This makes me so sad. A dear sweet gal, that I've never met, but whose blog I have enjoyed and been inspired by, has lost a baby in her 6th month of pregnancy.
It is in times like these we need our Savior most. I'm so glad she knows Him, and can draw comfort from His promises.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
white linen
For whatever reason, life has been....hmm....not hectic, per say, and not awful, horrible, or unmanageable, but.....difficult. And not difficult, really, but tiring? It's hard to put my finger on the right label.
All I know, is that I've been experiencing the kind of days where I start praying for strength by 9 am. Ugh. I know that my crew has cabin fever. I long for days spent outside. In the sun. In the air. With birds chirping and flowers blooming. (In my mind's eye, I'm wearing a lovely white linen dress, painted toenails, and strappy sandals....I'm thinner, taller, with long hair pulled up in a twist. I'm sitting on a cushion tending to my garden {in that white linen dress--in daydreams everything is unstainable} gathering blooms to put in vases around my house, which is out in the country. Our dog {that we don't have} is playing with the children. Who, by the way, are also dressed in white linen--without stains, of course.)
I'm so glad that I don't have to do this in my own strength. I often try to do things in my own strength....those are the days where I do a lot of crabby thinking, too much sitting around, and a whole lot of nothing else. It's amazing how God can reach down into this feeble being and guide me through my day. All I have to do is ask. And that's when my kids will ask me for something, and instead of spewing something snappish and cranky at them, loving words pour out. Those don't come from me. I'm so thankful that He is my filter. That He guards the tender spirits of my little ones from their harried mother.
You may think I'm crazy. And I am. But I am so very serious when I say that I can't do this. Not alone. Not in my own strength.
And I encourage you to give it a try. When you are at your wit's end. When you've tied a knot in the bottom of your rope and you're hanging on by your teeth and hungry crocodiles are nipping at your dangling toes....that's when you cry out. I promise you that He hears. I promise you that it gets better. I promise you that when your reserve has been depleted, He will fill it back up. We are not alone. That's better than all the unstainable white linen in the world.
All I know, is that I've been experiencing the kind of days where I start praying for strength by 9 am. Ugh. I know that my crew has cabin fever. I long for days spent outside. In the sun. In the air. With birds chirping and flowers blooming. (In my mind's eye, I'm wearing a lovely white linen dress, painted toenails, and strappy sandals....I'm thinner, taller, with long hair pulled up in a twist. I'm sitting on a cushion tending to my garden {in that white linen dress--in daydreams everything is unstainable} gathering blooms to put in vases around my house, which is out in the country. Our dog {that we don't have} is playing with the children. Who, by the way, are also dressed in white linen--without stains, of course.)
I'm so glad that I don't have to do this in my own strength. I often try to do things in my own strength....those are the days where I do a lot of crabby thinking, too much sitting around, and a whole lot of nothing else. It's amazing how God can reach down into this feeble being and guide me through my day. All I have to do is ask. And that's when my kids will ask me for something, and instead of spewing something snappish and cranky at them, loving words pour out. Those don't come from me. I'm so thankful that He is my filter. That He guards the tender spirits of my little ones from their harried mother.
You may think I'm crazy. And I am. But I am so very serious when I say that I can't do this. Not alone. Not in my own strength.
And I encourage you to give it a try. When you are at your wit's end. When you've tied a knot in the bottom of your rope and you're hanging on by your teeth and hungry crocodiles are nipping at your dangling toes....that's when you cry out. I promise you that He hears. I promise you that it gets better. I promise you that when your reserve has been depleted, He will fill it back up. We are not alone. That's better than all the unstainable white linen in the world.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
pox
My living room has come down with a bad case of spots.
They're everywhere.
The cause? Me. And a hammer. And too many nails. And the propensity to rearrange pictures.
I started filling a few holes in the kitchen today, and then glanced around the living room. Plaster in hand. I removed the current arrangements, and was astonished by just how many {tiny} holes I've punched into these walls. I just hope I can match up this color....or this small patch job may just turn into a big painting job. Man!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
a pair of pears
Yesterday was a snow day. During naptime, me and my best gal got out the art supplies. She loaned me her oil pastels. And her circle drawing ability. See that upper left corner? Those are her special circles.
Today is another snow day. We'll see what the afternoon brings.
Monday, February 18, 2008
notes on the garden
It's been so wintery lately. Blustery. Cold. The wind chills straight to the bone. While I think myself a lover of winter, I know myself to be fickle. Jumpy. Impatient.
::::
Which is why I planted these lovely seeds so incredibly early. It does my psyche good to watch faux spring occurring in my home. I know the real deal will eventually come. And hopefully these things will be able to make a transfer well....time will tell.
