A Good Door

Don't you just love this door. I pronounce it, "Good" ~ not that my opinion matters a whole lot but I took a picture for two reasons. 1. I just like it, plain and simple. 2. If we ever build a house, I wanted Tim to have a picture of one of my favorite doors. You never know!

This is the front door to the house that Rose Wilder built for her parents, Laura and Almanzo. The house is quite charming. And in 1928, she built it for $11,000, a hefty little sum in that day and in that part of Missouri!

I like this house but there is something extra special about the house that Laura and Almanzo built with their own hands. It only took them 17 years. See....maybe in 17 years we'll have our house, too! :)

Bread

We love homemade bread of any kind! My kid's love to bake and cook. This week the boys both made their own loaf of bread. Nathan's is 100% whole wheat and Micah's is 1/3 whole wheat with the other flour being unbleached white flour.

Can't the simple things of life be some of the best?! Actually, I think it usually works out that way!

Don't you just love this! I do!!!

Councilman pitches plan for goats to be pets in Seattle {King5}

SEATTLE - City Councilman Richard Conlin wants to give Seattleites the right to keep miniature goats as pets -- a proposal he bills as one small step for sustainability.

Conlin extols the virtues of pygmy goats, which can act as Earth-friendly lawnmowers and weed eaters, provide milk and cheese, and naturally fertilize yards.

read more

First making urban chickens lawful, now goats? That's a city on the right path. YEAH!

(Thanks to Path to Freedom for all of their wonderful news tidbits!)

Science with Crinkleroot

Jim Arnosky has many wonderful books that the children and I have enjoyed over the years. Crinkleroot's guides are a very clever way to teach children elementary science. It's enjoyable for everyone involved! Today we enjoyed his guide to Animal Habitats. The Butterfly and Moth guide is excellent, also! Just reading this book today made me want to take a walk in the woods.....maybe tomorrow.

Zinnias

Zinnias, stout and stiff,

Stand no nonsense: their colors
Stare, their leaves
Grow straight out, their petals
Jut like clipped cardboard,
Round, in neat flat rings.

Even cut and bunched,
Arranged to please us
In the house, in water, they
Will hardly wilt - I know
Someone like zinnias; I wish
I were like zinnias.
~Valerie Worth

Beans

The beans in this picture are Tiawan Yard Long Bean from Baker Creek Seed Co. And the blooms are from the Scarlet Runner Bean. The yardlong beans are delicious stir fried or steamed. My kids have also been known to enjoy them raw, munching along on them as they play.

Seabird

Are all of Holling Clancy Holling's books just wonderful? I read Seabird aloud to the children this week and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm amazed at what can be learned by just looking at the illustrations! The copy we read was borrowed from the library but I'll be putting this book on my "wish list"!

Remembering Florida

My Children





We loved all the wildlife and new-to-us nature!

Within your heart...

Keep one still, secret spot
Where dreams may go
And, sheltered so,
May thrive and grow.
~Louise Driscoll

Another great give away!

Biblical Womanhood
is having another drawing for some great free (to the winner) resources!!! Just send Crystal an e-mail and you'll be entered!

Zeke in Florida

For the most part, this picture sums up Zeke's vacation in Florida. He loved to walk along the beach. I'm not exagerating when I say he would walk for miles. He seemed to enjoy being alone. He didn't pay much attention to the rest of us. He never did spend much time in the water but he'd hang out on the water's edge just walking and walking and walking. Content, at peace and maybe full of awe? I wonder if he could feel the Creator near? I certainly would like to think so. Zeke is 20 months old but I've prayed for him for years already. And since his conception, I've prayed specifically that the Holy Spirit would speak to him. Maybe the beach was part of that answer to prayer.

How is your fountain of beauty?

The fountain of beauty is the heart, and every generous thought illustrates the walls of your chamber.
~ Francis Quarles

Tomato Basil Soup

Thankfully, I have an abundance of fresh tomatoes right out my back door. When they start piling up a bit too high, I make this soup that everyone in our family loves. It is so fresh and just screams of summer! And it is so easy it feels like you are cheating.

