Making Kefir From Powdered Cultures
Posted on 2008-Jul-19 at 02:00 by Crystal Miller - 8 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Kefir is a cultured milk product similar to yogurt only thinner and much easier to make and reculture. If you would like to know more specific information on kefir I have an article written by a friend of mine on my site to give you more info. You can read that HERE. It has all the wonderful qualities of yogurt with the good probiotics your body needs to stay healthy.
Kefir can be made in two ways. One is to purchase kefir grains (you can read more about this in the above mentioned article). You soak milk in the grains, strain the grains and put the grains back into a clean jar and fill with milk, let it sit on your counter overnight and the next morning it is ready. I have made kefir with grains in the past. There were a few things I did not care for. One was it was a lot of maintenance. Unless you stop making kefir you have to strain it out daily and that adds up to a lot of kefir to use every day. Also the longer I made it the stronger the taste became and my family was not too thrilled with it. So I purchased some powdered kefir cultures and made it and was so much happier with the results. This is the method I will show you how to make.
I like making kefir because it is so easy! It is much easier to make than yogurt. You don’t need a lot of equipment other than a large stainless steel pot, a thermometer and a few canning jars. I use 2 2-quart jars but you can use 4 1-quart jars if that is what you have.
Besides that you will need one gallon of milk (I use whole milk) and a package of powdered kefir culture. You can purchase your cultures online at Leeners http://www.leeners.com/cheesesupply.html#buttermilk . I have purchased cheese cultures and rennet, kefir cultures, yogurt starter, buttermilk starter and more from them many times. They are a GREAT company with excellent prices and I highly recommend them.
After your cultures arrive in the mail you can gather your needed items together and get ready to make kefir! This pictures shows the jars with their lids (I buy plastic lids from Walmart or Azure Standard, they are made by Ball), a thermometer, the packet of culture and one gallon of milk.
Pour your gallon of milk into the stainless steel pot and put it on the stove.
Set your oven at medium high IF you will be watching the pot. If not you can set it on low and stir occasionally as it heats up. In any case stir now and again and check the temperature of the milk
As soon as it reaches 86 degrees remove the pot from the stove. Open the packet of kefir cultures, sprinkle over the milk and stir until dissolved
Now it is time for pour the mixture into your canning jars. I like to use a canning funnel for this job. It is not absolutely necessary but helps keep the mess at a minimum.
Fill both jars to the top
Put the lid on them and let them sit out on the counter for 12 to 18 hours. I try and make this in the later afternoon and then just let it sit on the counter till morning.
When the time is up you can open the lid and there is your kefir! As you can see it is nice and thick.. but not as thick as yogurt. The consistency is more like thick buttermilk.
When you start to run out of kefir it is even easier to make more.
Fill a clean canning jar ¼ full of kefir. Pour milk to the top of the jar. Cover and leave out at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. And that is it!!
Kefir can be used in place of milk or yogurt in smoothies. That is how I like to use it most often. I have used it also in place of buttermilk for baking. But my favorite use is in smoothies.
Here is a delicious and simple strawberry kefir smoothie recipe that is perfect for these warm summer days.
Strawberry Kefir Smoothie
Crystal Miller
1 heaping cup fresh strawberries (frozen will also work)
1 cup kefir
Honey to taste, optional
Gather your ingredients together
Put kefir and strawberries into your blender.
Turn your blender on high and mix until all is smooth (taste to see if you want to add a little honey for sweetener at this point).
Pour into a glass
Serve to your eager and appreciative family! :)
And enjoy!
Questions from Mrs. Incredible!!
Posted on 2008-Jul-18 at 03:28 by Kim Wolf<>< - 1 Comments - Post Comment - Link
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1. Who is your man? My main squeeze: Ty
2. How long have you been together? 1st date was March '83 and we married in October of '84.
3. How long dated? 18 1/2 months.
4. How old is your man? 46 - 3 years younger than me...but don't tell anyone!
5. Who eats more? HIM!
6. Who said “I love you” first? He did...FINALLY!
7. Who is taller? He is...6'1" and 5'7".
8. Who sings better? HE does! Even thought we both sing, I love listening to him...he sings like Michael McDonald.
9. Who is smarter? That's a tuffy...it really depends on the subject...we each have our strengths.
10. Whose temper is worse? His.
11. Who does the laundry? Usually me, but we all do some.
12. Who takes out the garbage? Usually Ty and one of the girls.
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Looking at the bed, I do.
