Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I hope the HOLY Days are finding you counting your blessings and looking to the Gift our Heavenly Father sent so many years ago!
Our Kansas City pastor blogged the following last month. It was so encouraging and convicting to me, I wanted to share it; so I asked Pastor Jeff if I could re-post it here. He graciously agreed, so....
"Pastor’s Blog – November 25, 2008
Rev. Dr. John Claypool, in a sermon entitled, “Next Time,” relays a story about a man going to an old counselor that is very insightful.
“Think about it,” said the old counselor. “If only points to that segment of human experience that cannot be altered. Whatever else you may say about the past, it is frozen. You may feel very deeply about it, but you do not have the power to go back and undo it or redo it. Therefore, energy spent lamenting the past is energy that is largely wasted. Next time, however, points to that sector of experience that is still open, still fluid. It is out there yet to be shaped. If we can apply the lessons that we have learned from the past, to the service of the future, then what is to be can become genuinely different. There is a tremendous difference between processing your memories with an if only kind of lament and handling them with a next time kind of hopefulness.”
Many of us have met bitter people. Perhaps we even struggle a bit with some on our own. All of the reasons for the anger, bitterness, hurt and wounds are most likely justified in some fashion or another. Since time travel is only for books and movies, we can not change the bad things that have happened to us. Nor can we relive the good times that have transpired. What we can do is learn from them. As the wise counselor stated, “If only” is a waste of time and energy. “Next time” certainly is wiser and more productive.
Another couple of sentences from this sermon deserve our reading – “God is more interested in your future than your past. He is more concerned for what you can yet become that what you used to be.”
God takes us as we are and changes us gradually into what He desires. The process is total and complete. This transformation takes a lifetime and will be finished when we step into eternity, but the goal is nice to know! Part of the process of changing us is to help us learn from our past failures, sins, and sufferings, so we can avoid them in the future. And, we are to help others who have suffered as we did to receive the comfort we have been given. The past has a purpose – to train us for the future. May we not be bound by what we have experienced, but may we become wiser because of it.
Pastor Jeff "
Hope this spoke to you, as it did to me.
Gotta run...another nose to wipe...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Voter Freebie Rant
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I'm sitting here, waiting on election results. I was reading more about how Starbucks, Ben&Jerry's, Krispy Kreme, etc. were told that giving freebies away to folks who voted was illegal.
Umm...how is that "vote buying?" Starbucks wasn't anywhere on my ballot. They were not saying, "If you vote for (fill in the blank), we'll give you free coffee!!"
I'm thinking all that moisture up there in Oregon has mildewed the Secretary of State's brain.
Hmmm...
T.E.
I'm sitting here, waiting on election results. I was reading more about how Starbucks, Ben&Jerry's, Krispy Kreme, etc. were told that giving freebies away to folks who voted was illegal.
Umm...how is that "vote buying?" Starbucks wasn't anywhere on my ballot. They were not saying, "If you vote for (fill in the blank), we'll give you free coffee!!"
I'm thinking all that moisture up there in Oregon has mildewed the Secretary of State's brain.
Hmmm...
T.E.
I Voted!
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, it's a gorgeous day here in North Alabama. The leaves are finally beginning to change, and they're beautiful. The temps at night are between 45-35 and during the day it's been between 75-82. (a little too warm for my liking, but, anyway...)
The Ram went to vote this morning on his way to work. The polls open here at 7 a.m. (I'm used to 6a-6p) He got there around 6:45 and found about 100 other people waiting for the poll to open. He got to wait for a while.
I got to the polling place about 10:30. There were maybe 50 people, total, but I was in and out in 5 minutes. That's because of the set up here. You actually *mark with a pen* on a *paper ballot.* I have voted in every election since I was 18 years old, and this is the first time I had to actually mark on a ballot with a pen. I felt pretty stupid. LOL I had to ask questions of the poll workers--I am accustomed to using a computer to vote. Also, I was a little shocked--you didn't enter a booth to vote. I stood along a counter with a couple dozen other people; all of us marking our choices out in the open. Now, I'm not ashamed of my votes, but it did feel a bit naked to be doing it out in front of everyone. I couldn't help but imagine how much courage it must have taken decades ago for the African-Americans down here to show up at the polling place.
Anyway, I voted. I feel blessed to have been here for this historic election. If you haven't voted yet, ya' better get on your horse!
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "Tater put candy in Miss H's ear!!!" --Musical
Well, it's a gorgeous day here in North Alabama. The leaves are finally beginning to change, and they're beautiful. The temps at night are between 45-35 and during the day it's been between 75-82. (a little too warm for my liking, but, anyway...)
The Ram went to vote this morning on his way to work. The polls open here at 7 a.m. (I'm used to 6a-6p) He got there around 6:45 and found about 100 other people waiting for the poll to open. He got to wait for a while.
I got to the polling place about 10:30. There were maybe 50 people, total, but I was in and out in 5 minutes. That's because of the set up here. You actually *mark with a pen* on a *paper ballot.* I have voted in every election since I was 18 years old, and this is the first time I had to actually mark on a ballot with a pen. I felt pretty stupid. LOL I had to ask questions of the poll workers--I am accustomed to using a computer to vote. Also, I was a little shocked--you didn't enter a booth to vote. I stood along a counter with a couple dozen other people; all of us marking our choices out in the open. Now, I'm not ashamed of my votes, but it did feel a bit naked to be doing it out in front of everyone. I couldn't help but imagine how much courage it must have taken decades ago for the African-Americans down here to show up at the polling place.
Anyway, I voted. I feel blessed to have been here for this historic election. If you haven't voted yet, ya' better get on your horse!
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "Tater put candy in Miss H's ear!!!" --Musical
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Blast from the Past
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
For some reason, this time of year always makes me reminisce. There's nothing exciting going on here right now, so I thought I'd do a "best of" post for you. Some new folks have probably never heard the following story...
"Thursday, October 14, 2004
G.O.M. and The Nice Tan Van
There once was a Nice Tan Van. It belonged to a Nice Family with four Lovely Children, who would never have spilled soda or water or juice in the floor and certainly never have drawn a picture of a little girl on the back of the seat in front of them. The Lovely Children never complained about sitting in the very back and they definitely would never argue with the others while riding in the Nice Tan Van. The four children were dearly, dearly loved. One day, the Nice Tan Van caught a bug. It coughed and sputtered, but never quit running, such a loyal van it was. The Nice Family took the van to a mechanic. Several days later, the mechanic called the Daddy to pick up the van. When Daddy drove the van, it still coughed and sputtered. Mommy made a mad face. This had happened many times. Daddy tried to take the Nice Van to another mechanic, but the mechanic never showed up at his garage. What happened to that nice mechanic? Finally, Daddy asked a Friendly Man at work to recommend a mechanic. The Friendly Man told Daddy where to take the Nice Van, but he told Daddy that the mechanic didn't have a phone. He also told Daddy that the mechanic only worked Monday through Wednesday. And only between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Daddy tried and tried to take the Nice Van to the mechanic, but he kept missing him. Each time Daddy would drive to the garage, the man wasn't there. Finally, Daddy went to the garage and the mechanic was there. Daddy noticed that the garage was very, very clean--no oil stains anywhere. He also noticed that there were no other automobiles at the garage. (Mommy had noticed before then that the garage was in a rather deserted, dark, rough-looking part of town, but Mommy didn't say anything--she didn't want to be negative.) When Daddy went into the Very Tidy Garage, he found a very old mechanic. The mechanic seemed annoyed that Daddy had brought him a van to look at. Daddy noticed that the Grumpy Old Mechanic had very clean fingernails. Daddy felt a bit nervous. G.O.M. told Daddy that he went home at 3:30 each day. He told Daddy that he'd have the nice tan van ready at 3:00. When Daddy said, "Goodbye!" the G.O.M. just said, "Hmph." Daddy said the mechanic didn't seem very happy. When Daddy returned to the garage that afternoon, the G.O.M. told him that the nice tan van wasn't ready. He told Daddy to come back the next day. So, the next day, at 3:25 p.m., Daddy went back to the Very Tidy Garage. The G.O.M. was not there!! The doors were locked, and the Nice Tan Van was locked behind a chainlink, barbed wire fence. Daddy made a mad face. The next day, Daddy went back to the Very Tidy Garage. The G.O.M. was there. Daddy paid him for fixing the Nice Tan Van and told him, "Goodbye!" The Grumpy Old Mechanic just said, "Hmph." Daddy took the Nice Tan Van back to Mommy and when she drove it, she smiled. The Nice Tan Van no longer coughed or sputtered! Hurray! It was fixed. Mommy and Daddy decided that they would use the Grumpy Old Mechanic again. The Moral of the Story: In the Land of Poor Service, the Grumpy Old Mechanic is King.
Posted by Mama Lamba at 10/14/2004 04:49:00 PM"
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
For some reason, this time of year always makes me reminisce. There's nothing exciting going on here right now, so I thought I'd do a "best of" post for you. Some new folks have probably never heard the following story...
