Butter and Honey

Love, Love, Love Fireworks!

10:59, Saturday, July 4, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

We saw our first set of fireworks tonight and looking forward to more next weekend!

Did you get to see some fireworks??

My Country, Tis of Thee

10:50, Saturday, July 4, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

One last patriotic song from our devotional time at church -

My Country, 'Tis of Thee

by Samuel Francis Smith

My country, 'tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the pilgrims' pride,

From every mountainside

Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,

Land of the noble free,

Thy name I love;

I love thy rocks and rills,

Thy woods and templed hills;

My heart with rapture thrills,

Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,

And ring from all the trees

Sweet freedom's song;

Let mortal tongues awake;

Let all that breathe partake;

Let rocks their silence break,

The sound prolong.

Our father's God to Thee,

Author of liberty,

To Thee we sing.

Long may our land be bright,

With freedom's holy light,

Protect us by Thy might,

Great God our King.

America the Beautiful

10:30, Saturday, July 4, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Another wonderful patriotic song from our devotional time today at church. Also, another song that I've never heard or sung the in its' entirety.

America The Beautiful

by Katharine Lee Bates

O beautiful, for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

O beautiful, for pilgrim feet

Whose stern, impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America! God mend thine every flaw;

Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law!

O beautiful, for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America! May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness, and every gain divine!

O beautiful, for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years,

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!

The Star Spangled Banner

10:24, Saturday, July 4, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Today at our church picnic, we sang this - among other patriotic songs - and it was wonderful! I had never seen, or maybe just didn't pay attention to the other three verses to this wonderful song. Maybe you haven't either - so I wanted to share it.

The Star Spangled Banner,
a.k.a. The Defence of Fort Henry,

by Francis Scott Key

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Godly, Uplifting Reading Material

08:23, Thursday, July 2, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

I've been lamenting the scarcity of good reading material for Dear Daughter, 11, recently. We read godly books together but the books she reads on her own have either been the talking animal kind that I really don't like and want to move away from or they are just silliness which is a waste of time.

This morning a dear friend shared a find; a quiet book that her daughter of the same age had picked up recently at the homeschool used book sale. "A---- found a treasure of a book at the booksale! It is called the Little Woodchopper. It is a short read with a very good story and lots of scripture. Has anyone read it before? It is about a boy whose father never taught him and his brothers about God until he was dying."

This was a reminder to me that in my search for reading material for Dear Daughter, I came across a wonderful site I wanted to share that is FULL of not only suggested reading but also scriptural guidelines for WHAT we should be reading.

Christian Books for Christian Homes

A few quotes from Christian Books for Christian Homes :