Heat a couple tbsp. of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add about 8 medium chopped tomatoes (give or take). Throw in a cup of fresh basil (adjust for your taste). Cook tomatoes until somewhat soft (no big deal on this either). Puree in blender with 2 cups of cream, milk, chicken broth, or a combination of the above. I then strain the soup. And that's it! Couldn't be easier!

Yum!

For our supper, we enjoyed Garden Fresh Tomato and Basil Soup, Squash Anyone?, and whole grain crackers with Soft Goat Cheese from the Vermont Butter and Cheese Co.

Food can make me feel so blessed!

I looked for someplace to purchase this online but can't seems to find anyone that carries the goat cheeses. Amazon does carry some of their other products, though.

Another great food blog

I've been enjoy Eat Well food blog. There are lots and lots of raw food recipes and they always sound great! I'll be trying th Watermelon soup this week.

Watermelon Soup

5 cups watermelon, seeded and cubed
2 cups mango, peeled and diced
1/4 cup lime juice
3 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp honey
1/8 tsp ground cardamom

1. Place 3-1/2 cups watermelon and 1 cup mango in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Dice up the remaining 1-1/2 cups watermelon and 1 cup mango into tiny pieces and add to the puree.
3. In a small, separate bowl, combine the lime juice, mint, ginger, honey, and cardamom. Add this to the previous mixture and stir well.
4. Chill and serve.

***I wanted to make sure everyone read Cristy's comment about this recipe. Here it is:
Hi! So glad to have you visit Eat Well!

I made the soup and have been enjoying it. The ginger is pretty strong, so use a little less if you aren't too keen on that flavor.

Also, be sure to mix it really well. I had to mix it in my blender to get it smooth enough. It was definitely worth it!

Don't miss out on this drawing!!!

Biblical Womanhood has an incredible drawing taking place this week! Who can pass up the possibility of FREE new books??? Crystal says:

For those of you who appreciate the high quality and character-building books which Vision Forum sells, I have some exciting news for you: I will be giving away an entire Ballantyne Christian Adventure Library this week on my blog, compliments of the wonderful folks at Vision Forum.

This 10-volume set (a $220 value - on sale for a limited time for $165!) was written in the 19th century by Robert Michael Ballantyne, who was a devout Christian of the Scottish Covenanter kind and perhaps the most influential writer of boys' literature of his generation.

Have fun!

Awwww.....Home

I love this place we call home! And it is so good to be back to our humble abode. Truly, to my children the first days at home are as exciting as all the happenings while we were away. We got in around midnight and so didn't do much Saturday night but fall into bed.

But Sunday morning we had a blast! :) It was raining but that didn't stop Nathan from checking all the animals, and grabbing some fresh produce from the garden. Then we noticed that Kiersten's butterfly had hatched from it's cocoon. Out came the field guides to see if our identification of the caterpillar had been correct. And it was! During this whole process everyone is talking at once, laughing and just plain excited.


A few minutes later Nathan comes in thrilled to death that he had caught a field mouse/rat in a live trap in our shed. He proceeds to bring it in to show all of us. Kiersten loves it and wants to keep it as a pet. The rat is currently enjoying cat food. Lest you are concerned, IT WILL NOT BE A PET!

Our gardens looked like a jungle! They had grown so much and the beds are filled to overflowing! The beauty of the beach is amazing and fills me with awe but my gardens are a place just as enchanting! How I love that little plot of ground. Truly, it is one of my favorites places in all of the world. The gifts God has given me in that little spot never cease to inspire me!

Who was it that wrote about the importance of going away so that your senses are sharpened when you return to the ordinary? Can't remember but it's true!

Off to the Beach

The title of the post makes it sound as though we'll be on the sand in minutes. We leave in the morning but it will take us two days before we get to our destination~a quiet spot, a "natural" part of Florida. That's what we are hoping for anyway and that's what we've been told.