14. Who pays the bills? If they're mailed, he does; if they're someplace local, I do.
15. Who is better with the computer? Since Ty is a computer analyst, he'd get upset if I said I am!  So, we'll just leave it at that!
16. Who mows the lawn? Ty. But when we get a rider, I'll do some.
17. Who cooks dinner? I do.
18. Who drives when you are together? He nearly always does...now...ask who's had more wrecks! eh hem...not me!
19. Who pays when you go out? Ty.
20. Who is most stubborn? Ty.
.21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Me.
22. Whose parents do you see the most? My mom.
23. Who kissed who first? He kissed me first! He was such a gentleman...he even asked first.
24. Who asked who out? He wanted to, but before he could, I asked him to go with my family and I for my 24th b-day dinner.
25. Who proposed? He did, VERY romantically!
26. Who is more sensitive? Me...but he pouts.
27. Who has more friends? Pretty even there...we have many 'couples' friends.
28. Who has more siblings? Ty.
29. Who wears the pants in the family? Ty. But we discuss important decisions and he has the final say. Sometimes it ends up being my idea, sometimes his.
30. How did you meet? Back when Gregg & Sono Harris still lived in the Dayton, Ohio area, Gregg had a singles' Bible study on Friday nights at Wright State University. I met Ty on my very first night there!
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A Funny Thing Happened on my Way to Crosswalk.com...
Posted on 2008-Jul-17 at 10:57 by Kim Wolf<>< - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Hey! I just stopped by Crosswalk.com and...lo and behold...they re-posted one of my articles! http://www.crosswalk.com/homeschool/1273983/ That was a nice surprise. (I need to up-date my info with them! )
Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><
ATTENTION OHIO HOMESCHOOLERS!!! OHIO LAW IN JEOPARDY!!
Posted on 2008-Jul-17 at 10:12 by Kim Wolf<>< - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Ohio homeschool law is up for review!! PLEASE read the notice below and PLEASE go to the website given!!! This is SO IMPORTANT!!! We face the possibility of losing the law we have enjoyed since 1989!!! KW<><
July 17, 2008
Ohio--Urgent--Your Help is Needed to Stop
Revisions of the Homeschool Regulations!
Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,
If Ohio homeschoolers do not act, they may face stricter homeschool
regulations.
For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Ohio Department of
Education (ODE) has initiated a formal review process of the home
education rules in the Ohio Administrative Code Section 3301-34. It
is imperative that every Ohio resident who is concerned about
homeschooling freedom register his or her opinion regarding proposed
changes. The comment period is now open and will last only until
August 8.
Ohio law dictates that the ODE review regulations every 5 years to
determine what changes, if any, should be made. O.A.C. 3301-34 was
enacted in 1989, and until now, the ODE has not found any revisions to
be necessary during the 5-year review. Even though the regulations
have worked very well for the past 19 years, the ODE has decided that
this time, changes are warranted.
The most important message Ohio residents can convey to the ODE is
that the regulations do not need to change. If enough people support
the current regulations, we may be able to stop the revision process
before it begins.
ACTION NEEDED
1. Go to http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=5316 and register your
comments about the ODE's intent to change O.A.C. 3301-34. The
deadline to comment is August 8.
2. Forward this message to others. Anyone who is a "stakeholder" may
register comments. This means that if you homeschool in Ohio, have
previously homeschooled in Ohio, are considering homeschooling in
Ohio, or have a family member or friend who is homeschooling in Ohio,
you may comment to the ODE.
3. It is important to comment in your own words--please do not simply
copy and paste someone else's message. If your message is not
original, it is possible that it will not be counted as an individual
response.
Ohio homeschool leaders are also closely monitoring this situation.
For more information on the review process, please visit
http://ohiohsalert.org/ .
Sincerely,
Michael P. Donnelly, Esq.
HSLDA Staff Attorney
Simple Hospitality.......
Posted on 2008-Jul-17 at 08:09 by In His Hands - 1 Comments - Post Comment - Link
(This is a reposting from last year.)
( I saw that someone else here at HSB was reading the book.)
Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!
I have been reading the book written by Jane Jarrell, titled, "Simple Hospitality". I thought I might share a little of it with you here each day.
I really enjoyed reading this one thing that she wrote about using the letters that spell out the word "hospitalty". So today we look at the H.
