Outside my window...grey & over-cast. A cold front moving in after our 2nd Indian Summer. But that's OK...it's fall, after all. :-)
I am thinking...that I need to get ready to leave. My DD#2 & I are going to lunch w/my mom.
I am thankful for...still having a warm house, cars & not missing a meal during my DH's layoff.
From the kitchen...lunch out w/my mom this afternoon; possibly pasta & sauce for supper.
I am wearing...jeans, & a red, pink & white shirt.
I am reading...sermon notes.
I am hoping...things will go well w/my mom while we're out. She's not a happy woman & it can wear on us.
I am creating...a peaceful home.
I am hearing...radio, DD#2 in the shower, a neighbor's leave blower.
Around the house...laundry, dusting, running sweeper, dust-mopping kitchen & bathrooms.
One of my favorite things...a hot mug of Hazelnut or Vanilla Biscotti coffee on a cold, dark morning.
A few plans for the rest of the week...household chores, taking DD#2 to/from work, praying for miracles.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
This is the Collins Schoolhouse in 1854. This was a working schoolhouse until the 1940's. The family who now owns it has hired 2-3 retired teachers who now 'teach school' for school & homeschool field trips; an entire day just like in the 1800's. When our girls were little you homeschool group went there - it was great - the kids dressed up, took lunches in a pail or basket, they drank from the well, played old-fashioned games, the school was heated by the Franklin stove, they worked from McGuffey Readers on their slates, make bookmarks. This was also a year when we were working through "The Priarie Primer" unit study, so it was awesome!
Over the weekend I worked on some articles to do with Hospitality
My weekly, Live life with your Kids! newsletter. It is free to subscribe and then you can dig around in the archives. (This week's was titled "Show Hospitality")
Character Notes on Hospitality - these are just a collection of thoughts that I will be discussing with my kids over the next month.
Using wooly worms (Pyrrharctia isabella) to predict winter is old American folklore that traces its history back to early Americana. Supposedly, Native Americans taught the pioneers to read wooly worms to predict winter weather. Wooly worm is the common name for the larval stage of the Isabella Tiger Moth. They are also called wooly bears.
Step 1 Look for wooly worms under rocks and inside hollow logs. Step 2
Examine the wooly worm, paying attention to its bands of colors. The wooly worm will curl into a ball when touched or threatened. When they crawl, they can crawl very quickly! Step 3 Wooly worm forecasters say that the size of the brown band of color will tell you what kind of winter is coming. Legend says that the thinner the brownish red bands, the harsher the winter will be. If the wooly worm is mostly brownish red in the middle, winter will be mild. Step 4 Wooly worm enthusiasts claim an 85 percent success rate over the last few decades. Scientists tend to disagree and say wooly worm weather prediction is as unscientific as using groundhogs to predict winter weather. The groundhogs likely side with the wooly worms. Step 5
Whether or not you believe in the power of wooly worms, they can be a fun project for children and adults.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a colder-than-normal winter. One contributing factor is sunspots—or the lack of them!
This year and next, sunspot activity will be very, very light. Whenever this phenomenon has occurred in the past, the result has been a cooling influence on Earth. Solar experts believe that the Sun will remain calm for another year. See sunspot activity for 2009.
Robert B. Thomas, who founded this Almanac in 1792, believed that weather on Earth was influenced by sunspots and solar radiation. Sunspots are magnetic storms on the surface of the Sun. Click here to read “What Are Sunspots?”
To this day, the Almanac uses three disciplines to predict the weather: meteorology, climatology, and solar activity. (See How We Predict the Weather.)
There are two incidents that have happened around here in the last week or so that I just shake my head over – it doesn’t happen every day – thankfully!Let me tell…
The other day Pete had an early start to his day.He was filling up with fuel at the 24hour BP at 3.00am.As he was at the bowsers he felt the car drop down – he just thought the car was adjusting to the weight of the fuel but then the car started up and started to drive away on him.He looked up and there was someone in his car – driving it away. Someone was stealing his car – and he was standing right there!!He had the presence of mind to pull out the fuel hose, jump in the back seat and whack the gear stick into Park.The car stopped.He realised the woman in the car was so ‘out of it’ drunk that he got out of the back and walked around to help her get out of the car.She was very drunk, very distraught and had no idea!!Obviously she was still able to steal a car though.
I am personally very impressed with Peter's presence of mind. I would have had no idea what to do.
Second thing happening in our life is that we have acquired a Bull – he’s not a pet bull, he isn’t even really our bull but he seems to like us.Next to our farm there is a scrub block and it appears as if this bull has lived there quite happily for some time.But he has since found our place and seems to like the company.He has been right upto the house yard fence, grazes down near the chook shed, and today has been enjoying the shade of the mango trees.We would like him to be gone!He is very big.
Bull near our house yard fence
Bull grazing on old bale of hay down near chook shed and veggie garden
I have been thinking a lot about contentment lately. I have some friends who are going through some extremely hard times. They are people that I love and admire. And honestly, sometimes I thought they were “more blessed” than me. (Do you ever think that?)
On the outside, they seemed to “have it all”, great careers making good money, nice homes and cars, loving families, lots of friends, health, etc...
But now, they are going through some things that put all of that in perspective and made me realize I need to rethink some things.
I realize that many times I've looked at God blessing me by what He gives me. Now I know that often He is also blessing me with what He doesn't give me – the things He has protected me from.
Does that make any sense?
