Forget-Me-Not Homestead

Gratitude

I'd like to share a poem I received in my e-mail today.  I hope it will bless you too. Kim

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire,

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something

For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.

During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations

Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge

Because it will build your strength and charactar.

Be thankful for your mistakes

They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary

Because it means you've made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fullfillment comes to those who are

also thankful for setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they

can become your blessings.

~ Anonymous

Thank You

Life has been so blessedly full to overflowing this month here at Forget-Me-Not Homestead; with routine chores, gardening, canning, home improvement projects, friend and family gatherings, and homeschool planning.  But, I wanted to be sure to pop into my blog today, because it is my one-year anniversary with HomesteadBlogger!  And I'd like to thank each of you who have visited my blog, read my posts, and left nice comments.  Your kindness has meant so much to this newbie blogger.  I'd also like to thank all of you for your lovely, thoughtful blogs - each one is so unique.  I've learned much from many of them, and many have touched my heart.

Thank you dear blogging friends.  I'm looking forward to another year of lovely blogs and blogging.

Peace and blessings, Kim

I wanted to share a photo of what are, I think, the last of my summer flowers.  This is a bouquet of monkshood, foxglove, and lupines in my favorite blue Ball jar.

I've Been Tagged!

Leslie at A Mother's Heart tagged me.

At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

I was a 37 year old happy wife and mother; very busy mothering and homeschooling my 11, 7, and 3 year old sons.  Frugality, simplicity, gardening and homeschooling were, and still are, favorite interests.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

I have a morning routine of chores I do every day, before I tackle anything else.  After that, I need to menu-plan and grocery list for some upcoming festivities. Also, the sun is just now peeking through the clouds, so I plan to go out in the garden and divide and relocate some of my monster perennial flowers before I get dinner started.

3. Snacks I enjoy:

I lost 23lbs this last winter, and I've been maintaining my weight loss by trying to avoid my favorite snacks which usually have chocolate in them.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

If I were a billionaire, I would pray that I would be a good steward of the money; helping others wherever I could and wherever needed.  I don't think I would own much more than I have now, other than a few small home improvements.  I'm very blessed.  I would also invest some of it wisely, so that I could keep on giving to others, and for the benefit of future generations in my family.

5. Places I have lived:

I lived in California and England over 25 years ago, which seems like a lifetime ago, because I've been married, and raised my family in Alaska.

I am tagging:

wannabeone

LaVonne54

mountainmama

anoldfashionedgirl

bodkin

christianmomali 

The Simple Life

"The simple life is one in which there is always time to remember the divine purpose behind each of our tasks, time to listen for a possible divine amendment to the day's schedule, and time to be thankful for the divine Presence at each moment of the day."

~ Lloyd Lee Wilson

A Sweet,Beautiful Home

The following passage spoke to my heart.  I'm wishing all of you a very beautiful, blessed, and happy Mother's Day today and every day.  Peace and blessings, Kim

"Very largely does the wife hold in her hands as a sacred trust the happiness and the highest good of the hearts that nestle there.  In the last analysis, home happiness depends on the wife.

Her spirit gives the home its atmosphere.

Her hands fashion its beauty.

Her heart makes its love.

And the end is so worthy, so noble, so divine, that no woman who has been called to be a wife, and has listened to the call, should consider any price too great to pay, to be...

the light,

the joy,

the blessing,

the inspiration,

of a home.

The woman who makes a sweet, beautiful home, filling it with love and prayer and purity, is doing something better than anything else her hands could find to do beneath the skies.

A true mother is one of the holiest secrets of home happiness.  God sends many beautiful things to this world, many noble gifts; but no blessing is richer than that which He bestows in a mother who has learned love's lessons well, and has realized something of the meaning of her sacred calling."

~ J.R. Miller, Secrets of Happy Home Life, 1894

Friendship Sampler Quilt

The quilting ladies in my small town keep the lovely tradition of making a Friendship Sampler Quilt for friends and family to mark memorable occasions.  Friendship sampler quilts have been made for families moving away, having babies, weddings, and students graduating from high school.  

