What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. ~ Martin Luther

Monday, April 29, 2013

Since I last blogged.

You know you have been away from blogging too long when your husband asks you (for the fifth time) why you haven't posted anything new.  Yes, this post is thanks to Matt and his nagging gentle prodding to get a blog post up already!

 (I love the fact that he checks my blog, so it follows then, that I love the fact that he nags prods me about it too.) I can't help but chuckle when I remember how, at the start of this blog, I wrote that I would not, could not, never ever in a million years shall not talk to my husband through my blog.  How the mighty have fallen.

 

I love you Mattie.  *muah*

 We have been entertaining quite often lately which requires planning food, cleaning up the place, making food, entertaining, and cleaning up the place again and all this cleaning/food making takes time you know.  Then of course, the weather has been beyond lovely which beckons one outdoors...

But the true culprit of my lackadaisical blogging has been that I am simultaneously enjoying three excellent books all at once.  A good book is a stealer of time, THREE good books are impossible!  My precious few "free" moments are swallowed up in the turning of one page or another and I love it.  I do love a good book.  (Incidentally, I have a separate BOOKS blog post in the works, where I can blather on about all the goodness I've discovered and it will be coming soon!)

I really am BEHIND on picture-blogging though.  Since I last wrote:  This scene, taken just a week or so ago, is entirely different.  Pleasant, soft and GREEN.  Spring, spring- I love you so.


In other happy news- some time last summer I found a recipe for "Fake pineapple" made from zucchini.  I was super excited at the prospect of using zucchini in a new way but I won't say I wasn't also a bit pessimistic as I was canning it up.  Verdict is in, though, and it is GREAT!  I used it to make Ham and (fake) Pineapple pizza for pizza night a few weeks ago and I promise you- no one had a CLUE it was fake pineapple!!!  I found the idea/recipe was here.


Since I last blogged I made a new batch of soap. Probably my favorite so far, this one is scented Lemon Verbena.  In one batch I added dried Lemon Verbena, hoping all the books were wrong and that the herb wouldn't turn brown.  It was an experiment- and it FAILED miserably.    Guess the books were right and if I want to add herbs I will have to rebatch.  *Sniff*  I hate the idea of making the same soap TWICE.


The other half, instead of adding herbs, I added this sparkle powder a friend had a bunch of.  Just to see what it would do.  It is pretty but only appeared in the top inch of the soap.  Ah well.

Even though the "looks" of the soap aren't as GLAMOROUS  as I had hoped, it is by far the most delicious smelling soap I have ever smelled.  Oh.My.


 Since my last blog post, the daffodils and narcissus POPPED.


Last week it was wonderfully warm and later this week it should be also- but today is dreary and chilly.  Days like this I wish we had a furnace I could just push a button on to get the chill out and then be done with it.  Who wants the trouble of starting a fire and bringing in wood for ONE day?!?    Instead, I made grilled cheese sandwiches and soup for lunch.  When the plates were set at the table, every hand immediately went to the bowl to get warmed up.  It was too funny.


So there ya have it.  Not QUITE up to date, but it is a good first step!

Hi Mattie!  I blogged!

Hi everyone else! I am still here! 

How are things in your neck of the woods?

9 comments:

Els said...

Good to see you back! I still keep an eye on you...
Will try the zucchini-pineapple concoction when my now very little zucchiniplants start producing.But I have to say that you zucchini relish is an absolute hit! I have got a buyer for every lot I make (yes sometimes I even buy zucchinis to make a batch!)
Need to send some snail mail your way, but I only know you live in PA these days... can you help?
Lots of love from England, where the woodstove was happily fed last night!

ulli said...

Glad you're back. I enjoy reading you, although I don't often comment. Your soap looks good enough to eat--like pudding--which I thought it was at first, and then I read your comments about it. Beautiful nonetheless. You're such a homesteader! Matt looks good with a pipe! Love the picture of the lone tree--so moody but in a good way. Enjoy your spring unfold--it's out fully here in VA.

Renata said...

Lovely to catch up on your news Rebecca! Love the hands on soup bowls picture.
I can't wait to see your gorgeous spring photos!
Have a beautiful day
Blessings
Renata:)

Rebecca said...

Els! So good to hear from you! If you tell me your email address, I'd be happy to help! :-) And I really ought to try selling some canned goods myself- I just ran into a woman who sets up a yard sale table at the around-town yard-sales and sells jams and jellies and she told me she made $200.00 last year!

Ulli- I always enjoy your comments when you do! Thank you!

Renata~SPRING! I love it so. Thanks for your hello!

Victorianlady8 said...

Wow, Hello Rebecca! So HAPPY to see you again! It's so completely amazing to see you again, because I have been off too....and just "happened" to come to see you and Voila` you are here :) I love how the Lord works! We are nearing a move and hope to be able to see you after we are moved :) We are sadly moving further away, but will only be a short airplane ride and a nice vacation for all of you...and an Hawaiian Guesthouse is waiting :)

Julian said...

I want to thank your husband for nagging, I mean gently reminding you to post;) . Youve been missed! Looks like spring! Lovely! Cool idea with the zucchini. Love to read your book blog. I too have a few books going at the same time.
Christina

Els said...

I guess my previous comment got lost... our email is: falko dot ourlastname at talktalk dot net. It helps if you know how to spell our last name.... drijfhout.
Our minister is coming to the Banner of Truth conference in PA later this month; I wish I could hide in his suitcase and visit you all!!

terricheney said...

Enjoyed catching up with you. I think the photo of the lace curtain, cobalt glass and daffodils is the most gorgeous thing EVER even though you take the loveliest photos all of the time.

My computer was slow loading the very first post at tonight. I could only see the very top portion of the hairline. I was amused when I clicked on 'view photo' and found myself looking at a photo of Matt and NOT your oldest son Andrew as I expected.

Enjoy your Spring. We're having a lovely one way down here in Georgia ourselves.

Unknown said...

LOVE the soup hand photo!!! :) And your soup is just so pretty. Seriously. I love it!!