It's not that the money or success that they've experienced are solely to blame for what they're going through. That's actually far from it. But those good things are what I could see and admire. I didn't see all of the things that they were privately battling (or would someday be battling).
Shame on me for thinking that somehow God loved them more because He was blessing them with certain things. Sure we struggle, but my family is extremely blessed. We love each other like crazy, we've got a comfy home with plenty of land to enjoy, and we get to spend lots and lots of time together. I have GOT to quit taking that for granted.
All families have their struggles. Some will struggle with finances. Some struggle with family tensions. Some struggle with marital issues. Others struggle with health or loss. Those things just come from living in this sinful fallen world where accidents, confusion, selfishness, envy, and disease run rampant.
We can't control all of the things that come into our lives, but those things don't have to consume us. We must walk by faith and not by sight, all the while trusting in God and knowing that He has our best interests at heart. We have to quit looking at others and wondering why things seem so hard for us, but so easy for them. Our lives were not created for our comfort. God chooses whether we need the sweet or the bitter. We were created to glorify Him and He gets to decide how – whether it is through success or trials, health or illness, joy or sorrow. Sometimes being content means letting go of our plans and desires.
We need to quit keeping score. Being content is a choice. One day I met a woman who was going through a horrible time, the worst time of her life. Yet she really didn't have any sympathy for others. She was certain that everyone else had things so much better than she did. She didn't know that many of our friends were facing extremely trying times themselves. Because even as those women were struggling, they were trying to be content, to count their blessings, and to look at how they could bless others.
It doesn't take a perfect life to glorify God, He uses struggling imperfect people every day.
And even IN our struggles, God is there, which is truly the greatest blessing! Remember the story in Matthew 14: 22-33 about the disciples being out in the boat on stormy waters? Even when Peter began to sink because he was scared by the storm, Jesus reached out to grab him and saved them all. We have to remember that He will reach out and grab us when we are scared and sinking too.
That's where my hope is. That's what keeps me content.
“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”
Here is a family favorite I thought I would share w/you. Our family has had the pleasure of going to Holmes County, Ohio ~ the largest Amish settlement in the world ~ a few times. Once my dh and I enjoyed the most wonderful long weekend at an Bed & Breakfast there. The husband had grown up Amish but left them to marry. Their B&B was built by his Amish family members and looks just like an incredible Amish home. The difference being that the whole 1st floor is made up of lovely, themed guest rooms (we stayed in Grandpa's Room) w/a good 1/3 of the 1st floor being a HUGE country kitchen and a wonderful country gathering room w/several tables and chairs (for those incredible breakfasts and freshly made pie in the evening!) and a relaxing living-area w/a fireplace, piano and comfy couch and chairs. There is also a wrap-around porch. The family that funs the B&B has the entire upstairs as their own "house." That, of course, is a private area. It's been a while since we've been there, if you're interested, I believe it's called Miller Haus. It sets on the highest knoll of Holmes County.
Anyway...one of our incredible breakfasts while there was Amish French Toast! I have made this from-time-to-time ever since! If you try this, you will be in food heaven! Let me know how you LOVE it!
Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><
Amish French Toast
eggs
milk
butter
bread
syrup
powdered sugar
~Mix w/fork 2 eggs and enough milk to cover (this you will do as necessary for each slice of bread)
~Melt butter into med/hot skillet (do this for each serving.IF you MUST use margarine, use one that is non-hydrogenated like Earth Balance – I have to do this for one of my girls)
~Crack egg into skillet
~IMMEDIATELY soak a slice of bread in the egg/milk mixture and lay on top of the egg in the skillet; fry for about a minute or so until bottom egg is cooked through.
~Flip egg and bread – together – and let bread toast on other side.
~You MAY need to flip over on each side again until egg is fried to your satisfaction.
~Move egg/toast to a plate and top w/syrup and powdered sugar.
One more reason to vote "NO!!" on Ohio Issue #2: this gov't over-sight will be an Ohio CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT!!Not just an ordinance or run by a board of lawyers telling farmers what they can/can't do in Columbus...but an Amendment!
And we're off to Russia for a week or so. We're reading chapters 17 and 26 in Story of the World, Vol 3; learning about Peter the Great and Catherine the Great.
Some DDS numbers for Russian books:
JF Meyer
E Robbins
E Metaxes
E Tolstoy
J 398.2 SIL
J 947 CAT
J 947.31
J 394.26
J 914.7
947 M
Diane Stanley - Peter the Great
movies: PBS Catherine the Great, A&E Peter the Great Biography, and Peter and the Wolf movie (after listening to it).......and since it's so close to Christmas, Nutcracker ballet and other Russian ballets from Netflix
Come with me as I find my way in the world of homeschooling and raising young children for the Kingdom of God. I will share my heartfelt prayers and inspirational images for your journey. May this blog, as all that I do, be for the glory of God alone. Soli Deo Gloria!
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The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a colder-than-normal winter. One contributing factor is sunspots—or the lack of them! 
Robert B. Thomas, who founded this Almanac in 1792, believed that weather on Earth was influenced by sunspots and solar radiation. Sunspots are magnetic storms on the surface of the Sun. 
To this day, the Almanac uses three disciplines to predict the weather: meteorology, climatology, and solar activity. (
Bull near backyard play area
It's been a while since we've been there, if you're interested, I believe it's called Miller Haus. It sets on the highest knoll of Holmes County.
Let me know how you LOVE it! 
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