H--Hospital For The Soul
Why does one go to the hospital? To visit, maybe, or to welcome a new person into the world. But oftentimes it's because our bodies are broken.A hospital can be a place to go for healing and repair.
So the word hospitable is taken from the word hospital, which means a charitable institution, a repair shop, a hospice, or a shelter. Hospitality is a shelter for the soul, healing for the spirit. So when we open our home in the true spirit of hospitality or when we bring our gifts of hospitality outside of our homes, we are offering hospitality!!
The Bible states it this way: Romans 12:9-13, "Let love be without dissimulation.....v10, Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;. .vs12, Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; vs13, Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality."
So real Christian hospitality isn't an option, it is what God commands.
Tomorrow, we will move on to the next letter "O".
Today I will cover "O" & "S", Since I did not have time to do it yesterday. So here we go!!
O-Obedience
Some may think focusing on hospitality is frivolous or a waste of time. But in reality it is nothing less than obeying God's clear command in Scripture. Hospitality was not Martha Stewart's invention; it was God's!! Romans 12 paints an incredible picture of what it means to truely give our lives to God......In these selfless acts, we serve not only those in need but Christ Himself. Hospitality is obeying God by cheerfully serving others.
S-Simplicity
If we don't approach hospitality simply, most of us won't do it at all. When we exchange the harried hoopla for the heartfelt, everyone is blessed. Can we be comfortable when everything is not perfect, or do we always need to put on a show for people? As one lady states "I don't want to buy your house, I just want to visit." Simplicity brings us closer to having authentic relationships. Our fucus is on our guests, not on the "stuff" that surrounds us.
(All of the above is taken from the book, Simple Hospitality, written by Jane Jarrell.)
Come back Monday for "P" !!
Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!
I have not forgotten this, I just have been busy around the house. That is why I am a home-keeper. Now Back to the series on Hospitality......
P--Prayer
Hospitality involves prayer. Ask God to show you who and how to show hospitality to. God will show you the when, the how, and the what that someone might need. I may not know what a person needs at the time but God knows!! You should always ask God for His blessing on the gathering you are about to have with someone, no matter how small or large the number will be.
I--Intimacy
Intimacy is sharing who you are and what you are to others. You need this type of relationship with your husband, your family and your friends, but nurturing genuine intimacy takes time and effort.
Cell phones and emails are nice, but we need to take time to sit quietly with a friend sometimes. You never know where they are at or what they may need.. Time plus realness plus genuine caring equals intimacy.
(all of this is taken from the book "Simple Hospitality" written by Jane Jarrell.)
Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!
T--To Go
Are you ready to take your kindness on the road? Do you have a plan or list of ideas that will work in a hurry?
Keep a few recipes with the ingredients on hand so that you can prepare a meal or a welcoming treat for someone in need.
There is something extra-special about busy people who take the time to reach out and help others.
A--Acknowledge and Appreciate
We all have our own gifts, but what about those who are known for the hospitality? They also need a "dose" of hospitality sometimes. They need to be acknowledged for their kindness, appreciated for the efforts and recipients of the hospitality of others.
Most of us are "takers' by nature and unless we make a conscious effort, we"ll always take and forget to give back. Those who are more "givers", either by nature or intent, often get taken for granted.
In our busy lives, gratitude is often felt yet not expressed.
L--Lifestyle
Hospitality is a lifestyle, a ministry lifestyle. God weaves it into our hearts. We all need each other to make the body of Christ its best. You are making the commitment to a lifestyle of opening up your heart to others on a regular basis.
You will need to start small, perhaps by committing to one act of hospitality each month. Gradually you will see how easy it is and move towards once a week and before you know it you will be asking God to show you someone in need everyday!!
Take time to ask God to show you how He might use you today, this week or this month. You are allowing God to work through you and when He is working , we can not fail.
I will write about the last three letters tomorrow. Don't forget to come back and read.
The Last Part on "Simple Hospitality ......
I--Ideas
When looking for ideas for hospitality, scan your favorite magazines, talk with your friends or keep a simple notebook or card file with your favorite recipes, holiday decorating ideas, party themes, or anything else that spurs your hospitality thinking. Just keep it simple, and honest. Let God's love show through you and that will be all that you need to make any time a good time to visit.
T--Time
We are all short on time for the things that we want to do or need to do. That is why hospitality is such a valuable gift to others. It means we gave them our most precious resource: our time.