"Thursday, October 14, 2004
G.O.M. and The Nice Tan Van
There once was a Nice Tan Van. It belonged to a Nice Family with four Lovely Children, who would never have spilled soda or water or juice in the floor and certainly never have drawn a picture of a little girl on the back of the seat in front of them. The Lovely Children never complained about sitting in the very back and they definitely would never argue with the others while riding in the Nice Tan Van. The four children were dearly, dearly loved. One day, the Nice Tan Van caught a bug. It coughed and sputtered, but never quit running, such a loyal van it was. The Nice Family took the van to a mechanic. Several days later, the mechanic called the Daddy to pick up the van. When Daddy drove the van, it still coughed and sputtered. Mommy made a mad face. This had happened many times. Daddy tried to take the Nice Van to another mechanic, but the mechanic never showed up at his garage. What happened to that nice mechanic? Finally, Daddy asked a Friendly Man at work to recommend a mechanic. The Friendly Man told Daddy where to take the Nice Van, but he told Daddy that the mechanic didn't have a phone. He also told Daddy that the mechanic only worked Monday through Wednesday. And only between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Daddy tried and tried to take the Nice Van to the mechanic, but he kept missing him. Each time Daddy would drive to the garage, the man wasn't there. Finally, Daddy went to the garage and the mechanic was there. Daddy noticed that the garage was very, very clean--no oil stains anywhere. He also noticed that there were no other automobiles at the garage. (Mommy had noticed before then that the garage was in a rather deserted, dark, rough-looking part of town, but Mommy didn't say anything--she didn't want to be negative.) When Daddy went into the Very Tidy Garage, he found a very old mechanic. The mechanic seemed annoyed that Daddy had brought him a van to look at. Daddy noticed that the Grumpy Old Mechanic had very clean fingernails. Daddy felt a bit nervous. G.O.M. told Daddy that he went home at 3:30 each day. He told Daddy that he'd have the nice tan van ready at 3:00. When Daddy said, "Goodbye!" the G.O.M. just said, "Hmph." Daddy said the mechanic didn't seem very happy. When Daddy returned to the garage that afternoon, the G.O.M. told him that the nice tan van wasn't ready. He told Daddy to come back the next day. So, the next day, at 3:25 p.m., Daddy went back to the Very Tidy Garage. The G.O.M. was not there!! The doors were locked, and the Nice Tan Van was locked behind a chainlink, barbed wire fence. Daddy made a mad face. The next day, Daddy went back to the Very Tidy Garage. The G.O.M. was there. Daddy paid him for fixing the Nice Tan Van and told him, "Goodbye!" The Grumpy Old Mechanic just said, "Hmph." Daddy took the Nice Tan Van back to Mommy and when she drove it, she smiled. The Nice Tan Van no longer coughed or sputtered! Hurray! It was fixed. Mommy and Daddy decided that they would use the Grumpy Old Mechanic again. The Moral of the Story: In the Land of Poor Service, the Grumpy Old Mechanic is King.
Posted by Mama Lamba at 10/14/2004 04:49:00 PM"
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Happy Fall, Y'all!
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
I'm out of hibernation now, so I'm enjoying the outdoors again. (deep inhale)
I've seen several doctors, and no one can seem to figure out my thyroid issues that make me overheat so easily. That makes summers pretty miserable for me. But, anyway, we made it through another one. :-)
My little one just got up, so I need to go, but before I do I want to share the following (well- known) poem with you.
"When the Frost is on the Punkin"
WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here
—Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries—kindo' lonesome-like, but still
A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover overhead!—
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;
And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through
With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!...
I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be
As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—
I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
---James Whitcomb Riley (1853–1916)
Gotta run,
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
I'm out of hibernation now, so I'm enjoying the outdoors again. (deep inhale)
I've seen several doctors, and no one can seem to figure out my thyroid issues that make me overheat so easily. That makes summers pretty miserable for me. But, anyway, we made it through another one. :-)
My little one just got up, so I need to go, but before I do I want to share the following (well- known) poem with you.
"When the Frost is on the Punkin"
WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here
—Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries—kindo' lonesome-like, but still
A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover overhead!—
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;
And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through
With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!...
I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be
As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—
I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
---James Whitcomb Riley (1853–1916)
Gotta run,
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Monday, September 29, 2008
The Last Load: "Re-use"
Howdy, F.O.T.E.'s,
Aren't you shocked! I actually finished a three-part series! (I'm plumb worn out.)
Today, I'll finish up with "Re-use." (I know, I know...it's supposed to be "reduce, re-use, recyle" but I got things out of order. You'll have to forgive me.)
So, let's get started...
Now, I *could* start out by saying something like, "a child can *reuse* his clothes for more than a day" but I know that would offend some...so I won't say it. Another thing I won't mention is the "sniff test." Disgusting. ;-) I'll say something like...
"Re-use...Your Outfits"
Look for ways to preserve an outfit, so that it could be worn again. I think Sunday clothes are especially good to re-use. Often, we get dressed and go to church...a couple hours later, we come home and change clothes. So, what to do with what you wore to church? Well, hopefully, everyone was bathed before church (or Sat. night)--I know that's not fail-proof, but *generally*. If that's the case, I think many times Sunday's outfit can be hung back up for another Sunday.
Years ago, The Ram's grandma gave all us girls aprons. I think aprons are a great tool in "Re-using." We can get dressed, put on an apron to preserve the outfit, then go about our Sunday morning duties. If we are eating breakfast at home, I like the girls to wear aprons to keep from getting dirty. Another option is eating before you dress, of course. For Tater, we'll pop one of Daddy's t-shirts over his clothes.
In re-using outfits, don't forget to spot clean any stains/spills. Sometimes, you can get a spot off and wear the garment again. Another tip: get some over-the-door hooks to hang "used, but could be used again" clothing.
Next up:
"Re-use...Household Linens"
Ok, now that sounds *gross!* What I mean is to allow certain items to be used for more than one task. One thing I do is to use washcloths as dishcloths. I know that sounds awful, but let me explain. Around here, I use white washcloths for both dishes and faces. (We have those puff thingies to wash our bodies. ) I generally try to keep the dish cloths and face cloths separate, but if they get mixed up, I'll run all of them in the machine with hot water and bleach (and, of course, detergent) and wash a good long time...then dry on high until thoroughly dry. I don't wash washcloths with bath towels. I know the cloths could get called into service for dishes and I don't like the idea of washing my dish cloths with bath towels.
For us, that works ok. If it offends your sensibilities, by all means--skip that tip!
Another thing we do is to wipe up floor spills with used bath towels. Those seem to absorb better than my mop, and they are so easy to clean afterward. Just toss them in the wash. (I wash my towels in hot water.)
Slightly used bath towels might also get carried to the pool with us when we go swimming. I don't think we must have a never-used towel just to wipe off after a swim. After soaking up pool water, the towels must be washed to get the chlorine out. I also run the swimsuits through a short cycle to rinse them. The chlorine just wears our suits out. Oh, yeah--don't dry bathing suits in the dryer. The heat isn't good for the lycra and other things they use in bathing suits. I have a wooden rack I pull out to drip dry the suits after their rinse.
Well, I'm sure there is more I could say about "Reduce, Recycle and Re-use" as it pertains to the laundry, but I've got folks needing their Mama-Ewe. Alipurr, I'll get back to you about your questions as soon as time allows.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "More clothes is the enemy of clean clothes." --The Ewe
Aren't you shocked! I actually finished a three-part series! (I'm plumb worn out.)
Today, I'll finish up with "Re-use." (I know, I know...it's supposed to be "reduce, re-use, recyle" but I got things out of order. You'll have to forgive me.)
So, let's get started...
Now, I *could* start out by saying something like, "a child can *reuse* his clothes for more than a day" but I know that would offend some...so I won't say it. Another thing I won't mention is the "sniff test." Disgusting. ;-) I'll say something like...
"Re-use...Your Outfits"
Look for ways to preserve an outfit, so that it could be worn again. I think Sunday clothes are especially good to re-use. Often, we get dressed and go to church...a couple hours later, we come home and change clothes. So, what to do with what you wore to church? Well, hopefully, everyone was bathed before church (or Sat. night)--I know that's not fail-proof, but *generally*. If that's the case, I think many times Sunday's outfit can be hung back up for another Sunday.
Years ago, The Ram's grandma gave all us girls aprons. I think aprons are a great tool in "Re-using." We can get dressed, put on an apron to preserve the outfit, then go about our Sunday morning duties. If we are eating breakfast at home, I like the girls to wear aprons to keep from getting dirty. Another option is eating before you dress, of course. For Tater, we'll pop one of Daddy's t-shirts over his clothes.
In re-using outfits, don't forget to spot clean any stains/spills. Sometimes, you can get a spot off and wear the garment again. Another tip: get some over-the-door hooks to hang "used, but could be used again" clothing.
Next up:
"Re-use...Household Linens"
Ok, now that sounds *gross!* What I mean is to allow certain items to be used for more than one task. One thing I do is to use washcloths as dishcloths. I know that sounds awful, but let me explain. Around here, I use white washcloths for both dishes and faces. (We have those puff thingies to wash our bodies. ) I generally try to keep the dish cloths and face cloths separate, but if they get mixed up, I'll run all of them in the machine with hot water and bleach (and, of course, detergent) and wash a good long time...then dry on high until thoroughly dry. I don't wash washcloths with bath towels. I know the cloths could get called into service for dishes and I don't like the idea of washing my dish cloths with bath towels.
For us, that works ok. If it offends your sensibilities, by all means--skip that tip!
Another thing we do is to wipe up floor spills with used bath towels. Those seem to absorb better than my mop, and they are so easy to clean afterward. Just toss them in the wash. (I wash my towels in hot water.)
