Tuesday, May 11, 2010

A Mighty Fortress

It's fort building week here. Half of the schoolroom is covered in couch cushions, blankets, and pillows, and a remodeling is currently taking place. A fort has generally been thought to be a place of refuge or safety...or if you are a 6 year old, it can become a place to hide all of your favorite things to protect them from siblings. I could hardly think about a fort without thinking of this hymn:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.

fortress: any place of exceptional security; stronghold
bulwark: any person or thing giving strong support or encouragement in time of need, danger, or doubt

It's an amazing image really...a mighty God who wants to shelter us as a hen gathereth her chicks under her wings...and never fails!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Coming up for air

Highlights of the past two weeks:

12 pepper plants growing
11 piles of paper
10 books a reading
9 loads of laundry
8 minutes of sanity
7 ballet lessons
6 bills awaiting
Walked a 5K
4 rehearsals
3 concerts
2 many things
and a family to love and enjoy.

So many blessing through all these different things. Thank you, Lord!

Praying for you KayPea! Hope you're feeling better!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Light

Since that last post was so deep, I'll leave you with these lighter thoughts.

We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own. ~Ben Sweetland

Moonlight is sculpture. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. ~Anthony J. D'Angelo

A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home. ~Author Unknown

Firelight will not let you read fine stories but it's warm and you won't see the dust on the floor. ~Irish Proverb

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark. ~Rabindranath Tagore

Friday Rhyming Blues

Here I sit.
Here I Stare.
Shall I flit?
Add some flair?
How 'bout wit?
Who, What, Where?
Shall I quit?
Do I dare?

Sit, flit, wit, quit.
Stare, flair, Where, dare.

Bit, knit, chit.
Bare, mare, hair.

Git, kit.
Chair, lair.

It.
Care.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Gardening 101

Spring is here, and with that comes another year of attempting to grow food for ourselves. We've gotten pretty good at feeding the local four-footed population which includes squirrels, possums, raccoons, rabbits, and probably some deer. I think they probably put a radar out announcing that we're trying it again. Somehow they managed to stay away from our tomatoes, broccoli, and asparagus last year, but they trampled the pitiful row of corn we planted.

Miss Daisy has taken over the garden plans this year. She's color-coded an entire plan on graph paper, the ground has been tilled, seeds bought, some planted indoors, and some planted outdoors. It's a small little plot, so we are trying a mix of wide rows, climbing things, square foot gardening, and (hopefully) a raised strawberry bed.

We still have other gardeny chores that need attending like cutting out the small maple tree that "we can get rid of later." It's providing a bit too much shade ten years later. *smile* Let's see...set up the poles for the pole beans, build a trellis for the climbing cucumbers, build the raised bed. Mr. Tech has decided he will write a follow up to the Joy of Gardening. Perhaps you can imagine the title.

So why perservere? We happen to think gardening skills are rather important to learn. You just never know when we all might be hunters and gatherers again, although we have no desire to pick up the hunting skills at this point in time. Even our fishing pole (note the singular) is in questionable condition. Perhaps we can work on that this summer, too. Or perhaps we can trade for our fabulous vegetables. Perhaps this year we won't have any baby squirrels trapped in the netting over the tomatoes (with an imaginary caption that said "Busted."). I suppose we should have had squirrel stew, but we freed him instead.

Until next time...

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Chaos Leads Us To Toiling, Escaping Rest

Three Rules of Work:
Out of clutter find simplicity;
From discord find harmony;
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

-Albert Einstein

Are you having trouble finding that place of quiet rest? I recently read a book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss by that title, and was enlightened by her scriptural insights and how important it is to have that daily devotions.

Do you ever find your mind wandering to other things though and can't seem to focus on what is most important? I do. Too many times. Where does your mind wander? For me, it is often to incompleted tasks, things to do, places to go, and could I have done that better or made a better decision?

I have found that clutter robs us of joy and rest. I still fight this almost daily, and decided to bring in some more help in the form of Emilie Barnes. She has many books on the topic of decluttering your Home and your Life. I found several at the library (and don't everyone go out and request them right away, because I might need to renew them. haha). I'm finding many little treasures in her little book entitled, "101 Ways to Clean Out the Clutter," and I will follow it with "The Quick-Fix Home Organizer: Making Your Home Beautiful and Your Life Clutter Free." Sounds peaceful doesn't it?

Imagine a time when you have simplified your life and your belongings so much that you don't feel guilty (or maybe I'm the only one) cozying up in a chair with your Bible, devotional, or just resting and praying. Oh, I have a long way to go, but don't you think it would be worth it?

So far I have a box ready for City Missions, I've sent a few inches of paper and magazines to the trash or recycling, I have another bagful of linens I'm no longer using ready for the Handmaidens garage sale, and I have a milk crate half full of homeschooling items to take and share with some moms at church.

What are you doing to declutter your life and home?

Monday, March 15, 2010

Just a normal day?

Within the span of an hour tonight, several things have occurred...most of them fairly normal.

Mr. Al: Can I go chop some wood?
ME: Sure. (trying not to sound too amazed)

Miss Rose (to Miss Daisy): Are you mad ALL day?
Miss D: NO. (hmmm...)

Miss Rose proceeds to sharpen her pencils and spill the sharpener on the floor which then requires the small dust pan and broom.



ME (to Miss D): Why don't you put on some Casting Crowns? (hoping to lighten her mood)
Miss D: (in a challenging voice) The one you don't like because it's so rocky?
ME: I don't care.
Miss D: Even if I put it on repeat?
ME: I don't care.
Miss D then puts on the original, starts making up dances, then eventually grabs the guitar and plays along to a couple she knows. I continue making a tossed salad in the kitchen. Moods are lightened as praises are lifted to God...the days worries are washed away.