Nov. 17, 2007
GROOOAAANN.......
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Oh what a day! I have finally sat down after about 12 hours of labor. I'm sure you have NO idea what I am talking about, I'm sure all you ever do is sit around giving your very own personal maid instructions. It started when dh left for work. Decided to try home made dishwasher soap that is supposed to work well with hard water, loaded the thing and started it. When Aria asked about the promised apple pie making, told her we would do it later today . Took naked pecked chicken out of dog crate and put into chicken tractor. A few more days and feathers will be grown back in and it can go back in with others. Hopefully they will forget it was low hen on totem pole and let it keep new feathers! We are currently tearing down our old mobile home that we lived in while building, and I wanted to surprise and impress the husband by getting a mountain of drywall piled up and ready to load. We (the young slaves in training and I) pulled down what was left on the walls, then took all those little plastic "flowers" they screw into the ceiling panels off. Again, to Aria's query, answered later on the pie. To get the panels off I had to use a crowbar and bash all around the edges of the panels till the whole thing just falls out. Decided those little flowers should be used for something, and had the bright idea to screw them all onto a birdhouse! We cleaned up where the porch used to be, hauling rocks, boards and garbage. Further assurance that we would indeed make a pie today. Ate lunch. Remembered to check dishwasher........every thing in it coated completely with white, compliments of hard water. Have to scrub every item in there later. Dug a gallon bucket full of Crocosmia corms, another of Daffodils and Crocus and more than a dozen clumps of Vinca out of the flower beds that had been around the porch. Planted them elsewhere. Can't waste that good dirt, so piled it to move to another flower bed home. No, I haven't forgot that I promised to bake a pie. Shut dogs up, let chickens out to eat yummy bugs. This is only the second time they have been out of the yard, so they needed a lot of coaxing and reassurance. I decided to start letting them out an hour or so before dusk, that way they put themselves up when it gets dark. Watered them. Tried to start building new bunny hutch, intending to be a really good helpmeet and relieve hubby from that particular chore, but was tired so I called and whined to him instead, so much for impressing him! Put naked pecked chicken back into dog crate with some fresh hay. Helped the two chicken-herders of the day to round up wayward rooster. Told one of them that soon we could make said pie. Let dogs out again. Came inside, changed clothes and sat down. Luckily I had Willow make bread, so we had sandwiches for dinner. Autumn reminded me I was going to cut her hair. Yes, we are going to make the pie, Aria. Read while she took a shower, then cut her hair. Aria needed a trim too, then a shower. With shower in progress got things ready for pie crust. Ran outside and shut dogs up for night. Sat on chair and gave ingredient instructions, mixed and rolled crust. Timothy is perched on chair reading aloud to me an awesome miracle in a Watchman Nee biography. She picked out one of the jars of pie filling we mega cooked last week and dumped it in. Pie is in oven. Went in room to change again, since I had worn all black to make pie crust!!! Notice bathroom and room were a mess. Felt guilty, that is no way to impress a husband. Sorted laundry, started load. Cleaned sink, toilet, swept. Made bed though it's almost bed time (more guilt) put up assorted and sundry articles, swept more. Took pie out of oven. Will scrub dishes tomorrow. Remembered I was supposed to do the bills today. Found checkbook and got planning notebook out, sat down with computer, checked email, saw there were comments here and checked that. Steve walked in, and there I was sitting on my rear end blogging!!!!!!! Now that's industry for you! Kids came down asking about pie, get up to cut it for them, and thus the title of this entry. Isn't he sweet, he told me to forget the bills and do them tomorrow........g'night........... Amy Deuteronomy8:3b......people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. |
Nov. 6, 2007
I'm baaaackkk!