Slightly used bath towels might also get carried to the pool with us when we go swimming. I don't think we must have a never-used towel just to wipe off after a swim. After soaking up pool water, the towels must be washed to get the chlorine out. I also run the swimsuits through a short cycle to rinse them. The chlorine just wears our suits out. Oh, yeah--don't dry bathing suits in the dryer. The heat isn't good for the lycra and other things they use in bathing suits. I have a wooden rack I pull out to drip dry the suits after their rinse.
Well, I'm sure there is more I could say about "Reduce, Recycle and Re-use" as it pertains to the laundry, but I've got folks needing their Mama-Ewe. Alipurr, I'll get back to you about your questions as soon as time allows.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "More clothes is the enemy of clean clothes." --The Ewe
Monday, September 22, 2008
Shhhhh....Don't Tell the Printer
Ok, F.O.T.E.'s,
I just did something that made me laugh at myself. I was gathering scrap copy paper--things that had been printed out, but not needed, printed wrong, etc--to put back into the paper hopper (or whatever it is you call the place where you put paper to be printed on) to use the "good side" for something else. What made me laugh is when I picked up a piece (mis-printed on one side) that had a weird looking smudge on the good side. I felt the smudge--it wasn't sticky. Good. So, I picked up the stack...and put the smudged paper on top. Hmmm...that won't do. So, I stuck it in the middle of the stack, hoping (I guess) that the printer would be so busy printing, it wouldn't notice that smudge--but only if I put that paper in the middle. LOL I think I need another cup of coffee.
T.E.
I just did something that made me laugh at myself. I was gathering scrap copy paper--things that had been printed out, but not needed, printed wrong, etc--to put back into the paper hopper (or whatever it is you call the place where you put paper to be printed on) to use the "good side" for something else. What made me laugh is when I picked up a piece (mis-printed on one side) that had a weird looking smudge on the good side. I felt the smudge--it wasn't sticky. Good. So, I picked up the stack...and put the smudged paper on top. Hmmm...that won't do. So, I stuck it in the middle of the stack, hoping (I guess) that the printer would be so busy printing, it wouldn't notice that smudge--but only if I put that paper in the middle. LOL I think I need another cup of coffee.
T.E.
Monday, Wash Day, Part II: Recycle
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Hope y'all had a great week last week. The temperatures seem to be cooling off a bit here, which is very welcome by The Ewe. Mostly, it's been under 90F during the day. Still too hot for me to do much outside, but very pleasant after the sun goes down.
So, is all your laundry washed up? ROTFLOL!!! (sorry) Mine is not. I believe my laundry holds the secret to perpetual energy. Even still, let's press on with today's treatise on laundry, entitled: "RECYCLE"
The first idea: "Recycle...Carefully"
Here, I am speaking in regard to hand-me-downs for the children. When Lioness was little, I saved every piece of clothing she had, in case we had more children and another girl. (Was *I* in for a surprise! lol) Well, when Lovable was born, she was born in a different season than Lioness, weighing 3 pounds more. How much of those carefully saved baby clothes do you think she was able to wear? Practically none. Still, I gathered more and more baby clothes, bought more and more Rubbermaid boxes and rented a storage unit to keep all our stuff that we couldn't cram into our home. Three years later, Musical was born--a pound heavier than Lovable and in yet a different season. So, though Musical and Lioness could have conceivably worn the same clothes (Musical was born in late Spring, Lioness in Summer) the weight difference was substantial AND...ahem...well, I couldn't even *find* the baby clothes amongst all the other umm...Swell Junk. Eventually, when I was ready to give away our baby clothes (we simply did not have room to keep everything we had) I discovered that most of them were either mildewed from storage, moth eaten or had sprung odd stains that were impossible to get out. So, all those carefully hoarded baby clothes went *in the dumpster* (some with tags attached) !!! because I had kept them so long they were ruined and unfit for any baby! ARGHHHH!!!! What a terrible waste! (Some day I'll tell you about the $500 uniform that broke me of hoarding...grrrr...)
So, what's my point? Don't save clothing too long. Here, we save what we could probably use within the year. I will buy clearance clothing at the end of a season for use the next year, but that's it. If it came from Goodwill, at the end of the season, to Goodwill it will return. As my precious friend, L.A., once told me, "If God could give it to you once, He can give it to you again," meaning that we cannot let fear turn us into misers. We trust that the Lord will provide all the things we need. He has never let us down--even when we began giving away the children's clothing (uh, after they'd outgrown it, I mean :-)
Next up: "Recycle...The Laundry!"
This is so simple, I don't know why I never thought of it. When the dryer stops running, put the clothes away. Then, put the wet clothes into the dryer and start it. LOL
Amazing how much laundry I can do in a day, when I am sure to listen for the "beep, beep" that tells me the dryer is finished. It does require self-discipline to stop what I'm doing and just go finish that load. I'll admit, I'm not real good at doing this except on the days I've committed myself to tackling as much dirty laundry as possible. Like I said last week, that's usually Monday and Thursday.
So, to summarize today's thoughts: "Recyle Carefully" and "Recycle the Laundry"!
I realized I forgot something last week. I could call this tip, "Recycle...Health Care Items," but I won't. When I'm treating blood stains, I've found that shampoo works great. Use it full strength on the stain...scrub it in and let it sit. I've let things sit for a few days before washing them, and it was fine.
Well, The Ewe must run. I need to (can you guess?) do a load of laundry. And a load of dishes. But, we won't talk about dishes for now. :-)
Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Hope y'all had a great week last week. The temperatures seem to be cooling off a bit here, which is very welcome by The Ewe. Mostly, it's been under 90F during the day. Still too hot for me to do much outside, but very pleasant after the sun goes down.
So, is all your laundry washed up? ROTFLOL!!! (sorry) Mine is not. I believe my laundry holds the secret to perpetual energy. Even still, let's press on with today's treatise on laundry, entitled: "RECYCLE"
The first idea: "Recycle...Carefully"
Here, I am speaking in regard to hand-me-downs for the children. When Lioness was little, I saved every piece of clothing she had, in case we had more children and another girl. (Was *I* in for a surprise! lol) Well, when Lovable was born, she was born in a different season than Lioness, weighing 3 pounds more. How much of those carefully saved baby clothes do you think she was able to wear? Practically none. Still, I gathered more and more baby clothes, bought more and more Rubbermaid boxes and rented a storage unit to keep all our stuff that we couldn't cram into our home. Three years later, Musical was born--a pound heavier than Lovable and in yet a different season. So, though Musical and Lioness could have conceivably worn the same clothes (Musical was born in late Spring, Lioness in Summer) the weight difference was substantial AND...ahem...well, I couldn't even *find* the baby clothes amongst all the other umm...Swell Junk. Eventually, when I was ready to give away our baby clothes (we simply did not have room to keep everything we had) I discovered that most of them were either mildewed from storage, moth eaten or had sprung odd stains that were impossible to get out. So, all those carefully hoarded baby clothes went *in the dumpster* (some with tags attached) !!! because I had kept them so long they were ruined and unfit for any baby! ARGHHHH!!!! What a terrible waste! (Some day I'll tell you about the $500 uniform that broke me of hoarding...grrrr...)
So, what's my point? Don't save clothing too long. Here, we save what we could probably use within the year. I will buy clearance clothing at the end of a season for use the next year, but that's it. If it came from Goodwill, at the end of the season, to Goodwill it will return. As my precious friend, L.A., once told me, "If God could give it to you once, He can give it to you again," meaning that we cannot let fear turn us into misers. We trust that the Lord will provide all the things we need. He has never let us down--even when we began giving away the children's clothing (uh, after they'd outgrown it, I mean :-)
Next up: "Recycle...The Laundry!"
This is so simple, I don't know why I never thought of it. When the dryer stops running, put the clothes away. Then, put the wet clothes into the dryer and start it. LOL
Amazing how much laundry I can do in a day, when I am sure to listen for the "beep, beep" that tells me the dryer is finished. It does require self-discipline to stop what I'm doing and just go finish that load. I'll admit, I'm not real good at doing this except on the days I've committed myself to tackling as much dirty laundry as possible. Like I said last week, that's usually Monday and Thursday.
So, to summarize today's thoughts: "Recyle Carefully" and "Recycle the Laundry"!
I realized I forgot something last week. I could call this tip, "Recycle...Health Care Items," but I won't. When I'm treating blood stains, I've found that shampoo works great. Use it full strength on the stain...scrub it in and let it sit. I've let things sit for a few days before washing them, and it was fine.
Well, The Ewe must run. I need to (can you guess?) do a load of laundry. And a load of dishes. But, we won't talk about dishes for now. :-)
Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Monday, September 15, 2008
Monday, Wash Day
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
(That's "Friends of The Ewe" for any newcomers ;-).
I'm elbow deep into the washing machine today--it being Monday and all. I usually do *some* kind of laundry every day, but on Monday and Thursday, I try to beat Mt. Washmore down (the lambs call it "Mt. Foldmore," since folding is the least enjoyed part).
We have tried many L.A.P.'s--Laundry Attack Plans--each with its own strengths/weaknesses. Most plus-sized families I know make laundry a topic of much study and experimentation. When you multiply the daily clothing, bedding and towels/miscellaneous times 7 every day...welcome to the power of compounding. :-)
I've decided I'd like to blog a series (stop laughing) about defeating laundry. I'm certainly no expert on efficiency or organization, but I do want to pass on any tips that have helped us. So...
