all, even though I want to belong to the “everyone’s doing it” club. It is all right; I’m the only one that has to live my life. No one’s reading this blog by compulsion 🙂

Decluttering my time has been good. I’ve been able to do many things “instead”. Like taking the time to write not one, but two friends who are either contemplating or trying to divorce. I think they knew I would say hard things (though I tried to be loving about it). But it’s still hard. I want to belong to the “I want to be everyone’s friend” club, too. Sometimes principles and people cross. Besides, I think that friends that don’t tell you the truth are not friends at all. Do I nod approval to maintain friendships? If I fear losing a friend, then I am not loving at all, but rather self-centered on my own needs to have that person in my life. It is a sad thing, all around. I don’t know if I’ll hear from either one again. I pray for their families to be restored.

In my “instead” time, I took up crocheting. I really like it! I thought I’d crochet a scarf so that I can really learn the basic stitches (over and over and over….). At the rate I’m going, it may be finished by fall. It’s made with a lovely green alpaca yarn that feels so delicious!

We welcomed eleven live baby bunnies this week! One was lost at birth, and we lost one today, so now have ten. They are so darling! We didn’t breed our chocolate Havana rabbits at all last year, so it has been fun to do that again. We sell or give away our kits either for pets or for 4H projects. Raising rabbits has been such a good experience for my 12 year old daughter.

In the garden, we’ve been redoing and replanting raspberry beds, and this year I added marrionberries to it. We’re planting elderberries and a goji berry bush as well. Twelve new peony roots are starting to poke through the soil. It’s hard to see all of these small, insignificant sticks poking out of the ground; they don’t seem like much. I try to stay focused on the future harvest and beauty by giving attention to small beginnings now. Sort of like building a family, yes? Asparagus roots were put into the garden as well; they were a complete flop last year. Failing doesn’t mean it’s over, though. Sort of like building a family, yes?

Instead of computer time, I’ve gotten some books read, and projects finished….and some books bought and projects planned (it’s an ongoing illness ha). New life is pumping into homeschooling and homemaking, and that is a blessing as well. Here is my finally finished Civil War reproduction-fabric quilt! I think it just looks beautiful, and I was pleased to put it over our player piano. My husband says it’s one of his favorites. Mine, too.

It is a blessing to be home, and to make a house a home. My ongoing challenge is to not let the distractions become fodder for neglect. Sometimes, the “instead” things are truly better.

Blessings,

“The Only One”

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When my eldest was only six years old, we went to the mall to get her birthday portrait taken. Between meandering teens seemingly coasting through the day on neutral between smokes and tattoo comparisons, we weaved passed the banners hanging from store fronts promising us youthful flamboyancy in exchange for credit card swipes. It was a little exasperating trying to shield my daughter’s little eyes from the boobs falling out all over the place, both in pictures and in person. Then, we passed by “the store” that began with the letter “V” that was full of women who didn’t even come close to looking like the come-hither woman on the floor length flags.

“Momma?”
“Yes, baby?” (rush rush rush)
“What’s ‘s*xy’ mean?”

The worst part of having an early reader is that they can read early. And read EVERYTHING.

I can’t remember how I blustered my way through that conversation but I do remember that that was about the last time I ever took any of my babies through the mall.

So my husband, bless his heart, brings home the community paper that I’d been asking him for so I can read my favorite columnist (him). I flipped through and what should greet my eyes on the back but a jewelry advertisement that states, “Because s*x doesn’t last forever.”

My eight year old girl saw it. She probably wanted to see why my mouth was agape.

“…..I don’t get it,” she says.
Thank heavens, thinks I. And I quickly change the conversation and close the paper and forgo lamenting when my husband forgets to bring it home.

Yesterday, I finally got around to calling the advertising department of the newspaper.

“Hello. I’m calling regarding an ad you ran last week on the back page. The one from the jeweler….?”

The woman I spoke with was very nice. She admitted she hesitated when her boss ran the ad, but they decided to go with it (money speaks) just see how it fell out.

Apparently, it “fell out” well, because I am “the only one” who has voiced a complaint.

Then I called the jeweler and spoke to her, also. She appreciated the feedback (or so she said). But, there too, I was “the only one”.

The only one? I have to think not! Just because mommies are too tired at the end of a shopping trip at the noisy grocery store to call up a condescending twentysomething year old manager who will take ten minutes to show up while the toddlers are fussing past their naptimes in the middle of a group of impatient people who just want them out of the way to voice a complaint about the semi-p*rnagraphic nature of “news” magazines at the checkout stands DOES NOT MEAN mommies do not care and are not frustrated by the fact we cannot and will not put horse blinders upon our children’s eyes and stuff cotton into their ears to avoid the sleazy TV soap advertisements and music lyrics that this same manager thinks appropriate for his shoppers.

I don’t know what the answer is. I can’t take the time to call on everything I find offensive, and truthfully it seems that these days even a lot of very nice folks are calling everything the Lord calls evil “good” and vice versa. Purity and wholesomeness sounds too quaint, I guess. I just find it sad.

New Life

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Every now and then I take the time to allow my eyes to see what isn’t pretty. And I stop making excuses for its existence. What started here with good intentions became overrun with weeds, and instead of doing the hard work of pulling it all out, I just let it go. No harm to anyone. But no fruit, er, berries to speak of either. Sometimes it’s time to just get busy.

I appreciated the chance to dig up these raspberry canes. Thankfully the ground was nice and soft from the wet winter. It was a little discouraging when I began, because most of them looked sadly unsave-able from neglect. I regretted the time I let pass without giving them any attention. The job would certainly have been a lot less painful if I had been diligent keeping my hands to the plow. Or hoe.

It wasn’t too bad. The fresh air was brisk, and the sun poked through the canopy overhead. And my friend Jesus was there, teaching me. As much as I *knew* about cutting back old canes to make room for new, I didn’t *understand* it until I began pulling up the roots. Two canes, same root. One is sickly and spent, the other a merciful second chance but hindered by its roommate.

Which was the good cane? Why, the one on the left, the one with the promise of spring, loaded into the buds. The other was a fake, just an empty shell with dried up bud scabs. It sure looked great, though, all those straight canes in the bed, looking so full and healthy. I let myself believe it to avoid the clean up job. Even the lack of fruit didn’t sway me. I was flippant. I bought berries last summer from the store instead.

I was sorry for it, but instead of staying in the mire, I took to digging, pulling, pruning, planting. I asked my husband for help, and he built boundaries for my canes. I didn’t think I’d have enough canes even for one half of a small row, but God multiplied my efforts and gave me two full rows with some to spare. Repentance does that.

I’m not sure the Lord will bless me with raspberries this year. But what I learned in the process was far more sweet. Jesus loves me enough not to leave me as I am; I ought to love Him enough to allow Him to change me.

With gratitude,

Father and Son(s)

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One thing I really appreciate about my husband is his heart to disciple and build relationship with his own sons. He realizes that these boys are going to grow up to be men, and the best thing he can do is to keep them as much as possible by his side to work and play. These boys are learning from their daddy what it means to be a hard-working and loving family man, not from the TV (where men are often portrayed as buffoons), and certainly not from their peers (blind leading the blind there!).

Here you can see both my husband and oldest son (9) working together to produce his podcast, Spinal Column Radio. My son feels so important, so valued that his daddy wants him to be there.

I know this is a hard thing for a lot of people, our family included. Men of today were just not brought up day after day under their own father’s wings, and their fathers were not discipled by their fathers either. At some point, however, some man during some generation will need to put the brakes on the statist idea that children don’t need their parents. My husband decided that he would be the one. So he brings his son alongside, stumbles a bit, and tries again. My son is learning a lot about work, about grace. He is learning, also, how to be a father to our grandchildren.

And I, as a wife and mother, am learning to keep the whole matter in prayer! I cannot *push* my husband to do such things. But God is faithful to turn his heart as I trust His ways.

My 3 year old son is already close to his daddy’s side as well. He has great dreams of doing a “monkey podcast”. And knowing Tom, the website and plans are probably already in the works.

May the Lord bless the men in your life!

A Valentine You Can Afford

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When we were dating, we had no money. But still we splurged on gourmet expensive suppers and flowers, thanks to Mr. Visa. Now we’re married, older and wiser, and we’ve kicked Mr. Visa out of our lives, which generally means that the high-end eating in AND out came to a slow and painful death, but…on the positive side of things, I learned to cook!

We’ve been affected by the recession like most people, and running our own business makes it quite a ride. This year (like last year….and the last…) I don’t have extra slushy money to go buy my husband a cool new tool from Home Depot. Instead I decided that the best gift I could give us was a really clean and tidy bedroom, one that feels restful from the moment you enter.

This year, my offering for our bedroom was new pillowcases. I made these pillow cases myself last week with some vintage looking fabric. My husband says they remind him of his grandmother. I laughed and said that it was a good thing we happen to have loved her very, very much!

Making pillow cases is not too hard. Just google “free pillowcase patterns”. And no, they don’t have to match your sheets!

Don’t they look lovely next to the colored artwork my 5 year old thought Mom and Dad would love above their bed?

We’ve never bought anything expensive for our home or bedroom, which is a good thing because I love the look of shabby chic/flea market/make it do. The bed is a futon with a locally made mattress of cotton and wool stuffing. And the round chair was one I bought from my college days. It’s still my favorite place to sit. I made the quilts myself. The rest of the blankets are….well, old. But clean and well cared for. I make the bed every day. I suppose every woman has their “gotta do’s” in their home; this one is one of mine. I find it soothing to see it during the day, and delicious to climb into a crisp well-made bed in the evening.

Here’s a close up of one of my quilts. I just love the whimsy little birdy!

I like a little bit of black in every room. In our bedroom, we have a stove that magically turns on with a switch, and a beautiful bentwood cradle that my husband used as a babe. It’s a good reminder that babies are a natural fruit from a good and godly marriage. I don’t take my fertility for granted; and I know I will mourn the day when it goes. I am thankful for my six children. I don’t pine for more, but they are welcome should they come. I have peace. And a cradle I love.

This was one of the splurges of the house: the biggest picture window we could get. It looks north, and I can see my dairy goats, hens, ducks and dogs meandering about in our little clearing in the woods. From my chair I can watch the driveway for my husband when he is coming home late. Sometimes I think about drapes. Then I think about cost, dust, cleaning, and cutting the view. I have no neighbors other than the coyotes, so I don’t worry much about privacy. Not that I walk in the skin!

I think every married couple needs a framed photo from their wedding in their bedroom. A good reminder of that time when your spouse sent you flying over the moon in love. The spark is still there. Remember it.

This was an old antique refrigerator given to us by my husband’s *other* grandmother, who I regret to this day not getting the opportunity to meet. I’d love to fill it full of quilts. Right now it’s full (full!) of old piano rolls for our player piano. Which thankfully is not in our bedroom!

On the floor I have a basket full of silk hydrangeas. I generally do not like *fake* flowers (or even dried dusty ones), but these I could not leave at the store! So I just fluff and dust them regularly and enjoy them.

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In case you’re wondering, our baseboards are large. They are 7 inches tall! And the paint is called “Indian Painting” (8283w). It’s pink enough for me, clay enough for my husband. I love how it looks with the northern lighting; it’s very relaxing.

We don’t keep a TV in our room. Actually, we don’t keep a TV anywhere in the house anymore, but even when we did, the TV was still banned from the bedroom. So was (and is) the treadmill. I don’t like the look of big electronics and machinery in our room. I want our room to be a sanctuary, not a storage room either. That doesn’t mean, however, that it is always clean and neat as a pin.

Don’t have money for a valentine? Maybe with a little time and attention, your bedroom can become the one big valentine that will last the whole year through. Hearing my husband settling in for the night with a satisfying sigh in a room that encourages relaxation is, to me, worth the amount of effort and time on my part as a small token of my love.

Possess and Dwell

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1 Corinthians 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?

I’m a homemaking, homesteading, homeschooling wife and mother of six who, even with all of the work that goes on around here, sometimes wonders at the end of the day, “Where did my day go?!”

And I admit that when I ponder on that a little too much, I spend the next day allowing escapism to rule my time, avoiding chores that need to be tackled, ignoring little gnawing discipline issues, and eating way too much chocolate.

It’s not God’s way, nor the best for me. He’s had me parked a bit on this verse:

Joshua 21:43-44 And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.

1. The Lord gave me my home. He brought me a lovely man, a goodly marriage, six beautiful children, interesting farm animals, and a garden that gives me pleasure. My pantry is full and my fridge runs on electric power. I have the ability and freedom to drive where I want, dress how I please and have my own Bible in hand. Compared to the rest of the world, I am obscenely and ridiculously wealthy.

2. It’s my job to “possess” it. This means, lamenting I can’t find the time to study God’s Word, cook from scratch, garden a row of tomatoes, sew a straight stitch, or teach phonics needs to give way to active learning, seeking, praying, and pursuing the means to equip me to do so. Enough of the “but it’s not me” spirit. What a stench that must be in God’s nostrils! Even teaching a child to read is not something the Lord won’t help me do, no matter how equipped I *feel*.

3. The whole point of possessing the land is to dwell in it. The whole point of my learning to cook is to enjoy the pleasure of eating healthy and tasty food on our own large wooden table. The whole point of making my bed and keeping my bedroom clear of clutter is to have a restful place for me and my husband to relax in the evening. If our bodies are not at home, it seems to me that it would be even more difficult to keep our hearts there. And yes, our body CAN be physically home while our mind is o-u-t. Not even a child is fooled by that. Did I mention I am speaking to myself here!

4. The Lord gives me rest in it all as I work to possess it. Avoidance or disdain for even the little things of homemaking do not bring about rest; it brings guilt and discouragement and perhaps even jealousy or anger if another woman seems to get it done and well. Even sitting down on the inside while outwardly up “doing my duties” is NOT restful. It is tiring to focus on self, on how I can’t do this, or am too weary to do that. It’s also a stink to those around. What are they supposed to do? Rub your back and send you to the tub with a mocha? (Hmmmm…that does sound good…). I don’t even reward my own children when they whine; why would God bless me for it?

5. The Lord delivers me from my enemies through it all. Mommy-enemies include bad thinking (“stinkin’ thinkin’”), little time robbers (that add up), selfishness, worldliness, too much focus on outside friends or events, and a low view of her God-ordained position or herself.

Possessing the land is ACTION. It is complete mental and physical and spiritual application. It means focusing on what God wants us to do…which is not what we think, it is rather what He says. The “land” is there and waiting for US to get busy possessing. The Lord’s rest and protection will follow as we trust Him to lead and obey.

Don’t give up! Focus on the Lord’s priorities and all of our own priorities will fall into place quite easily. Then even the little chocolate morsels will be even sweeter, and the days more than not will *go* to glorify God in all things.

Blessings,

Something Pretty for Me

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Remember the beautiful fabric I had? I finally did a project that I think came out so pretty! I am so going to enjoy pulling this out, unrolling it, creating and coloring and then rolling it back up.

The pockets are supposed to fit one pencil a piece, to match the background fabric. But how can I just put in one pencil of orange when there are three other variations? I may just go back and fill in the other singleton pockets as well. I like using Prismacolor pencils.

I was able to make this in about three hours (not all at once!). If you’d like to give it a go, here is a place you can buy the pattern. Even though I’m not an artist, I just love playing with things like this, and I know I’ll enjoy having this on my desk for a long, long time.

Herbes de Provence

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I was following a crockpot recipe from a cookbook written by a fellow blogger when I came across an ingredient I didn’t have on hand: herbes de provence. I used to have available to me every spice and seasoning available (or so it seemed), but over the years I’ve weeded out the ones I hardly use. Like herbes de provence.