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Helloooo Helloooo Helloooo......... That's supposed to be an echo since it's been sooo long since I've been here my blog has turned into an empty lonely place. I was wandering around bored on the web and it occurred to me that if I did something somewhat constructive I wouldn't feel like it was quite such a waste of time. I'll tell you what's going on right now in my home. Karen Carpenter is crooning Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas over the radio; lucky us we have a local radio station that is now playing Christmas music 24 hours a day till the new year! There is a hot fire crackling in the wood stove (I was beginning to think we would never need one this year) and I am eating hot buttered biscuits just out of the oven. In the midst of all this domestic bliss are my lovely, angelic children, happily gathered around the table playing with army dolls!!!! And who is the most rambunctious? My 15yo dear daughter!! 12yo son just finished changing one angry looking fellow's fatigues, after taking pains to preserve said soldier's modesty by performing the duty under a tent hastily constructed by draping a pillow case over his knees. These guys have been POTs (prisoners of Timothy) stuffed in a drawer in his room for two years. I brought them down to list on ebay, and lo and behold they are sudden celebrities. From the looks on their faces I can tell they haven't quite adjusted to their freedom. It was a beautiful day today, upper fifties I think. Steve and I pulled all the frost bit vines off the porch, it looks bare after having half the porch engulfed most of the summer. The last couple weeks I have been doing a lot of mega cooking to freeze. Willow, who can make some great biscuits for a girl who plays with army men, made 20 recipes of biscuits and 9 of muffins on Saturday. I have done refried beans, stewed chickens, rice, Salsa Verde, and chicken stock. This week some friends and I are getting together to make apple pie filling, crusts, mexican filling and chili gravy. I just love having this tasty food to pull out and make a quick meal. Well Steve has turned on the tv and I can't think straight anymore. I'll try to get back sooner this time :)) In Christ, Amy Deuteronomy8:3b......people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. |
Aug. 7, 2007
yummy quiche recipe
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I made this for dinner tonight. I do all kinds of quiche variations, and it's something my family always loves. When I am in a hurry I skip the crust, that makes if very quick and easy. Tonight I found a tomato tart recipe in my new Country Gardens magazine and used some of the ingredients for it in my quiche. 2 single pie crusts (I use soft white wheat flour to make mine, it turns out flaky and good) Bake the crusts at 450 degrees for 5-7 minutes. While they are baking: Slice 3-4 tomatoes into wedges, lay on paper towels to drain. Mix in bowl: 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic minced 1 c. mayonnaise(this is the new part, I had never put it in before) 1 c. shredded parmesan cheese (if you don't use the mayo you can just stir other ingred. into the eggs.) Beat 14 eggs with salt and pepper. Spread half of mayo mix in bottom of each crust. Lay tomato wedges on top of that as close as you can get them. Pour half of eggs in each crust. Sprinkle more grated parmesan on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Sometimes I take it out and cut it into pieces at 25m, and if it seems runny inside I will put it in for the extra 5. For variations you can use anything for the filling. Bacon, sausage, zuchini, onion, broccoli(one of my kids favorites), you name it. I like mine best with just veggies no meat. Oh, can't forget fresh spinach, yuuuummm, or swiss chard. I always put garlic and basil, salt and pepper. Ya know, I bet it would be really good with green tomatoes. I'll have to try it! Enjoy! Amy Deuteronomy8:3b......people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. |
Aug. 4, 2007
Housecleaning tips for back to school
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Long time no blog! I have been extremely busy this month with vbs, a youth mission trip that I chaperoned, and trying to squeeze in the time to familiarize myself with my new curriculum, Tapestry of Grace. I have LOVED having this month "off school" though the part of my job that is walking encyclopedia/spontaneous lecturer on any and all subjects (much to the dismay of the teens other than mine who were stuck in the car withe me for 12 hours) never ends. I'm glad it never ends, I do so love that part of hs momhood! I'm sure many of you have heard of or maybe use FLY lady. It is the one housecleaning system that worked for me. That is past tense because, well, I quit, even though it was working spectacularly.  Anyway, for a few months now I have been planning on getting started on it again - I am a great procrastinator! The one problem I had with the system was that she didn't homeschool, and as you know that adds a whole new dimension to housecleaning. I finally went to the website tonight for the first time in years (sad but true!) and one of the first thing I laid hopeful eyes on was tips from other hs mom's telling how they use it in their homes. So, even if you don't have any intention of using the system, go check out this tip page there are some GREAT ideas there, and it will get you motivated, I promise. All of them include GETTING YOUR CHILDREN TO DO WORK, which, as mothers, it is part of our job to train them to do, (we are doing them no favors by being their slave) and after just a short training time will make your life SO much easier. Really. So go. While you are there, take a peek at the "baby steps", teach them to your kids, and that little bit will be a huge help.One more thing. See that picture in the entry below of Aria on the steps with the vines? This is a little over a week ago.  When I got back from the mission trip and took my first peek out the door Wed. morning, the whole railing was engulfed, and the morning glories and hyacinth bean vines are starting to climb that post to the right at the top of the railing..........I just love vines!!!!!! Have a blessed Sabbath! Amy P.S. Just for the record, I don't go for all that "loving yourself" junk Flylady goes on about. Nowhere in scripture does it say "you have to love yourself before you can love others and be a success"!!!! If you think that you have been watching too much Oprah. That is a humanist lie straight from the pit. The Bible in fact tells us to put others before ourselves. We are worth nothing in and of ourselves, only through the Lord Jesus Christ do we have worth. Just for the record. Deuteronomy8:3b......people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. |