I will share my thoughts on laundry in a 3-part series entitled....(drum roll)
"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle"
Today, "Reduce":
--Firstly, "Reduce... the Wardrobe"
Don't overestimate your children's clothing needs. Especially if you homeschool, little ones can get by with very few clothes. When they're little, they don't really care if they wear the same 4-5 outfits every week. Also, sometimes an outfit can last 2 days. Buy cheap over-the-door hooks for them to hang clothes that would do another day. An exception: we do try to keep each child in 6-7 pairs of undies which are in good repair and not overly stained (what if they were involved in an accident?) :-) Also, 2-3 nice Sunday outfits. When the girls were younger, I'd buy each of them 3 Land's End jersey, pullover dresses each season (actually, I bought 3 at the end of each season, in the size the girl would be in the next year). They would wear their Land's End dresses on Sundays until the dresses started to get worn/tight. This usually took 2 years. (!) Then, those dresses became weekday dresses, and the new Land's End dresses (purchased on clearance the last year) became the new Sunday dresses. Of course, as the girls got bigger, this lovely plan stopped working, as Land's End doesn't make pullover ladies' dresses like that, and I have a couple girls in ladies' sizes now. But, anyway, do try to limit the amount of clothing your children have.
One trick I'm using now, to help keep the clothes weeded down is the Broken Hanger Trick. We use those tubular, plastic clothes hangers. They are not hard to break, especially when a little person is a bit too short to easily get their clothes off the rod in the closet. ;-) So, when a hanger breaks, I choose (or if the child is old enough they do themselves) a garment to discard--either into the Goodwill box or the trash. I choose the rattiest of the ratty or the most stained or least liked or illest fitting--something that won't really be missed. I used to buy hangers at Walmart regularly, but I like this plan better. Granted, eventually I will have buy more hangers--we have to have *some* clothes!!--but I'm not buying nearly the amount I used to.
Next: "Reduce... the Paraphernalia" -- laundry gadgets, stain removers, etc...
I think I've tried nearly every laundry detergent and stain remover on the planet. I bought a bleach pen and never used it...I was afraid the residual bleach would spot the rest of the clothes...So, my laundry arsenal is down to cheap detergent (I didn't find much difference in effectiveness of the different brands), Clorox (the name brand...somehow, it seems to matter ??), cheap fabric softener sheets and dishwashing liquid. Yes, dishwashing liquid. I've stopped buying any stain remover, as I never found one that worked as well as Dawn or Palmolive dish soap. Most of our stains around here are food anyway, so it makes sense that Dawn would work. I tried the new Tide with Dawn...didn't seem to help much. Oh, btw, when you use Dawn as a stain remover, don't wet the stain, and don't dilute the Dawn. Just squirt it on full strength and scrub it in with a brush or between your hands. Let it sit at least an hour or so...up to a week. I can get most stains out this way.
And, if the stain is bad enough, and I've tried the stain treatment and washing 2-3 times...I toss the garment. Not worth more effort than that, unless it's a special piece of clothing.
Now, lest I sound heartless, I do let the lambs save back outgrown/stained clothing that has special meaning to them. Those items go into our sewing fabric chest of drawers (6 drawers--red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) to be used (only by the owner of the Special Item) in a quilt or other crafty venture. The unbending rule is that the owner is the only person who can use that special cloth for a project. We have some precious items that were made for the girls by their Grandmom--we don't toss those things!
Here's another tip: "Reduce... the Sorting" --i.e. dirty laundry
I sort into "hot," "cold," and "hot with bleach." I don't do a lot of bleach loads--primarily just dish cloths and towels, and I don't even bleach those every time. Everything else gets either hot water or cold water. I don't do "darks and lights," "jeans only" or anything like that. (I do understand the rationale behind doing jeans separately--they *do* bleed forever). This is the only sorting system in which I get to keep my sanity and have the satisfaction of knowing a Lamb could take over, if need be. I don't have time for each piece of clothing to get special treatment--outside of stain removing. For clothing, coming to our house is like joining the Marines--the Few, the Proud...the Durable. :-) I try not to buy anything that needs hand washing...and very few things that can't be tumbled dry.
Reducing the sorting also is a part of our next laundry attack tactic...
Next: "Reduce... the Confusion"
--It is my goal to work myself out of a job and to raise up children who are *not* as clueless as I was when I left home. Learning to run a household was (is?) very strenuous for me. There was just so much I didn't know how to do...or even that you were *supposed* to *do it*! ("You dust THOSE?!?" "Yes, Dear. It's called a 'baseboard.'") So, I've got to stick with simple house care attack plans. One thing I do to be sure that someone else could step in and help w/ the laundry is dotting the undies. (not related to "crossing the T's") This would work for socks and anything else as well, but for us, we just dot undies. The firstborn gets 1 dot...the second born gets 2 dots...the 3rd child gets 3 dots...you get the drift. I put a Sharpie dot on the waist elastic of each pair of child's undies, in the back, on the outside. That way, if The Ram wants to bless me, he can easily tell whose drawers are whose. Or into whose drawers to put the drawers...I'll admit, it helps me, too. Another way we reduce confusion is to stick with mainly white socks for the children. We usually buy the same style, so everyone can share (within reason). White is good, too, because I can bleach them if (when) they get really dingy.
Finally, "Reduce...the Whining"
For years, I was amazed at how much faster my wonderful mother-in-law could do my laundry than I. Eventually, I realized that I wasted a lot of time just dreading the task. I would avoid putting the clean clothes away, because I feared it would "take all day." Once I just dove in and stopped dreading/complaining, I started making laundry headway.
While doing laundry, I try to remind myself how blessed we are to have clothing for all the children, with even extra to spare. I try to often pray for the family member whose shirt I'm hanging up or whose dress I'm de-staining. This is not to say that washing clothes is never a daunting task for me or that I just can't wait each day to get into my laundry room, but it *is* becoming an easier job as I continue to "Reduce."
Must run...The Ram needs clean clothes for work. ;-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
(That's "Friends of The Ewe" for any newcomers ;-).
I'm elbow deep into the washing machine today--it being Monday and all. I usually do *some* kind of laundry every day, but on Monday and Thursday, I try to beat Mt. Washmore down (the lambs call it "Mt. Foldmore," since folding is the least enjoyed part).
We have tried many L.A.P.'s--Laundry Attack Plans--each with its own strengths/weaknesses. Most plus-sized families I know make laundry a topic of much study and experimentation. When you multiply the daily clothing, bedding and towels/miscellaneous times 7 every day...welcome to the power of compounding. :-)
I've decided I'd like to blog a series (stop laughing) about defeating laundry. I'm certainly no expert on efficiency or organization, but I do want to pass on any tips that have helped us. So...
I will share my thoughts on laundry in a 3-part series entitled....(drum roll)
"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle"
Today, "Reduce":
--Firstly, "Reduce... the Wardrobe"
Don't overestimate your children's clothing needs. Especially if you homeschool, little ones can get by with very few clothes. When they're little, they don't really care if they wear the same 4-5 outfits every week. Also, sometimes an outfit can last 2 days. Buy cheap over-the-door hooks for them to hang clothes that would do another day. An exception: we do try to keep each child in 6-7 pairs of undies which are in good repair and not overly stained (what if they were involved in an accident?) :-) Also, 2-3 nice Sunday outfits. When the girls were younger, I'd buy each of them 3 Land's End jersey, pullover dresses each season (actually, I bought 3 at the end of each season, in the size the girl would be in the next year). They would wear their Land's End dresses on Sundays until the dresses started to get worn/tight. This usually took 2 years. (!) Then, those dresses became weekday dresses, and the new Land's End dresses (purchased on clearance the last year) became the new Sunday dresses. Of course, as the girls got bigger, this lovely plan stopped working, as Land's End doesn't make pullover ladies' dresses like that, and I have a couple girls in ladies' sizes now. But, anyway, do try to limit the amount of clothing your children have.
One trick I'm using now, to help keep the clothes weeded down is the Broken Hanger Trick. We use those tubular, plastic clothes hangers. They are not hard to break, especially when a little person is a bit too short to easily get their clothes off the rod in the closet. ;-) So, when a hanger breaks, I choose (or if the child is old enough they do themselves) a garment to discard--either into the Goodwill box or the trash. I choose the rattiest of the ratty or the most stained or least liked or illest fitting--something that won't really be missed. I used to buy hangers at Walmart regularly, but I like this plan better. Granted, eventually I will have buy more hangers--we have to have *some* clothes!!--but I'm not buying nearly the amount I used to.
Next: "Reduce... the Paraphernalia" -- laundry gadgets, stain removers, etc...
I think I've tried nearly every laundry detergent and stain remover on the planet. I bought a bleach pen and never used it...I was afraid the residual bleach would spot the rest of the clothes...So, my laundry arsenal is down to cheap detergent (I didn't find much difference in effectiveness of the different brands), Clorox (the name brand...somehow, it seems to matter ??), cheap fabric softener sheets and dishwashing liquid. Yes, dishwashing liquid. I've stopped buying any stain remover, as I never found one that worked as well as Dawn or Palmolive dish soap. Most of our stains around here are food anyway, so it makes sense that Dawn would work. I tried the new Tide with Dawn...didn't seem to help much. Oh, btw, when you use Dawn as a stain remover, don't wet the stain, and don't dilute the Dawn. Just squirt it on full strength and scrub it in with a brush or between your hands. Let it sit at least an hour or so...up to a week. I can get most stains out this way.
