Learning In Spite of Labels~ Practical Teaching Tips and a Christian
Perspective of Education by Joyce
Our Father Abraham~ Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith by Marvin R.
Wilson
A Family Guide to Biblical Holidays by Robin Sampson and Linda
Pierce
Good and Angry by Scott Turnasky and Joanne Miller
Having Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver
A Parents Guide to The Spiritual Mentoring of Teens ~Building Your
Childs Faith Through the Adolescent Years by Joe White , Jim Weidmann
Wild Days ( a book about language arts and nature journaling) by
Rackliffe
How to Create Your Own Unit Studies by Valerie Bendt
The Power of Parents words by H. Norman Wright
How to read the Bible for all it's worth by Gordon D Fee and Douglas
Stuart
Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes in You and your
kids by Scott Turnasky and Joanne Miller
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully Grades 4-8 by Ruth
Beechick
A Strong Start in Language
An Easy Start in Arithmetic
A Home Start In Reading by Ruth Beechick
Any Child Can Write by Harvey S. Wiener
" This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look: ask for
the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you
will find rest for your souls."
Jeremiah 6:16
Nov. 20, 2007~ Well now is the time for character building ~
Well, our water system is probably frozen till spring. We think it was b/c of our water filter. We found it would be real good and then all of a sudden it would plug up. And if that happens in the middle of the night then it is long enough to then freeze. So...that is what happened during the cold spell this week. The snow melted before the cold snap and it left the pipes uninsulated by snow.
I am looking at a backpack shower or something in hopes of making showers easier and not relying so much on the generosity of others.
Other than that we are getting buckets of water from family and friends. Last night was quite impressive with washing dishes from 17 party quests at my hubby's birthday party.
We have started trying to lay out a good plan of action to keep us clothed and clean for the winter. I don't know if the water will thaw out before April maybe March. I hope to be maybe posting some of the ways our family saves on using water and try to make it a adventure and game. I pray to make lemon aide out of lemons and not give into the evil one. I need today to sit down and make my "Count My Many blessings List" so I won't fall into the "woe-is-me syndrome". I know God is in Control...He is Faithful ...and with Him ALL things are possible. Amen
Your attitude is a blessing to me. I'm so sorry this is happening. I wish I lived closer. You'd be welcome to do showers and laundry at my house. In fact, if you want to come on down to San Diego....:D
HI Miss Mary,
You are one strong lady!!! Making lemonaide out of sour lemons is a great feat, but I believe in you. I am looking forward to reading your wter saving posts (and praying that your neighbor comes to his senses).
Blessings to you my friend,
Mama Karen
Wow, your approach to this is truly an inspiration and encouragement. I would be running to the nearest hotel or something, and moving until things were 'right'. Pretty sad of me, huh? Anyway, I do pray there is a miracle and the system defrosts soon, not waiting until spring. Or some other type of miracle. If not, I do pray that the Lord gives you some ingenious ways of dealing with this. He is always faithful, and He will show you how to get through all of this, bringing glory to His name the whole time. You are in my prayers. :)
JoAnn
I'm afraid I wouldn't be near as optimistic as you are about the 'water situation'. I would die (okay, not 'really') without water. I love my showers and I do about 2-3 loads of laundry a day. It's amazing what we (I) take for granted. You never know just how much you depend on something until it is taken away. You are one strong woman! I'll be praying that the Lord would give your husband the wisdom to know how to fix the problem. The whole winter would be pretty long to go without water...ugh.
~Sarah~
www.mylifeafterlaundry.blogspot.com
Well, my dear, if you've ever thought about roughing it, now's your time to experience it! LOL!! Doesn't sound fun AT ALL...but, I know years from now you'll look back on it with amazement. Can't wait to hear how creative you get....
Oh Mary,
I'm truly sorry to hear about your water. Wish I lived closer, I would even give you the key to our house to take showers and get water. I gotten you on our prayer list, every morning, noon and night your family will be in our prayers.
Having lived without water - albeit for a much shorter period of time than all winter - I found I really appreciated all that Caroline Ingalls went through.. and imagined myself as her - for a week or so.
Clothes are only dirty if they can stand up by themselves.
A facecloth and some soap in a small bowl of water is as good as a shower.
We have water issues every year. It's never fun.. but it's character building!
We have a big rubbermaid box with 12 gallon milk jugs in it that we go to the water tower in town to get drinking water with. That lasts us just under a week - but we're only using it for drinking and cooking.. the water flowing through out house is not drinkable.
Mary, keep up the hard work of trying to keep a good attitude. It's not always very easy is it? I know because I am trying to understand a circumstance of ours right now and trying not to just want to give up or sink into bad attitudes (woe-is-me and whatever else...). I too know God is in control but sometimes I wonder what the plan is because I just can't see it.
