My grandchildren brought home the following Winter Safety Tips in their school newsletter. While these tips are geared toward children’s safety, they are also excellent advice for adults, too!
Whether winter brings severe storms, light dustings, or just cold temperatures, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has some valuable tips on how to keep your children safe and warm.
What to Wear
·Dress infants and children warmly for outdoor activities. Several thin layers will keep them dry and warm. Clothing for children should consist of thermal long johns, turtlenecks, one or two shirts, pants, sweater, coat, warm socks, boots, gloves or mittens, and a hat.
·The rule of thumb for older babies and young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions.
·Blankets, quilts, pillows, sheepskins, and other loose bedding may contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and should be kept out of an infant’s sleeping environment. Sleep clothing like one-piece sleepers is preferred.
·If a blanket must be used to keep a sleeping infant warm, it should be tucked in around the crib mattress, reaching only as far as your baby’s chest, so the infant’s face is less likely to become covered by bedding.
Hypothermia
·Hypothermia develops when a child’s temperature falls below normal due to exposure to cold. It often happens when a youngster is playing outdoors in extremely cold weather without wearing proper clothing.
·As hypothermia sets in, the child may shiver and become lethargic and clumsy. His speech may become slurred and his body temperature will decline.
·If you suspect your child is hypothermic, call 911 at once. Until help arrives, take the child indoors, remove any wet clothing, and wrap him in blankets or warm clothes.
Frostbite
·Frostbite happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen. This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose. They may become pale, gray, and blistered. At the same time, the child may complain that her skin burns or has become numb.
·If frostbite occurs, bring the child indoors and place the frostbitten parts of her body in warm (not hot) water. 104° F. (about the temperature of most hot tubs) is recommended. Warm washcloths may be applied to frostbitten nose, ears, and lips.
·Do not rub the frozen areas.
·After a few minutes, dry and cover him with clothing or blankets. Give him something warm to drink.
·If the numbness continues for more than a few minutes, call your doctor.
Winter Health
·If your child suffers from winter nosebleeds, try using a cold air humidifier in the child’s room at night. Saline nose drops may help keep tissues moist. If bleeding is severe or recurrent, consult your pediatrician.
·Many pediatricians feel that bathing two or three times a week is enough for an infant’s first year. More frequent baths may dry out the skin, especially during the winter.
·Cold weather does not cause colds or flu. But the viruses that cause colds and flu tend to be more common in the winter, when children are in school and are in closer contact with each other. Frequent hand washing and teaching your child to sneeze or cough into the bend of her elbow may help reduce the spread of colds and flu.
Winter Sports and Activities
Set reasonable time limits on outdoor play to prevent frostbite. Have children some inside periodically to warm up.
Ice Skating
·Allow children to skate only on approved surfaces. Check for signs posted by local police or recreation departments, or call your local police department to find out which areas have been approved.
·Advise your child to skate in the same direction as the crowd; avoid darting across the ice; never skate alone; do not chew gum or eat candy while skating.
·Consider having your child wear a helmet while skating.
Sledding
·Keep sledders away from motor vehicles.
·Children should be supervised while sledding.
·Keep young children separated from older children.
·Sledding feet first or sitting up, instead of lying down head-first, may prevent head injuries.
·Consider having your child wear a helmet while sledding.
·Use steerable sleds, not snow disks or inner tubes.
·Sleds should be structurally sound and free of sharp edges and splinters, and the steering mechanism should be well lubricated.
·Sled slopes should be free of obstructions like trees or fences, be covered in snow (not ice), not be too steep (slope of less than 30°), and end with a flat runoff.
·Avoid sledding in crowded areas.
Snow Skiing and Snowboarding
·Children should be taught to ski or snowboard by a qualified instructor in a program designed for children.
·Never ski or snowboard alone.
·Young children should always be supervised by an adult. Older children’s need for adult supervision depends on their maturity and skill. If older children are not with an adult, they should always at least be accompanied by a friend.
·The AAP recommends that children under age 7 not snowboard.
·Consider wearing a helmet.
