Down Mulberry Lane

Squashkin? Delakin? Pumash?

We couldn't decide what to call this new squash.  I had a plant come up on it's own and I just let it go, knowing my other squash weren't growing as well.  This is what we ended up with.  In looking at it, we think it is a cross-breed between the delicata squash that we grew last year and the sugar pumpkins.  Most all were growing on their bottoms, sitting upright.  The green stripes were a bit more apparent until just at ripening when they began to take on some orange. 

I decided to cook one up today and see what it tasted like.  I baked it for quite some time and once done, I served it at supper.  The texture was more stringy like in spaghetti squash (which is odd because I never grew that here).  I think it took on that from the pumpkin.  The smell of the item smelled identical to pumpkin, although it was more yellow in color like squash.  The flavor... was bitter.  We don't know what went wrong with this cross-breed, because delicatas are sweet and so are sugar pumpkins, but this was like a flat squash flavor with a bitter edge to it. 

I will be trying to boil the next one to see if I notice any changes and see if I can work with it enough to cause us to keep the 20 some that grew in the patch.  If not, I guess the girls can enjoy carving them... we have plenty. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Time for a new plan.

I have a new plan for trying to work in foods into our diet.  I seen tonight it will already need some tweaking, but I need to go with this to start.  What I decided to do was to try a new recipe each day, well at least 4-5 a week, I am hoping.  And no better time to start, than TODAY!

Today's recipe was a Vegan Macaroni and Cheese.  It was easy to cook.  It was a crockpot recipe.  The cheesy sauce however was a bit "sour" for our tastes.  After it was all done, I had to cut it with a bit of honey to even make it palatible for our family.  And then... it was still a no go.   I found that when I took a bite of steamed broccoli which I had for a side dish, with a bite of the pasta, it really wasn't too bad.  But alone, it was just too sour.  I know that lemon can be a great taste, but I did not grow up with it, and the sharpness of the flavor was nothing our family was used to. 

I also tried a cashew gravy.  It had onions in the gravy and the way it was directed to cook, they did not get blended up.  I put it onto a vegetarian loaf (which was new also, but I just tweaked a burger recipe that I had and made it into a loaf).  The flavor... was good.  The family says... It is a keeper.  Though, next time the girls would prefer me to blend up those onions instead of leaving them in pieces within the gravy.  Dh said he would have liked it better if I had made potatoes with our meal, LOL.  He lives on potatoes and prefers it with every meal unless it is mexican or pasta ...and even then we add potatoes occasionally.  The new loaf was a keeper as well.  I have one daughter that requested I exchange the carrots for more potatoes, but I just smiled and everyone else said... it's fine...leave it as it is.   When my girls don't eat too many carrots (this daughter especially), it seems that if it is tolerable, I ought to leave it in.  *grin*

After all the cooking tonight, I realized that I struggle with doing dairy-free and soy free at the same time.  An automatic substitute for dairy is soy.  I made the vegetarian loaf with a vegetarian burger, didn't even dawn on me that there was TVP (Soy) in it. 

I did not take a picture of the loaf, but basically here is what was in it...

One can of vegan vegetarian burger, one potato shredded, one cup of carrots shredded, 3 eggs, 4 slices of ww bread cubed, a good set of shakes of sage, onion powder, and garlic powder.  I baked at 350 for about 30 minutes.  During that time, I made the gravy and then topped the loaf with the gravy and baked another 20-30 minutes.  (enough for the carrots to soften and the gravy to bubble). 

The gravy recipe I found in the book "Choices:  Quick and Healthy Cooking" by Cheryl Thomas Peters.  It was good and I am relieved that I had ONE new recipe for today approved by all (even if I need to tweak it and blend the onions into the gravy next time!). 

My plan will need some tweaking as on the first day I was given some comments on the plan.  The new recipe is planned to be a side dish to the main meal.  That part works, that way if it doesn't go over, the kids still eat.    The next part is that I need to keep the menu plan a bit more "normal".  This will prove to be difficult as we are ingrained in a particular style of food and when you can't eat that food, finding a new normal isn't always as easy as substituting one food for another.  Like tonight, I should have made a potato dish for the new loaf.  It would have been much easier for the family to accept the new food without feeling like they were being deprived.  But, in my thinking... we had plenty on the table... the menu consisted of:  Trial: mac and cheese, pineapple and banana salad (have bananas that need eating), burger loaf, gravy, steamed broccoli and cauliflower and squash (trial... we had a crossbreed in the garden and we tried it tonight...not so good! LOL).  After looking at the menu, I need to try and keep it smaller/simpler as well.  It's not like we're going to potluck, so I don't need to have so much food on the table. 

Anyways, I will be sharing our journey as I try new recipes.  I will share my flops, my forgetfulness, etc.   All in all, going to a new diet will be hard on the entire family.   I guess it isn't that it will be... IT IS. 

