Renaissance

Cream Shawl and Sontags

2012-02-01T12:44:00.005-05:00

I have discovered I am much more a shawl girl than I am a sweater girl.

Sweaters always give me the itches. Not to mention, I am ALWAYS SO HOT when I go places that I get overheated wearing sweaters. (Which is good since all I have are sleeveless/shortsleeve dresses anyway.)

Not so with shawls! Shawls seem to me the perfect amount of warmth while still giving my arms breathing room.

What I *really* am in love with is something called a Sontag . It is a type of shawl that is made to wrap around you and tie (or button) in the back. I think they are so beautiful! And clever! And HANDY! Here are some I have found on Ravelry~ sadly, all knit.

As you can see, they are mostly made for Reenactments, which I don't do. But WHO CARES!?!?! I am completely comfortable starting new trends. Or even, NOT starting new trends and just wearing what I like. ;-)

I intended to make this shawl to tie all the way around me but it was feeling more like a blanket than a shawl so I stopped. Plus, I was getting a bit irritated by the need to go to the yarn store for "just one more skein." Sad.

But wait! Come to think of it~ I *could* just make ties on the corners and have one after all.....

What a DUH moment. (THAT was embarrassing!)

January in Review: A Resolutions Update

2012-01-31T11:18:00.001-05:00

I promised a report at the end of each month as to how I am doing keeping up with my 2012 goals/resolutions and I intend to follow through with that so here I am, with Januarys' update. You don't care. You don't even remember. (Because, REALLY, who would?!) But your word is your word is your word. So here I am.

My 2012 goals are many, some are for the year but others are monthly and/or weekly~ among them, exercise 3 times a week, drink at least 60 oz. of water each day, read (specifically, in or about scripture) daily. These goals were really for the weekdays-not the weekends. Weekends are special in my book. Besides, ain't no way, no HOW I will be exercising in front of Matt.

Also~ each month I wanted to write at least one letter on the Sabbath and at least two letters, specifically, to my grandfather who is alone and would appreciate more than anyone, letters in the mail. I also wanted to tackle one house project per month and one homemade Christmas gift per month.

Here is a look at how I measured up in January:
(in red are the areas where I did not meet my goals)

(May I just say that public accountability is excruciating...but it is the excruciation that makes follow through terribly convincing to oneself.)

Exercise (3x per week): 17 times (totally exceeded my goal. YAY! And my waist measures 2 inches smaller too-though it doesn't feel it to me.)

Read (daily): every day. Scripture and/or Devotional

Drank 60 oz. of water: 23 times. I have now officially evolved backwards...into a fish. ;-)

Letter-writing: 17 letters (that includes thank-you notes from Christmas though so it isn't nearly as impressive as it sounds....)

Letters to Opa: 2

Financial Funds: Zilch

Did not have any money to set aside for savings or money to earmark for a car fund this month. I realized last year that by spreading payments (like auto insurance) out as a monthly payment not ONLY was I paying more in interest, but they were hitting me with a $5.00 INSTALLMENT fee-EACH month. Not cool. So I paid several bills for the whole year off once and for all, thus leaving nothing extra to be put away. It was worth it.

Homemade Christmas Gift Made: Homemade Vanilla Extract

It takes a few months (actually SIX, so if this is on your Christmas Gift List than be thinking about making a batch in the next few months! Don't know how? Here you go.)

House Project of the Month: Painted living room window, door and baseboard trim from brown to cream!

I started this project two weeks ago and stayed up way past my bedtime and had only gotten one half of the living room done. Last night when I was exhausted and had just folded 4 loads of laundry and watched everyone head upstairs to bed and all I wanted to do was follow them and sleep, I actually WOULD HAVE GONE WITH THEM had it not been for THIS post and you readers who, without knowing it-or even caring, were motivating me to finish it. Now, I can't be more happy that it is done and over with and that I took the extra time! So, thanks for that. ;-)

Family Reads: Finished three in the Narnia series: Prince Caspian, The Magicians Nephew, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (by audiobook-we listen while in the car which suits us well since it takes so long to GET to a store!) David and the Pheonix was started but not finished.

Scripture Memorization: Psalm 3. I couldn't recite it without a few peeks though. :-(

And of the yearly goals I accomplished:

Creating our Budget

February, I am ready for you!

Monday, Monday

2012-01-30T11:35:00.007-05:00

(Country dogs have it SOooooooo good.)

(I got the most delicious Peppermint soap I have EVER SMELLED for Christmas this year. EVER. Judah thought so too.)

It is the start of a new week. It is the end of this first month of '12.
The sky is blue. We have peanut butter in the house.

Life is good.

Happy Weekend

2012-01-28T12:21:00.001-05:00

Hope you spend it doing the things you love best with the people you love best.

xoxo

A Butterfly Life

2012-01-27T11:45:00.006-05:00

When butterflies are not flying, they occasionally feed neighboring ponies bits of apple.

It's true.

A Winter Bonnet for Corynn

2012-01-25T23:43:00.005-05:00

Blogging is always a good motivation...especially when you publicly admit to loony and slightly embarrassing flaws like project addiction.

And that motivation has resulted in a bunch of new FINISHED projects! (*cue applause*)

I plan to draw these projects out in order to squeak every last blog post I can get out of them. wink

For today though~ a winter bonnet for Corynn. I adore anything Elfin so immediately fell in love with the subtle, pointy tip of this hat which turns it very Elfin indeed.

Better still, it is simply a single-crocheted RECTANGLE measured individually ( from jawbone to jawbone) and then stitched up the back. Made with a chunky yarn (Cozy Wool), one skein was the EXACT amount I needed. Couldn't be simpler.

And Corynn L.O.V.E.S. it.

I made it last Friday and she has LITERALLY worn it every single day since~ all day long.

Inside, outside. Awake, in bed. At play, at church.

THAT is the sort of reaction that makes my heart happy and my project-lists multiply exponentially.

Speaking of Jeans and Fleece...

2012-01-25T08:22:00.003-05:00

When did Little Miss stretch out? Her cute little stumps look like limbs now- I daresay she even looks a mite bit lanky in this picture!)

On Showing Off

2012-01-24T02:33:00.002-05:00

If I were to give this year a word for a motto and my expectations for it a name, this years would be unquestionably and without hesitation....

Stewardship

I have been thinking a lot about stewardship these days, the good and the bad.

Perhaps it is because I look around at this new-to-us old, neglected fixer upper we just made our Home~ I see a barn littered with years of once-good-stuff turned into garbage-heaps that we are going to need to clean up; of wrinkled Encyclopedias, kitchen chairs, shoes, tools, egg cartons, lights. I see a barn that is in such disrepair I pray it doesn't fall down before we can safely pull it down. Much of this year is going to be cleaning up after another persons poor stewardship. It is easy for a soul to be pricked under these circumstances.

Maybe it is because I am flipping pages in catalogs and books and my mind as I plan, prepare and dream a new garden into reality and I think 'bigger! Bigger! BIGGER!' and then remember those summer squash I had to compost because they went bad before I could get to them~ the cucumbers that got "puky" or the pumpkins I MEANT to puree that ended up as chicken feed. It is shameful.

Whatever the reason, it just seems to be pressing on my heart. Really, stewardship is the kind of thing that you begin thinking about in droplet sized bits and then turn to find the whole bucket is full to the brim.

Stewardship is universal~ Good stewardship is required of each and every one of us, whether we are given little or much~ we are all called to it, without exception.

And it isn't just about money.

It IS about money. But is it also about time. It is also about that garden that needs weeding, the animals that need to be cared for, our widening bodies that need exercise, the fridge and pantry that need to well stocked, the dinner plates that need filled three times a day, the barn that needs painting, the rose bush that needs pruning, the children that need raising, the mind that needs sharpening, that living room that needs tidying, those dishes that need washing, the shelves that need dusting, the games that need playing, the yard that needs mowing...

Stewardship is about proclaiming Gods goodness by caring for His gifts.... and each of us, from the least to the greatest, are called to do it well.

If we don't do it well we are not only wasteful with His grace, but unthankful for those responsibilities and blessings that God has given us. Worse yet, we disgrace His name by smudging the character of God with our filth. After all, we are to reflect His attributes and I am pretty sure His attributes do not include crusty, dilapidated, filthy or uncared for.

Does a child with torn up clothes and a dirty face at the grocery store get your heart all a'flutter? Does garbage blowing across a yard make you long for a Home place? Does a stinky, nasty bathroom provide comfort?

A dirty, disgusting barn or a cluttered, messy home doesn't declare God's glory anymore than a dinner of SPAM and tatertots does.

He has made us~ His people, RICH (even us poor ones) and we ought to be showing people just how rich we are.

To show off?
YES! To SHOW OFF!

To show off the ABUNDANCE of GOD.

In doing so, we are revealing Gods character to innocent passers-by.

But to do this properly, we must have something WORTHWHILE to show. It isn't some gnostic ideal that draws people to God. It isn't even some spiritual place that a person sees and wants for himself. Maybe it is at times, but sometimes it is even more simple than that.

Sometimes it is in those paint- flecked hands painting the window panes.
Sometimes it is in that row of lilies you planted along the lane.
Sometimes it is in the wearing the pretty dress instead of the fleece pullover and jeans.
Sometimes it is on the plate of delicious food with that pretty little garnish on the side.

Oftentimes it is the outworking of our fingertips that reveal Gods character to those who need to see.

Might my fingertips be plenty busy this coming year.

Delicata

2012-01-23T13:32:00.005-05:00

Dinner the other night~ Delicata Bisque with homemade croutons (a touch burned) and Parmesan crisps. It was dark out, the lighting was terrible and for a split second I thought about waiting until the next day to take its' picture then wisely, took a picture anyway; the pot was scraped clean by the end of supper. Everyone lamented having so few Parmesan crisps and even the burnt croutons bits (the burnt side of the crouton that I cut off) were eaten up.

One glorious virtue of winter is a steaming bowl of SOUP.

I used the last of my garden Delicatas, now properly peach and orange with age instead of yellow and green as in summer. I lament that fact now more than ever, knowing I can't make this soup again.

A wet sponge

2012-01-20T16:13:00.002-05:00

All week I have been feeling crummy, but the last three days have been just downright debilitating. My head. It hoits.

It finally occurred to me that all the signs point to a sinus infection. (Took me long enough.)

I've been pretty worthless during the days, not getting off the couch unless I must~ even sleeping during naptime (not something I do during my coveted free time)~and I hate being this lazy.

I would really, really like to kick this on my own, without hauling a bunch of kids to a doctors office. Anyone know anything I don't?

This morning I drank some apple cider vinegar. (Now you KNOW I am serious...)

Jolly Reminder #496

2012-01-19T13:31:00.005-05:00

In case you buy store bought eggs...THIS is the color the yoke SHOULD be.

FLUORESCENT orange.

If your egg bread doesn't GLOW, you have problems.

A Day in the life of ME

2012-01-18T14:59:00.007-05:00

A look at yesterday, a day as ordinary as they get:

5:00~ Alarm buzzes. I bang the SNOOZE and curl into Matt. Just a few more minutes.

5:30-6:00~ Get out of bed. Brrrr. Matt gets dressed, starts the fire, does chores, and heads to work. I kiss him goodbye three times. And then once more. I make myself a cup of Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea. I sit on the couch under a blanket and read. Corynn comes down and reads also. She makes tea using my teabag and thinks it a great secret.

6:45~ Children stir and make their way downstairs. Except the baby, who cries for me to get him. Andrew asks to learn to make scrambled eggs. So he makes them today. With toast and bananas. We pray the Lord's prayer together. I eat cottage cheese for breakfast and a few spoons of yogurt.

7:45~ Corynn decides to compile a riddle book using riddles from her Spelling Workout books so she sets to work. I have a hard time interrupting productive and creative pursuits in the name of 'schooling' because they too, are educational moments. I make a to-do list for the day:

send card to friend who is having surgery
mail two bills and Netflix
Put away laundry (five baskets worth)
Make trailmix
wash sheets and re-make Adele's bed (SOMEONE had an accident)
inventory clothes for a friend

I notice that Judah is waving around a sharp knife and run to take it away. He has pushed a stool to the dish drainer and gotten into the clean silverwear. Again.

8:30~ The children make a living-room size tent~ the kind that uses every square inch, every toy, every blanket, and every piece of furniture available. Read: A BIG MESS.

9:00~ They tidy up the tent and we begin 'formal' schooling. Corynn works on spelling while I work with Andrew on Phonics/reading/writing. Adele' wants to join in so I set her to work tracing lines and coloring pictures.

9:15~ Judah spills my drink and I clean it up. I throw wood on the fire.

10:00~ Corynn begins math. Andrew does some counting/number work. I throw a load of laundry into the washing machine and come back to find that Judah has drawn all over the table with a marker. I thank God for the inventor of washable markers.

11:00~ I read about The Great Composers. Corynn is still working on Math but she has eagle ears. I read a few childrens' stories for Judah and Adele' but I always catch the older two listening too.

11:30~ Andrew and Adele' play together upstairs in the Boys Room. I work on some Grammar with Corynn. I am so far behind in Grammar.

11:45-12:30~ I make lunch. Peanut Butter and Jelly for the children. Each of us prays in turn~ I start, Adele' finishes. While they eat, I read the Bible and discuss what we read and review what we have BEEN reading.

12:30- 2:30~ all the children have rest time. The older ones read, the younger ones sleep. I fix myself a party, take a picture, and blog it. I read a few blogs. I go downstairs and get my rear in gear with Jillian. I hate her. I nearly die. I throw wood on the fire-my legs are shaky. I crochet a bit.

2:45~ Snack time for the children! Trailmix and oranges. The children play for a while.

3:30-4:45~Time for History! Everyone loves history. I read half the chapter and notice that Judah has gotten into the babywipes and pulled every single one out and scattered them throughout the living room. I clean them up and finish reading. The children work together on making a diorama of Beowulf and Grendel.