After hours of trying to find any type of lodging that would take four children and their parents, I was beginning to wonder if we wouldn't have to camp in a tent. ( I wonder if they limit your children at a campsite, too?!) But I knew the Lord would have a perfect place for us. And I think we found it! It's a house right on the beach in an out of the way sort of place. We are really, really looking forward to relaxing and playing for a few days!

Then it will be off to my little brother's wedding where I hope to be able to get my whole family presentable looking all at one time! :) Tim will be a groomsman, Nathan an usher, Micah and Kiersten are the ring-bearer and flower girl and Tim and I will be singing "Yours Forever". I'm looking forward to seeing April and Justin's apartment, church, and friends and family. It will be an exciting time!

The week after we get back my parents will be having a reception for them here. They'll honeymoon for a week and then we'll get to see them again for a few days! There will be more family and friends coming in and so it will be time for even more fun! Isn't that how summer is? One fun happening after another until Fall comes and it's time to slow down and play in the leaves!

Right now in between packing and cleaning and planning, I'm anxiously waiting for the UPS truck to arrive with my new camera that my best friend ordered for me (for those of you who don't know my best friend is Tim, my husband!). I've even dreamed about it! :) So....hopefully, I'll get some really good pics of our trip that I can share when I get home.

Goodbye for now...............

Bambi and Thumper

This is a pic of our friend's two day old baby deer that they rescued and our six week old bunny. Our friend decided to keep Thumper as company for Bambi. They've been good buddies from the start!

Bite-Size Life Lessons

Our children's librarian was restocking books and as she picked this one up she mentioned that it was new and was a very sweet little book. And IT IS! We've really enjoyed it. It's one of the library books that we'll read more than once.

My mother-in-love is here visiting and she always spends lots of time reading to our children. As soon as she finished reading this book she said she really wanted a copy of it. I "took a trip" to Amazon and she will have a copy at her house by the time she gets home. This is quite the world we live in, isn't it?! Let's not move so fast that we forget our manners! :)

(Click on the pic to "see" the book at Amazon.)

Tammy's Recipes

I really enjoy Tammy's Recipes! Her meals are always so down-to-earth and very easy! This afternoon I just printed off her recipe for Italian Beef and Bean Sauce over Pasta and whipped it up for supper. (I didn't read that it had to simmer for 45 minutes. Oops! We were all good and hungry by the time it was done but it was well worth the wait.) We all enjoyed it very much. Tim said I needed to add it to my favorites so that's what I'll be doing!

Another reason I end up using her recipes is because I usually have all the ingredients already in my house. They are practical and therefore frugal, too.

So.....use this resource that Tammy has provided for us~an online cookbook that can save you time and money.

Love is the....

Morning and Evening Star.... It is the air and light of every heart, builder of every home, kindler of every fire on every hearth. It fills the world with melody.
~Robert G. Ingersoll

Two Potato Hash

Yummy, easy, whole foods, and oh, the smell!!!

While at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO you can watch them cook dishes like this in probably 5 foot cast iron skillets. The aroma makes your mouth water!!! At $5.95 a serving, I'd say making this at home would qualify you as being frugal! :) Since four of us will enjoy this today we'll be saving a hefty little sum!

Here's what I did:
Heat up a generous amount of olive oil in whatever skillet you like to use. Add one chopped up onion, one sliced sweet potato and two white potatoes (I used red-skinned potatoes just because that's what I have.) Season with natural sea salt (That's all I use. I'm sure any salt would work. Maybe even a seasoning salt?!) and black pepper.

Enjoy!

Raised Beds

Those of you who know me, know I love to play in the dirt! I'm in love with my raised beds. We keep adding one each year. Someday our whole south hillside will be covered in beds. I'm amazed at the amount of food that comes out of these little garden spots!

My camera is dying and so I don't have very many of my gardens this year. The top two pics here are of this year. As you can see, we need mulch in a desperate way! My dear brother will be bringing me some soon. Then everything will look beautiful again.