Think of things to do for hospitality for others when you are doing for your family. Double a casserole for dinner one night and freeze the one for a family that may be in need, or a mother who may be sick at the time.
When baking cookies for your family, bake a few more to brighten someone's day. Out buying groceries? Cut back on one thing or two for snacks and make up a meal for a new mom.
If your time is limited, begin your quest to hospitality with small things and think about other ways that you will want to show it when your time allows for it.
Y--You
To show hospitality to others, you must first love yourself so that you are capable of loving others. This means taking care of yourself so that you are able to take care of others.When we've taken the time to put our own hearts in order, we are freed to reach beyond ourselves to meet others where they are.
More....Simple Hospitality.....
75 Cost Saving Tips....
Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 01:09 by HandsNHearts - 1 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Good Cheap Food
1. Buy raw ingredients instead of prepackaged foods. If you don’t know how to cook, learn. You’ll save on food bills, and your body will thank you for it in the long run.
2. Buy in bulk from a local health food store, or place bulk orders directly with mail-order companies. If you can’t meet their minimum order size, go in on an order with another family, or organize a larger food buying club.
3. Avoid the middleman and buy directly from farmers. Look for farm stands, community supported agriculture programs and farmers markets.
4. Eat fruits and vegetables in season, when they are least expensive. (Once, we found organic watermelon for three cents a pound!) Stock up when they’re cheap and freeze or can any excess for later use.
5. Keep up with what’s in your refrigerator and make sure nothing spoils. Once a week, make soup or casseroles to use up vegetables and other leftovers.
6. Calculate the price of food per pound when you visit supermarkets. Doing the math will help you spot good deals.
7. Don’t overeat. When you do, you’re flushing money down the drain.
How to Avoid Rent
8. Find a live-in elder care position and help someone stay out of a nursing home. There’s always someone desperate for reliable help, and often there are no qualifications needed other than compassion.
9. Help renovate a house in exchange for lodging. This is how we came into our current home.
For the rest of the article, click here....Mother Earth News
Piggies on The Homestead and other chat
Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 11:56 by HandsNHearts - 1 Comments - Post Comment - Link
We have a bred sow coming to the homestead tomorrow afternoon and I'm hardly ready for her. She is due within the month, so we'll work on a suitable section of the barn for her, ready for piglets. Hmmm....how many piglets might we have here soon?
Our Miss Kitty came up from the barn Tuesday to eat, as she usually does. She weaned her Easter morning kittens a while back, and has been looking just this side of side-splitting the past couple of weeks, so we've been watching her to see when she might drop her newest litter of kittens. Well, after her meal, she stretched out, lounging in the sunshine of the front steps, and all of a sudden one of the youngers came running in -- "Miss Kitty pooped on the porch". Gee...nice. Upon walking outside, the comment changed, though, to "Miss Kitty didn't poop poop...she pooped out a kitten" complete with lots of eeeewwwwws and a couple of awww, gross.
See the benefits of living on a homestead and homeschooling? Yeah...neither did I. I think we need some new lessons in how babies, baby kitties at least, are born.
Either way, Miss Kitty seemed a bit caught off guard this time around. This is her 3rd litter...first she had only 3 and none made it to 2 weeks old; then her latest batch, our Easter kittens, numbering 5. This time, however, Miss Kitty was large enough for way way more....she had 8 total, losing one very tiny weak girl within an hour. I think she's a bit over whelmed with so many. She's a great momma, but she's just a bit weird about it all this time around. She feeds them a short while, then comes out of her 'nesting area' and sits away from them for the longest time. So far, everyone seems to be doing well, so we haven't intervened. Guess I'd have been overwhelmed had all 9 of mine come together at once, too.
We will be starting to set up a table at the local Farm Market here, I'm thinking August 1st. I spoke to the man who runs it and he has no problems at all with our selling baked goods and the like. Our market is very small....only 3 or 4 set up weekly for the most part, but it's a place to wet our feet with all of this and see how it goes. Truthfully, it won't take long for word to spread that "that Amish family with all the kids is selling baked goods" and we'll see if it's worth the time and such to get there. They are open Wednesdays & Fridays, but we'll start with Fridays I think. Well...with school starting, maybe Wednesdays would be better. We plan to sell our loaf bread, maybe some quick breads, assorted cookies and some homemade jellies. I'm not sure about pricing -- what do you think? I know folks around here jump on homebaked goodies, and loaf bread seems to be a treat to many. We thought with school starting, the cookies might go well for lunch box treats. We printed a flyer up to take along as we won't have all these things with us each time unless things go really well...