::::
the foxglove
the peas
the tomatoes
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
PSA #2
When your daughter comes home from school yesterday with a lollipop, and keeps on saying, "L...llll...lollipop," over and over and over again, cover your son's ears. Because, he will get a hankering for a lollipop. And for the love of all things beautiful, do not assume after looking up lollipops on Martha's site that you can make them yourself at home. And believe your son when he says that homemade lollipops are yucky for his tummy. And when they said to use vegetable oil to coat the pan, they really meant vegetable oil. They did not say olive oil. Olive oil tastes gross with corn syrup. Really gross.
When you see how perfectly round the shapes of Martha's lollipops are in her lovely photographs, it's because her pans are flat. Completely. They don't buckle when something hot touches them. When your pans buckle, your lollipops will be shaped like Idaho. Or Russia, China...something....
And please. If you are going to make lollipops, check to be sure you have proper sticks. When you only can drum up 3 chopsticks, don't assume that you can just make 3 large lollipops. A lollipop is not intended to be larger than the head of the person consuming it.
Do not {DO NOT!} think it would be cute to use chocolate chips to make a face in your lollipops. Chocolate faces look creepy. Very creepy.
And if you think you should run your saggy lollipops under water to snap them into their correct crackly texture, know that your daughter will grab some napkins to dab up the drippy syrup sweating from the crackly lollipop. Thus ruining, the huge, creepy, gross lollipop.
Please drive through.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Honey Oat Bread
It has taken several attempts and a few variations, until I got this right. I'm finally satisfied with this one. It's great toasted. Plain. Bun. Loaf.
It's just plain. old. good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Honey Oat Bread
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 1/2 cup lukewarm water
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp honey
4 tsp yeast
: : : :
2 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups all purpose flour
- Combine first four ingredients in a bowl. Proof 10 minutes.
- In seperate bowl, combine last four ingredients.
- Combine two bowls, knead 10-15 minutes.
- Rise until doubled (about an hour)
- Punch down, place into loaf pan ~ or form into buns
- Rise until doubled (45 min-1 hour)
- Bake at 350 ~ 35 minutes for two loaves, 20 minutes for buns.
- Invite me over to eat them with you over afternoon tea.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Coming up for air
*sigh*
Who knew that two small people could accumulate SO MUCH STUFF?!?!!
I was able to wittle the baby boy toys yesterday. Woot! And now, I'm taking some deep breaths after smuggling 3 big bins worth of loot out of the girly's room. (she's at a birthday party...shhhh...it will all be but a distant memory....didn't I used to have ???.....poof...thin air)
I've just got to make it all fit. Neatly. A place for everything, and so on.
Wish me luck. I'm going back in.
Who knew that two small people could accumulate SO MUCH STUFF?!?!!
I was able to wittle the baby boy toys yesterday. Woot! And now, I'm taking some deep breaths after smuggling 3 big bins worth of loot out of the girly's room. (she's at a birthday party...shhhh...it will all be but a distant memory....didn't I used to have ???.....poof...thin air)
I've just got to make it all fit. Neatly. A place for everything, and so on.
Wish me luck. I'm going back in.
Friday, February 8, 2008
the big purge
It's' time. Today is the day. I am so tired of the excess....so tired of cramming clothes in drawers....tired of closet doors that don't close entirely....tired of toys without homes....tired of being tired.
Well, my friend, no more. NO MORE!! I am waging a war against the excess.
Today at my mom's group, I spied this gal (an awesome gal!) who is about the size that I used to be. The size of more than half of my wardrobe. I asked her if she would be interested in some clothes. Told her I was going to do some spring cleaning. She responded enthusiastically. Yeah! I hope she has more closet space than I, as I'll be needing a moving van to deliver it all to her. Nearly. Ahahahhahaaaaa, sucker! Exess clothes, exit stage left.
The toys will be a little trickier to dispense. I started laying some ground work with my 3 year old son. We were digging through his toy box. I pulled out several cars, the chubby plastic ones with a face (you know the kind) and said, "we better set these aside, they're baby-ish ." Presto! Now all I need to do is repeat that over and over until we've dwindled his supply of loot into a managable quantity. Preferrably an amount that will fit neatly into said toybox.
The young lady will be a harder sell. She loves everything. Everything. Seriously. I'm thinking I'll need to do a sneak attack on her belongings. I've already got a good notion of what to keep....anything that isn't in her closet. Her closet has been untouched by human hands for a good month. Maybe two. So I am convinced that she won't notice if all those things go missing. She just can't witness any of it....or all will be brought back into circulation. Thwarted!
My plan is to tote the goodies in big bins, label nicely, and store them on shelves, that my husband will build me, in my basement.