These are all spring gardens in May. By summertime they are so big and full there is no way weeds can grow.

If you are wanting to garden, I encourage you to try a raised bed. I'm certain we could feed the world this way!

Wild Green

This is poke weed, a pot herb, that grows all over the place in our area. We eat it just like cooked spinach. Free food that is packed full of nutrition!

So much fun!

My Mother's Day Present from my Mom

Oh, it's just wonderful! My mom gave me the book Golden Thoughts of Mother, Home and Heaven compiled by Gene Fedele. I'm already on page 41 and loving it. It's a book I'm certain I will read over and over. We'll do copywork from it and I'm sure I'll share encouragement from it with other mothers.

Here's a couple quotes to let you in on what I've enjoyed so far.

"O mothers! You are the guardians of infancy, the instructors, of childhood, the companions of youth, and the partners of manhood. As are our mothers, so are our homes, our churches, our world." ~ Bishop John Newman

"Were it not for the tenderness, contentment and communion of the home, the whole fabric of society in any generation would disintegrate." ~ Gene Fedele, Editor (Don't you think we see this in our culture today?!)

"Mothers, you are the divinely-appointed teachers and guides of your children, and any attempt to free yourselves from your duty is in direct opposition to the will of God." ~ Anonymous

"When boys know that their society is valued highly at home, and that all its pleasures are marred by their absence, they will willingly stay if they can have something to occupy their time." ~ Anonymous (This sentence followed a couple pages covering the importance of the friendships between mother and child, the listening ear that should always be there from babyhood on up.)

On almost every page there is something that just pops out at me! I highly recommend this book from what I've read so far!

A Copperhead

Leslie asked about the snake pictured in the post below. My boys tell me it is a copperhead. They were home with their Papa and "ran across" this snake. After taking some pictures they beheaded him (and I feel much safer)! They called me on my cell phone just to let me in on the excitement.

This is the third snake we've seen in our yard this year.

The salad in the post below is a Greek couscous salad over a bed of baby greens. I just loosely followed the recipe on the back of the couscous box. Cold salads are great because you can hardly go wrong. Just add whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand.

Soon I'll post a black bean salad recipe that we are loving! The fresh cilantro from our garden is making it all the better! Our tacos that we had at lunch today were much more exciting with fresh cilantro. Thankfully, I planted lots of it!

All in a day

Life is full of variety! Here's some pics to prove it, all of them from our home or yard.

Fun Art Education

The art education taking place in our home is informal, to say the least. But over the years we have enjoyed learning about several different artists.

This week we've thoroughly enjoyed reading Camille and the Sunflowers A Story About Vincent van Gogh by Laurence Anholt. We also read Picasso and the Girl With a Ponytail A story about Pablo by the same author. These are just simple picture book stories that are based on facts about famous artists. I would say they are geared toward elementary students but I really enjoy reading them, therefore, I believe they could be for all ages!

Who have I placed my trust in?

Through various circumstances in my life recently, I've had to remind myself that my trust must always be in the Lord and only the Lord. I've had to remember what is important in the Lord's eyes. My day to day work is important to my Saviour. He cares about every little detail of my life. He's a wonderful Lord.

Last night, at our Wednesday evening Bible study, the Lord gave me just what I needed~truth from His Word. Here are just a few verses that helped me to rest in my Lord.

Jeremiah 17:5, "Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trust in man......" Verse 7 goes on to say, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord."
Isaiah 31:1 "Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help....." Oh, how often I turn to "Egypt" for help. When will I learn to run to the Lord for all my needs? Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." I'm so thankful that my God is a God of mercy and grace. I definitely am a child in need!

My dad always taught me that when there is a "therefore" or a "wherefore" we need to look back and see why it is there for! "Let us THEREFORE come boldly" is preceded by "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

These verses encourage my heart! It's so amazing to to think that Jesus, the Son of God, is touched with the feeling of my infirmities. He cares about my relationship with my husband, my children, my family and friends, my neighbors, and my acquaintances. He cares about the humble work I do here in my home: the laundry, the meals, the cleaning, etc. He cares and is touched when I am touched. Nothing escapes his tender watchful eye that is fixed on ME. He even knows WHY I feel as I do! Imagine that!