Matt comes home! SURPRISE! He is usually MUCH later! He heads outside for a walk in the woods.

5:00~ I start supper. Put the wash in the dryer. Head upstairs to put away the laundry. I take Judah with me because a boy who loves to push stools up to places and then investigate is not a good one to leave alone in the kitchen while pots are on the stove. The two older ones go outside to find Papa. Evening chores are done. Adele' plays with playdoh.

5:30-6:45~ Add more wood to the fire. Judah falls backward on the stairs. Only TWO stairs worth of a fall-we are getting better! Corynn sets the table. Matt puts on Mozart. Dinner is served: Ziti Parm and pork tenderloin (we had the pork the night before too), broccoli, applesauce and homemade bread (made the other day).

6:50~ Andrew clears the table. Matt steps right up to the sink to wash the dinner dishes (okay-this was NOT ordinary...but SO VERY PLEASANT A SURPRISE!) and so I take that opportunity to sweep the kitchen and dining room. The children play.

7:00~ I go to the bathroom and, while I am there, clean the toilet.

7:15~ Everyone is waiting for me in the living room for family devotions. But first~ surgery. Andrew gets a huge sliver in his foot. I intend to knit while Matt reads but Andrew asks for me to sit by him. I do. We pray. We quiz. We laugh. We don't sing tonight, but we often do.

7:45~ Matt turns into a bull and starts butting the children. This is one of their favorite games. I know it gets serious when I have to hold Matt's glasses. Then Matt gets out a knot book and tries a few knots.

8:00~ Children get ready for bed. It takes forever. As usual. Matt tucks them in, this night.

8:15~ Matt gets his great-grandfathers diary and reads the entry for today. He gets out our Hopestead Journal and writes in it. Someday maybe our great-grandchildren will read ours.

8:30~ Matt has more work to do for work so he gets out his laptop. I sit next to him and do my own computer "work" har, har. Eventually, I get tired so I head up to bed. But then I remember I have to renew library books so I hop on the computer again and do that. I check on all the children which involves, covering them up tight and stroking their cheek with my finger and then hop into my FREEZING cold bed. I realize I didn't accomplish everything on my to-do list. I never do.

I start writing a letter.

When Matt comes to bed it is 9:45 and he catches up with the doings of Cpt. Jack Aubrey and I catch up with Abigail Adams. I can't recall what time it is we actually turn in, but I do recall how much warmer it is under the covers when there are two instead of one. Even still, I sleep with socks on.

And that is an ordinary day around here. If there is such a thing.

2012-01-17T13:06:00.001-05:00

I decided today, my lunch and I would have a party.

An Rx for WIP?

2012-01-13T13:31:00.005-05:00

I have become a bit of a yarnie these last few weeks.

I forgot how awfully deterring it is not to have a sewing table, machine ready and waiting for your every whim. Even though I have plenty to sew up, for pleasure AND to mark things off my never-ending to-do lists, it seems so cumbersome to unearth the machine from that pile there under the cradle and find a place to plop it within reach of the ONE outlet each room seems to boast (and, as such, has already been loaded with plugs.)

Instead, I have found yarn to be my recent preoccupation of choice.

The problem is... I seem to be picking up projects as fast as I do strawberries in the spring. And being the slow crocheter that I am, the finishing isn't keeping up with the beginning.

(Matt was out of town and I snuggled in for some chickflick and crochet. There were candles lit , lots of pillows all to myself and I can't be sure, but chocolate mint ice cream may or may not have made an appearance. It was quite luxurious. Pardon the bare walls and curtainless windows. Not too homey just yet.)

A quick count, off the top of my head, of works-in-progress:

one of these dishclothes. For my sister. I only need the white rim around it.

One of these sweaters. For Judah. In blue

A pair of mittens, minus one-but I don't know where the pattern got to and can't remember WHICH pattern it was on Ravelry. (egads!)

This hat x THREE. (Intending to make two for my girls but it keeps turning out INCREDIBLY SMALL. LIKE NEWBORN SMALL! I have increased the hook size and added rows but this vintage pattern is not doing me ANY favors.)

A knitted shawl. (Did you read the word KNITTED? !!!)

A knitted dishcloth (I am TRYING!)

Three of these bibs (just need the faces)

This copycat shawl was made using this pattern on Ravelry. The basic filet crochet shawl is done but I have not added the star border or fringe since I haven't found a pattern near enough and I am not clever enough to create one myself. I have been wearing it as is, until I decide to finish it. IF I decide to finish it.

This hat, for my nephew, to match his Christmas sweater. (I have the tiniest bit of yarn left to invert the sweater colors and make a brown hat with a turquoise stripe

And these Maryjane slippers. For me. Because I NEED them.

And that is just the projects I have ACTUALLY started. That does not include the projects I am ITCHING to start!!!

I have project piles next to my bed, next to BOTH couches, in TWO project baskets (to carry around with me) and even a project IN THE CAR. It's a sickness I tell you.

PLEASE tell me I am not the only one who has this problem?

Without Fail

2012-01-10T20:40:00.010-05:00

This is what happens when we head outside to enjoy the unusually warm weather for WINTER and the tractor starts up in the distance:

Judahbear hears it.

He gets up and says "ruahr?", always with a question in his voice and pleading in his eyes. The boychild wants a ride.

Impatient for me to accommodate, he waves goodheartedly

and hightails it outta there.

Then, wouldn't you know?

His Papa, being the swell man he is, stops his work and gives him a bit of a ride.

Just a circle round, but that's all he wanted anyway.

Just a moment of time.

P.S. As you can see, boychild still has the happy scowl.

P.P.S. These photos were taken awhile ago-the husband sports a very...prolific...beard as of late. For you beard-stalkers out there....you know who you are.

P.P.P.S I helped Judah across the road...for you folks curious.

P.P.P.P.S What kind of a mother do you think I AM?!?!?

FACT

2012-01-05T12:28:00.004-05:00

FACT: puzzles with teeny little pieces are infinitely less fun when chubby hands of destruction are nearby.

FACT: everything looks better in glass.

Fact: ladders are NOT good sleds.

FACT: Dishes and me? We don't get along. And yet, interestingly, we hang out together an awful lot.

FACT: I promised myself I wouldn't clutter the front of the fridge. Not doing so well on that. (Lists, anyone?!)

FACT: I don't feel well. Again. This is a perpetual state I have been in since Christmas. One easy way you can tell is by the oranges, something I don't often splurge on unless we are sick.

FACT: I put away the Christmas decorations and the house looked so gloomy and bare, I unpacked a string of lights for the armoire. What can I say? I need sparkle in my life.

FACT: Having boys changes everything.

Evolution of Dinner

2012-01-04T14:58:00.003-05:00

Evolution isn't ALL bad.

Put 'Em Up List

2012-01-03T12:38:00.005-05:00

I was very (VERY) bad about listing my canning in my sidebar this year (actually, I neglected my sidebar terribly! tsk, tsk) but I did keep track of it on paper. Here it is~ before I toss the list in the burnables and start fresh for the new year. As you can see, I got a pressure canner last year! ;-)

( Qt. and P. are pretty obvious, but the j stands for 'jars', when I used a mix of sizes.)

I canned:

17 qt. canned meat, chicken and beef
7 qt. squash
10 j. zucchini relish
13 qt. sweet pickles
2 qt. volcano pickles
8 j. jalapeno jelly
20 qt. pears
18 qt. spaghetti sauce
12 qt. grape juice
5 p. grape jelly
7 p. grape syrup
23 qt. Hurricane Lee Beef with or without tomatoes. (H.L canning done without power.)
6 p. pork sausage
7 qt. spaghetti MEAT sauce
9 p. elderberry syrup
23 qt. applesauce

In addition to canning:

I froze bags and bags (and bags) of:

huckleberries
strawberries
shredded zucchini
squash, cubed
pesto

I dried pounds and pounds of:

apples
bananas
sun-dried tomatoes
pears

I harvested lots of lots of:

peppermint
chamomile
hyssop
plantain
lemon verbena
lemon balm
rosemary
chives
oregano
parsley
thyme

and I made plenty of:

Homemade Vanilla
plantain salve

Here's to a new and, Lord willing, ABUNDANT year!

I am Listy, I know.

2011-12-30T14:17:00.007-05:00

A few goals for the new year~ to keep me grounded and improving. I know they seem lofty, but I think they are attainable. And anyway, I always encourage myself thus~

If you shoot for the moon and still you fail, at least you will be among the stars.
(A poster that hung above my 12 year old bed and bizarrely, stuck with me.)

Here we go!

Finances~

Every year we have a mortgage is a year that requires Matt to work at D.O. So until this thing is paid off, it will always be at the top of my yearly goals. The sooner we pay it off, the sooner we can try again at the home business thing. In the spring, we have to fix the foundation of the house and do some construction type things. So my financial goals are

to create a new (and relevant) budget for 2012
to pay off business debt
to buy and pay off a bigger tractor for Matt that can be used for the bigger projects to come.
to pay (at least) 10% of our mortgage off in addition to paying out of pocket for foundation work, repairs.
to earmark money from EACH paycheck for our savings, no matter how small.
to start a car fund as our paid off car is well over 100,000 miles now and inevitably, will need to be replaced at some point. Being prepared for that point can only be beneficial.
Start up my Etsy Shoppe again.

Hopestead Goals-

ahhh! We have a Place. A place where I can finally begin to grow a place of permanence. Like perennials! And fruit trees! And ASPARAGUS! The problem now is not trying to do it all at once. My goal here should be to be WISE in my planning and PATIENT in the results. But more tangible goals are:

To plant ONE particular type of fruit tree. (for now.) Cherry? Pear?
To plant garlic in the fall.
To plant potatoes in a just-for-them plot.
To add ONE perennial (unless I can get them for free or at yard sale prices~ then you KNOW I will go nuts.)
to find elderberries around the place.
To clean out the cow barn and fix it so we can get some animals in there.
To organize the granary.
To cull the old chickens in our flock and get chicks in spring.
to prune the very neglected rhodo., rose bushes and lilacs.
to harvest and dry more herbs.
To look into planting some medicinal herbs.
Do one house project each month, no matter how small.

Personal Goals~

to write a letter(s) on Sundays as a way of one-anothering one another ;-)
Send Opa (my grandfather) mailings TWICE each month. At LEAST.
A new twist in the whole "Christmas in July" bit~ I want to have half of my Christmas gifts made/prepared/bought by July. I am going to shoot for at least ONE homemade gift per month.
To drink 60 ounces of water a day BEFORE I drink anything else.
To exercise in some form 3 times a week.
cut WAAAAY back on sugar
One family read aloud each month.
Scripture memorization once a month. For ME.
Going through a devotional each day. Perhaps this one?
Catechism questions for the children.

If you thought I was listy yesterday I am sure I proved it today. But wait! I am not yet done! Stay with me as the Listyness goes insane!

I think the key to success in resolutions in threefold:

1) Little, shorter term goals pave the way for yearly resolutions.

2) Keeping your eyes fixed on your resolve

and

3) evaluating your success/where you need to improve often.

To that end, (and this is where Listyness Goes Wild) I intend to post an update on my progress at the end of each month. Never done that before and perhaps it IS a bit O.C.D., but I think it just might be helpful. I have a terrible memory so if I forget and you remember (as if you care), please do hold me to it! And if (more likely) you hate all these lists and public notes-to-self I put on my blog, stay far far away from Renaissance the last day of each month! ;-)

I wonder~ does anyone else do resolutions each year?

{ quote photo by Home Sanctuary via Pinterest}

Measuring up in 2011: Reflecting on Last Year

2011-12-29T13:06:00.002-05:00

I am a HUGE New Years Resolutions fan! HUGE! (but you probably already knew that....) In my case, they truly DO help me to grow and stretch and challenge myself in ways I wouldn't ordinarily. I know this isn't the case for everyone. But for me, it is. And I will submit that nothing but GOOD can result from reflecting on how you have been living and ways you can improve. Yearly. Or monthly. And even daily. I have found that looking back always help point the way to what is next.

My tradition, about this time of year, is to look back upon last years goals and see how I measured up.

Imagine my surprise then, when I couldn't find my 2011 resolutions post! Where did it GO? Well, searching my blogger dashboard, I found that I had the post written but had never actually POSTED it. (doy.) And the post spoke of how I had measured up to my 2010 resolutions but had not a.SINGLE.GOAL for the coming year.

The end of the post was " So what are my goals for this year, you ask???" and then nothing.

Apparently, you DIDN'T ask. ;-)

Truth be told, I don't know that I would have measured up to any real goals this past year anyway, what with the new business venture, and then returning back to work, the flood, the emptying of Grams house and the moving into it as our own. All of it, unknown territory. It was one crazy year.

While I don't have any specific goals to measure up to this past year, nevertheless I would like to reflect on the past year a bit.

Because you DIDN'T ask:

On Finances~ Matt was able to quit a job and start a new one using money we had saved in preparation for the business~ The Network Dragon Fund. During those 5 months, we had to dip into our savings fund only once but that dip did not exhaust the fund. Paying off our car and all debts was an incredible burden lifted. I am immensely proud of us for this feat.

The Lord opened up some great ways for me to make money during this time too, allowing me to help contribute financially over $2,300.00 by taking photographs for a magazine and a few individuals, having yard sales, selling clothes to consignment shops, cleaning a church, and selling a few craft goods. Along with using it for groceries, I was able to buy a topnotch dehydrator (ours broke) and a fabulous used grain mill, two things we have been needing in our putting-by repertoire for some time.

Also during this time, I stopped my weekly shopping trips and only would go to town for diapers and milk or cheese. The cash only budget system went down the drain when Matt began his home business because we were on a strict no-spending budget, as money coming in was very unreliable. It was a time of very tight belts, making me realize anew how easy money can (and does) pilfer away little by little without you even realizing it when you don't have a budget and/or go to town often.