I'm so sorry your water pipes are freezing! I wonder how they handled it 200 yrs ago. I certainly admire you for your attitude. Maybe you can arrange for a truck to fill up a large sterile container of some kind on your property? I know this is a long shot, but if you could just stay in a hotel once a week at the least for long HOT showers... Praying for you!
Mary, I am so, so sorry you are dealing with this. It is so easy to take things like water for granted. You know, its like, its only is a problem if you live in a place like Africa. It's easy to forget that even in countries like the US and Canada, people can go without the basics for various reasons. I think making a things to be thankful about list is a good idea. Maybe we all should do that. (((HUGS)))
That's a lot of lemonade! The season has barely begun. I hope you live close to neighbors. Is there a possibility that it will thaw (a warm spell) before "real" winter sets in? I remember when we first got our place in the Okanogan. It had a well, but no place to store the water. No plumbing. No nothing. It was spring break and it was so cold in the cabin that the dishwashing liquid froze and our breaths were frost--and the kerosene heater was running full speed all night! DH worked for a few days sealing up the end (it's an A-frame), but he was so dirty, he couldn't stand it. I heated a couple of gallons of water very hot; he put it into a 5-gallon plastic container with a spout. Then he rigged some blue tarps around 3 pine trees, nailed a "shelf" above, and took a shower with the 5-gallon "spigot"! It was about 40 degrees outside!
No way was I going to do that! I would rather stay dirty all week and come home to my nice warm shower at the end of the week.
Well....it got so cold that afternoon that we couldn't let the little boys go through another below freezing night (I wore my angora hat), so we abandoned our cabin and spent the night at the local motel in town (30 minutes away). After that, the weather warmed up and DH got the side built and sealed.
But I feel your pain, DSIC (dear sister in Christ), and the thought that you are maybe going to do this all winter and not just for a few adventurous days, makes me shiver inside for you.
May the Lord grant you a miracle and a blessing---in character training and contentment, especially if you have to accept what is happening and there is no solution.
Sorry this is so long....
Oh Mary, I am so very sorry!!! I pray that all that the evil one has turned for "evil and harm" God will surely turn it around for good! We are praying for you all and if we think of anything we will share it!!!
Mary you are such a bright light, such an inspiration and a wonderful example of faith! Keep your chin up! :-)
I'm sorry to see that your water has already frozen. I'm sitting here with it being 65 degrees outside so i can't imagine it being snowy and winter....but we'll be freezing tonight.
I love your optimism. I'm sure it will be hard to keep your chin up long term. Hmmmm....maybe this will prepare one of your boys for mission work on some primitive field. This will definately draw your family closer together.......adventures like this have a way of bonding a family even tighter.
Next summer you can look back and list all the silver linings you will have from this situation.
I lived for 6 weeks w/o water several years back.Sarting sometime in November and ending shortly after the first of the year. Not frozen pipes, just a really old, really rusty wellhead. We already used bottled water to drink and cook with, it was definitely the shower, flushing thing that was hard to live with. We just kept extra gallons around to flush with, spit bathed alot and used a friends place a few times a week....of course, there were just the 3 of us. Hoping you find a way.....
Denise aka The Domestic Angel
First , I am a daughter of the King almighty and a
a wife to my Handsome of 17 years. A mom of 4 on the go boys 15, 13, 9, and 7. I grew up in the states but married my Canadian sweetheart and moved up north.
We live in the southern part of British Columbia , Canada on our homestead. We have homeschooled our four boys from birth and plan to go the distance till all four graduate from our homeschool. I teach with a Charlotte Mason style and use the Heart of Wisdom Approach. I love to craft! I am a beader, knitter, x-stitcher, quilter. We have been on a journey of being apart of building "The House that God Built". I have been recording our journey on my blog. Go to my links and you will find it. I know God has a lot more instore for us and we just need to follow where our Lord takes us.
Other than that we are getting buckets of water from family and friends. Last night was quite impressive with washing dishes from 17 party quests at my hubby's birthday party.
First , I am a daughter of the King almighty and a
a wife to my Handsome of 17 years. A mom of 4 on the go boys 15, 13, 9, and 7. I grew up in the states but married my Canadian sweetheart and moved up north.
We live in the southern part of British Columbia , Canada on our homestead. We have homeschooled our four boys from birth and plan to go the distance till all four graduate from our homeschool. I teach with a Charlotte Mason style and use the Heart of Wisdom Approach. I love to craft! I am a beader, knitter, x-stitcher, quilter. We have been on a journey of being apart of building "The House that God Built". I have been recording our journey on my blog. Go to my links and you will find it. I know God has a lot more instore for us and we just need to follow where our Lord takes us.