"A frequently overlooked or oft times neglected necessity in the proper training of our children is monitoring what our children read and providing in the home good Christian literature which will guide them to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, encourage them to serve Him and obey His Word, and will teach them honesty, kindness, purity, self-control, faithfulness, etc. It is also important to inculcate in our children the life-long practice of reading good Christian literature and the knowledge needed to discern that which is not Christian and biblical."

~~~~~

"However strong and exalted your character, never read a bad book. By the time you get through the first chapter you will see the drift. If you find the marks of the hoofs of the devil in the pictures, or in the style, or in the plot, away with it. You may tear your coat, or break a vase, and repair them again, but the point where the rip or fracture took place will always be evident. It takes less than an hour to do your heart a damage which no time can entirely repair. Look carefully over your child's library; see what book it is that he reads after he has gone to bed, with the gas turned upon the pillow. Do not always take it for granted that a book is good because it is a Sunday school book. As far as possible, know who wrote it, who illustrated it, who published it, who sold it."

T. DeWitt Talmage (1832-1902)

Now, I have to admit that several of the books listed are ones that have been on my Want to Get list for awhile, I just haven't done it. Shame on me. Once we have knowledge we are also responsible for what we do with it and so I am using this new knowledge/instruction/exhortation and will place an order today!

If you have children at home, I hope you will take a few minutes to read Christian Books for Christian Homes and give your young ones the very best not only in reading material but also the best example and testimony for their Christian walk. I'm also compelled to ask - What do you spend your free time reading? Serial books? Magazines? Do your children see you reading your Bible? Do they know from watching you that reading the Bible is the most important book they can read?

"Give the Bible the honour due to it every day you live. Whatever you read, read that first. And beware of bad books: there are plenty in this day. Take heed what you read. I suspect there is more harm done to souls in this way than most people have an idea is possible. Value all books in proportion as they are agreeable to Scripture. Those that are nearest to it are the best, and those that are farthest from it, and most contrary to it, the worst."

J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)

an update

03:23, Wednesday, July 1, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Surgery went well, no surprises except for a fourth of my back being encased in gauze and tape, seriously limiting the movement of my left arm.

I can still hold my Bible and a knitting needle, though. ;-)

And this has also given me time to work on my Mega Memory Challenge of memorizing the Hallel Psalms.

Psalm 113 -

Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, Praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised.
The LORD is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens.

Thank you for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers. Every single one of them is appreciated and proves the goodness of the LORD.

Blessings to you!

Another Adventure

09:33, Monday, June 29, 2009 .. 2 comments .. Link

Today was yet another adventure at the local medical facility.

Have you ever realized that people who know a lot about the way things work take it for granted that everyone knows the way things work, too?

Well, I found that out today. See, I was told last week that I would need to go to Nuclear Medicine the day before my surgery and drink something. That's it. Okay, no big deal. Nuclear Medicine? Are You Kidding?! That sounds like a fun place! Anyway, I arrive at the allotted time and innocently mention that I'm here for my drink. The receptionist is immediately on point and asking what drink? Who said you would be drinking something? When were you told this? What were you told you were going to drink? I stepped back and took a breath - whoa! I'm just here for my appointment. drink, no drink, do what you need to do.

So, it turns out that the drink, which the first surgeon mentioned (I think!) is actually four small bubble injections of a radioactive substance - Technitium 99, (tek-ni-shum) for those who are either incredibly curious, or like my Dear Son #2 have a very odd fascination with the Periodic Table of Elements - which they then trace through their PET scan or whatever it was to the lymph nodes nearest to my mole/melanoma. Oh, and the injections? They BURNED going in. Four times. Burning. Ouch. And the best part is that I got to lay on my stomach for over an hour on a long, hard table. I've probably never mentioned this before, no need to really, but I never lay on my stomach. I really dislike laying on my stomach. After about five minutes my back starts talking to me - "Why are you laying like this?" "This is not comfortable." "Can you move, please?" "WHY. ARE. YOU. LAYING. LIKE. THIS?!" Well, you get the idea. Did I mention that I got to lay on my stomach for over an hour? Oh, I guess I did. It was more like an hour and half, but nobody was really counting I think.

Finally - they let me turn over onto my back so that the doctor can mark three nodes under my arm that the Technitium was traced to. I clarified with the doctor that this simply showed the path of drainage for that area and tells the surgeon that if anything has spread from my mole then this is where it's going to be.