Today's aftermath of whatever little Paige ate, allowed her entire dresser of panties to be emptied.  That is about 15 pairs of underwear.  She told me at about 6pm, that she ran out of panties.  She also had about 6-8 bowel movements today.  Totally cleaned her out, I guess.  Her skin still has  the redness that appeared yesterday afternoon.  She also has a red blood mark in her eye today.  She was aggitated most of today, but seemed to calm down after supper and fell asleep a bit early for her (around 7:45 pm).  She didn't eat the loaf tonight, she has always seemed to say no to soy substitutes, although she does like gluten and those usually have soy flavorings.  I guess I will likely need to make my own at some point.  Anyways... hopefully tomorrow is a better day. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Crash and Burn...

We were having such a good day and shortly after potluck, my daughter started having her bladder spasms again.  I have NO idea what caused it.  We had haystacks, which we eat at home and have no problems.  The new culprits... gramma gave Paige a sucker (which had food colorings and she licked on for a couple minutes after church before I was able to convince her to leave it in the car).  Then she tried some carob dairi-free milk, some plain dairi-free milk and some chocolate dairi-free milk.  The chocolate was cocoa only, no milk products.  Well, between the sucker and the cocoa... we have a problem. 

Paige was so happy at potluck that she went potty with out wetting her panties that she proceeded to tell everyone she was dry and her panties weren't wet.  OK, not a normal thing kiddos do, but she was happy and I just sat there watching her enjoy... ENJOY being able to say she was dry.  And then two hours later, the spasms began and she tells me... I'm sorry Mommy.... my panties are wet, but I went on the potty (for the third time in 15 minutes).   It just crushes my heart... she can't do anything about it, but to see her so joyful at telling people she was dry, I KNOW that this wetting bothers her as much as it does us for having to change her outfit nearly 10 times a day.  (Yes that is alot of laundry that I do to keep up with her!) 

This evening we had friends over and my daughter was very strung out.  She kept throwing things at our guests and crying, and whining and crying and fussing and hitting.  She just isn't a hitter, so that alarmed me that the reaction was more than just wetting.  She also has a rash/hive spot on her hand that wasn't  there this afternoon.  UGGERS!

I guess we start over and eliminate chocolate, SOY, and dairy, and food colorings and be strict about it.    

That was my day...

~Melissa

Going Dairy-free...

 When my 3yo was born we had problems with colic and after removing soy, we finally got some peace.  We also noticed that candies and cereals with food colorings really bothered her as well.  She tends to get ummmm... hard to deal with, more negative, etc. with food colorings.  Chocolate gave her a rash, and I had trouble determining whether it was the dairy, the chocolate itself, or the soy that is in the chocolate candies.   The past 3.5 years have been a struggle from day to day to figure out what is causing the troubles.

When my 3yo was 2.5, she was potty trained.  But in the last half year or so, she began wetting during the  day and during naps and at night.  She had been dry at night for almost a year, so I was wondering what was up.  What NOW? was more my question... During the days, she would wet herself, then go potty, then wet herself 5 minutes later again, and again 15 minutes later.  We suspected a bladder infection, but it was not that.  This has continued since around February.  I would try to eliminate a food, but didn't ever have a team effort with the trial, so it often got interrupted and we never could see what happens when a possible offending food is removed. 

Dh wants an answer NOW, and he doesn't go for the elimination diets.  He doesn't like that allergy tests are not 100% correct.  He doesn't like that symptoms come and go and can change as the child matures.  He doesn't like that allergies are not set in stone, meaning if you wet... it's milk... or if you have itchy skin, it is chocolate... that sort of thing.  Allergies aren't like that and are hard to diagnose.  This has caused resistance in his desire to do the elimination diets. 

Well, I have Dh's support to go Dairy Free for a trial.  We are on week two, and I am struggling with menus.  But we are seeing a difference.  The bladder spasms my daughter has during the day are almost completely gone and the wetting at night is less frequent.  It is so nice to take off a DRY diaper!  It appears that dairy is our main culprit.   She has had small amounts of soy and on those days, I notice her face is more ruddy, or rash like.  So, I am guessing the soy does still bother her as well.  

To see a honest difference in all symptoms, removal is suggested for 6 to 8 months.  Dh didn't like that at all.  He thinks it is cruel to say no to letting her not have chocolate or milk or hot cocoa, or cheese...  I think this would be far less cruel to all of us if I could find a diet that has no soy, no dairy, low in food colors and is appetizing to all.   However, our trial is proving to the other side of the family (Dh and older girls) that there is nothing good to eat.  (Angela and Amy, I haven't tried your recipes, yet... didn't have all the ingredients).  I have two more weeks to "make a difference" in the menus to have continued support. 