·Equipment should fit the child. Skiers should wear safety bindings that are adjusted at least every year. Snowboarders should wear gloves with built-in wrist guards.
·Slopes should fit the ability and experience of the skier or snowboarder. Avoid crowded slopes.
·Avoid skiing in areas with trees and other obstacles.
Sun Protection
The sun’s rays can still cause sunburn in the winter, especially when they reflect off snow. Make sure to cover your child’s exposed skin with sunscreen.
Fire Protection
Winter is a time when household fires occur. It is a good time to remember to:
·Buy and install smoke alarms on every floor of your home (Personal note: also Carbon Monoxide Detectors).
It's hard to believe that we are once again nearing Thanksgiving Day. Wow! It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that I was preparing last year's dinner! I must say, time does seem to find a way of getting away from me at times. I only tend to realize that when I come up for air and notice the date on the calendar, though. Whew!
Of course, the snow that's been flying and the frigid temperatures gave me a clue, too, that we are heading out of Autumn and getting ready for Winter. Brrr! Deer hunting season (with firearms) begins next Monday here in West Virginia, and I know the hunters are glad to see some of the snow. Problem is, in the mountains where most of the major hunting goes on, they've seen well over a foot of snow already and more coming down! Not good for deer hunting from what I hear! To my understanding, the hunters prefer a light coating of snow to make it easier to track their dinner and then drag it out afterwards. Oh, well, best of luck to them! This is a big season here in the state--millions of dollars pour in from hunters around the country. They just seem to like our deer and our mountains. Of course, Snowshoe Ski Resort is opening (its either today or next Friday--I forget which one now), and they've had a wonderful natural snow pack falling. Added to it is their manmade snow and the slopes are more than ready!
I'm out of school for the next week and will be spending time preparing my home for guests, and doing the prep work for our big meal. I've done this for so many years its become quite easy to me. I don't have to think about it anymore--I just do it. However, I'm teaching my grandchildren about it, so thought I'd share a bit with you here. (I'm also working on the Nuggets of Wisdom Newsletter! Hopefully it will be out in the next few days!)
I remember well the first year I was married to the father of my children. We were married on November 10, and Thanksgiving Dinner was in our home just a couple of weeks later! His sister and her family came, and I know I was in a panic! You see, I'd spent my whole life around wonderful cooks who always prepared the meals for each holiday. My precious Mama had restaurants down around Beckley when her natural children were small, and they all grew up in her kitchens. By the time I was adopted, they took care of everything major like holiday meals. However, I am a master of observation, and much of my learning came through that means.
That first holiday meal was somewhat simplified, compared to what I fix now, but it was quite good. I already knew how to prepare the stuffing (that was always my "job"--helping Mama make the stuffing each year), mashed potatoes, the veggies, the gravy, and the pies. Our dinner rolls that year were store-bought (yikes!), but they were quite good (if I remember correctly, they came from Publix's Danish Bakery which is known for its wonderful breads!). However, that blasted turkey threw me! I read the directions, and yes, was a bit stumped when it said to clean the bird. Well, like any good daughter, I called my Mama! She came right over early that day and showed me how to wash out and clean the bird, stuff it, butter it down, and roast it. It turned out excellently and I still prepare it the same way today!
Except for my new sister-in-law telling me that I should use white pepper instead of black pepper in my mashed potatoes (yes, I still use black pepper--I don't care for white pepper!), the meal went off without a hitch. However, after eating, things were quite a bit different from what I was used to.
As I said earlier, I have a very large family. My precious Mama had 8 natural children and then adopted me later in her life. Her children were nearly all grown and out on their own by the time I came along (except for my special sister who was still at home and in high school), so holiday dinners were always large. Everyone pitched in and cooked, and afterward, plates were scraped, stacked, and washed while others put the food away. By the time the dishes were washed, the food was divided up and ready to go home with everyone, and then we all pitched in to dry and put away the dishes. The floors were swept and the kitchen was tidy once again.