Each of the quilters will make a 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" block at home. This block can be any style, color, or fabric.  One of us, usually a more seasoned quilter, volunteers to take all the quilt blocks home and sew them together with borders in a solid color that compliments all the blocks.  After that is complete, we all meet at our town hall to tie and finish the quilt.  Even with all the different types and colors of blocks, these quilts always turn out beautiful.

Right now, we are busy working on a quilt for a dear family that is moving out of state soon.  I like to make the crazy quilt block.  I enjoy making this block because it looks so different every time I make it, and because I have many small pieces of fabric in my sewing basket waiting to be sewn into a  pretty block.  Also, the crazy quilt block is so forgiving if I make a creative flaw.  A pretty button, embroidery, or some beading can cover up a little piece of muslin showing through.

Here is a picture of the block I just finished.  I still need to embroider my name in the lower corner.

The center piece has a vine of forget-me-nots and berries on it, which grow freely in our town.

The Friendship Sampler Quilt is a precious gift to make, as well as receive.

Homemaking and the Soul

"The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."

~ Thomas Moore

Cozyness

"Shut the door,

not that it lets in the cold -

But that it lets out the cozyness."

~ Mark Twain

Preaching

"Let your lives preach."

~ George Fox

Christmas Blessings

I'd like to wish all of you a very merry, blessed, peaceful Christmas.  I will be back to blogging in 2008.

I also wanted to share that my dear oldest son is coming home from college next week for winter break and I'm so looking forward to his arrival.  I haven't seen him since August, and I've really missed him.

Peace and blessings, Kim  

What Is A Home?

I've been offline and out of town for awhile visiting with dear family that were in need of help.  While I was away, I came across this short essay that I'd like to share.

What Is A Home?

A roof to keep out the rain.  Four walls to keep out the wind.  Floors to keep out the cold.  Yes, but home is more than that.  It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father.  Warmth of loving hearts, light from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship.  Home is first school and first church for young ones, where they learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind.  Where they go for comfort when they are hurt or sick.  Where joy is shared and sorrow eased.  Where fathers and mothers are respected and loved.  Where children are wanted.  Where the simplest food is good enough for kings because it is earned.  Where money is not so important as loving-kindness.  Where even the teakettle sings from happiness.  That is home.  God bless it. - by Ernestine Schuman-Heink

It's so good to be home!

Autumn Reflections

Autumn is here in my neck of the woods.  The days are getting shorter, the light and colors of the forest are more breathtaking, and it's getting chilly.

For my family, autumn is a time for rest, reflection, and study.  No longer are we in the garden or working on the house; hiking, fishing, or berry picking.  It is time to come indoors to enjoy good books and music, friendship and fellowship, a little seasonal decorating and handicrafts, and good-smelling comfort foods.  It is a peaceful time.

May we all find God's blessings of peace and beauty in our homes this beautiful autumn season.

Simplicity at Home

I've always appreciated the idea that we can find the greatest joy from simple things, especially at home.

I live in a small, old, imperfect house.  It is small; but thankfully, has many windows, which makes it seem bigger and brighter.   It is old; but all the nicks, dents, and time-worn imperfections in my homes' simple wood floors, cabinets, and furniture represent to me, many years of love and living.

I don't have too many belongings anymore.  I left them behind when we moved from the city to the country seeking a simpler way of life.  Although, I still have too many books.   What I do have, I try to keep clean and tidy; this brings peace to my home.

My family and I like to go out in nature and enjoy God's perfect beauty.  Sometimes we bring nature home with us to enjoy - flowers, rocks, shells, sea glass, driftwood.  It's all beautiful and a gift of God.

I am so grateful for all of God's blessings.  May you also be blessed with peace and simplicity in your homes and hearts.

Being Home

I'd like to share a book that I'm reading right now.  It is a devotional book for women of all faiths.  It is called Being Home - Discovering the Spiritual in the Everyday by Gunilla Norris.  It's a small, beautifully written book about prayer and housekeeping, and the extraordinary beauty of dailiness.  It is nice to read during a quiet moment with a cup of tea .