To give my older girls credit, they do not mind me using Rice milk in recipes.  They don't notice a difference at all.  (Probably because I've used it in mashed potatoes for a couple years, now... when they weren't looking! LOL).  And they are trying to help me find some recipes.  I believe they do not like the wetting and the fussy days just like me.  My oldest says when she is pregnant some day, she will not eat any junk... just fruits and vegetables and whole grains.  I just smiled, knowing it isn't that easy.  I told her that it would be wise to start NOW so that when the day comes she can stay strong with that determination.  I laugh because I think I ate the most healthy with my last one.  With her I craved big macs and ate them all the time.  With my second... I ate snicker bars like they were a food group.  With my third... macaroni and cheese was my downfall.  My last one, I just tried to eat a balanced vegetarian diet until I got to my 8th month and I got sick and I had no appetite and I got swelling in my ankles and the midwife said I needed more protein, so I downed cottage cheese (the most appealing to me at the time) and reintroduced meat.  I felt no better and my blood pressure never did go up, so my midwife wasn't sure what was going on.  I just wonder if it was a dairy reaction and the baby was big enough for me to feel the uckies that the baby was dealing with.  ???  I don't know. 

I've also gone dairy free just to see if it would help me, as I have eczema and some other symptoms of milk allergy and I have been off for two weeks as well.  Today, I ate two of those chocolate chip cookies.  I was angry at the moment, my oldest having troubles in one of her classes and her teacher is NOT willing to help her at all.  She HAS to schedule a visit in the next two school days and his first day was full, his second day, she has a different class during his "scheduled visits".  She tells him her dilemna and he says, you have a problem, hope you figure it out and shuts his appointment book and turns to a different student.  He knows she is homeschooled and he has incessantely picked on her since class started 6 weeks ago and makes a point to pick on her in class and make her uncomfortable.  He calls her "doll".  (The guy is nearly 80+ years old and still teaching)  All of it added up today... and I was thinking back over the years to why we homeschooled in the first place... to get her out of an environment where she wasn't getting any help... the teacher said she was behind in math, yet refused to help her.  She was punished by removing recess and other important group activities in the classroom to make a point that she needed to improve her math, but the teacher didn't stay to help her... instead just walked away... like this teacher is doing.  I grabbed the cookies and just ate them without thinking.  And guess what I found... I got a stomach ache within about 15 minutes of eating the cookies.  I thought, that's odd.  I haven't had a stomach ache like that for about ... hmmmmm..... two weeks!  DUH!!!  Oh to live without those occasional tummy aches would be wonderful and to realize that the dairy that I ingested likely caused the belly ache... LIGHT BULB moment!    So even though I wasn't too happy that Dh fudged the plan by hiding chocolate cookies in the cupboard (to which he let Paige snitch last night ... Paige tattled on Daddy later, LOL).  But we had immediate consequences... I had a stomach ache and Paige had trouble going to sleep.  Now I know some would think that isn't awful... that happens occasionally, but when she has been asking to go to bed at a regular hour for about a week now and for 3.5 years we have never accomplished this because of irritabilities in Paige.  This is BIG for me!  Dh isn't quite there, yet in accepting it, but I'm hoping that I will find some recipes, and menus that are appealing to him that he can be willing to work with it enough that when the fudging happens, it either really opens his eyes to what is going on or it lessens the impact and we have maybe a bad evening instead of a bad life. 

Please pray for us.  I honestly was hoping it wasn't the dairy, because that was my alternative to soy... so if one can't have soy and can't have dairy... there's no sour cream, no cheese  (I know Angela... I like cheesy sauce, but it's not going over as a substitute in our house, yet *grin*).   I had wanted to go cheese free.  But didn't want to go so far as dairy free.  Life is just so much easier when I know what to cook on a moments notice, instead of grabbing recipes only to find out I needed to have started HOURS before.  Perhaps this is a change I need as well... to get my menu plans under order, to be more assertive in my life (it takes assertiveness to always alert people that we can't eat something), or maybe my family needs this to be so, to rid ourselves of some selfishness that we harbor within ourselves over our appetite (and more). 

As for my oldest and her teacher... she is upset, but can't do anything about it until Monday and then she will have to ask her Chemistry teacher if she can ditch class in the middle of it for a 6 minute conference for her Writing Class.  I wish I could help her, but she is strong and is prepared to drop the class if the teacher is trying to make an example out of homeschoolers.  Praise God for scholarships which makes that alternative less painful to the pocketbook.  It is too bad, however, because the time cannot be replaced, but she is hoping that there is a reason for this experience.  She hasn't determined it as of yet.  Whether God is working on her and her own feelings towards this man/teacher or whether she is there to influence someone else.  Some days she makes me so proud.  (She said that after eating two cookies herself!  LOL.)   What a bunch we are! 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Monthly Measures: October 2008

This month, I was plenty busy.  Which was good.  I began briskly walking 2.5 miles in the middle of the month.  I have added weights on my ankles and I carry 1 pound weights as well.  I do arm exercises as I walk.  I also have been doing short bursts of jogging to get my heart rate up a bit. 