Next is up early for surgery which starts at 7:30/8:00 a.m. If all goes well I will be home by noon.

Fun, Fun, Fun.

Pray for Dear Husband. Pray that he will be calm, that he will have all of his questions answered tomorrow by the surgeon, and that he will simply have the peace that only the LORD can give.

I'm so thankful for family and friends and sisters-in-Christ and a church family and cards and e-mails and phone calls with prayers and encouragements - even prayers all the way from Albania. How sweet is that?

O Give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 118:1

Ann's MMM: Memorizing the Psalms

09:17, Monday, June 29, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

I haven't checked in with Ann for quite awhile and was happily surprised to find that I'm just in time for this year's Mega Memory Month. What's Mega Memory Month? Simply giving ourselves the challenge of stretching our minds by memorizing something BIG - or at least bigger than we usually do. ;-)

It only took me a minute to decide that I really wanted to memorize the Hallel Prayer that Jesus sang with his disciples before his capture and crucifixion, a.k.a. Psalms 113-118.

Okay - so that's the challenge that I have set for myself this month.

What about you?

Click Here to see what others will be memorizing.

I'll post once a week with my progress. :-)

Blessed Evening

11:37, Thursday, June 25, 2009 .. 2 comments .. Link

Today was a great and full day. VBS is going on at church right now so the morning was spent helping there and the afternoon was spent visiting, lunching, and playing Dutch Blitz with some wonderful friends! Husband was away tonight so the children and I had whatever was in the refrigerator for our dinner.

All of that is blessing enough for me, but the evening got better as it went along. After eating I sat down to work on another set of potholders and was SOOO tempted to do the easy thing and turn on the television. It is the normal thing to do when husband is home and - even though I try to avoid it - it becomes a habit by association, ya' know? I really didn't want to go down that road, I wanted the children to spend their time more profitably, and I wanted to spend my time more wisely, too! So I resisted the urge - with the LORD's grace - and instead put in a sermon CD. The children, inspired by a visiting evangelist, decided to make puppets. They settled on sock puppets, since that was easily on hand, and started scrounging through the house for the materials needed.
Making the puppets was a team effort since Dear Son #2 made everyone's mouth, and Dearest Daughter sewed on several sets of eyes. Once the puppets were done, they found a very large cardboard box in the garage and set to work making a puppet theater out of it. And of course what do you do with a puppet theater but put on a show!

By the time the sermon CD was finished ( and it was excellent, too! ) I was also finished with a potholder. Then I started thinking of a young family in our church who are moving across country very soon and what could I do/make/give them as a parting gift that would bless them? I decided on a set of very sweet books for the children and a custom made book bag to hold them in. So out to the garage I went to my not so little stash of fabric and found the perfect one! (I'll take photos in the morning - too late and too tired now.) I puzzled and pressed and pinned and tested a few designs until I got it right and then sewed it all together. It is too, too cute and now I have to make another one for me!

At 10:15 p.m. I put a halt to everything and we cleaned up and got ready for bed, and by that time - they were ready for it! So --- that's our evening. Over five hours spent between dinner and bed using the creativity that the LORD gave us and learning and doing together. If only every day could be like that.

School Uniforms for Homeschoolers

07:18, Tuesday, June 23, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

I got a catalog in the mail today full of all the accessories needed for a stylish year in school uniforms.

So I say, "I think we should get school uniforms! It would be cool and help to promote a feeling of unity among us." :-)

Dear Son #2, without missing a beat, says, "Are we going to get matching pajamas?"

He Hideth My Soul

06:04, Monday, June 22, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,
And filled with His fullness divine,
I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God
For such a Redeemer as mine!

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love
I’ll shout with the millions on high.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

Written by Fanny Crosby, Music by William Kirkpatrick

You can listen to it HERE

Summer

05:09, Monday, June 22, 2009 .. 2 comments .. Link

As I was hanging laundry today - the breeze was blowing and I got this wonderful scent of sunshine and wet towels that immediately brought the memory of summers spent at the pool. A sweet childhood memory.

Things are warming up here; my flowers are starting to wilt about mid-afternoon and need refreshing.

I spoke with a cousin in Nevada today and he said that they've been having rain for TWO Weeks and are approaching the record for most rainfall for their area. This same cousin is dying of lung cancer. He's now on his third month of the three-to-six months the doctors gave him. He says he is feeling fine - no change at all. Wonderful! This cousin is dear to me because he is a link to my paternal grandfather. He is full of stories and memories of a gentle man and I can't get enough of them.