Jul. 7, 2007
catching up
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As I go about my business, I constantly find what I think are blog worthy subjects. Sometimes I even come here fully intending to put events or thoughts down in words. Lately though, I get here and just can't seem to even get started. It's probably just that I have been so very busy, and there are so many things I need to attend to. Right now it's the mowing and this messy kitchen. I can't do both of those things, so I am choosing to do neither! I'll just ramble through the last few weeks of my life, hitting the highs and lows. The farthest back I can remember is a few Saturday's ago. It was the day of the GREAT CHICKEN MASSACRE. A friend of ours has a farmer friend who agreed to raise free range chickens for a group of us. Now I have chickens, but just for the eggs. Free range is out of the question here, the dogs would make quick work of those walking, clucking chicken nuggets. Anyway, the farmer showed up about 10 a.m. with 86 Cornish Cross birds. These are the kind you buy from the store, boy do they have a lot more meat than those plain ole chickens we butchered a few years back! We all got right to work, and about four hours later the job was done. Jennifer, displaying finished bird. Diane is to the left skinning, and that is farmer David behind Jen. Look at the meat on that bird! He said they were just seven weeks old. They all weighed 3.5-6 pounds!! Jennifer was very brave and took a bag of legs home. Her plan was to make broth as recommended by the book Nourishing Traditions and Jordin rubin of The Makers Diet. When she got home and pulled them out she just couldn't do it. I thought I had a pic of our fearless leader, Geanine, cutting legs off but don't know where it got to. Anyway, we all learned a lot and had some fun in a strange and rather gory way. And if you need any pointers on the burning of the waste from 86 birds, I'm your woman! I learned the hard way........it took me three and a half hours to burn it all. Did I mention it was really hot, I had just spent 4 hours slaughtering, my back was worn out, and the last thing I felt like doing was tending a fire? But now I know what not to do, next time will be a cinch! Geanine and I have been doing more mega cooking, and I've managed to get some done at home on my own too. It makes life so much easier to pull dh's lunch out of the freezer, or like tonight, when I want to waste time blogging, I'll just pull some Runza's out and pop them in oven to heat up. I've stewed and deboned 8 of my 23 free range chickens, from those I got 10 quarts of shredded meat and 9 quarts of broth. 6 quarts of shredded zuchini and a lot more coming. 20 individual servings of chicken enchiladas, great for quick lunches. i just bought 10 pounds of pinto and cranberry beans that I will cook and freeze over the next few days. More I can't think of right now. A low point was that a young man from our church went home to be with Jesus. His car ran off the road right beside our church and landed in the river below. His uncle had been bringing him and his younger brother to our church since they were babies. He asked the Lord Jesus into his heart only a month and a half ago, and it really showed in his life. He was baptized two weeks before the accident. I know he wouldn't come back here for anything, but he will be missed. Funerals are never any fun, but a Christian funeral is such a healing, blessed experience. It is also a great witness and testimony. Many of his family who were there wern't saved, and I was really praying hard that the Lord would use our pastor's message to pierce their hearts. I have been spending a lot of time working in the yard. I just love the smell and the lighting first thing in the morning! It's the perfect time to weed, prune, water, and talk to the Lord. Yesterday I discovered dozens of soft, bright yellow spiny larva eating my beans! The kids and I spent at least an hour hunting and squishing. That is one thing not mentioned a lot about orgnanic gardening, it involves a lot of bug squashing! Oh, there are sprays, but I usually haven't bothered to buy or make them, or I'm just too lazy to even walk to the other side of the house to find them! So I squish. The wild blackberry vines are loaded right now. I've got some of them in the freezer too, but I need to spend a lot more time picking.
Aria sitting by Red Kuri vines that are taking over the railing.
Aria behind a clump of zuchini. Behind her are more Red Kuri vines. I took this last week, this week that vine has grown so much it's covering most of the lattice! I also have morning glory, cardinal climber and purple hyacinth bean vines twining themselves in the Red Kuri. That is good, because sooner or later the vine borers will win our yearly battle over all squash vines and the other vines will cover up the dying leaves. Here is that same bed at the beginning of June when I first made it............
This is the aerial view off the porch. All the little dark spots are the plants you see up above. Down below are more raised beds. Here is an "after" picture of part of them.
Aria searching for cucumbers that are ready to be picked. Those are green beans around the bottom of the cucumbers. This bed is planted according to the "Square Ft." method, you really pack them in that way. As you can see though, they are really healthy.
This is one of my swimming pool gardens. It is full of parsley which is simple to start from seed. The wire is to keep the nasty bad horrible yucky awful conniving cats from using it for a litter box and digging up my plants. Until all the plants get big I have to do this with every one of my gardens. We have very hard ground up here, so when I make a nice soft raised bed they naturally prefer it! Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars love this plant, every year we find them happily munching away. Now those are some bugs I don't squish! They are very polite guests, and never over eat their welcome.