I can't say I notice a change in clothing sizes as of yet.  The change from going from a size 12 to 10 was wonderful!  But this month, even though some measurements still went down... my clothes still seem to fit just as snug.  I am happy though, that I can put my beginning measurements and see some changes.  I realize when one begins to exercise, measurements often go up (which mine did) before they go down.  Another noticable change is that I can see my arm muscles now when I move my arms.  Kinda funny... I was cleaning the bathroom and glanced in the mirror as I picked something up and saw my muscle move... I was impressed... those arm exercises are doing something! 

This months measurings are:  (beginning month in parenthesis)

Upper Chest:  34.5 in.  (34)

Bust:  36 in.  (36)

Waist:  36 in. (36.5)

Hips:  40.75 in.  (42)

Upper Thighs:  23.75 in. (24.25)

Lower Thighs:  18.5 in.  (17.5)

Calves:  15.5 in.  (15)

Upper Arm:  12 in.  (12.875)

 Weight:  not measured this month

Until next month...

Warmly, ~Melissa

Today...

Well, it is getting colder in our parts.  I got up this morning and wasn't so sure I wanted to walk outside.  Dh looked at me and KNOWS what a sissy I am with the cold and says... that wind is going to chill you to the bone.  But, I was determined to go.  I want to keep up the walking outdoors as long as I am able.  I don't want to give up before even trying to walk.  I got the girls ready and they walked with me today.  We walked 2.5 miles at a brisk pace on a very windy day.  IT was cold.  I had gloves on; my little Paige had a blanket to cuddle into in the stroller and the older girls had coats on.  Once we got to the top of the hill however, we found that just moving kept us warm enough and I smiled that I didn't let myself skirt my walking appointment because of the cold. 

Once home, I got out the pears in the fridge and made some pear honey.  This was our second batch and I chopped it in the food processor before cooking and it turned out much nicer... I also cooked the pears down before adding the sugar, which seemed to keep the color more golden rather than browning from the sugar that began to burn after such a long cook-down of the pears.  It was quite nummy and the last of the pears made 6 more jars of pear honey. 

Then I decided to cook down the tomatoes that were in the fridge.  We had peeled two days earlier and the girls canned the tomatoes, but had a bowl left over.  I didn't really want to can these after setting so long, but I decided to cook them into sauce and let them cook down and figured the cooking time would cook out what germs may be brewing in the batch of tomatoes.  It is still on the stove as I type, and I am nearly ready to can those jars of sauce. 

We've been trying to go dairy free for a week now.  The trial is for me and my youngest daughter.  My husband and other kids are supporting me, but they are still eating milk and cheese.  Today my little one wanted hot chocolate cuz Daddy was having some.  My husband says... I'm all right for seeing if dairy is causing her problems, but what are we going to do when she's 5yo, 10yo, 15yo?  Keep telling her she can't eat milk or soy or food colorings because they bother her... I'm thinking... YES... but in his mind it is cruel punishment for a kid not to have dairy or soy or food colorings.  He thinks we should just put up with the multiple wets that she does because she cannot HOLD it.... that she'll likely grow out of it eventually.  He doesn't expect her to wet until she is 10yo, but I recall my second daughter wetting for about 8 years before she stopped and the nightly changes of the bed were so hard on me and diapers work ok for a 3yo, but an 8yo doesn't like to put on diapers!  

I think if I had a wonderful plan of going dairy free and knew that I had foods my family enjoyed it would be so much easier... but even on the meals I eat without cheese, my crew adds cheese to theirs.  Cheese is hard to hide from a 3yo as well, so the girls and Dh aren't so thrilled with some meals.  Dh doesn't like to tell the 3yo that she can't have certain foods either. 

Tonight I asked what is for supper... My menu plan ran out the night before and I need to shop and I was really scrounging to find something good to eat.  Dh says, I want food.  Then he says... I want good food.  I want milk and cheese and chocolate... my daughter adds... some red coloring number 40 would be good as well.  Oh, I know they are teasing, but I don't want this trial to be a "for nothing".  Even if it works and it helps me and my daughter feel better... I still wouldn't have the support of the rest of the crew to continue unless I find something FAST that seems to fill them up and satisfy their tastebuds. 

Please pray for us if you think about it.  This is going much harder than I thought and while I am glad that everyone is being supportive (they all said they are willing to lose a few pounds this month)... : (.  ...I so wish that I could find something that satisfied the entire family.... something that everyone can eat and something that is healthy for us all. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

ps, if you have a favorite dairy free, food coloring free, soy free, chocolate free menu item that you really like... please share if you can.  Thanks!

Coming home...

My husband has been gone for several days.  He went on a trip to Maryland to a Katahdin Hair Sheep International  Convention.  He went with a friend and they were splitting travelling costs.  He hauled sheep out for North Dakota State University, some cows to someone in New York State, and a couple sheep him and his friend were selling.  One ram of ours went to Canada.  On the way home, Dh was asked to transport some more sheep closer towards home (from the sale at the convention).  He agreed and found all his expenses paid, plus the cost of his new ram he purchased, plus the cost of a bale feeder.  He was quite pleased.  But in all of that... HE is coming home today!  We are all so excited.