My neighbor is gone visiting her mother. When she arrived, her mother wasn't doing well and so she took her to the doctor. Two brain tumors and one large tumor in her lungs were discovered. Again, in the doctor's wisdom, they have decreed she has six months to live. My neighbor and her sister are trying to figure out how to care for their mother. She was only going to be gone for a week and now she doesn't know when she will be home.

I love hanging my laundry outside. I love to see it blowing in the breeze and to smell the freshness of sunshine on the sheets and shirts. It reminds me of the clothesline at my grandparents farm. Grandma's orange towels and Grandpa's threadbare undershirts waving, sometimes whipping in the wind. It reminds me of the large clothesline of my childhood home. Four long lines the depth of the yard, full of sheets and towels in the spring and summer months. Running in and out of the moving labryinth. Playing with the hose and being careful not to squirt the drying clothes.

Cancer.

It was always so far away from me. My mother dealt with breast cancer several years ago, but then - as now - I had an unexplainable peace that she would be just fine. And she is.

But now it seems to be all around me. In my own home.

I have a date set for my surgery. The glitch on the radar screen is that the surgeon I met with last week has turned my case over to another surgeon "who would be better able to handle" my situation. I'll meet with him this week and discuss his course of action for my surgery.

My flesh tells me I should be troubled.

The Holy Spirit tells me to hide in the cleft of the Rock; to be still and know that He is God; to put my trust in the LORD; to stand in awe of Him.

I Am.

Good Family Reading

10:39, Friday, June 19, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

When I read or hear of good character books - usually ones that have stood the test of time and have NOT been subjected to a revision or even worse - updating - I buy them when possible. Now, when we actually get to read them is another matter. ;-)

This book is one that I bought many years ago and it has patiently waited on the shelf for the right time. We finally started reading it a few weeks ago and couldn't 'bee' more pleased. This book is about two children spending the summer with their grandparents; but the real stories happen in the evening when Grandma sits down to tell the children a character story, almost always something related to the events of their day. The character qualities shared in A Hive of Busy Bees are:

Bee Obedient
Bee Honest
Bee Truthful
Bee Kind
Bee Polite
Bee Gentle
Bee Helpful
Bee Careful
Bee Grateful
Bee Loving
Bee Accepted
Bee Confident
Bee Content
Bee Giving
Bee Clean
Bee Forgiving
Bee Prayerful

Well, the story last night was so, SO good. I would love to share it here with you all but do not want to infringe on any copyright issues, so I will just give you the overview of the story in my own words. The character quality was Bee Giving and told the story of Cripple Tom, a boy born crippled, orphaned at a young age, and now cared for by a woman he calls Granny, living in the third floor attic in the slums of London long ago. He works when he can, sweeping or any little job he can find, but his health finally sends him to his bed for good. While alone and hungry so often, he remembers many nights spent huddled inside of a warm mission where they spoke of a man called Jesus. He realizes there must be something more to learn about this man and so desires a Bible. Granny barely feeds Tom and will not spare the money to buy something needless as a Bible. Then he is visited by a friend who is leaving the city for better prospects. As a parting gift he gives Tom a bright new shilling and is told only to spend it on something he really wants. Tom knows what he really wants and pleads with his friend to go quickly to buy a Bible for him before the shops close for the night. His friend reluctantly agrees and Tom's greatest wish is fulfilled. Over the next months his body dwindles as his faith grows. He learns the way of salvation, with the Holy Spirit as his teacher, and he learns that being obedient to the will of God means sharing Jesus with others. But what could he do, alone in his room with no visitors? He offers to give up his portion of milk if Granny will instead buy him paper. He then writes verses, as the Lord directs, folds the papers up, prays over them, and drops them out of his window onto the sidewalk below.
You'll have to buy the book if you want to read the rest - but I will tell you that I choked up several times at this very tender and touching story of a simple faith and a child willing to truly give his all for the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is also a second book - Another Hive of Busy Bees.

Growing in Grace

09:09, Friday, June 19, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

Oh, the difficult subject of delayed obedience. This is a too frequent occurence within our home, but there was a particular issue where it came up this past week.

Delayed obedience = Disobedience; but it really goes farther than that. In this situation it was my older son exerting his will over mine. Many would say that he is at "that age" where him stretching his wings or testing the boundaries is to be expected.
The Bible says Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long on the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Exodus 20:12
Honor thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long upon the earth. Ephesians 6:2-3