Last one, I promise! Here is what Steve and I had for breakfast. I started like Jenig and Shayc did, with zuchini, butter and garlic-2 cloves, sometimes more. Then I added a chopped red bell pepper and a few swiss chard stalks and leaves. I absolutely LOOOOOVE swiss chard! Then, when all that is ready, maybe 4 or 5 minutes, I add chopped tomato and a handful of fresh chopped basil. That is stirred in for just a few seconds to warm it, then removed from the heat and fresh parmesan is grated over the top. MMMMMM this is sooo good! That is not white stuff in there by the way, the flash just reflected off the juices. I bet you are thinking that I seem to have found more than enough to say. I did, but you should know this has taken me 4 1/2 hours. I warmed up those Runza's, did the dishes, served the yummiest homemade strawberry ice cream that Geanine made, left over from the 4th, did some more dishes, boiled noodles for tomorrows Summer Salad, got said salad most of the way mixed, rinsed and dried the eggs, and every once in awhile stopped to add a few sentences. Oh, I can't resist, here is My FIL's Summer Salad recipe, one of the first things dh requested I learn to make after we were married. Summer Salad Fix two boxes shell noodles, drain and cool. Add: 2-3 cups mayo 3 cans olives, sliced, or more if you want 5 cans tuna, drained 3 lg. tomatoes chopped in large chunks 3 or 4 TBSP celery seed or more to taste 2 or 3 tsp. garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste You may need to add more mayo (yeah I know, no wonder it's so good, and it is NOT diet food!) especially to the leftovers the next day, the noodles soak up the moisture. It is actually better the second day. All of these measurements are approximate, I just throw it in so I guessed.
OK, I'm really quitting this time. Good night!!
In Christ,
Amy
Deuteronomy8:3b......people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. |
Jun. 17, 2007
WIldflowers
I have been wandering around taking pictures of flowers, so I had to think of an excuse to use up all this memory on them. One thing I was really excited about when I moved here was all the wild flowers. Where I grew up in central OR it was really dry, so there were only a few desert type wildflowers. One of my favorites there was a teeny tiny bright yellow daisy. Then there were the beautiful lavender Seco (sp?) lilies. These that I have taken pictures of are just what are growing on our property, there are many more than this in the area.  These are Native Daylilies. They grow in huge swaths down the creek banks and along side the roads. These I put here, originally there were none growing on our property. Sorry, this one is a little fuzzy, the camera focused on the leaves instead of the flowers.  This is Chicory. I *think* this is what indians and old time cowboys used as a coffee substitute. But I have to say I think my information comes from books I read when I was a kid.........I was big into Wild West adventure books.  Brown Eyed Susans. The color is a little washed out, the sun was too bright when I took it. These are scattered all over our hill. I have can't bring myself to mow them, so I will mow around them till they are done blooming.  This beautiful orange flower is Butterfly Weed. As you can see it can grow in very dry conditions. We get more of these each year on our land, and down the road are a couple of fields covered with them.  This is our wild honeysuckle. It isn't originally native here, so like many non-native plants it has become very invasive. I would say that probably four of our over seven acres are covered with it, and if we didn't mow the rest it would be completely overgrown. However, the aroma is heavenly. When it starts blooming the air is heavy with the sweet scent. It blows through your car as you drive down the road, and wafts through open windows into your home. You can pluck single flowers, bite of just the tip of the tube, and suck it's sweet nectar.   This is Queen Annes Lace. It grows all over the place here. I love this flower, and let it grow freely around the edges of the yard and in flower beds if it comes up in the right place. Some of the plants get close to four feet tall and have a couple dozen huge flower heads on them. If memory serves me it is part of the carrot and parsnip family. There is a wild parsnip that is poisonous, I'm not sure if this is or not. Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars love this plant.  Wild single petaled roses. These are starting to get chewed, they are a favorite snack of the Japanese beetle. There is a good sized patch in what I consider part of my lawn that I (gasp!) mow down constantly. I never thought I would see the day when I mowed roses. Early in the spring there is another rose that blooms profusely along the road. It has clusters of small white flowers that have a very spicy smell. They bloom at the same time as the blackberries, and you have to look close to tell the difference. the canes climb way up into trees and hang down. There are also some double bright pink roses that do the same thing. I have been scouting for a safe spot to pull over near these doubles to take cuttings and try to root them, so i can have some on my hill. I picture them cascading down the upper bank along my driveway.  OK, this isn't a flower, but it was a flower not too long ago! i just liked the picture! Blackberries that are not yet ripe. Another thing I mow a lot of. They would take the whole hill over too if I didn't constantly battle them. Bushes are loaded this year, and I have been busy mowing honeysuckle so we can get to the berries. Oh, there is a flower in the picture. See the little white flower in the bottom right corner? That is a nasty weed with large and painful thorns. These are poisonous, in the Nightshade family. By the way, did you know that tomatoes and potatoes are also in the Nightshade family? That is why a lot of people are allergic to tomatoes, they are slightly poisonous!! Anyway these love my flower beds and spread underground by runner. Very hard to get rid of. They get large blueberry size berries that are green then turn bright yellow in the fall.  This is yucca, and I was surprised to see it growing on the roadsides when i moved here. I always thought of it as a desert plant. But there it was. There was none on our hill, so i planted these here too. This is not a good picture, and this one is a small young plant, but they get big fat stalks loaded with the white flowers, very striking. The stalks are also very interesting in the winter when they are dead. Well, that's it for the wildflower tour for now. Good night!! Amy Deuteronomy8:3b......people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. |
Jun. 8, 2007
Free Bible worksheets!!