My sister stopped by to say hello.  My nephew had a football game today in a town nearby and they swung by to say hello.  My little Paige was screaming... He's home, he's all done driving, Daddy's home... and as she drove up, she says... Oh it's Aunt Chrissy, she's here, she's here!  Her excitement still ran high, she just changed names.  LOL.  Dh said he might not be home until late this evening.  I hope he makes it home before Paige falls asleep.  She is getting tired already, but she is so looking forward to seeing Daddy.  These fall nights with the darkness moving in earlier each night has got her confused, but in her mind it is time for bed.  Bedtime is usually 9pm, but she went and got pajamas on at 7:00 because the sky was getting "blue-dark". 

We've been busy while Dh was away.  We tried to get much accomplished and hoped to have a bit more taken care of than I could actually manage, but I am still pleased with what we got done.  The garage was cleaned out.  The outdoor mudroom was half-cleaned out... the items that would freeze from the fire storage were put away.  We got about 1/3 of our outdoor porch/deck stained.  We would have finished today, if there wasn't rain in the forecast, but we are expecting rain over the next day or two, so didn't get it finished.  We have the railings, the lower outer boards, and the south section of the floor left to do.  I got the area around the wood stove cleaned out  (I had fire storage there as well, and that is put away!  WOO HOO!).  I then treated myself by rearranging the living room for winter's use.  The girls put up the rest of the curtains that were off from the fire in the downstairs.  (I will be resewing curtains for the kitchen when it is finished, and curtains for the front porch/laundry room. )  I found homes for the linen that has been washed... got all the storage area washed out so I was able to replace them to the linen closet in the bathroom.  It is no longer sitting on top of the entertainment center and my coffee tables in my living room!!  We took out the leaf from the dining room table and are settled back into our 6 seated family table.  I went through my clothing and sorted it by color and got three large bags of clothing to give away.  I put that out into the car for the next trip to town with two boxes of books, CD's, and toys to unload as well.  I got the camper winterized!  The tupperware was sorted!  My room was slightly rearranged to make room for the health rider and the grandfather clock that doesn't fit in our living room.  And (yes there is more!  Woo HOO!)  I went through 3 boxes in the upstairs storage area and got them sorted and put away.  And I also sorted the SS materials for the primary class that I teach so that I know what is available for me to use.  It is sorted in boxes and ready to return to the church.  WHEW! 

The girls helped by canning more tomatoes for me while I was doing much of the cleaning.  They washed the outdoor porch/deck before the staining, and started the staining.  Kate did about 1/3 of the flooring that was done and Megan did the front steps.  I finished off the rest of the gallon on the flooring, so the north west part of the porch is sealed, short of the railings.  I didn't want to do railings with my skirt  and new shirt on... I knew it would spray me and I didn't want to change my clothes!  LOL  Poor excuse, but progress was made.  I finished up the gallon just about 15 minutes before sundown on Friday evening, so I was tired.  The girls prepared our Sabbath meal while I stained the deck.   It looks so much nicer!  And the water beads up on the wood, now... it so needed a new seal; it was quite weathered! 

Anyways, I better go spiff up what fell apart during the day today so it is ready for Dh's arrival home.  I am hoping to clean out the mudroom before he arrives home, but I'll need to get busy to get that done. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

My Life: Tuesday

I created a new category for when I just blah, blah, blah about our sometimes tedious, daily life.  Some people find it fun to listen in on other's days.  I'm not sure I'll post everyday, but rather, when I have time. 

Today, Dh was up early.  I awoke at 6:36 and he was making breakfast and ready to head out the door.  I talked with him a few moments before he left.  I then was feeling rather tired from a not so good night sleep.  My youngest had a horrible night.  Fussy and whiney and I am just thinking it was that birthday cake that she got into with the "pink" frosting and little bits of candy pieces in it.  No one around here really likes cake, but the girls like to decorate it.  We had a birthday meal on Saturday for 2 of my girls' recent birthdays.  We serve the cake and then after everyone leaves, we throw the cake away.  Sad, I know!  LOL.  Anyways, little one had licked into the frosting and I took it away and asked my oldest to throw it out to the chickens and she procrastinated a bit and I look over and little Paige is again digging in the frosting.  So, I take the cake away again.  But the damage was done.  A very hypered child who could not get to sleep well and then awoke at 1:30 and remained awake (crying and fussing) until 3:30 am.  To which I just laid next to her in her bed and read my Bible.  I didn't get much sleep. 