Peanut Butter $2.00/dozen with nuts $2.50/dozen
Chocolate Chip $2.00/dozen with nuts $2.50/dozen
Oatmeal Raisin $2.00/dozen with nuts $2.50/dozen
Cinnamon Spice Cookies $2.00
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip $2.00/dozen
Amish Sugar Cut-Outs $3.00/dozen w/icing glaze
Homemade Granola $2.50/quart $5.00/gallon
Breakfast Crescents 3/$1.00
Homemade Jellies $2.50/pint
White or Honey Wheat Loaf Bread $3.00/loaf
Mini Loaves, White or Honey Wheat only $1.50 each
Pumpkin Bread, Applesauce Bread, Banana Bread $3.00/loaf
Everything will be made with fresh ground flour -- if not, we'll note that -- and the honey we use as sweetener is local. The Breakfast Crescents are quicka nd easy -- the Market opens early, so we thought it might be a good thing to have along.
Do I need to print a basic kind of label for anything, do you think? A listing of ingredients, at least...we thought about just listing that on the flyer and bagging the goodies up in a simply manner.
Either way, that's the game plan at this stage. Something else we have talked about is using the church Sunday School room for a school room. I know, I know...homeschooling means home. The children are a bit distracted here...phone calls, just plain ol' nice weather outside, etc. We talked to Bro Bud about using the room at church....remember, our church is smaller than small....and he will run the thought past the Trustee Board, but he doesn't see a problem. My line of thought here is this: we do morning chores and head up the 2 miles to church early in the morning, 8 am at the latest. We pack a basket of homeschool needs and a water jug (I don't want to be a burden to the small church's resources, such as water and electricity...we will use th lights in that room, but not the a/c). Schooling is done without distractions around us, or the urge to get up to do something that truly could wait. All in all, we should be back home aroun noonish- 1 pm. Then the tasks of the homestead day can be accomplished, with plenty of time for dinner preps as well.
Our little church is just that...little. There are under 40 members on 'the roll' and most of them home-bound and elderly, so the attendance is typically 25-30, including ourselves. It was only in the last 5-7 years that the church got electricity and a couple of a/c units, as well as a wall gas heater. Plumbing isn't much older. This is a rural church with folks who have lived lives of frugality that would be a test to most of us. They truly have a make do or do without frame of mind. I don't want to create a burden, so we offered to sort of 'rent' the room for schooling...a fee to cover whatever increase in electricity or water they might see. That was met with rather deep offense, though. We are family and the church is there for the community, plain and simple. If it doesn't contradict something in The Word of God, then Bro Bud says they have no reason to say no.....and homeschooling lines up with The Word.
We probalby won't do this for any long term, but I do want to see if it will help us get back on the right track. Honestly, it's totally MY fault that we have shifted into a sloppy school schedule around here, and this is really more a band-aid than a true repair. What we need is a repair to character training and responsibility, diligence and so forth. But, I've allowed us to slip pretty far onto the wrong side of distractions, so we need to get rid of them and go with stripped down and bland for a bit to re-focus ourselves I think. I can't strip down the house without a rebellion of large proportions, so this is the next idea in line.
Emily has her last visit to LeBonheur next week -- Friday, July 25th. I'm glad to see an end to this 2-year-long trek, but we'll miss all the wonderful nurses and doctors we've met during our time there. Ahhh, but the savings in gas will be wonderful!
Thursday on the Homestead
Posted on 2008-Jul-17 at 11:21 by Crystal Miller - 2 Comments - Post Comment - Link
This week has been another busy week. Tobin and the boys have been working on firewood and we have over 2/3rd’s of our wood in now and hope to have it all in by the end of the month.
The beautiful and warm summer weather means we all have spent a good deal of our afternoons cooling off in the pond and enjoying the sun.
I have been keeping up on the house and laundry and doing a bit of packaging and labeling of my products and filling orders. I try and get my dinner all done or in the crockpot in the morning which has left my afternoons free and that has been so nice.