Not so after that first "guest dinner" in my new home! Noooo--after eating, everyone headed to the living room and left me alone to clean up. Oh, my! Well, I once again felt overwhelmed, but managed to get through it and go to bed that night with a spotless kitchen.
How I wish I'd had that article back then! It really is quite good, and I plan to print it off and put it in my homemaking binder. I'll simplify it a bit to use while teaching my grandchildren this year, but keep in mind that they're 6 and 8 years old! Old enough to learn, but young enough for simpler instructions.
I do hope this article helps you, especially if you're a new homemaker facing your first big holiday meal. It really isn't hard--just take the time to plan your work and then work your plan. I'll be writing a few more entries here over the next couple of days about surviving a big holiday meal when its in your home, and I pray they help you this year!
In the meantime, have a lovely weekend, and don't stress yourself out. Just remember...plan your work and then work your plan. Simple!
You know, several months ago, I began The Great Paper Purge, and I did purge and organize quite a bit of paper here in my home. But sometimes, and this is one of those times, I think the paper is *multiplying* on me! How is that possible?
File folders that were organized, labelled, and filed away, all of a sudden seem to be bulging and about to break apart due to the amount of paper in them. More paper than I can imagine seems to be coming through the door and not finding it's proper place in my home. And yet, I keep filing, keep purging, keep sorting, and keep organizing! How does this all happen?
You know, I was of the thought pattern that when I began using my computer more and more, the paper shuffle would slow down. I mean, it's all on my hard drive (well, most of it), so why would I still have so much paper? Not just the mail, not just school papers, but little notes to myself all over the place still seem to be here. Devotions I've been working on are still here and there. Okay, I admit, when I write I tend to print it out to edit it still - it's just the way I work best - having a *hard copy* in my hands. But then instead of doing my editing and correcting, do I shred it and throw it away. NO! I file it away in a notebook and when that one is full, I start another notebook.
So....what do I need to do now? Well, the answer would seem to be easy. Purge some more! But you know, to do this, I'm going to have to get ruthless. Ruthless not only with the paper, but with myself. Ouch! So....once again I will be continuing on with The Great Paper Purge. Ruthlessly. Oh, boy!
Well, it's been a long and busy week here in my home. With the daycare closing last week, I had planned to have a yard sale tomorrow and sell most of the toys here. However, Hurricane (or is it a tropical storm now?) Ernesto has decided to come up the East coast of the US, and dump quite a bit of rain on West Virginia. Of course, at the same time, there is a storm system coming from the west with the same idea in mind. We have a lot of flooding in the area, and more rain expected through tomorrow. Soooo....the yard sale is put on hold, otherwise it would be a *lake sale* and folks would have to come in rowboats to shop! LOL Seriously, my front yard is very muddy, although not flooded, but thoroughly saturated. The tomatoes out back are happy though!
In my quest for searching out all the toys in my home, my son and I chose to rearrange a bit. My bedroom is now my Sewing Room & Office (you should have seen him carrying my computer desk upstairs!), the sewing room is now my Bedroom, and the storage room is now a Playroom for my grandchildren and a Reading room for me when they aren't here. I've washed walls, purged *stuff* (junk is an apt description right about now), and shampooed carpet. After my son was hanging out the upstairs window washing it, I decided the rest of the windows upstairs didn't need washed right now. They can wait until I have a nice, sturdy ladder to reach them with (read: scared Mom watching son doing dangerous feat!).
Now, the Great Paper Purge was not completed when expected, and now the yard sale is not happening when expected. This just goes to show that it's God's timing I need to worry about - not my own! Instead of both of those happening in *my* timing, it's going according to *God's* timing, and much more is being accomplished, and it's all being accomplished much more thoroughly and in much better order. Works for me!
At the rate we're going here, I should be able to have the yard sale in a couple of weeks. And that's okay. Because then everything will be thoroughly organized, the Great Paper Purge will be completed, and I won't be all stressed out trying to burn the candle at both ends. I've done that long enough. It's time to just slow down a bit, and focus more on quality than quantity. This is what I've always done with my writing and sewing, and now is what I will be doing with everything else, as well.
Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ~Hebrews 13:1-2
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. ~Matthew 25:34-36
Hospitality. The word alone conjures up fear in many, for lack of understanding. Hospitality is relatively quite simple, for the diligent homemaker. There is no *great secret* to being a good hostess or hospitable servant of the Lord! It's being a *Martha* beforehand, and a *Mary* once your guests arrive! In other words, prepare as much as possible and stay prepared, and then once your guests are there, you have only to take care of last-minute details.
Sounds simple, right? Sure! However, there is more to it than many realize (although it really is simple!). Here are some tips:
~Keep your home maintained and in a proper state of order. Take care of heavy cleaning chores on a regular basis (Spring & Fall Cleaning), keep your dishes washed, your floors vacuumed, swept, or mopped, your bathroom clean, and your bed made. Dust your furniture every week (twice a week if you live in an area with high dust, such as on a country road, in the downtown area of a city, or keep your windows open a large majority of the time), and keep a pleasant scent to your home (use aromatic candles, potpourri strategically placed, air fresheners, or even a pot of herbs or spices simmering on the stove).
~Every month bake up some goodies and put in the freezer, ready to pull out and thaw quickly in the microwave for surprise guests. A lovely cup of tea or coffee with something homemade is a wonderful treat to enjoy while visiting!
~Keep Welcome Baskets made and in the closet for overnight guests. These can include packs of snack crackers, bottles of water, travel size bottles of lotion, soap, shampoo, deodorant, mouthwash, toothpaste, extra toothbrush, comb, etc. If possible, include a recent magazine (men's and ladies'), a Bible, and perhaps a book of God's Promises (filled with scriptures of encouragement). A notepad and pen is nice, as well as some local postcards or other stationary. A little card personally from you welcoming them to your home is a nice touch, and will make your guest(s) feel appreciated.
~Make sure to have plenty of clean linens available, and have fresh sheets, pillows, and quilt/comforter/spread on their bed. An extra blanket folded up on a chest at the foot of the bed, or even draped over the end of the bed will be nice and cozy.
~If possible, keep extra new t-shirts, nightgowns, and robes in the guest room closet in a couple of sizes (small and larger) to accomodate the guests who may have forgotten theirs. It's a nice, thoughtful gesture.
~If you know you have guests coming, plan the menus ahead of time (don't forget to take into consideration any dietary restriction!), and do your shopping a day or two in advance. This will eliminate last-minute trips to the store for forgotten items while your guests are visiting, and will allow more time for you to spend sharing their company.
~If your guests have children, please have age-appropriate toys for them to play with! Perhaps if you have none now, you can arrange to borrow some while your guests are visiting. Most mothers don't mind loaning out a few toys! For safety measures, wash the toys before and after with a solution of 1 gallon of water to which a tablespoon of bleach has been added (for washable items), and allow them to air-dry. This will eliminate the exchange of unpleasant germs. Be sure to return any borrowed toys in good condition.
Probably the most important part of good hospitality is to enjoy yourself and your guests! A pleasant smile, happy personality, and gentle spirit will do more to make your guests comfortable than anything else.
You may have unexpected guests arrive at some point. Don't panic! If you have kept your home in the best manner possible, and do your best to make your guest feel welcome, that's all that matters. They have come to see YOU, not your home! Take a break, sit on the porch or at the kitchen table, and enjoy a lovely glass of sweet tea, a pot of hot tea or coffee, and talk about the blessings of the Lord. God has given you a gift in your unexpected visitor, but it is up to you how you welcome him/her. If you allow yourself to become all flustered and nervous about entertaining, it will come across to your guest and make them feel they are intruding. But if you are willing to sit back and relax and pass the time of day with them, they will enjoy their time with you and want to return again.
The days of visits on the front porch seem to be passing for some reason (like so many other wonderful times of enjoyment, such as the drive-in theater!), but this is one area that we have some control over. If your neighbors aren't the type to visit on the porch, invite some other friends over for an evening of relaxation. Have a cook-out. Have a Tea Party. Spend time with God's people, and you will be refreshed, renewed, and rejuvenated!