So I checked online and found a recipe. I was pretty excited as I went down the list because I had every one of the seasonings from my last summer’s garden ready and dried! So after I did my little snoopy dance, I measured and put together my own herbes de provence mix:

2 1/2 TB oregano
2 1/2 TB thyme
2 TB savory
2 TB lavender
1 tsp basil
1 tsp sage
1 tsp rosemary

It’s beautiful. It smells incredible. Now I just need to find more recipes that use this mix. And more seeds to grow twice as many plants this year so that I will have plenty leftover to share.

Mindless Sewing

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This was a mindless craft. Meaning….I was in no mind to be thinking about following a pattern or reading directions, I just wanted to be sewing. I used felt, which is my current addiction, and drew hearts, sewed them together, stuffed them and then embroidered the words. I think they came out all right.

I was pretty clueless about what to do with these silly things. So I hung them on our tree in the living room. It almost looks *magazine-ish*.

And as much as I love all of those flea-market junk-finds that other people seem to make look SO neat in their own homes, I can never seem to awaken that creative part of my brain (is it really there?). But, I did a happy little jig when I figured out that the antique wooden screen I’ve had for-ever would be a great earring holder. Just don’t tell me that this is so-duh-old-news on the shabby chic front!

Heart Hurts, Hands Work Part 2

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I’m beginning to see a pattern here.

When (multiple) friends miscarry their babies, I mop the entire house. In one night.
When (three) friends bury their babies, I knit like mad. And I am a terrible knitter.
And when (two) friends have to help “torture their babies” with chemotherapy “in a prison”, I get sweeping. And window cleaning. And sewing. Anything to keep moving.

As if motion could make it all go away.

My mom wonders often, “What’s wrong with the world?”
I tell her just as often, “We are.”

Sin decays everything, even the innocents. I hate the devil. I hate cancer. I hate death. So I just cry out to God (who could have kept these things from happening….who is good, all the time…). And I keep my hands moving. I want to be angry. But how shall I be angry at God? He sees the beginning to the end. I know nothing. Worm. But He still lets me cry. And hurt.

Just last week my friend and I were discussing all of the crazy demands on her time. Two days ago all of that noise got cut off as she whisked her two year old son to the hospital where he was promptly diagnosed with leukemia. And there she is, with her son, while her husband and five other children and home and dogs and goats and poultry and new pony and milking cow await for the two of them to come home. In a month. Minimum. And then she can add “three years of cancer treatments” to her calendar.

But, hey….at least she can meet my 5 year old neighbor, who is there as well battling her own cancer.

*sigh*

When these things happen, I just get busy. I don’t know if I pray better that way or if it’s just a distraction so I don’t have to get buried in despair. All I know is that if I can create something lovely from working through the pain, then maybe…maybe it’ll be a puny way of kicking satan in the teeth. His bite may be horrible and fearful and loud, but even my friends know how it all ends.

The empty tomb was just the beginning. Someday, sweet mommies, someday…

Artists in Training

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In my mental calendar, January is the month for finishing up inside projects because February will show itself quickly and suddenly I will be in the middle of garden planning and seed starting. I will also have had enough of *staying inside* and will be pruning, raking, cleaning up from wind storms and hunting for any sign of spring. I know this about myself.

And yet, I also know that I never completely finish up everything in January, because what fun is that? At the end of the month, I know I will still have unfinished knitting projects. Which is all right, because around these parts, it still rains in February.

S’ok. I can still *garden* inside. Doesn’t this fabric look LUSCIOUS? Check out those beans! And those peaches! Figs! I can’t wait to show you what this is going to be.

All of our children love doing art and handwork. I love to encourage them, but admittedly find the discipline of sending them to clean up afterwards not so fun. In any case, the 3 and 5 year olds played with oil pastels yesterday. I love these crayons! They are so fat, so bright, so smudgy beautiful.

I’m not that creative. I don’t often come up with original crafty or artsy ideas. I’m also not even that good at any of it. But I love the process. Someday I’ll have all eternity to learn to draw and watercolor. In the meantime, I use Atelier Art for my children and a crazy amount of craft books and blogs for ideas for myself.

I love teaching my children *real* art. That is, rather than a book of cut and paste, I like providing construction paper, scissors, glue and instruction. I don’t much care for crafts that someone else did, and all that is needed is a photocopier. Easier, yes. And even though I am thankful for patterns, I do think the typical “art” for preschoolers via workbooks and such hinders imagination.

Even a three year old can play with raw materials. Going to an “ingredient” store that is locally owned and operated is way fun: an art supply store, a fabric store, a bead store, a yarn store…. These places have people passionate about their craft and LOVE to share techniques, supplies and encouragement. It beats the bigger label stores by a mile, where I usually end up in a conversation similar to this:

“Can you tell me where the jump rings are?”
(wide eyed)
“You know, the beading supplies?”
“Oh! Let me see…aisle 12B….hmmm…(he starts walking me there)…now what did you want? Hmm….it must be here somewhere….what do they look like?…..“

I enjoy the kids art program very much. They have learned about all sorts of different media and techniques, and been able to showcase their very own talent and imagination. We usually pick one piece of artwork for the year that we like best, and frame it. Most have been entered into the county fair, and the acknowledgment and ribbons from objective parties makes these children even more proud of their hard work.

Their finished products do NOT get thrown out. They are learning about different artists, as well, which works for me because as much as I love Charlotte Mason’s ideas of a monthly “artist study”, I can never seem to make that a reality.

As for me, I have several *almost finished* projects to share soon. It’s good for the children to see that mommy has a creative side, also. I don’t stress about getting any of my projects done in a certain timeframe; I just pick at them here and there when I can. After all, if something isn’t done in time for this Valentine’s Day, it will probably be finished just in time for next year’s! Fifteen or thirty minutes of drawing or knitting a day adds up to well over an hour at the end of the week. I know if I sent my children away during the day I’d get a lot more of these finished, but….right now, they are the masterpieces in progress 🙂

I’m leaving comments open again. Managing my time with blogging is an artform as well. I need to step carefully.

Naturally Reared Animals

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Nothing in human nature is so God-like as the disposition to do good to our fellow-creatures.
Samuel Richardson

I am so thankful to the Lord for the privilege of keeping and raising a variety of animals. It is hard work, but the pleasure of being around them is but a partial return that includes meat, milk and eggs. Furthermore, these wonderful creatures are character-honing tools for not only myself, but for the children as well. Generally speaking, if they are well looked after, they thrive. If they are not, sickness and death are inevitable.

We are slowly making changes in the care of our animals, from conventional means to a more natural method. This means, for our family, that we are not overvaccinating them, we are giving them real food, and that when there are health problems, we will treat with herbs and such before turning to chemical means. We keep in contact with a conventional vet who is respectful of our choices, and (bonus!) makes house calls.

We expect our animals to have strong immune systems and to be as healthy as they can all possibly be. We do our best to keep their areas clean, their water fresh, and to give them access to as much sunshine as our Northwest weather will allow.

Here are some examples of what we have done, and where we hope to go.

My maremma puppy spent his first 6 weeks on his mama and on the cheapest dog food the breeder could provide. I was a little concerned with just switching his food suddenly, but he had no problems whatsoever. He is now 4 months old. My lab is going on 9 years old. Both dogs get a diet of raw meaty bones and meat, along with blended veggies and some supplements. I believe they have no need of grain. The adult gets 2-3% of his weight in feed (and the pup 5-10%) which I can change as needed depending on their activity levels and girth. My pup was looking too lean for me (you can see that in the photo even), so I’ve upped his ration and added more oils/fats. I also give them preprepared raw meat mixes that my local pet store carries, as that is easier sometimes. My pup is still eating 2-3x a day. The vet gave them both a clean bill of health just this month, and we only vaccinated them for rabies. And I will tell you that my lab (did I mention he is almost 9?) has NO TARTER on his teeth whatsoever. They are very pearly white, very clean. Feeding my dogs this way is not cheap, but do you know how much dental care for a dog is?! I shop for people-grade meat and buy when it is less than $1 a pound. Using high grade kibble isn’t that much cheaper, and this is so much better. Their eyes and fur are shiny. Even their poop is a lot smaller than those gross fat things I see other dogs do.

These are the dog books I used to come up with a better diet for them. I don’t agree with everything in them (especially when it comes to worldview), but they sure were helpful.

My kinder goats were the first to get a better diet. When they arrived, their skin was dry and their fur very dull. We took them to get bred, and neither of them took. When I compare how they look today, I am so happy! Their fur is so shiny and I *think* both are now expecting kids (but the proof will be in March!) For them, I buy bulk amounts of barley, oats, wheat bran, soybean oil, cane molasses and salt, and mix them according the recipe in this book:

I also give them a handful of sunflower seeds, which they love, and give them free choice baking soda and minerals that were mixed especially for this area. Once a week, they get an herbal wormer I got from Fiasco Farm. Once that is out, I plan to make my own mix from a recipe a friend shared with me. I also want to substitute the soybean oil for something else as I am not a fan of soy and don’t want that in my goat milk.

They are not vaccinated. The breeder we use hasn’t vaccinated any of her herds in the last 30 years, and with good practices, I don’t think we will need to, either.

Here is another book I have gotten good information from (but, you know, like a bowl of cherries, you eat the good stuff and spit out the pits):

The poultry is next in line for a change. We are still feeding them layer feed which at this point is looking like compressed I-don’t-know-what. And that is the problem. Because the I-don’t-know-what ends up in our EGGS. Are we getting GMO corn? I bet we are! We have given up on using chicken and duck tractors (basically, movable coops) and these ladies (and three gentlemen) are SO happily free ranging. They eat up slugs, and keep the bug population way down. They scratch up all the weeds (yay!) and onion starts (boo!). They are a hoot to watch. The ducks travel as “one” each quackquackquacking behind another, and the hens have a seriously funny wiggle-dance they do with their backsides as they scratch and peck. Our very healthy and active dogs do a fabulous job of keeping raccoons, coyotes, and whatever else that’s hungry at bay. I can hardly believe the bald eagles have left us alone as well.

I will tell you that the grain that is left over from the goats, these poultry love! They will forgo their pellet feed every time for recognizable food, which I think further validates that their pellet feed is not good. I did find a recipe online for mixed chicken feed, but WOW, there were a lot of ingredients that even included amaranth and multi-colored lentils. Talk about million dollar hens! My first thought was that my Greek YaYa living in the village away from electricity, phones and running water certainly didn’t have pellet feed OR gourmet grains to feed her hens…but she had eggs!

By far the most amazing change has been with my calico cat. Our vet gave her a shot for her skin condition because she was so inflamed there, and prescribed antibiotics. Well, two days of throwing that up got old real quick, so we quit that. This cat was also regularly hacking up her food and hair balls. It was so frustrating! Off to the locally owned pet store I went to find help, thinking that once again I needed to try a different pet food.

Well! What do you know but that the owner was there and we had a lovely conversation about naturally rearing animals. I decided to forgo the high end kibble we were buying and instead got simple canned food that had nothing but fish, chicken, vegetables, and supplements in it. NO GRAIN.

And do you know what?! Her skin condition disappeared. She stopped hacking up. Even the black goop that I was regularly cleaning from her eyes stopped completely, which was a total surprise to me. And I know this will be hard to believe, but her litter box does NOT smell like it used to. This cat would do the deed and the smell would waft and cause numerous window sashes to fly open. Now I hardly notice if my daughter misses a few days of cleaning out the box. I know I am not imaging this because my husband is the one who pointed it out and he hates cat litter boxes. The box we use is just the cheapo $2 sort. But seriously, goodbye stinky cat poo.

I’m feeding my bees naturally, also. I started them off with sugar water made with sage tea, but it didn’t take too long before I removed it and made them go hunt their own food. Last year was my first year and we got a little bit of honey harvested! I’m not using conventional methods with regards to chemical controls, but am being mentored by an organic honeybee farmer on the uses of essential oils and other natural means of keeping my bees happy and healthy. I did not supplement with sugar water at all this winter, expecting them to use their own full honey supplies. We shall see how they are doing once the weather warms up.

Lastly, we keep rabbits as well. Currently we have havanas that we use for 4H and for show, but we are actively looking to begin raising angoras for fiber as well. Yes, we’ve had rabbit for supper–thankfully none of our own (it does taste just like chicken!), but we just are not interested in that part of animal husbandry. Our rabbits get hay, and also commercial rabbit pellets. I haven’t done any research on feeding them naturally yet, but I imagine they will get their turn as well.

We have definitely not “arrived” in these matters, but it has been good to consider such things and to research how to best care for these creatures. We are still learning.

I think I will leave comments open for this post in case you have any questions.

Blessings,

Ruby’s Therapy

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Isaiah 41:13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

We had our second appointment with the neurodevelopmentalist for Ruby. I still find the whole process approaching flood water status, but certainly we are not facing medical tsunamis, so I am just tenderly moving onto the next step, trusting the Lord for His help in all things (even if the tsunami shows up!)

The biggest challenge I have with this Can-Do program is the amount of things listed to do along with their frequencies and durations. It is certainly a mercy of the Lord that I do not carry such a list for the other children during the rest of my day or I should surely be put into despair! I cannot imagine waking to a list of every bit of minutia that I must accomplish in my day, including most things formed from habit and some from practice…and then at the end of it all trying to remember how many times I (fill in the blank) and for how many minutes. What mom could keep such a checklist?

So keeping up with the checklists and reports is a great challenge to me. I am trying. Mostly I am successful in doing them, but I ended up ripping up the last one and showed up to her appointment empty handed. Grace abounded.

As for the tasks themselves, they are not difficult. And truthfully, most of them are not things to be learned, but things which intuitively as mothers most of us do already. That in itself is encouraging and empowering. Plus, the people involved with the program have been wonderful and I certainly appreciate having objective measures of Ruby’s progress on a regular basis.

Here are some examples of the activities for Ruby’s next four months:

Listening with Mozart with headphones: This ought to be interesting, because I normally do not allow my children to wear headphones for the very reason it would be good for Ruby: it shuts everything (and everyone) else out. But we do all enjoy listening to classical music, especially in the background of everyday living.

Body works: We got a fun massager from here to use all over her body. Also we can use tactile gloves and give her lots of loving squeezes. She needs to swing and of course do the normal toddler things such as dancing around with me, bouncing, creeping and crawling. Her legs are very strong (yay!) but her arms are pretty weak (wah!) so I’ll be needing to *make* her try to use them more. Which will make her mad. My goal is to have her up completely on her hands and knees instead of commando-crawling by our next appointment in May. And for her to forgive me for making her do hard things in order to get there.

Language activities: these are mostly the normal everyday things that mommies typically do with their toddlers, such as pointing and naming objects, looking at pictures, and so forth. I’m using flash cards with Ruby, which certainly wasn’t a “normal” activity for my other toddlers, but Ruby loves looking at them, and my other children love doing them with her.

I’m so glad Ruby is home with her family. We can do everything that a therapist outside the home can do, and we are all being trained and supported in all the hows and whys of doing so. There is great joy in our household when she blows her own horn or turns the pages of a book or stacks blocks. Right now, no one else in no other building for no amount of money can give Ruby what is really going to help her succeed: her family’s total presence, love and support. And that part of raising Ruby, indeed, isn’t really so hard at all.

Blessings,

Standing by the Stile

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inspired by Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan

By-path meadow is looking most lovely these days. When people I love keep insisting that the soft ground and wide path makes for best passage of the travels through life, sometimes it becomes difficult to persist on the rocky narrow road that seems bent on shaping parts of my character that I deemed just fine, thankyouverymuch. It is hard to love on these people who waver between persistence that I join their party or else, if they don’t outright dismiss me, they’ll just mock me for my insistence that yes, this…this hard and difficult and sometimes makes-no-sense road…is the right and proper road. It’s God’s road. He set it up this way.