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I just added this new link in my sidebar. This is in Calvary Chapel's childrens area. There are a LOT to choose from. This links you to the new testament section but be sure to click on the old testament section too. They are listed by story name and the reference, and there are a few pages of activities for each one! Crosswords, word searches, fill in the blanks, memory verses etc. I only looked for a few minutes but they look great! Fire up the ol printer and enjoy!! Amy Deuteronomy8:3b......people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. |
Jun. 6, 2007
Playing in the mud
Last week Steve found a potters wheel in a junk/antique shop. He has wanted one for a long time. We set it up on the porch of our old mobile home that we lived in while building our house next to it. The kids were so excited! Sunday after church we went to the store, and got a bunch of  He had today off, so we spent the day playing. We both took pottery in high school, but haven't done any since then. Steve says he didn't have the patience to throw pots then, he was more into sculpture. We bought a couple "how-to" books and had the kids read them yesterday. They were spouting all kinds of instructions and info. Here we all are getting our hands dirty!  Willow, doing a great job for her first try! Autumn with a little too much clay. We found out we needed to start with just a little clay, the more clay the harder to control it. Timothy concentrating hard....... Aria trying out a tool. Steve's second try which turned out really cute, like a little honey pot. He doesn't like the word "cute" he says, but can't come up with a better one! I didn't like the pic of me so you don't get to see it! We already have friends lining up to come give it a try! Everyone is welcome, so come on over!Deuteronomy8:3b......people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. |
Jun. 6, 2007
Rosa of Linden Castle
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I started a new Lamplighter book today called "Rosa of Linden Castle". These books are such treasures! I have only read 17 pages and this is some of the Godly wisdom so far....... "The woman sought to cultivate a habit of cheerful and ready obedience in her daughter, from her earliest childhood; "for," she said, "self-will is the greatest barrier to all that is good. A child must first learn to submit it's own will to the will of it's parents; then it will be better prepared and more ready to submit it's own will to the will of God; for if it yield not obedience to, and acquiesce not in the will of itj's parents, whom it constantly sees, how shall it yield obedience to acquiesce in the will of God, whom it does not see?" " This advice is always woven into the story, part of the characters, so you are really living it along with the character, and understanding it in light of their experiences. This is done in such a skillful way that you immediately apply the lesson or truth to your own life. If you haven't read any of these books yet I HIGHLY recommend them. You won't find better read-alouds out there. Blessings, Amy Deuteronomy8:3b......people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. |
May. 31, 2007
Snakesss art project
This is one of my treasures from ATIC. It has a lot of great simple projects in it. We hadn't done any art projects for awhile so we got right to work!  We started with a warm up that is not in the book. Dividing a piece of copy paper into six squares we spent some time experimenting with patterns, one pattern to each square. This gets those creative juices flowing and ready, instead of them kicking in half way through the project then wishing you had thought of that great idea at the beginning! Next you draw a wriggly line across a piece of paper, making sure it crosses the whole page, and turn it into a snake. Don't make little teeny snakes in the middle. You also want the snake to be fat enough so there is room inside to add the design. Always fill the whole page when you are drawing. The head is a fat heart with a blunt tip if it's a poisonous snake, or a long skinny one if it's not. Decide on a pattern and fill in the snake with it. Now do another snake that slithers under the first snake a time or two. Use a different pattern on the second. Just one more snake slipping under the others and you are done. Any more snakes and it just looks crowded and messy. This is Timothy's. He wished he didn't get quite so crazy on the curves. That is how they learn, though. I have a really hard time sometimes not telling them not to do it this or that way, but do it like that, oh it would look better this way, adding my own touches. But they don't learn that way. If they ask I may give some very general ideas just to get them going, or on a separate piece of paper a quick example. They do learn a lot from watching each other and seeing how it turns out if you do things differently.  Here is Aria's. This is actually her second try, she wasn't happy with the first, but she got tired before she did the last snake on this one.  Here is Willow's.  Autumn's..............  mine.  I love doing these things together. I love to hear my children chatting happily to each other about their drawing, and making up stories about it as they go. I just don't know what I would do with myself if they were gone at school all day! I love having them around and spending time with them.......it is such a blessing to watch them grow and learn. I feel sorry for all those parents out there that barely know their children. Have a blessed day! Amy |
May. 28, 2007
ATIC