When this happened, I quickly felt how he was putting his will, his wants ahead of my request and honestly I was hurt by that because I strive to keep an open, loving relationship with each of my children. But they are not my friends, they are my children - whom I have a responsibility to train up in the ways of righteousness. Mercifully, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the greater picture - and brought out that mirror which gives me a glimpse of the log within my own eye. I understood the steps to disobedience and the consequences of it.

Think of self above all else - this can be a trap also when we buy into the enemy's lie/line of "Just a second" or "Just a minute" ANY delay = disobedience or disregard for the other person
When confronted: make an excuse, deny, distract
Disobedience causes hurt feelings on both sides - and a broken fellowship
Fellowship can only be restored by humility on the one side and forgiveness on the other

As the Holy Spirit showed me these things, I was painfully aware of my own very great shortcomings. I can easily justify things in my head BUT when I do not do the things that I am supposed to do, when I neglect obligations, when I "just don't seem to get to" the things that my husband has particularly asked me to do - even though I have all the intention in the world of doing it (when it is convenient for me) - I am delaying my obedience/disobeying the Lord. What has the Lord given me to do? Be a helpmeet to my husband, bring up my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, be a keeper at home so that my husband safely trusts in me, and love my neighbor (everyone else!) When I neglect these because I am tired, or I feel like doing something else - visiting with friends or sitting down with a craft project, or I waste time on the computer, spend too much time on the phone, all of these things are what I choose to do instead of being diligent and obediently taking care of the tasks the Lord has given me.

As I thought about and sorrowed over this, I also realized that if I felt a sadness and a break in relationship with my son over his small act of will, how much does the Lord sorrow over my willfulness? And just as I expected my son to seek my forgiveness, how often have I approached my Lord, my King, my heavenly Father, and my beloved Bridegroom to seek his forgiveness? How often have I seen my delays for what they are - ME first, others when it is convenient?

How often? Not often enough.

How often do I think of my neglect in the harsh light of scripture? Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them Exodus 20:3-5a When I serve myself (and my own wants and desires) before serving others, then I have become my own idol.

I thank the Lord for his grace and his patience in teaching me, and I'm so grateful for his mercies - It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness Lamentations 3:22-23

Blessings to You!

My Wednesday

10:51, Wednesday, June 17, 2009 .. 2 comments .. Link

Today was quite a day and I'm glad it's over!

I finally got to chat with a friend this morning - I hadn't talked to her for almost two weeks and we had some catching up to do. Then it was time to head out the door and take care of some paperwork that has been hanging over me for awhile. Dear Son #3 decided to go with me and Dear Son # 2 and Dearest Daughter wanted to stay home and work on Spanish and play with Playmobil (respectively.)

First stop was to the Angel's house (a.k.a. Dearest Son #1) to drop off some completed paperwork for a camp that he will be attending in September.
Then down the street to our dentist's office to pay our bill.
Next was a trip to the city next door and more paperwork for the Angel. He's turning 23 this year and so I've had a few hoops to jump through in getting all of the necessary forms filled out properly in order to keep him on our health insurance as a disabled dependent. I had a form that the Dr. needed to initial and then send from the office, and I had an annual Physical Report that Angel's house needs filled out for their Community Care Licensing. The trouble was that it was already 20 minutes till noon when we were getting on the highway and I wasn't sure if the business office went to lunch at 12:00 or 12:30 p.m. We got stuck in some unexpected traffic and what should have been a five minute trip became a 20+ minute trip. By the time we finally got parked I was sure hoping that the office lunch hour started at 12:30. YES! The clock read 12:15 and the office window was still open! Oh No! I left home without filling out some info -- a quick call home so DS #2 could find it for me (Thank you, Lord, for cell phones and very capable teenaged sons!!), a few consent forms filled out and signed, wait a little bit for other people in line, and after a double-check to make sure that everything is in order and the doctor knows what he needs to do we are finished. Yeah!