Why would God make it challenging? If I’m truly His daughter, why wouldn’t He make THEIR road hard and mine the one of ease? If I’m truly His daughter, why would He remain silent as their vain confidences seem to implicate the choices I am making? But, like the psalmist, I perceive their end and shut my mouth. Already I have given space to doubt, and the whispers are webbings of evil in my soul.

But I still find myself paused by the stile. Vile, I am.

I am thankful for the pilgrims that have set out before me, for their witness, their testimony, their warnings, their love for the Lord Jesus even unto death. My wrestlings are but peanuts compared to Christians facing the giants of despair rattling their chains even within earshot of the fence line. For thousands of years, the message has been, “You shall have no other gods. Walk the narrow road. Love your neighbor. Forgive. Walk with Me…”

His call is a fragrance that I cannot deny the reality of. I am reminded of all He has done in my life, all He is doing. I am reminded of spiritual victories, of times He has spoken directly to my heart. I am reminded that He is good, all the time. All the time. Always.

I need to remember this when rocks are in my shoes, and when those I love are gleefully running barefoot in the meadow across the stile, tempting me to forgo everything I have been taught of and by the Lord. I need to remember that trying to get back on the trail isn’t so easy in the dark should I (and doubtless would) change my mind later. And for what? All for their acceptance. All for a shared room in Doubting Castle. Because their love for me is so great? Nay, say I. Because their love of themselves is greater even than what ought to be God’s. I know this because to love God is to obey Him. And to obey Him is to stay on His road.

It is a sorrowful thing to turn from the stile, because in a way, I am saying, “No, it cannot be” to those I love. Their words sting. I wish I didn’t care. I wish they would come with me to the City, instead. I wish, too, that there were no more stiles down the road.

But I choose God, because He first chose me. And I will stay close to my shepherd. Lead on, Lord.

A Bridled Mouth is a Benefit

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Let us resolve–first to attain the grace of silence; second, to deem all fault-finding that does no good a sin, and to resolve, when we are happy ourselves, not to poison the atmosphere for our neighbors by calling on them to remark every painful and disagreeable feature of their daily life; third, to practice the grace and virtue of praise.
Harriet Beecher Stowe

Recently our family was hit with some pretty mean and over-the-top words. The outpouring of just plain filth was pretty amazing and the amusing (and very sad) thing was that owner of said words claims to be a follower of the Lord. They were poured out onto print, even!

Hmmm…
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

So, after the initial righteous indignation passed, my very wise husband said that we ought not to respond at all. After all, we were just as capable of shooting back. So, remembering how the Lord Himself was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously (1 Peter 2:23), we decided to do likewise and just committed the situation into the Lord’s hands by prayer.

Proverbs 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

Now I am reading in Joshua and found myself in chapter 8. I will tell you quite plainly that I plan to be a King James Bible Thumper until the day I die because over and over again God is right there to teach me no matter what my circumstances are through whatever passage I happen to be on. I carry no dictionary, no lexicon, no other study tools other than my concordance and it is enough.

So, in Joshua 8, I read how the city of Ai was taken. The men were drawn out of the city to follow part of Joshua’s army, and while they were away, the other half of the army was able to enter in unhindered and capture it.

Now I don’t know why this city was destroyed, and plenty of people would love to argue in circles about how the God of the Bible was an ogre. But I know God’s reasons for doing so were completely right, and just because I don’t know why (maybe they were eating their children for breakfast for all I know) doesn’t mean that it was wrong. That isn’t the point here.

What struck me is that the way the city was taken because (turning the situation around) I know the devil wants to take my family and my home and my marriage and my peace. I know the easiest way to give him a place to do so is to mentally leave my post and wrap myself up in somebody else’s sin and spin on their words and actions. Of course, then it is an easy road to forgo planning meals and instead sharpen my pen or mouth for battle.

The fool would not fall. But my home might.

After all, it wasn’t long before Joshua’s men decided to take matters into their own hands, too: Joshua 9:14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

Basing my decisions to obey the Lord on how circumstances LOOK instead of checking in with Him always leads to a consequence I never intended. So, if the Lord by His example tells me to keep my peace (Matt 26:63) and keep the law of kindness on my tongue (Pro 31:26), I can depend on Him to take care of all manners of evil about me.

You know, there is a time to speak, and a time to keep silence. Both depend on the Lord’s leading. I think, however, we are far more eager to find reason to open our mouth in defense than we are to keep it shut in humility.

James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

Psalms 39:1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

Surrounded by those who constantly exhibit defects of character and conduct, if we yield to a complaining and impatient spirit, we shall mar our own peace without having the satisfaction of benefiting others.
Thomas Cogswell Upham

The Lord bless you.

Together is Better

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Last Saturday my very wonderful husband took all six children out for the day so that I could have a day to just think and plan and prepare and rest. I needed to redo our schedule and reassign chores and, basically, just make the world stop for a little bit so that I could see the big picture again.

It was hard to step over the laundry on the floor to give priority to mental work. But I knew if I didn’t focus, the only quiet time I’d get to think on things would be close to 10 o’clock at night. Like now.

The first thing I did was retweek my schedule. Oh, I am so thankful for that! Those little sticky paper notes marking my day have saved me from frustration for many, many years. We have never, ever, hit our schedule perfectly and usually end up using it as “routine”ish. But over the week, over time, we generally get it all done, even the under-the-sink-cleaning and the math lessons and the pulling weeds. I use Teri Maxwell’s Managers of Their Homes (that big scary book that took me years to buy because it looked so intense!). But, truly, line by line, it all makes sense, and I love the message board she runs with it; it is SO helpful.

It was also a blessing to relisten to Susan Bradrick’s Twenty-Four Hours is All You Get. I love what she said about “using your time wisely” being either an inspiration OR a conviction, and that how you use your time would flow from that (or not, as the case may be). I (personally, although I dislike saying “personally” but…bother…there it is) feel the weighty-ness of having such a very short time with my children before they are all off and grown. There is so much for them to learn! Oh, to make my time COUNT!

I also had to think about some discipline issues that were not going away. My older children, although not perfect, are pleasant and obedient. My younger children, however… All I could imagine was that I forgot how to raise toddlers! It felt like I had two complete sets of kids!

So I reacquainted myself with mentors that helped me along the first time, and one of those was Elizabeth from Raising Godly Tomatoes. It was so refreshing to revisit her website, and I bought one of her books (now that I had a little money to do so!).

“Tomato staking” was exactly what we needed! I didn’t need to get more firm or spank more or pile on the consequences. What I needed to do was the same thing I did when I only had two small children…keep them WITH ME.

If I’m in the kitchen, I have little shadows. If I’m changing baby’s diaper, I have little shadows. If I’m walking on my treadmill, I have little shadows sitting quietly on the couch. They are never outside the same room I am in, and because of that, I can easily praise good behavior. And, I can immediately correct bad behavior, including sour attitudes.

Mothers (and I am pointing at me, here, too!) cannot afford to be selfish. If our babies haven’t earned the trust and right to be away from us (by their obedient behavior) then I have to wonder, What are we thinking?! when we send them off “to play” while we get sucked into the computer or chip bag or whatnot?

Mothering is a FULL TIME JOB. Not correcting things on the spot means stucco-dried-on behavior problems later. It is worth my full attention now to have pleasant children (and adults!) later. And that also means that they need more “socialization” with ME, not with other children, which means I need to just let people say mean and stupid things regarding the matter.

I was so glad to remind myself of these things and to set my course aright again.

I also spent time considering chores. I don’t like the word “chores”. It sounds, well, choooorish. As in, what drudgery must I do today before I can get to what I REALLY want to do? In any case, I figure I have several options:

  1. Do everything myself. Ship the children off to government school or pop in a looping video, don the yellow gloves and start scrubbin’! This, I admit, sounds like the best idea ever! My house would be CLEAN. At least until the bus came back.
  2. Make the kids do it all. Too bad, so sad, get busy. While I make phone calls. Hmmm…
  3. Do it together. This I like least of all. But it is best.

How else will my children learn to cook or clean or change sheets or do laundry? Feed the dog, take out every trash can in the house or (oh-yes) change a baby’s diaper? I left home not knowing how to do anything like that (see choice number 1), and God-bless-him my husband ate a whole lot of Hamburger Helper and bagged salad when we were first married.

But doing it together? I’m still learning how to do that. I’ve been using the “divide and conquer” method, as in: “You sweep the floor and I’ll wipe the counters.” Doing it together means, “I’ll spray and you wipe.” It’s slower. Slower means not as efficient. But doing chores together not only ties in nicely with the whole discipline thing, it gives room for (again) prompt praise and prompt correction. I expect I’m going to find a bit of, “you were doing that HOW?” once I am there overSEEing their work.

Another post, another day on how I organize our chores.

I spent some time thinking of homeschooling on my own retreat day as well. In fact, that aspect went well into the night after the kids were home and in bed. Every time I do this, I have to re-ask myself why I’m homeschooling. And after I remember all of the very right and good reasons, I then have to re-ask myself if I’m doing a good job doing it. Ugh! What mother likes that question about any part of parenting?!

So back through the books I went, perusing websites and revisiting curriculum choices. I gave a critical eye to each of my children’s notebooks to assess how they were doing, and overall, I remain very, very pleased with their progress and with their work. There is always room for improvement (and believe me I’ll stay up more evenings trying to do that!), but overall I love learning alongside them and watching their little light bulbs pop above their sweet heads.

Of course there were extra things to think about, too. Such as outside activities (are we involved with too much? not enough?) and skills the children want to learn. Who could teach us sewing? How are we managing with our animal husbandry skills and garden plans? And, why are we doing this again?! Will the Lord bring us more children? What if we (gasp!) adopted a bunch of children? Or travelled to a foreign country? Or…or…or….

And then there was Ruby to consider. Ruby is our child with Down Syndrome and is now 19 months old. She got her very first illness last month and our poor sweetheart was just so miserable, what with a plethora of teeth popping in at the same time. We are currently involved with a mentoring relationship with a neurodevelopmentalist to learn and to do all of her therapies at home. Every parent and sibling in the house works with Ruby. But still, I needed to ask questions to my yahoo group and get encouragement from other mothers who understand what a special needs child involves. And then I got online and spent a bunch of Christmas money on toys and such for her. Because I could 🙂

I wish I could say that one day of Retreat conquered every bit of mommy-inadequacy and mommy-guilt. It didn’t. But it did give me room to remember why we’re doing everything we’re doing, and to fine tune the means by which it happens, and how to make it all work with eight people living in the house all in each other’s *space* the whole day and night. In case you didn’t see it yet, in working to foster a happy home, I rediscovered and refueled to the idea that we must do things together.

And I do think families together, most truly, is best.

Meet My Husband

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When I stopped blogging the first time, it was to give my full attention to my husband’s project of putting together a website for his business. Last winter we spent many, many post-child-bedtime hours discussing our purpose and hopes for our business, pouring over ideas and writing pages and pages of website material. What we ended up with was a great site for our chiropractic business.

This winter, we’ve been working on another big project! So I am shamelessly plugging my very talented and hard-working husband. I encourage you to give it a listen! And thank you very much for your support of our family in passing it along.

Heart Hurts, Hands Work

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Baby, it’s cold outside! If it weren’t for the puppy (and dog….and ducks…and hens…and goats…), I think I’d just stay indoors all winter long. The biting cold on my face in the morning darkness has been, however, just what I’ve needed to start each day.

Christmas morning was blessedly quiet, but that afternoon was mournfully quiet, what with the death of my friend’s baby at 8 months pregnant. We’re so very thankful that she, herself, physically pulled through. Still, it’s hard.

So, it’s been quiet around the house. It’s been hard to find words, so I’ve just been working with my hands, thinking, praying. I did finish one project:

I sure wish hearts were as easy to mend as they are to cut out of felt and sew.

I’m about halfway finished blanket-stitching an applique in the middle of a quilt, too.

And the skein of wool I spun last autumn finally got picked up. It’s not perfect; it has thick and thin areas, and parts that didn’t twist well. But it feels nice. I think I’ll make a hat out of it. If nothing else, just to remind me that God can take what looks like (and is) a mess and create something good out of it. I need Him to show me how, and I think the clicking of the needles, in time, will allow me to hear His heart even in this, too.

Telling Others

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So, I managed to get the Christmas letter with a family photograph out to every-relative-and-then-some, even though I wasn’t much in the mood to do any of it. I know that I am not the only one feeling rather sober about the times we’re in and although I’m tempted to pass that off as just “typical mire for the middle aged”, my nose is into the Scriptures enough to smell something fishy afoot.

Every year I try to give God the glory in all our family has been through the previous year. This year I was prodded to pass along the Gospel as well. Originally, I got a Christmas Quiz from Living Waters that was fun for us and decided to pass it along to a dozen or so of our Christian friends. As I was packing up envelopes, my husband asked why I wasn’t giving it to everyone.

Um………(eyes looking about embarrassed)…because they’ll be offended….because they’ll be angry….because they’ll hate me (more?)….because they’ll think I’m stupid…

Something is wrong when I don’t have a problem telling a total stranger about Jesus (like, what do I care if they hate me?) but the people I care about most get nothing other than “God’s been good to us. Merry Christmas.” So most everyone (the unlicked envelopes at the time anyway) will get the gospel in their mailbox, too.

And anyway, I love hearing testimonies about how people come to know Jesus! It is usually some sort of wild or unexpected occurrence that believers remember with awe and tell with reverence and joy. Suddenly the world makes sense. Wouldn’t it be neat if the seed found good soil via a weak-kneed timid middle-aged woman? Only God could do that!

The truth is that if a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ were NOT offending someone by telling them the truth, I would wonder…..is he or she really telling them the truth? I’m afraid I’m too content most times to let others blissfully go to their death unsaved. Shame on me.

So….yes….if I’ve told you about Jesus, it’s because I love you enough to tell you. Consider Jesus. Even if the messenger is lacking.

Having a Child with a Genetic Defect

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“Heaven have mercy on us all–Presbyterians and pagans alike–for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending.”
Herman Melville

A friend of mine in her 40’s (whom I love dearly!) is trying to carry her first pregnancy. It’s not that she didn’t want children earlier, but circumstances and an anti-child husband (whom she ended up divorcing) left her where she is today: aging and childless.

So, a new man and two implanted embryos later, she is crossing her fingers and hoping at least one of them sticks. I, of course, am hoping that both of those babies live!

It did get a little awkward when she told me she bought donated eggs instead of using her own. The doctor told her that at her age, she’d have like a 90% chance of having a baby with a genetic abnormality.

“Oh,” was about all I could say.

I have one of those children. And part of having one of “those” children is that it becomes fodder for others to excuse away having babies to add to their families. After all, you might have a defective baby. Like mine.

I’ll tell you what these sorts of doctors and pushy abortionists won’t tell you: having a child with challenges is not the end of the world. Rather, it expands it. It becomes the spot where the rubber hits the road for Bible believers (are only “certain kinds” of children…or a proper number of them…a blessing?) and a source of trial that presses us all further either towards God, or away from Him. Mommy-inadequacy and mommy-guilt hit new highs, but with each victory (yes, I CAN learn to do physical therapy!) comes a bold new confidence that this child was NOT a mistake, and neither was that child’s God-ordained MOTHER.

And, can we be honest here? Just because you or I have a baby that is perfectly normal (according to whatever standards) does not mean that baby is going to grow up and never become ill, disappoint you or get into some sort of horrific accident and die. Are we really that arrogant?