Oh my, I just realized I haven't posted for several days! Please forgive me! I'm sitting here trying to figure out just where this week has gone, and I realize it's just been extremely busy here in my home! Funny how one doesn't realize just how busy one is until you sit and think about it for a moment (or actually see the date of your last post and then reality comes and reminds you!).
I kept precious Andrew part of this week, my son has been here every day (he's having problems with the tooth extractions they did last week - the surgeon didn't put in enough stitches and now his jaw bone is exposed on both sides and he is having to go in every day to have it packed), I spent yesterday morning doing up the laundry, and then working around my home in the afternoon....and on and on. You know how it goes!
I am decluttering here - or "weeding through" as my dear Mama would have called it - ever so many papers and just *stuff*! I never cease to be amazed at how much *stuff* one woman can accumulate! My goodness! And the papers! Praise God! There is the equivalent of a forest of trees here in my home! Where does it all come from?
Well, as far as the papers go, I have paperwork from my daycare for the last 10 years (which is being purged and shredded as none of it is no longer needed - we're only required to keep paperwork for the last 2 yrs.), and while I've been saving paperwork from that, I've also got bills from that long ago I never tossed out. Now why I think I would need a receipt for furniture polish purchased in 1997 I don't know! LOL *Pack rat* is the term that comes to mind! Yikes!
Now, mind you, much of this paper has been in filing cabinets and out of sight, but much of it is literally piled up on my desk, on top of the filing cabinets, on shelves, etc. You see, the filing cabinets were full, and rather than buy another, I've just kind of shifted this stuff around here and there. I know, that doesn't sound very organized or efficient, does it? Nevertheless, it's a true confession of mine. You see, some folks hate to wash dishes (including me, but I do them anyhow), some hate to make the bed or iron, and the list goes on. Well, so often what we *hate* to do just gets put at the bottom of our To-Do List and manages to be avoided. However....the time comes when one must grit her teeth and just go ahead and do it! So.....
I am going room by room, purging and discarding. Carrying boxes of *stuff* to the garbage, putting some aside for a yard sale (next month hopefully), giving some away, and taking every piece of paper and putting it on the cutting table in my sewing room. Yes, I cannot use my cutting table. But, you see, there's method to my madness! I love~ and I do mean Love!~to sew. That's my weakness, and that's also one thing that I have *used* to keep me from doing what I'm now doing. You know, if you're *busy* sewing, you don't have time to do the icky stuff! So....all the papers are being set on the cutting table, and until each one and been gone over and properly disposed of (properly filed or shredded and discarded), there will be NO SEWING!!! Oh my, it hurts just to write that! However, that is my incentive - finish the Paper Purge and then I can go back to sewing once again.
Yes, this is painful to me, and that's fine. Sometimes we have to go through a bit of pain in order to properly motivate ourselves to get something done that is desperately needed. The Incentive and Reward Method works so good with children, but it also works well with adults! I'm shamed to say that I haven't been self-disciplined enough to do this purging of paper by any other method, but it seems to be coming along now. I don't expect to have it done in just a day or two~ after all, it's taken 10 years to accumulate it all! But while I'm weeding through, the papers will be tidily tucked away out of sight and reach of the precious children I take care of, and also out of sight of visitors. The sewing room is my *inner sanctum* and no one enters in without express permission! It is my private retreat, my place of quiet solitude and thought, my palace of creativity, and I guard it well. LOL We all need such a place in our life, yes.
I will try to keep you updated on my Paper Purge here. I'm setting a goal of August 15th to have it all done. Now, will I make it? We'll see!!!
I just visited over at Scribbler's blog, and she was telling about a wonderful way she's teaching her precious children this summer. I urge you to read her post, and perhaps it's something you could incorporate into your learning routine! Just click here:
I have a wonderful book by Emilie Barnes titled Emilie's Creative Home Organizer. This is a wonderful resource chock full of advice about just about everything to do with your home. I'm so blessed to have this book, and use it frequently in my homemaking. I would like to share some tips she's given in the chapter titled Food Preparation....
