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Wednesday, 16 December 2009

imagine

Imagine, if you will, walking through the mall, Christmas music wafting out of the stores, big shiny decorations everywhere, and beside you is the sweet man you married. There is no need to walk slower, to constantly have your head pivoting counting the children behind you, no automatic adjustment to fit four people through a crowd of people rather than just two. Ahhh....it's nice isn't it? I was there last night.
Now imagine, if you will, a big juicy steak seasoned perfectly with sauteed vegetables piled on top. And there across the table is that same sweet man you married. ((sigh)) I was there too.
Thank you to our amazing friends for watching our boys last night so we could get out and do our Christmas shopping!!
As we drove the 30 minutes home last night we talked. We talked about taking a trip and staying with missionaries in a foreign country. We decided that would be a life changing experience. Then we talked about my husband's co-workers and the troubles they share with him. It's depressing to hear how some of them live because they don't know any better. Some of them have children they are raising the exact same way. They talk to him because they know he is a Christian. They ask him things and he is able to witness to them. Maybe we don't need to travel to a foreign country to have a life changing missionary experience when we can look in our own town and see through a missionary's eyes the need for a Saviour.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:17-18

Monday, 14 December 2009

eagle, sunset, and booty

Where we live we are able to see bald eagles frequently. This was the first time I saw one on the ground.
And the reason he was on the ground was for this kill. Upon zooming in even more it looks like a young deer maybe? He certainly did NOT like having us there!

Later that same day we Christmas tree hunted and found the perfect pot-bellied tree to fill a corner of our home.
This is a picture of a young boy cutting down a tree...
This is a picture of another young boy cutting down a tree...
This is NOT a picture of a man and a tree. Think what you will.
P.S. Lest you think otherwise he is, in fact, my husband.

A sunset on a Sunday evening...
Can you believe I get to live here??

In other news:
snow!
finished book report!
huge pile of laundry!
dishes too!
Gotta love Mondays!

Saturday, 12 December 2009

Saturday

Today is Saturday....
Outside my window... Cold, cold, cold!!! No snow as of yet. My husband hung some white lights on the house and they look perfect. I'll see about taking a picture to show you.
I am thinking... that I forgot to tell everyone that I played my first piano special in church last week! "The Old Rugged Cross" I never knew that individual fingers could shake so profusely!!
From the learning rooms... Yesterday the boys learned how to cut down a tree and how to balance ornaments on it so it wouldn't fall over. They worked on making weapons out of sticks and twine they found. They did physical education with their dad while I made dinner. Hmmm...all that learning!!
I am thankful for... a fragrant Christmas tree, God's word, health
From the kitchen... today we will make white chocolate peppermint bark. It is a Christmas tradition around here and always turns out beautifully. I actually blogged about it a few years ago, three to be exact!!
I am wearing... heels, pearls, a perfectly pressed dress, and an apron....of course! (or maybe pj's)
I am reading... Just my Bible at the moment but will soon dive headfirst into In His Steps for my Christian Classics class.
I am creating... more song booklets for our church's evening of caroling next week
I am hoping... yes
I am praying... yes
Around the house... Christmas decorations!!
One of my favorite things... Starbuck's Peppermint Mochas. Mmmmmm....
A picture thought to share... Last Saturday my boys and I took in our town's Christmas parade. Many of the floats were just vehicles filled with children tossing candy out to the folks ~~freezing~~ standing at the curb. In one of these vehicles there was a girl. She stood in the middle of the group. A place chosen so maybe she'd have easy access to the candy supply and be able to throw more out but it also caused her to not be able to see very well. So once her fists were full of candy she'd clamber to have a good vantage point from which to toss the goodies. With a huge smile and all the force she could muster she'd yell out
"MERRY CHRITHMATH!!!"
That girl with the smile in her heart and the toothless Christmas wishes was my FAVORITE part of the entire parade. Better than Santa. Better than the big inflatable fireman. Better than the clown on the tiny bike. Just a simple heartfelt "MERRY CHRITHMATH!!!"

Thursday, 10 December 2009

a collection of thoughts
♦ A person can see a squirrel every day for weeks but as soon as you spend some time with your children making popcorn strands for the little buggers (the squirrels, NOT the children!) they play absent and there on the frozen ground lay the strands of popcorn...uneaten and frozen.
♦ Do not waste your time watching this movie:
I implore you! You may rent it thinking it will be a nice holiday movie and the family can sit around eating popcorn (the unfrozen variety) while watching it but, by about fifteen minutes into it you will probably prefer to scrub toilets or tackle ironing or clean the cat litter box. Really, it's THAT bad.
♦ Today I celebrate because it is the first day in a week that I feel almost 100% normal. I'm thankful for health and almost pain-free-ness. Yay!!
♦ Getting this book at the library does NOT automatically make you an "advanced violinist".
Sad, but true.