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We had a wonderful time at A.T.I.C. today. Got rid of some old "treasures" and brought home some new-old treasures. I brought two boxes and a bag and left with about 1 box. I did pretty good I think! Had to reign in the kids some, well, mostly my youngest. Timothy, who is pretty hard on clothing so always needs new stuff if we want him to look somewhat civilized, got a couple pairs of shorts, some cargo pants, and sweats. Aria has plenty of clothes for this year so I refrained from even looking at her size clothing so I wasn't tempted. i have learned over the years that too many clothes just makes messier rooms and WAY too much laundry. So as cute as something may be, if we have enough we pass. Willow found a couple belts and a strange polka dot shirt. Autumn got a jewelry box and some really cute little teapots, one with January on it, which is her birthday. I also got to meet a couple of fellow bloggers, ShayC and Angie. I would have liked to talk to them and JenIg more. Unfortunately, I'm not real great at "meeting" people. People who know me don't think I'm shy at all, but that's just cause I've gotten better at faking it  initially. I used to get physically ill in group settings, like a new church or Bible study, or when I first joined this HS group. Something else you didn't know about me huh Maria?? Once I relax though, watch out, I can talk a blue streak with the best of them. What was amazing was that all the left over stuff fit in the Ig's trailer! I wish I had brought my camera. I'm sure some of the others will post their pics of the event. Here is Aria with a couple of her finds...........the skates and a beauteous dress trimmed with silver tinsel. Which, by the way, has literally made all my floors *sparkle*!! She is making use of Timothy's big discovery (my friend Kathy showed me this last week in her shed and and asked me if we wanted it........I refused but guess it was just meant to be............) a bike/skateboard/roller skate ramp!! Of course the only place we have to use it is, you guessed it, in the hallway.     And of course Timothy had to get into the act with his skate board.......  Well my hard working hubby just got home from a 14 hour day at work so I will sign off so I can hear all about it.  Amy |
May. 23, 2007
ok ok ok
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I have been told I need to blog again, I know I've been negligent, but I have been so tired that when I get on here I just don't have the energy left to think and produce a coherent post. I'm not sure this one will be coherent, but I'll give it a try. This week has been busy and tiring. Steve has been doing some painting at the go cart track where his airbrush booth is located. They are building yet another track, and a skating rink! We are pretty excited about the skating. To build it they tore down a small hotel, which just happened to have roof trusses the right size for the garage Steve wants. So in trade for the trusses he is doing some painting he normally won't do, you know, "normal" painter work. Painting the steel railing around the track (a couple hundred feet of it) and a stone wall that is probably around a hundred feet all together. It's a lot of painting. So he called in the reinforcements, the kids and I! We spent two days painting the railing, then today the kids got a day off and I helped him paint the rock wall. I am WORN OUT!!! The kids had fun and got lot's of attention from everyone at the track. The owner, a friend of Steve's family, went on and on about what great kids we had, what hard workers they are etc. etc. He told me I should get the mother of the year award. Makes you feel good for a second till you remember all your shortcomings that he doesn't know about. In fact, I know that he is psychotically clean, and if he saw my somewhat cluttery, lived in home he would take the award away! What I did feel good about was that the whole thing was a way to show my husband honor, and that all those guys could see that the kids and I loved and respected him. I could see that they respect him for his success with his family. I got Willow signed up and paid up to attend Worldvie Academy this summer. Oops that was supposed to say Worldview..............She is so excited. Check out the link, they have some great articles on their blog, and a book store with excellent worldview books and courses. You can actually get DVD's of the Academy classes which is a much cheaper way to do it. Well my brain is about tapped out, so I'll close. Maybe I'll add a picture or two.  This is a beautiful picture Willow took. Some mornings there are hundreds of these spider webs covered in dew on the tips of the weeds and grass.  This is one of our cats that I actually like, Nefertiti. This was one of her favorite sleeping spots for awhile, maybe the aroma of rosemary helped her sleep. Well, I've done my blogging duty, g'nite! Amy |
May. 12, 2007
Old favorites
Whew have I been busy! Whenever i have time I am in the garden, which means by the end of the day I am too tired for blogging. I have scaled down my original garden plans, hehehehe. I have much more time and energy in my imagination! I got a LOT accomplished today, too bad I didn't take pics to show you. Maybe tomorrow I will. I do have some I took a couple weeks ago, when TNMOMTOMANYBLESSINGS posted some pics of old things she likes, so I will do that now. These are some old jugs my MIL gave me, and some semi-old, probably as old as me, books. Arn't their colors great? I guess that makes me semi-old too. Naww, not yet! Books age faster than people. Also, if you look out the window behind the jugs you will see a bunch of old windows my dear husband bought from our garbage man and used to enclose the porch. I absolutely love them.  Here are some old oil cans on a shelf above my front door. The one with the spout was used to put water in radiators. I just got it at a yard sale a couple weeks ago. The small rusty can on the far left is from my old bestest friend growing up. She bought it on ebay, wrapped it up cobwebs and all and sent it to me for Christmas. Guess she knows me pretty well, not too many people would be as happy with a rusty can as i was :)).  