These food intolerances are just getting the best of me and my husband is so willing to work with me right now, but the older kids are fighting it.  They still want their chocolate, their candy, etc.  We don't eat much and I'm sure that's why they feel they should be allowed it, but if little one gets into it and gets too much (like more than a bite)... we have a horrible evening and an awful night's sleep.  I am slowly using up what is in the house and I only purchase the delicacies for the olders for special occasions.  That is the plan, however, I am well stocked from Farmer's Market and not using up the vanilla chips and a few other items that just seem to hang around forever.  I keep wishing a mouse will get into them so I can throw them out!  LOL.  I am too frugal sometimes.  I am so very close to throwing out what is left of the "poison" in our house, cuz really it is poison for my little Paige.  Today, I found a bag of M and M's (and Mom you're going to love this! ) ... I threw it away!  

Even though I was tired, I got my 45 minute walk in this morning, looked rather bleak and cloudy and I was debating on waiting due to talk of rain, but I didn't get rained on and it worked out well.  I use this alone walk time for my prayer time and it has been so nice. 

I then cleaned out my closet and my dresser.  I got rid of 90% of my clothes that are not in my season.   I kept a couple comfy outfits for the barn work.  I also kept a couple black skirts for those times that they say... "Ummm everyone singing this week needs to wear a black skirt.  "  Also, I figured if I paired a couple items (a dark brown skirt, black skirts and a white skirt) with a top in my color season, it wouldn't look so off, because it isn't right on my face.  I offered my brown skirt to my autumn daughter and she is contemplating taking it, even though it has such a "high waist".  Since she was a toddler she has hated pants or skirts hanging at her waist.  She tried it on and it looks nice on her, so that is why she is contemplating taking it.  I ended up with a recliner full of clothes and a walmart sized sack of throw-outs.  The girls have looked through the clothes, but most of the clothes are not in their season's colors either.  Now I need to find someone who might take all these clothes.  My girls are dismayed that I am actually getting rid of the clothes.  Some are very nice clothes, but even they say they don't look nice on me.  It is funny that now when I open my dresser it is quite empty looking.  I look in and find it interesting that all the clothes just sort of mix well together... a nice color blend.  Not the hodge podge mess it was.  My closet is half as full as well.   I have enough clothes to get by.  I'd like one more "nice" church outfit, so I can alternate from week to week, but other than that, I think I can shop leisurely for items to fill out my wardrobe.  In sorting through the closet, I found skirts with no matching tops or tops (dressy) with nothing to wear with them.  But now I have a plan and it should fix itself soon enough.  I'm not overly worried about getting it all done/purchased right now. 

I have quite a bit of projects on the fore-front.  I am trying to get all ready for winter.  Soon, Dh will be putting the camper away and I see my kitchen cupboards have mixtures of house and camper dishes, as does the camper.  I still need to empty the soaps and liquid items from the camper so that nothing freezes, cracks and makes a mess.  Oh, there are a lot more things to do, but I hate to list them all and then have you all find out I hadn't accomplished a bit of it!  LOL   Some days it feels as if I'll never get it all done, yet when it comes right down to it... we manage to get the important stuff done. 

Yesterday I canned some applesauce.  6 pints, plus one for the fridge.  Canning is really slow going for me this year as my new stove/oven is electric and a glass top at that.  My smallest canner fits on the glasstop, so the most I can fit is 6 pints or 3-4 quarts in one batch.  The glasstop heat is uneven and cooking jellies and even applesauce has been torture for me.  LOL.  I don't recall now how many times I have stopped the entire process to clean up a spillover before it pits the glasstop.  Then to heat the canner to boiling takes a great while longer than on my former gas stove.  I just think of how long the stove was running yesterday and wonder if the cost is really worth it.  

The first batch of applesauce however was so nice.  I mixed macintosh apples with some yellow delicious and it was really nice.  I put a 1/2 cup of sugar in for the entire batch.  I think I could have gone sugarless, but the girls thought it was a bit too tart. I rather liked the tart/sweet flavor, but when they were happy with only a half cup of sugar, I was thrilled... that is so much less than the 3-4 cups we used in last years batches!  It was just enough to take the edge off the tartness.   

This morning I cleaned out the garage.  I only have left to put away the bikes up into the top of the barn (they are being stored in the garage until then, since we still use them).   I hope to get ahold of the electric company and see if they will haul our old fridge away (that is resting in the garage).  They advertise a $35 rebate for a working fridge and at the moment we know no one who wants it.  I also need to get rid of an old dishwasher that no longer works (also in the garage)... then the garage will be ready to use for winter.  Dh will be so surprised when he finds out. 

I've also put away 2 more boxes of "fire" boxes.  I still have quite the pile out in the outdoor mudroom!  I need to get it done before winter as well.    That way, when Dh heads out to the garage, he won't be tripping over all those boxes!  Well, my plan for the rest of the day is to develop a menu for the coming month, develop another plan for getting dishes done.  My oldest is in college and some days the homework is so full she can't help and at the moment this is killing her younger sisters who feels she should do her share of the work regardless!  Lastly, if I have time, I hope to either get a few more boxes put away OR work on the camper/house dish problems.  I will see which I am drawn to by days end! 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Color Me Beautiful...