And, if the stain is bad enough, and I've tried the stain treatment and washing 2-3 times...I toss the garment. Not worth more effort than that, unless it's a special piece of clothing.
Now, lest I sound heartless, I do let the lambs save back outgrown/stained clothing that has special meaning to them. Those items go into our sewing fabric chest of drawers (6 drawers--red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) to be used (only by the owner of the Special Item) in a quilt or other crafty venture. The unbending rule is that the owner is the only person who can use that special cloth for a project. We have some precious items that were made for the girls by their Grandmom--we don't toss those things!
Here's another tip: "Reduce... the Sorting" --i.e. dirty laundry
I sort into "hot," "cold," and "hot with bleach." I don't do a lot of bleach loads--primarily just dish cloths and towels, and I don't even bleach those every time. Everything else gets either hot water or cold water. I don't do "darks and lights," "jeans only" or anything like that. (I do understand the rationale behind doing jeans separately--they *do* bleed forever). This is the only sorting system in which I get to keep my sanity and have the satisfaction of knowing a Lamb could take over, if need be. I don't have time for each piece of clothing to get special treatment--outside of stain removing. For clothing, coming to our house is like joining the Marines--the Few, the Proud...the Durable. :-) I try not to buy anything that needs hand washing...and very few things that can't be tumbled dry.
Reducing the sorting also is a part of our next laundry attack tactic...
Next: "Reduce... the Confusion"
--It is my goal to work myself out of a job and to raise up children who are *not* as clueless as I was when I left home. Learning to run a household was (is?) very strenuous for me. There was just so much I didn't know how to do...or even that you were *supposed* to *do it*! ("You dust THOSE?!?" "Yes, Dear. It's called a 'baseboard.'") So, I've got to stick with simple house care attack plans. One thing I do to be sure that someone else could step in and help w/ the laundry is dotting the undies. (not related to "crossing the T's") This would work for socks and anything else as well, but for us, we just dot undies. The firstborn gets 1 dot...the second born gets 2 dots...the 3rd child gets 3 dots...you get the drift. I put a Sharpie dot on the waist elastic of each pair of child's undies, in the back, on the outside. That way, if The Ram wants to bless me, he can easily tell whose drawers are whose. Or into whose drawers to put the drawers...I'll admit, it helps me, too. Another way we reduce confusion is to stick with mainly white socks for the children. We usually buy the same style, so everyone can share (within reason). White is good, too, because I can bleach them if (when) they get really dingy.
Finally, "Reduce...the Whining"
For years, I was amazed at how much faster my wonderful mother-in-law could do my laundry than I. Eventually, I realized that I wasted a lot of time just dreading the task. I would avoid putting the clean clothes away, because I feared it would "take all day." Once I just dove in and stopped dreading/complaining, I started making laundry headway.
While doing laundry, I try to remind myself how blessed we are to have clothing for all the children, with even extra to spare. I try to often pray for the family member whose shirt I'm hanging up or whose dress I'm de-staining. This is not to say that washing clothes is never a daunting task for me or that I just can't wait each day to get into my laundry room, but it *is* becoming an easier job as I continue to "Reduce."
Must run...The Ram needs clean clothes for work. ;-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Hillbilly Hoedown a.k.a. Big Bean Binge
Howdy F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, things are just zinging along here. I'm so pleased with the diligence my Lambies are showing with their studies this year. Their co-operation helps make homeschooling a joy.
Let me tell you about our dinner last night...
We used to call it our "soul food dinner," but somehow it's evolved into a "Hillbilly Hoedown." I am very happy that my whole family loves pinto beans. We make them (uh, the beans not the family) the main dish, with sides of greens, bacon and hash browns. YUM YUM!
The night before, I sorted 8 cups of dry pinto beans, rinsed them, them let them soak all night in enough water to cover over them a couple inches. Now, 8 cups makes a *LOT* of beans! Once they had soaked all night, I put them in a large (large!) stockpot with water to cover. I added about 1/2 cup of dried onion flakes--one of my favorite pantry staples--about a tablespoon of oil and 2 teaspoons of salt. (I know adding salt at the beginning is controversial, but my mama always did it and I've done it nearly 20 years. And my beans are good. :-) I bring them to a quick boil, then lower the heat to let them simmer about 2 hours, at least. Last night, they simmered all afternoon. I stirred occasionally and added water if it got too low. Oh, yeah...and I keep the lid cocked a little to let out the steam. Not sure why. That's just how it's done.
While those beans were simmering all afternoon, I baked some thick sliced bacon in the oven. I really like doing it that way--no standing watch over a spattering pan of grease--very little clean up...flat slices and predictable performance. :-) I do this by covering rimmed cookie sheets (enough sheets to house all the bacon) with 2 sheets of foil. Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the bacon for about 20 minutes. No turning...just let 'er rip. After the bacon gets as crispy as you like it, remove it to a plate lined w/ paper towels for draining.
The greens last night were spinach. I do those in the crockpot. I dumped a couple pounds of frozen spinach into the crockpot and added 1/2 cup of hot water and a teaspoon of chicken base (like for soup...kin to bouillon). I put a generous sprinkling of dried onion flakes and a teaspoon of minced garlic. Stirred it up well and set the crock to high for a couple hours. Once they were cooked, I drained them and kept them on "warm." Yummy.
The hash browns are the frozen patties, fried crisp in coconut oil in a large skillet. Lioness makes these--she seasons them with seasoned salt toward the end.
Finally, I made up a few gallons of tea (we had company coming) and a double batch of cornbread. Yee haw!
Too bad we didn't have any possum and hog jowl. Oh well. Maybe next time.
Gotta run...there's a bunch of Lambies who need tucking. (in)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Well, things are just zinging along here. I'm so pleased with the diligence my Lambies are showing with their studies this year. Their co-operation helps make homeschooling a joy.
Let me tell you about our dinner last night...
We used to call it our "soul food dinner," but somehow it's evolved into a "Hillbilly Hoedown." I am very happy that my whole family loves pinto beans. We make them (uh, the beans not the family) the main dish, with sides of greens, bacon and hash browns. YUM YUM!
The night before, I sorted 8 cups of dry pinto beans, rinsed them, them let them soak all night in enough water to cover over them a couple inches. Now, 8 cups makes a *LOT* of beans! Once they had soaked all night, I put them in a large (large!) stockpot with water to cover. I added about 1/2 cup of dried onion flakes--one of my favorite pantry staples--about a tablespoon of oil and 2 teaspoons of salt. (I know adding salt at the beginning is controversial, but my mama always did it and I've done it nearly 20 years. And my beans are good. :-) I bring them to a quick boil, then lower the heat to let them simmer about 2 hours, at least. Last night, they simmered all afternoon. I stirred occasionally and added water if it got too low. Oh, yeah...and I keep the lid cocked a little to let out the steam. Not sure why. That's just how it's done.
While those beans were simmering all afternoon, I baked some thick sliced bacon in the oven. I really like doing it that way--no standing watch over a spattering pan of grease--very little clean up...flat slices and predictable performance. :-) I do this by covering rimmed cookie sheets (enough sheets to house all the bacon) with 2 sheets of foil. Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the bacon for about 20 minutes. No turning...just let 'er rip. After the bacon gets as crispy as you like it, remove it to a plate lined w/ paper towels for draining.
The greens last night were spinach. I do those in the crockpot. I dumped a couple pounds of frozen spinach into the crockpot and added 1/2 cup of hot water and a teaspoon of chicken base (like for soup...kin to bouillon). I put a generous sprinkling of dried onion flakes and a teaspoon of minced garlic. Stirred it up well and set the crock to high for a couple hours. Once they were cooked, I drained them and kept them on "warm." Yummy.
The hash browns are the frozen patties, fried crisp in coconut oil in a large skillet. Lioness makes these--she seasons them with seasoned salt toward the end.
Finally, I made up a few gallons of tea (we had company coming) and a double batch of cornbread. Yee haw!
Too bad we didn't have any possum and hog jowl. Oh well. Maybe next time.
Gotta run...there's a bunch of Lambies who need tucking. (in)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Just Chattin'
Hello F.O.T.E.'s,
The Ram has taken the children to try out a playground we discovered yesterday. It's quiet around here (!) so I thought I'd touch base w/ you guys.
We have not yet found a church here. This is a real discouragement. We will visit another one tomorrow. The children are anxious to meet some other children. (Can't imagine!)
There are dozens of homeschooling groups here, but I'm finding it hard to "crack the code." As in, many of the groups seem pretty exclusive. I think the AL law plays into that--as many people feel the need to prove that homeschooling really educates children. So, most of the "cover schools" here have requirements far above what the state deems mandatory. For example, several I saw require member families to meet "X" number of times each month for group activities. Many covers require more reports--attendance, progress, etc--than the state does. Thus, it was not easy to find a cover school that aligned with our educational philosophy. :-) ie, the parents are the ones responsible. In Missouri, the state assumed homeschoolers *were* educating their children, until something proved otherwise. (Kinda like, "innocent until proven guilty") Down here, I feel like they think we're guilty until we prove we're innocent. lol
Anyway, the fact is, we did find a cover school that doesn't make us feel like criminals and the children *are* learning. I'm so happy with their progress so far this year.