♦ My children made their Christmas wishlists yesterday. It was part of their schoolwork. I let them do it for penmanship but it had to be done in cursive. Some of what they've asked for makes me chuckle.
What the boys are asking for this year:
My youngest son has already decided what he'd like to get his dad and I. If money were not an obstacle, I'd let him. His dad would be the proud new owner of a boat and I'd finally receive that cello I've been pining for.
A person would think, just maybe, that a girl would stop after a piano and two violins but maybe, just maybe I'm a collector of instruments like some women collect purses. I think musical instruments just might be one of the finest joys in life. And a cello!! Oh how my heart longs!!
Little dramatic today, you think?
♦ With this cold weather my boys and I wake up with a grumble in our tummies for something WARM and gooey. I made up a recipe I call "My Specialty Oatmeal". It has a ring to it, doesn't it? Now normally a person would have to come to my house, sware an oath of secrecy, and be blindfolded to get a taste of this delectable dish but because you took the time to stop by my blog I'd like to give you the recipe, just because!
My Specialty Oatmeal
- boil water
- into a cereal bowl measure
  - 1/3c. quick-cooking oats
  - 1 T. brown sugar
  - 2 T. raisins
  - 1 T. chopped pecans
  - a few sprinkles of cinnamon or pumpkin-pie spice
- pour enough boiling water into bowl to just barely cover the top of your mixture
- let sit for 2-3 minutes
- stir and enjoy with milk (preferred method of children) or without (preferred method of me)
Have some tomorrow and think of me.

And one last morsel of good news:
♦ I FINISHED Pilgrim's Progress!! This was an incredible challenge to get through. Now that I'm done I get to write a book report on it. Having trouble directing my thoughts into something I can write down.

Wednesday, 09 December 2009

honoring Christmas

Simplicity. Tradition. Honor.

Christmas.

Here are several ideas (received in a newsletter) to make this season of honoring Christ's birth simple, memorable, and sweet.

Turn off the lights. Light candles (or even pull out old kerosene lamps) and set the mood for an evening of singing carols, telling favorite family tales, or reading Christmas stories with friends and family.
Put away the tinsel and expensive decorations. Pull out old Christmas cards and string them along the walls in your living areas. Spend a moment thinking about each of the senders.
Keep gifts practical. Think of “tools of the trade”—gifts that reflect and would be useful to what family members do in their respective professions. Additionally, homemade gifts are always appreciated.
Show kindness to your neighbors. Bring your family and friends together to donate food, toys, and clothes to those friends and neighbors especially affected by the economy.
Keep the kitchen a haven. Prepare food in advance whenever you can so that the day of festivities can be spent with ones you love. Don’t get crushed by the stress and expense of doing it all by yourself. Invite guests to bring their favorite traditional dishes.
Make it a family affair. When it’s time to clean up, bring your family together in the kitchen. Talk about your favorite parts of the party while doing the dishes and wiping off counters.
Be thankful. Giving thanks doesn’t have to end after Thanksgiving. Spend time telling loved ones how much they mean to you throughout the season and see how much joy it brings to them and you.

Monday, 07 December 2009

gallimaufry

I'm tired.
If I can be completely honest with you.
Sleep has been light as I am kept awake by pain.
It began last week when I spent a few hours working in the yard and garage. Nothing too difficult. But some action left me with a torn muscle/or muscles in my back, just off center near my spine. The pain has been surprisingly strong and taking the highest dosage of Motrin every four hours has kept me going.
The pain in my back migrated to my chest muscles yesterday. I think they were overcompensating for my back. Maybe I had them tensed up or something. In general I feel like a steam roller ran me over. Even my shoulders and neck have joined in the act.
So, feel sorry for a moment then we'll get on with life....
We began our day with a few extra minutes of laziness in our warm beds. After a hot shower I fixed the boys a nutritious breakfast of cold cereal and milk (can you say "June Cleaver"?).
While they worked on their schoolwork and I oversaw and offered assistance where possible, I tended to housework and keeping the house warm with a nice fire.
Lunch was an acorn squash with butter and brown sugar and chili over streamed rice.
Sometime after lunch we took a nature walk to collect sticks and pinecones. Came home to find a nice large piece of bark in our own yard that would be perfect for what we were going to make.
We took some time to string popcorn. Wondering who will get to it first, the squirrels or the birds?
While we were otherwise occupied Gracie decided to try to sneak on the furniture. Naughty girl!
Next came the bark....
Youngest son spread it with creamy peanut butter. Eldest son sprinked it with bird seed and popcorn. I fixed up some yarn to string it up with.
And voila! A homemade bird feeder!
Looking at all that birdseed has given me a craving for a nice warm mocha. Ok, the birdseed didn't give me the craving but it is there none-the-less and it IS oh-so-shivery here so I'll be whipping that up as soon as I finish this post.
Dinner will be homemade burritos (homemade tortillas, ground beef, slow cooked beans, and cheese wrapped up and topped with a zesty red sauce similar to enchilada sauce and more cheese...then baked to perfection).
And, to the brazen person that invaded my sister's home while she and her family slept and ransacked and raided their stuff and stole their van: you should be ashamed of yourself! Your guilt will eat at you and whatever it is you are messed up in is not worth your time or your life. Your momma would be very disappointed in you, I know I am. Also thankful that my sister, brother-in-law, nephews and dog-in-law are all safe.