Matt did accrue some some business debt~ not much~ but you know how I am with debt. And we bought a house so for the first time ever, we have a mortgage to worry about. Thankfully, mortgage payments and rent checks look an awful lot alike with the exception of your name on the deed, so we can deal with it.

On Health~ Since I still have about 20 pounds to lose since Judah was born (YES, he IS a year old. sigh) , you can see I have a big L on my forehead in this department. I wasn't doing so bad until the stress of Matts' going back to work and the reality of moving hit me. We ate more junk during those months and I drank more soda than all year. COMBINED. What can I say? I have to do better. HAVE TO.

On a positive note~ last year I became very interested in herbs and learning the benefits of certain foods to your system and healing properties of herbs. Unfortunately for me, sugar doesn't fit into any of those medicinal, healing or healthy categories.

~~~~
On Preparedness~ We opened up our home during a devastating flood to a family of 7 for a week and had provision to do so. And before that, we had staples enough for us not to worry about not being able to get to a store at a time when a great many people were very very worried.

We butchered two cows and two pigs and got TONS of meat from it. I wished, too late, that I had kept detailed books on the cost of feed and butchering so I would have a good idea how much our (quality) meat ended up costing us. I didn't even record how MUCH meat was our return! (shirk) I don't know if it was financially worth it, but money isn't everything. I certainly know better for the next time.

We had a great garden harvest but I regretted not planting certain things-like potatoes. What family garden does not include potatoes?!?!

~~
On Education~ I feel always the failure when it comes to education, and no more so than this year, when so many things seemed to thwart my good intentions. I have fallen so short this year on my own expectations for myself and my hopes for my children that I can hardly wonder at what I have done RIGHT this year. I fail miserably at making education what I want it to be in my mind and sometimes have to fight the doubt that I am just NOT the best option. I know that many homeschoolers struggle with these same feelings and I wonder if my perfectionist tendencies seem to harden the blow.

No one is perfect, but to hold myself to that standard means that I will ALWAYS FAIL and will always be unhappy with what I HAVE accomplished.

That said, Corynn and I found the groove we needed to get math (her most frustrating subject) done and done well. Andrew is excited and ready to read and is well on his way. He knows his letter sounds and can sound short words out~ so it is only a matter of patience and perseverance before we have TWO bookworms on our hands. We are catching up on the work we missed during our move, and are on the fast track to a great rest of the year. In this area, more than all others, I call for the grace of God and thank Him for his mercies, new, each morning.

~~
On One Anothering One another~ our pastor says (and I often chuckle) that the Greek word Koinonia is a call to "One-another one another". I chuckle because it is funny (it is!) but it is also a great challenge for Christians to hold fast to the body of believers. I have loved holding to a tradition of writing widows and the elderly (and friends and family) on Sunday afternoons as a way to keep the Sabbath and did well at it in the beginning of the year. Several of those I wrote to passed away this year and then the latter half of the year happened and I was too busy even to write the few people left. I miss that.

I tried (and pretty much failed) to counsel some loved ones with great difficulties in their lives.

We gave financial gifts as we were able.

Matt helped neighbors repair their driveways when flooding happened (even though he was sick! Sorry, brag moment.) and we helped his family empty his grandmothers house, a daunting task to be sure.

But it all seems inconsequential when I look at the whole of things. I can't help but feel discouraged about the fact that we could have done so much more to help, encourage, uplift and bless the saints around us. Even in the small, hidden things like not taking offense when I do. In forgiving. In judging myself rather than my brother. In praying, without ceasing, for those in need. In giving of my time and myself, even in the messy, dirty times. In letting my faith alight upon my sleeve, so without fail, without question, I can declare God in all things.

This leads me to:

~~
On Spiritual things~ I learned one thing this year, what with the home business and all~ there is never enough time for worship unless you MAKE time for worship. Even when Matt began a home business, time was precious and it was a challenge to make time for family worship. We didn't do it every single night, sadly, but I did see great improvement from last year. So thankful that even as he has gone back to work, that has continued.

I continue to read, discuss and quiz scripture, pray and sing to/with the children during the day, but I need to make a concerted effort when he is away on business trips, to lead the family in worship during the evening meal. I hate leading evening meal worship alone. I hate eating our evening meal alone those nights.

I didn't do as much memorization as I would have liked either. For myself OR the children.

There it is in a nutshell. How we failed, succeeded and everything in between.

Coming up next~ my goals for the new year.

Whether you like it or not.

wink

PS. All photos in this post are taken the month we moved in, when my father-in-law gave us the tractor tour of our new property. Which, as you can see, has just about everything from fields to corn, to quarries, to woods. Including a secret cabin in the woods!

Christmas

2011-12-28T14:42:00.010-05:00

How was everyones' Christmas? I hope it was lovely and sweet, every minute of it.

Ours on the other hand~ not so much.

Since Christmas Eve, it has looked very much like this, as a matter of fact.

Which seems wonderfully serene, except that when it doesn't look like that, it looks like this:

Christmas Eve was wonderful. My sister hosted this year to give me a break since we just moved. It was grand.

The beautiful hostess~

Later that night, however........Matt spent the night throwing up and the children spent the night coughing up lungs and I spent the night running from room to room... to room.

I LITERALLY woke up every single hour after 1 am. No, I am not exaggerating.

Christmas Day Matt was still feeling awful so I took the children to church by myself-to one right down the road- while he slept. I wore the shawl that I crocheted (but must still blog) with a red dress and felt very Christmasy. The children were angelic in church. (Still praising God for that Christmas gift!) That night we went to his parents' but by then I started feeling pretty bad myself. I took not a single picture there.

Matt had Monday off and what should have been wonderful family time, ended up being us sprawled on couches and cringing every time we had to swallow or in my case, move my head. We still aren't well, so finally, I screamed UNCLE!! and decided against doing the 12 Days of Christmas this year. Bummer too, boy did I have plans....

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas, in no particular order.

My brother makes THE BEST truffles ever. And this year they SPARKLED!

This is for Cameron. Who says, whenever I bring out my camera, "We'll be seeing THAT on the blog."

I post the above picture for the sole reason that he is almost out of that outfit and I remember when Raggedy Andy wore it.

(In lieu of a mantle, I brought in an old handmade ladder from the barn. Matt had to practically cut in half to fit.)

Is Judah the same size as Adele'? Why YES. He is!

For two years Corynn has been begging for me to buy a coconut. She got it in her stocking.

Andrew got a starfruit but graciously shared it so that everyone could have festive breakfast plates.

Some of the homemade gifts included:

plantain salve in an herbal medicine basket
Button napkin rings made by Adele' and Corynn:

Garlands. By EVERYONE.

The children on my side of the family, since there are SO many (a happy predicament indeed!) draw names. Corynn got her cousins name, who just HAPPENED to be getting a kitchen set for Christmas. She made her felt food for it. I think she covered all major food groups.

Andrew also drew a girl cousin and decided to make a necklace to go along with a teddy bear. He enjoyed necklace making so much, he couldn't stop!

And for my new nephew I made a Peter Rabbit sweater. I know, I know. The same sweater I always make. But his Mama always admired my childrens' sweaters and I thought she would appreciate one of her own. I made it with same coloring as Judah's for no other reason than it mimicked Peter Rabbit well, so it went well with the book I got him.

I also made a hat which was HUGE and finished it with just minutes to spare so I didn't get a picture of it.

Sick or not, Christmas is still the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR.

God gave Himself Flesh in order to give everlasting life. For us. And our children. And our childrens' children.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T04:48:00.000-05:00

2011

Greetings from the sticks!

2011 has been a most interesting and in some ways, excruciating year! Some years pass and you lament their passing and some years you say GOOD RIDDANCE. For me, this year is the latter! ;-)

Matt took a giant leap of faith this May and began his own home-based business called The Network Dragon. For 5 months, He was successful, He was home, and it was bliss. Then a most wonderful Dream in which we would purchase (as in FINALLY OWN) our own home became reality~ on land that has been in the Newman Family for generations. A joy beyond measure!

That Joy, while such a blessing, brought along with it a mortgage and responsibility to pay it off A.S.A.P so Matt made the hard decision to return to a reliable, steady-paying position at Dairy One.

And then of course, there was the emptying of two houses (the one we were living in and the one we were moving to) and the MOVING of a household~ with lots of repairs and cosmetic work sandwiched in between~ all within a months time.

And with four children, buzzing about all the while.

There were quite a few times Matt had to hug the desperation out of me, I admit.

But we are now on the other side of the moving deadline and settled in quite nicely and ready for that long nap of winter, being all holed up and cozy.

We are adjusting to Matt’s new work schedule as well, and thankful for the means to pay off a Mortgage (our own!).

If God taught me anything in 2011, it was to rejoice always. Always. Not just when all was well and wonderful and just how I planned it~ gratitude comes so freely then~ but to be thankful at all times, in everything. even in those things we can not change, can not understand, and wish were not our portion.

1 Thessalonians 5 16-19 is going to be the Newman Motto for the coming year:

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit.

A lesson I am sure to have to relearn every day of every year to come.

A merry, merry Christmas to all!

Love.

Us Newmans

Matt, Rebecca, Corynn, Andrew, Adele’ and Judah

Around Home

2011-12-23T16:34:00.005-05:00

A few glimpses of beauty, tangible.

Photo Gift Tags

2011-12-22T12:37:00.005-05:00

Been wrapping up a storm here. You?

When it comes to wrapping presents I find most people are in one of two camps: the LOVE it or HATE it camp. Not many people out there would say "Yeah, it's okay...."

So----which one are you? Do you LOVE it or HATE it?

I am a proud member of the emphatically LOVE it camp.

(for those in the LOVE IT camp~ don't you love the sweater wrap? A buck. From Target. Sigh.)

I love adding yarns, ribbons, pompoms, curlies, and even little gifts on top. I love using baskets and fabric and pretty boxes. I have been known to wrap a present over and over again with ribbon just because I can.

And THIS year, I got the BRILLIANT (ifIdosaysomyself) idea of using photos instead of GIFT TAGS.

It requires no handwriting (with the added plus that the non-readers can help pass out gifts without coming to ask who it is for!), looks fabulous and adds a whole new dimension of fun!

And because I am ridiculous in the amount of picture taking I do, I had EVERYONE on our list covered!

Some were funny, some were ridiculous, and some were just plain sweet. I know, in the case of the Grandparents at least, they might appreciate the photos as much as the gift!

You can cut them into shapes and back them with coordinated paper or, for the extra speedy~ just cut the photo into a tag shape and punch a hole!

Tomorrow I will share a few pre-Christmas glimpses from around home....but for now, I have fudge to make (Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without it!). And cheesecake. And chocolate covered pretzels. And a hat. And a few other things for which I have no links.... ;-)

Hustle, Bustle and Be Merry!

2011-12-19T15:34:00.007-05:00

Lots of preparations going on here. There isn't a room in this house that doesn't have some sort of festive paraphanalia strewn within. Tons of projects, not quite done littering table tops and baskets. Wrapping paper. Ribbon. Beads. Yarn. Pictures. Cinnamon.

And lots of butter.

Preparations are a GOOD thing. Anticipation is a GOOD thing. Expectations are a GOOD thing.

All of it, every last bit, points us to the Giver.

The yarn scraps sticking to my socks as I walk from room to room.

The paper confetti littering the floor.

The beads that Judah keeps finding and trying to eat.

The glittered ground.

The yelps that occasionally accompany hot glue projects.

The tape that, in one instant, is pulled out and tangled.

The many, many chocolate morsels, awaiting their resurrection.

It's all good. It all points to Him and His abundant Grace.

God, the greatest Giver~ He gives us the beauty in wreaths, the smell of fresh rosemary and pine and the deliciousness of pumpkin. He gives us talents, the creativity to wrap presents just so, the desire to please others, the thoughts of generosity, the supplies and TIME needed to make Love-gifts and beautiful homes.

When we seek out these gifts and notice them, we find gratitude in His grace. When we show creativity and generosity this season, we become a reflection of Himself.

Some say decorations and presents, trees and gingerbread take away the TRUE meaning of Christmas. I daresay, every last bit of the festiveness we can muster, only makes the brightness of Christmas shine brighter.

As we hustle and bustle, prepare and plan, excitedly create and anticipate these last few days leading up to Christmas, God is very, very pleased.

We have reason to celebrate. The GREATEST REASON IN THE WORLD.

God gave us His only son. God gave us HIMSELF in His son!!!!

Now, go wrap some presents!

Peek Week: FRIDAY

2011-12-16T17:25:00.001-05:00

There is a reason it appears I am devouring him...

Peek Week: THURSDAY...it's PRACTICALLY Friday!

2011-12-15T19:28:00.008-05:00

Haven't gone to bed before 1am any day this week (this is reason # 5739 I hate your business trips) and this morning, it caught up with me. Got up early (had to) but didn't really feel like myself for a while. I was a slow starter, as they say.

Adele' asked me to take a picture of her. I just flung the camera her way and hit the shutter. Didn't hold it up to my face or anything. I think my eyes were still shut at that point, in fact.

I really like it, in a haunting sort of way.

Grandma and Grandpa picked up the three older children for their annual Christmas shopping trip leaving it just he and me.

Oops.

I mean HE and ME.

I didn't really want to, but I figured I should take advantage of their absence and get the last of the Christmas shopping done and stocking stuffers bought.

It is amazing how little you get accomplished in a day when you go shopping.

Remember when you asked if we had any more peanuts last week?

I was thinking of you.

The babe and I ate lunch at Wegmans where he ate food from the fresh foods and chinese bar and I ate half a burrito. He sat across from me and acted quite grown up about it.

He even insisted upon using a fork! THAT's a first.

By the car ride home he was toast.

So I did what any mother of four does with a car empty of (conscious) children~ I got myself an ice cream cone!

When the children came home, we ate supper and then got to work on cinnamon ornaments. It smells heavenly here.

I changed the sheets on our bed for when you come home. Nothing says welcome home more than fresh sheets. Unless I was on them. (REBECCA!)

