In December, lay in dry fuel, while the snow keeps off. –Old Farmer’s Almanac “Farmer’s Calendar,” 1796
Firewood Tips
• One large log lasts two to three times longer than the same volume of smaller logs.
• To avoid insect pests, never store firewood on the ground touching your house.
• Burn only seasoned wood (seasoned logs seem light in weight and have dark ends with cracks).
• Wood-burning stoves are three times more efficient than standard fireplaces.
• For the prettiest flames, burn birch or maple.
• Ash makes great firewood. According to an old saying, “Ash new or ash old is fit for a queen with a crown of gold.”
Find out which woods make great firewood!
• Add a handful of pine or hemlock needles, rosemary sprigs, or sage branches to your next fire to add natural incense to the room.
Wood warms you thrice—when you chop it, when you stack it, when you burn it.
(I wrote this one for my daughter.)
Heaven sent me a special treasure,
Wrapped up in sugar and spice,
Satin and lace,
And full of grace,
And everything oh so nice.
Heaven sent me a precious gift,
To fill my life with love,
Sweetness and light,
Everything right,
Sent to me from above.
Heaven sent me an answered prayer,
A beauty through and through,
Laughter and cheer,
Fills every year,
Heaven sent me you.
Heaven sent me a daughter,
So darling and so clever,
Cherished in my heart,
From the start,
And loved always and forever.
VMD
(I wrote this for my middle son.)
I remember so well the day you were born,
My life was filled with joy,
How blessed I was that God sent to me,
A beautiful little boy.
I remember so well seeing your face,
Words cannot describe,
The happiness inside I felt,
And the overwhelming pride.
I remember so well the first step you took,
Across the kitchen floor,
With arms outstretched reaching for me,
You’ve taken so many steps more.
I remember so well how much you have grown,
The days they go by so fast,
But each moment is treasured in my mind,
As each milestone you pass.
I remember so well holding you in my arms,
No matter how old you will be,
Forever I will hold you in my heart,
And I will love you eternally.
VMD
Outside my window...mostly cloudy, grey; the sun is tryyyyying to sneak through. Chilly & breezy.
I am thinking...of the things I need to do today.
I am thankful for...family & friends, near & far, who have sent CHRISTmas cards. Also, the new praise & worship leader we voted in last night! PTL!!!!!!!!!!!!
From the kitchen...mixed bean soup, corn-meal rolls & I need to make another loaf of flaxseed bread.
I am wearing...jeans, navy turtle-neck shirt, tan sweater over it; soft, warm socks.
I am remembering…CHRISTmasses past. Sweet memories.
I am going…to pick up DD#2 from work, make a pit stop at the grocery for some odds-n-ends.
I am reading..."Lies Women Believe," I'm teaching it for a ladies' Sunday School class. Still re-reading the "Yukon Quest" series. I don't have quite the time for reading lately.
I am hoping...to spread some CHRISTmas cheer.
On my mind…bills.
I am creating...a peaceful home filled w/the Reason for the season.
I am hearing...the radio.
Noticing that…I have a few more grey hairs & I don't mind. :-)
Pondering these words…"Majesty, Majesty. Your grace has found me just as I am; Empty-handed but alive in Your hands..."
Around the house...laundry, clothes mending, kitchen floors, bread & cookies making...
One of my favorite things...Toll House cookies w/chocolate chunks instead of chips; the chunks melt gooier & there's more 'cookie' to enjoy.
A Scripture thought...Luke 1:19 - "The angel answered, 'I am Gbriel. I stand in the presense of God...'" Oh the joy!
A few plans for the rest of the week...taking DD#2 to/from work, house-hold jobs, baking, studying for the ladies' Sunday School I'm teaching, Bible study/prayer...family!
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
Enjoy other Daybooks at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/
Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf
The third booklet of my Keeping Christ in Christmas Copybooks is ready. This book uses passages from Luke 1 and Luke 2 and focuses on Gabriel’s visit to Mary and her giving birth to Jesus, fulfilling the prophesy of Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Next week passages are from Luke, John, and Galatians about the promise from God fulfilled.
Download Keeping Christ in Christmas Copybook-Week 3 HERE.
If you missed Keeping Christ in Christmas Copybook-Week 1 or Keeping Christ in Christmas Copybook-Week 2, you can find them by clicking on the respective titles below.
Keeping Christ in Christmas Copybook-Week 1
Keeping Christ in Christmas Copybook-Week 2
Matt. 2:13-18 – “When they [the Magi] had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to
“So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for
“When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
“’A voice is heard in Ramah,
Weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
And refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.’”