A Proud Little Farmer

Tonight we are going to eat of the fruit of my son's labor! Awww...and he is proud. I love gardening and it is now a double joy to enjoy this hobby with my children!

Micah's first harvest happened to be Icicle Radishes which I must say are absolutely delicious. But to be fair I should mention that anything grown from your own hands seems to be just a tad sweeter!

We'll be eating the beautiful white gems over a bowl of mixed baby greens. I'm sure the children will all enjoy their salad just a bit more than they normally would.

We don't formally do gardening for any of our school work but we certainly could count it! Just think of all the subjects it could cover!

So, there you go....allowing your children to garden won't just pay off financially, and physically, it will also pay of educationally (and I even believe Spiritually, I love visiting with Jesus as I garden! I think of all the teaching in which Jesus referred to nature.).

Don't forget to check out other frugal tips at Biblical Womanhood on Fridays!

All fruit is lost

Our county agent is saying 100% loss of all fruit trees and blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.

Arkansas lost 50% of its tomato crop. Tennessee lost almost 100% and I hear that Georgia and Florida were hit hard, too. There were no new transplants to be sent to Tennessee.

Sunday at church, a little lady in her 80's told me that our food prices would go sky high. She's a wise little lady! I've always valued her opinion! I may make my garden a higher priority.

I wonder if at Christmas this year an orange in our stockings will be appreciated?

Lizards

These are great days to add to our Nature Journals, if only we would!!!

We are enjoying the Spring and all the observing we are able to do!

Blessed is the man....

that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jeremiah 17:7-9

Another quote

Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote, "Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive - it's such an interesting world. it wouldn't be half so interesting if we knew all about everything."

Kiersten asked yesterday, "Mom, do you think God wants children to always have time in their days to play?" I thought a little and answered that I thought he would probably like for that to be. She then said she thought that God smiled as he watched children play. I think he does, too! And I asked Kiersten if it helped her to think about God when she had plenty time to play. She said, "Oh, yes! Because you can look at all the beautiful flowers and other things he made. And you can think about how He made them for you!"

Yes, I believe free time outside is very important to the health, happiness, and spiritual life of a child! I also believe this would be good medicine for any adult, too!

Elisabeth Elliot said,

"It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the End of our jouney, He is also at every stopping place."

Magazine Savings

I hate spending money on magazines. I don't have a lot of time to read them anyway but I do enjoy flipping through them for decorating ideas, craft projects and best of all, new recipes and gardening ideas. So I compromise. Instead of subscribing, I check them out at the library. This works great for most magazines. Others, that I like tearing up, (you know, when you just rip out that new favorite recipe or picture of your dream kitchen) I get at the thrift store for a quarter. Southern Living for only 25 cents is well worth it for me!

Last week I just quickly flipped through the magazines at the thrift store looking for last year's Spring issues. Today I did the same at the library with the magazines Hobby Farm and Organic Gardening.

I subscribe to and love the Eating Well magazine! I've fixed countless of their recipes and we always really enjoy them. I also feel the articles are worth my time!

Happy frugal living!

More on Milk and Local Foods

If you are interested in learning more about our milk, meat, and foods in general, I would highly recommend that you read Nina Plank's book Real Food. It's a fun book to read if you enjoy food or health topics.

Educating ourselves about what we put into our bodies is very important. It is a never ending process but always an adventure! And such a wonderful taste experience! What is better than whole foods, fresh from your garden or a local farmer?

What local farmer did you support today? We enjoyed our own fresh eggs, (thanks to our 4 pet hens), beef purchased from our deacon, pork from a local farmer, kale, arugula, chives, green onions, and asparagus from our garden. I'm so far from where I want to be when it comes to consuming local foods! But I'm taking baby steps and making progress.