Methinks we ALL have some sort of “genetic abnormality”, and that some are just more socially acceptable or better hidden. Don’t ask your friends what’s wrong with you; ask the ones that annoy you to all smithereens about what they think those faults of yours are.

You know, we live in a time when truly most (like 90%!) of babies with Down Syndrome are aborted. It isn’t right. But I am not convinced that avoiding the possibility of carrying a child with a problem is right, either. Prenatal tests are not foolproof and don’t tell you beans about:

  • how you would still love your child
  • how you would find fire in your belly to defend and protect that child
  • and how thankful you would be every minute for that child.

Here is a gentleman who has to live with his “choice” to abort his son with Down Syndrome:

It’s almost like a Jacob Marley-esque thing that I will drag around with me forever. If I could find some means of redemption I’d like to know how I could go about doing that.

Redemption comes with repentance, and was legally bought by the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross as you believe and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. If you have to live with the decision of having aborted a challenging child, not going to Jesus is just living prematurely in hell on earth.

Accepting your challenging child, however….well, I can say that it is a taste of heaven.

Blessings

December Projects

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I thought I’d share some of the projects we’ve been doing around here this month. The first three pictures are inspired from this month’s issue of Mary Jane’s Farm. We (Ms. Jane and I) seem to part ways in spiritual and political issues, but I sure love all of the crafty foodie farmy down-home stuff in her magazine! Beautifully photographed, too.

Here are three felted flower pins I made for my three friends whose birthdays are this month. We all sat at a table for 14 tonight to celebrate and that was such a great time! The birthday gals wore their flower pins, and I made candy cane bath salts as party favors for everyone to take home (here is one recipe for the salts you could try if you’d like).

The kids and I decided to make a gingerbread barn this year instead of a house. Our favorite part was using the garlic press to make “hair” for the girl, boy, and horse. We used shredded wheat to look like hay bales. It sure looks cute!

Making our own candy canes was totally fun, and easy too. They taste way yummy and have no funny red dyes or artificial anything. The kids made their own designs with the candy, and they had a great time pulling and stretching it all out (quickly, before it hardened!). We used beet juice for the coloring, which was a double bonus because my friend and I love beets on our salad (with feta cheese…mmmmm…). I put the leftover beet juice into the freezer to use for decorating Easter eggs later.

Here’s a finished mini-quilt I made and sent off. I just love it! It looks “Dr. Seuss” like and has such motion in it. I blanket stitched the thin pieces on, which was really challenging! And I paid to get it professionally quilted; I just don’t have the machine to do that. Doesn’t it look neat?

I hope you’re all enjoying your own Advent activities!

More Homemade Seasonings

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After my stint of garlic powder making, I was totally hooked on making our own seasonings. Never mind that most of our garlic powder now comes from China (and this writer makes some interesting observations about that); the color, smell and flavor of freshly made seasonings is out of this world. This only matters if (a) you like to eat good tasting food and (b) you’re concerned about what’s in the food you’re eating…and I happen to care about both.

So I decided to make onion powder in the same manner.

These are the onions from my garden that I started out with. And no, that’s not just the photo making them look small. My hens got into my garden last summer and scratched them all up! I supplemented them for this project with some organic yellow onions from the market, which I bought for 98 cents a pound. I know I could have save two dimes a pound by not buying organic, but seriously, what is the point of that? I figure I can find that much change in the parking lot if I looked for it. I can’t remember exactly, but I probably used around five other large onions.

It took a while to peel these itty bitty things, but I did not want them to go to waste! I just picked at it whenever I was in the kitchen, 10 minutes here and there. Sometimes, that’s just how things get done.

I wasn’t about to chop them all by hand, however, and just pulsed them a bit in the food processor.

It took around 16 hours to dehydrate them at 145 degrees. And yes, everyone in the vicinity of the dehydrator for the first few hours got very, very weepy! Soon the whole house smelled like onions. I didn’t care. I figured it was all good cleansing for the respiratory system (ha).

After the pieces were brittle, I put them into the processor again and ran it until it was powdered. I had to watch for the cloud of dust that needed to settle before popping the lid off. Then, I put the whole batch through a sieve.

See all of those larger pieces of onion left in the sieve? That’s what you call “MINCED onion.” (oooooo….don’t you love it when you *get* what food really is outside of the packaged store stuff?) I ended up with a full jar of onion powder and about a third of minced onion. It looks and smells outstanding! The powder from the store looks awfully sorry next to it.

My pantry now has fresh dried herbs of all sorts, mostly from the garden: oregano, thyme, savory, tarragon, lemon thyme, sage, garlic, red pepper and now onion. I had so much of it all that I decided it would be fun to make my own Italian seasoning mix. I didn’t have any dried basil or parsley on hand (next summer, Lord willing), so I bought some organic basil and parsley from the market and dehydrated it all.

Take a look at this parsley. I sure wish the photo was better:

On the left is my freshly dried parsley (not grown in China). It is a brilliant dark green, smells intense, and is still curly. The store bought on the right is a faded light green and brown, and is in these weird flat square pieces.

Anyhow, I got a recipe for Italian Seasoning online and mixed it all up. Other than the pepper, everything else was dehydrated in the kitchen. In case you’re wondering, I use an Excalibur Dehydrator. I love it! If you know someone who has one collecting dust in their garage, I bet you could very nicely ask them if they’d take $20 for it. They are also a find in garage sales.

This is my Italian Seasoning mix. It looks beautiful, and if I could make a scratch and smell onto your computer, I would. I’ve really had fun with this.

Advent

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We are enjoying our Advent activities. It is a wonderful time to remember the years and years (and years) of waiting for God to keep His promise to come into His creation, to set things aright. We have a wonderful gift, the Bible, to plainly read all of the prophecies that have been fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ, and so the joy of Christmas is deep.

We live in a time of Advent again, waiting for the Lord to return and to finally restore ALL things. Judgment is coming but scoffers and mockers rule the day even as they participate in singing Christian hymns of the season in the midst of their shopping. If I were more bold, I would ask, “What are you celebrating? Why? Do you even hear the words you are singing?” I am a weakling, however, in this; rolled eyeballs and disdain just taint my Christmas mood (and it is, after all, all about MY mood). So I lamely smile at all of the “Happy Holidays!” and buy myself a tepid sense of hope that someday, somehow, that despite me they would truly understand and rejoice in how good a God the Father was in sending His Son to save them from their every sin.

At home, I waver between cynicism over the materialism and commercialization of the HOLYday, and the overwhelming utter peace and joy that God my Savior came for me before I even was. I am so thankful. So, we’ve decorated for the birthday party…

…and chopped down an evergreen tree to remind us of two other important trees: the testing ground that brought our downfall, and the other one that was used to buy our redemption from it.

Our Advent calendar is full of Scripture, names of people we love to pray for, and an activity to do, whether for our instruction (a rice fast) or for our entertainment (making candy canes).

We remember that Advent, while busy, is really about the waiting. And if we do not believe Him who is faithful in all things, waiting and praying and hoping sounds trite and pointless. And for what? Is the season really all about one day of marketing madness? Or for finding the *star* within you? Or for goodwill towards others? That is almost laughable, for outward goodwill hardly reveals other than inward true sentiment, and if you’re a selfish sinner (is there any other kind?) then even your good works condemn your intentions.

Sometimes it gets weary, beloved, to remain steadfast in the currents of heavy-handed doses of morality, political correctness, and “happy holidays”. However, the remnant remains, the narrow road hasn’t widened, and still the faithful who continue to watch and pray, to wait for His coming, will not be ashamed when at last He comes again. There is reason to be merry, indeed.

More Winter Projects

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The cold weather has set in and between chores and schooling, the projects have earnestly multiplied around here. Advent brings with it art projects such as ornaments and Christmas cards, but winter itself seems to invite creative crafting. Just a little blog hopping reveals a great variety in different projects; it’s interesting to see all of the mommy-talent expressing itself between dishes and diapers.

One project that is making rounds is the “Family Rules” chart. All of the other (mostly still unfinished) endeavors were put on hold so that I could make up my own chart. Now, I will tell you that I really don’t like Mod Podge. It always bubbles no matter what I do. So of course, I dealt with the same issue, but I think it came out well because even though I globbed it on (I wanted this project done pronto!), I was diligent about scraping it flat as it dried. It also helps that I’m SO not a perfectionist in this sort of thing, so a little buckling here and there didn’t turn more of my hair gray. I got the whole thing done in one evening, and added an extra layer of the glue the next couple of days.

You can find the original directions here. I was very tempted to do this with fabric, but seeing as how I am just as much as a pretty-paper conniseour, I used that medium. I also didn’t go out and buy a canvas. I just found a board in my basement that my husband didn’t need, and he cut it to the size I wanted. I cut and pasted down my paper strips before I lettered on them, and despite my finding neat font styles, I ended up just freehanding the words on my own with a copper paint pen. The darker, patterned paper didn’t read too well (and, I know, I was warned about that, but I had to have the paper you see), so I outlined the lettering with a thin black pen afterwards, which helped to pop it out.

Here are the rules I used for our family:

Love the Lord your God
Tell the truth
In everything give thanks
Mommy, honor Dad
Guard your heart
Speak softly
Prefer one another
Work with quietness
Forgive
No whining
Daddy, love Mom
Do not create work for others
Obey
Comfort the sad, cheer with the happy
Everything in its place
Go to the ant
As unto the Lord

Yesterday I also picked up some crazy nice yarn to try (again) my hand at knitting. OY! I love the look of knitting, the feel of yarn, the wonderful products….but this I am not good at! It is a whole new language! Thankfully I have friends who love it and are willing to (re)teach me and fix my mess ups. I have a few books that are helping me:

I tell you what…if I am understanding this book, then any newbie can understand this book. It just makes sense.

Also, I am having a great time with this book:

These ladies make me laugh! The projects look totally fun, and I am starting on the beginner “warshrag”. Again, I am thankful for friends that help me to figure out things like *purl*. Like I said…..this is new stuff for me to learn!

Lastly, I couldn’t resist picking up this one:

I just love the feel of wool and I am looking forward to felting! How fun! I plan to applique one of the very cool designs from this book onto it when I’m finished:

I hope you’re enjoying your own projects, also!

Meet Our New Puppy

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We have a new puppy and he is keeping me very busy! He was 8 1/2 weeks old when we picked him up, and he is settling in nicely. We never even had one night of whining from him, amazingly. I love the feel of his fur; it is so wooly! And dirt just dries up and falls off! His ears look a little green because of the tattoos in his ears.

He is a Maremma Sheepdog, and is considered a livestock guardian dog. Naturally, he will be living outside, just like our other dog. I don’t understand why that bugs some people, but I’m ok with that.

This is the first puppy I’ve ever had. Well, I guess I had one when I was 6 years old or so, but the story is that the pup ran away. I hardly remember it at all. I am extremely grateful for the folks at Leerburg for their website and goods. I’ve watched three of their videos and other than very annoying spelling errors that kept coming up, the information given was very positive and helpful. I brought home my puppy with complete confidence that I could train and raise him up well, and I knew what sorts of behavior to expect.

So far, he’s learned to sit, come, and “down”. This dog is incredibly smart and independently minded, which means I really have to work to maintain his respect. He will be moving into the goat pen/barn this weekend, where he will hopefully have a long and wonderful life protecting his new and growing family. Given the option between playing with the humans or hanging out with the goats, I can honestly say he’d rather be in with the goats. That’s just what their breed is like.

I’m inclined to think at this point that everyone should have a puppy at least once in their lives. His name is Shepherd, and he is a goooooood boy.

Happy Fall Y’All!

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…And merry when the great winds sing, through autumn’s woodlands brown…
William Hewitt

As far as I’m concerned, fall is officially here with the flickering lights during the wind and rain storm. The generators are ready, though, even if I am not.

I have our second 20 pound box of apples waiting for applesauce and apple butter and apple pie and apple rings and apple…not to mention just for eating out of hand. And today I celebrated overcoming illness with baking two pumpkin pies from the pumpkin I baked and prepared a few days earlier. It’s that season of nutmeg and squash and creamy-whatever-soup, artisan bread baking and slathering the whole mess of it with butter and roasted garlic and goat cheese.

Here is an easy decorating idea that cost me $2 in paraffin wax from the grocery store and a lovely afternoon of gathering fallen leaves.

1. Melt the wax in a pot you don’t mind melting stuff like wax in.

2. Dip dried leaves into it and then lay it out to dry. This takes seconds. I did try some pretty purple leaves that were freshly plucked, but the wax didn’t take. So, use dry leaves.

3. Use needle and thread and string them up. I used a fine silky thread that was a pain because it kept slipping out, but I was too lazy to get up and get cotton thread, so I just dealt with it. Besides, I knew if I spent the time and trouble to go find other thread, my window of opportunity to do this would get lost in someone’s boo-boo or milk request.

They lasted a good half a week or so, but they did start getting more dry and crinkly even with the wax job. Even so, it sure was pretty! I think I’ll do some more for Thanksgiving placecards, and use a copper paint pen to write a name on each leaf.

Speaking of leaves, here’s a batik maple leaf table runner I made several years back. I just love how it turned out.

Enjoy the season!

Making Soap

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I’m really not opposed to buying soap from the store, but I get satisfaction in understanding the process of how to make it and also in doing it “my way”. Also, I get an amazing amount of soap from a short stint in the kitchen! I like just following directions and recipes rather than trying to figure out proportions on my own, so I used this book in this project:

Here I am just mixing up the lye into the raw milk that I prepared (by heating, then freezing, then thawing). I had to keep it stirred and even in the ice bath, the temperature never fell below 93 degrees. Amazing how that lye works! I did not even attempt this with my 3 or 5 year old around; it’s too dangerous for “oopsies“.

Once all the lye was stirred in (and it took 15 minutes of slooooowly adding it, so as not to scorch the milk), I put the pot onto the floor and added my melted fats/oils. The book gives directions for two separate blends in a standing blender using small batches. No way! First of all, I was working alone. Second of all, I have a handy-dandy hand-blender. And perhaps more importantly, toddler naptime just isn’t long enough for that!

After a minute of blending, I also added ground oatmeal, dried orange, and neroli essential oil. I think I need to add a lot more essential oil next time as the heat evaporated some of it. The mixture “traced” pretty quickly, easily within two minutes. That means the mix left a thickened trail, as you can see here:

I carefully poured the mix into my soap boxes. Notice that I had no freezer paper on hand (to line the boxes with) and so just put the mix in without it. BIG mistake. It meant that 24 hours later, when it was time to remove the bars and cut it, I had to sacrifice a bit of it to get the rest out. Ah well. I was too lazy to remelt my sacrifice bars and just threw it away.

Still, it didn’t come out too badly. I got two full trays of cut bars out of a single recipe, and as you can see, that is a lot of great soap! They are all down in the basement curing now for six weeks, after which they will be ready to use. How much do you think “all natural milk bars with oatmeal and orange” go for? Our store sells bars like this for at about $4 each. So guess how much I saved…

As you can see, making soap isn’t so scary. It’s actually kind of fun!

Blessings,

Handwork Projects

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Handwork is quiet work, contemplative work. It takes patience, practice…(p..p…)…purpose.

Patience comes from learning a new skill or building upon ones once learned in childhood. It comes with faith that even in just picking at a project for 15 minutes a day, the piece will by God’s grace be finished someday. It doesn’t have to be slow work, as racing knitting needles will attest, but it is space and time away from the frivolities and urgencies in other activities.