And now I am going to turn on Bright Star and start wrapping presents because I know that tomorrow a nosy Newman (the NOSIEST) is coming and I don't want any surprises ruined.

I can't wait.

XOXO

Peek Week: Wednesday

2011-12-14T21:25:00.008-05:00

Half price day at Salvation Army today. Haven't been there since Spring (if THAT.) Figured I was due. A trip to town meant I actually put on makeup. And changing my shirt.

My trips to Salvo go as follows:

1st stop~ linens (for embroidered things, crocheted afghans, vintage hankies, and pillowslips. Those are the treasures for ME.)

2nd because it is right next to linens: A super-fast skim through little sizes (if I am not on time constraints)-only for gems like crocheted dresses since the little ones have plenty of hand-me-downs to keep them covered. Lots of times I just skip step.

Girl dress area~ to nab before anyone else any good Corynn size dresses, since they are so hard to find.

Shoes-for cowboy boots, especially. One must nab cowboy boots every chance they are given.

Boy clothes-because duh. Boys clothes don't last a month around here. Church shirts or pants are always needed. The rest of the time he can look like a cowboy.

Then back to glasswares for the occasional basket or colored glass treasure. And books.

And then, if shopping with someone, I wonder around aimlessly until they are done. Glancing through skirts and shirts for me, knowing I never find anything for me to ever buy for myself.

Judah in linens~ playing touchy feely with the crocheted blankets.

Adele', on the other hand, would be happy to live near the purses and mirrors.

I also got a tiny pair of glittered klompen.

Adele' is trying VERY hard to hold still enough for a good picture.

Judah's plate at supper. For the rest of ours, just imagine everything all mixed up. And a lot more green.

"Who remembers the name of Zachariah's wife?"

"I DO!"

And Adele' raises her hand and shouts "I DO!" and I say, "okay Adele'. What is her name?"

"Dezus dy"

And now the children are sleeping and this blog post is done so I must go downstairs and finish doing this:

Two more days....

XOXO

Peek Week: Tuesday

2011-12-13T18:10:00.007-05:00

My day started early. When I went to bed.

A surprise package (of the Santa variety) arrived for a certain someone (YOU!) today... HMMMMMM. I WONDER what it IS....

He was concentrating so hard to get that pink froofroo crown on his head just so. With his puckered lips and blank stare, I could practically see smoke. It was the dearest thing. But he got it!

I sorted the bushels of apples. Into applesauce, bruised, and storage piles. Plenty of keepers, which I put in our coolers and them, into the milkhouse. They should last until spring and the best part? They are OUT of the mud room now! Applesauce is next on my to-do.

Wait. He isn't an apple!

And one more thing~ your cellphone once was lost but now it's found. (and properly shamefaced)

XOXO

A Week of Peeks~ A Peek Week

2011-12-12T21:55:00.005-05:00

A week with my Love in Maine; a week of being not whole.

I knew it was inevitable, this part of Matts' going back to work...but I still am not ready for it.

Love asked if I would maybe post a picture each day to remind him of home? (Maybe it is a bit hard on him too?) I thought it a grand idea. And just to help get me through, I thought I would make 'a' into a good deal more like 'plenty of'.

So this week every day I will post little peeks into our days and not many words, because with my Heart gone~ the words, they just don't come.

(the children wanted bacon and egg sandwiches, just like I made you.)

(G.W. stopped by with a big bag of the most delicious oranges ever.)

XOXO

Deck the Halls Party

2011-12-08T12:59:00.007-05:00

It has been a bit of a tradition in our family to throw a Deck the Halls party each year; no invites are sent, no guests arrive, just we ourselves having a grand ole time of thing. I rather like it, and the children think it is quite special to have parties thrown just for them. It is a nice family thing that gets everybody involved and feeling the Christmas spirit.

We turn up the Christmas music, some don festive clothing just for the occasion, and we enjoy the first eggnog of the season (with whipped cream!). But most specially of all~ we eat only junk. Snacks, finger food and goodies that are rare treats for us. The biggest perk for me, of course, is that I get a night off of cooking (AND DISHES!) after a day bustling with getting the tree, hauling boxes of decorations and moving furniture around.

This year the "junk" included~

Cracker stonewalls, summer sausage roses and daisy cheese. I'll give you one guess who made that platter....

(SOMEBODY couldn't wait....)

Roasted Peanuts

Peppermint marshmellows

Jalapeno poppers

Clementine wedges (See? It isn't ALL junk...)

Little Smokies

and ginger cookies warm from the oven. (Okay, so I made SOME dishes.)

I love how doing the smallest little things just shoot your children over the moon. Like putting Christmas lights on the food table, eating food with skewers instead of forks and having marshmellows for supper.

I usually put the lights on (while childer are shoving their faces...) and then let them have at it with the ornaments.

Sometimes, if it turns out too lopsided, after the children go to bed I do a little tree intervention.

But really, enough lights and sparkle can cover a multitude of sins.

"What? You mean I can't touch the glass ornaments?"

And then, after the children are all snuggled down deep in their beds, a good game of face-paced Rummikub with the one you love in the glow of Christmas-tree light is just the ticket.

Trudging through the woods for a Christmas Tree

2011-12-07T12:59:00.005-05:00

Since buying Hopestead, we have made many, many future plans for the place~ one of which is planting Christmas trees each year so that we can have a yearly supply of our own homegrown CHristmas trees.

But it takes a few years for Christmas trees to get large enough to cut down, so that plan was one that we couldn't enjoy for a while. Or so we thought.

Then Matt came home from the woods one day and declared he had found us a wonderful tree in the woods. What a happy surprise! We all went down to look at it and cut it down.

the "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" moment:

It isn't a perfect tree, or the most beautiful. But it was free. And it is OURS. And using our own tree from our own woods had one more advantage:

I got to see this guy

...use his brawny muscles to haul it out of the woods.

And that trek wasn't exactly short.

It's a fine one. The tree....

and the man.

Don't forget

2011-12-06T06:23:00.000-05:00

The night when we were sitting down for dinner at the table and I asked Corynn if she had put her clothes away before sitting down~and when she affirmed that it was done I said "Oh good." Normal, everyday moment. But then Andrew says "Mama, I wuwwy wike it when you say "Oh, good!" (imitates my pitch and intonations) I dink dat is nice. And I dink your voice is wuwwy wuwwy nice too." (****heart melts into a puddle****)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That Adele' has taken to calling me Mama Newman and will call from other rooms "Mama Newman! Mama Newman!" when she wants me to come. I wonder if I will ever meet her OTHER Mama?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That Judahbear could make tractor sounds before he could even walk. And climb pianos. (Don't ask.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Corynn helping herself to pie at the church supper, all while matter-of-factly stating to another little friend "You can't have a hearty supper without pie!" (***That's my girl!***)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What it feels like to wake up in the morning and be startled to find these bright eyes quietly staring at you:

Bam Bam!

2011-12-05T14:37:00.004-05:00

Just a few bullets:

During prayer and praise time yesterday at church Corynn was thankful that the house is finally clean. That was fun.

I tried to do family pictures for Christmas cards yesterday 15 minutes before we had to leave for church. Wow, were they B.A.D. I tried to get family pictures last week before church-and never even began because we ran out of time completely. Wondering if I am just not meant to TAKE pictures this year (and inwardly screaming "You were GOING TO TAKE PICTURES FOR THE CHRISTMAS CARD THIS SUMMER, DORK!"

Home schooling is in full swing again and so house projects are pretty much non-existent for me. I am happy if I manage to tidy the mud room or empty the garbage cans. (See bullet #1)

All boxes are unpacked except books (they are awaiting bookcase-building in the staircase. I miss our books. I miss having access to them. I miss even just seeing them.

Judah fell down the stairs last week. Steep, high, wood stairs. From top to bottom. And there was nothing I could do but watch. It was the most awful thing.

Went to our new library for the first time last Thursday. The new librarian said she will be happy to bypass the 30 book limit for me each week. I love our new librarian.

I haven't hung any thing on the walls yet. I just can't envision where it all should go. But I *did* hang Christmas lights outside and that bit of "prettying up" was just what I needed.

Our tub has a picture of a covered bridge on it. Who does that?!

I wanted to do a completely homemade Christmas gift exchange this year but then we moved and I nixed the idea (one smart thing I have done in my life.) But now, I am really REALLY having the itch to make, make, make so I might be just foolish enough to ignore that one smart thing.) Looking forward to sharing....

This vintage-curls with no-heat hairstyle tip really works great. Except when a neighbor drops by one morning with your hair still in it, behead and all. (Ask me how I know...) I have since taken to wearing a headscarf. I much prefer to look like a cancer patient than a mangled dog.

The extra bedroom upstairs was supposed to hold a spare bed, the office desk and my sewing table. It was going to merge the craft/spare room and office of the old house. Except it doesn't fit the spare bed OR the sewing table. That stinks. Not exactly sure what to do about that yet.....

I have a huge long list of things to do today. And tomorrow. And the rest of the week. SO I better go.

Ciao.

It's happened!

2011-12-01T07:22:00.007-05:00

So it finally happened..... I wondered if it ever would.

I always kind of joked that it would happen in a store after my children and I had been shopping all day and the children were acting up and being naughty and I was losing my temper....
but despite not having done my hair, nothing traumatic happened at all.

In fact, it was pretty cool.

What was?

Being spotted (and recognized) by a blog reader!

I was walking among tables at a random craft show and the gal behind the counter said "Is your name Rebecca?"

Yes....yes it is....

Turns out, she has been following my blog for quite some time! I even pulled a Rumplestiltskin and quizzed her to make sure she was serious--- "Oh yeah? Well....well....what is my blogs' NAME?!" (she guessed)

As I stood there listening to her tell her friend who I was and what I do, I felt astonished anew that people ACTUALLY read my blog, choose to witness and take interest in my little uninteresting-save-to-me life.

I mean, WoW.

That is really cool.

I have to say, the rest of the day I felt just a *tad* bit like a celebrity.

A.M.

2011-11-30T10:42:00.003-05:00

With all this house has going against it, one major plug for it is the light it bathes us in every morning.

As abundant as the wind on this hill, the light is somehow easier to take.

Maybe summers heat will change my opinion on that, but in winter I would take the light sooner than the wind any day.

(I didn't do a thing to these pictures by the way. It is just that lovely and almost every morning too!)

An "In Everything" Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T12:32:00.007-05:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone and this year, I needed it more than ever.

I've been in a weird place these last few weeks. I wish I could say it was just these last few lingering boxes I am walking around that are getting to me or the busyness of trying to catch up on schooling or even the adjusting to a smaller home with much different challenges to get used to but unfortunately, it is a whole lot bigger than that. These things are just the small snowballs at the top of the avalanche that will only bury me more fully. But the snow is already on its way, and it can do the most damage~ with or without the snowballs.

The biggest ball of snow is this:

A few weeks ago, despite an earlier leap of faith in starting a home business, Matt began working for his old employer again. When he made the decision I felt (and still feel) like a part of me...of us.... had died. The hopes I had for this family gone; the death of a dream. I still can't bear to talk about it, probably because even now I know only the sting of remorse. I can't understand it. His business was a success. The five months we were self-employed could not have gone any better. The Lord provided abundantly for us through his business and opened up several new avenues for me to make money. We dipped into our set-aside-for-his-business fund only ONCE to pay bills. God blessed us abundantly in our efforts, both financially, spiritually, and relationally. So I am still trying to wrap my head and heart around the whys.

What I do understand, however, is that Matt based his decision upon his love for us. He views this as a temporary arrangement~ a means to an end. We both hate debt and since our new home comes with a lovely new mortgage, he didn't feel confident that his business could support us in the way we needed. He didn't want us to be buried in mortgage debt for 20 years and he didn't want us to be scraping by. He worried that business would slow this winter. He fretted, he feared. This fear stemmed from his great desire to provide for us, and for that I love him all the more.

I also know that through this, God is teaching me a whole lot about submission and one big thing about submission is that being in agreement isn't the same as being submissive. You aren't actually being submissive if you were just going to do it that way anyway. The true colors of submission shine when you DISAGREE with your husband. So God is using this for good in my life too.

Because of all this baggage, I have been struggling with some real resentment with this house. I would have much rather had MATT than any house and since this mortgage was what concerned him enough to go back to work in the first place, it only seems fitting to place the blame squarely on the eaves and trusses of this place..... This is the big picture.

All the little aggravations only further my bitterness and fan my flame of resentment. When I take off my shirt and my hands hit the ceiling because they are so low, I curse this house. When I stub my toe on a box that is *still* not unpacked, I curse this house. When I wait outside the bathroom, knees crossed and hopping up and down because the only bathroom in this house is only ever occupied when I need it, I curse this house. When I flick the porch light off and on as Matt drives off to work in the morning, an I-love-you flick, I curse this house. It has never been about the ceilings or the single bathroom or the boxes and it never will be. But they are mighty nice fuel for a hurting heart.

This is where I have been. This is why my mouth turns dry and my fingers hang limp when I begin to think about writing the thoughts out of my head and heart and forming them into strings of words. This is why the capturing of frozen moments with my little black box has held no sway for me. This is why, this Thanksgiving, I was having a hard time heaping second helpings of thanksgiving into my soul.

I know I am so blessed beyond measure and that I have truly not known grief as many have known it. I also know my husband working away from home is not the end of the world. Yet, I grieve.

There you have it. Don't ever say I only share the good stuff on this blog, because this is a major blow to THAT theory. I've laid my imperfections out; exposed my true colors, as it were. And I am not proud. That is where I am right now~ burying my dream (for a time) and feeling my way around this unknown territory, this unplanned terrain all while trying to crawl out of this hole of bitterness.

It helped when a few weeks ago, a message came.

Our Pastor asked us one day in church "Have you ever found yourself walking alone in the woods and shouting PRAISE GOD at the goodness of it all?" And when he asked, he shouted "PRAISE GOD!" so that the room quaked with feeling.