I'd love to hear what you're eating that is local! What are you looking forward eating soon? I'm counting the days until we get to buy baskets of fresh peas at our Farmer's Market! Awwwww.... spring!

Milk Criminals

Richard Hebron, 41, was driving along an anonymous stretch of highway near Ann Arbor, Mich., last October when state cops pulled him over, ordered him to put his hands on the hood of his mud-splattered truck and seized its contents: 453 gal. of milk.

Yes, milk. Raw, unpasteurized milk.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1598525,00.html

This bothers me. Let me clarify. I'm not concerned in the least that free citizens are choosing to drink raw milk. But that it is considered a crime to sell a nutritious liquid that has been enjoyed for thousands of years does trouble me!

Maybe I shouldn't be able to grow my own spinach and strawberries, either? I mean, they could be contaminated.

Weslandia

I wouldn't run out and purchase this book the next chance you get but I would suggest that you check to see if your local library has a copy! My little boy checked it out and loved it. I then enjoyed the book and recommended that my husband read it. He said he loved it and that he could identify with the boy, Wesley, in Weslandia written by Paul Fleischman and illustrated by Keven Hawkes.

I know there are only a handful of you who read my blog but I would like to encourage us all to be ourselves, the people God created us to be. Peer pressure doesn't just affect the young. I try to think about why I do what I do. Am I living the life that I want to live or am I just doing what everyone else is doing?

Be your own individual! Enjoy the day!

Marriage To a Difficult Man

I am loving this book~Marriage To a Difficult Man-The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards by Elisabeth D. Dodds. I love Sarah and I'm not even finished with chapter 4! Her life is inspiring me!

Just listen to this paragraph from Chapter 3, Yes, Yours, My Love Is the Right Human Face:
"Actually the Edwardses lived frugally, but it was instinctive with Sarah to do ordinary tasks with flair. She was the kind of woman who took the trouble to tie her hair with a ribbon for breakfast when many wives came down tousled; who spent an extra minute to stamp a design on a block of home-churned butter; who knew how to give a flourish to simple dishes with parsley, spearmint, or sage, all grown in a square of herbs by the kitchen door; who, when she had a bowl of peas to shell, would take it out into the sunshine in the garden. She put in day lilies, holly hocks, pansies, pinks....Wallpaper wasn't used until 1740 in the colonies, but New Haven had been one of the first towns to use plaster on interiors, so it is possible that Sarah had brought up with her the trick of mixing clay and water to make soft gray walls."

I'm currently borrowing this book from Kari's library at Healed Waters. She must be such a generous lady to freely mail out her books to anyone that requests them! I'll be looking to purchase this book! I want to underline and highlight and read this to my children!

Prayer

I believe our Father loves to hear our very detailed requests. He's quickly answered many of mine! But I also need the little reminder in the poem below!

Do not presume to know what's best
When you begin to pray;
But say to God, "Your will be done,"
Then trust His perfect way. ~Sper

A year ago

Amazing! I can remember reading the verse that says, "Life is just a vapor, which quickly vanisheth away." and thinking that only God looked at it that way. But I'm beginning to realize that the years are passing like a vapor. My sweet baby is far from an infant. I won't call him a toddler yet just because he MUST still be my baby. Let's not make him any bigger than he has to be.

It was just two years ago that I joyfully realized God had answered my years of prayer and I would be having another baby! I can vividly remember, as if yesterday, the prayers I prayed for this child, the peace God gave me when I was put on bed rest, and the certainty that this child was called of God. I still believe this by faith, there's no doubt there! I still weep as I pray for God to work in his little heart, even now!

It's amazing what little ones absorb from their environment! Today Zeke took a little New Testament and as he flipped through the pages he sang in his sweet little voice, on and on. It wasn't long and he was "preaching" to us. Oh, what a joy! What a blessing to have this gift straight from the hand of God. I'm so unworthy of this honor! I'm so grateful for the grace God pours out on my parenting, for His forgiveness and for the ever trusting hearts of little children!