(Every chapter begins with a scripture reference pertaining to that chapter, and the one for this is:)
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household, and plans the day's work for her servant girls.
Proverbs 31:15 (TLB)
Turn menu planning into a family project. Ask family members to list their favorite dishes, then compile menus using these recipes. When given a chance to participate, people enjoy their meals more.
To add interest to a soft-textured meal, serve a crunchy vegetable salad or crisp bread.
Build menus around meat and poultry on sale.
Buy herbs and spices in bulk and store them in your own bottles. You'll save as much as 70% on their cost.
If you have overestimated the hotcake or waffle appetite of your family, you needn't discard the leftover batter. Cook it up, but brown very lightly. Freeze with foil between, then pop in the toaster or oven on a morning when you don't have time to cook.
When cooking a hot cereal, use low-fat or skim milk as part or all of the liquid, and you'll greatly improve the nutritional value.
Raw fruits and vegetables have more useful fiber than those that have been peeled, cooked, pureed, or processed.
To prevent freezer burn, remove as much air as possible before sealing. Never freeze meat in store packaging, since it's neither airtight nor moisture-proof.
Before freezing fresh bagels, cut them in half. When you're ready to use them, they will defrost faster and can even be toasted while they are still frozen.
Don't throw away a soup or stew that has turned out too salty. Instead, add a cut raw potato, and discard the potato slices when they are cooked. The potato will absorb most of the salt.
Slice raw tomatoes vertically so the inner pulp hold it's shape for salads.
To avoid residue when measuring sticky liquids (honey, molasses), rinse the measuring cups in hot water first.
The easiest way to slice cheesecake is with dental floss. Press a long strand of tautly held unflavored floss through the cake. Pull it out without pulling it up again.
Start a "hope chest" recipe card box with all the family favorites for your daughters and sons who enjoy cooking or will soon be living on their own. This truly is a gift filled with love and fond memories.
Eat slowly. Taste your food. Put down your knife and fork after every two or three bites. Make each meal last 20 to 30 minutes.
Make your own cracker crumbs in the blender.
Read food labels for clues on sugar content. If the word sugar, sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrose, lactose, fructose, or syrup appears first on the label, then sugar is the ingredient used in greatest quantity in this product.
When cooking rice, prepare a large batch and freeze the leftover rice, two servings to a bag. The next time you want to serve rice, pull the needed number of bags out of the freezer and heat them in a steamer basket over boiling water.
Keep a large saltshaker full of flour near the stove for times when you need only a spoonful. This saves the time and bother of opening a big canister, and you will never have spills where you don't want them.
Carefully monitor leftovers. Use them as snacks or for lunch, or freeze them to use another time.
Try to include "filling" foods on your menus for the hearty eaters in your family. Chili, stew, soup, sandwiches, and slow-cooker dishes are good choices.
Prepare hot cereals for breakfast. They're more economical and filling than cold cereals.
Make your own salad dressing by the bottle and keep it in the refrigerator.
Create healthful, low-cost meals based on dried beans with leftover meats and fresh vegetables.
Use grilled cheese sandwiches to extend soup menus.
Turn a simple pasta side dish into a meal by serving it with a salad.
Use dumplings to extend soups and stews.
For a quick dessert, use canned and frozen fruits for topping ice cream or sherbets.
I hope you've gleaned some good ideas from these tidbits. I'll be gathering some salad dressing recipes for another post in the near future that will hopefully include one you will like for your family.
I’ve been asked to explain my method of planning. It’s really quite simple actually, yet it can be time-consuming. First of all, I plan a time to make my plan. I figure out when I’ll be alone (not easy in my household), when it will be quiet (again, this isn’t easy!), and when my mind is at it’s sharpest and clearest thinking point. For me, the only time that meets all of these criteria is early morning. I usually arise about 4:30 a.m., and have my morning devotion and quiet time with the Lord. Then I spend some time in Praise and Worship to our Lord, and then generally I check my emails, adding all prayer requests to my Prayer List. Then I go to the Lord in prayer, and ask His special touch on all who have requested it. Then I ask His blessing upon all that I do for the day, and that He would prepare me and equip me as I serve Him. After this time of the morning, I then do any planning that needs to be done.
