In the Storm

10 motivations on tuesday

unfortunately it was always me saying 'i can't' - not any more! watch me!

 

Yes!

my favorite!

someone once said, 'what is important to you you will make time for'.

10 things i've been thinking about...

1. i heard about four minutes of a 'focus on the family' broadcast on my way home one day this past week. i heard just one simple idea how a grandparent can connect, stay connected to her grandchildren. it was in fact a call in from a grandma. she said she sent a card of hello, thinking of you every month. for years. when her grandkids grew up they really looked forward to getting those cards and letters of hello.

2. christmas music. i asked the georgia boys what christmas songs they knew. jingle bells. rudolph the red nosed reindeer...i asked them what christian christmas songs did they know...mary did you know, silent night, o holy night...ok, now we're gettin' somewhere. it made me think about all those songs we used to sing when we went carolling. i remember going carolling in oklahoma with my church ('90); our last stop was for hot chocolate, fondue, appetizers, yummies...the boys and i are ready for christmas music to be playing throughout the house.

3. cleaning my scrap table off. in fact i didn't just think about it. today i tackled it. well, almost. but the top is clean...

4. my december daily for the month of december. can't wait. really looking forward to bringing christmas into our every day.

5. redeeming the season. it's a book. when i straightened our bookshelves i found my copy. i'm gonna read it again. my thoughts are to incorporate one thing into our lives this season that redeems christmas for jesus...

6. what christmas cookies am i going to make this year. cherry walnut bars definitely. brownies. butterscotch brownies - hello! ash is coming home. mexican wedding cakes. chocolate chip (homemade, not the bought kind). pecan tarts (tassies). i would love to make filled cookies this year (those were an old favorite growing up that my mom used to make). and snickerdoodles.

7. when oh when are we going to be able to go to brewers tree farm and get our tree. with journey starting at savannah christian church and hoosier man and the georgia boys both serving from wednesday to sunday for two weeks that leaves saturday afternoon period, and not until next sunday (the 10th). yikes! we might not find a great tree then.

8. homeschooling rocks!

9. i really can't wait to decorate for christmas. i've got a bunch of lovely handmade things i've been making these last couple years and just can't wait to put them out. the beginning of this year we made a nativity scene that will find a home this year...my glitter trees...my snowmen ornaments in a bowl...can't wait to get all my snowmen out and arrange them by color. of course.

10. swimming and walking...so desperately need to. moving more. thinking that just might be my one little word for next year...move...more

10 foods I love - part 1

(Photo by sheri)

1. garlic. most of my recipes include garlic. i love garlic. i love the bite garlic adds to foods. i prefer fresh garlic chopped or minced but i've been known to sprinkle on a bit of powdered. hoosier man prefers powdered. but i prefer pulling out my chopper and banging out 5-6 cloves of chopped garlic to add some amazing flavor and goodness to my food. i hear garlic is good for you too.

(Photos by google images)

2. zucchini. we probably eat more zucchini than any other vegetable. oh my, i love zucchini. saute it, roast it, bake it, fry it, love it. it is my go-to vegetable. i love making my zucchini casserole, sauteed zucchini served up with anything, and roasted zucchini served up with - well - anything, my zucchini pie - oh yum!

(Photo by sks bottle)

3. red peppers. in particular but not necessarily limited to roasted red peppers. so sweet, so yummy. i cannot abide by slimy cooked red peppers though. leave the crunch on. i'm craving just thinking about red peppers.

(Photo by PW)

4. salsa. actually the salsa i make. a while back i nabbed the recipe from PW and made it my own. and i love it. while it is not a staple in our house (like, it isn't in our frig all the time) when i make it i love it. the mingling flavors are there. in each bite. i can taste them. the tomatoes, the garlic, the onions, the jalapenos, the cilantro, the hint of lime - oh, yum!

(Photo by food network)

5. pickled beets. i suppose you are wondering where that came from. i am pretty much the only one in my family who loves, adores, pickled beets. so, i rarely make them but i don't love them any less. i must say here though that the best pickled beets i've ever eaten my mother-in-law had canned. i still remember them. sweet and tangy goodness.

10 places we've been - homeschooling 101

1. we first visited Yorkshire, England when we read a murder for her majesty. set in the elizabethan era, alice a young girl, after witnessing her father's murder flees and takes refuge with the choirboys of a large cathedral, posing as none other than a choirboy. the book has much mystery and intrigue to keep attentions

2. we joined 17-year estaban, a cartographer accused of stealing the kings fifth, and a band of conquistadors in a search for the golden city of Cibola in an unknown land, but is now america's great southwest.