Hey, speaking of which, we found an interesting computer game that is helping our kids learn/polish their multiplication facts. It's called "Timez Attack" (sic). Maybe you can Google it. It does use dragons in a castle, so that might be offensive to some. (just be warned) The little fellow who is defeating the dragons doesn't kill the dragons, they just go away. I was happy about that. I'm just not keen on games where something kills something else. Guess I'm a wuss. lol
Well, must run...the Flock will be back soon and I know they'll be hungry...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
The Ram has taken the children to try out a playground we discovered yesterday. It's quiet around here (!) so I thought I'd touch base w/ you guys.
We have not yet found a church here. This is a real discouragement. We will visit another one tomorrow. The children are anxious to meet some other children. (Can't imagine!)
There are dozens of homeschooling groups here, but I'm finding it hard to "crack the code." As in, many of the groups seem pretty exclusive. I think the AL law plays into that--as many people feel the need to prove that homeschooling really educates children. So, most of the "cover schools" here have requirements far above what the state deems mandatory. For example, several I saw require member families to meet "X" number of times each month for group activities. Many covers require more reports--attendance, progress, etc--than the state does. Thus, it was not easy to find a cover school that aligned with our educational philosophy. :-) ie, the parents are the ones responsible. In Missouri, the state assumed homeschoolers *were* educating their children, until something proved otherwise. (Kinda like, "innocent until proven guilty") Down here, I feel like they think we're guilty until we prove we're innocent. lol
Anyway, the fact is, we did find a cover school that doesn't make us feel like criminals and the children *are* learning. I'm so happy with their progress so far this year.
Hey, speaking of which, we found an interesting computer game that is helping our kids learn/polish their multiplication facts. It's called "Timez Attack" (sic). Maybe you can Google it. It does use dragons in a castle, so that might be offensive to some. (just be warned) The little fellow who is defeating the dragons doesn't kill the dragons, they just go away. I was happy about that. I'm just not keen on games where something kills something else. Guess I'm a wuss. lol
Well, must run...the Flock will be back soon and I know they'll be hungry...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Settling In and Menus
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, we're settling in, little by little down here in AL. I'll admit, being the daughter of two Tennesseeans and the wife of one, I feel a small pang of disloyalty each time I look at that Alabama license plate on the van. LOL At least it doesn't say "Crimson Tide" or anything.
The Ram has taken the Lambies to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center again today. We had a short visit last Sunday, just to whet the kids' appetites. If "y'all" get the urge, come on down and let's go see the rockets!
Now that things are beginning to fall into a routine down here, I've started back up my meal planning. I'll share what we've had and what we're having:
HAD:
Aug. 4 pot roast, salad
Aug. 5 chili, raw veggies
Aug. 6 Creamy Italian Chicken* (I'll include that recipe at the bottom) with CA blend veggies
Aug. 7 ?? I forget...
Aug. 8 Buck's Pizza delivered--yummy local pizza, just too expensive a meal to repeat often, crust was thin, so each of us could have eaten 1/2 a pizza--not very filling! lol
Aug. 9 Pork roast with brown rice
Aug. 10 Taco salad, raw veggies with dipping
Aug. 11 Meatloaf with mixed veggies (just like the school cafeteria!)
Aug. 12 Lemon Chicken* (recipe follows) CA blend
Aug. 13 Spaghetti, salad, garlic toast
Aug. 14. Roast turkey breast--Lovable and I did it ourselves! First time I've massaged a turkey
Aug. 15 frozen pizza
HAVING:
Aug. 16 Lasagna, salad, garlic bread
Aug. 17 pinto beans, hash browns, spinach
Aug. 18 Hobo Joes (think, salisbury steak with roasted potatoes and carrots)
Aug. 19 Grandmama Money's Chicken and dumplings with corn on the cob and carrots
Aug. 20 Squashetti with broccoli
Aug. 21 Vegetable beef soup
Aug. 22 homemade, whole wheat, deep dish pizza
We generally have a salad and fruit, too...at will. The peaches and melons are still delish.
Ok, for the recipes:
Creamy Italian Chicken
6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 envelopes Italian salad dressing mix
2/3 C water
two 8 oz blocks cream cheese
two cans cream of chicken soup (or 1 family size can)
rice or noodles
In a bowl, combine dressing mix, water and chicken soup. Put chicken in crockpot. Cover chicken with soup mix. Cook on low 4-6 hours (if frozen), until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and cut up. Add cream cheese to crock. Stir. Add chicken back in. Let heat until cheese is melted. Serve over noodles or rice.
Lemon Garlic Chicken
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
In a bowl, mix the oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture into chicken. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken in butter for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place chicken in a slow cooker. In the same skillet, mix the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker 15 to 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.
Let me know what you think of these, if you try them. They were both first-timers for me this week, but we liked them.
Must run...I have cleaning to do before the Flock gets back from Space, the Final Frontier.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Well, we're settling in, little by little down here in AL. I'll admit, being the daughter of two Tennesseeans and the wife of one, I feel a small pang of disloyalty each time I look at that Alabama license plate on the van. LOL At least it doesn't say "Crimson Tide" or anything.
The Ram has taken the Lambies to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center again today. We had a short visit last Sunday, just to whet the kids' appetites. If "y'all" get the urge, come on down and let's go see the rockets!
Now that things are beginning to fall into a routine down here, I've started back up my meal planning. I'll share what we've had and what we're having:
HAD:
Aug. 4 pot roast, salad
Aug. 5 chili, raw veggies
Aug. 6 Creamy Italian Chicken* (I'll include that recipe at the bottom) with CA blend veggies
Aug. 7 ?? I forget...
Aug. 8 Buck's Pizza delivered--yummy local pizza, just too expensive a meal to repeat often, crust was thin, so each of us could have eaten 1/2 a pizza--not very filling! lol
Aug. 9 Pork roast with brown rice
Aug. 10 Taco salad, raw veggies with dipping
Aug. 11 Meatloaf with mixed veggies (just like the school cafeteria!)
Aug. 12 Lemon Chicken* (recipe follows) CA blend
Aug. 13 Spaghetti, salad, garlic toast
Aug. 14. Roast turkey breast--Lovable and I did it ourselves! First time I've massaged a turkey
Aug. 15 frozen pizza
HAVING:
Aug. 16 Lasagna, salad, garlic bread
Aug. 17 pinto beans, hash browns, spinach
Aug. 18 Hobo Joes (think, salisbury steak with roasted potatoes and carrots)
Aug. 19 Grandmama Money's Chicken and dumplings with corn on the cob and carrots
Aug. 20 Squashetti with broccoli
Aug. 21 Vegetable beef soup
Aug. 22 homemade, whole wheat, deep dish pizza
We generally have a salad and fruit, too...at will. The peaches and melons are still delish.
Ok, for the recipes:
Creamy Italian Chicken
6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 envelopes Italian salad dressing mix
2/3 C water
two 8 oz blocks cream cheese
two cans cream of chicken soup (or 1 family size can)
rice or noodles
In a bowl, combine dressing mix, water and chicken soup. Put chicken in crockpot. Cover chicken with soup mix. Cook on low 4-6 hours (if frozen), until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and cut up. Add cream cheese to crock. Stir. Add chicken back in. Let heat until cheese is melted. Serve over noodles or rice.
Lemon Garlic Chicken
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
In a bowl, mix the oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture into chicken. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken in butter for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place chicken in a slow cooker. In the same skillet, mix the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker 15 to 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.
Let me know what you think of these, if you try them. They were both first-timers for me this week, but we liked them.
Must run...I have cleaning to do before the Flock gets back from Space, the Final Frontier.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Friday, August 08, 2008
My Favorite Thing about AL (So Far)
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, it *isn't* the above-100F temperatures, that's for sure!! (Of course, KC has had high temps, too, of late.) It's also not the fire ants, which, thank goodness none of the children have stepped in yet. ICK It's not the red dirt that will not come out of clothing...No... it's the...
PRODUCE!
Yum! We stopped at one of the many roadside stands yesterday and got cheap, delicious peaches and cantaloupe. Wow. Our family ate 3 cantaloupes as dessert last night, lol. At .66 each, that was a good deal. We'll be visiting the fruit stand again. Probably today. Since we're out of fruit. :-)
I noticed, too, they had sweet potatoes and squash (as well as scores of other things, all grown locally.) I'm going to post below my favorite squash recipe. When you're wanting to feel like a gourmet chef, this is a good recipe to try.
Penne with Garlicky Butternut Squash
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups diced (1/2-inch) butternut squash (from a 1 1/2 pound squash)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
6 sage leaves, minced or 1/4 teaspoon powdered sage
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound uncooked penne
Grated Parmesan
Bring a large quantity of water to a boil in a stockpot. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the squash and saute 5 minutes, or until it begins to get golden. Sprinkle in the garlic and saute 2 minutes. Pour in the 1/4 cup water, nutmeg, sage, parsley, salt and pepper, and cover the pan. Cook the squash until tender, about 5 minutes more. Cook the penne until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander and return to the pot. Spoon on the squash mixture and toss gently. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan and pass more at the table.
My notes: For our family, I have to at least double this. Usually, I double the squash and use just a little more than a pound of pasta. And speaking of pasta, we've found we like plain, whole wheat spaghetti noodles, rather than penne, with this dish. And really, it's the squash, not the pasta that is the star of this show. I think we could eat just a bowl of the squash and be happy. :-) Also, we use a lot more garlic than it calls for. We do like garlic.
If you try out the recipe, let me know what you think. We'll be having it sometime in the next week.