And I smiled. Yes. I have harmonized with trees as our limbs stretch heavenward and we, the trees and I, declare the glory of the Lord. It has come in a whisper in a quiet morning in the kitchen, riding on heavy breathe for only my soul and He to hear. And it has come as a song in the night, dream lullabies for listening children to count instead of sheep.

It rolls so naturally off of ones lips in the abundant times; it astounds so often in the quiet times. Gratitude comes so freely........when all is well and wonderful.

But it occurred to me then and has challenged me since~

How many times have I shouted PRAISE GOD in the trying times? In the dark times, the confusing times? During those moments of disappointment and floundering? When life just isn't going as (I had) planned?

Is He not worthy of praise in ALL times? Always? And again?

Hasn't He orchestrated these times for His good and ultimately, because He promises, ours as well?

It has happened already, this death of a dream, so I know it was in His plan for my life because nothing that happens is out of the scope of His predestined plan. To be thankful at all times, in everything means we must be thankful even in those things we can not change, can not understand, and wish were not our portion.

Being grateful for the hard, lowly and sad times in our lives is proclaiming that God can redeem those lowly, ugly, hard times~that He can bathe them in blood and make them new; that these tribulations in our lives can worketh patience, character, and HOPE in us?

The vessels of our marred lives, can He not wrought them until they be pleasing once again?

I am but clay, make me new.

I needed the reminder. I need it. Over and over again, I need it.

This Thanksgiving and since, I have been consumed with choosing the praise over the pain, turning bitterness to thanksgiving and finding joy in this journey I wouldn't have chosen for myself but that God, for His glory, chose for me.

I fail, I struggle, but I am forgiven and I am given new chances with each dawning of each new day, with each renewal of each week, yes~even with each new moment I am given breath. Again and again.

With each moment, I will keep trying. Because that is my chief end.

If anyone in their own part of the world, for their own reasons are struggling as I am~ I wanted to share these two incredibly poignant reads. Both by Ann Voskamp, writer/poet extraordinaire, I hope that they will move you and help you, as they have me.

Why Every Day Begs to be Thanksgiving

and

The Real First Thanksgiving

photos : a few from Thanksgiving

Meals on Wheels

2011-11-21T01:20:00.000-05:00

I could (and often do) tout the benefits and importance of food storage but if there is ONE major downfall to the storage of food, I met it head on recently:

MOVING it.

Trust me. SO not fun. It is heavy. It is cumbersome. It can be fragile and it is a HUGE nuisance.

Especially my home-canned goods.

It made me sick to think of how many times my hands have touched that food from planting, weeding, harvesting, canning, loading into the canning cupboard, UNloading the canning cupboard and REloading the canning cupboard.

See what I mean?

Sick.

We better REALLY enjoy eating it..............

Airing my dirty laundry and other snapshots

2011-11-18T13:08:00.007-05:00

~ she found a small, very old book in the basement entitled Think Before You Act and calls it her treasure. That moment, I saw the sun glistening her strands and pages illuminating her mind and called her mine.

~ I felt very proud of myself for doing a load of laundry that day. UNTIL I realized that a vent hole had yet to be cut into the wall, leaving the dryer unusable and no clothesline has been put up.

What?!? You don't think little undies and socks make good valances?!?!?
I say: "Tres chic!"

~ pumpkins and sunshine. The lighting is just so that you can not see the piles of metal scrap awaiting removal, the bags and bags of garbage on the porch, the exposed and trampled dirt left over from an emergency drainpipe/leach-field dig-up and fix-up, or the haybales that are trying desperately (and in vain) to help insulate a foundation that needs to be fixed next spring. Lovely lighting, no?

~ We wanted to get all moved before the snow flew but Jack Frost had other plans. It snowed the most beautiful covering of white~ the kind that sticks to trees and makes marvelous snowmen...... and makes moving a tremendous pain. But the children had a lovely diversion with the snow, though I fear Corynn may be allergic.

~ The first time we slept over, we all woke up at about the same time, came downstairs and stopped in our tracks. Andrew said "Woah! Look!" Corynn said " Mama look at the window!" and I just stared. The finest gold, and with a glimpse~ we are kings.

~ My first task was to get the counters in the kitchen cleared and the table in the dining room cleared so that we could at least fix REAL food and have a place to eat it. After a job well done, I fixed our first meal in the new house. Everywhere else was a D.I.S.A.S.T.E.R but the meatloaf, boiled potatoes and roasted vegetables never tasted so good. We even had some sparkling grape juice I had found in the cupboard when we were cleaning out Grams things.

~ miss him? Oh, that face.

Too busy to have been taking many photos these past few weeks, but I could muster these few.

One for each week I have been gone.

Figured I owed ya.

Once there was a girl named Rebecca who had a blog...

2011-11-17T15:15:00.005-05:00

...and ACTUALLY blogged there.

Well here I am, on the flip side of a major move, feeling like quite the stranger to my own blog~ it feels almost foreign to me to be looking into a computer screen and making odd little click, clicking sounds with my fingers.

I fully intended to blog more often through this ordeal, and would have welcomed a diversion allowing me to sit down at least three weeks ago, had certain difficulties not arisen...like say, waiting a week and a half for the internet guy to be able to come and 'hook us up'. Then of course, another few days to re-glue the legs on our computer desk which we had to saw off in order to get it up the stairs. Then a few more days at the realization that an ungrounded plug in the room would not be sufficient for the computer wiring without an adapter (and hence, a trip to the store when I was too busy to go) and THEN, tack on a few MORE days upon realizing that our wireless USB went AWOL during the move. All this to say---TOTALLY not my fault.

But I am here now, and wondering with this long absence~
Where to begin? or if I even should....

We successfully turned the pages of a month and, with a lick and a flip ended a new chapter of this Story of ours. It had its moments of intrigue and moments of bliss, a few fairly profound jolts but mostly it was just colorless redundancy: pack, haul, pack, haul, pack, haul.

I worked from morning until night with just a short mouth-shoving break for meals. I survived the long nights, intense and energy-draining days by draining Coke by I.V. and my poor family ate more chips and pizza than we have ever eaten before (to the point of being grossed out by it.) I can now boast being 10 pounds more squeezable, if only that were boastable. It has been nice having home cooked meals (and the cooking has become FUN again!) and VEGETABLES and eggs and potatoes. And I have given up Coke.

There were a few moments of Matt holding me in the kitchen while I stood blubbering "We can't do it!", "I can't do this!", "I......can't..........sniff DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO wail..........this!!!!...........slobber, slobber" with Matt assuring me that we can. There were a few other meltdowns on Matt's part, but we won't talk about those. ;-)

We eventually came through, however, and now the packing and making trip after trip in our van and a pickup is just a story past and the beginning of this new chapter is upon us. Still, many a box surrounding us and much work left undone, we have begun our new life in a new home and had our fair share of new excitements to make our fondness for the place kindle and flame.

It isn't hard falling in love with a place when you see it as Gods place for you and it isn't difficult to see the extraordinary in your Story when it is God's fingers flipping the pages.

The extraordinary abound even amidst the cardboard and clutter~ and I am determined to take note.
Renaissances' long lost blogger,

Rebecca

Hidden Treasure and the $40.00 room

2011-10-24T11:32:00.001-05:00

We are officially at a stand still at the house. Polyurethane is drying and forcing us to not step foot there for three days and so we have run out of time for improvements.

October 31st is fast approaching and now begins the packing and the moving.

Many times throughout the day I think "It just can't be done! We aren't going to be able to do all this before Oct. 31st!" Then I think about what has been done and it seems pretty amazing.

Every now and again it seems pretty clear that yes....everything IS going to be okay.

Like when we peeled back the four layers of carpeting, newspaper and linoleum in the living room and kitchen. That was an "It is going to be okay" moment.

It isn't because I need lovely floors to be happy, I don't.

But having a lovely floor underneath all that grime and dust is clearly God's abundant goodness to me and a very obvious "See, I have everything in order for you" message.

He is the greatest Overachiever, God, and loves giving us good things to drop our jaws with wonder.

We rented a sander for $25.00, a few sheets of sand paper and bought a gallon of paint for $14.00 and changed the whole look of the room for a mere $40.00. We already had the polyurethane.

I have often wondered if I would ever be able to make Hopestead feel like I belonged there; like I wasn't just living in Grams house, but my own. It helped when all of Grams things were finally taken out, but even then I worried. Would it ever be MINE?

When I see the living room, I know it is possible.

It isn't done yet. The trim needs to be painted, the drop ceiling taken down, etc. But here it is presently, after $40.00 and a day or two of work:

...and here is what it looked like before:

Feels so much more like home now.

I really, really love him too.

2011-10-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

...And not just because of how sveltely he can handle a couple of sanders and a chop saw....

...but I won't lie~ they are definite perks.

A handy husband is a happy circumstance to have and not to be taken for granted.

Troopers

2011-10-21T00:30:00.000-05:00

I really love my children.

I really love them for many, many, many reasons but recently, my eyes have opened up to a few more.

They are handling this total upheaval of their lives, the neglect of two parents~great with distractions, lack of sleep and days filled in an empty house not yet their own with such grace it amazes.

(under the carpet in the dining room there were scads of newspaper sheets and plenty of COMICS to read from the 1940's. They kept the children, especially Corynn, occupied until evening.)

(painting was a highlight)

When they aren't off playing or exploring, they are helping. Or making lemonade out of lemons and mountains out of mole hills (in the very best possible way).

So glad they are mine.

Dirty work

2011-10-20T19:57:00.005-05:00

We hoped for three weeks to do home improvements before we began 'the MOVE'. Then a week and a half had to be devoted to just getting the house EMPTY.

I thought a full three weeks time would would be a challenge; a week and a half is impossible.

But we are cramming as much into those few days as possible.

We wake up early, work all day through, and come home well past bed time and carry the children up to their beds asleep. We then collapse into bed ourselves. I have worn the same paint speckled pants the entire week.

But contact paper is being ripped up. Floors are being revealed, for better or worse. And we are finding, paint covers a multitude of sins.

Moments

2011-10-17T05:03:00.007-05:00

Just some moments last week~

Matt and his Dad repaired part of the roof last week. The children took turns 'helping'. I love Corynn's expression.

~ Hopestead feels a bit like it sits on top of the world, a very good place to see Autumn colors emerge.

That, and watching tractors weave to and fro, children run and play and random things being thrown out windows are the only things that keep being locked up in a pack and play for HOURS bearable. This child is the most amazing kid (maa-a-aaa!) and just what I need, when there is a home with nitro pills, carpet tacks and all sorts of hazardous things to consume that needs cleaning out. I feel bad about the portapack, but very very very thankful too. I will make it up to him someday.

~ zucchini mozzerella bites~

~ Grams motto must have been "LAYER IT!" because there is not a place in the house that doesn't have at least four layers of flooring, wallpaper or contact paper on it. Tar paper. Laminate floor. Foam. Newspaper. Carpet. Carpet on top of carpet.

Made finding the real floor a sort of treasure hunt.

It is easy for one to get distracted from his work.

Especially when there are $1.50 tires on sale. We could use that sale right about now!

~ Matt putting up the library bookshelves to be used as homeschool bookshelves. I should be getting a whole new set of nice, real wood shelves made for me as soon as Matt is able....MEANING: I can get rid of those nasty, warped particle board bookcases from Walmart I loathe.

~ When one has girls that look just like each other and boys that look just like each other, all with the same distance between them, it is easy to feel as though you are being time warped at times. I remember this exact same moment a few years ago, with a Corynn and Andrew doing just that very thing and looking just that way.

~ I post this picture for the sole reason of admiring those adorable squinty eyes. A one-year-old with laugh wrinkles is too much for this mother to bear, especially if it is hers.

Yes You!

2011-10-14T06:53:00.001-05:00

There are never enough moments in a day to do everything but there are plenty to accomplish the truly important things.

I have a notebook by my bedstand that says Take Some Time. Each time I look at it, I am reminded to be deliberate in everything I do- to pick and choose those important things carefully, and those things are often based around RELATIONSHIPS, not activities.

And so... I wanted to take some time to thank each of you for your amazing encouragement these last few weeks! I may not be able to personally write a note to every one of you right now, but I can't let another day go by without showing my gratitude.

Thank you to the several women who have emailed me privately their own stories and dreams of owning a home and/or moving and shared with me words of wisdom/encouragement.

Thank you to the friend from church who made a wonderful meal (and BROWNIES!) for our family and who shared a card so lovely I sighed.

Thank you to my sister who came and helped me with two batches of pears this morning. Two extra hands and two wagging tongues were more help than you could imagine!

Thank you to the bread maker extraordinaire who is taking over my church-bread-making responsibilities for the next two weeks so that I can focus my attentions elsewhere.

Thank you to you gal pals who have sent precious paper to my mailbox with such encouraging words.

Thank you for all the lovely comments that are showered upon me every time I share with trepidation a picture of a room of junk or a wall of water stains or a floor of old boards.

If I could hug you through a computer I would. If my computer screen were some sort of garden zinnia transporter, I would pick armfuls for you. Instead, here is a picture of the last garden bouquet of the year. For you. With thanks.

You know who you are.

just call me Taz

2011-10-13T06:46:00.000-05:00

When it comes to cleaning rooms of their junk, I am like a Tazmanian Devil~ throwing things here, rushing back, tossing more things and so it goes. I would make piles by the stairs so that when I went downstairs I could take handfuls at a time.

I was working so quickly, I didn't even realize that I had boxed a poor little Adele' in until I heard the wails.

The Name of the Place

2011-10-12T14:40:00.007-05:00

Growing up, I was in a nomadic family. I believe my parents have moved 22 times since they have been married. (Right, Mom?) And in my life, in particular, the moves were often to different STATES and often far, far away from friends and family. I took my neighbor with me for Grandparents Day at school. As a child, it was mostly fun, adventurous, exciting (well, maybe not for Mom!). But when I met Matt, I got to see a different side of things.