With practice handwork encourages humility that recognizes how foolish or flippant we have regarded our time or our efforts. Rushing through projects only develops a close relationship with the seam ripper. It takes practice to set a stitch straight, just like it takes practice to speak words of encouragement. Practicing confesses the need we have to do so, and the lack we have in our meager first steps.

Handwork is never without purpose. Whether creating something of practical need or whimsy, there is treasure entwined in the product. For what price do you put someone’s time? Someone’s care? How many hours of poking needles, frustrations and failures are hidden in the finished piece? It has value, because the person behind it has value. Creating something is an act of sharing the heart, and the purpose behind that is love.

Let your fingers be busy this winter with something creative. Pick at it a bit at a time. It is good to be silent and to be busy with your hands, making something that reflects you. You’re beautiful in your own way, and we all need a small stitch sampling of the you that God Himself creatively made.

Here are some of the projects lying around our home.

This is an applique I am making for my coffee table. I currently do not have a coffee table, but God just gave me two gently used sofas (yea!) so I am waiting on Him to provide me a table to go with them. I want to be ready when it comes.

This is another applique project I am working on. It is a small quilt using reproduction Civil War fabric. I just love the colors. When I finish it, I am going to hang it above our player piano. I learned to applique about a year ago in a class. I love taking different classes and am so thankful for teachers willing to share their craft.

Speaking of applique, I had a woman scoff at using ironing transfer instead of the (for me) very difficult needle turn. “It’s not quilting,” she sniffed, “it’s CRAFT.” Well…….do you think when I am enjoying my quilts that I will be so very upset that it’s not “real”? I use pumpkins to make pie with that I didn’t grow, but we still enjoy my “homemade pie.” Fooey on the discouragers and distractors. Yes, in handwork (much like cooking), you can do it YOUR way.

Here is a rag rug I am working on. I taught myself how to do with a book, in order to teach it to five lovely young ladies (this morning!). It’s a great way to use up scraps, and I find it relaxing to repeat all of the motions. I will tell you that I have a greater appreciation for the work that goes into these, and can’t imagine actually STEPPING on it!

This is a Christmas gift for someone. And that’s all I’m sayin‘. Some folks recognize the value in homemade, some don’t even acknowledge it. I create things for others because I love them, not because I expect to be loved back (or thanked even). It’s a wise place to sit. But I know this gift will be enjoyed.

I’m trying my hand at paper cut-outs. SO FUN! I bought this pattern from Amy Karol. I’m going to frame it. I don’t know where to hang it yet, but I don’t care. It was worth doing.

I invited an older woman whom we love to craft with us, and this is what she brought for us to do! This project was so fun! She got the pattern from here, and bought sweaters to felt from Goodwill. And speaking of Goodwill, she said that woolen sweaters were a real popular item to buy these days from there, because the thing to do was to make felted purses out of them (hmm..I think I smell a new project…). I know exactly who is getting one for Christmas (and she probably knows it! But be surprised anyway! 🙂

Link

I have a knitted washcloth half finished (for about the last year…) and a quilt I started handquilting 13 years ago (ug! I don’t like handquilting!), and a knitted pillow that is 2/3’s finished, too. My husband bought me a set of Prismacolor coloring pencils that I’ve been hoping to someday own, so I will probably get out the paper crafts soon. I have one friend to visit with as we make our own Family Rules next week, and another to create metal label pendants. Handwork doesn’t have to be lonesome. Or finished in a timely manner, for that matter 🙂

Here is one of my two daughters, who have both taken up crochet (ages 7 and 12). I’m crochet-clueless, but I love the look. And of course I am trying to foster a love for handwork in them, as well.

Diapers and lessons and cooking all keep me very busy. Handwork keeps me happy and quiet, at least until spring gardening shows up. I hope you enjoy your projects, as well.

Strength in Silence

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It was difficult not to blog for a year. I realize that this is because I am game to just spread my opinion everywhere. Sometimes before thinking.

Often.

I curiously read the introduction to the book of Habakkuk, wondering how he moved and interacted with the sleepiness, the idolatry of God’s children about him. Instead my eyes fell upon words that explained, “of the prophet himself nothing is known…”

Nothing?

I know he was perplexed by the silence of God in light of the blatant sins of Israel. I know he gave great praise to the character and holiness of God. I know he spent his years watching for the Lord, waiting for Him to respond. I know, too, that Habakkuk heard from God.

I thought of all the faithful and faceless women, quietly going about their work in their homes whilst the culture battles about them. While babies are dying in mother’s wombs, marriages are flippantly undone, and militant feminism continues its heavy march, stripping manhood from our boys and sissifying our men. Our nation has become a stench to not only our good God, but to our natural sensibilities.

Yet these godly women, much like the prophet, are silent. I know, because they have been reading my blog and writing to me, but they do not jump into the public fray. They have opinions, yet they quietly do the wash. They have their own wills, yet they bend to their husband’s. They have no outlet, no blog, no place to grumble nor give high praise, in fact, they have nothing but the Lord’s ears.

Nothing? In truth, they have it all. And in this sense, silence is akin to faithfulness, to trust. I am coming to see that silence is strength.

But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. (Hab 2:20)

Flu Busting

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It seems like every year we get the same warnings about the flu d’jour (or d’season, as it were). These seem to be mostly brought to us by newsanchors who make it their mission to cause widespread panic and fear no matter what content is on their teleprompter, so although I take steps to protect and care for my family during the (entire) year, the best thing I can do is express a quiet trust in the Lord God’s care for us, and rest in His sovereignty in all things. No one’s going to be ill around here without God’s permission! Knowing this helps me to keep things in perspective and, instead of panicking, gives me opportunity to thoughtfully prepare. Stress, in case you did not know, does not lend itself to healthy living. And we all know that mommies are not allowed to get sick!

The best form of flu-care I know is to prevent it in the first place. This sounds obvious, but when the children are out late for multiple holiday events over and over (and over) again, all those extra Christmas treats, late bedtimes, and cold wet evenings keep their immune systems from running at top notch. It’s all right to say, “No dessert today” at an event, or even to put them all to bed EARLY for a change. Protect those nap (or quiet) times and feed them well with wholesome food and drink.

I am more diligent about keeping up with supplements during the winter months, especially cod liver oil. My children like it emulsified because it does not go down oily. I take my CLO also, and prefer mine fermented. It is pricey, but I’m the only one that can handle the taste, so it does last a while!

The other supplements we take in addition to our multivitamins include elderberry syrup and plenty of fresh powdered garlic on just about everything.

If I even *smell* a flu coming on, I use Oscillococcinum, cut out all sugars completely and even grains mostly, and I brew up plenty of echinacea-blended tea to drink. I buy my herbs in bulk and make my own, but you can find herbal teas in quality markets. I like Traditional Medicinals.

Now, honestly, we hardly get sick around here at all. Typically what happens is that I have a child complaining of a stomachache or even a fever that is low for the morning but off and running around by lunchtime. But that’s not to say we don’t ever see the a-typical (for us) illness.

To treat for flu, I use homeopathic remedies. Some people think they’re more like “potions”, to which I say phooey on them. Just because it’s not a pharmaceutical drug doesn’t mean it’s from the devil. I have lots of remedies on hand, but the ones we use most often are Belladonna, Nux Vom, Pulsatilla, and Arnica. Apis is awesome for bee stings, by the way.

I also use herbal tinctures that I’ve made. I brainstormed what ailments we as a family are probably going to see at some time, and then researched what herbs would combat those. For example, I’ve made some for onsets of colds and some for fevers, some for tummy aches and some for headaches (although, I have to say that with chiropractic care, we about NEVER see a headache from anyone in our family.) You can buy tinctures already made from a company like Herbs for Kids.

For meals, I let the afflicted fast as desired to give their system a chance to fight off the *bug* instead of working on digestion. If the ill person wants to eat (which is rare), I will make chicken broth with plenty of garlic in it and perhaps applesauce or homemade pudding or buttered sourdough toast. I might mix in probiotics as well. I do make sure that he or she stays hydrated with plenty of liquids, which include herbal teas and electrolyte drinks, such as Recharge. If juice is requested, I make sure to get real cranberry, not made from concentrate.

It’s important also to provide (as much as possible) a quiet place to rest and sleep. I don’t use videos to entertain too much as I don’t think all the metallic light and sound are all that conducive to healing. All of our children are fairly compassionate towards a sick sibling and will respect their peace if he or she happens to be sleeping on the living room couch.

If there is a lot of pain involved, or a very high temperature for a lengthy period, I do call my naturpathic doctor and we keep in touch. If nothing were changing for the better, I would not hesitate to call my medical doctor for his prescription pad and drugs, but haven’t needed to do so yet because healing comes. By the way, I am not afraid of fevers, even “high” ones (and what is “high” for one mom isn’t for another); fevers are about the business of fighting off disease and that is something I want to support, not suppress. I think my children have had about half a dozen Tylenols total combined between the six of them all their lives; and they usually got them when my confidence (or energy) waned and Tom had to make a 2am trip to the market to get some. None of them have yet ever needed an antibiotic for anything.

We are very blessed to have enjoyed good health over the years, and I do not take it for granted in the least. I think you can keep your family healthy as well; do the research, prepare, and baby your wee ones when they are ill in confidence. Your love is powerful medicine.

Wee Homeschool Snapshots

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It looks like play, but my 3yo is already hard at work with pre-reading skills. Puzzles like this are good for matching and sorting skills needed to be able to tell a “b” from a “d” from a “p” later on. His little brain is hard at work!

I’ve never done much with flashcards, but they were recommended for Ruby and waddayaknow…all of the kids love playing with them and *reading* them. The pictures are real photos and the cards are stocky enough to hold up. We show the word/picture, say the word, then flip to the word, say the word, then flip to the front again and say it again. So it’s like “duck…duck…duck” while flipping. Easy.

Here is my 5yo working with Ruby. We have many, many “therapists” living in our home. You can’t really tell, but Ruby is loving it. She arches her hands back, sticks out her feet and squeals in delight at every picture!

And speaking of Ruby, she really liked playing with the music teacher and strumming the violin strings. I admit wistfully saying out loud, “I’m not sure she’s gonna play…” but her teacher just shushed me right up and got busy teaching her the notes. I need people in my life like that.

At our house, having little ones at home doesn’t mean having to*put them away* in front of a TV so I can teach the older ones. It means giving them opportunities to learn also, even through their play and through the other people in their lives. I don’t worry about having the time to give to my older children for grammar and mathematics. During the day we alternate buddies for the wee ones while I grab whomever for math or whatnot. We also use the preschoolers’ naptime for quiet work and reading. It works.

Blessings,

Harvesting Honey

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Well, I waited long enough to do this. First of all, I’ve never done any of this before. Second, I was so in awe over the whole process I didn’t want anyone to miss how beautiful the frames looked. And to harvest the first year! What joy! I showed the frames to everyone who visited, and there was much finger dipping. Typically, beekeepers who use the standard frames will harvest their honey with an extractor. Those are expensive and I didn’t care to either buy one or rent one for just two half-sized frames. And God didn’t give me one out of the blue along with a bunch of other equipment while I was reading a beekeeping book from an elderly woman on the ferry whose beekeeping husband just passed on, either (that happened to my friend’s husband!).

Me, I just scraped.

The scraping itself was relatively easy, but the frame was SO heavy! I was afraid I’d drop the whole thing!

I damaged the first frame while getting a feel for how deep to scrape. But I knew the bees would just repair it themselves in the spring, so I didn’t stress about it. This is what the frame looked like once I most of all the honey and beeswax off. They are currently in a large clean plastic container waiting for early spring. I’ll be so happy to check on “my girls” and give them their own real, raw honey for eating instead of sugar water!

 

It didn’t take long for my five year old to come “help”. Did I mention how heavy these frames were? I only pulled two half frames this fall, but there are 20 full size frames still in the hives, full of honey. They should hold the bees nicely over winter, unless a black bear gets them. To help avoid that scenario, we’ve fenced around the hive and an electric wire is going up pronto.

I set up the entire batch into a large colander over a large pot to strain. Then I covered the whole top with plastic wrap and just let gravity do its thing. The next morning, most of the honey had strained through. I gave the beeswax/honey mixture a stir and let it strain some more. Then, I strained it once again with a smaller sieve. I saved the beeswax for chewing (the kids love it!) and I’m going to experiment with making honey-lip balm with the rest.

I was delighted to find I had two very full quarts! And the taste is incredible! I look at it like liquid gold, real raw food with real healing properties. And because it’s from my own yard, I expect this wonderful sticky liquid to help combat against pollen allergies for our family as well.

You could do this, too. Or anything else you’ve been sorta-think’in-you’d-wanna-learn. The coming winter is a wonderful time to dream, buy a book, take a class, meet a mentor, jump in. The results can be very, very sweet indeed.

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Blessings,

Hands to the Plow, Eyes to the Savior

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There sure is a lot of junk going on in the news these days. There are people “out there” who want me to pay double or triple what I already pay for a pound of ground beef because of “global warming” of course, what with the passing gas all those moo-moo’s do. They also want our family to pay more for the energy we consume because it isn’t fair to third world countries that we are comfortable in our home, and besides that, we’re overpopulating the world with our footprints. In addition, we need to give our children their “right” to on-demand contraceptives (and of course a “recourse” for failures of such), and get in line for nanny-state-run so-called “health” care whether we want it or not. I’m sure pretty soon we’ll be expected to burn our Bibles too, what with all the hate-inciting-speech within its pages.

But you know what? All of this garbage is NOTHING NEW.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

I think we have experienced God’s grace and mercies for so long now (all my life, at least) that we beat our chests and demand all of our liberties to continue irregardless of our culture’s (and our own) flat out dismissal of Biblical knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Somehow instead we’ve managed to find an extra 68 hours in our month to spend online, but the time for personally meeting with Jesus is a quaint desire that nothing but catastrophe would move us to.

So, I think we’re just, as a whole, going to have things our own way, which is always a disaster. But we’re too smart to repent, and too intelligent to grant God His due, much less acknowledge Him as He has revealed Himself.

So, while I’m not advocating sticking our heads in the sand (don’t skip voting!), I would like to share some thoughts about what our responses as Christian homemakers may look like.

First, realize that none of this took (or takes) God by surprise, He is still on the throne, and still raises up kings (and presidents) for His own work and for His own glory.

Second, accept that we are no more worthy to escape hardship and calamity than any of the other millions and millions of faithful women that have gone before us. Would you think it better to have lived under the reign of King Herod the butcher? Or during the Babylonian captivity? Or, even now, in a country where persecution is yours should you dare to own a Bible or to be pregnant with a second child or to teach your own children about Jesus, lover of their souls?

Third, it is good to be prepared. Learn how to preserve food and fill your pantries. Learn simple first aid, and know how to use medicines to care for your family. Read plenty of nonfiction, and try your hand at many things. But please do not fall into the hole of believing that your family’s well being is ALL UP TO YOU. It is not. There will be things out of your control, but know it is never outside of God’s.

Lastly, do study to be quiet. It is a command, for our own good.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you…

One of the ways I do this is to do handwork and crafts. My hands stay busy, and it is a good time to pray or listen to encouraging music or a good sermon. One woman quietly rolling out a pie crust for her family’s meal is better for the world than another Henny Penny running amok.

These are hard and uncertain times, and many of us are rightfully burdened with the worries of it. However, as Christians, we have access to the Prince of Peace, and in staying near to Him we may find that even the folks “out there” cannot move us from the quietness we have within despite the cacophony without.

Proverbs 1:33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Shalom,

Map Work

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My children very much enjoy working with maps, and drawing them benefits them greatly in understanding history, terrain, culture and of course scale. It’s a wonderful way to combine art and mathematics, and careful, diligent work is rewarded with a beautiful product.