The best laid plans of mice and men...
I'll let you know how it goes.
Well, my friend, no more. NO MORE!! I am waging a war against the excess.
Today at my mom's group, I spied this gal (an awesome gal!) who is about the size that I used to be. The size of more than half of my wardrobe. I asked her if she would be interested in some clothes. Told her I was going to do some spring cleaning. She responded enthusiastically. Yeah! I hope she has more closet space than I, as I'll be needing a moving van to deliver it all to her. Nearly. Ahahahhahaaaaa, sucker! Exess clothes, exit stage left.
The toys will be a little trickier to dispense. I started laying some ground work with my 3 year old son. We were digging through his toy box. I pulled out several cars, the chubby plastic ones with a face (you know the kind) and said, "we better set these aside, they're baby-ish ." Presto! Now all I need to do is repeat that over and over until we've dwindled his supply of loot into a managable quantity. Preferrably an amount that will fit neatly into said toybox.
The young lady will be a harder sell. She loves everything. Everything. Seriously. I'm thinking I'll need to do a sneak attack on her belongings. I've already got a good notion of what to keep....anything that isn't in her closet. Her closet has been untouched by human hands for a good month. Maybe two. So I am convinced that she won't notice if all those things go missing. She just can't witness any of it....or all will be brought back into circulation. Thwarted!
My plan is to tote the goodies in big bins, label nicely, and store them on shelves, that my husband will build me, in my basement.
The best laid plans of mice and men...
I'll let you know how it goes.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Notes on a Tuesday
The pots from my neighbors ~ with EARLY seedlings.
Gotta love peas. Thank you, peas. You are just what I needed to see today.
Nothing stirring in the tomato pot, or on the foxglove front. Yet.
A heart garland from last year...
...and the fruit of yesterday's labor.
Happy {super} Tuesday
Monday, February 4, 2008
Communion Sunday
Sunday, I went solo with the kids to church. Daddy has been working on his masters and had class this past weekend. Getting out the door is somehow easier when I am alone (?) and we left for church with time to spare. I thought it a good day to grab a coffee (for me) and some doughnut holes to keep the kids quiet and happy during the service. (Our church is comfortable--it is not uncommon for half of the congregation to be holding a cup of joe.)
It was Communion Sunday. There is something so wonderful about taking Communion. Isn't there? And on this particular Sunday, I was able to focus and get my heart in the right place (the kids were quietly coloring).
Their first Communion experience didn't go over quite as I thought it would, and for now, we don't feel as though they are ready to regularly partake. They know this, and are respectful of everyone else as the bread and the "wine" are passed around.
Little Miss sat down during the song that played while the bread was being handed out. She noticed that I had a piece of cracker in my hand, and grabbed herself one of the doughnut holes. And held it, as I held my cracker. The ushers went to the front, the pastor said, "And Jesus broke the bread, gave it to His disciples and said, "This is my body which is broken for you. This do in rememberance of me."
The congregation quietly ate "the Body."
L. Miss stuffed an entire doughnut hole in her mouth.
My moment of focused consentration was broken by the worst case of the giggles I have ever gotten.
Ahhhhhhhhh. I just love when my kids notice the important things. And, when they want to do those important things, too. Praying. Often. Spending time in the Word. Loving one another. Memorizing scripture. All the things that are good, and important....but especially the "things" that lay a firm foundation....the things that turn them towards Christ. So that when the time is right, and He knocks, they are ready to answer.
It was Communion Sunday. There is something so wonderful about taking Communion. Isn't there? And on this particular Sunday, I was able to focus and get my heart in the right place (the kids were quietly coloring).
Their first Communion experience didn't go over quite as I thought it would, and for now, we don't feel as though they are ready to regularly partake. They know this, and are respectful of everyone else as the bread and the "wine" are passed around.
Little Miss sat down during the song that played while the bread was being handed out. She noticed that I had a piece of cracker in my hand, and grabbed herself one of the doughnut holes. And held it, as I held my cracker. The ushers went to the front, the pastor said, "And Jesus broke the bread, gave it to His disciples and said, "This is my body which is broken for you. This do in rememberance of me."
The congregation quietly ate "the Body."
L. Miss stuffed an entire doughnut hole in her mouth.
My moment of focused consentration was broken by the worst case of the giggles I have ever gotten.
Ahhhhhhhhh. I just love when my kids notice the important things. And, when they want to do those important things, too. Praying. Often. Spending time in the Word. Loving one another. Memorizing scripture. All the things that are good, and important....but especially the "things" that lay a firm foundation....the things that turn them towards Christ. So that when the time is right, and He knocks, they are ready to answer.
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