He lived in the same house he was born in all of his non-married life. Both sets of grandparents lived down the road and he would be babysat or spend the night at their homes regularly. We still pass a stone wall that he built as a teenager~out of stones that another Newman built long ago. His family is all buried in the local cemetery. Our children sleep in his old room for rest time when we visit.

It was all so different from my upbringing. So constant, so secure. So.....stagnant. Though I wouldn't trade how I was raised, this lifestyle~so vastly different from my own~appealed to me greatly.

When I got married, I decided I should like to live in one beautiful, amazing home the rest of my days; that my children would grow up and their children would sleep in the same room and reminisce, that we could write the heights of our children on the doorposts and see them, small again, decades later. I thought it would be lovely to watch my children climb and play on the apple trees their parents played on and that we could all picnic under a great maple that we planted. A place where we would never have to abandon our memories. Wouldn't my life be grand?!

And then real life happened. And while 'real life' didn't turn out at all like I had envisioned, it was beautiful to us....like my childhood. We moved, almost like clockwork, every two years. Each place we made our home happy and sweet, and named her thus.

Home #1 was the home where Matt and I moved into married life, blushing and flirtatious. Where we learned to live with one another and had our first (and second and third) fight, something I was SURE would never, ever happen. It was where I learned that Matt had a horrible temper and where he learned that I couldn't cook a lick. It was a teeny little house that you could see every square foot of when you walked in the front door. Reminiscent of Laura Ingalls house (minus the loft), it was the most lovely place on earth in my mind. It was where Matt and I slept in a twin bed together until we could afford a queen size bed, but when the bed was delivered~ the delivery men weren't sure it would fit into the room. (It did, though when you walked into the doorway you were practically on it and I had to climb over Matt to get to my side.) There were open shelves between the 'living room' and the 'dining room' where I put all my lovely shiny crystal wedding presents and the most lovely rainbows would dance through the house every morning as the sun came up-right through the window onto the crystal. It sat on the farm where Matt worked and right next to a large house where a dozen Mexicans lived. This was the home I would walk to the farm and have picnic lunches with Matt and where Matt learned to speak fluent Spanish, even though he took French in school. This is where Corynn was born. But we moved about a month later. We called her The Little House. We pass her on the way to church.

Home #2 was an apartment down the road. Still small, though more spacious than the first house, it had an upstairs(!) that had TWO rooms and it even had two bathrooms (though the downstairs bathroom, your knees rubbed the washing machine when you sat down.) It was in a nice grand house, the large side being where the owner (our landlady) lived. I really disliked this house~ it is bizarre to play outside in a yard where your landlady is watching you. Or hanging clothes on a line where another persons clothes were hanging. Or watching her dig up the rose bush you just planted because, well, she didn't want it in HER lawn. This was the home where I hung lights from trees and we danced and celebrated our anniversary (the same night our single landlady had all her single girlfriends over for cards and they all swooned at the romance of it all). This is the home I taught myself how to can and where Matt went to his parents' house every weekend to "DO something outside!". This is the home where Andrew was born. We called her The Duplex. But we moved a week later.

Home #3 was where we became a family. A real family. It was three and a half hours away, in a place where we knew no one. A beautiful, big, BRICK home with columns in front~ it, too, came with the farm where Matt was working~ though this time, it wasn't ON the farm but down the road a bit. It had a huge yard, where I began teaching myself how to garden and a huge garage where Matt would work. It had a huge basement where the children would play and a huge CEILING in the living room that I would sometimes just stare up at in awe. Everything about it was huge in my mind, coming from two *small* houses before that.

This was the home where we met a wonderful church family, and established wonderful lifelong friendships with some dear families. It is where I met with one of my dearest friends every few weeks and we would get together at someones' house after the children were in bed, and we would crochet and gab, sometimes cry and ALWAYS laugh the nights away. This is the home where the shelves that held my beautiful crystal wedding presents broke, dashing them all to pieces and leaving me with just three special things...none of them rainbow-throwing crystals. Since we lived so far from parents', we were able to establish our own family traditions and celebrate our own family holidays....at our own home! For this reason alone, I will forever love this place. Matt moved down there in order to take over the farm and buy it out from the farmer, which was never a part of the plan in the farmers' mind, turns out.... so Matt, with no love-loss and maybe just a bit of resentment, called this house (despite its' grandiose charm and the memories we built as a family) simply The Brick House. We packed up and moved when I was pregnant with Adele'.

Home #4 is this, our current dream home. Since our dream house was really just a shell when we moved, we had to live with Matt's parents for a month or so. So I was pregnant when we packed up the Brick House and very VERY pregnant when we finally unpacked it into the new house. I lifted things WAY too heavy for a woman great with child and remember feeling guilty the whole time. But. It had to be done.

This house is much more grandiose than the brick house ever was and has barns to boot. It has high ceilings and large rooms and everything I ever wanted in a home (except a mortgage.) This is the home where we finally started to live as we always wanted to live: with wood heat, with animals, with a huge garden and chickens. This is where we had Halloween parties in the woods, and circus parties and book parties and Christmas parties. It is where I began to teach myself about food storage and preparedness. It is where Matt taught himself how to butcher a cow himself. With his bare hands he tore the cow from limb to limb. It is where we began having somewhat regular dates (once every several months) since the grandparents lived close by for babysitting. This is the house where Adele' and Judah joined our family. We call this home The Mansion.

Home #5 is the one we are working hard for, the one that is pulling us and our attentions from the moment we wake up to the moment we collapse into bed, and then pervades our dreams. When we first began looking at it, I called it the Hobbit Hole. With its dark paneling for walls, short ceilings, lack of light fixtures and just general claustrophobic feel, that name seemed to suit it. But of course, it won't be long before I throw buckets of white paint in every direction to brighten up the place. So, no....it won't be called the Hobbit Hole. Instead, a much better, more fitting name we have decided on is....

Hopestead

Right now, the only homestead we have is built of hope and mortared with plans. The place we envision, the place we hope for is something we have to work to attain, something we ARE working for. So... Hopestead it is. And each time a piece of laminate flooring or wallpaper is peeled back, that hope grows.

We have been working tirelessly at Hopestead this past week. From dawn to dusk. we wake up, eat breakfast, I make lunch and snack and we go and are gone until dinner (and often later)

I feel homeless right now. Our Mansion is as of yet not packed (except books) and still feels like home but the only time we are here is to sleep. We spend every moment we can at Hopestead but it feels nothing at all like a home, only like work. We basically do our 'living' in the car between the two homes. And that is DEFINITELY the only time I sit down too. Pretty sad.

But! Not without its benefits. Here is some of what we have done:

You've seen this before:

Now it looks like this:

This is how the someday school room was looking last week:

Now it looks like this:

This is one of two medium sized bedrooms with lighting and small closets in the upstairs. The other two small rooms were part of the original house and have only a single (not grounded) outlet each to boast and barn boards for floors.

And here it is now~ so empty it echoes.

This is the BEFORE picture of the girls' room:

And, while it isn't DONE...here it is presently:

The hallway then:

And now:

The stairway then:

And now:

The master bedroom~the easiest of the upstairs rooms.

After I tackled it:

While I was tackling the rooms~ Matt was on the tractor taking load by load of stuff to the fire, tearing down shelves, building shelves, helping haul furniture, and completely cleaning out the granary. I never got a before picture of that-but it was amazing what he did all himself.

Once the last of the STUFF is gotten rid of, we can begin to squeeze as many cosmetic changes as we can muster into one week. Then, ready or not, it is time to move.

And finally..... a little something I find solace in:

IMAGINATION
by Edgar Albert Guest

The dreamer sees the finished thing
before the start is made;
She sees the roses pink and red
beyond the rusty spade,
And all that bleak and barren spot
which is so bare to see
Is but a place where very soon
the marigolds will be.

Imagination carries her
across the dusty years,
And what is dull and commonplace
in radiant charm appears.
The little home that she will build
where willows bend and bow
Is but the dreamer's paper sketch,
but she can see it now.

She sees the little winding walk
that slowly finds her door,
The chimney in its ivy dress,
the children on the floor;
The staircase where they'll race and romp,
the windows where will gleam
The light of peace and happiness -
the house that's still a dream.

You see the weeds and rubbish there,
and ugliness and grime,
But she can show you where there'll be
a swing in summertime.
And she can show you where there'll be
a fireplace rich with cheer,
Although you stand and shake your head
and think the dreamer queer.

Imagination! This it is
the dreamer has today;
She sees the beauty that shall be
when time has cleared the way.
She reads the blueprint of her years,
and she can plainly see
Beyond life's care and ugliness -
the joy that is to be.

Warming

2011-10-07T07:19:00.001-05:00

Looking for a little heart warming in these turning-chilly October days....

...and Carl Larsson never disappoints.

Sore Shoulders

2011-10-06T06:40:00.001-05:00

I am afraid you all may be sick to death of my blog posts before too long as currently my life is consumed with the ugly, dirty, cluttered and neglected. It stands to reason, then, that it is the ugly, dirty, cluttered and neglected that I record here. 'Tis this new season of my life. That said, I still want record these moments for posterity, for that one day in the distance where we can look back on all it took to make this place OURS. Frankly, I wouldn't come along for the ride if it weren't actually MY life, so I won't expect anyone else to. Unless you are gluttons for punishment. Or Insane.Either way, I fully expect you all to drop off like flies before the month is out.

We ( read: *I*) was very, very, very disappointed (and that doesn't even describe it) to find out the other day that the auction house that was supposed to take almost everything from Grams house instead took almost NOTHING. And so~while these two weeks were supposed to be spent ripping out wallpaper and carpeting and repainting...instead it is clear that the responsibility to clean out the house and rid it of its contents is resting squarely on MY shoulders.

Rooms that look like this, mind you:

(and yes, ALL the rooms are this way.)

*GROAN*

I am going in.....

If I am not back in a week~ call for help!

All in a Good Days Work

2011-10-05T06:12:00.007-05:00

It is satisfying to roll up your sleeves, work hard and then see the end results.

As we await the auction people coming to clear out the house of all of Grams things, Matt and I figure we ought to start working where we CAN. So we began work on the outside of the property.

I dug up all my perennials, over 20 of them and was sore the rest of the day. The children barely fit in the car the next morning as we took them over to the new house to dig holes...AGAIN....for them to be planted.

I placed the flowers between the existing rose bush and lilacs, forming a huge circle that will one day have an entrance of climbing clematis. (The clematis I have, the thing on which the clematis climbs I do not. Yet.) In my head is a sort of floral retreat maybe housing a bench or picnic table in the center (but for now, picnic blankets will do just fine) surrounded by lavish flowers and intermingled with herbs.

The neighbor has been coming to mow the lawn and so I ribbon-ed it off so my transplants would stay safe~(while it is very generous of him to keep the yard cared for as the house stands empty, he has been known to mow down peonies).

Adele' was a real help and did all the ribboning off. Her chubby little two year old fingers in the ribbon spool and her careful walking backwards were too cute for words.

I still have to transplant my strawberry patch and find a lovely little out of the way place where my mint can stretch out its little arms and bask in the sunshine, where it can grow and grow to its little hearts content.

While I did this~ Matt worked on fixing a barn roof and clearing the stubble from those left-to-themselves, bachelors of barns.

The end result of two very busy days....

Before:

After:
It really was a shame to see it go, I loved that part of the barn~ it had character. But it just had to go...it was just waiting for the right opportunity to fall on innocent bystanders.

Before:

After:

~ Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. ~

~Thomas Edison

October Garden and Alterior motives

2011-10-03T12:36:00.010-05:00

Thank you to all who left bright, shining bits of encouragement for me on our big news. It meant a lot to hear such positive comments; there was not a 'WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!?!" in the bunch. But then again~ I haven't shown you the inside....

The truth is, the outside is the NICEST part of the deal (even though it isn't the least bit Victorian and lacks my much-coveted wrap around porch). It is the inside that gets me all squirmy. Frankly, I just don't know if I am brave enough to share the 'before' pictures with you, to expose her nakedness to the world? That might be cruel. AND it will undoubtedly illicit some of those comments I was just referring to.

But I digress.

(and the packing begins....)

In answer to the few questions I received about it: Yes, it is nearby...only 20 minutes away. No, it should not affect Matts work in any way or our church going or our extended families. In fact, it is very, very, VERY near to Matts family, giving us only about 5 minutes breathing room-er---commute. ;-)

And to the question how will I do it all?

Ummmm.....

I have no idea.

OR better yet, I WON'T.

These two pictures capture it rather well:

Lovely, homemade laundry soap. So clean, so bright, SO cheerful! (cue Evita, there is no SOAP, no soap like that!)

...and then of course, reality.

(and no, that is not all the laundry. Are you kidding me?! It is MONDAY, people!)

I already feel myself treading water, something that happens to me when I get so overwhelmed I slide down into this pit of mental exhaustion that then becomes physical exhaustion, though I haven't done a lick of work.

I have 2 bushels of pears to can up, beets to pickle and 65 pounds of grapes coming on Saturday. I have homeschooling to do (consistently but bare minimumly-if only that were a word). And that isn't even including the two weeks we have to repair and empty out the new house and the following two weeks of emptying the old house into the new house.

But it has to all get done, so it will. My prayer is that it gets done in a way that is PLEASING TO THE LORD. I don't want to turn into a bear and I am SURE my children don't want me to either.