I love old aprons! i find them at yard sales, usually less than a dollar. I always try to picture the woman that made them and wore them in her kitchen. The old bench below them my dh bought me at a local antique store.  There are a few things in this one. First of all the old printed dish towel, given to me by mom2fourtreasures......bet ya can't guess where she got it! She knows I love these things, you should see the blue and white tablecloth she almost didn't give me that I used for a curtain. I'm glad she was able to repent of that greed and do the right thing.....thanks Geanine! The cast iron muffin pans I got at a thrift store years ago. Spice tins, yet another yard sale. The dishes are almost brand new, my mom got them for me for Christmas. I told her I had been collecting all kinds of different white dishes so she bought me a complete set. And guess what? I had actually picked up some bowls like this somewhere, and they were my favorite pattern out of all the odds and ends I had. She lives on the other side of the U.S. from me and hadn't seen my dishes, she just has naturally good taste! You can't see the pattern in the pic but it is just simple white raised designs, very beautiful! If I was more sophisticated I would remember the name of that pattern. Now that I am really looking at the stuff in this picture there are a couple other things from my mom. The white Corningware casseroles at the very top of the pic, and the little magnetic box with fruit on it on the side of the fridge. Last but not least the yellow reproduction bowl I bummed out of mom2fourtreasures' shed!  Another yard sale find, a neat old quilt for $2. You can't beat that with a stick, as my husband would say. I daydream about old quilts too. Where did the fabric come from.....an old dress her little girl grew out of, a shirt her husband stained so she salvaged the good parts, maybe some faded curtains. I just looked back over this entry to proof read. I noticed that I had much more to say about the things that were given to me as gifts. I love all the memories attached to these things. Geanine always does a great lesson at our mom's night out, and her this time it was on our legacy, what kind of memories we are making, spiritual and physical. Everything in these pictures is just "stuff", even though it's neat stuff that I really like, on it's own that's all it is. But the memories that play back in your mind are what you enjoy most and hold close to your heart, even after the "stuff" and maybe even the person is gone. I am so thankful the Lord has placed all the people he has in my life, that He put me in the family He did, and gave me the friends I have. Amy |
Apr. 29, 2007
Created to be His Helpmeet
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On Fridays cammiemelisabray is going to be hosting a study of this book. If you have not read it I highly recommend it! It can be quite a shock to some, even in the church, with our self centered modern feminist view of marriage. The Lord's plans are always the best, though we have certainly tried to put our own twist's on his plan for marriage or thrown it out altogether. I had a good marriage already, but this book, using scripture as it's foundation, has helped turn it into an excellent one. I have heard and read many testimonies where a wife's obedience to the Lord has turned around so-so and failing marriages. Click on the link above to go to her blog for more info. Amy |
Apr. 27, 2007
Tea
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Last night mom2fourtreasure's family and mine met for dinner. Our life ins. co. does these dinners twice a month where they give you $2-$4 off each persons meal. Last nights was Buddy's BBQ and our family of six at for under $20. Sometimes it's less than that depending on the resaurant. Afterwards we wandered through some shops. One of them that Geanine had been to before was called Black Bear Tea. This store sells bulk teas, teapots, etc. After sniffing a huge assortment of teas we each chose a few to try at home. The owner was very sweet and gave us each a free little baggy of some tea she wanted us to try as well as a free cup of "Tiger Tropical". I also bought a tea cup made my a local potter. This morning I just had to try one of my new teas, and of course I had to drink it out of that new cup. I enjoy the mug as much as I enjoy the tea, and if I don't like my mug I don't enjoy the tea nearly as much. My favorite kinds of mugs are pottery, and I normally buy them at yard sales. This one is made in the traditional Japanese style and is beautiful! It was all so beautiful I decided to take pictures of it for you.  Look at that tea! Have you ever seen tea like that? I don't remember what all she said was in this blend, called Salamander Fruit. Some of the ingredients are hibiscus, calendula, orange peel, currant, rose hips and I think papaya. I can't for the life of me recall what the blue is.....there are several flowers that dry that color but I don't know which it is. Here is what the steeped tea looks like, I tried to rotate this pic but it wouldn't stay that way when I put it on here. Hm.  Isn't that beautiful? Here are the fruits and flowers after they have steeped. I actually ate some of them trying to decide what they were, and they were good. I think this tea would be really good stirred up in some oatmeal!  Combine that beautiful pottery cup, a tea that is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds, two rocking chairs on the porch (one of them containing your husband) and some warm springy sunshine and you have a recipe for a very pleasant morning. Amy |
Apr. 19, 2007
Isn't my dh great?