What was going to be our last stop, and the reason why Dear Son #3 wanted to come with me, was the local used book store. They have shelves and shelves of everything and you never know what you are going to find. I did have a few things that I wanted to find -- and didn't. BUT I did find some wonderfully unexpected treasures! For me, an early 1975 copy of Carla Emery's Old Fashioned Recipe Book a.k.a The Encyclopedia of Country Living (YES!!); for Dear Son #2 a copy of Henry Morris's The Genesis Flood (He is a big Answers In Genesis reader and has been wanting this book for some time now); for Dearest Daughter, who just turned 11, a Bobbsey Twins book. I'm trying to improve the quality of her reading material and move her away from books about animals or books where animals are the main characters and speak, etc. A set of Elsie Dinsmore books from Mantle Ministries are in my sights for her, but that will have to wait for a bit. She was really excited about the book and remembered that Grandma said she had read the Bobbsey twins when she was a girl -- so I told her if she liked it the store had four or five more that we could go back and get. And finally I found a great Quick & Easy Thai Cuisine Lemongrass Cookbook that has the recipe for one of my favorites when we eat out - a Basil Beef with lemongrass and chilies. Delicious! I can't wait to make it and many more of the recipes included in this book. Dear Son #3 used his own money and bought a book about Border Collies for himself and a James Herriott book for his sister's birthday. Very sweet. :-)

On our way home I remembered that I had wanted to stop at the music store. So we go and pick up a Suzuki Violin book for DS #2 and a Junior Hanon Piano Exercises book for DD. I also asked if they do violin repair - they do - and how much it might be? DS #2 dropped his violin a few weeks ago and the board underneath the strings (on the neck) came unglued. :-( The man at the music shop said it would probably be about $45. OUCH!! I'll call around and see if I can get a better price. If not, then . . .

I think we're all done now - so home we went. DD ran out the door to meet me, as she frequently does :-) Very sweet. The rest of the day was spent looking over everyone's treasures - and watching a cake challenge on the -ood channel, then we cleaned the house before it was time to leave for church. Oh! And my aunt called to ask if we would like to come and house/koi/alpaca/chicken sit for them while they travel out of state in July. Yes! How cool is that? The only question is: How well will our doggies adjust to being country doggies for a week?

Husband had a late meeting tonight and so he got home about 5 minutes before we did. I chopped up a Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad with help from DS #2 and DD and we all had a late dinner then it was time for bed.

Dandelion Jelly is on my calendar for the morning, after some reading time with the children.

Blessings to you!

Take Time To Be Holy

10:03, Wednesday, June 17, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Words by William D. Longstaff
Music by George C. Stebbins

Take time to be holy, Speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, And feed on His Word.
Make friends of God's children; Help those who are weak;
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to see.

Take time to be holy, The world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone -
By looking to Jesus, Like him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in the conduct His likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, Let Him be thy Guide,
And run not before Him, Whatever betide;
In joy or in sorrow, Still follow thy Lord,
And, looking to Jesus, Still trust in His Word.

Take time to be holy, Be calm in thy soul;
Each thought and each motive beneath His control;
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

(Listen to this hymn HERE)

Keyword Reminders

06:53, Tuesday, June 16, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Some things floating in my head that I don't have time to blog about right now but REALLY want to:

Delayed Obedience
Broken Fellowship because of not submitting our will to authority (& the correlation between Parent/Child, Self/God)
Birthday Girl!
Dr. Visit

Coming Soon -

Me?

08:37, Thursday, June 11, 2009 .. 9 comments .. Link

Last week I had an ugly mole removed from my back. It had been bothering me for some time; itching, tender when I rubbed a towel across it, getting larger and darker, all over the course of a year or so. Husband started getting on to me about having it looked at this spring, and then we started working at the Fair. So now that the Fair was over, I did my duty and made my appointment and it was removed last Friday, the 5th. I left confident that that was that, I would get a letter in the mail in a few weeks saying, "Mole, blah, blah, benign, blah, blah, have a nice life."

Today, I got a phone call.

Unfortunately, I was outside pulling clover and planting flowers when the dermatologist called. I returned his call when I came in, but by then it was his lunch time and he was gone. I left my cell phone number for his next return call since today is piano and I knew I would be out all afternoon. I kept my phone with me and waited and waited.

I was a little taken aback that the Dr. had called in the first place. I can't say that I was really worried. I felt that everything was fine and it was most likely just that - "well, the mole looks a little iffy and so we'd like to make sure that we removed all of it. Please come in when you get a chance and we'll . . . . " Nothing else even entered my mind.

By 2 o'clock p.m. I still had not heard from the Dr. and so after the children went into lessons, I sat in the car and called the office again.

The nurse knew my name and put me right through to the doctor. Not a good sign. The doctor said that his calling me meant that the news was not good. I got out my pencil and my calendar and made notes so I wouldn't forget something later.

Melanoma.

Skin Cancer.

Deeper than we'd like.

Surgery.

Lymph node Biopsy.

And then his reassurances that if these things are caught in time, etc. etc.

I made sure to ask about the next step and then the conversation ended after some words like "This must be a shock" "Hard to take it all in" "Have a good day"