Here are some examples from my seven year old.

This one may not look like anything special, but it is a map of our area. Specifically, if you began at our home, all of the signs, turns, and topography (such as bumpy lines for a dirt road) make complete sense in getting the driver into town. I was pretty impressed!

Just like the one above, this one was made on her own accord. She had pulled out one of the cottage landscaping books from the library, and planned out her dream garden.

Lastly, this is an example from our Bible study of Genesis. This assignment came from a book that makes learning about Genesis even more interesting than it already is. I love that all sorts of reasoning and apologetic questions are throughout its pages:

.

In this assignment from Genesis, we not only mapped out where places were/are (and discussed possible migration routes), but we took the time with colored pencils to correctly color the topography.

If you are interested in teaching (or learning) how to hand draw maps, you might like checking out this book written in 1869. You can find a free pdf of it here.

Blessings,

Scripture Wall Words

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Putting Scripture on the walls of our home helps us to stay focused on the Word and on Him who has graciously given it to us. Sometimes it’s pretty convicting, especially if I’m having a very selfish moment when the duties I am about seem mired in petty irritations. Nevertheless, walls are a wonderful way to remind us all of what we are about, and what we are to BE about. Here are some ways we have done this:

The easiest and quickest way is to print it out on paper. We put this above a map with pushpins showing us all the places from where fellow believers joined us to support the care of our Ruby after her birth. Samaritan’s Ministries is a wonderful organization. I sure *hope* our president will allow us to “keep what we’re happy with” 😉

You don’t even need a computer and printer. Here is another paper method, using a simple red marker. We wrote this Scripture onto the timeline we have on our wall. Having a timeline this big is a great way to get a sense of history and how things fit together.

This is a bit more permanent. I used a white paint pen onto the lip of my countertop, in front of my kitchen sink, and free-handed Deuteronomy 12:7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee. I really (really) need the reminder that I am commanded to REJOICE, and what better place than where I am most of the time?

I bought wooden letters from a craft store, painted and then roughed them up, and put them onto a post that greets everyone when they come in from the back door. You’ve heard that expression, “back door friends are best”? I want to bless everyone that comes into my home, but especially the people that know they can just come on in! (If you know where my tea drawer is, you are one of them!)

This is the most expensive way that I’ve used to put the Word up. I put this up in my laundry room: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Yep, I need that Word for the daily grind every single day! This was printed up in a long sheet of single letters, rubbed and then sloooooooowly peeled off. It was a pain. Three year olds like to pick at the letters. But….I love it still. It looks cool. I got it from Wise Decor and would love to get more to put in other places (higher up) in the house.

You could also put Scripture onto things. My husband put different verses on a set of measuring cups for me (such as Psalms 116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD). I hope this gives you some ideas, but let us remember that the most important place to keep the Word is within our hearts.

It’s Me…Only Better

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I am a little surprised that this blog is up. I wrote for a couple of years (or was it three? I lost count) and then took the whole thing down to devote my time and full attention to my husband’s website. I said goodbye to my sweet, sweet readers (some of you stayed in touch all year!) and wrote half a dozen snail-mail letters instead. I settled in with my new baby and her Down Syndrome….and I wasn’t writing blog entries in my head while doing it. It was refreshing.

When I decided to blog again, I knew I couldn’t deal with writing a website design again unless I wanted my computer time to increase. So, I hired Karen of Simply Amusing Designs to clean up my old blog design and boy did she ever! Karen was simply a delight to work with; I appreciated her time and attention and all-out graciousness when she had to literally swim through emails all the while dealing with difficult family situations on her end. If you like what you see on this site, know that Karen’s eye and time are greatly invested in it, and if you are ever in need (or want) of website design, I’d be very satisfied to send your business her way.

Whether you are a loyal reader from yesteryear, or a new one from this very hour, thank you for your support and the time you are taking to visit this site.

40 Days to Save Even One

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This morning as I nursed the baby, I turned from marching through the genealogies of 1 Chronicles to Habakkuk. He has an interesting name, I remember thinking.

He laments the ungodly culture he is living in the midst of and pleads with the Lord,

O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! (1:2)

I understand. I long to see the Lord’s infants, nestled in their mother’s wombs, come to life full of days. Instead I am acutely aware of knives, buckets, suction devices. Life ripped out. I cry from the deepest parts of my spirit. O Lord, how long……

It wasn’t so long ago that I would have easily considered an abortion had the opportunity (that is, an *unwanted–or untimely–pregnancy*) showed up. I am guilty of putting myself and my own wants and needs above the people I love best who are here, so it isn’t a stretch to forgo care for someone I haven’t even met. But God….thanks be to GOD!…revealed my thoughtless sin to me before I did any such dreadful thing. I am thankful. But humble enough to know it could have, would have, easily been me.

I do not hate women who have abortions. I anguish for them instead, for I know the truth will come and they will know deep sorrow. I truly fear for those who hide the facts, who profit from such evil, who coerce and convince these mothers to do the unspeakable.

There is much to do to turn the tide. Events are taking place all over the nation, and you can find out more here. Humility, though, in our own hearts, is where we must begin.

Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

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I believe it was Matthew Henry who said something akin to when God sends mouths, He sends meat. We have seen this time and again in terms of provision in all things, and are so thankful for every bit of it. Lately, we’ve been drowning in bananas of all things. A friend of ours works at a food bank, and they couldn’t give away all of the donations. So we accepted three full cases of very ripe, organic bananas and got going! We dehydrated a (ahem) bunch of them and even so the children are eating them up so fast I doubt any will be left by Thanksgiving. The rest were peeled and put into the freezer for smoothies.

I guess I should mention that there were probably about half a dozen other cases that my friends got as well. It’s a great time to deal with cases of produce! You could talk to your grocer about getting a discount on whatever is cheap and local right now, and fill up your pantry and freezer, too. Then, in the middle of winter you won’t be stuck with produce that traveled thousands of miles and lost all its taste and nutrient value in the process.

The barn(ette) building continues. My husband (unlike myself) doesn’t do anything halfway, so when I asked for “some doors” to close the stalls up if needed, this is what he did:

Aren’t they beautiful? I just love ’em! The other side of the barn is still unfinished; we are going to build a nice rabbitry there with an open pen to take the critters out for sunshine and playtime. There will also be room for animal feed and places to raise chicks and whatnot. There is a loft up above for hay storage, barn cats (when they come), and nooks to read a good book in.

I am finding myself outside still a lot as well. The kitchen garden is getting cleaned up. I know I still have remnants of flowers and so forth producing, but the weather is changing and if the garden isn’t cleaned up now, I’ll have nothing but slimy black vines to deal with next month and that appeals so me less than avoiding work now. Garlic is in for next year already.

Tuesday I got into the bee hives with my mentor (God bless that woman!). And, lo and behold, we got a harvest on our first year! It isn’t much, just a couple of full frames, but we were both very excited as others we know got nothing at all. My mentor is a believer as well, so we had a fabulous time praising God and watching these sweet honeybees doing their God-given work. I really, really wish I could put the scent of this honey onto all of your computer screens. You may end up keeping honeybees as well! After all, they’re in your garden anyway, may as well be yours!

Well, the children are up now and joining me in their pajamas. My girls are chatting with their Bibles and journals, and my son is dilly-dallying with the kitty. I’m looking out a thick grayish blue fog outside, the stately pines looking like black paper cut-outs in the sky (oh, that’s another project I’ll share with you soon!). It’s time for me to go nurse my baby, feed the animals, and snuggle in for another day keeping the home. I am truly blessed.

Less Talk, More Peace

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My voice went out several months ago, slipped away like a creek running downstream leaving the source dry and empty. It was a blessing. Years of quietly teaching my children to please not to call for me, to instead do the work of finding me and meeting my eye, did nothing. I wasn’t discipled enough to not answer their calls.

And then, one morning, I couldn’t answer back.

After about half of dozen “Mo-ooom!”s, I’d put on a smile, knowing that within seconds I’d see a sheepish child, confessing error. How much better to see their little faces quietly entreating me for their needs instead of simply hearing their raucous voices echoing off the walls.

A year ago I lost my first blog, too, knowing the Lord’s will for me was to seek Him more. To allow Him tune my ears. To teach me to listen more. Quietness.

Turns out He’s heard plenty from my lips. He wants to see my face, too. What about you? Have you spent time with Him today?

Isaiah 32:17   And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

Party Stores: Cultivating Fear in October

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I had a lapse in good judgment today. Or, perhaps more honestly, I ignored my better judgment and talked myself into “it’s not that big a deal; we’ll be quick.” So, off we went, I and my five year old little girl on a date that included shopping for party supplies for a baby shower. At a party store. During Halloween month.

Right into the door her eyes widened at the bigger than life black gorilla, and I am not kidding when I say that the entire store was taken over by skulls, webs, spiders, bloody faces and the like.

“I don’t like it, Momma.”
“I know, sweetie. It’s all yucky. Let’s get our stuff and go.”

Can I just say how NOT pleasant it was looking for sweet baby decorations while the creep-out music was playing? We got a few things and decided to leave without dawdling. Of course, the checkers were dressed up too, and slow as slow can be to boot.

A couple stood behind us with their young girl as well. We made smiley with one another, the kind that acknowledges the similarity in raising girls of the same age. The “music” overhead brought on even more groans and doors creaking and whatnot and the wee one behind us looked just as frightened as my little girl.

The mom wasn’t so comforting. “Wassthemadder with you?”

I wanted to tell her, really. The Matter was that everything in there WAS creepy, WAS about frightening people, WAS about glorifying death and making light of evil and the one responsible for it all. These little girls in their innocence had it pegged, but everything and everyone around was trying to make light of it. It’s no big deal, it’s just fun, lighten up.

I decided otherwise, put down our goods, and we left. And I apologized to my daughter for taking her into that place. And I apologized to God for exposing His precious little girl to it. We weren’t there for longer than ten minutes, but I can tell you it wasn’t worth even one of them.

Ruby’s Homeschool

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A lady at a church I was attending began giving me the creeps. Every Sunday, she would saddle up next to me and inquire quite intensely about what programs I had signed Ruby up for. And, every Sunday, I would politely reply that we are working with her from home, using books and other adults who had knowledge of her condition. At one evening event, things got pretty heated because as much as I tried to change the subject, she got more animated and aggressive. I suppose she felt she had a stake in Ruby’s development; after all, she works for the school district, and I was just the mother, not an “expert”.

“Well,” I replied at one gathering, feigning interest. “Could you tell me what kinds of things Ruby would be doing there?”

“She would get complete attention and get lots of opportunities to play!”

“So…..you’re saying that there would be no difference, except that it wouldn’t be her family doing these things…?”

(looking at me hard) “She would get speech therapy.”

“Speech? You mean like my 7 year old gets, whom we’ve contracted privately?”

“Yes! But it would be free! And she’d get to ride the bus four times a week!” (side note to those trying to sell public schooling to homeschoolers: the bus is not a perk, and nothing is “free”).

“Hmmm. You know, at this point we are not only working on tongue control, but she is babbling nonstop. She’s just the same right now as our other babies. I see no reason to send my Ruby away from her home.”

“YOUR Ruby?” she scoffed.

At this point I was mentally recalling the young man I socked when I was a teen because I was ready for a repeat. Praise God for HIS self-controlling Spirit!

“Yes. Our Ruby. And, you know that’s not we’re all about. We HOMEschool.”

So, yes, Ruby is homeschooled. I’m not about to try to foresee the future and guess what kinds of care she will get later on, but right now, today, by God’s grace, we are keeping her home.

She has lots of activities to do, and none of them are too hard for any of us to do with her. The challenge is in working them into our everyday routines and schedule, which, of course, would be true about any new addition to the family whether it be baby or animal or activity.

Here is Ruby learning how to use her “pincher” fingers to eat (rather than her whole hand). We cut off the tips of orphan (that is, non matching) baby socks so that she can only use her two fingers.

She is doing well! Here, for your interest, is more of Ruby’s homework assignments. I am writing these down “in English” so you’ll understand them, but know that some are a bit more involved than what it sounds like:

listening to Mozart
baby massage
mouth stimulation
tummy time
following directions
looking at pictures
hand songs & fingerplays
face-to-face play
swinging
assisted cross crawling
reading to her
learning to use a straw
blowing activities
directed play (like cars or blocks)
socks for feeding (like photos)
stroller rides

Those of you with babies will see that it’s not so different. Most of it comes naturally to us as mothers and fathers. Ruby is in a slow motion world developmentally, but we have time. And, keeping her home means she’ll have plenty of attention and, perhaps even more importantly, plenty of love.

We’re so proud of her! And she’s so proud of herself!

Thank you as always for your prayers and support.

Lacing Up My Shoes For The Road Ahead

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Isaiah 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not…

Ruby had her first appointment with Cyndi Ringoen of Can-Do. Cyndi’s a certified neuroeducational developmentalist (say that five times fast!) who I met at a homeschooling conference last April. The woman is a wealth of knowledge and encouragement, and so we made the three hour trek to meet with her.

Ruby’s evaluation took about 90 minutes. It was mostly observation (of Ruby) and interview (of us); it was very thorough. After about a twenty minute wait, we were trained on how to do all of the activities that Ruby needs to be on this program, which took another 90 minutes or so. I could hardly keep up with the massive amount of information, and so allowed the video recorder to just think for me.

When I got home, I let the pile of papers I brought home sit on the counter for a good two days. Day three I dared to pick at it. How? How am I going to do no less than twenty-five activities with my Ruby multiple times a day? None of them are hard; after all, she’s only 15 months old. And many of them, we already do intuitively. And yet, when there is a checklist involved, and a time and frequency set, “mommy inadequacy” rears her ugly head (followed closely on the heels by “mommy guilt”).

Slowly, I’ve been working at it. I ordered some toys (tools), taught my olders how to keep her on her tummy, and substituted my classical mornings with solo Mozart. I put together a list of activities each child could do with Ruby during “their” play time with her. The main thing is, and this was the biggie: I chose (and choose) to remember that God knew what He was doing when He gave her to us, and so I must just plod along in faith the few steps ahead I can see, and not allow for the anxiety of mapping out the mountain ahead.

It’s going to be an interesting journey.

Watch your way, then, as a cautious traveller; and don’t be gazing at that mountain or river in the distance, and saying, “How shall I ever get over them?” but keep to the present little inch that is before you, and accomplish that in the little moment that belongs to it. The mountain and the river can only be passed in the same way; and, when you come to them, you will come to the light and strength that belong to them.
Mary Anne Kelty

Kitchen Garden Clean Up

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I enjoyed being out in the garden today. Even though the weather was pleasant, I knew that my time was growing short. If I wanted to harvest anything in early fall, or overwinter for the spring, I needed to get going and clean things up. One of the signs of fall coming is the abundance of spiders! I really have to watch my head when walking through the garden beds!

There sure were a lot of carrots! This is the first year that I yielded such a harvest! I remember just sprinkling a lot of seeds, sure I would “thin them out” later. Well, the thinning never occurred and I spent a lot of time pulling carrots. You can see how close they grew together here.

After a while of gently loosening the soil and removing a carrot at a time, I finally just started hoisting them from the dirt by the handfuls.

The end result was 26 pounds of carrots, plus a clean garden bed ready for a new crop. It’s not that big of an area; perhaps it is 3×5 feet? I think I’m going to put my hardneck garlic in this spot this time. My husband, bless him, put in drip irrigation that’s on a timer, sensitive to rain. Talk about easy gardening!