The one consolation is that up until this point whenever we have moved (and we have moved many times) I have either been great with child or newly postpartum and have either been lugging furniture along with a tabletop belly or unpacking while nursing a suckling babe. Seeing how this is not my dilemma presently, this time it should be a piece of cake. Right?! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Okay. This blog post is me, treading water.

How about a stroll through the blessedly dead October garden? Yes? yes. splash, splash.

~ I wanted to grow enough pumpkins to sell some along with our eggs on the side of the road. Since the flood however, and all the bridges being washed away~ we are left on a dead end road and no passersby. We will have plenty of pumpkins this year for ourselves!

~ Delicata squash. LOVE. Nothing better than Delicata roasted with seasalt and pepper. Of course, some of these were left entirely too long and are not quite so delicata anymore. ;-)

~ pears. I did not grow these. I do not have the luxury of owning my own pear tree. Or the partridge, for that matter. I ordered them. This years' price: $16.00 a bushel.

~ Since my last big harvest of tomatoes, I have thought we were out of luck with tomatoes. Late Blight, you know. But when I went down to harvest all the beets and winter squash, I discovered a few unscathed volunteer vines in a different part of the garden and voila! A season, extended! Makes for a lovely table centerpiece too.

~ Evie. She is my favorite of the three little kittens that we, for some reason that I can not fathom, still HAVE.

She is fearsome.

A bouquet or two left, for sanity's sake. They won't be for the table. They will be for my bedside. I always feel very much like a princess when I wake up to flowers by my bed.

And now...I need to go dry off and get to work.

Be it ever so humble

2011-10-01T05:29:00.007-05:00

In a certain little town, if you drive down a certain little road you will come to a certain little hill

... and if you go to the top of that certain little hill you will see a certain little homestead~ well, the skeletal remains of its' glory days, anyway~

... and that homestead was where several generations of "Newman" toiled and laughed, fell in love and had babies, and put in a good honest days work every day God gave them.

It has history written on its doorposts.

It is where Grandpa Nathan worked his whole life away in order to have farms to give to all his children, farming with horses and long sleeve shirts and sweat. It is where Grandma Prince married Grandpa Leigh and had four babies, most within its' very walls. It is a place that saw the change of outhouses and peepots to indoor plumbing, it had to have a hole cut in its walls for one of those telephone machines and eventually housed a refrigerator. It has seen it all. It is also where my father-in-law sprayed painted GARY + LINDA as a boy in love on the barn wall.

And now, it will be home to a new generation of Newmans~ US and we will write our own history upon its walls. It will be Matts and my sweat that those 106 acres soak up, that we might have something to leave to OUR children.

That sweat and toiling isn't something that we can anticipate only in the future, however, but is something that is starting right now. Maybe now more than ever, in fact.

The only way we could afford such a place is to get a fixer upper. I have always known that. But I guess I was thinking maybe not THIS extreme. The whole place is falling apart!

Many barns need to be torn down entirely and/or fixed up. That is, after we cut down the brush and trees blocking them in.

Now you know why we haven't gotten anymore pigs or cows to replace our old ones. ;-)

The chicken house, (that's it above and below) Andrew could probably push right over with his toy dump truck. Since we HAVE chickens, we need to be tearing it down and rebuilding a place for them to over-winter and STAT .

The house, I fear, is only being held up by the layer upon layer of contact paper Gram slathered everywhere. The roof leaks and the foundation has bad spots. We will have to convert to wood heat. And that says nothing for the wavy plywood walls, water damage, layers of falling down wall paper and...contact paper (ugh) and all the COSMETIC work it so desperately needs.

I told Matt, I would rather have just the bones of a place than to have to go on an archeological dig through 50's wallpaper, 60's plywood, 70's carpet and 80's contact paper to FIND the bones.

The worst of it is.... since we are on the tightest budget of our history.... my instant gratification nature is going to be tested as we CAN'T make all these changes right away. We lack two precious resources... money and TIME. The fact is, I am going to have to live in a hideous house for a while and make it less hideous SLOWLY and as we are able.

It wouldn't be as big a deal if it I weren't currently living in my DREAM HOME. My own vanity is holding onto our present home with a death grip. I have to fight (daily) the comparison game about our current house and the new one and the new one always loses...big time. But the sad fact is that despite our original hopes, this house can never be ours and will never be.

Our new house may not be better (at present), but it will be ours. And permanence is something I have dreamed about and prayed for since the first day I became a blushing bride. With the claustrophobic ceilings and small rooms, I get the liberty to plant my orchards and reap their harvests, plant asparagus and perennials and never be faced with leaving them or digging them up. With the scraping of contact paper, I get to see Matt live out his dreams of having LAND. When we are old, we will have something to GIVE to our children. All of these, dreams come true.

Truly, my home isn't within ANY four walls. Matt is my home and wherever he is, I will be. Happily. It sounds cheesy and cliche', but there it is.

If I can get through ONE more move, I will never (Lord willing) have to move again.

We are BUYING a house.

And we move October 31st.

2011-09-27T14:55:00.004-05:00

When it comes to flower bouquets.....

I am not

above

using

weeds.

Happiness is making a bouquet of those flowers within your grasp.
- Unknown

DoubleMint

2011-09-26T11:54:00.011-05:00

Once upon a time, which though it feels like forever ago was in actuality only a few weeks ago, there was a double birthday at our house. September 2nd is the birthday of two of my babies. (I told you September is always a busy month for me!) Though instead of twins, the day is shared by my eldest and the one who currently holds the title of 'youngest'. Corynn says they are "almost twins".

Here are the outdated (few) photos of that day. I took more pictures of the presents than the children (which is just plain WRONG), but in all fairness~ I was busy making birthday requested meals, cakes, and yes~ finishing the last minute present preparations.

I intended to do formal birthday shots at some point, but then we had a visit from Lee.

Their birthday fell on a Friday, which in our house is pizza and a movie night. The requested dinner, then, was stuffed crust PLAIN pizza. As you wish....

I don't know how the whole cake business is going to work down the road, when two requests are made (especially since we are not really a cake family...) but this year only one was old enough to make a request so it worked out well.

Actually, the request was in written form and HAD been since her LAST birthday! The very night she turned seven, after eating cake, she drew what NEXT years' cake would be and I saved it in my BILLS folder ever since.

The request (hopefully) :

My "15 minutes before rest time is over so hurry up and get it done" interpretation:

Judah had to get used to the idea of cake at first...

...but warmed up to it almost immediately. Frosting does that to you.

And now for the presents. da da da DUUUUUUUUUM~~~

I have known for over a year what I would do for Corynn. Judah, on the other hand, I had no idea what to do for him. Believe it or not, I have a hard time with first birthday presents. Babies, in my mind, just... don't need (or want) anything but hugs and kisses. I refuse to clutter up the house with JUNK just because that is what you are supposed to do.

So very last minute, and after two trips down TWO different store toy department aisles, I *FINALLY* came up with something that wasn't plastic rubbish. (OR expensive.)

Wooden blocks on clearance at Target which I then spruced up by Mod-Podging photos onto them of everyone in the family~

Because, really, how much more intrigue is added to play by THIS look?

Awww............. I remember that shirt....

He liked them. But not as much as my kisses.

For Corynn, I have been planning to do a sewing basket for over a year now.

Having been given a boxed up craft room, it ended up making for a VERY inexpensive gift! I still recall when I received my sewing basket (about her age) and the tremendous feeling of overwhelming awe at all the beautiful grown-up things I could have (all for myself!) to CREATE with. I remember fondling the scissors with utter amazement. I can still FEEL it! I knew this would be a special birthday gift for her.

In the basket I included things like~

thread, fabric pencils, seam ripper and a thimble....

...a felt pincusion........

... and pretty pins (I glued on beads to the ends of pins).....

... a jar of notions. Trim, lace, ribbon, buttons. Good stuff. Lots of pink. ;-)

.... I whipped up a felt needle book with a cute little Hedgehog and Modpodged fabric onto one of those measuring tapes businesses give for free....

... I glued sparkles onto her pair of scissors so we wouldn't confuse the two (MINE IS MINE!), an embroidery hoop and some fabric from my stash...

A treasure chest of goodies, really. And one of the cheapest presents I have ever put together!

And along with it~ this book:

...and the promise of a sewing lesson a week.

I love these two pieces of me and I love that each new year brings new, delightful reasons to love them more. Looking forward to this one!

Towers of TP

2011-09-22T09:10:00.010-05:00

Well, Hello! My name is Rebecca and once upon a time I blogged at Renaissance....

Our internet has finally been restored and I must say thank you to all my Swedish, Australian, South African, UK and American friends who made their prayers and presence known over this trying time. What a blessing to hear from all of you! (and wow! I didn't know this blog was international! wA-Hooo!) Thank you for taking the time......

(no wonder the power was out. It was in the CORN!)

I wanted to post these few grim pictures in order to document the ordeal and then be DONE with it. That way, I can move on to loveliness and beauty and ORDINARY life. (Something I am coveting pretty intensely right about now!)

(blacktop folds like paper, turns out)

I was unable to get out until several days AFTER the flooding, when the water had receded and only then, to a very few spots near home (it was impossible to get to neighboring towns and cities, even if I HAD wanted to go~ which I didn't~ due to impassable roads.)

(I guess I should mention: all pictures are within one mile of our home, some frightfully close.)

(I have no idea where the bridge WENT. It swam far, far away. Now it just a cliff)

In fact, during the storm it was even impossible to GET home:

We were stranded at Matt's parents' house thanks to a day spent helping clean out Grams house and then roads being washed out. We tried to get home, but to no avail. It was hard being away from home~ not knowing the state of our house, not being able to care for our animals and not being able to do ANYTHING. God took care of things, even when we couldn't.

(limp guard rails)

When waters had receded enough (and a morning was spent forging back roads until we were able to find a way home) we were finally able to get home to a home still dry and a garden still planted and animals NOT drowned.

But the power was out and every bridge around us was demolished so we were left considering the possibility that we wouldn't be able to get to town for months. I mourned the hypothetical loss of cheese, milk and other dairy products. And then I realized, we were low on toilet paper and my mourning turned to weeping and gnashing of teeth!

(Storing food for emergencies is SO IMPORTANT! I was worried about CHEESE and TOILET PAPER...not my family starving!)

(this bridge is right off of our driveway. The road crew is our new alarm clock.)

Electricity people came around and said not only was power out in homes, but in their power station as well and not to expect it to come on for quite some time. Immediately, my heart went into my throat at the thought of losing all that hard-earned foodstuff: vegetables, fruits and meat in our freezers, along with the precious time and money it took to feed that livestock and GET that meat/ veggies/ and fruit.

(oil lamps at the ready. I always have TONS of candles everywhere...no worries there!)

That afternoon was a whirlwind as I gathered and filled all the oil lamps, brought up the stored water (Storing water is SO IMPORTANT! Maybe even more important than food!) (I store both drinking and soapy water for washing) , as Corynn and I whipped up some flannel bathroom wipes (ew) so we could ration the toilet paper for the important times (if you're picking up what I am laying down...) and as I immediately began the canning of as much meat as I could before it was too late.

(what was once our poor neighbors driveway... Matt has been helping her as often as he can.)

I worked tirelessly, with no power, and canned 60 pounds of meat~ not even ONE shelf of ONE freezer (we have two chest and one in the fridge). Then~ Praise God!!! (STILL!) He allowed the power to go on before all the meat was ruined!

(canning by candlelight---and the precise reason I insist upon using gas stoves instead of electric!)

We were able to call my parents eventually using a cellphone, and found out that my sisters family was in a shelter so I immediately called her and told them to come.

(Storing food is SO IMPORTANT! I was able to open my home to a family of SEVEN for a week when they needed it BECAUSE I had food enough to feed them and my family without worry!)

(wicked paths of grovelling plants)

After that, it was just a whirlwind of making meals and cleaning up after them before a new meal needed to be made. I didn't accomplish much else~ nope, not even school.

(a fresh batch of homemade playdough and the last of the banana muffins from breakfast)

My children may have not opened a school book the whole week but they learned invaluable lessons that week.

(lovely flat ground no longer)

Elizabeth and Bobs' (my sister and her husbands') church family opened up an empty parsonage for them to live in and so they are safe and together and living in a beautiful home right now. I can't help but praise God for the saints. The Church stepping up in dire times is an outworking of Christ and there is no better witness to God's goodness than the outworking of His love through His people. We are His hands. I am proud to be part of this Family of God.

We are trying to return to a normal schedule and life (though admittedly, it isn't working very well!)

(just a toothpick)

I learned a few things lately: one is that the internet somehow and at some point became the only cookbook I use (a nasty realization when you don't have it!) and that........even without the internet, I *STILL* don't have enough time in the day. ("It isn't the internets' fault" is a happy realization for me since I am always very concerned with wasting precious time on unprecious things.)

The first thing I did when I got back on the computer was marked everything in my google reader as READ and then promptly unsubscribed to more than half my feeds. When a girl has 500 some blog posts to 'catch up on' over two weeks or so, a girl needs to say "UNCLE". Even *I* know my limits.

(this was once a lovely pasture...with all the stone and silt, I wonder if it will ever be again.)

I also learned a few things about food storage. The town we live near didn't have power for almost two weeks. Our storage was perfectly adequate for us but our electricity came on pretty speedily considering.... we would have been toast had we been in town. That got me to thinking about what I needed if I *HAD* lived in town.

(the national guard comes...)

Upon further reflection:

It would be wise to make a few changes to our current setup.

We need to store more drinking water and more soapy water (pondering rain barrels)

We need to have a generator at some point for our freezer foods.

I must get more wicks and oil for our lamps.

We ought to store some gas. (the gas stations were closed or rationing gas. We couldn't get to them for a while anyway.)

And oh yeah~ I want a Great Pyramid of TOILET PAPER accessible to me AT ALL TIMES.

A Natural Disaster

2011-09-17T10:40:00.002-05:00

'ello? tap, tap

this thing on???