I take my favorite clipboard (the old-fashioned kind), and fill it up with notebook paper. I make sure my mechanical pencil is full of lead, and the table is cleared off (I think best in a *clutter-free* and clean environment). Then I start writing. I just write down all thoughts as they come into my head, even if they don’t necessarily pertain to whatever it is I’m planning. After I finish this phase, I generally try to step away from this task and concentrate on other household tasks (usually making breakfast). Invariably, while doing *mundane* chores, I think of more things to jot down!
I then go back when I have time and start categorizing what I’ve written on a clean sheet of paper. This helps to gather my thoughts and starts to bring some order into what I’m working on.
I then continue to *fine-tune* my plans. I elaborate on my lists, and cover each and every detail. I *schedule* these details into my days, in order to make sure I have time to do them all. Sometimes I have to rearrange my current schedule, and that’s okay. Sometimes my scheduling is thrown off by visitors, emergencies, etc., and that’s okay. We have to be able to remain flexible at all times in these types of things. I will include my current list I’m working on this week in my Thanksgiving food preparations at the end of this synopsis. Perhaps it will help clarify what I’m saying a bit for you.
When I’ve finalized it all as far as I can, it’s then copied onto a nice clean sheet, and put in my Daily Life Planner. All of the other pages I’ve worked on go into a special folder, clipped together, in case they’re needed for future reference.
And this is how I plan. It can be very time-consuming, but it’s what works for me. There’s times I’ve gone through a few dozen sheets of paper in the process, and that’s okay. I know it would probably be easier to just do it all on the computer, but I much prefer the old fashioned method. There’s just something about my clipboard, notebook paper, and a mechanical pencil that does wonders for my thought processes. I do use the ocmputer for all of my writing, but not for my planning.
The main thing to remember about planning is something that I learned a long time ago.....
PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOUR PLAN!
I’m sure someone famous said this, but I don’t know who it was. The only thing that matters to me is that I do it! There’s no good sense in making a plan, or a *to-do* list, or a pattern, or a template, or anything else unless you’re going to use it! It takes commitment on your part. And sometimes a lot of hard work. But anything worth achieving is worth working for, and don’t even start something unless you’re going to do your best at it. No job is worth doing halfway. There’s a scripture about doing all things as unto the Lord, and in my opinion, this includes planning and working your plan.
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Colossians 3:23
Even if no one ever knows what you’ve done, God does. And you do. There’s a certain satisfaction within yourself that you’ve accomplished a task and done so to the best of your ability.
Here is just a general break-down of some of the food preparations I’m doing this week for Thanksgiving Dinner. This is not my *schedule itemization list* with the times included (that would be way too confusing at this point for anyone to comprehend, and it makes me tired to read it sometimes!). I generally have many friends stop by throughout the day for coffee and dessert, so I make a lot of pies, cakes, etc.
MONDAY:
Chop onions and celery and store in refrigerator.
Start making extra ice and storing in ziplock bags in deep freezer.
TUESDAY:
Make pea salad
Make cranberry sauce.
Make Jello mold.
Make peanut butter pie.
Make pecan pies.
Make pumpkin pies.
Make pumpkin trifle.
Take bread out of freezer to thaw for stuffing.
WEDNESDAY:
Put together sweet potato casserole.
Put together green bean casserole.
Put together broccoli casserole.
Make dough for rolls to rise overnight.
Make watergate salad.
Make deviled eggs.
Tear up bread for stuffing.
Make chocolate-cherry cake.
THURSDAY:
Put stuffing together.
Clean, stuff, and roast turkey.
Make mashed potatoes.
Make sausage bites.
Bake casseroles that have been pre-assembled.
Make tea and coffee throughout day.