Another favorite *crop* of mine are sweet peas. I so love this delicate flowers with their intense floral scent. Every year I think I’m not planting enough, and every year…..they take over! Alas, it was time to let them go. Most of the flowers had gone to seed, and I wanted to harvest the seeds for next year before the wet weather began to mold them in their pods.

The pods are ready to harvest when they are plump. I like to wait until at least half of them are getting crinkly and dry, but at that point it becomes a rush job because if I don’t get to them, *pop*, they open on their own and reseed themselves! I’d love that if they’d actually survive the winter! The picture on the right above shows one that opened up; isn’t it beautiful how it twists open?

As you can see, some of the pods were on the green side. That’s all right, they will just dry out nicely in the shade. Then, it is easy to open the shells up and save the seeds. My toddlers do this easily as well. I’m going to really enjoy my last bouquet for the year.

Apples, beets and more squash were harvested as well. And the black eyed susans also said goodbye in passing while the morning glories are in full force. It’s a sweet time, fall in the air and summer waning.

Rewards of the County Fair

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We participated once again in the annual county fair. It was a week of long hours, daily driving, and hard work. Every day I packed up six children and spent long periods of time on the fairgrounds, keeping my baby happy and my toddler corralled while the older children swept barns, greeted guests, and showed their goods and knowledge. It wasn’t Disneyland. It was better.

We have tried to make the Disneyland trip happen, mostly for the sakes of grandparents who can’t understand our lack of urgency in taking our children to the “happiest place on earth”. But, perhaps thankfully, the trip never seems to work out, and so we are happy at home, instead.

It takes character to “do” the fair. There is a lot of time invested in caring for project animals, a lot of effort involved in creating handwork to show or foods to present. If diligence is slacking throughout the year, it will show up in August. Fruitfulness is rewarded. During competition, there is joy, disappointment, good showmanship, and lots of waiting. Lots and lots of waiting. And, there is always next year.

Young adults in 4H or FFA are expected to behave as, well, young adults. They must dress nicely, and carry themselves with soberness. They must come prepared to meet the judges, and use humility in winning and graciousness in losing.

There is ample opportunity to learn real life skills. Skills needed to grow food, create raw goods, and practice discipline. Even for adults, there is no shortage of learning opportunities. And each one demands time away from entertainment gadgets and invested instead in equipment and people and practice. Much of it involves time outdoors, breathing fresh air and getting dirty.

The fair stokes possibilities and dreams. What would it be like to grow 80% of our own food (as we have friends well on the way to doing just that)? Could we grow our own bacon? If we need mittens and socks, can we knit them up ourselves? With the wool we sheared from our own sheep? There is no down side to providing good, wholesome chores and work for every child, and for every adult too, for that matter. Common goals unite a family.

So, fair totals: 28 ribbons, 3 cash prizes, 242 miles, 35 hours and 1 very tired mommy. Worth it.

Handwork for Winter

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Today my friend taught me how to use her pressure canner and I put up 6 quarts of green beans from the garden. I am so thrilled with that! For years, I have had a small picture cut out of a magazine showing a collection of mason jars filled with the harvest, looking so beautiful on a kitchen shelf. I have so wanted that for my kitchen; it just seemed so cozy and, well, homey and good.

I still do not have a full collection, but I do have lots of jam. And, six quarts of beans. It’s a start.

As the garden is winding down, I am finding myself considering handwork for the colder weather. I am not that great at anything in particular. I love the *idea* of knitting, but don’t know how to do anything other than scarves. How many scarves do I need? I do quilt, but nothing complicated (I only dream of making a wedding ring quilt). So I tend to dabble in this or that, hoping to stoke the fires of interest in my daughters so that they can surpass me in these things.

Here are some of the projects I am hoping to play with:

  • Paper Piecing. I have done some of this, and am wanting to do more. I mean, after looking at the eye candy on this website, I was ready to start today! I picked up a bundle of this line of fabric to work with.
  • Rag Rugs. I’ve been eyeing the book Rugs From Rags for a while and finally picked it up. The cashier smiled at me and said, “I have a gift for you!” I was boggled when she turned the corner and came out with……..a full sized FRAME! My mouth was agape! She said a woman gave it to her to freely give away, and seeing as how I bought the book, the prize was mine. Jesus just blesses my socks off sometimes!
  • Wool felt applique. Last winter I took an applique class that was fabulous. This winter, I think I want to try this project with my daughters. Isn’t it adorable?
  • Spinning. As in, using wool and fiber to make a knittable yarn of sorts. I don’t even know the vocabulary, but I’d like to take a class this winter. I do have an antique spinning wheel that I would love to figure out, so I am game!

I have other odd-n-end projects to finish up, such as a small quilt hanging and an applique project to finish. Do you have something to do with your hands this winter (other than the computer, I mean ;)? Here are some other ideas if you need a spark. And who knows, maybe I’ll even learn to knit a pair of socks to match one of those scarves!

Sharpening Iron Over Marriage

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There are women everywhere who are always picking at their husbands (and unfortunately one of them stares at me at times in the looking glass). I find it repulsive. From the media to the grocery store to the lawn at home. Nag nag nag, pick pick pick. Some wives are so well versed in it they don’t even realize they’re doing it. And sometimes it’s done just so creatively and softly that only the wife is aware that she did it again to get what she wanted!

And what I find to be a true-ism is this: as much as this behavior is atrocious, these women are flat out unhappy. They’re so worried about being control freaks that they can’t relax and just snuggle with their husbands without making sure he’s removed his shoes at the door first.

So my friend and I are helping one another to be better wives, through prayer and accountability. It’s pretty plain speech at times, but that’s what real friends do.

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

I’ll give you a peek into our conversation, and you can glean from it whatever you need at this time, knowing that “No, it wasn’t about you”. And yet….could it be? Warning: the following may turn you green if you are still tied up in feminism…..

Does your husband know today of your full support? Does he know that you are his biggest cheerleader, that no one respects him more than you? That if the dishwasher broke you’d hang in there waiting for months until he could get it fixed..with a cheerful attitude (oh wait, that’s me over here 🙂

Are you organizing your time to have a good healthy meal for your family ready? Are you making the foods that he enjoys?

Does your husband know how excited you are to be going on the upcoming vacation with him and how much you appreciate all the time, effort, and money he is putting out to make it happen?

Are you training your children to have the home cleaned up before their daddy gets home? Their faces can be wiped and your hair brushed, too.

We can do all things through Christ. Yes, we have the time, and yes, we know what we need to do. Discipline your mind and your actions to follow Jesus and your emotions WILL follow suit and grow you in JOY. Don’t let anyone give you reason to consider you the “poor wife” and don’t keep score. Remember how much God has forgiven you and forgive your husband 7 times 70 times.

These are some things to consider and ponder and be sober about. Not that what we *do* or *don’t do* gives excuse for our husband’s behavior, but that we are faithful to what God has called us to. We can’t help change or actually change our husbands, but God does work through our obedience to Him, especially when it all seems pointless.

I know we know this one (emphasis mine):

1 Peter 3:1-4 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Our conversation needs to be
(1) chaste:
Free from obscenity, In language, pure; genuine; uncorrupt; free from barbarous words and phrases, and from quaint, affected, extravagant expressions.

and

(2) coupled with fear:
Reverence; respect; due regard.

If we can’t talk with our husbands with those two things in mind, then God’s promise is about null and void because of that “IF”. And yes, eyebrows *talk*.

We ought to be pleading with God for that meek and quiet spirit, too. It is the meek that will inherit the earth, and a spirit of “when is it my turn” will just lead to further discouragement and fertilizer for the roots of bitterness. It is not easy; it is a SACRIFICE and that is why it costs a “price”. It is a sacrifice unto the Lord when we hold our tongue, respect our husbands, give him room to fail, and just acknowledge that yes, failed expectations ARE a loss for us.

It is only with GOD that the impossible is possible, to continue to serve cheerfully, to love selflessly and to hope continually. You are NOT a failure, my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God has already set your work before you AND gone ahead of you. HE is GOD and HE will fill you up. HE will speak to you and listen to you and HE will work through you and in you through all of this. He is working on YOU, and you WANT what He’s forming (though you may think you don’t right now ha).

It’s a new day, friends. As we speak with our husbands, will we put away what does not edify (like nagging) and put on what does (like lovingkindness?)

Dust off the wedding pictures and remember why you married him. And then give him reason to thank God he married you. It is a good and proper challenge for me, as well, and it is worth it.

Mark 14:8 She hath done what she could…

A Planning Day

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I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with planning for the homeschooling year. My husband just left with five of the children for several hours to give me time and peace to plan for lessons, and instead of jumping right in, I feel paralysed.

Every subject has been given thought, goals have been made, notebooks prepared and new crayons are ready. But……what exactly am I going to do on the Monday after Labor Day? I’ve done a wide variety of things already, from dabbling in unschooling to pre-prepared curriculum (“just open up the notebook and start!”) to Mason copywork and nature studies to workbooks that took no teaching at all. Currently I am quite enthralled with the Principal Approach and its Biblical focus, teaching children how to reason Biblically through every subject matter. And therein lies the problem. I was never taught that myself, so I need to educate myself more in order to teach. Who learns to reason at all, anymore, much less Biblically? Or teach children to do so?

It was so much easier teaching public school. Teach them content and if they don’t get it, first blame the parents (because they aren’t as edumacated) and then just pass them off to the next grade and teacher and hope for the best.

That doesn’t work with homeschooling.

Homeschooling means REALLY caring if your *students* learn and understand things like grammar, penmanship, and history (history, I say, not “social studies”). I really care that my children will know when to use fractions, not just how to do them as assigned on paper. I really care that my children will write clearly and well, and know how to do so persuasively and with an excellent vocabulary. I also really care that they see how a family runs, between getting the grubbiness out of laundry, the chickens out of the garden, and the bathrooms sanitary. I want them to know how to change a tire, read a compass and recognize slimy advertising and faulty logic. It’s important that they have time, lots and lots of time, to learn how to love one another and to deepen their relationships, from playing with the toddler and dealing with the frustration of another mess he’s caused to changing a baby’s diaper and giving her loving attention to giving respect and honor to the older siblings.

My expectations need checking. I believe God created families to bless and learn and work together. If I can remember that I am serving His purposes and not my own, then I can look forward to His teaching me all I will need to know and do during the homeschooling (lifeschooling?) year.

Yeah, I’m ready to plan, Lord. Teach us all.

Not Reading All About It

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I let my subscription to World magazine lapse. I’m feeling a bit irresponsible about it, now that my source of news has been pretty much brought down to the bare bones via the people I meet and the blogs I read, which isn’t much on either count. The issues I care most dearly about (such as abortion, education, family breakup, poverty and the persecuted church) are so overwhelming me in helplessness that all I can do is weep over them. And yes, I do pray and yes, I do write my “representatives”. But it can be so very, very discouraging and a fodder for fear.

How, I’ve wondered, did mothers and grandmothers who followed (or tried to follow) godly paths deal with living under the butcher king, Herod? How did they manage under the terror of a pharaoh who was mentally insane? Did they keep up with the daily events and winds of change? Or did they simply just plod along in hope and cook the next meal? Were they fearful? Or did their trust conquer that?

I wonder if Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, had company in tears with godly women behind their doors? Did they fear for their grandchildren? I understand that there is nothing new under the sun, but surely the Lord must be wearied of the mire of it all.

I am so weak that my primary concern right now is in planning for the new homeschooling year, and not for the children in Africa who fear malaria from a single mosquito bite. I dabble in cookbooks and buy whatever I need from a grocery store that I get to freely in my own car, and give no thought to mothers who grieve not having enough to feed their babies. And yet even so I am sorrowful of the evil, and ashamed enough of adding to it all with my own sins. Still, I praise God that He is in control of it all and that in Him I can have hope and can enjoy the blessings of the country I live in.

So, I’ve turned down the news media for a time. Believe me, I know how urgent things are today, but I am certain that this too, is nothing new. I need to spend more time in the Word, studying and reasoning and applying its living water to my life. I feel the urgency to teach my children to do the same, and to encourage my friends in that endeavor as well. When the worse happens (and why should we be exempt at this time in history?) I know that the time I spend focusing on God and my family more, and on the sky-is-falling “news” less, will have been the most responsible call I could have made.

Proverbs 1:33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Barn Building

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PhotobucketWe’re currently building a small barn for our dairy goats. My husband has never built a barn before, but is doing very well using his knowledge of construction to make it happen. And me? I’ve never milked a goat in my life and although I’m enjoying the animals themselves (they’re so sweet!), my confidence isn’t exactly overwhelming.

So, one of my two kinders is due to kid (look at me, I’m using the lingo!) in about a week. I’m hoping for an easy, natural, “hey, baby goats just popped out!” kind of event. In the meantime, I’m gathering supplies, reading as much as I can, and trying to sift through all of the earnest and conflicting advice goat-people are sharing with me.

Sort of reminds me of having my first baby. I read all of the help books and sat, mostly politely, on the receiving end of lots of advice (sometimes veiled in stories of the worst possible outcomes that happened to “someone” that the advisor knew who did not follow the prescripted course of mothering). What I quickly found out was that in the day to day routines and minute by minute decisions it was just me figuring out how to be the Mommy. Thank God (and I do!) for His presence and help!

I learned most of what I now know through just being a mother, and I am still learning. I am learning to mother six children by having six children to mother. I am learning to keep a house by staying home to do it. I am learning to homeschool by assigning mathematics. I am learning to make really great pie crusts by baking lots of pies. Learning by doing. It’s not as safe as having every duck in a row before starting (and why do we think it would be easier if they were?), but the fruit is there. And it is mostly sweet.

So maybe this dairy goat adventure will work out fine. In the meantime, I need to go out and help paint the trim to the barn. Maybe if the surroundings are pretty, figuring out how to milk will be icing on the cake, and I too will be able to call myself a goat-person with advice of her own to give when the time is right. Like mothering, there is much to learn by simply jumping in.

A Current Mothering Challenge

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My 5yo nurses along with meI’ve had some great challenges with my 5 year old. Seems I can’t ask her to do anything at all without an instant rebellion in words and actions and I have to admit that I find it so completely discouraging. Where did I go wrong? The three children ahead of her in age are kind, obedient, loving and respectful. This one will pout, tease, stomp, refuse and yell no matter how consistent I am with prompt discipline.

This is one of those times I wish I had a Titus 2 “older woman” who would just be in the home with me, watching. Do I carry a spirit of anger? Frustration? Am I missing her needs somehow? Do our routines frustrate her? Am I not spending enough time with her? Do I miss hugging and kissing her enough? Questions, questions. And the answers are just hidden in some intangible fog.

It’s not that I haven’t asked around. Sometimes the answers are simply pat, with a formula of “just do x and then y will happen.” Sometimes the answers don’t jive with the fruit in their own mothering. All I know is that giving up is not an option, and that when I recognize that spirit of withdrawing myself from her (the “whatever!” one), that is the time to draw her closer.

I wish I had some great pearl of wisdom to share. I suppose that if all I can offer is that yes, it is sometimes very, very hard, that will suffice for the time. Even so, nothing is impossible for God, I have hope, and I will let him do His work in me with patience through this.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Homeschool Goals

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We ought to measure our actual lot, and to fulfill it; to be with all our strength that which our lot requires and allows. What is beyond it, is no calling of ours. How much peace, quiet, confidence, and strength, would people attain, if they would go by this plain rule.
Henry Edward Manning

I realized as I was slowly plowing through all of the homeschooling lists, books, and curriculum for the upcoming year that a lot was left undone in the previous one. And, in looking at all of what I had in front of me, it looked like I was going to do that again. What is it about starting a new school year and making crazy goals like assigning all of the literature that such-n-such catelog says is needful for the 4th grade?