I have traveled to the land of internet in order to tell you that despite the fact that our area has been hit with the worst flood of its' history, we are all doing remarkably well (considering). We don't presently have telephone or internet (and thus, no real connection to the outside world and thus~ no blogging) and we are all but stranded at home with bridges being out to our North, South, East and West but we have found a single road to get us to a store if the need should arise and we have electricity.

Electricity means that our two chest freezers full of homegrown beef, bacon, pork, BACON and all I have put up from gardens and berries are not lost. And drinkable water. And water to wash with. All great blessings, indeed, made only more apparent with the clear distress all around us. The nearest town, down the road a piece, STILL has its power out after over a week and the fire station serves 600 meals, three times a day, to the many people in need.

Pastures have turned to stone quarries, bridges everywhere (even the two right outside our driveway) have collapsed and washed entirely away, and sludge covers everything that the water didn't take away. Homes and businesses are destroyed. People, MANY, are wondering where to go from here. Including my sister and her family, who have been staying with us because their house was ruined in the flood. The water filled up their basement, went into their first floor and only once the water receded, did they realize it took with it their foundation.

There are stories to tell, many. And awful, ugly pictures to share. But for now, I just covet your prayers for everyone down this way.

Be well, friends.

September

2011-09-06T10:33:00.005-05:00

Every winter I begin to wonder if perhaps my basket collection is becoming a bit excessive and wonder if I ought to pare down.

Then, September comes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feeling just a tad *or maybe not JUST a tad* bit overwhelmed these days.

Sadly, when I get to feeling this way, I begin treading water; accomplishing seemingly nothing and all those non-accomplishments add up to make me feel more overwhelmed.

A vicious cycle, I tell you.

The house is completely trashed from hasty birthday preparations and yard sale preparations that never panned out, thanks to buckets from heaven.

The laundry is mountainous thanks also, to buckets from heaven.

The school year has officially started but I am feeling less prepared than EVER thanks to a summer that disappeared before my very eyes.

Tomatoes are like dirty laundry these days...you get approximately 15 minutes of being caught up before more appear.

I have been intending to reopen my Etsy shop and set up a table at a craft show very soon in order to help more with finances but can't even seem to find the time to vacuum the throw rug in the living room or post those clothes on Craigslist.

Worst of all, the (very uncertain) future may make the next two or three months (or 6 or 12) the most insane months of my life. And the uncertainty of it all is driving me mad.

I wonder if the strength of it all is in me.

And then I read this, written just for me it seems:

God WILL give you more than you can handle

and

Our Priviledge on Earth

And I remember this:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

And then I just step out, one step after another... in faith.

Foto Friday

2011-09-02T10:15:00.004-05:00

It is Friday! And this Friday, I happen to have two birthday children awaiting gifts that are still in progress, a cake that is baking and needs to be very strategically decorated and pronto, a house that needs to be visited, pizza dough to make, and oh yeah~ a yard sale to get ready for!

So I will make this brief.

A picture that reminds you of childhood~or maybe just your favorite for the week. Share them now!

I decided against highlighting favorites from the previous week from now on. Mainly, because it takes twice as long to get these posts up by doing so, but also partly because I fear the bit of competition (though it wasn't intended to become competition) has scared people off from participating. It isn't about competing with one another~ never has been and never will be. Rather, Foto Friday is about trying to push to better ourselves and our photography, regardless of skill level, and share glimpses of our progress.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's contributions!

And if you want to participate NEXT week~ you can share your favorite photo of the week OR push yourself with the challenge of capturing SOMEONE YOU LOVE. I'll enjoy my glimpse either way!

Glimpse

2011-09-01T06:49:00.001-05:00

A few glimpses of here and there things this first day of September...

“It’s not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.”

~Mary O’Connor

A confession:

2011-08-31T13:19:00.001-05:00

If you are wondering how I have been able to blog almost every day for the last two weeks (during the busiest season of my year, especially THIS year!) I will tell you: I haven't!

I have been scheduling posts. (gasp!)

In an effort to keep caught up on the pictures I am taking, I have been blogging them when I have a *very few* spare moments (usually at night) and then scheduling them for a random day.

This is great because, frankly, I have been crazy busy with all sorts of endeavors and my blog would have stood empty otherwise (tragedy, I tell you.) It is NOT great because, well....

it makes my blog feel more like a business endeavor and less like a conversation.

It feels really nice to share something that is on my mind and get instant feedback from you gracious readers that leave me comments now and then- referring to what is on my mind at that precise moment. It is decidedly LESS cool to get comments on things you wrote about a week ago and feel nothing for at the present moment.

So. It is 1:00 in the afternoon- children are resting quietly for a wee bit and I am going to break the 'schedule' and blog real time.

Because~ I want to, that's why.

:-)

A few weeks ago our Friday night movie night consisted of three pizzas (we had company) and A Shine of Rainbows. It resulted in very few leftovers (the company was three children) and, for me, an infatuation with shawls. More specifically, this one:

Said infatuation resulted in immediate shawl replication plans.

I have never replicated anything crocheted from sight before and it may not be exact (no idea how to make those flowers) but it should be close enough to count. Now, if only I looked as good as her wearing it. Especially the scene where it is all wrapped around her head. *LOVE*

People in movies can pull ANYTHING off.

Homemade Wheat Thins (and my newest kitchen mate)

2011-08-31T01:33:00.001-05:00

Several years now I have wanted a grainmill.

Several years now, my husband and I have argued back and forth as to which kind we ought to get.

I opted for the reliable, cheap one that was ELECTRIC (Nutrimill) because *I* am the one going to be grinding the flour after all and frankly *I* have enough to do than to grind wheat by hand. (read: Ain't happening.) And I didn't want to waste all sorts of money on the grinder then not be able to afford the wheat!

He wanted the crazy insane expensive one, made in Montana from all cast iron/metal parts that was hand-powered in case the electricity went out. He promised *he* would grind the flour. (right.)

And so for years, we went back and forth~ both of us RIGHT. (But me especially. ;-) ) And so...we never actually GOT one.

Well~ recently my dehydrator went kaput and for the first time ever (outside of trying to sell our bunnies) I went on Craigslist, thinking I might be able to replace it. (I can't live without dehydrating!) No such luck. Then, just for giggles, I searched for 'grain mill'.

And lo, and behold! found an old version of this one.

Manual AND electric.
Solidly built AND cheap.

It was a done deal.

The ONE day I go on Craigslist, the very thing we have wanted for years was up for grabs for a song!

Matt picked it up today and we celebrated by making Homemade Wheat Thins.

And they were deeeee-lish.

WERE being the operative word here.

Jalapeno Surprise

2011-08-30T08:26:00.000-05:00

One of our egg customers left us a pleasant surprise in our cooler the other day~ beautiful jalapenos, enough for one batch of jelly.

All of our peppers (sweet and spicy) STUNK this year so that is one more batch than I thought we would get!

The quiet little moments of kindness are the ones that astound me most.

Infinity SOMETHING

2011-08-29T08:11:00.005-05:00

Way back when I saw a tutorial for an infinity dress and saved the link for whenever I got the chance. Well, several months LATER.............

I *finally* 'got the chance'.

An hour later my love and I were heading out to an anniversary lunch and I very hastily decided THAT was the right moment to make it. Insane? I know.

I happened to have a bolt of knit fabric I got at Wal*Mart (5 yards, 5 bucks) that had been intended for this very purpose.

The result, after 20 minutes, was NOT a dress. At least, not on this 6 foot tall body. (Yes, I envy you short, petite and sweet people. I am working on it.)

On me, it is more like a.....uh......TUNIC. yeah. That's it.

But I like it anyhow.

I figure in the winter it would be kinda sweet (and warm) with a long sleeve black shirt underneath and a pair of jeans or leggings. Because those days are fast approaching...

The Readied School Room

2011-08-27T11:05:00.001-05:00

Summertime is kind of a free for all in this house. I do what I must do (gardening, canning, yada yada yada) and the children can pretty much do what they want (puzzles, drawing, playing outside, making immense messes) with no schedule and very little oversight.

It works for us, all except one small little fact:

My school room is CONSTANTLY trashed. They 'create' in the schoolroom while I 'create' in the kitchen. Their idea of 'cleaning up' consists more of shoving scrap papers and gluesticks in every nook and cranny. puzzle pieces in piles and crayons under, over and around every.single.thing.

I wouldn't ordinarily show you the results of an entire summer of unsupervised creating, but you see.... I was DARED. You know who you are, Missy. Besides, a good "Before" and "After" always makes you feel good.

So I will mortify myself, humble myself publicly, and give you all a great big glaringly obvious proof that "HA! I DON'T DO IT ALL." Unless of course, 'doing it all' means living around a mess for an entire summer. In which case, I "do it all" rather WELL ifIdosaysomyself.

Before pictures:

*shudder*

*yes. I admit. I contribute to the mess-making merriment from time to time.*

*gasp!*

eek!

* and NO. I am not going to get a close up of the summers-worth of pizza night crumbs under that table or the milk stains atop it. I am not ready to be THAT humbled.*

Thanks to an rainy, dreary AWFUL week, you get a school room that is clean and readied for the fast approaching homeschool year but rather awful pictures of it. :-)

There was a loaded-to-the-brim basket of paintings, drawings, etc. in that corner before. I sorted through it, emptied it and put it back on top of the shelves where it belongs. The bulletin board is fresh and ready for new artwork! Yay!

I am *kind of* addicted to school supplies. Especially crafty stuff. ESPECIALLY when you can get them for pennies or free during back to school sales, which is the only time I get them. One thing I am passionate about is children having access to create WHENEVER, WHERE EVER, and with WHATEVER they can and part of that means always having ample supplies available to them. So I stock up on glue, crayons, colored pencils, scissors. paint and PLENTY of paper.

I don't think you can ever have too much. This basket is full of EXCESS stuff to be added as it is needed.

I took down the waterways poster, but kept up the human body stuff so that we can review it one more time at the beginning of the year.

You wouldn't believe how much JUNK I cleared from these shelves and then burned. It was a massive bonfire, you can be sure. wow.

*ahhhhhhhhhh. Refreshing.*

Now, if I only had my plans in order......

Foto Friday

2011-08-26T08:49:00.004-05:00

I have been horrible about doing the weekly 'challenges' lately, and this week is no different. Too bad too, because last weeks SUNFLARE challenge, would have been really fun. It rained almost all week or was overcast or I was busy. SO it goes.

Thankfully, participating in the CHALLENGES isn't a requirement to participating in Foto Friday.

Here is my favorite photo for the week:

And here is one of my Adele' that I accidentally WAY overexposed but the result was an incredibly clear reflection of me in her eyes.

I realize that it is slightly freaky, but it is captivating to me as well. Kinda like a picture in a picture.

Looking forward to seeing more Foto Friday Favorites!

Winner #1: Our Peculiar Lives

This is one amazing photo. I want to sit right down and wait for the fairy tea to begin!

Winner #2 : Photos By Lindsey

Speaking of teaparties.... Um.... Can you be MY mom? What a delightfully sweet tea!

Thanks for all who participated last week! I love my weekly rounds!

Next Friday, join up with your favorite Foto of the week! It could be anything, really, or you could challenge yourself to snap a photo that "Reminds You of Childhood" in some way. ~See you then!

9 years ago today

2011-08-24T13:05:00.001-05:00

Praying for many, many, many more.

At dusk

2011-08-23T13:19:00.006-05:00

She tells the most emphatic stories.

Out to dry

2011-08-22T15:03:00.002-05:00

When I designed a multi-level clothesline those four years ago, I had another little blondie in mind.

It does my heart good to have another little helper join in these days.

Feeling just a little bit reminiscent today.....

...and a tad bit emotional at the goodness of my life.

Penpals unite!

2011-08-19T12:11:00.003-05:00

Thanks for all the feedback on my questions post! I remembered another question I had but I will ask it later. (That always happens...)

There was such a great response to my penpal idea that my children couldn't POSSIBLY write to everyone (sadly!) But that got me to thinking.....

If you are interested in getting a penpal for your child, email me with your child's name/age/gender and I will pool them together and pair them off! That way EVERYONE wins! Do give me your information please, if you are willing to commit to one mailing per month. I would hate for any children to be disappointed.

My email is sgrbear724@yahoo.com.

On Monday, I will pair off all the names and get the emails sent out. You can exchange your addresses with your partner privately. Sound good? Good!

Here's to good old snail mail! ;-)

Foto Friday Favorites

2011-08-19T11:25:00.004-05:00

Well now! I have posted something EVERY DAY this week! I deserve some kind of award or something!!!!

Didn't get to any silhouettes this week~ too busy with the two c's of summer. Canning and Cleaning.

SO you instead get my favorites for the week. Oh my, I bust a gut every time I look at these pictures. It was the funniest afternoon.

I have this awful, hideous, old and dilapidated playpen on our patio for our Judahbear. It is positively the ONLY.WAY. I can garden. I tried having him down there with me and he nearly choked to death a handful of times before I gave up.

It isn't like the small, measly portapacks nowadays. There is room to stretch out in these. Or to play with Adele' when she inevitably climbs in. Truth is, Judah loves being in it, as long as he can watch people and be outside. And I *LOVE* it too, for the ease of mind it gives me, despite its hideousness.

So one afternoon, I am canning squash and look out and he is making the funniest face at me.

And I start laughing! Say something silly. Then get back to work.

A few minutes later, I glance out again:

ha! Too funny!

Back to work.

Then:

and again:

And I just about die laughing.

Because, as if the crazy faces weren't enough, in between each funny face, he stands up, throws his head back

and gives a deep belly rumble laugh.

What a game he had made!

How I love this boy.

Anyone else for sharing a favorite photo for the week? Come on....I know you want to.................

Remember to link directly to your Foto Friday POST! And try and share the comment love, ya'll.

My favorites from last week:

Winner #1: Terri at Hearts in Service

I can not even fathom getting this close to a deer. Or getting a shot this focused of a deer. I have tried. It doesn't work. (For me.) Totally impressed.

Winner #2: Lindsey at Lindsey Richmond Photography

What a great perspective this is shot from! And so crisp, lovely colors. Great job. Plus, I want ducks. ;-)

Next week's optional theme is....... SUN FLARE. You can do it, or you can not. No matter. But do come back and share your favorite photo for the week!