I remember too well the days before I learned how to plan. Believe me...I was NOT organized, my home did NOT run smoothly, and I was NOT a happy person! I don't ever want to go back to those days. They're better left behind, but good to remember sometimes so that I remember the lessons I learned through living them. Life is ever so much easier and runs so much more smoothly now (yes, even on the chaotic days!), and I'm ever so thankful my Lord taught me these important and life-changing lessons! He receives all the glory and honor for them...I'm just His vessel to mold and shape as He will.
Oh my! I actually sat down and looked at the calendar today (I know, it's on my computer's desktop for me to see every time I sit down here, but how often do I really *see* it?), and I realized that Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks! Oh MY! HELP!!!!
I haven't even planned the dinner yet (I know...I've fixed the dinner for how many years now and for how many guests each year--I should know it by rote if nothing else!), and have mercy...I haven't even started on this year's fruitcakes!!!! Okay, okay....I'm calm. Really, I am.
I'm just trying to figure out one thing....how could a woman who is normally so organized and *on task* have let the time slip up on her like this? Beats me. Of course, there are the usual excuses. Overworked, over-stressed, mind on too many things at once, crazy weather patterns, fingers in *too many pies* (and I just keep adding more and more on), and my head in the clouds sometimes. Go figure. But the real reason is.....I just haven't been paying enough attention to the *little details* all the time!
I have been busy, though. Robby is moving into a new apartment he rented Monday. I am working more hours (over 16 each day). I am writing more and more. I am spending more and more time in the Word of God. I have been rearranging the upstairs areas. I have been working on my sewing business (well, it's on hold right now until I finish the upstairs reorganizing). And the list goes on and on.....
So now what do I do? I focus. I sit down when I'm all alone and the house is quiet, and I plan. Of course, I have to plan to make my plan. But I plan. What do I plan? EVERYTHING! This is serious business here. I have to plan every single thing all the time in order to remain on task and focused, otherwise my mind will wander like it has been doing lately. I have been told I have signs of Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, but I personally think I'm just the sort who has the need to plan to stay focused. The *experts* can call it whatever they want, but I know me and how I function. There is no *magic pill* to fix it....just what works for me.
So I will be spending Saturday morning, bright and early, having my morning devotion time, and then I will ask the Lord to guide me as I plan the next 6 weeks. I've learned that even though I have to do all of this planning, that I also have to remain flexible. Because I never know when He is going to send someone to the door in need of ministering or other assistance, or if the phone is going to ring off the hook all day, or all of the other unexpected situations that arise (like the day I woke up without electricity--I still shudder remembering THAT day! I make some coffee at night and put it in the thermos before bedtime so that I'm prepared now....even if it's just 2 cups of coffee waiting on me! LOL).
Are you ready for the holidays yet? I'll keep posting about what I'm doing in preparation. I can't wait to start decorating for Christmas. If I had my way, I'd put up the Christmas tree tonight! But of course, it's upstairs in the closet of one of the rooms being reorganized. So, I have to finish that before I can start on my decorating. And I have to check and make sure I have all I need before I start baking the fruitcakes. A lot of things to plan....and plan.....and plan.......
This *blog* is a compilation of *Nuggets of Wisdom* I have been blessed to have been taught by the Lord throughout my lifetime. There are child-raising thoughts, relationship thoughts, recipes, craft ideas, and some other goodies thrown in here and there. I pray it is a blessing to all who honor me by reading it.
PLEASE REMEMBER OUR TROOPS
IN YOUR PRAYERS
Soldiers' Prayer List
• Jeffrey Ackley, US Army
• William Lee, USMC
• Matt Mancuso
• Matthew Kempfer
• JB Hogan, US Army
• Kenneth Boyd, US Army
• Aaron Mutter, US Army
• Ssgt. Leigh Nichols, USAF
• PFC Matthew Carty, US Army National Guard
• PFC Nicolle Carty, US Army National Guard
• Josh Freeman, US Army National Guard
• Brandon Willoughby, US Army
• David Barnette, US Army
• E4 James Owens, Jr., US Army
• Steven Solana, US Army
• John Robert Greene, USMC
• Cory Thornton, USMC
• Lucas Elliott, USMC
• James Westberry, US Army