I know what it is. It is the fear of missing a key piece, a chunk of importance in the the academic lives of my children. As an example, I can’t wrap my head around teaching Latin to my children even though it is very popular to do so nowadays and there are lots of great curriculum out there to help me do it. It’s not that I don’t think it would be useful, but adding that would be as adding too liberal a heaping of salt to the soup pot. But……..what if they miss it?

Well, I guess they would just miss it. It would just become another unrealized goal this time next year, and you know what? That’s all right! My time has NOT been wasted in spending time with our children teaching them other things. It is not as if we were doing nothing while the last third of the spelling workbook lay untouched.

I’m realizing that though teaching my 5yo to read is extremely important, it takes a backseat to establishing a tight relationship and molding her character to be obedience, pleasant, and kind. Teaching my 9yo that completing an English assignment with perseverance is a worthy goal, but if it’s accomplished by my nagging all he’s really learned is how to get browbeat, not how to diagram a sentence.

Planning for the homeschool year is important. But let us not do so at the expense of cultivating what really matters. Let us ask God for His goals for our children, and chase after those. And then, perhaps, even Latin will find room in our lives.

Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul…

Homegrown Seasonings

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PhotobucketAfter last year’s mini garlic harvest, I set apart two entire raised beds to plant garlic for the current year. In one bed I planted softneck garlic, which keeps well and is currently stored in a mesh bag in the basement. In the other, I planted hardneck garlic. They grew so beautifully through the winter snow, reaching their curly scapes upward in the spring.

I thought I’d share how I powdered my garlic for keeping. I got the directions from this great little book, which apparently is almost out of print, so buy it quick!

After I cut off the scapes (and chopped and sauteed them in butter YUM), I waited until most of the outer leaves were drying up. Then, I carefully dug up the bulbs; I counted 43. I kept them hung in the the barn for a good month to cure.

This is what I ended up with after cutting off the leaves and trimming the roots: nice, clean bulbs.

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Then, I separated the cloves. This took some time, but I sort of just picked at it a bit at a time over the course of several days. That is how I do most projects; here 20 minutes, there 15. It works.

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Photobucket Taking the wrappers off of the cloves took the longest. I cut the tip of the top and bottom off each clove, and then my 7yo helped me peel all of them. They looked so great!

This next part was easy! I just sliced them all up in the food processor!

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Into the dehydrator they went! I dried them for about 30 hours at 115 degrees. I knew they were done when they weren’t so “bendy” but more brittle.

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This part was also easy: I blended them in small batches in the blender. I had to wait a moment after blending before opening the top, though, because it made a good garlic dust cloud. Photobucket

Sifting was next. Photobucket Instead of throwing the large particles back into the blender, I left it alone. Minced garlic, anyone?

So there you have it. One quart of powdered garlic, one quart of garlic chips ready to be powdered, and a small jar of minced. We put garlic onto just about everything, even plain ole cheese pizza (mmm…and with a dusting of fresh dried oregano, too!). Sometimes I will mix a little bit of powder with raw honey and put it on a wound with gauze and tape on top. It works great!

Now, if my chickens hadn’t dug up my onions, I would have done the same with them. Instead, I’ll probably *cheat* and buy some at the farmers market and give it a go. I really enjoy growing and using my own herbs and seasonings for my family.

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In Her Own Time

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Back in early spring I got some green bean starts from a neighbor, already vigorously growing in their peat pots. I remember being impressed by the head start, but wary of whether or not they would actually produce. Well, so far, I’ve gotten a handful of green beans and they are looking like they’re already spent. And this is how the plants look:

Beans started too earlyNot so well, as you can see. Bug eaten, and not very pretty either.

Now, on the other side of the rocky aisle, about two feet away, are the beans I planted from seed at the proper time. At this point I have a crazy amount of beans ripening on the plants. Plus they are all healthy and beautiful! I’m amazed at the difference!

Beans planted at the right time

_ I’ve been thinking of Ruby with this object lesson. She has down syndrome and is now 13 months old. The list of activities she cannot do is long, especially when I compare her to the other three babies of the same age that belong to friends of mine. But today, she creeped! She wiggled and squirmed and propelled herself forward to get the toy she wanted. This was a great milestone! She may not be sitting up yet, but I’ve learned that cross-crawling is more important, so I was thrilled to celebrate!

It just makes me wonder how much we push our children to learn things or to know things before they are ready for it. At the swimming pool last week I witnessed an angry and exasperated mother whose child would not enter into the water (and she had “wasted two months on this already”.) She belittled her child and walked off in a huff. I remember thinking that the wee child was being forced into a peat pot instead of growing roots in her own time. She just didn’t seem ready.

And I also think of how I push myself to learn *everything* all at once. I feel, and rightly so, obligated to know how to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, what books and curriculum to use for homeschooling, how to properly prepare meals and care for the health of our family, all (and I mean ALL) about down syndrome, etc, etc, ETC. It can be overwhelming because I want to know these things now! But I, too, need time to grow, time to learn, time to recover from the mistakes I make. I can’t just barrel through. I need patience and persistence and sometimes, just simple plodding forward.

Ruby will do things in her own time. And she has been a good teacher to me in this, that my other children will do the same. And so, by God’s grace, will I.

Ruby at 13 months

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He hath made everything beautiful in his time.

P.S. If you’d like a really great book on this topic to share with your own blessings, check out Ruby in Her Own Time (and isn’t that an appropriate title?)

Fully Awake and Sober

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Titus 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world…

Sobriety has been much on my mind lately.  I am not speaking of declining a glass of wine (that’s a whole other theological issue that I am unfit to debate) but rather the grave and serious attentiveness that  being a keeper at home must cultivate in order to manage her home well.

To live soberly means to be : regular, calm; not under the influence of passion; as sober judgment; a man in his sober senses (Websters 1828).   It means going about your business with seriousness and faith, and goes along with speaking forth words of truth (Acts 26:25, 1 Tim 3:11), and thinking humbly of yourself (Rom 12:3).

I think sobriety is lacking where flippant attitudes reign, whether in regards to child raising, homeschooling, or homekeeping . It roots well in discontent and discouragement, and cultivates a silliness about the divine tasks we are called to do.  As a personal example, I found myself on a regular basis continuing to put a bag of white refined sugar into my shopping cart for baking needs.  Now, this is shameful for me, given that I have received degrees and much education in the field of nutrition.  My base attitude has been one of “ah well……” and it should be no surprise to me when my children are willing to practically walk over glass to get their “treats”.  My duty is to train them up to crave wholesome, nutritious foods.  My laziness and complacency encourages otherwise.

It is easy to fall into.  If we cannot have our state of perfection, then we shall content ourselves with less than we are able.  If others find our successes inspiring, we fear lack of companionship and will tone them down.  It is enough to put it all aside and simply coast.

So I find myself needing to do much work about the home and in my mind.  The month of August looks frightening on my calendar.  Between signing up for another two weeks of swim lessons for the children and visiting grandparents and the upcoming county fair we are involved with and the dairy goats who may or may not be having babies (because no one seems to be able to tell if a goat is expecting or not)…..well, the month is full of getting-into-the-car type of travel and uncertain events.  It is difficult for me to keep house when I am not there.  Sobriety demands I consider my ways in the events and commitments I fast myself to.

The month is also full of mental work.  I need to plan out my homeschooling for the next year, work on my masters project, and continue to learn new and better ways to homestead and homekeep, not to mention training up the children in ways they ought to go.    Sobriety calls me to put aside the things that steal my time as little foxes run the vines, and before I am aware the hours are spent in carelessness.  It is difficult for me to keep house when I am not *there* mentally, also.

Sobriety means putting aside my own wants, and working for God’s glory and the good and benefit of my family.  Ironing may have to wait when the 5yo needs my loving attention.  I may have to stop washing dishes to change the 3yo’s soiled pants.  The computer is an especial handicap, awaiting me when I *finally* get the children to bed, as if the time spent reading, praying and snuggling with them are secondary.

It is an easy test.  Gladness in my spirit usually accompanies much when the duties are wholesome and good, even if they be small, of no great occasion, and attended only by small children.  Time spent is exactly such:  spent.  Let us not waste the mercies and grace of our God in giving us another fresh day, hour or minute!  We must remember that to be sober is what God calls us to be (see 1 Tim 3:10, Titus 2:4, 1 Peter 1:13, 1 Peter 5:8), and even through this, He will preserve the faithful(Ps 31:23).

We are too fond of our own will.  We want to be doing what we fancy mighty things; but the great point is to do small things, when called to them, in a right spirit.
Richard Cecil

1 Thessalonians 5:6   Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

Drying Herbs: Fresh Garlic Powder

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Garlic from the gardenThe heat has been stifling around here, topping at 103. Our home isn’t equipped with air conditioning (so I guess that makes us “green friendly”). Between spritzing rabbit ears with water and showing up at the doorsteps of friends to enjoy their AC, we are all just holding on until the weather changes. Tonight cool salty sea air is wafting through the windows and it is such a mercy.

One blessing the heat has given is in the rapid drying of the herbs I had hung in the barn. I had tried drying some herbs in the dehydrator, but in comparing the two methods, hang drying definitely maintained a more rich color, even though the dehydrator was on at a low temperature.

Last night I crumbled three quarters a gallon of oregano (Italian, anyone?), and today put away ample amounts of lemon thyme and sage. I’m almost miffed that I once thought spending $4 for a teeny jar of dried seasonings was reasonable. And, I’m feeling good about the lack of pesticides, lead, and bugs that are not getting ground up into my spice jars by impersonal machinery. And there’s just something about sitting barefoot on the porch steps, hands deep into dried chamomile blossoms, that makes the heat a bit more bearable. I saved all of the leafless dried twiggy stems for my friend to use in her woodstove this winter. Won’t that smell so good?

My first harvest of softneck garlic was already harvested about 6 weeks ago, and is now hanging in a mesh bag in the basement. The photo here is of hardneck garlic, that beautiful plant that puts out a single curly flower (called a scape) that, if you want large bulbs, must be cut off early and (if you like the unusual) be cut up and sauteed in butter. In any case, my plan for the good 7 1/2 pounds I got from my garden is to turn it all into garlic powder.

Fresh garlic powder is AMAZING. I made it for the first time last year. At an herb class I was teaching, I shared what I knew about garlic. First I opened up a store bought jar of powder, which was very pleasant as we passed it around. Then I opened up my own jar and WOW, everyone could smell it from across the room! We loved it on everything, and even used it on our wounds (mixing with a bit of raw honey, and covering with gauze and tape).

This is a great book if you are interested in trying this on your own. Also, the Internet is full of resources to help you grow, harvest and use your own fresh and dried herbs. This year, don’t let the thyme (or basil or sage…) get buried under snowfall; pick and dry it now and let it remind you of hot summer days when the soup’s on.

The Down Side of Multi-Tasking

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Mind, it is our best work that He wants, not the dregs of our exhaustion. I think He must prefer quality to quantity. George MacDonald

As much as my heart wants to “be just like Jesus” in His restful spirit, there was today a part of me that, as I thought of this, said something akin to, “well, I have to mother small children all day” and just as the thought escaped my foolish heart I was immediately convicted and covered my filthy mouth! The scripture is replete with Jesus being practically chased down by multitudes of people wherever He went, all seeking something or another from Him at all times and not always with the purest motives. Time and again, He was “moved with compassion” towards them, ministering to them, healing them, teaching them. Me? I find myself moved more with “exhaustion” and just trying to get them all (“all” whopping six of them, certainly not a multitude!) under their own evening covers so that I can have some quiet (*ahem* time to do what I want to do). This momma, as another writer so aptly put it, turns into a pumpkin after nine o’clock and compassion is far removed from another story, a drink of water, another potty time and questions regarding what is for breakfast the following morning.

Well, I’m a bit tired of pumpkin and once again I questioned, “what am I REALLY supposed to be doing all day, Lord?” So out came my college-ruled notebook paper and my Bible. Lists. Hmmm, merchant ships, gathering food…..check……. Scheduling. Planning. Layers of multitasking extraordinaire. And yet, unsatisfying. I felt tired just looking at it all. If I can’t be just like Jesus, can’t I at least be more like Mary? Somehow I don’t think the woman kept lists.

The one needful thing, however, alas! Time with God, alone. I mean, really alone. Jesus would meet with His Father alone to pray and talk, especially after giving out all that compassion. Me? I pray while I’m nursing (with baby), while I’m driving (in traffic), while I’m gardening (weeding), while….

It just makes me wonder. I wonder if I would be so tired at the end of the day if I were not so *good* at multitasking. If I didn’t have to do handwork while watching a movie. If I didn’t have to return phone calls while cooking. If I didn’t have to read a book while nursing. Certainly I get much *done* but at what cost?

I’m not sure if I’m even capable of wholeheartedly concentrating on one thing at a time. I’m not even certain that slowing down and doing less would relieve me of weariness at the end of the day. But I think I’d like to begin with Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. I think, perhaps, if the Lord is gracious to renew my strength for another day, I may leave the lists behind closed closet doors and begin with offering my Lord the gift, nay the very least of what I may give: my complete attention.

Because I spent the strength Thou gavest me
In struggle which Thou never didst ordain,
And have but dregs of life to offer Thee-
O Lord, I do repent.

Sarah Williams

Not Just for the Birds

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Eggs by our back door

The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. Ps 145:9

This afternoon I nursed my 13 month old baby on the bentwood rocker I bought for $20 about a dozen years ago. A feather pillow at my back, a pile of reading material vying for my attention nearby, and my feet on a slanted stool. Nice. I want to say, “quiet”, but there were five other children busy about the house. Cleaning up lunch messes. Tromping around upstairs. Laughter with fits of indignation here and there. Busy.

Still, I did hear the baby tree swallows outside my open bedroom window. Earlier this summer a pair of acrobatic mates decided that my roof ledge made a beautiful home for their nest. And so they made it so. Beautiful, I mean, with their nest. The eggs hatched yesterday, and you just can’t buy plastic music as lovely as what God created to occur naturally.

God’s favor on the wee feathered friends is lesson enough for the humble homemaker, because to create a nest, to grow a family, to provide food and give shelter close to a mother’s bosom all throughout the day; these are the simple comforts that defy worldly baubles of selfishness, injustice, unkindness, uncertainty and fear. Finding a little nook in the world to tend to little ones is a gift for which we must be most grateful. Today, I was thankful for the tweet reminder, and let my baby nurse herself to a blessed breathy sleep as I rocked in rhythm.

Thyme on My Hands

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barnherbsI sat at my kitchen table, crumbling thyme I had previously hung from the bottom cupboards in the kitchen. It was hard not to let my mind wander to the last year as I methodically stripped off dried leaves from woody stems into the large stainless steel bowl.

An unexpected diagnosis of Down Syndrome with our newest baby.

Months of working alongside my husband to create his business website.

Crumble, crumble, crumble.

Finishing (more like putting up with) the last class for my masters in Holistic Nutrition.

Questions of purpose in homeschooling, followed by sister pains of mommy-guilt and mommy-inadequacy. A rebellious 5 year old. A 3 year old that insists on soiling his pants because, well, it’s warm and it’s his. A 7 year old beginning speech therapy. A 9 year old beginning to sprout his rooster feathers and an 11 year old showing emotional signs of pre-puberty.

I think I am better at crumbling thyme. It is safer and the aroma is somewhat comforting, like winter slow cooking.

And yet Jesus sends whispers. New creation. Renew your mind. You are mine. Follow me.

You, Lord, will I follow. Nothing seems scary when the Light is near.