Must run. Y'all keep you wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "Other people can't do my tricks. They're too big." --Tater Tot
Well, it *isn't* the above-100F temperatures, that's for sure!! (Of course, KC has had high temps, too, of late.) It's also not the fire ants, which, thank goodness none of the children have stepped in yet. ICK It's not the red dirt that will not come out of clothing...No... it's the...
PRODUCE!
Yum! We stopped at one of the many roadside stands yesterday and got cheap, delicious peaches and cantaloupe. Wow. Our family ate 3 cantaloupes as dessert last night, lol. At .66 each, that was a good deal. We'll be visiting the fruit stand again. Probably today. Since we're out of fruit. :-)
I noticed, too, they had sweet potatoes and squash (as well as scores of other things, all grown locally.) I'm going to post below my favorite squash recipe. When you're wanting to feel like a gourmet chef, this is a good recipe to try.
Penne with Garlicky Butternut Squash
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups diced (1/2-inch) butternut squash (from a 1 1/2 pound squash)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
6 sage leaves, minced or 1/4 teaspoon powdered sage
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound uncooked penne
Grated Parmesan
Bring a large quantity of water to a boil in a stockpot. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the squash and saute 5 minutes, or until it begins to get golden. Sprinkle in the garlic and saute 2 minutes. Pour in the 1/4 cup water, nutmeg, sage, parsley, salt and pepper, and cover the pan. Cook the squash until tender, about 5 minutes more. Cook the penne until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander and return to the pot. Spoon on the squash mixture and toss gently. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan and pass more at the table.
My notes: For our family, I have to at least double this. Usually, I double the squash and use just a little more than a pound of pasta. And speaking of pasta, we've found we like plain, whole wheat spaghetti noodles, rather than penne, with this dish. And really, it's the squash, not the pasta that is the star of this show. I think we could eat just a bowl of the squash and be happy. :-) Also, we use a lot more garlic than it calls for. We do like garlic.
If you try out the recipe, let me know what you think. We'll be having it sometime in the next week.
Must run. Y'all keep you wool dry,
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "Other people can't do my tricks. They're too big." --Tater Tot
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
A Bit of Refreshing
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
...and did I mention that it's HOT in AL?!? Ugh. The Ram noted that it was 103F when he got finished at work yesterday. The Ewe is in hibernation. :-)
With all the hubbub of the move during the last couple weeks, I have not had a lot of time for reading--whether online or in print. One of my folders in "Favorites" is titled "Uplifting Ladies' Reading." It's a collection of blogs that I occasionally read when I get a chance to or I need some inspiration (in addition to my daily Bible reading).
Today, I was in need of inspiration. What I *really* wanted to do was lie in bed and let the children run around like indians (no offense intended to all you Native Americans out there). I was on empty in the emotional energy/motivation department. The physical department tank was getting low, too--but I know I can overcome that physical tiredness with enough mental energy.
So, for the first time in over a month, I clicked open my "Uplifting Ladies' Reading" folder. I clicked the following one. It was the one I needed. I love the artwork on this lady's blog. I believe even if I didn't read a word she wrote, and just looked at the pictures, I would be encouraged. (Though the words are important to my "uplifting," too!)
I'll share the link with you, so you can enjoy the artwork. And, if the words encourage you...all the better. :-)
http://www.proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com/
Blessings to you all. And...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
...and did I mention that it's HOT in AL?!? Ugh. The Ram noted that it was 103F when he got finished at work yesterday. The Ewe is in hibernation. :-)
With all the hubbub of the move during the last couple weeks, I have not had a lot of time for reading--whether online or in print. One of my folders in "Favorites" is titled "Uplifting Ladies' Reading." It's a collection of blogs that I occasionally read when I get a chance to or I need some inspiration (in addition to my daily Bible reading).
Today, I was in need of inspiration. What I *really* wanted to do was lie in bed and let the children run around like indians (no offense intended to all you Native Americans out there). I was on empty in the emotional energy/motivation department. The physical department tank was getting low, too--but I know I can overcome that physical tiredness with enough mental energy.
So, for the first time in over a month, I clicked open my "Uplifting Ladies' Reading" folder. I clicked the following one. It was the one I needed. I love the artwork on this lady's blog. I believe even if I didn't read a word she wrote, and just looked at the pictures, I would be encouraged. (Though the words are important to my "uplifting," too!)
I'll share the link with you, so you can enjoy the artwork. And, if the words encourage you...all the better. :-)
http://www.proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com/
Blessings to you all. And...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Monday, August 04, 2008
Just for the Record
THIS is NOT ME!!!
http://www.wpsdtv.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=06aff896-ca65-4df6-a96f-3b24d61a5107
Indeed, those were my old "stomping grounds," but I promise you...it wasn't ME! :-)
(shudder)
The Ewe
http://www.wpsdtv.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=06aff896-ca65-4df6-a96f-3b24d61a5107
Indeed, those were my old "stomping grounds," but I promise you...it wasn't ME! :-)
(shudder)
The Ewe
Howdy, Y'all!
Hi there, F.O.T.E.'s
Well the RamFam is here in sunny (read, sweltering) AL. We got here last Monday, so today marks the 1 week anniversary of our move. It has not been particularly smooth, but I suppose most moves are that way.
We pick away at the boxes day by day. It seems like they will never end. We are enjoying our house, though. The neighbors are friendly. The subdivision is relatively isolated, so the kids can ride bikes safely. I appreciate that. Ram's drive into work is a *piece of cake* compared to the commute in Kansas City.
Still, we miss our friends and our church in KC. We visited a church yesterday, but it really didn't seem to "fit." We'll try somewhere else next Sunday. Y'all can pray for us about that. A great church family is a *tremendous* blessing.
Must run...the natives are getting restless...time to start unloading another box.
Hey,
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "Could I have some ashes?" --Tater, asking for *cashews* lol
Well the RamFam is here in sunny (read, sweltering) AL. We got here last Monday, so today marks the 1 week anniversary of our move. It has not been particularly smooth, but I suppose most moves are that way.
We pick away at the boxes day by day. It seems like they will never end. We are enjoying our house, though. The neighbors are friendly. The subdivision is relatively isolated, so the kids can ride bikes safely. I appreciate that. Ram's drive into work is a *piece of cake* compared to the commute in Kansas City.
Still, we miss our friends and our church in KC. We visited a church yesterday, but it really didn't seem to "fit." We'll try somewhere else next Sunday. Y'all can pray for us about that. A great church family is a *tremendous* blessing.
Must run...the natives are getting restless...time to start unloading another box.
Hey,
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "Could I have some ashes?" --Tater, asking for *cashews* lol
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Head Spinning Update
Hello, Friends of The Ewe,
No, I haven't acquired a new skill (head spinning), but rather this will be a rapid fire revelation of some rather heavy happenings at The Flock. I will do this in a Star Trek/Captain Kirk style: "Captain's Log, Star Date XYZ, Somewhere in the Galaxy..."
June 1, 2008: The Ewe turned 40. I like to think of this as an Average Age--some days I feel like I'm 30 years old...some days I feel like I'm 50 years old (or older).
June 5, 2008: The Ewe was delighted to discover two pink lines on the little white stick. Yes, the Lord had blessed us again!
June 7, 2008: The Flock left Kansas City for Anapras, Mexico. We were down there helping build homes for families who lived in shacks made of carboard and pallets, built on the city dump. Check out www.casasporcristo.org A fantastic ministry.
June 8, 2008: The Flock arrived in Anapras. Culture shock set in. God worked.
June 9, 2008: The Ewe began cramping. Fear for Baby Hall set in. The decision was made to leave Mexico to go Home, in an attempt to save Baby Hall.
June 10, 2008: The Flock crossed the border back into the United States. The miscarriage began in earnest.
June 11, 2008: Hall Baby was gone. Grief set in.
June 12, 2008: The Flock arrived back in Kansas City. Grief continued. Hall Baby sorely missed.
June 25, 2008: The Ewe, Lovable, Musical, Tater Tot and Lil Miss H left K.C. to do a recon trip of Huntsville, AL. Trip successful. Rental home located and leased. Ram and Lioness flew to TX to attend a Rebelution conference. (I understand it was great!)
June 29, 2008: The Ewe and crew arrived back home in K.C. as did Ram and Lioness
July 1, 2008: Today. I am completely overwhelmed at the thought of leaving Kansas City. We have a Herculean task ahead of us, in getting ready for the movers to come. I feel like life is rushing by at Mach 4 and I'm just not ready for any of it. Would it be wrong of me to just hibernate for a while? :-) (just kidding)
I am actually feeling much better regarding the miscarriage. The first week was truly awful. Wow. Such a dark time. We still miss and grieve for the baby we never got to hold, but the peace has returned. I know The Father loves us. I know He's in control. I know it's all going to work out. Still hurts...
As for leaving K.C...well, I was miserable when we first came here. Since those first months, though, my heart has knitted together with the amazing people at our church, Hope Family Fellowship. www.hopefamilyfellowship.org I cannot think of leaving this church without tearing up. ARGH!!! Still, we feel this move is right. We will be much closer to our elderly family members. We want our children to know them before they go to be with the Lord. I know God has a plan for our Christian fellowship needs in AL. We can trust Him to put us right where He wants us. It's all going to be ok.