I picked up a book at the local second hand shop for 10 cents called Color Me Beautiful.  I had heard of this program before.  My mother had her colors done years ago when I was young.  She at the time tried to share it with us kids, but us being teenagers had thought she lost her mind.  After all we were just finding ourselves and now she wanted to tell us which colors of clothes to wear?  What was she thinking?  LOL

Anyways, my mother is a beautiful Autumn lady in her colorings.  When she puts certain colors on she just shines.  It really amazed me when I started to look at it.  I picked up my book and read bits of it occasionally.  After having for a couple months and not really getting into it, because I just couldn't see what I was... I was stuck between two color seasons, I did nothing. 

A gal at church decided to have a fun night with the girls who work for her (she owns a health food store) and she decided to do everyone's colors.  She had a gal come and show them how to figure it out.  She was elated and two ladies participated at church.  SINCE, they found out their colors, they have slowly been changing their wardrobe and my what a change.  The clothing styles were still the same, but they didn't look as frumpy.  THAT got my attention. 

I enjoy dressing modestly, but somehow I always looked frumpy.  Dh likes reds and olive greens and dark, dark colors and was always suggesting I buy black, red, and other really bold colors.  He, to his credit, did notice however that when I wore light blue my eyes just twinkled and he started suggesting that I wear lt blue.   I looked at my closet and saw lots of reds, sages, olive greens, browns, blacks (autumn and winter colors) and no matter what I wore, I looked frumpy.  It just drained me!  I looked old, and friends at church commented at how maternal I looked, or that I needed an update... I should color my hair (which I did and I'm not happy about, now), I should get a hair cut (no one liked it shorter any better), and on and on the comments came.  No one said I looked nice, but all the comments were directed to trying to "help" me look better.  I looked in the mirror and started to see what they saw.  I looked frumpy.  Sure a few pounds lost might help, but why did I look so drained and haggard?  All the well meaning comments... I mean really how often does one feel the need to tell someone to cut their hair or color it or change their look, etc.?  It's not an easy thing to do, yet people continually did it to me.  I even was asked not to talk to some new visitors at church from the Pastor's wife one time because she didn't want them to think that "what I looked like" was what the church was like.  I was shocked, dismayed and hurt.  I dressed modestly but what was wrong... why did I still portray a look that was not good? 

I pulled out my Color Me Beautiful  book again and for two days decided to figure out what this meant.  I read the book cover to cover and then applied the details.  Maybe there was something that my two friends had found... they still dressed modestly, but didn't look so frumpy.   I determined that I was either a summer or spring... based on the light blue working for me.  Then it was time to narrow it down.  I'm still not sure I figured it out, but about 75% of the clues leaned towards being a summer and 25% leaned towards being a spring.  I told Dh I was going for the summer and I would really appreciate his suggestions as I tried new colors on. 

Now, you must understand that my DH hates shopping for clothes with me.  He just gets so frustrated.  But, I give him credit, he has been so willing to comment when I buy a t-shirt before I wash it, so that I can return it if necessary.  He is happy that I am taking charge of my look. 

Now, I am all for modesty and I get the thinking of not letting clothing be a vain thread in our lives, but I also determined that my look was frumpy and that was a hindering spot for me reaching out to others.  No one wanted to be like me because well, I looked frumpy.  (You know, quite honestly I'm not sure how I got to frumpy, but I did get there... perhaps it was always buying the cheap clothes on clearance whether it looked good on me or not... it fit).  I thought it was my style of clothes that made me frumpy and I was trying to figure out how to not be frumpy but still be modest.  Other people do it, but how?  Some items don't look good on me and yet they look very nice and modest on others... I am so sure that God did not intend that His people all look frumpy... or that only 25% look nice because the chosen style of dress looks good on some and not on others.  I look at denim jumpers and I love the slim look that some have, but I was born with a back side (even when skinny) that will not ever tolerate a straight line jumper.  The options were just overwhelming and I had no direction other than listening to others to be modest and their opinions on how to accomplish that.  Quite honestly, my husband hated all the talk because he thought I looked frumpy. 

*I determined that I needed a change.  I needed to look like I cared about how I looked.  Can you be modest and care for how you look?  (YES!) 

*I needed to look approachable, not like a person you would scorn because of their clothing.  (Little story here... I have a gray dress that looks horrid on me.  I know it and I refuse to wear it to town, yet I wore it at home for DH!  LOL.  Poor guy.  He appreciated that I never wore it out to town, but stated the item was ghastly!  He understood that it was comfortable so never put much fuss in it since I didn't wear it out, but he secretly worried that someone might drive up and I'd actually be seen by someone while wearing that dress.  He told me this after I started slowly changing the colors in my wardrobe.  )

*I needed, in my heart, to dress modestly. 