3. then we were off to join joanna sprague on her journey that begins on the atlantic ocean waters and makes her way to the massachusetts bay colony as a bond servant to a wealthy family of ironworks owners in the iron peacock.

4. we fast forwarded in time to a more modern-day tale in the middle of nowhere but desert, Camp Green Lake where Stanley Yelnats is serving out his sentence and is digging many holes.

5. we spent alot of time in the forests of northeast america near lake champlain and fort william henry with the last of the mohicans

6. then we joined teenager, madeliene as she takes up arms to defend her home, family, and country from the iroquois in 17th century new france, canada

7. along with daniel and his family we escaped france to the island of guadaloupe before finding refuge in the northeast

8. off to japan in search of a mystery

9. we visited brazil during the times of the porteguise inquisitions

10. we are presently in london, the tower of london, the slums of london in the 1730s.

our travels. our adventures. our most favorite part of homeschooling.

10 gifts

 
#50 golden skies

#51 days of clear skies and cooler temperatures

#52 extra days of work

#53 a weekend alone with hoosier man

#54 the book of zechariah

#55 the joy of reading for myself, for my boys, for a common joy with hoosier man

#56 no air conditioning needed which means lower electricity bills, which means fresh air moving, which means snuggling in bed

#57 homeschool co-op teachers willing to teach my boys human anatomy, writing and spanish

#58 spiritual mentors i've had over time: kathy, dee, jo, joy - to name a few

#59 our small groups willingness, desire to dig deep into the Word of God + fellowship + laugher + discuss the Word of God + share

 

10 on tuesday - clouds

 
1. i worked yesterday and observed this...

 
2. and stood in awe of this...

 
3. and was amazed at this...

 
4. and smiled at this...

 
5. and remembered...

 
6. to thank God...

 
7. for His creation...

 
8. for giving me this upwelling joy...

 
9. whenever I see...

 
10 clouds formed by His hands...just for me.

10 things on tuesday I dandelions

when i was little and living in pennslvania with my family i remember dandelions in the yard where we lived.

 
1. i remember the yard full of them at times.

 
2. i remember blowing the dandy out of those lions

 
3. i never thought much about them other than the enjoyment of picking and blowing on those dandelions and watching the 'flower petals' float away.

 
4. then i forgot about dandelions.

 
5. where do dandelions grow?

 
6. i wonder. because i don't find many dandelions anymore

 
7. and some how i've made my way back to loving dandelions.

 
8. dandelions are at the mercy of the wind. and the wind is controlled by God. what are a dandelions purpose except to grow in a field. and flitter about to and fro pollunating more field of their loveliness.

 
9. and for the young to pick and blow and move to the next and pick and blow and watch dandelion float away in the wind

 
10 and the not-so-old, but older, enjoy them.

 

 

all photos via pinterest

10 things on Tuesday - backyard dreams

 
1. a lap pool. probably the most elaborate dream. would be doable if we had the money.

 
2. would actually like many of these lovelies, in multiple colors: turquoise, orange, lime, red, blue...with little side tables between them

 
3. something like this would be nice with the steps going down into...

 
4. a fire pit area...with seating around it of course and those same steps could go down to another area...

 
5. of relaxing

 
6. and rest

 
7. with decorations like this...

 
8. and tables like this...

 
9. and some outdoor mini-gardens like this...

 
10. and the most ultimate backyard dream, even beyond the lap pool.

 

10 things on tuesday - turquoise

 
1. yes

 
2. backyard

 
3. guestroom

 
4. want

 
5. craftroom

 
6. again

 
7. awesome!

 
8. love

 
9. table

 
10. too much?

10 things on tuesday - words

 
1. Agree.

 
2. one of my most favorite verses. it changes my thoughts. changes my focus. turns things around.

 
3. remind me...

 
4. love this. want it for my bedroom. awesome words. awesome song.

 
5. i wish. (and really love the chalkboard idea for writing just any words for the day)

 
6. sad. funny. but true.

 
7. i really want this sign. the words already adorn our front door and our home (but i really love the rusticness...is that a word..of the sign)

 

8. i love c.s. lewis. and love the words. i don't know who first penned it but along the same lines 'God never meant for us to retire'. in other words, there is always work to be done...the harvest is plenty. and in other words, no one has ever 'paid their dues'. we often hear that from people as they get older. it makes me wonder 'did they get it'. hoosier man and i have a friend named Jenni who lost her husband a couple years ago now. he (they) were serving the Lord, ministering to young couples until the day he died...literally...we talked to her just this last week...she was sharing how her ministering is going...she's in her late 60's, early 70's. amazing example.

 
9. the monster at the end of the book...and you were soo scared...

love it.

read it to ian just last month.

great words. great read.

 

10. there is a story behind these words.