I would promise to blog more often. I can't do that...but I will promise to TRY! Sometimes I feel like a one-armed juggler. LOL
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
No, I haven't acquired a new skill (head spinning), but rather this will be a rapid fire revelation of some rather heavy happenings at The Flock. I will do this in a Star Trek/Captain Kirk style: "Captain's Log, Star Date XYZ, Somewhere in the Galaxy..."
June 1, 2008: The Ewe turned 40. I like to think of this as an Average Age--some days I feel like I'm 30 years old...some days I feel like I'm 50 years old (or older).
June 5, 2008: The Ewe was delighted to discover two pink lines on the little white stick. Yes, the Lord had blessed us again!
June 7, 2008: The Flock left Kansas City for Anapras, Mexico. We were down there helping build homes for families who lived in shacks made of carboard and pallets, built on the city dump. Check out www.casasporcristo.org A fantastic ministry.
June 8, 2008: The Flock arrived in Anapras. Culture shock set in. God worked.
June 9, 2008: The Ewe began cramping. Fear for Baby Hall set in. The decision was made to leave Mexico to go Home, in an attempt to save Baby Hall.
June 10, 2008: The Flock crossed the border back into the United States. The miscarriage began in earnest.
June 11, 2008: Hall Baby was gone. Grief set in.
June 12, 2008: The Flock arrived back in Kansas City. Grief continued. Hall Baby sorely missed.
June 25, 2008: The Ewe, Lovable, Musical, Tater Tot and Lil Miss H left K.C. to do a recon trip of Huntsville, AL. Trip successful. Rental home located and leased. Ram and Lioness flew to TX to attend a Rebelution conference. (I understand it was great!)
June 29, 2008: The Ewe and crew arrived back home in K.C. as did Ram and Lioness
July 1, 2008: Today. I am completely overwhelmed at the thought of leaving Kansas City. We have a Herculean task ahead of us, in getting ready for the movers to come. I feel like life is rushing by at Mach 4 and I'm just not ready for any of it. Would it be wrong of me to just hibernate for a while? :-) (just kidding)
I am actually feeling much better regarding the miscarriage. The first week was truly awful. Wow. Such a dark time. We still miss and grieve for the baby we never got to hold, but the peace has returned. I know The Father loves us. I know He's in control. I know it's all going to work out. Still hurts...
As for leaving K.C...well, I was miserable when we first came here. Since those first months, though, my heart has knitted together with the amazing people at our church, Hope Family Fellowship. www.hopefamilyfellowship.org I cannot think of leaving this church without tearing up. ARGH!!! Still, we feel this move is right. We will be much closer to our elderly family members. We want our children to know them before they go to be with the Lord. I know God has a plan for our Christian fellowship needs in AL. We can trust Him to put us right where He wants us. It's all going to be ok.
I would promise to blog more often. I can't do that...but I will promise to TRY! Sometimes I feel like a one-armed juggler. LOL
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Skull Pictures
Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Not a lot going on here. We were bypassed by the severe storms/tornadoes that plagued much of Kansas City a couple nights ago. We did spend the night in the basement and the tornado sirens were blaring, but we were safe. Do pray for those folks all through the midwest who lost their homes this week.
Have you noticed our society's new obsession with skulls? I'm assuming it came from that pirate movie that came out (was it?) last year. Ummm....Pirates of the Caribbean. Anyway, I've noticed that skulls are what "all the cool kids" are wearing lately. Personally, I think it's distasteful. I don't believe we are to glorify death, but to "choose life." Also, I believe we should "respect the dead." After all, that skull used to sit on someone's shoulders, covered in skin and hair. And that someone had a name. And that someone was "created in the image of God."
So, yeah, I pretty much detest the whole "skulls-as-decoration" idea. :-)
That ranted....er...umm...SAID, imagine my horror the other day when Tater came tearing into the house, "Mama, where's my skull picture?" My heart sank. "You've got to be kidding me!" I lamented. All the Happy Meal toys I've thrown away--not wanting to expose the kids to that "culture of death." All the eyes I've covered from media displays of the "culture of death." All the times I've urged the children, "Choose life!" Then, my own son drawing a "skull picture." Sigh...
"Son, what do you mean? Describe your 'skull picture...'"
He started slowly, "Well...it's a snake and I made it with that stuff Lovable has outside..." He pointed to his sister on the back porch, who was molding figures out of clay.
Light bulb moment...extreme relief! "Do you mean *sculpture,* Tater?"
"Yeah, Mama, a *skull picture*! Out of clay!"
I corrected his pronunciation and enjoyed a laugh. I hadn't known that "sculpture" was the abbreviation for "skull picture." Guess you learn something new every day, huh? :-)
Must run. Big Green Van needs a clean-out.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Not a lot going on here. We were bypassed by the severe storms/tornadoes that plagued much of Kansas City a couple nights ago. We did spend the night in the basement and the tornado sirens were blaring, but we were safe. Do pray for those folks all through the midwest who lost their homes this week.
Have you noticed our society's new obsession with skulls? I'm assuming it came from that pirate movie that came out (was it?) last year. Ummm....Pirates of the Caribbean. Anyway, I've noticed that skulls are what "all the cool kids" are wearing lately. Personally, I think it's distasteful. I don't believe we are to glorify death, but to "choose life." Also, I believe we should "respect the dead." After all, that skull used to sit on someone's shoulders, covered in skin and hair. And that someone had a name. And that someone was "created in the image of God."
So, yeah, I pretty much detest the whole "skulls-as-decoration" idea. :-)
That ranted....er...umm...SAID, imagine my horror the other day when Tater came tearing into the house, "Mama, where's my skull picture?" My heart sank. "You've got to be kidding me!" I lamented. All the Happy Meal toys I've thrown away--not wanting to expose the kids to that "culture of death." All the eyes I've covered from media displays of the "culture of death." All the times I've urged the children, "Choose life!" Then, my own son drawing a "skull picture." Sigh...
"Son, what do you mean? Describe your 'skull picture...'"
He started slowly, "Well...it's a snake and I made it with that stuff Lovable has outside..." He pointed to his sister on the back porch, who was molding figures out of clay.
Light bulb moment...extreme relief! "Do you mean *sculpture,* Tater?"
"Yeah, Mama, a *skull picture*! Out of clay!"
I corrected his pronunciation and enjoyed a laugh. I hadn't known that "sculpture" was the abbreviation for "skull picture." Guess you learn something new every day, huh? :-)
Must run. Big Green Van needs a clean-out.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Alive and Kicking
Hello, Friends of The Ewe,
I can hardly believe how long it's been since I blogged. A lot has happened since then!
Let's see...first 2 weeks of March I suffered (and I do mean Suffered!) food poisoning. It took a long while to get over that. ick
Then, I had a case of mastitis--a nursing mama's dread. That took about a week...
We travelled Down South for my dear brother's wedding. That was not quite a week.
We travelled to the Lone Star state for Easter. That was a long weekend (and very, very fun!).
And I started a "Writing Your Life Story" class. This has been super. Check out our teacher's website:
http://www.angelinyourinkwell.com
So, though I haven't been writing on The Ewe's Gnus, I *have* been doing a lot of writing. Carol, our teacher, has developed a system that anyone could use to put to paper their "life story." This was just the direction I needed to start my big project. I'm having a blast.
So, if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm working on "My Book" (LOL--not really, just a manuscript for posterity. ;-)
Must run... the children claim to be hungry. ?? How did that happen? lol
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
P.S. I'm so excited! Our whole family is going to see Voddie Baucham speak tonight. Yay!
I can hardly believe how long it's been since I blogged. A lot has happened since then!
Let's see...first 2 weeks of March I suffered (and I do mean Suffered!) food poisoning. It took a long while to get over that. ick
Then, I had a case of mastitis--a nursing mama's dread. That took about a week...
We travelled Down South for my dear brother's wedding. That was not quite a week.
We travelled to the Lone Star state for Easter. That was a long weekend (and very, very fun!).
And I started a "Writing Your Life Story" class. This has been super. Check out our teacher's website:
http://www.angelinyourinkwell.com
So, though I haven't been writing on The Ewe's Gnus, I *have* been doing a lot of writing. Carol, our teacher, has developed a system that anyone could use to put to paper their "life story." This was just the direction I needed to start my big project. I'm having a blast.
So, if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm working on "My Book" (LOL--not really, just a manuscript for posterity. ;-)
Must run... the children claim to be hungry. ?? How did that happen? lol
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe
P.S. I'm so excited! Our whole family is going to see Voddie Baucham speak tonight. Yay!
Thursday, March 06, 2008
So THAT'S Where the Applesauce Came From!
Hello F.O.T.E.'s,
I'm battling Mt. Washmore today, so I can't hang around to chat ;-) but I thought I'd share a funny from last night.
I was sitting here at the computer and Lil Miss H was behind me, grooming my hair. I didn't know, however, if she was using a brush or comb. So, I asked The Ram, "Is she using a brush or what?" He stated dryly, "Um. Spoon."
LOL
Explains a lot...
Y'all keep your wool...uh...food-free,
The Ewe
I'm battling Mt. Washmore today, so I can't hang around to chat ;-) but I thought I'd share a funny from last night.
I was sitting here at the computer and Lil Miss H was behind me, grooming my hair. I didn't know, however, if she was using a brush or comb. So, I asked The Ram, "Is she using a brush or what?" He stated dryly, "Um. Spoon."
LOL
Explains a lot...
Y'all keep your wool...uh...food-free,
The Ewe
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