Isn’t it funny that in this world we have a tendency to doubt the miraculous?
It took the appearance of an angel to convince Joseph, no matter how much he loved young Mary, to believe that she was carrying the Lord’s Babe. But when he was later told in a divine dream that Herod was trying to kill his “Son,” Joseph had no doubt that Jesus, God’s Son, had come to earth and was in his care. He needed to be convinced of Immanuel’s coming.
Herod NEVER had any trouble believing. He knew about the star that had appeared nearly two years before; the news of the shepherds may have reached even to the throne of the great Herod and all he needed was confirmation from the Magi that the new King, indeed, had been born. Even though his heart was hard, he needed no convincing of the King’s arrival.
What about you? Do you need convinced that He has already come…has come as Immanuel: God with us? Or are you still waiting around with hardened heart, looking but not seeing? Look around you this Christmas season…the Light of the World is represented by the twinkling of lights displayed at nearly every house, by every CHIRSTmas tree’s high shining star and in the carols floating through the air. Whether it is intentional or not, whether the world realizes it or not…with each light that shines, each start that’s hung, each carol that’s sung…we ARE acknowledging the coming of The King!
Jesus has been revealed to the world, He has no reason to hide…welcome Him in this Christmas season!
Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><
Here's some pictures from the first night of Hannukah.
Marshall lights the first night's candle with the servant candle.
Our hanukiah says "I am the light of the world" and "Yeshua" (Jesus) in Hebrew.
Two home-made haunkiahs.
Our sideboard and table decor.
A friend made these cookies at our ladies tea last night and cut them out with tiny Christmas cookie cutters and decorated with icing and sprinkles, they were adorable and delicious! I can't wait to try them with the boys.
The original recipe is for Santa's Whiskers cookies but she simply used the dough from that recipe to make her own cut out cookies to decorate.Best of all, the raw dough is safe to eat because they have no Egg! My chunky monkey can eat them and the boys can eat the raw dough! (the best part)
Easy kid-friendly recipe for slice & bake refrigerator cookies.
1 1/4 cups butter, softened (2 1/2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
In a large mixing bowl, preferably with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add milk and vanilla, beat again and scrape bowl. With mixer on low speed, add flour one cup at a time and beat after each addition. Shape into logs approximately 2" in diameter. Roll the logs in parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat liner and give them a light spray with vegetable shortening. Unwrap logs and slice into 1/4" thick slices or roll out to cut out shapes. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until very light brown and the sides are slightly firm.
Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack. Cool completely before storing in air tight containers.
We are sharing and discussing Christmas Cookies at The Forum on The Homeschool Lounge... come join us!
So, we had this family stay here and I got to talking to the mom. Here she homeschools her 5 year old and also uses cloth diapers. (We also had in common the fact that she has her Masters and was a teacher pre-mom). But anyways, she was showing me her cloth diapers and covers and completely inspired me to make my own. I've already made my own diapers for the twins...but didn't sart them until they were almost a year, so the ones I have are a little big for a newborn. I never tried to make a diaper cover, I simply just bought Gerber plastic pants, which rip and tear and are only good for about a month or so each.
Last week when we went into Billings, we went and bought the polyurethane laminate which serves as the waterproof lining needed for the covers. I also bought some cute remnants as well. At the 2nd hand store, I bought queen size white flannel sheet set (for the diapers) and some baby blankets that were really cheap but in good condition. Equipped with all the supplies, I've managed to successfully make two diaper covers so far. The first one took me the better of two days to make because I totally messed up the first attempt, but then tried a different way and got it right. The second one took me about two hours to make, but I know I'll get more efficient and be able to get some more made in a shorter amount of time once I get the time to work on them.
It's crazy not knowing what we're going to have. This is the first time. We knew to expect a boy or girl before and so this time, we have to stick to gender neutral stuff. Like, yesterday I went and bought the carseat and stroller combo from the consignment shop. It really narrowed down our choices and lucky for us , I found the perfect one and it wasn't at all that expensive. It's just the kind I wanted, a Graco and it was brown and teal--perfectly gender-neutral. I painted a dresser/ changing table blue and yellow and pulled out all the newborn clothes from storage to fill it. But first, I had to go through and find the clothes that could go either way. These were the ones I washed and put in the drawers. I figured that once I'm a home a few days and know what the sex is, then I'll deal with the gender specific bin.
Today makes exactly a month until my due date and we're all getting pretty anxious around here. I want to be ready since we're pretty far from the hospital. Jason won't have time to be running around getting stuff and so, I want to at least have what we need. And since Christmas is thrown in the mix, I have to be ready for that as well, just in case!