He made me this bed! I wanted a big "canopy" type bed. Our mattress had just been on the floor since we moved into this house, and before that one of those cheap metal frames that had broken legs so it was only a few inches off the floor. We had looked and looked at beds, and besides being way too much money, none of them were quite what I wanted. So he decided to make me on. He used pine 6x6 beams and 2x4's. Here is what it turned out like. I found these sari's and thought they would be perfect.  I wanted something brighter for spring, dug around in my junk and found these curtains. They worked out great!  Not to mention, that same great dh built me this house. Previously my room was tiny, with the bed jammed in one corner and storage cupboards all around the edges so you could barely walk around two sides of the bed. There were six of us in 980 sq. ft. I am so thankful to have a husband who works hard so i can stay home, and to provide his family with this roomy, comfortable house. amy |
Apr. 19, 2007
Two more great links
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I just added two more links to my sidebar. I'll tell you about them real quick. Algebra Relief: This was highly recommended to me by TNMOMTOMANYBLESSINGS, and I now highly recommend it to everyone! Math was always oldest dd's hardest subject. She has had no problem whatsoever with this dvd program. In fact she told me algebra is a lot easier than other math! The teacher is very clear and easy to follow. Homeschool Christian: The first year I hs'ed I had just moved here and knew no one. The only curriculum I knew of was Alpha Omega. We got internet for the first time a few months into the school year and I found this site. It was tremendously helpful! There is a "main homeschooling" message board that is all conversation about curriculum, schedules, you name it it's on there. There are women there who have just started and women who have been doing this for years. Chances are, if you scan down the message board you will find the exact question you were wanting an answer to, and answers have given by others who have used it, been there, done that. Or you are welcome to post your own question. There is a "fellowship" board for just gabbing, and several more such as military, teen, tightwad, special needs, and a great "USED CURRICULUM FOR SALE" board where you can buy or post items you have for sale.Plus there is a "reviews" page, links listed by subject (language arts, math etc), a "why we homeschool" page and much much more. While I no longer post there(I have real live friends now!) , if I am wondering about a curriculum I go there to see what others have to say about it. There are so many posting there that I also learn all about programs I have never heard of and where to find them. |
Apr. 17, 2007
Another great math site for all ages
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Click here and you will find tons of info. They have what should be covered in each grade level if you are interested in that, free printable worksheets, times tables tricks such as how to learn the times tables in 21 days. Glossary of math terms, math formulas, tutorials and lots more articles and links. I only looked for about 5 minutes but it looks great! |
Apr. 16, 2007
I love history.
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In school I was bored out of my mind by it. They way they teach history is ridiculous. Droning on and on about dates and people that seem so long ago. Besides, they do a great job teaching you your parents beliefs are outdated and behind the times, so who cares about some strange old guy two hundred years ago? Then there are those awful textbooks. I shudder just thinking about them. On top of that, they skip all over the time line, picking and choosing events here and there to teach. How do they expect you to put it all in order and in perspective that way? I don't know about you, but I had no clue when things actually happened, even though I could remember the dates long enough to get good grades. I only had a vague idea, till I started homeschooling, when the Am. Revolution was, (wasn't Abraham Lincoln president then?) and nothing about ancient history. Unless you count "prehistoric" times. They got that heap of rubbish across real well. None of that for us! The second year we hs'd we used Sonlight for history, and learned so much from reading those living books. Willow was in 3rd grade, so we were doing Am. history. Boy was I MAD! I could not believe that my schools for 12 years had botched it so badly, that I knew so very little. And I was EXCITED! I was having a blast learning about my country, and so many things made sense now. I understood things on the news I totally missed before, and since I had some basic understanding now, I could watch a documentary and eat it up, because I KNEW what they were talking about. Since then we have used several curriculums. After Sonlight, Veritas Press. Story of the World, adding in the Greenleaf press guides, Famous Men of Greece, Rome, and the Rennaissance. We are using Beautiful Feet this year and absolutely love it. Honestly, a lot of the time we skip most of the "work" involved and just read, read, read. The REAL books these programs use are excellent, and I know just by reading them my children are getting an extraordinary education. They are intimately acquainted with great men and women of history, they have lived in their homes, traveled with them, faced danger and persecution by their sides. After that first year of Am. history we started at the beginning, creation, and continued in chronological order. This made so much sense to me. We spend quite awhile in each time period, so it is easy to remember which came first, next etc. I found that our country's history hinges on all the history before it. Our founding fathers were well versed in it, and chose all the greatest ideas to found our country upon. Knowing just our own history is not even close to enough. I originally planned to cover all of history in four years. It took us five, and we are now back to America again. I just keep finding more and more great books to add into curriculum already bursting at the seams with exceptional literature. Another tool we used extensively til this year was notebooking. This is a sneaky way for them to learn a TON and not even realize it. I find the Kingfisher, DK eyewitess type books on sale and used. Say we are in the Middle Ages. I have them get out the DK or David Macauly(sp?) Castle books. I assign them one notebook page on whatever interests them in the book, it must include some drawn pictures and five facts about them. They then spend a LOT of time, usually an hour at least, pouring over that book trying to decided what they want to do. In the process reading and learning about much more than that one thing. When they place it in their notebook, they love looking over what they have already done. Don't tell them, but they are "reviewing"! You know what's scary about this entry? I now love history sooo much I had to stop myself here. If you are still reading at this point you deserve a prize! Amy |
Apr. 12, 2007
Math worksheets
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I printed a gazillion math work sheets off The math work sheet site yesterday. This site has quite a few free basics work sheets, but it's worth it to subscribe for a very low price, as you get a huge selection to choose from then. The worksheets range from pre school through algebra and geometry. It allows you to pick what numbers you want on that sheet, say multiplication 3's, 4's, and 5's. It will randomly generate the worksheet, which is great because you can click "create" over and over and get a new set of problems each time. The rates are $2.25 for 1 month, $7.50 for 3 , don't remember for 6, and 25.00 for a year. Enjoy!  This picture, of course has nothing to do with this, but it makes the whole thin look prettier, don't you think? Have a blessed day! Amy |