Gallimaufry
–noun, plural -fries. Chiefly Literary.
a hodgepodge; jumble; confused medley.
sure

We need not be noisy if we are sure.
~Mary Shannon~
The lovely things are quiet things
soft falling snow,
and feathers dropped from flying wings
make no sound as they go.

Saturday, 05 December 2009

Christmas sugar

We successfully made the popcorn balls I mentioned. Just looking at them will rot your teeth so don't look too long! I would love to make them again but maybe find a recipe that has a less sugar, more popcorn ratio. *And a great tip if you or your children make these sticky treats: BUTTER your hands before forming the balls. We took our ~~sugar~~ popcorn balls to church with us and spread the wealth around a bit. Yay for Christmas treat sharing!!
The next few pictures will make it look like we eat nothing but sugar around here. This sugar was in the form of DONUTS!!

And what was leftover...
We met with those donuts at The Donut House on a Saturday morning in honor of the Christmas parade. There's not much that feels like Christmas more than standing at the curb on a chilly sunny December day watching the marching band, Santa, and fire trucks decked out in their holiday best.
Santa #1.....
Santa #2.....
And Santa #3....
If Goliath were an inflatable firefighter....
Guess what my boys got a lot of at the parade...

Have you guessed yet?

CANDY!!

Friday, 04 December 2009

gratitude

Sometimes my heart is so full I feel compelled out of necessity to write. When I set the pen to paper I don't always have a destination in mind just an unrelenting need to write something. Recently I wrote on the back of a scrap paper and filled the paper full. My thoughts swirled around gratitude. I meant to share this before Thanksgiving as it seemed to fit with the theme of the holiday but obviously that didn't happen. Gratitude and thankfulness don't need to be confined to the month of November though. We have things to be thankful for always.
My heart is full of gratitude. For my home, for my children, for my husband. I am grateful for my Bible and Earl Grey tea. I'm grateful for good coupons for things I need. I'm thankful for the ability to bake bread, play my piano, and smell fresh ground coffee. Warm fires and evenings spent reading and watching my children play together. I'm thankful for three sweet dogs that love unconditionally. For pumpkin scented candles and clean socks. I'm thankful to my Lord, for His grace, for His generosity, and His love.

If you have an extra minute click on over to my sister's site . She has posted a picture of us with our brothers taken a few years back. It is rare that we are all together so a picture like that is golden.

Wednesday, 02 December 2009

the sunny side

Tis true I prefer to see the sunny side of life.
"Keep on the sunnyside, always on the sunnyside, keep on the sunny side of life! It'll help you everyday, it'll brighten all your way if you keep on the sunnyside of life!"
Most of what I write about here on my blog is meant to uplift and encourage another on their walk. It's wonderful to hear from others that what I share here has indeed been a blessing to them.
But what I share here is only a small portion of the entire picture.
Lest you think my life is all raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens I must admit...
it's not.
~There are days I lose all patience with my children and snap at them only to see their spirits droop thus feeling like a complete and utter heel.
~There are days that I feel the only word I can say is "Focus". Such as: "focus on your schoolwork", "focus on your eating your food", "focus on your task".
~There are days I get so distracted that I come to the end of the day wondering what, if anything, I really accomplished.
~There are days that I feel so blue that I crawl inside myself and run on autopilot.
~And there are days like two I had recently where I stayed in my pj's and slippers the ENTIRE day, didn't leave the house, did the bare minimum of housework, and watched movies.
These are things I don't share because, really, what's the point? They don't uplift, they don't edify, they don't make a person want to be better, do better, reach higher. But they are here. I live through them and maybe they are what help me to see the small details brighter.
Maybe, the times I'd rather forget help me to focus better on the times I'd like to remember.