Today looks like another warm day so the same program will continue.. housework, meal preps (I really need to do some baking but don’t want to heat up the house to much.. the weekend may be a bit cooler according to the weather man and I can catch up), help with the wood stacking if needed and time at the pond with kids and hubby.
Tomorrow Emily and I will head into town so she can take another CLEP test. This one will be Western Civilization I. She has been studying like a mad woman for this test as it has a lot of info to cover but she feels she will be ready for the test tomorrow. When she is done then we will go and do the weekly grocery shopping (need to finish my grocery list today too).
Updates on my daughter Leanne
She is in Egypt! She arrived on the 11th of July. She called me from the airport before they left the states. She sounded happy and in good spirits and was excited that boot camp was over and they were on their way. Communication from Egypt is not as good as it was from Florida (mail is so slow and no pics to share.. etc…) so I only have the Teen Missions web updates to go on now. If you would like to read what her team has been doing since arriving at the orphanage you can read that here: http://teenmissions.org/updates/article.php?Report_pkey=1008740
Creative use of Leftovers
Now onto budgets and saving money in the kitchen! One way I try to be frugal and save money is by using up all my leftovers. The other day I had made rice and baked chicken legs. We had a good amount of rice leftover, maybe 3 to 4 cups. Two days later the rice was still in the fridge and still good so I thought about what I could make with it. I made Salmon Patties. I did not use a recipe but having made salmon patties and other types of similar patties I was familiar with the best consistency for them. I added 2 cans of drained salmon to my rice (tuna could also be used. I buy canned salmon when it goes on sale and often have several cans in my pantry), 3 or 4 eggs, a little flour to help hold it altogether and some salt and pepper. I heated up the griddle with some olive oil and scooped out quarter cupfuls and fried them on both sides. They were delicious! I made some homemade tartar sauce (mayo, pickle juice, onions, salt, and pepper) and served it with a big green salad.
Dinner tonight will be leftovers again. I made a pot of Spicy Beef and Beans over Rice last night and I think we have enough for tonight’s dinner. If not I will mix the beef and beans with the rice and add broth and a few veggies to make it into a soup. Either way I will serve the meal with a green salad, tortilla chips and salsa.
That’s all from my homestead today! I hope you all have a wonderful day on your homesteads!
So long...
Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 09:50 by Chas - 4 Comments - Post Comment - Link
So long,
 Farewell,
 Auf Wiedersehen,
 Goodbye
Until Monday Dear Ones!!!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas
Entangled....
Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 08:50 by Quiverfull Acres - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
The sun is peaking through the sky with a twilight twinge coming up over the horizon. All voices are quiet and resting. Peaceful. Sleeping. One lonely little voice quietly rumbles under the cool of the morning. "Mommy, hold you, pweese.........mommy, hold you, pweese........zzz....pweese......" Without resisting I pull my tired, morning-sickly pregnant body out of the covers and grab the small voice with reckless abandon. Get her a cup of milk and pull her close to me in the sheets.
Satisfied and happy. Her legs entangle my legs and her hands, my mid-back length hair. She rubs my face with sweet little hands. Caressing gently the beauty and grace that signifies, to her, love and comfort. My heart swells with feelings of motherhood that only come from deep moments of time and expands all throughout all eternity. She pulls my cheeks and kisses me gently. As gentle as dew on the rosebushes outside the window. "Where did she learn to be so tender?" I lie there thinking to myself for a brief moment and remember the way that I sometimes kiss her. My hands wrapped around her rosy little cheeks and head. My lips gently and smoothly showing her the love of a mother. They do learn what they live.
I am taken back into time, almost 21 years ago when I first planted a loving mother-kiss on my first one. My child that made me a mother. I no longer hold her cheeks and head and entangle with her, but only in our memories. I often see her entangle with the youngers on the sofa reading aloud to them. I often see her giving kisses everso gently to the littles. I think...."yes, this she learned from me...the gentle art of "mothering"." She will carry this into her own life in the future and make her own memories.
In the present, daylight strongly breaks into the windows and the quiet is broken with the alarm clocks, signifying a new workday. Soon, all voices will be rattling the rafters and feet will be scurrying along the wooden floors and the day will be in full force. For now though, I lay enraptured in my thoughts of mothering. Entangled with the baby of two years. Listening. Breathing. Holding her while she sleeps again.
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I'm here to learn more about gardening, preserving, and general homemaking. I have 5 wonderful children, we homeschool and live in New England.