The first thing I wanted to do was call my mother. Isn't that funny? I didn't want to tell my husband over the phone - that had to be face to face so that he would not get too worried for me. I just really wanted to hear my mother's voice saying that everything will be just fine. I guess you never really grow up, in that sense. I know that my own children - from 22 to 10 - were just infants and toddlers last week (it seems ;-)

After thinking sporadically about it all this afternoon & evening I'm not worried, I'm not scared, honestly I. don't. know. what. to. think. or. how. I'm. supposed. to. feel. Maybe it isn't real to me yet. Maybe it hasn't sunk in. Maybe I'll wake up in the morning and it will be too, too real.

Or maybe not.

Maybe I'll continue to find shelter in my Savior.

Secure on his Rock; safely sheltered from this current storm under the cover of his wings.

Or maybe, like my great-great-grandfather, Simply to His Cross I'll Cling.

Time to Plant

11:34, Wednesday, June 10, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

I'm finally recovering from our Fair work - catching up on sleep and neglected chores - and so this morning I went out front to plant some of the lovely flowers we got from the Fair this year. The only problem with planting flowers is that I really, really needed to weed the bed first, which is being taken over by clover.

So out comes the shovel and the pitchfork to loosen the soil and make getting the entire clover plant out much easier. I pulled some weeds, got rid of some dead branches from the Coreopsis, and then dug some holes for three verbena and two geraniums.

In the very top left corner, you can see one of the verbenas. Another was planted in the opposite corner, and the third in a bare spot between the Coreopsis plants. The two geraniums went right in the middle of the beds. You can see that I still have quite a bit of clover to get rid of, but this morning was a start, and that beautiful color that catches my eye every time I pull out of or into the driveway will spur me on to finish the job soon!

I also planted a planter with three geraniums for my mother as a belated birthday gift (we missed her birthday because of work :-(

This is a new geranium -- called Strawberry Sizzle! See photo of tag below.

Since my mother had breast cancer, and since these are just such pretty flowers, I thought it would be perfect for her. The photo is a little bright because of the morning sunlight, but the blooms really are this HOT pink color, deepening towards the center.

This is the whole planter - the Strawberry Sizzle in front, pink to the left and a deep red to the right. I think she'll like it!

Did I also tell you that I've been canning lately? Husband bought a box of cherries for $20 last week, and out of that box I've gotten 14 half-pints of jam, 3 quarts of cherries (for pie or cobbler), a huge cobbler Monday night - nice and big and deep just like my mother-in-law used to make, plenty for eating, and we still have a good size bowl left!

Piano Recital

09:01, Saturday, June 6, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

Last night was the children's piano recital and they all did wonderfully! There were over 40 students playing, and all of mine were on the second / last page -- the list goes from newest/just starting students to the most experienced students. Daughter was the most nervous but she played beautifully! She probably could not have played it anymore perfect than she did! (It was so cute: she said that when she was up on stage at the piano, she ignored the people and imagined that our little doggies were sitting next to her chair listening to her. ;-) Dear Son #3 played well - not strongly or forcefully as the song should have been played - he didn't miss any notes and kept the rhythm up. This was also his last recital. He has been asking since January if he can please quit piano lessons and husband finally said yes, he could. He will instead be learning to play the guitar and continuuing to play the piano at home with help from me. Dear Son #2, who played third from last, was incredible. He played his Rondo very well and very enthusiastically as it should be played. He missed a note or two and it made him stumble, but he kept going and ended wonderfully.

At the end of the evening, everyone mingles and chats: many of the families are friends that we see every week, some are old friends that we only see a few times a year, there are the families that we only know in passing as they have lessons before or after us at some point during the year, and then there a few families that we don't know at all and wouldn't ever meet if it weren't at recital each year. It was so nice chatting with everyone and one of the moms, whose daughter has lessons after us, is interested in learning to sew (she noticed Daughter's dresses as we came out of lessons each week) and so this summer I will be teaching her!

Everyone had so many compliments for the children -- and after I got home I really started thinking how nice that was, but how many compliments did I give? I definitely need to work on that - stepping out and praising others much more than I do. Another lesson learned.

Butter and Honey

Love, Love, Love Fireworks!

My Country, Tis of Thee

America the Beautiful

The Star Spangled Banner

Godly, Uplifting Reading Material

an update

Another Adventure

Ann's MMM: Memorizing the Psalms

Blessed Evening

School Uniforms for Homeschoolers

He Hideth My Soul

Summer

Good Family Reading

Growing in Grace

My Wednesday

Take Time To Be Holy

Keyword Reminders

Me?

Time to Plant

Piano Recital

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