There were my three goals in putting together some modest clothing.  Dh gave me free will to buy what I needed, but I just got sick looking at stores where pants cost $50 and dresses cost $85 or more.  Skirts were high as well.  I spent 2 weeks really searching yet never buying a thing.  I couldn't make myself buy those expensive clothes.  I realized that buying such spendy clothing was not part of our budget, our means, nor our values, so I quit searching in the high priced stores.  I found some mediocre in pricing and went to the clearance racks... I felt so much more comfortable. I think God was leading my heart somewhere over the clothing issue.   I didn't need to shop pricey stores just to wear my colors and look nice! 

I got to praying over it and I went shopping with my daughters.  I found a store who's clothing was priced about right and I found something in my colors that was modest.  The skirt goes clear to my ankles.  The top is a 3/4 sleeve knit top which is very modest, not to shapely, but still looks nice.  I purchased it and brought it home.  I showed Dh and he said the colors were nice.  He wasn't sure of the style since on the hanger it looked just like my other clothes.  However, I wore it to church this week, and I noticed a difference.  People actually looked at me in a different way.  One gal saw me and we smiled and hugged and then she looked at me then looked and her own clothes and smoothed her skirt down to her knees.  She didn't say anything, she didn't have to... I knew what was going through her mind.  And I understood that I now looked nice enough to cause others to double check their own appearance.  I didn't look flashy... I don't wear clothes with that style.  The clothes weren't elaborate... I like simple clothes.  But the skirt and top together matched and looked nice together.  I still have 30 pounds to lose, so I know it wasn't my figure that caused that reaction.  My dress was fitted loosely enough to not allow me to look lumpy. 

What I noticed was that the clothing I have worn has always been modest.  But it has not looked well on me because of the color.  It caused me to look drained and frumpy.  I was looking through old pictures last night and I saw an old me that was trying so hard to be modest but with all the wrong colors and styles.  I bought things because others suggested it.  I bought colors because others suggested it.  But it wasn't working.  Once I found what colors to look for, I could wear those same modest styles that fit well on me and what a change! 

Even at home, I like to wear denim skirts and just changing the color of t-shirt has been enough to cause Dh to comment, "That color looks nice," or "Your eyes sparkle today."   That was an easy one to change.  I needed new t-shirts anyways, the old ones were stained and for $5 ea. at Walmart, I got some in my color season and it is the SAME style that I have worn for years, but the color is right.  

I feel better.  Dh appears to like the new colors, even though I am still wearing the same styles of clothing... yet now he leaves nice comments.  At church I just noticed a difference.  We are a modest family and some others are modest as well (especially the olders), but many my age and younger just felt that they were modest enough and wore the latest fashions.   They looked at me and smiled in pity that they knew how to dress and I didn't.  I saw that change last week.  I looked modest and I looked nice and those that prided themselves over their faddish styles were the ones double checking their outfits.  Oh what a difference.  I don't have to shout... dress modestly!  I don't have the preach.  I don't have to wear the latest trends... searching high and low for something modest, just to fit in.  And, I learned, I don't have to look frumpy just for modesty's sake.  I can wear clothes that feel comfortable and are modest and still look nice.  (I hope you all understand that I mean nice as in nice, not in making a statement, gaga eyes... nice).  

I will continue to use this color knowledge to help me make better choices.  At one time I attended a Mom's night out for homeschooling moms and one Mother spoke on getting your colors done and how worth it it really is.  Your clothes can mix and match so much more easily.  (So if a top gets stained, you often have one that will still look nice with the skirt).   She said it made shopping so much easier.  You can eliminate clothes by color automatically, and it reduces your thumbing around, looking for something time.  She said it was cheaper in the long run.  Your coats will match your clothing and you just will look put together without much effort at all.   I didn't buy it when I first heard her.  I thought it sounded nice, but thought it still a bit prideful.  Yet, sticking to my own ways and trying to be modest and frugal...eventually finding I continually looked frumpy... I began to realize that perhaps God wanted to use me to reach others, but my look was beginning to be a wall between me and others.  I'm not saying we have to dress punk to get the attention of punks, but I am likely going to get their attention by looking nice and modest than by looking frumpy and lumpy modest!   I hope the distinction I am trying to make is coming out.  I am not pointing out flaws in anyone else, only sharing a personal experience and that I am finally finding victory in how I look at clothing.  God wants us to look our best.  He wants us to care for our bodies and care about our presentation to others.  Being modest doesn't mean frumpy. Having my colors figured out was my way out of looking frumpy.  

Just sharing in case someone else struggles over the guilt of choosing correct colors so that we look happy and fresh, rather than down and dumpy.  When I think of Lydia of Purple from the Bible, I think of a woman that looked very nice in her purple clothing.  I don't think of her as haughty or prideful, but rather I think she had a simple elegance to her that shone when the color purple was put into her clothing. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

? Blog colors ?

I am looking at changing the background colors on my blog.  Does anyone know where to find a number code for the colors? 

Thanks,  ~Melissa