I think I'll go watch him sleep! There's nothing prettier than a baby sleeping, unless it's their smile greeting me in the morning.

I Stand Amazed In The Presence

This hymn makes my heart sore every time I play it. I can hardly play it without singing it at the top of lungs! :) But then I can't sing because I get so choked up with emotion! I'm overwhelmed with the sacrificial love of my Saviour, for one as worthless as me!

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how he could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

How marvelous, how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be;
How marvelous, how wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!

For me it was in the garden
He prayed, "Not my will, but thine;"
He had no tears for his own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.

How marvelous, how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be;
How marvelous, how wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them his very own;
He bore my burden to Calv'ry,
And suffered and died alone.

How marvelous, how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be;
How marvelous, how wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
'Twill be my joy thro' the ages
To sing of his love for me.

How marvelous, how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be;
How marvelous, how wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!

~Charles H. Gabriel 1905

True Friends

Time has a way of defining true friends.

Friends are such a gift. They deserve to be treasured. Today I chatted with a friend. We laughed together, encouraged each other, and just talked. Isn't it nice to have those friends who you just "must" tell that "something" to! We need to affirm our friends. This ol' world can be harsh at times. We all need tender words every now and then!

Go tell your friend what a good job she's doing! Tell her what an awesome mother she is. Let her know how much her friendship lifts you up! Tell her you love her!

Free Audio Books to Download

Voices in the Dark website offers free audio books, stories, poems, etc. I like to listen to audio books while I do laundry or the dishes.

Enjoy!

Grammar Quiz

Enjoy grammar? Try this quick and easy quiz. Only drawback ~ they didn't tell me what I did wrong!

Your Language Arts Grade: 98%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

Remember

To the world you may be only one person,
But to one person, you may be the world.

A Great Breakfast or Supper Meal!

We had a waffle taste test for our Friday evening meal. You can read about it at Tammy's website.

What shall we taste test next???

Fun Lunch

The kids and I have been enjoying some fun lunches. Usually we just eat leftovers or something else very quick to fix.

One day a week we've been eating out of a box. So far these meals have been Oriental in nature. Today we had Penaut Satay (by KAME), Coconut Ginger Noodles (by A Taste of Thai) and French Onion Soup (wrong country :) ). The kids made up their own chopsticks out of skewers.

It's fun to just do something different sometimes, isn't it? What have you been doing that is fun and simple and out of the ordinary for you? 

My heart is thankful for my HOME!

Every house where love abides and friendship is a guest is surely home, and home, sweet home for there the heart can rest. ~ Henry Van Dyke

My heart rests here in my home. And I'm so very thankful for the many blessings I share with these that I love.

Chinese Pork Chops for the Crock Pot

This recipe takes just a couple of minutes to assemble and it is so yummy.

Whisk together:
1/4 tsp. brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 cloves of garlic, (or garlic powder)

Pour over pork chops in a crockpot. Cook on high for a couple of hours.
(Cooking times will vary according to your crockpot.)

Autumn Fires

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The gray smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!

Come Let Us Adore Him

A dear friend gave me the book Come Let Us Adore Him ~ stories behind the most cherished Christmas Hymns, written by Robert J. Morgan. Each morning as we begin our day, the children and I are reading about one hymn. Today our hymn was "From Heaven Above to Earth I Come" by Martin Luther. The story tells of how Luther came to be married. Soon he and Katharina had a little boy. When the little Hans was five years old his father wrote the above mentioned hymn for the child. Each year as the family celebrated the birth of Jesus, they sang the hymn.

I especially like this quote by Martin Luther~
"The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding." And it is truly amazing, isn't it?!

Influence

This I learned from the shadow of a tree,
That to and fro did sway against a wall,
Our shadow selves, our influence, may fall
Where we ourselves can never be.
~Anna Hamilton

Happiness

The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one has to do. ~ Sir James M. Barrie